All Books
Fresh Ink: An Anthology
Synopsis: All it takes to rewrite the rules is a little fresh ink in this remarkable YA collection from thirteen of the most recognizable diverse authors writing today including Nicola Yoon, Jason Reynolds, Melissa de la Cruz, and many more, and published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. 

"This awesome anthology came together with the fantastic organization We Need Diverse Books, and...combines an all-star cast of talent." --Paste Magazine

Careful--you are holding fresh ink. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written--whose next chapters are up to you. 

Because these stories are meant to be read. And shared.

Thirteen of the most accomplished YA authors deliver a label-defying anthology that includes ten short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print. This collection addresses topics like gentrification, acceptance, untimely death, coming out, and poverty and ranges in genre from contemporary realistic fiction to adventure and romance. It will inspire you to break conventions, bend the rules, and color outside the lines. All you need is fresh ink.

AUTHORS INCLUDE: Schuyler Bailar, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Sharon G. Flake, Eric Gansworth, Malindo Lo, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Aminah Mae Safi, Gene Luen Yang, Nicola Yoon

"I absolutely love this mix of established and newer talents, and I'm really intrigued and excited by the mixed formats." --BookRiot

"Huge, huge names in YA participated." --Bustle
Publication Date: 08/14/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Anthology
The Web Paige Chronicles
Emilio Iasiello
Synopsis: PRAISE FOR THE WEB PAIGE CHRONICLES: "Web Paige Chronicles offers a refreshing and empowering role model for young adults. By eschewing this iGeneration’s stereotypical malaise in favor of positive curiosity with technology, Iasiello folds practical cybersecurity guidance into a relatable story." -Scott Schober, author of Hacked Again Emilio Iasiello is a cyber-security expert who has written a modern and realistic coming-of-age book that either boys or girls will enjoy. It helps them learn to deal with such modern problems as cyber bullying, hacking, sexting, online predators and more. Though the main characters are junior high aged, older readers will enjoy this quick read, and learn a great deal about safely negotiating modern technology. Highly recommended for schools and parents to share with their tweens and teens--or their cyber-leery friends. Wilhelmina Evangeline Beatriz Paige is better known as “Web” to her friends because of her seemingly endless knowledge of computers. Always eager to lend a hand, she takes pride in helping the “technically-challenged” in her neighborhood as part of her “pay-it-forward” philosophy. But when her closest friends become the targets of cyber bullying and online predators, Web realizes that safely navigating the Internet is more than just using strong passwords and antivirus protection. By helping those who can’t help themselves, Web embarks on a journey through which she learns things from not only her friends, but also strangers, adults, and most importantly, herself.
Publication Date: 08/02/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Triangulate: Book Three of The Stones of Bothynus Trilogy
Synopsis: Triangulate: Book Three of The Stones of Bothynus Trilogy is the final book in D.K. Reed's young adult science fiction/fantasy trilogy. Annie is obsessed with the half-angel Aaan but this summer she only has two weeks to spend at her grandmother's farm, near Aaan's cave, before flying to Budapest to visit her childhood best friend. She convinces Aaan to leave his cave with her but their short-lived acquaintance may be over when he agrees to allow Erik to use him to test how the stones affect angels, without realizing this would make him vulnerable to Daanak and the fiend. The visible battle is only the tip of the iceberg for the larger battle that rages in the Angel Realm.
Publication Date: 07/24/18
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Behind These Hands
Linda Vigen Phillips
Synopsis: "My hands aren't the same hands
as before.
Even my friends feel different."

Claire Fairchild, 14, has always known music would be her life. So when she has the opportunity to enter a prestigious contest, she goes all in—until she realizes she’s also competing against Juan, a close childhood friend and one of the most talented musicians she knows. It doesn’t help that her thoughts about him are turning romantic.
 
When Claire and her family receive a devastating blow from Batten disease, her world enters a tailspin. Claire decides her musical goals no longer seem relevant. She can’t reconcile the joy that music would bring to her life while her brothers succumb to an early and ugly death. Her decision puts everything at risk: her friendship with Juan, her parents’ expectations, and her own happiness.

After Claire accompanies a friend on a school newspaper assignment, she meets a centenarian with a unique musical past and only one regret in life. Claire knows something in her life has to change before it’s too late, but she’s not sure she has the courage to take the next step. 
 
Publication Date: 07/17/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Price of Duty
Todd Strasser
Synopsis: Jake Liddell is a war hero.

The military is considering awarding him a Silver Star, a huge honor for any soldier -- especially for the son of a military family. 
Only Jake's questioning everything his family brought him up to believe.
Now at home, recovering from his physical wounds, the memories of what he experienced "over there" haunt him. Meanwhile, he feels pressure from all sides. Some people want him to speak out against the military system he was brought up to honor and respect. Others, like his famous grandfather (a general himself), are urging him to return to the battlefield to fight again.Jake was raised to believe that fighting for one's country was a moral obligation. But now that he's seen firsthand the human cost of war, he is no longer sure. Bestselling YA author Todd Strasser delivers an engrossing and timely novel about very real issues faced by the young people caught in today's "forever war," and the price they pay.
Publication Date: 07/17/18
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Rad Girls Can
Miriam Klein Stahl, Kate Schatz
Synopsis: From the New York Times best-selling authors of Rad Women Worldwide and Rad American Women A-Z, a bold and brave collection of stories and art about inspiring and accomplished girls who have made positive impacts on the world before the age of 20.

You might know the stories of Malala Yousafzai, Anne Frank, Jazz Jennings, and Joan of Arc. But have you heard about Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee who swam a sinking boat to shore, saved twenty lives, then went on to compete as an Olympic swimmer? Or Trisha Prabhu, who invented an anti-cyberbullying app at age 13? Or Barbara Rose Johns, whose high school protest helped spark the civil rights movement?

In Rad Girls Can, you'll learn about a diverse group of young women who are living rad lives, whether excelling in male-dominated sports like boxing, rock climbing, or skateboarding; speaking out against injustice and discrimination; expressing themselves through dance, writing, and music; or advocating for girls around the world. Each profile is paired with the dynamic paper-cut art that made the authors' first two books New York Times best sellers. Featuring both contemporary and historical figures, Rad Girls Can offers hope, inspiration, and motivation to readers of all ages and genders.
Publication Date: 07/17/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Biography
Spirits, Graves and Stones (Book 3 - The Stones Trilogy)
Synopsis: Bruce shrugged. “Beats me. But I don’t think it matters whether you have a bow and arrow or a bazooka. I mean, it helps—that’s for sure—but I think it’s more of a choice thing. The soldiers chose to run away ’cause they were more concerned ’bout saving their own lives. That lady chose not to run ’cause she knew she couldn’t live with herself if she did. I know people say you gotta have guts to do these things, but I don’t think so. I think you just gotta live your life so you don’t have any regrets.” For twenty-three years, Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, abducted more than sixty thousand children, forcing them to be soldiers in his war against the Ugandan government, to kill or be killed. It’s time for this evil to end. But how? Forgiveness or revenge? Peace or hate? Flowers or stones? Healing can’t begin when there’s so much pain. Broken people can’t mend shattered lives. In the last book of the Stones Trilogy, Charlie and Eseza set out to right the wrongs committed against them and their people. In the process, they discover that goodness can come from the most unlikely people, in the most unlikely places, and in the most unlikely times. “Donna White’s latest novel has the ability to change people, much like the magical stones referenced in her title: turning despair into hope; and finding strength even among the most vulnerable. The final revelation that peace is stronger than war is a much needed message for our troubled times, and a fitting conclusion to her compelling trilogy.” Patrick Reed, Director/Producer, Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children
Publication Date: 07/11/18
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Series
The Rhino in Right Field
Stacy DeKeyser
Synopsis: “Laugh-out-loud fun…A winner in every way.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Funny and good-hearted.” —Publishers Weekly

A boy who loves baseball must get past his hard-working immigrant parents—and the rhino in the outfield—to become a batboy in this laugh-out-loud middle grade novel in the tradition of The Sandlot.

Nick wants to change his life. For twelve years, he’s done what his hard-working, immigrant parents want him to do. Now he’s looking for his own American dream and he thinks he’s found it. The local baseball team is having a batboy contest, and Nick wants to win.

But the contest is on a Saturday—the day Nick has to work in his father’s shop. There’s one other tiny—well, not so tiny—problem. A 2,000-pound rhinoceros named Tank. Nick and his friends play ball in the city zoo—and Tank lives just beyond the right field fence. Nick’s experience getting the ball out of Tank’s pen has left him frozen with fear whenever a fly ball comes his way. How’s a lousy fielder going to win the contest?

Nick practices every day with his best friend, Ace, and a new girl who has an impressive throwing arm! But that’s not enough—to get to the contest, Nick has to lie to his parents and blackmail his uncle. All while dodging the school bully, who’s determined to win even by playing dirty. Nick will need to keep his eye on the ball in this fast, funny story about a game that can throw you some curveballs—just like life!
Publication Date: 07/10/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Secret Key of Pythagorum
Synopsis: Savaric is devastated. His grandmother, the only good person in his life, was dallying with something she had no right to on the day he was born…
Magic.

Savaric doesn’t know what to think. Is he a warlock? Is he cursed? Everyone already looks at him strangely everywhere he goes. But all that changes when Savaric discovers that, under the right circumstances, he can become invisible! However, what starts out as a fun talent quickly goes downhill when things start to go missing and he’s always to blame. Even his own mother thinks he’s responsible for every cooling pie missing from a window ledge (Well, maybe one or two!).

That is, until the day when his gift leads him to a mysterious map written in a language he’s never seen, and a beautiful golden key.

In the whirlwind that follows, Savaric leaves the only home he’s ever known, and sets off alone to solve the mystery behind the map and key. He soon makes friends and enemies alike, plans a prison escape, digs for treasure more than once, and meets Kings, Queens, and fairies. Savaric may even help stop destabilizing battles for the throne and save the English kingdom!

…but only if he can survive.

Publication Date: 07/10/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Door to the Lost
Jaleigh Johnson
Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mark of the Dragonfly comes a thrilling fantasy adventure about two magical friends living as refugees in a world that doesn't trust magic. Perfect for fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak and the School for Good and Evil series!

There was no warning the day magic died in Talhaven. It happened with a giant explosion and the arrival of a skyship full of children, all with magic running through their veins and no memory of home.

Rook and Drift are two of those children, and ever since that day, they've been on the run, magical refugees in a world that doesn't trust magic. Because magic doesn't die right away--it decays, twists, and poisons all that it touches. And now it's beginning to poison people.

Try as they might, Rook and Drift can't remember anything about their lives before Talhaven. But it's beginning to look like they're the only ones who can save their adopted world . . . if that world doesn't destroy them first.

Praise for The Door to the Lost

"This fun, exciting story...and the many well-rendered, imaginative and heartfelt scenes along the way make this journey worthwhile."--The New York Times Book Review

"Themes of refugees and found families are addressed in a way that retains fantasy flavor while realistically presenting the brutality of ignorance and beauty of humanity. Your new favorite fantasy."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Johnson's immersive world building is vivid...and the fast-paced action, compelling characters, and one cute magical fox will keep fantasy-loving kids hooked."--Booklist

"With heartfelt explorations of the meanings of friendship and family...fans of portal fantasies, steampunk, and action-driven books will find this an entertaining read and will be left wanting more."--School Library Journal

Praise for The Mark of the Dragonfly:

"This magnetic middle-grade debut . . . [is] a page-turner that defies easy categorization and ought to have broad appeal." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Heart, brains, and courage find a home in a steampunk fantasy worthy of a nod from Baum." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"A fantastic and original tale of adventure and magic. . . . Piper is a heroine to fall in love with: smart, brave, kind, and mechanically inclined to boot." --School Library Journal, Starred Review
Publication Date: 07/03/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
You Gotta Have Heart
Bruce Bernstein
Synopsis: Life keeps knocking 12-year-old Alan down. Can he find the courage to get back up?

Orphaned at a young age, all Alan Michaels wants is a place to belong. But the independent, street–smart kid, who lacks self-confidence, has no clue how to deal with disappointment – or a formidable bully who won’t back down. And New York City is a tough town to grow up in if you are a kid who doesn’t have much. But when he starts training at Sensei Hideki’s School of Karate, he hopes his life will change forever.

Determined to prove he’s got what it takes to become a true warrior, he pushes his body and mind to the limit. But just when the karate school starts to feel like home, tragedy strikes again. Does Alan have the courage and inner strength to overcome the odds stacked against him?

“When you get knocked down, you just keep getting back up. …You never give up.” Sensei paused for a moment and spoke louder. “That’s what takes real guts.” He stared at Alan intently. “You know, sometimes failures are your steppingstone to success.”

You Gotta Have Heart is hopefully a new addition to the great coming of age novels in the tradition of S. E. Hinton, Jerry Spinelli, Gary D. Schmidt, J.K. Rowling, Rebecca Stead and E.L. Konigsburg.

Publication Date: 06/30/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Paths to the Stars
Edward Willett
Synopsis: From Edward Willett, Aurora Award-winning author of Marseguro, The Cityborn, and Worldshaper (DAW Books), among many others, comes twenty-two tales of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, drawn from a long career of telling fantastic tales. A young musician dreams of playing his songs among the stars...A Broadway performer on the lam is forced to direct aliens in The Sound of Music...Strange vegetables with dangerous properties crop up in small-town Saskatchewan...A man with a dark secret gets his comeuppance on a windy night on the prairie...An elderly caretaker on the Moon preserves the memory of the millions who died on Earth's darkest day...A woman and a bat-like alien must overcome their own prejudices to prevent an interstellar war... From the far future and the farthest reaches of space to the Canadian prairie, from our world to worlds that have never existed to world's that might some day, rich realms of imagination and the fascinating characters and creatures that populate them await within these stories, some previously published, some seeing print for the first time. Time to go exploring...
Publication Date: 06/28/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Short Story
Everything I Know About You
Synopsis: Misfit Tally is forced to room with queen bee Ava on the seventh grade field trip to Washington, DC, and discovers several surprising things about her roommate—including the possibility of an eating disorder—in this timely new novel from the author of Star-Crossed and Halfway Normal.

During a class trip to DC, twelve-year-old Tally and her best friends, Sonnet and Caleb (a.k.a. Spider) are less than thrilled when they are assigned roommates and are paired with kids who are essentially their sworn enemies. For Tally, rooming with “clonegirl” Ava Seely feels like punishment, rather than potential for fun.

But the trip is full of surprises. Despite a pact to stick together as much as they can, Sonnet pulls away, and spider befriends Marco, the boy who tormented him last year. And Marco just might “like” Tally—what’s that about?

But the uneasy peace in Ava and Tally’s room is quickly upended when Tally begins to suspect something is off about Ava. She has a weird notebook full of random numbers, and doesn’t seem to eat anything during meals. When Tally confronts Ava, Ava threatens to share an embarrassing picture of Tally with the class if Tally says anything to anyone about her suspicions. But will Tally endanger more than her pride by keeping her secret?

This is one class trip full of lessons Tally will never forget: how to stay true to yourself, how to love yourself and embrace your flaws, and how being a good friend can actually mean telling a secret you promised to keep…
Publication Date: 06/19/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Selkie of San Francisco
Todd Calgi Gallicano
Synopsis: In the thrilling sequel to Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw, an epic adventure novel that "is sure to keep lovers of Rick Riordan running to the shelves," Sam London dives headlong into his second case involving a selkie, a mysterious girl, and an ominous new threat to the mythical and human worlds (School Library Journal)!

Sam London didn't mean to uncover an ancient secret, but when he found out that mythical creatures are real and living in our national parks, he became the newest recruit to the Department of Mythical Wildlife. Ever since, the middle schooler has been anxiously awaiting the call for his next case . . . and it finally arrives with the brazen appearance of a selkie in San Francisco Bay.

Along with Dr. Vance Vantana and the guardian Tashi, Sam pursues the selkie, who has taken a peculiar interest in fashion's newest "it" girl and social media star, Pearl Eklund. But the closer he gets, the more questions emerge about Pearl's mysterious connection to the mythical world. Is she the long-lost hope for an entire civilization or the harbinger of its doom? It's up to Sam to find out the truth, and fast. . . . The fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

Praise for Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw, Book One:

"A death-defying, globe-spanning adventure, packed with creatures out of folklore and myth." --Publishers Weekly

"So original and exciting. This is the best fantasy-adventure novel I have read in some time." --Martin Olson, New York Times bestselling author of The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia
Publication Date: 06/19/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Ollie and the Starchaser
Tanya Southey
Synopsis:

Nanoo is Ollie’s beloved grandmother and an astronomer who discovered the planet Terenza, in a gentle galaxy east of the moon. When Nanoo disappears on a trip to the Outback, Ollie cannot accept that she is gone. He is worried, sad and refuses to believe that Nanoo would leave him. He feels helpless sitting around on his farm with only his faithful Labrador, Chloe, to listen to his feelings. However, his luck changes when the Starchaser and his Star-fordshire Terrier, Buddy, plot a way to get to Earth from Terenza. The boys and their dogs begin an epic adventure to find Nanoo. Their journey takes them across the Outback, up the Steps to the Moon and into space. But will Ollie find her, and will he bring her home?

Publication Date: 06/14/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair
Synopsis: A ten-year-old girl is determined to find her missing neighbor, but the answers lead her to places and people she never expected—and maybe even one she’s been running away from—in this gorgeous debut novel that’s perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish.

Guinevere St. Clair is going to be a lawyer. She was the fastest girl in New York City. She knows everything there is to know about the brain. And now that she’s living in Crow, Iowa, she wants to ride into her first day of school on a cow named Willowdale Princess Deon Dawn.

But Gwyn isn’t in Crow, Iowa, just for royal cows. Her family has moved there, where her parents grew up, in the hopes of jogging her mother Vienna’s memory. Vienna has been suffering from memory loss since Gwyn was four. She can no longer remember anything past the age of thirteen, not even that she has two young daughters. Gwyn’s father is obsessed with finding out everything he can to help his wife, but Gwyn’s focused on problems that seem a little more within her reach. Like proving that the very strange Gaysie Cutter who lives next door is behind the disappearance of her only friend, Wilbur Truesdale.

Gwyn is sure she can crack the case, but when she does she finds that not all of her investigations lead her to the places she would have expected. In fact they might just lead her to learn about the mother she’s been doing her best to forget.
Publication Date: 06/12/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction

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