The Pearl Wars: Skyship Academy by Nick James

Set in the future, this action packed novel written by Nick James explores the possibilites of a world struggling to survive.  Following several wars, the earth has been divided into three factions, a ruthless surface government, the Skyship dwellers, and the Fringers.  The groups spend their time competing for Pearls, giant mysterious orbs fallling from space that are used as electricity.  When Jesse Fisher, a Skyship dweller, and Cassius Stevenson, a Surface operator, compete over an orb strange things begin to happen and they quickly discover that not everything in their world is exactly how it appears.

Content Notes:
There is some slight language and fighting in this text which would earn it a PG rating. 

Teacher Notes:
This book has a lexile level of 640.  Struggling readers may want to create Somebody Wanted But So summary statements for each chapter or create a summary picture book as they read to comprehend the text.

Similar Books:
I honestly haven't read anything exactly like this book!  Another mystery/dystopian book I would suggest is Ashes Ashes by Jo Treggiari.  Other space books would be the Star Wars series of books.