Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts

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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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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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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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

New Teen Books for April, 2011

Those That Wake by Jesse Karp
Teen Science Fiction

New York City's spirit has been crushed. People walk the streets with their heads down, withdrawing from one another and into the cold comfort of technology. Teenagers Mal and Laura have grown up in this reality. They've never met. Seemingly, they never will.

But on the same day Mal learns his brother has disappeared, Laura discovers her parents have forgotten her. Both begin a search for their families that leads them to the same truth: someone or something has wiped the teens from the memories of every person they have ever known. Thrown together, Mal and Laura must find common ground as they attempt to reclaim their pasts.

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Steel by Carrie Vaughn
Teen Fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure.

The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her here, she forms a desperate scheme to get home--one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainaous pirate captain.

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Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Teen Fiction

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object--an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since the third grade (Griswold-Gritas--it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking--er, focusing on--Sean Griswold... all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

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Recyclo-Gami: 40 Crafts to Make Your Friends Green With Envy! by Laurie Goldrich Wolf
Teen Nonfiction/Crafts

What can you make out of your old bits of paper, left over pieces of yarn, or not-so-brand-new cartons and containers? Craft your own purse out of playing cards, whip up a scrapbook made of cereal boxes, or a dollhouse from an empty juice carton!

All crafts are made out of materials that many of us find just lying around the house or sitting on the curb waiting to be tossed in a landfill. Overpriced decor, fashion, and gifts are out, and recyclable crafts are in!

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Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams
Teen Suspense

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control...

A gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them.

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The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker
Teen Mystery

Since when do the dead send email? Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused. Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident.

She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor--the dangerously hot bady boy Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them--even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder...

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Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
Teen Science Fiction

Humanity, like computers, can be upgraded. And old versions disappear... At some unspecified point in the future, when technology is as advanced as possible and we are a race of super beings, some old audio tapes are discovered. On the tapes is the story of fourteen-year-old Kyle Straker.

Hypnotized, Kyle missed the upgrade of humanity to 1.0. He isn't compatible with our new technology. And through the recording, he narrates what the upgrades really mean. And it's absolutely terrifying.

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Chime by Franny Billingsley
Teen Fantasy

Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony, lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

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