In Ancient Transylvania, 16 year old Jena is left in charge of her four sisters while her father is away for the winter. To escape the drudgery of everyday life, Jena and her sisters use a portal in the bedroom to travel to a magical world, the Wildwood. However, as the winter wears on, the hidden dangers of the Wildwood begin seeping into the real lives of the girls. With rumors of Vampires, a haunted forest and small-minded town folk against her, Jena must use all her courage to make the household survive the winter. Eleanor G.
Like his previous book, Last Days of Summer, Kluger uses epistolary fiction - a novel told through emails, diary entries and instant messages - to tell the story of an incredible Boston family that proves that love and friendship can be as strong a link as blood. First loves, baseball, musical theater and sign language are all mixed into this story which covers a year in the life of 3 high school students. If you're looking for a story full of hope and change, don't let this one pass you by. Claudia O.
Ink Exchange is the sequel to Wicked Lovely. It is based in the same world of faerie but focuses on Leslie as its main character. This is the very dark, troubled story of Leslie’s life as she deals with her current issues at home while slowly being sucked into the equally nightmarish world of faerie. With a drug addicted brother and a drunken father she is used to flying under the radar. Suddenly, with the addition of a new tattoo, she finds herself being the object of two very important faeries’ attention. This is a great book with a dark twist on the world of faerie. Janelle G.
Three distinct stories are interwoven in this colorfully illustrated graphic novel: the retelling of a Chinese fable, the tale of a middle schooler moving from Chinatown to a white suburb, and the story of an American teenager ashamed of his Chinese cousin. The Chinese fable, "The Monkey King," begins the novel with an action-themed narrative about an ambitious monkey who wants to be accepted by the ruling gods. The next story centers on Jin Yang's shock as he realizes his new classmates in an all white suburb consider him an outsider. Finally there is the tale of American teenager Danny, whose Chinese cousin embarrasses him at every opportunity. Yang skillfully weaves these three stories together into an astonishing conclusion. Both graphic novel fans and non-graphic novel fans will find themselves turning the pages to discover the fate of these well-drawn characters. Eleanor G.
Depressed, lonely, and obsessed with love, 16-year-old Lopi is also desperate to get away from her mother, which is why she has figured out a way to graduate high school early. Her next goal - to have sex with someone she loves - is the challenge she now faces. Lopi soon realizes that she and her mother will need to accept the horrible tragedy in their past if they are to move forward with their lives. Claudia O.
Sam is a 15 year old boy growing up in England and living an ordinary life. He lives with his single mother, loves to skate, and is dating a pretty girl. The most unusual thing about Sam is that he worships the skater Tony Hawk and channels advice from a Tony Hawk poster in his bedroom. Sam turns to Tony when he discovers that his girlfriend is pregnant. Ultimately, however, Sam must rely upon his own strength and courage to create the best future for himself and his girlfriend. Hornby tells this story with humor and realism but without preaching. Eleanor G.
A talented animal rights activist and his band of giant thieving squirrels are loose in the city. Oona confesses that the leader of the fierce Fsu Tsang gang is actually her father and Ananka is being threatened with boarding school if her performance at school doesn't improve. The sequel to Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City is every bit as good as its predecessor, with lots of action, mystery, suspense and little bit of romance thrown in. Claudia O.
Michael Arroyo’s life is baseball. Ever since he arrived in the Bronx with his father and brother from Cuba, he has dreamed about playing in the Little League World Series. Now, he has the chance to turn his dream into reality. It isn’t just that Michael loves baseball with a passion; he is really good at it as well. So good, in fact, that rival coaches and players will stop at nothing to prevent him from playing the game he loves. To make matters worse, Michael’s father isn’t around and, if the people from social services find out he and his teenage brother live alone, they might separate them. With seemingly the whole world against Michael, and with no parents around to help him, can Michael survive life in the Bronx, let alone lead his team to the Little League World Series? Ryan L.
A cruel note carelessly left behind. A shocking suicide. A smart, popular girl kidnapped…and buried alive. These elements comprise Giles’ smart psychological thriller that delves into the personalities of Cass McBride, her kidnapper, and his dead brother. When Cass McBride awakens to find herself trapped underground in a box, placed in there by the person who blames her for his brother’s death, she knows she must use her guile, intelligence, and strength to survive. Along the way, however, she also comes to a few startling realizations about herself. Edda R.
The lead character, Aislinn, can see fairies, only these are not the sweet and whimsical fairies that people think. They are capricious, selfish, magical and most important, not human. The King of Fairies falls in love with Aislinn and wants to make her his queen, regardless of what she wants. Aislinn is not happy to be his choice and resolves to not be his. She is a strong character and very likable. The ending was unexpected and satisfying. Nancy M.
This first book in the Kiki Strike series combines espionage, New York City lore, and appealing characters to create a clever and enjoyable story. The plot revolves around precocious 12-year-old Ananka Fishbein, whose adventure begins the moment she climbs down a newly-opened sinkhole in the park across from her apartment in pursuit of a mysterious pixie-like girl and discovers the existence of a previously unknown world under the streets of New York City. She soon teams up with the elusive Kiki Strike and other girls with unusual talents to uncover the secret of the Shadow City hidden beneath ground. And if you like this one, check out the sequel, Kiki Strike: The Empress’ Tomb! Edda R.
Flora Fyrdraaca is the youngest daughter of one of the great families of Califa. This is not as nice as it seems. Her mother is always away commanding the army and her father is an alcoholic former POW who lives in their attic. To make matters worse her mother banished the family’s magical butler, so Flora has to do all of the cooking and cleaning in her their mansion, Crackpot Hall. One day Flora accidentally stumbles into her house’s old abandoned library and comes face to face with the banished butler. This starts her on a series of magical adventures which, if they don’t kill her, may help her achieve her dreams. John S.
As Logan begins a new year in a new school, he is taunted and bullied because his secret is out. But the reader is left in the dark, with only hints and glimpses of what happened. Logan has to find the courage to stand up to the bullies and confront his past. Claudia O.
Ryan, a lonely high school freshman, captures of the attention of the attractive new History teacher, Ms. Settles. Their secret relationship has repercussions that not only affect them but their community as well. Joseph G.
This book is so gross you don't want to eat while reading it. Join Sarah and her younger brother Mike as they battle mutant rats that have taken over New York. Will they win the battle to save their city or become food for the rats- read the book to find out! Sky K.
This is the story of Alcatraz Smedry, a thirteen year old foster child with a talent for breaking things. On his thirteenth birthday he receives a bag of sand in the mail, but the sand is soon stolen by evil librarians bent on world domination. Alcatraz must team up with his long lost grandfather to recover the sand and uncover his destiny, before evil librarians take over the world. (WARNING: This book claims to be a true story, but it is not! It is a work of fiction. Librarians are NOT trying to conquer the world!) John S.
Kendra signs up to participate in a reality TV show after getting tired of her banker parents, who want to turn her into a younger version of themselves. She ends up swapping lives with a hippie family from California who are all about saving the otters. Fortunately for her, her host family has a handsome son she immediately falls for head over heels. Drama abounds in this story as the pushy producer Judy tries to get Kendra to divorce her parents, among other cooked up schemes, to raise ratings for the TV show. Sky K.
Matt comes home for the holidays to discover that his dad has been kidnapped because of a secret project he has been working on. After discovering a letter in secret code that his dad left him before he was kidnapped, Matt gets caught up in an exciting adventure to rescue his dad and to uncover the archaeological find of the century. Whoever unlocks the secrets behind this old disc will have the power to rule the world. Will Matt find his dad and will he keep the secret of the disc before it falls into the wrong hands? Find out by reading the amazing story of The Chaos Code. Sky K.
In this dark and gripping tale about two brothers trying to lay their sister to rest, Brooks is at his morose best. Set against a bleak, gray backdrop of the English moors and peopled with characters that are both strange and depressingly hopeless, the writing is so vivid that it's easy to imagine this being made into a film along the lines of "No Country for Old Men." Claudia O.
South Africa's answer to The Catcher in the Rye, Spud is the journal of John "Spud" Milton, a 13-year-old who won a scholarship to an elite all-boys boarding school. In his first year, he charts his most embarrassing moments, the most outrageous stories and pranks in the school, as well as the antics of sometimes quirky, sometimes flat-out crazy classmates, teachers and parents. Claudia O.
In the conclusion to the trilogy that started with "A Great and Terrible Beauty," Gemma Doyle is faced with the greatest trials she's encountered yet: keeping the magic of the Realms safe and curtsying to the queen on the day of her debut to society. Together with the only people she can truly trust, her friends Felicity and Ann, Gemma struggles to determine what to do with the magic that she has bound to herself. All three girls want to change their lives in extraordinary ways, but they must also save that world from the evil forces at work in the realms. A bittersweet ending to the Gemma Doyle Trilogy will leave readers sad, but satisfied. Claudia O.
Arnold "Junior" Spirit lives with his parents and sister on a Spokane reservation. He tries to break the prevalent cycle of poverty and addiction by attending a very affluent (and very white) high school away from the reservation. Junior faces hostility from his best friend and his community who see him as trying to "be white". He survives the obstacles and challenges that face him through basketball and cartoons. Joseph G.
This 2007 winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction delves into the story of the creation of atom bomb from the point of view of a young daughter of one of the scientists at work on it. Ten-year-old Dewey is happy to live in Los Alamos, even though everything is so secret that the world doesn't even know they exist and even though she doesn't get along with any of the girls her age. Readers will admire Dewey and root for her happiness while also learning a lot of interesting information about what life was like in Los Alamos as the atom bomb was being built. Claudia O.
What do baseball and bushido –the way of the warrior- have in common? Find out as you follow Toyo Shimada, a 16 year old living at a time of great changes both in his personal life and his country. A family tragedy and the challenges he encounters at Ichiko, an elite boarding school, find him on a collision course between the old and the new ways. Toyo will discover things he never knew about himself and his heritage in the midst of a changing Japan. Bonina G.
Max and her friends were raised in a laboratory through a science experiment splicing human and bird DNA enabling them to fly. Her and her friends escape only to be later chased by mutant werewolves sent by the lab scientists to get them back. Will Max and her friends discover who their parents are before they are captured by the scientists and their werewolves? Will the voice Max is magically hearing lead her to her doom or help her save the world? Or will the werewolves “erase” this experiment gone wrong? Sky K.
After being caught in an embarrassing position at the age of thirteen, Deanna's reputation is in ruins. Her father has lost all of his trust in her and her brother, a teenage father who lives in the basement with his wife and young daughter. Deanna yearns for freedom from her reputation and low expectations that her family and community have of her. Joseph G.
Beka Cooper is a smart, streetwise girl with a passion for justice. Justice for everyone, even those who live in the slums of her city. Beka has always wanted to be one of the Provost’s Guards- to be a Provost’s Dog. But first she must survive being the Provost’s Puppy, where 2 of 10 die in their first year of work. Beka has an edge. She can hear the ghosts of the murdered who ride on the backs of the city’s pigeons, the city whirlwinds tell her the gossip of the streets and best of all, she has a telepathic purple eyed cat. Maybe, just maybe, Beka can beat the odds against her. Barbara B.
This is a creepy, fascinating, and highly original tale of a group of teens gifted (or cursed?) with the unique ability to exist in a secret hour during which time becomes frozen for the rest of humanity. This first volume sees the arrival of a new Midnighter, Jessica Day, who is somehow different from the others. Soon the group of Midnighters is in a race to uncover what makes Jessica so special as to lure the mysterious and terrible creatures that reside within the secret hour out of hiding, transforming the secret hour from a place of tranquility into a nightmarish landscape. Edda R.
People around the world excitedly gather to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event of the moon being hit by a very large asteroid. Unfortunately, the moon is knocked out of its orbit closer to the Earth and everyone, everywhere is affected. Miranda details in her diary the events which change “life as we knew it” into a situation where even being able to do laundry in the washing machine is something that is looked forward to. Does Miranda survive the bitter winter after the asteroid hit or is her diary the only thing left to tell us about her life? Read this great story to find out. Sky K.
Can a vampire and a werewolf be best friends? They can in Martinez’s wacky and entertaining novel about an unlikely duo that works together to help out the owner of an all-night diner when supernatural fiends come crashing through its doors. This novel will be well liked by anyone who enjoys their horror with a good dose of humor. Edda R.
Matt Alacrán is a clone of the feared ruler of the land called Opium. As such, he receives protection from “El Patrón” but is also reviled by the inhabitants of the Alacrán estate who view him as an abomination. Matt comes to understand what he is and what it means to be human, as well as discovering the fate of those clones not under the protection of the dreaded El Patrón, in this eerie and suspenseful novel of a possible future. Edda R.
Check out this enthralling fantasy about Lyra before the movie premiers on the big screen. You'll journey to a thrilling world where everyone has a daemon (an animal form of a person's soul), magic abounds around every corner and Lyra befriends important allies in her adventure discovering the mystery behind a rash of kidnappings and that which is called "Dust." Sky K.
Ever thought about the traveling circus life and how exciting it could be? But what if the reason you are part of it is because you decided to run away from reality? See how a young runaway by the name of Michael travels back to his home town and sees how things have changed since he's been gone. Cynthia S.
When reading this book you will feel moved and connected to Charlie, the main character, and how he goes through adolescence carrying a secret in which he’s forgotten all about. Through his letters his hidden secret begins to unravel. It’s a great read and everyone will take something with them after reading this book. Cynthia S.
Ever thought how cool it would be to connect everything with your mind, to watch TV in your head or call someone just in your mind? In this ironic satire set in the future you will see how a young guy meets a girl without these abilities and how sometimes technology isn’t cut up to what it seems to be. Cynthia S.
In a 2083 reality TV game show, a group of teens battle each other for the $10,000 prize as they reenact Scott’s 1910-1913 expedition to the South Pole. Mother Nature is brutal and someone is secretly aiding them on their journey, but will it be enough to survive? Find out by reading this book! Sky K.
"Blood is my friend. Without it my cells shrivel. Without it I die...." Thus begins Lucy's narrative in Pete Hautman's intriguing and well-written novel Sweetblood. Lucy sees herself as one of the Undead, not as a result of overly imaginative gothic fantasies, but because of the connection between her out-of-control diabetes and her own theory of vampirism. Her increasing frustration with her diabetic state leads her to engage in self-destructive behavior that threatens her school and family life. Lucy is an intelligent and cleverly funny narrator, however, which makes this novel very enjoyable while at the same time dealing with serious issues. Edda R.
After her grandfather's sudden death, Tamar inherits from him a box of WWII items. She vows to uncover the puzzling mystery of the seemingly unrelated objects in the box and her grandfather's history with the Dutch resistance in Nazi occupied Holland. Peet alternates telling this exciting tale between Tamar's modern day detective work and the distant past of Tamar's namesake. The story dramatically develops through two Dutch resistance agents and Marijke, the love of both their lives, as they battle for what they believe is true. Sky K.
Ever read and enjoyed Lois Lowry's The Giver and Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass? Then you will like this fantasy filled trilogy adventure of three kids from Aramanth by the name of Kestrel, Bowman, and Mumpo, and how they defy their society by going on a journey to find the Wing Singer in order to free their people from a demanding society. Cynthia S.
