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?

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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.

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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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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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