Monday, November 7, 2011

New Teen Books for November, 2011

Tankborn by Karen Sandler
Teen Science Fiction

Best friends Kayla and Mishalla know they will be separated when the time comes for their Assignments. they are Genetically Engineered Non-humans: gestated in a tank, sequestered in slums, and sent to work as slaves as soon as they reach age fifteen. But when Kayla is Assigned to care for Zul Manel, the patriarch of a trueborn family, she forms an unexpected friendship with Zul's great-grandson. Meanwhile, the children that Mishalla is Assigned to care for are being stolen in the middle of the night, and she begins to suspect that something horrible is happening to them.

Kayla and Mishalla reunite to hatch a plan to save the children who are disappearing. Both girls must put their lives and hearts at risk to crack open a sinister conspiracy, one that may reveal secrets no one is ready to face.

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Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Teen Fiction

Lupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Mexican American immigrant family, comes of age as she struggles with adult responsibilities during her mother's battle with cancer. Lupita must take on more responsibility for her house and seven younger siblings, and deal with the pressures of high school, while finding refuge in acting and writing poetry.

This Young Adult novel-in-verse includes a glossary of Spanish terms.

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The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
Teen Historical Adventure

It's 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. Here, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows - a fascinating boy who's not afraid to stand up to authority and dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin's father is kidnapped, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary's sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping it out of the hands of their enemies - Russian spies in possession of nuclear weapons.

Discovering and testing potions they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending disaster.

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Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Teen Fiction

Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a fther who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

But Lucky has a secret. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the prison his grandfather couldn't escape, where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?

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Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
Teen Fiction

In a heartbeat, in a wingbeat, it happens. Isla's father falls. They're racing across the fields, following the swans flying to winter at the lake like they do every year, when something goes wrong. And before she can even catch her breath, they're in the back of an ambulance, she's holding his hand.

As Isla struggles with her father's frailty and the new feelings she has for Harry, a boy she meets at the hospital, she's determined to help the only way she knows how. Outside the hospital windows, Isla watches a lone whooper swan struggling to fly. If only she could save the lost bird, would that somehow heal her dad, and cure Harry, and make everything good again?

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Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
Teen Fantasy/Adventure

Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.

Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?

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The Lost Songs by Caroline B. Cooney
Teen Southern Fiction

The day Lutie Painter takes the city bus north instead of the school bus west, cutting class for the first time ever, her aunt and uncle have no idea what she is up to. That same morning, Lutie's pastor, Miss Veola, whispers as always, "This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." A block from Miss Veola and up a hill in Chalk, Train Greene, burning with anger, has a decision to make, and he's running out of time. A few miles away, among finer houses, Kelvin Hartley yawns and gets ready for another day at school, where he is a friend to all and makes an effort at nothing. And Doria Bell, who recently moved to the South from Connecticut, walks to the bus stop, hoping the high school kids who live nearby will say hello.

All of these lives intertwine and--in surprising ways--become connected to Lutie's ancestors, who are buried in the cemetery in Chalk.

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Palace of the Damned by Darren Shan
Saga of Larten Crepsley series
Teen Horror

After failing his mentor and killing the entire crew of a ship in a bout of revenge for the death of his assistant, Larten in bereft with guilt. He no longer has the drive to live the vampiric life, and hides out in Paris, masquerading as a human. There, he finds some happiness, even falling in love with a girl. But the darkness inside him is too great for humanity, and he is forced to make a choice: hide in the shadows of the human world, or take his place among the vampire clan and protect those weaker than himself. But enemies are waiting, traps are laid, and Larten's path is bound to be strewn with bodies.

This is his story.

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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

New Teen Titles for October, 2011



After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel
Teen Horror

Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something--or someone--is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life--and her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.



As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
Teen Suspense

Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava Struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Teen Science Fiction

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom--a young soldier--and Ellie, and girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it's now a question of who can be trusted... and who is no longer human.

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Teen Psychological Fiction

Willa is lucky: she has a loving blended family that gets along. Not all families are so fortunate. But when a bloody crime takes place hundreds of miles away, it has an explosive effect on Willa's peaceful life. The estranged father she hardly remembers has murdered his new wife and children, and is headed east toward Willa and her mother. Under police protection, Willa discovers that her mother has harbored secrets that are threatening to boil over. Has everything Willa believed about herself been a lie? But as Willa sets out to untangle the mysteries of her past, she also keeps her own secret--one that has the potential to tear apart all she holds dear.

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Teen Paranormal Fantasy

Pearl is your typical sixteen-year-old vampire--until the night a unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops. Now she's experiencing a number of alarming symptoms: noticing her own reflection, feeling sympathy for a human victim, and being able to withstand the sun. Pearl's immunity to sunlight thrills her family, who enroll her in high school so she can lure home tasty friends. Pearl quickly discovers that high school is very similar to vampire culture with its rigid rules, clear social hierarchy, and a might-makes-right attitude. But having a conscience makes it hard to cope with an evil plot the Vampire King has in store for the local humans. Will Pearl overcome her bloodsucking instincts in favor of her newly acquired conscience?


Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry
(sequel to Rot & Ruin)
Teen Adventure

In post-apocalyptic America, 15-year-old Benny Imura and his friends set out into the great Rot & Ruin, after months of rigorous training with Benny's zombie-hunter brother Tom, hoping to find a better future.

But before they even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town, and as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, and insane murderers, and face the horrors of Gameland--where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all... could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

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Ghost Hunt 2: More Chilling Tales of the Unknown by Jason Hawes
Teen Horror

Is Alcatraz prison really haunted by ghostly inmates--or is something in the air causing hallucinations? Can the ocean be haunted? Are glowing red eyes in the woods just an animal--or something more sinister?

Unlock these mysteries and many more in this chilling collection of terrifying tales based on real cases from The Atlantic Paranormal Society.

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Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer
Teen Nonfiction

In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried every remedy, but nothing cured the young Puritans. He grimly announced the dire diagnosis: the girls were bewitched! And then accusations began!

The riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people's lives and ruined hundreds more unfolds in chilling detail.

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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

New Teen Books for September 2011


The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric
Teen Historical Fantasy
Teodora has always longed to visit Venice, and at last she has her chance. But strange and sinister things are afoot in the beautiful floating city. Teo is quickly subsumed into a secret world in which salty-tongued mermaids run subversive printing presses, ghosts good and bad patrol the streets, statues speak, rats read, and librarians fluidly turn into cats. And where a book, "The Key to the Secret City," leads Teo straight into the heart of the danger that threatens to the destroy the very city to which she feels she belongs. An ancient proverb seems to unite Teo with a Venetian boy, Renzo, and with the Traitor who has returned from the dark past to wreak revenge... But who is the Undrowned Child destined to save Venice?


 
You've Got Talent by Andrea Mills
Teen Nonfiction

Wanna dance? Wanna sing? You've Got Talent features everything you need to know about the world of entertainment, past and present. Readers can relive the greatest and most memorable performances, from the earliest shows to the most expensive disasters! They'll get a sneak peek behind the scenes to look at the stage and equipment, and to meet the people who make everything happen, from top-billing stars to scriptwriters and set designers.




Witchlanders by Lena Coakley
Teen Fantasy

High in their mountain covens, redwitches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future. It's all a fake. At least that's what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes--one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people's old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he's ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change.

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Envy by Gregg Olsen
Empty Coffin series
Teen Mystery

Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka "Empty Coffin"), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic "twin-sense" to uncover the truth about the towns victims and culprits. "Envy," the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they could have ever imagined. Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, "Envy" will take you to the edge--and push you right over.

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Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
Teen Science Fiction Suspence

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette's syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric Powers.

Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael's friend Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children - and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he's to survive.

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Dark Souls by Paula Morris
Teen Horror

Miranda Tennant arrives in New York, the most haunted city in the world, with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she wont' run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city...

Then she meets Nick, and intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York's hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy--one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of New York's haunted souls?

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Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter
Teen Historical Fiction

Selene has grown up in a palace on the Nile with her parents, Cleopatra & Mark Antony--the most brilliant, powerful rulers on earth. But the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants Egypt for himself, and when war finally comes, Selene faces the loss of all she's ever loved. Forced to build a new life in Octavianus' household in Rome, she finds herself torn between two young men and two possible destinies--until she reaches out to claim her won.

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The Project by Brian Falkner
Teen Science Fiction Adventure

It begins with a book, the most boring book in the world, a books so boring no one could ever read it--the perfect place to hid a dangerous secret.

When best friends Luke and Tommy volunteer to help move books from their library's basement to higher ground during a quick rising food, they discover the only surviving copy of the most boring book in the world: "Leonardo's River," lost for over 100 years. The book is connected to Leonardo da Vinci and is worth millions, so they return that night to steal it. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones with that plan...

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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

New Teen Books for August, 2011

The Final Hour by Andrew Klavan
Homelanders series
Teen Adventure

"You're not alone. You're never alone." Charlie West has held on to that belief, but now he's starting to wonder. He went to bed one night an ordinary high-school kid. When he woke up, he was wanted for murder and hunted by a ruthless band of terrorists. He's been on the run ever since. Now he's stuck in prison, abandoned by his allies, trying desperately to stay a step ahead of vicious prison gangs and brutal guards. And a flash of returning memory tells him another terrorist strike is coming soon. A million people will die unless he does something. But what? He's stuck in a concrete cage with no way out and no one who can help. Charlie ahs never felt so alone--and yet he knows he can't give in or give up... not with the final hour ticking away.

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Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Paranormalcy series
Teen Fantasy

Evie finally has the normal life she's always longed for. But she's shocked to discover that being ordinary can be... kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she's given a chance to work for them again. But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie's faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there's a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

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Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott
Teen Historical Fiction

Bobby and his family are visiting Civil War battlefields on the eve of the war's centenary, while inside their car, quiet battles rage. When an accident cuts their trip short, they return home on a bus and witness an incident that threatens to deny a black family seats. What they don't know is the reason for the family's desperation to be on that bus: a few towns away, their child is missing.

Lunch-Box Dream presents Jim Crow, racism, and segregation from multiple perspectives. In this story of witnessing without understanding, a naively prejudiced boy, in brief flashes of insight, starts to identify and question his assumptions about race.

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The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines
Teen Mystery

Iris Anderson is only 15, but she's quickly mastering the art of deception. It's the fall of 1942 and Iris's world is rapidly changing. Her Pop is back from the war with a missing leg, limiting his ability to do the physically grueling part of his detective work. Iris is dying to help, especially when she discovers that one of Pop's cases involves a boy at her school. Now, instead of sitting at home watching Deanna Durbin movies, Iris is sneaking out of the house, double crossing her friends, and dancing at the Savoy till all hours of the night. There's certainly never a dull moment in the private eye business.

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Cool Tech: Gadgets, Games, Robots, and the Digital World by Clive Gifford
Teen Nonfiction

Cool Tech is a thrilling journey through the physical side of the virtual world. Marvel at the technology taht keeps you connected, from the ships installing lines deep in the ocean, the robots locating wire breaks, the satellites beaming signals across the earth, the teams retrieving and splicing lines together, to the servers directing and feeding internet traffic around the world. Plus, take a look back at the history of the internet, exploring people and inventions that led to its creation and tour a virtual museum to see how the technology has progressed over the years changing the lives of ordinary people everywhere.

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Americapedia: Taking the Dumb out of Freedom by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Teen Nonfiction

Aimed at teens who want to know more about the day-t0-day workings of the U.S. government, this unique blend of humor and information is a cross between a textbook and a satire.

A crash course for understanding critical events in America and the world, it touches upon a variety of topics--historical and current--and explains how they unfolded and why they are important in the political and governmental arenas. Funny and intelligent writing, very reminiscent of the Daily Show, provides insight into the American electoral system, the world economy, the role religion plays in world conflicts, and America's place in the world. The final chapter provides information about how to get involved.

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Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead by Jason Henderson
Alex Van Helsing series
Teen Supernatural Adventure

Fourteen-year-old Alex has no idea that he's descended from the world's most famous vampire hunter, but that changes fast when he arrives at Glenarvon Academy and confronts two vampires in his first three days. Hidden deep underground lies an ancient university for vampires called the Scholomance. When two of Alex's friends are kidnapped by the deadly vampire clan lord Icemaker, it's up to Alex to infiltrate the Scholomance and get them back--alive. Assisted by the Polidorium, a top-secret vampire-hunting organization with buried ties to the Van Helsings, Alex dodges zombies, bullets, and lots--and lots--of fangs on his way to thwarting Icemaker's plans and fulfilling his family destiny.

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Addie on the Inside by James Howe
Teen Fiction (Novels in Verse)

Addie Carle, the only girl int he group of friends known as The Gang of Five, is outspoken, opinionated, and sometimes... just a bit obnoxious. But as seventh grade progresses, Addie's not so sure anymore about who she is. It seems her tough exterior is just a little too tough and that doesn't help her deal with the turmoil she feels on the inside as she faces the pains of growing up.

Told in elegant, accessible verse, Addie on the Inside gives readers a look at a strong, smart, and sensitive girl struggling with the box society wants to put her in. Addie confronts experiences many readers will relate to: the loss of a beloved pet, first heartbreak, teasing... but also, friendship, love, and a growing confidence in one's self.

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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

New Teen Books for July, 2011

What Would My Cell Phone Do? by Micol Ostow
Teen Romance

When Aggie Eckhart's family moves from Miami, Florida to Denville, Alaska, because of her father's job, Aggie feels like a fish out of water. Not only is frozen Denville a far cry from sunny Miami, but she's got no friends, her mother is driving her crazy, and she loses her cell phone within the first month - cutting off her lifeline to civilization. But when an online search for her phone (using the fancy-schmancy built-in GPS tracker) reveals that the cell is enjoying life up north much more than Aggie is, she adopts a whole new outlook. No more woe-is-me, now it's all WWMCPD (What Would My Cell Phone Do)? And before Aggie knows it, things are looking a whole lot brighter!

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Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Teen Romantic Fantasy

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is -- and it's getting harder. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood... and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are drawing both her and Lucas together -- and trying to tear them apart.

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The Wikkeling by Steven Arntson
Teen Fantasy

In the enormous city of the Addition, all children are SAFE, SECURE, and SUPERVISED, and are watched by cameras even while they sleep. Henrietta is unlikeable at her competitive school until she meets Gary and Rose. They all share something in common: headaches with an unknown cause. Then, late one night, Henrietta makes a startling discovery when she finds a wounded cat in the attic above her bedroom. Soon after, a series of strange occurrences follow, including the appearance of a threatening creature with long, waxy fingers, who calls itself the Wikkeling. With the help of an ancient Bestiary, will Henrietta and her friends solve these mysteries before the Wikkeling finally catches them?

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Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Teen Science Fiction

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So even when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only changer her future, it may change her past.

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Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Teen Paranormal Romance

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. But her nightmarish existence changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river and, in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

While they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world... forever.

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Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Teen Mystery

Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come. When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-"forwards," as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting... before it destroys her future.

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The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine
Teen Fiction

Mike tries so hard to please his father, but the only language his dad seems to speak is calculus. And for a boy with a math learning disability, nothing could be more difficult. When his dad sends him to live with distant relatives in rural Pennsylvania for the summer to work on an engineering project, Mike figures this is his big chance to buckle down and prove himself. But when he gets there, nothing is what he thought it would be. The project has nothing at all to do with engineering, and he finds himself working alongside his wacky eighty-something-year-old aunt, a homeless man, and a punk rock girl as part of a town-wide project to adopt a boy from Romania. Mike may not learn anything about engineering, but what he does learn is far more valuable.

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Ruby's Slippers by Tricia Rayburn
Teen Fiction

Up until this point, Ruby Lee's slippers have been a pair of red Converse sneakers. Raised in rural Kansas, she's never downloaded an iTune, heard of Facebook, or seen a video on YouTube.

But everything changes dramatically when her mother uproots the family and moves them to Florida to care for Ruby's grandmother.

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Thursday, June 2, 2011

New Teen Titles for June, 2011

Tighter by Adele Griffin
Teen Supernatural Mystery

When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl--and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Based on Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw."

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The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
Teen Fiction

While Nick Gardner's family is falling apart, his best friend, Scooter, is dying from a freak disease. The Scoot's final wish is that Nick and their quirky classmate, Jaycee Amato, deliver a prized first-edition copy of "Of Mice and Men" to the Scoot's father. There's just one problem: the Scoot's father walked out years ago and hasn't been heard from since. So, guided by Steinbeck's life lessons, and with only the vaguest of plans, Nick and Jaycee set off to find him.

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The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Teen Fiction

Julia and Eliza are best friends, spending the summer together. Julia's mother is serving in the National Guard and Julia spends all of her time trying not to think about what could happen. So the girls lose themselves in their summer, hanging out at the resort where Eliza's father works. But when they meet a new boy, neither one of them is prepared for what it does to their friendship.

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My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff
Teen Fiction

High school sophomore Adam Zeigler, who lost his father to a sudden accident two years ago, thinks the best way to live life is behind the spotlight. As a member of the theater crew, he believes he's achieved it all when he wins the coveted job of spotlight operator. But that was before a young actress, Summer, appeared in his view. Instantly smitten, Adam is determined to win her over. But to do so, he'll have to defy his best friend and break the golden rule of his school: techies and actors don't mix.

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Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowski
Teen Horror

Juniper Berry's parents are the most beloved actor and actress in the world--but Juniper can't help but feel they haven't been quite right lately. And she and her friend Giles are determined to find out why.

On a cold and rainy night, Juniper follows her parents as they sneak out of the house and enter the woods. What she discovers is an underworld filled with contradictions: one that is terrifying and enticing, lorded over by a creature both sinister and seductive, who can sell you all the world's secrets bound in a balloon. For the first time, Juniper and Giles have a choice to make. And it will be up to them to confront their own fears in order to save the ones who couldn't.

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In Front of God and Everybody by K.D. McCrite
Confessions of April Grace series
Teen Inspirational Fiction

If God wanted April Grace to be kind to her neighbors, He should have made them nicer!

In the summer of 1986, eleven-year-old April Grace, who lives on a rural Arkansas farm with her family, across a field from her grandmother, has her sense of Christian charity tested when a snooty couple from San Francisco moves into a dilapidated house down the road and her grandmother takes up with a loud, obnoxious, and suspicious-acting Texan.

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Flawless by Lara Chapman
Teen Romance

Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny--all right, enourmous--flaw: her nose.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do--she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

A hip retelling of "Cyrano de Bergerac."

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Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World of Food: Brains, Bugs, and Blood Sausage by Andrew Zimmern
Teen Nonfiction

Readers are invited to eat their way around the world with Travel Channel's Zimmern as he tastes the grossest, most unique food, including raw camel kidneys and giant flying ants.

Come along on Andrew's amazing adventures and learn fun facts about the animals he encounters, the people he meets, and the places he explores. You'll also find cool recipes to try at home.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

New Teen Books for May, 2011

The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg
Teen Historical Fiction

With their family home facing foreclosure, seventeen year-old Clara Estby and her mother, Helga, need to raise a lot of money fast--no easy feat for two women in 1896. Helga wants to tackle the problem with her usual loud and flashy style, while Clara favors a less showy approach. Together they come up with a plan to walk the 4,600 miles from Mica Creek, Washington, to New York City--and if they can do it in only seven months, a publisher has agreed to give them $10,000.

Based on the true story of the author's great-aunt and great-grandmother, this is a fast paced historical adventure that sets the dram of "Around the World in Eighty Days" against an American backdrop during the time of the suffragist movement, the 1896 presidential campaign, and the changing perception of "a woman's place" in society.

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Time of Trial by Michael Pryor
The Laws of Magic Series
Teen Fantasy Adventure

After narrowly escaping the worst fate inmaginable, Aubrey realizes there's only one thing left to do--he must confront his nemesis, on his own evil ground. It may look like a simple wire device, but the Beccaria Cage could be the cure for Aubrey's condition: a way to reunite his body and soul. But can Aubrey solve it's mysteries while Dr. Tremaine's warmongering machinations gather pace?

Aubrey, George, and Caroline accompany Lady Rose and Prince Albert to Holmland--into the heart of hostile territory--only to find the city of Fisherberg infested with ghosts, brigands, and shadowy figures with agendas of their own. While trying to prevent a war, could Aubrey Fitzwilliam inadvertently trigger one?

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The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
Teen Historical Fiction

Louis Lambert has always dreamed of movie starlets and exquisite gowns and longs for the day when she can fill the closet of her normal suburban home with stylish treasures. But when she receives a mysterious invitation to a vintage fashion sale in the mall, her once painfully average life is magically transformed into a time-travel adventure... as she finds herself in 1912 aboard the "Titanic" as the gown's original owner, silent film star Alice Baxter!

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Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish
Teen Fantasy/Horror Fiction

Fifteen-year-old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. They are on course to meet the vile and evil Orcrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature and it wants Savannah Grey to help realize its savage intent.

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The Loser List by Holly Kowitt
Teen Humor Fiction

When Danny Shine finds out he's on the infamous Loser List in the girls' bathroom, his mission to erase it lands him in detention. After the school's bullies discover he can draw, Danny enjoys a new bad boy status--until he's drawn into a crime.

Turns out the bullies took a comic book from Danny's favorite store. Can he steal it back before they get caught--and break off with the bullies before he gets in too deep?

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Power Play by Ridley Pearson
Kingdom Keepers series
Teen Fantasy/Suspense Fiction

For the five teens who modeled as Disney Hologram Imaging hosts, life beginning to settle down when an intriguing video arrives to Philby's computer at school. It's a call for action: the Overtakers, a group of Disney villains, seem to be plotting to attempt a rescue of two of their leaders, both of whom the Disney Imagineers have hidden away somewhere following a violent encounter in Epcot. And one of their own, Charlene, is acting strange of late. Has she tired of her role as a Kingdom Keeper or is there something more sinister at play?

Has the "impossible" occurred? Have the Overtakers created their own holograms? Have they found a way to "jump" from the Virtual Maintenance Network onto the Internet, and if so, what does that mean for the safety of the parks, and the spread and reach of the Overtakers? Are they recruiting an army from "outside" the parks?

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Entwined by Heather Dixon
Teen Fantasy

Azalea is trapped.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest. But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to "keep" things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

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The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie
Teen Humor Fiction

Larkin Pace desperately wants a new camcorder. How else is he going to become the next great filmmaker? But his dad won't give him any money, his sister is determined to make his life miserable, and his nemesis Dalton Cooke is trying to steal his girlfriend. Now this height-challenged aspiring director must chronicle his wacky life for a freshman English assignment.

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