All Books
Hanging In The Stars
Pat Gallagher Sassone
Synopsis: Andrew, a skinny ninth grader, is determined to kick his own butt into shape. At home he is dominated by an ambitious, no nonsense single mother. She is focused on her daughter Ally, a scholar athlete in soccer, who is competing to get into an Ivy League college. Andrew longs to break away from his mother's constant micromanagement of his life. During a workout in the gym, Andrew seizes an opportunity to toughen up when he accepts an offer from Cruz, a muscular drug dealing biker. Cruz offers to help Andrew get in shape if he will tutor Maya, Cruz's thirteen year old sister. When Andrew and Maya meet in the park to work on a Romeo and Juliet assignment, they are drawn to each other. He is attracted to the spontaneous, sexy, dark eyed beauty while she is infatuated by Andrew's intelligence and his cute, unassuming goodness. To find themselves and hold on to each other, Andrew and Maya must struggle to survive in a violent world with contrasting cultures. "This is a tremendously powerful book, filled with action, memorable characters, heartbreaking conflict and feeling". Cindy Trumbore, author of The Mangrove Tree and The Genie in the Book
Publication Date: 01/30/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Escape from Texas
James W. Russell
Synopsis: In 1828 James, a slave, arrives in Texas, brought by his owner, Samuel Bingham. Texas is then a part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. James comes to Texas because he has no choice. But once there, he finds a postrevolutionary country where slavery is on the way out and his freedom is a real possibility. His owner, though, is determined to take advantage of the low cost of land in Texas to build up a farm into a cotton plantation with the use of slave labor. Over the next nine years James will experience and participate in a series of wrenching events that marked the origins of the Lone Star State. Set in the years surrounding the 1836 Texas War of Independence, ESCAPE FROM TEXAS is a solidly researched examination of the clashing aspirations of slaves, slave owners, Indians, and Mexicans during a turning point of the westward expansion of the United States. While there are a number of novels set in this period of Texas history, ESCAPE FROM TEXAS is the only novel that has a slave as a key protagonist and incorporates prominently that point of view of the turbulent events. Its provocative underlying thesis is that the extension of slavery was the true underlying cause of the Texas War of Independence, not yearnings for freedom by the Texas frontiersmen, as American folklore has traditionally had it. ESCAPE FROM TEXAS is to the understanding of the Texas War of Independence as Howard Fast's Freedom Road was to the understanding of the post-Civil War period of Reconstruction.
Publication Date: 01/28/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Oddfellow's Orphanage
Emily Winfield Martin
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Emily Winfield Martin brings a strange and wonderful place to life with her unique style of both art and writing.

What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They are all orphans at Oddfellow's Orphanage! This unusual and charming chapter book tells an episodic story that follows a new orphan, Delia, as she discovers the delights of her new home. From classes in Cryptozoology and Fairy Tale Studies to trips to the circus, from Annual Hair Cutting Day to a sea monster-sighting field trip, things at Oddfellows are anything but ordinary . . . except when it comes to friendships. And in that, Oddfellows is like any other school where children discover what they mean to each other while learning how big the world really is.
Publication Date: 01/24/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Daughter of the Centaurs
Synopsis: A new character joins the ranks of pwerful, kick-ass heroines such as those written by Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Esther Freisner, and Robin McKinley—Malora Ironbound. A great read also for anyone who loves horses and the Greek myths.

Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

Kate Klimo has masterfully created a new world, which at first seems to be an ancient one or perhaps another world altogether, but is in fact set on earth sometime far in the future.
Publication Date: 01/24/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan
Synopsis: Justin has two goals for sophomore year: to date Chuck, the hottest boy in school, and to become the king of Cool U, the table in the cafeteria where the "in" crowd sits.

Unfortunately, he has the wrong look (short, plump, Brillo-pad curls), he has the wrong interests (Broadway, chorus violin), and he has the wrong friends (Spencer, into Eastern religions, and Mary Ann,  who doesn't shave her armpits). And Chuck? Well, he's not gay; he's dating Becky, a girl in chorus with whom Justin is friendly.

But Justin is determined.

In detention one day (because he saw Chuck get it first), Justin comes up with a perfect plan: to allow Becky to continue dating Chuck, whom Becky's dad hates. They will pretend that Becky is dating Justin, whom Becky's dad loves. And when Becky and Justin go out on a fake date, Chuck will meet up with them for a real date with Becky. Chuck's bound to find Justin irresistable, right? What could go wrong?

Seth Rudetsky's first novel for young adults is endearingly human, and laugh-out-loud funny, and any kid who ever aspired to Cool U will find Justin a welcome ally in the fight for popularity.
Publication Date: 01/24/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Stealing Magic
Greg Call, Marianne Malone
Synopsis: Ruthie and Jack thought that their adventures in the Thorne Rooms were over . . . until miniatures from the rooms start to disappear. Is it the work of the art thief who's on the loose in Chicago? Or has someone else discovered the secret of the Thorne Rooms' magic? Ruthie and Jack's quest to stop the thief takes them from modern day Chicago to 1937 Paris to antebellum South Carolina. But as more items disappear, including the key that allows them to shrink and access the past worlds, what was once just an adventure becomes a life and death race against the clock. Can Ruthie and Jack catch the thief and help the friends they meet on the way before the magic—and the rooms—are destroyed forever? Fans of magic, mystery, and adventure will love this rollicking sequel to Marianne Malone's The Sixty-Eight Rooms.
Publication Date: 01/24/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Mystery
The Jungle Book
Neil Gaiman, Rudyard Kipling
Synopsis: Imagine growing up among wolves, being friends with a panther and a bear, and hunting the most fearsome animal in the wild—the man-killing tiger Shere Khan. Rudyard Kipling portrays the exciting and adventurous jungle upbringing of Mowgli in this timeless classic. Still amazingly contemporary even though it was written more than 100 years ago, the pacing, language, and characters will keep readers young and old turning the pages, and then begging for more.

Originally published in two volumes, this edition collects all the Mowgli stories and adds the very popular Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and Toomai of the Elephants. This edition will feature an introduction by Newbery-award winner Neil Gaiman.
Publication Date: 01/24/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Power of Powers: Vol 1 Huaxia Journals
Synopsis: Orchid Huang and her brother Monkey couldn't be more different. She loves reading, studying, and learning about the world. He likes kicking back with his feet on a chair and his headphones turned up. She dreams of great discoveries while they travel the world with their archeologist dad. He just wants to find ways to avoid hard work.

On a trip near the ancient silk route, they make a discovery that changes their lives--and just might change history. A mystic force takes them three thousand years into the past where they get stuck in the middle of a war between two powerful dynasties. Worse yet, it's up to them to stop the war.

Orchid wants to help. Monkey just wants to get home. An evil sorcerer wants them dead. With the help of an old hermit, a young girl, and some friendly gods, Orchid and Monkey discover their own strengths and powers. Will it be enough to fight off the sorcerer, magical beasts, and an entire army of battle-hardened soldiers?
Publication Date: 01/21/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Power of Powers:Volume One of the Huaxia Journals(eBook)
Synopsis: Orchid Huang and her brother Monkey couldn't be more different. She loves reading, studying, and learning about the world. He likes kicking back with his feet on a chair and his headphones turned up. She dreams of great discoveries while they travel the world with their archeologist dad. He just wants to find ways to avoid hard work.

On a trip near the ancient silk route, they make a discovery that changes their lives--and just might change history. A mystic force takes them three thousand years into the past where they get stuck in the middle of a war between two powerful dynasties. Worse yet, it's up to them to stop the war.

Orchid wants to help. Monkey just wants to get home. An evil sorcerer wants them dead. With the help of an old hermit, a young girl, and some friendly gods, Orchid and Monkey discover their own strengths and powers. Will it be enough to fight off the sorcerer, magical beasts, and an entire army of battle-hardened soldiers?
Publication Date: 01/21/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Try Not To Breathe
Jennifer Hubbard
Synopsis: A dark and provocative novel from the author of The Secret Year

Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it's the only thing that makes him feel alive. He's sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan's depression that no one else has ever been brave enough--or cared enough--to ask. Ryan isn't sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again. Jennifer R. Hubbard has created a riveting story about a difficult but important subject.
Publication Date: 01/19/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Memories Of The Dead
Phillip Hall
Synopsis: Locarno, when he was a boy of sixteen, was envious of vampires: they were elusive, immortal, strong, and powerful. But that was when he was foolish and young; and now, knowing what he knows, he understands that they are nothing but a plague upon humanity-a disease that needs to be removed. He despises them because of the things they did, and continue to do, to the unknowing populace: treating humanity like nothing more than cattle. And for that, they must be destroyed. This, his private journal-his memories-left for those who may find and read it, is a living record of the time when his destiny was first intertwined with unspeakable evil.
Publication Date: 01/18/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
The Girl Who Was on Fire (Movie Edition)
Synopsis: Includes 3 brand new essays on Gale, the Games, and Mockingjay!

**Already read the first edition of The Girl Who Was on Fire? Look for The Girl Who Was on Fire - Booster Pack to get just the three new essays and the extra movie content.**

Katniss Everdeen’s adventures may have come to an end, but her story continues to blaze in the hearts of millions worldwide.

In The Girl Who Was on Fire - Movie Edition, sixteen YA authors take you back to the world of the Hunger Games with moving, dark, and funny pieces on Katniss, the Games, Gale and Peeta, reality TV, survival, and more. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to fashion and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, Panem, and the series, really is.

• How does the way the Games affect the brain explain Haymitch’s drinking, Annie’s distraction, and Wiress’ speech problems?
• What does the rebellion have in common with the War on Terror?
• Why isn’t the answer to “Peeta or Gale?” as interesting as the question itself?
• What should Panem have learned from the fates of other hedonistic societies throughout history—and what can we?

CONTRIBUTORS: Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Mary Borsellino, Sarah Rees Brennan, Terri Clark, Bree Despain, Adrienne Kress, Sarah Darer Littman, Cara Lockwood, Elizabeth M. Rees, Carrie Ryan, Ned Vizzini, Lili Wilkinson, Blythe Woolston, Diana Peterfreund (NEW), Brent Hartinger (NEW), Jackson Pearce (NEW)
Publication Date: 01/17/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Solo
Sarah Schofield
Synopsis: Eliana Davis is no stranger to moving from one place to another, but moving in the middle of the school year to the small town where her parents grew up is something she never thought would happen. Knowing she will only be there the year her dad is deployed, Eliana is torn between letting people in or keeping to herself. Will she listen to her heart or keep flying solo?
Publication Date: 01/17/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Fracture
Megan Miranda
Synopsis:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine
-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?


Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?


For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

Publication Date: 01/17/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
In Darkness
Nick Lake
Synopsis:

Winner of the 2013 Michael L. Printz Award

Bloomsbury is proud to be the global publisher of In Darkness, a stunning tour-de-force set in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. "Shorty" is a Haitian boy trapped in the ruins of a hospital when the earth explodes around him. Surrounded by lifeless bodies and growing desperately weak from lack of food and water, death seems imminent. Yet as Shorty waits in darkness for a rescue that may never come, he becomes aware of another presence, one reaching out to him across two hundred years of history. It is the presence of slave and revolutionary leader Toussaint L'Ouverture, whose life was marred by violence, and whose own end came in darkness. What unites a child of the slums with the man who would shake a troubled country out of slavery? Is it the darkness they share . . . or is it hope?

Raw, harrowing, and peopled with vibrant characters, In Darkness is an extraordinary book about the cruelties of man and nature, and the valiant, ongoing struggle for a country's very survival.

Publication Date: 01/17/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Never Eighteen
Megan Bostic
Synopsis: Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.
Publication Date: 01/17/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

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