Fire-us: The Kiln by Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher
Third book in the Fire-us Trilogy. They're young adult books but I'm not sure some references and little jokes would be caught by younger people. Kind of like when you watch a movie as a child and then realize the things you gave meaning to really meant something completely different. Or just things you skip over as background noise.
The first book gave you very little indication as to where the second two would end. A virus swept through the world, killing the adults and leaving the children to either learn to survive or die of injury and starvation. It isn't until the second book that you begin to see how this might have happened. A word to the wise: our current situation in the USA isn't so far off from the likes of these people. Dubya's mindset is just a stones throw away from it. Checking the date on the books, I'd almost think it was a political commentary (no, it's not really a political book, but like it or not, politics have the ability to shape our lives). The book focuses more on the ability to survive and thrive, staying one step ahead of the rest. Some of the antics are very funny, some of the situations and broken minds are heartbreaking, but nevertheless, the children are always captivating to me.
My user picture for this journal comes from the cover art on the second book. 'Teacher' was my favorite character, obsessed with gathering information and preserving what she could in her scrapbook. The children treat The Book as both a record and oracle, random pages being the only guidance left for them.
www.fire-us.com
Also, if you like science fiction:
www.scifan.com
