New Books!

Swindle
by Gordon Korman
Genre: Adventure

When Griffin Bing plans a spooky sleepover in a haunted house that's about to be demolished, he isn't planning on making a fortune. But then he discovers something more valuable than gold: a rare Babe Ruth baseball card, hidden out of view for many years. Griffin's on his way to a million dollars...until a mean collector tricks him out of the card. Now Griffin must put together a team of friends (and one or two enemies) in order to get the card back. He's not going to let his fortune go without a fight. ~From the book jacket

Total Constant Order
by Crissa-Jean Chappell
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Fin can't stop counting. She's always heard a voice inside her head, ordering her to listen, but ever since she's moved to the Sunshine State and her parents split up, numbers thump rhythmically keeping things in control. When a new doctor introduces terms such as "clinical depression" and "OCD" and offers a prescription for medication, the chemical effects make Fin feel even more messed up. Until she meets Thayer - who might just understand Fin's hunger to belong, and her struggle for constant total order. ~From the book jacket

Fake Boyfriend
by Kate Brian
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Lane and Vivi have had it with Isabelle Hunter's boyfriend, Shawn Littig. He is the only person who can turn their smart, confident best friend into a complete mess. When Shawn cheats on and dumps Izzy just months before the prom, Lane and Vivi decide to take action. They create a MySpace page for "Brandon," the perfect guy to get Izzy out of her revolving-door relationship with Shawn. Too bad he's totally fake! ~From the book jacket

How Not to Be Popular
by Jennifer Ziegler
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Maggie Dempsey is tired of moving all over the country. Her parents are blowin'-in-the-wind hippies who uproot her every few months to go to a new city. When Maggie was younger, she thought their life was fun and adventurous. Now that she's a teenager she hates it - making and losing friends breaks her heart. Now that they're moving again to Austin, Texas, she knows better - she's not going to make friends. She's going to be a misfit so it won't hurt so much when she has to leave. Only...things don't go exactly as planned. Another misfit won't take the hint and becomes her friend anyway. Who knew not being popular could be so hard? ~From the book jacket

Candyfloss
by Jacqueline Wilson
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Floss loves spending weekends with her dad at his greasy spoon café. But when her mother and stepfather announce they are moving to Australia, Floss finds herself in an impossible situation: should she go, or stay home with Dad - inept, but loving and always lots of fun? And how will her choice affect her precious friendship with her popular but not-so-loyal best friend, Rhiannon? ~From the book jacket

Sweethearts
by Sara Zarr
Genre: Realistic Fiction

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also each other's friend. So when Cameron disappeared, Jennifer thought she'd lost the one person who would ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she is popular, happy, and dating. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they both are confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken. ~From the book jacket

H.I.V.E. The Higher Institute of Villainous Education
by: Mark Walden
Genre: Sci-Fi

H.I.V.E. is operated on a volcanic island in a distant ocean by G.L.O.V.E., a shadowy organization of worldwide wickedness. And, as 13-year-old master of mischief Otto Malpense soon discovers, here the slickest of young tricksters, thieves, and hackers have been brought against their will to be trained as the next generation of supervillains. Otto and his friends refuse to be held prisoner at the institution and develop a scheme to escape from the island, but they must defeat the all-seeing computer system, a seemingly undefeatable assassin in black, and a giant carnivorous plant to succeed. ~From the book jacket

Club Meds
by: Katherine Hall Page
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Jack Sutton has been on meds since third grade. Jack and his friends refer to he nurse's office, where they line up daily for their medications, as Club Meds. Club Meds is no vacation spot - it's what enables Jack, Mary, and Sam to navigate the treacherous waters of Busby Memorial High School. So when major-league bully Chuck forces Jack to turn over his Ritalin, Jack is in a box. The kids from Club Meds come to Jack's defense with a plan that's outrageous and dangerous, and a long shot at best. It will test their determination and their courage - and it will change their lives forever. ~From the book jacket


Reaching for Sun
by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Josie Wyatt knows what it means to be different. Her family's small farmhouse seems to shrink each time another new mansion goes up behind it. Her mom is demanding, her gran is opinionated, and her father - well, she's never known him. Then there's her cerebral palsy: even if Josie wants to forget that she was born with a disability, her mom can't seem to let it go. Yet when a strange new boy - Jordan - moves into one of the houses nearby, he seems oblivious to all he things that make Josie different. And before long, Josie finds herself reaching for something she's never really known: a friend...and possibly more. ~From the book jacket

Runemarks
by Joanne Harris
Genre: Fantasy

Not that anyone would admit it was goblins. In Maddy Smith's world, Order rules. Chaos, old gods, Faeries, goblins, magic, glamours -- all of these were supposedly vanquished centuries ago. But Maddy knows that a small bit of magic has survived. The "ruinmark" she was born with on her palm proves it -- and makes the other villagers fearful that she is a witch (though she's helpful in dealing with the goblins-in-the-cellar problem). But the mysterious traveler One-Eye sees Maddy's mark not as a defect but as a destiny. And Maddy will need every scrap that One-Eye can teach her about the runes, cantrips, and glamours -- every ounce of magic she can command -- if she is to survive that destiny. ~From the book jacket

When the Black Girl Sings
by Bil Wright
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Lahni Schuler is the only black student at her private prep school. She's also the adopted child of two loving, but white, parents who are on the road to divorce. Struggling to comfort her mother and angry with her dad, Lahni feels more and more alone. But when Lahni and her mother attend a local chruch one Sunday, Lahni hears the amazing gospel choir, and her life takes an unexpected turn.

It so happens that one of Lahni's teachers, Mr. Faringhelli, has nominated her for a talent competition, and she is expected to perform a song in front of the whole school. Lahni decides to join the church choir to help her become a better singer. But what starts out as a way to practice singing becomes a place of belonging and a means for Lahni to discover her own identity. ~From the book jacket

Icecore: A Carl Hobbes Thriller
by Matt Whyman
Genre: Adventure

Carl Hobbes is no criminal mastermind...

...He's a seventeen-year-old British computer hacker who penetrated the security systems at Fort Knox for a laugh. But the American government was less than amused. Since his prank, gold bars have been landing the hands of terrorists across the globe.

...But he's been flown to a military prison deep in the Arctic and far off the grid. He's been caged alongside the world's most notorious terrorists with no one to trust and no end in sight.

...But if he wants to escape this subzero prison with his life, he'll have to start thinking like one.
~From the book jacket


Number 8
by Anna Fienberg
Genre: Mystery

Jackson, who has a mild obsession with numbers -- especially even numbers -- has never lived outside the city before. Now, he and his mother are hiding out from the mob in the suburbs after his mother witnessed a crime in the casino where she worked as a singer. Strange phone calls start arriving, a mysterious car keeps driving by their house, and a reckless driver attempts to run Jackson down. Determined to preserve his new life, Jackson tries to keep the danger hidden from his new girlfriend, Esmerelda -- until the night she disappears, raising the stakes in a dangerous game where all bets are off. ~From the book jacket

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The Eye of the Crow

by Shane Peacock
Genre: Mystery

It is the spring of 1867, and a yellow fog hangs over London. In the dead of night, a woman is brutally stabbed and left to die in a pool of blood. No one sees the terrible crime. Or so it seems.

Nearby, a brilliant, bitter boy dreams of a better life. He is the son a Jewish intellectual and a highborn lady – social outcasts – impoverishment the cost of their mixed marriage. The boy’s name is Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock comes face to face with the young Arab wrongly accused of the crime. This puts him squarely on a path to becoming a complex man with a dark past – and the world’s greatest detective. ~from the book jacket

The Black Book of Secrets

by F.E. Higgins
Genre: Suspense

A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch – and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of – a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who trades people’s deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlow’s job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: The Black Book of Secrets. What the pawnbroker doesn’t know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice. ~from the book jacket

Project 17

by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Genre: Horror/Suspense

High atop Hathorne Hill, just outside of Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted.

On the eve of the hospital’s demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls and down every dark passageway, these high schoolers will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits that still might. ~from the book jacket

Unwind

by Neal Shusterman
Genre: Science Fiction

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would “unwind” them. Connor’s parents want to be rid of him because he’s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev’s unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family’s strict religion. Brought together by chance, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. Can each survive until their 18th birthday, when they cannot be harmed? ~from the book jacket

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

by Ally Carter
Genre: Modern Fiction

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school – typical, that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. Gallagher Academy is a school for spies.

Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man seven different ways with her bare hands, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. ~from the book jacket

Safe

by Susan Shaw
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Safe is the memory of Mama.

Safe is Pa and school and best friends like Caroline.

Safe is normal…until the day the orange car pulls up and everything – even Mama – is ripped away.

In the aftermath of an unspeakable crime, Tracy must fight her way back to safety and find comfort in her mother’s memory once again. ~from the book jacket

Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art

by Eric Carle et al.
Genre: Nonfiction

In this beautiful and remarkable anthology featuring the likes of Maurice Sendak, Robert Sabuda, Rosemary Wells, and Eric Carle, twenty-three of the most honored and beloved artists in children’s literature talk informally to children, sharing secrets about their art and how they began their adventures into illustration. The book includes foldout pages of photographs of artwork, sketches, and self-portraits. ~from the book jacket

Life In Prison

by Stanley "Tookie" Williams
Genre: Autobiography

Stanley “Tookie” Williams, cofounder of the notorious Crips gang, has been living on death row since 1981. During this time, Williams has dedicated his life to ending gang warfare, an endeavor that has earned him a 2001 Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

Williams speaks out about the brutal reality of prison life in a blunt, riveting account of day-to-day life behind bars, from the humiliation of strip searches to being locked in solitary confinement. Here is a look at prison from the inside – a frank challenge to adolescent readers to educate themselves, make intelligent decisions, and above all, not to follow in Williams’s footsteps. ~from the book jacket

Ana's Story

by Jenna Bush
Genre: Biography

She’s seventeen. She’s been abused. She has a child. And she’s HIV-positive. She is Ana, and this is her story. It begins the day she is born infected with HIV, transmitted from her young mother. Ana’s journey is a long one. Shuffled from home to home, she rarely finds safety or love. And then she meets a boy. Berto is one of the only people Ana trusts with all her secrets. That trust puts Ana on a path to breaking the silence that has harmed her and leads her to new beginnings, new sorrows, and new hope.

Jenna Bush has written this powerful narrative nonfiction account of a girl who struggles to break free from a vicious cycle of abuse, poverty, and illness. ~from the book jacket

Fire From the Rock

by Sharon M. Draper
Genre: Historical Fiction

Sylvia Patterson looks forward to high school for all the normal reasons – being treated more like an adult, learning more about the world, joining clubs, and enjoying football games and dances. But in her year, 1957, and her town, Little Rock, things are anything but normal. To comply with federal law, the school board has decided to integrate Central High School, whether the governor of Arkansas or the citizens of Little Rock like it or not.

Sylvia is shocked when her teacher asks her to consider being one of the first black students to attend Central. It is an honor reserved for very few but also a burden. Before Sylvia makes her final decision, smoldering racial tension in the town ignites into flame. When the smoke clears, she sees clearly that nothing is going to stop the change from coming. It is up to her generation to make it happen. ~from the book jacket

One Good Punch

by Rich Wallace
Genre: Sports Fiction

Ask anyone around East Scranton High School; Michael Kerrigan is almost too good to be true. Dedicated athlete, captain of the track team, editorial assistant at the Scranton Observer. He’s never been in trouble, and he doesn’t associate with any troublemakers. This is the most important track season of Mike’s life, and he’s ready.

Then the police find four joints in his locker. Soon Mike is faced with a choice, and everything he’s worked so hard for – his running career, his job, his whole future – depends on his decision. An old boxer tells him it only takes a single hard shot to bring a man down. One good punch – and this could be Mike’s. ~from the book jacket

Rules

by: Cynthia Lord
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She’s spent years trying to teach David the rules from “a peach is not a funny-looking apple” to “keep your pants on in public” – in order to head off David’s embarrassing behaviors.

But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the potential next-door friend she’s always wished for, it’s her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal? ~from the book jacket

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature

by Robin Brande
Genre: Realistic Ficion

Welcome to the life of Mena Reece, whose year is starting off in the worst way possible. She’s been kicked out of her church group and no one will talk to her – not even her own parents. No one except for Casey, her supersmart lab partner in science class, who’s pretty funny for the most brilliant guy on earth.

And when Ms. Shepherd begins the unit on evolution, school becomes more dramatic than Mena could ever imagine as she is caught up in a controversy involving science, religion, freedom – and heart-racing, blush-inducing, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him-crush.

Now Mena’s own life is about to evolve in some amazing and unexpected ways…~from the book jacket

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party

by Ying Chang Compestine
Genre: Historical Fiction

Nine-year-old Ling is very comfortable with her life; her parents are both dedicated doctors in the best hospital in Wuhan. But when Comrade Li, one of Mao’s political officers, moves into a room in their apartment, Ling begins to witness the gradual disintegration of her world. In an atmosphere of increasing mistrust, Ling fears for the safety of her neighbors, and soon for herself and family. Over the course of four years, Ling manages to blossom, even as she suffers more horrors than many people face in a lifetime.~from the book jacket

Brothers In Arms

by Paul Langan & Ben Alirez
Genre: Urban Realistic Fiction

Martin Luna is in deep trouble. And there is no easy way out. Just months ago, a horrible tragedy took his little brother, and now it threatens to take him too. On one side are his desperate mother, a friendly teacher at Bluford High School, and a pretty girl named Vicky. On the other are his homeboys, his old neighborhood, and his hunger for revenge. Torn between the two, Martin stands at a crossroad, with his life hanging in the balance. Which way will he go? ~from the book jacket