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14,800 | 2 | As usual, 12-year-old Thea is spending part of her summer at her grandparents' house at the Jersey shore, but this year, she is going with a secret. Her parents, who know something is wrong, but not what, give her a notebook in which she can write "truths." In Jersey, things have undergone disappointing changes. All of her cousins are living at her grandparents' house, and Thea is stuck taking care of her seven-year-old cousin, Jocelyn, a bright little snooper whose eczema is spreading. Schumacher tries to intertwine two stories here: the disclosure of an almost tragic event that has turned Thea into a liar, and Jocelyn's determination to discover another secret that is floating around the summer house. In the end, both of the revelations are something of a letdown, but the process of discovery (bit by bit, information is dispensed in the 100-truths notebook) and Schumacher's strong characterizations keep the story going. Jocelyn is particularly well done; she's a tightly controlled child, and readers will respond to her fortitude, as does Thea. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedIssues of secrets and lies will resonate with young readers. . . . A compelling novel.The BulletinStrong characterizations. . . . Readers will respond to [Jocelyns] fortitude.BooklistFrom the Trade Paperback edition.; Title: The Book of One Hundred Truths | [
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14,801 | 1 | Grade 57Readers are reintroduced to Tim Malt and his lovable dog, Grk, in this third mystery. The adventure begins when the British 12-year-old escapes from his mother's watchful eye at Kennedy Airport as they're about to head home. Tim has been visiting New York City with his parents and his friends Natascha and Max. The fast-paced action begins when a billion-dollar statue known as the Golden Dachshund is stolen. Years earlier, after the revolution in Stanislavia, King Jovan's parents fled to New York with it. The statue now belongs to their son, King Jovan, and Queen Rose, who have finally agreed to put it on display at the National Museum. While at the airport, Tim remembers a conversation he overheard at the museum and heads back to the city to follow up on a clue. Readers become involved with his escapades as the suspense builds, even though Tim's travels around New York by himself, without any money, seem rather implausible. He convinces the adults he meets to help him without really knowing him or what he is about. His wit and calm reasoning help him to survive as he solves the mystery for the NYPD. This story should appeal to all who love dogs and a good mystery.Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.When he isnt traveling the world, writing about Grk, Joshua Doder is a reporter for The Guardian. He lives in London.; Title: Grk and the Hot Dog Trail (The Grk Books) | [
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14,802 | 2 | When he isn't traveling the world or writing about Grk, Joshua Doder is a reporter for The Guardian. He lives in London.The Banco do Brasil had three guards.The three guards wore blue uniforms with silver buttons. Each of them carried a pair of handcuffs, two tear gas canisters and a pistol.It was a hot afternoon. Inside the bank, the air-conditioning was turned up to full, but the air was still steamy. Most of the clerks had big patches of sweat on their shirts. The customers fanned their faces with their hands.The three guards were tired. They stared at the pretty girls who came into the bank. They chatted to the customers, discussing the weather or the news or last weekend's football results. They dreamed about dinner. It was an effort just to keep their eyes open.When a voice shouted, "NOBODY MOVE!" the three guards didn't know what to do. They looked around, trying to see who was shouting at them. The voice shouted again, even louder, "I SAID, NOBODY MOVE! STAY EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE!"One of the guards reached for his gun. Immediately, a bullet flew through the air and smashed into the wall behind him, knocking out chunks of brick and plaster. The voice shouted again, "DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO MOVE?""I'm sorry," whispered the guard."No moving," said the voice. "And no talking. Do you understand?"The guard wanted to say "yes" but he knew that he wasn't supposed to talk. So he nodded."Good," said the voice. "I want everyone to lie on the floor. Down on the floor! Right now!"They did what they were told. The guards and the customers and the clerks and the manager--they all lay down on the floor. Only three people were left standing. Three men. They wore black suits and white shirts and black ties. They had black masks covering their faces. They were holding Uzis. (An Uzi, in case you don't already know, is a small and very effective machine-gun, capable of firing six hundred rounds per minute.)One of the masked men pointed his Uzi at the three guards. He said, "You move, I shoot. You talk, I shoot. Understand?"The three guards nodded.Another of the masked men strolled over to the bank manager and said, "Open the safe. Now. Understand?""Ye-ye-ye-yes," stammered the manager. Ever since he was promoted to manager of the Banco do Brasil, he had been expecting a robbery, but that didn't make it any less terrifying. "Of-of-of cour-cour-course I understa-sta-stand.""Don't talk," said the man in the black mask. "Just open the safe."The manager nodded. "Thi-thi-this way."Together, the manager and the man in the black mask walked to the back of the bank. They went to the vault where the money was stored. There, the man in the black mask filled five big brown sacks with cash. One by one, he carried the five full sacks back into the bank.The first robber picked up two sacks. The second robber picked up two more and said, "Let's go." They ran towards the door.The third robber picked up the fifth sack. He had only one arm, so he could only carry one sack. Where his left arm should have been, he had an empty sleeve. Carrying his sack of money, he ran after the others. When he reached the door, he stopped and put the sack on the ground. He looked up at the CCTV camera that recorded everyone who walked into the bank.He pulled off his mask and threw it on the floor.He stared into the lens of the camera.He smiled as if he was posing for a photograph.Every policeman or policewoman in Brazil would recognize his face. They would recognize his lean cheeks and his black hair and his bushy eyebrows. Most of all, they would recognize the crazy look in his eyes. They would say, "Oh, no." They would say, "Not him." They would say, "Pelottinho is back in Brazil."Pelottinho.That name would be enough to send shivers through the spine of any policeman or policewoman in Brazil.His real name was Felipe Pelotti, but everyone called him Pelottinho. "Pelottinho" means "little Pelotti." Pelottinho was the youngest and craziest of the three Pelotti brothers, the most successful gang of bank robbers in Brazilian history.Pelottinho lifted his Uzi and fired a stream of bullets directly into the CCTV camera.The lens exploded. Glass shattered everywhere. The camera drooped and swung in the air, attached to the wall by just a couple of bright green wires.Pelottinho laughed. His laughter was loud and carefree and quite insane. Tucking his gun into his belt, he grabbed the sack of money and ran out of the bank.In the street, a silver Mercedes was waiting. The engine was running. The back door was open. The other two Pelottis were already inside the Mercedes, waiting impatiently for their youngest, craziest brother.Pelottinho leaped into the Mercedes and threw the sack onto the backseat beside him. He slammed the door. The engine roared. The wheels spun. Fumes gushed out of the exhaust.At that moment, the doors of the bank sprang open and the three security guards ran out. They drew their pistols. The Mercedes sped down the street. The three security guards started shooting.Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!One bullet hit an old lady's shopping bags, puncturing a carton of orange juice. Another bullet smashed the windscreen of a lorry. Two more bullets blew out the tires of a bus. A fifth bullet hit a statue of Emperor Pedro the Second and knocked off his nose. But not a single bullet touched the Mercedes.Out of the back window, Pelottinho waved his arm--his one and only arm--at the security guards.Then the Mercedes turned the corner and the Pelottis were gone.; Title: Grk and the Pelotti Gang (The Grk Books) | [
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14,803 | 2 | A Native Oklahoman, Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a senior at Yale University. She wrote Golden at the age of 19, and her second novel, Tattoo, is due out in 2007. She lives and writes in New Haven, Connecticut.1blueDark.Looking around, I saw nothing, but I could feel the wrongness of it all in the air, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. Why couldn't I see? I was blind and terrified, and the ground shook violently beneath me. The earth burst into flames, and with the heat on my neck, images raced through my mind. Three intertwining circles, rings of different colors on a silver shield. Grams and Mom, Lexie and me. Paul. Fire and colors, color and fire, even though it was still dark. Shadows and light. Shadows and light and color, and then, there was nothing.My eyes flew open, and I gasped for air. Where was I? Why was my face squashed up against a window? Was I drooling? And who were those girls staring at me?My mind still a mess of images from my dream, I eased my numb face off the window and quickly checked my chin for drool. Ewww. Two days trapped in a car with my family, and I was drooling."Back to the land of the living, Lissy?" my mom asked from the front seat. I would have shot her a dirty look (how hard was it to remember that I wanted to be called Felicity and not Lissy?), but I couldn't seem to look away from the window. Or, more specifically, the scene outside the window.You know those mythical creatures that have snakes for hair and if you look at them, they turn you to stone with their deadly gaze? Well, the looks the three teenage girls in the car next to us were sending my way had me good and stoned, and not in a Just Say No kind of way.The blonde in the driver's seat had this soft, sick smile on her face, and she met my eyes as if to clarify that yes, she was laughing at me (and my drool), not with me and that no, I didn't have a right to be looking back at her. I wanted to look away. I tried to look away, but the best I could manage was shifting my gaze from the blonde to the passenger seat. A girl with long, dark hair arched one eyebrow in my general direction, somehow managing to stare down at me, even though she was in a tiny convertible and I was in an SUV. Impressive.Again, I tried to look away, but I was stone. Stone that still might have had some drool on the left side of her chin.I turned my attention to the last girl in the car. An obvious fake blonde, she snarled at me for a full four seconds and then glanced down at her fingernails. Apparently, I was just interesting enough to merit a snarl, but not more interesting than her French manicure."What were you dreaming about?" Lexie's voice broke into my mind, and finally, I was able to look away from the convertible. When I glanced back a microsecond later, I'd faded from their radar, and they sped up and passed us on the left."Were you dreaming about Paul?"I narrowed my eyes at Lexie, but apparently, my snarl needed a little work."You were dreaming about Paul," my little sister declared softly, her eyes wide and her voice sure. "Weren't you?" Lexie looked earnestly up at me, a lopsided smile on her pixie face.It was impossible to stay mad at my sister, even when I wanted to, much like it was completely impossible not to think about the fact that the only teenagers I'd come across so far since we'd entered this "state" had seen me with my nose pressed up against a window. What if they'd seen up my nose? As if the drool wasn't bad enough."Lissy? Dream? Paul?" Lexie was nothing if not persistent."Among other things," I muttered, casting a cautious glance in my mom's direction. She didn't know about Paul and me, if there was anything to know, and the last thing I wanted to do was spend the final leg of our car ride playing the Probing Questions game. Lexie got the message loud and clear, and she didn't say anything else. I stared out my window, watching the trees and telephone poles fly by and keeping my eyes peeled for blue convertibles. After a while, the trees blurred together, I stopped wondering if anyone had seen up my nose, and I let myself get caught up in memory.Paul Carter: next-door neighbor, partner in crime, best friend. Paul, who called me Weasel and insisted it was a term of endearment. Paul, who laughed with me, even when I wasn't funny. Paul, who had held my hand on the first day of kindergarten and sat on the beach with me after our first day of high school. Paul.I could practically see him as he had been when our car had pulled away: standing on the beach, sand in his dark hair, his eyes locked on mine. He'd kissed me. I'd been ubercrushing on my best friend, Paul Carter, ever since he'd dumped sand down my back when we were four, and right before my parents, Lexie, and I had packed our bags and moved halfway across the country, he'd kissed me. Actually kissed me. We'd meant to say goodbye then. We'd wanted to go out on a high note: s'mores on the beach and then watching horrendous science fiction B-movies, completely without any mention of the fact that I was leaving. Things had been proceeding according to plan, and then boom: he'd kissed me.In retrospect, it hadn't been a boom at all. It was actually more of a whoosh, as my lungs collapsed and my heart stopped beating, followed quickly by an imaginary sound that I could only describe as the accordion noise cartoon characters always made after they'd been hit with an anvil.And now, a thousand miles away from home and who knows how far from civilization, all I had left of Paul was the seashell he'd given me on my sixth birthday, his last words to me ("I'll miss you, Weasel"), and a memory of him on the beach. The colored lights around him had stood out, midnight blue against the stark white sand, moving in slow waves as he watched me drive away forever.; Title: Golden | [
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14,804 | 0 | The Twenty-third Day of November, in the Year of Our Lord 1569The Queen's Presence Chamber--after breakfastI have a new daybooke and I cannot wait to begin writing in it! I am determined to keep this book neat and tidy with my best lettering throughout--and not make it look as if a drunken spider has crawled over it.I am seated on a cushion with the other Maids of Honour in the Queen's Presence Chamber awaiting Her Majesty's arrival. She is busy with matters of state. We have a huge fire, for it has been mightily cold this last week. Indeed, the river Thames itself has frozen! The ice is thick enough to walk on and everyone is talking about the Frost Fair that has been set up on the frozen water near the landing steps to the Inns of Court. It is so exciting! We hope to visit today, when Her Majesty has finally finished with boring state business.Outside, the ice and frost look very inviting, but inside it is gloomy and we have much need of candles. The other Maids are working at their embroidery and Mrs. Champernowne, Mistress of the Maids, is scowling at me for not doing the same. She looks ready to pounce the instant I make the tiniest ink blot upon my kirtle. But she dare not chide me too much, as Her Majesty herself gave me this daybooke and my fine quills and ink bottle. Ha, ha, Mrs. Champernowne!The Queen is my favourite person in the whole world. She has taken me under her wing and often shows me great kindness, because--* * *Hell's teeth! I have nearly spoiled my book already. I had to duck from a flying cushion. It would seem that the matters of state did not go well, for the Queen has just burst in and is now roaring round the chamber like a baited bear.I'm not sure I should compare Her Majesty to a bear--baited or otherwise. However, this daybooke is for my eyes alone, so I don't think I shall have my head cut off! Besides, as I was about to write before the cushion interrupted me, I am a favourite with Her Majesty the Queen (except when she throws things). She has never forgotten that my dear mother, God rest her soul, died saving her life last year. My mother was Her Majesty's close companion, and the Queen was almost as sad as I was when she died. So she made me a Maid of Honour, though I was only twelve, and vowed to protect me always. And now I am also Her Majesty's secret Lady Pursuivant. If she should cut off my head, who would then pursue all wrongdoers who trouble the Queen's peace?Oh, dear, Her Majesty is glaring our way. I shall put my daybooke away for a while before some accident befalls it. Later this Day, still in the Queen's Presence ChamberThe royal storm has now abated--but it was most exciting while it lasted.Her Majesty paced up and down, flapping a letter she'd just received, looking as if she would breathe fire on the poor messenger, who cowered in the doorway waiting for an answer."What do you think is in that letter?" Lady Sarah whispered."Mayhap there is another problem with the new coin Her Majesty is having minted," Mary Shelton suggested as she laid down the bonnet she is embroidering for her new niece."What problems are those?" asked Lady Jane, wide-eyed.I was surprised that Lady Jane could have missed the tantrums and countless changes of mind the Queen had had. It had taken Her Majesty months to choose a design that pleased her. Mr. Anthony, her engraver, was up to the palace with new designs almost every day.We were all greatly relieved when Her Majesty finally declared that the pattern of a griffin rampant would adorn the new, pure silver coin. Her Majesty told me once that she thinks the griffin to be the epitome of nobility, with its head of an eagle and its body of a lion. I think it looks a bit ugly, but I wouldn't tell the Queen!Lady Sarah sniffed and shook her coppery locks. "Your ears are stoppered unless people are talking about you," she told Lady Jane.There is not much love lost between Lady Sarah Bartelmy and Lady Jane Coningsby. They each consider themselves the most beautiful of the Maids, and it leads to a good deal of bickering. They both want to make good marriages, and they see themselves as rivals for the favours of the young gentlemen of the Court. I myself have no time for such silliness."How dare you! You foolish flax-wench!" spluttered Lady Jane."But I thought the problems with the coin had all been settled," said Penelope Knollys."Silence!" bellowed the Queen from the other end of the chamber. "May I not have a second's peace to think?" And she looked about her for another missile to throw.We ducked our heads down and busied ourselves with our work.As there was nothing within reach, the Queen went on with her pacing. She always looks particularly impressive when she's angry, with her flame-red hair and her flashing eyes. Her white silk gown swished as she marched and her pearl ropes rattled with every step. Even the gold embroidery on her gown seemed to flash in temper.She wrestled with the letter as if about to tear it into shreds. "I cannot believe it," she said through clenched teeth. "Finally, all is well with the design of my new coin, and now Sir Edward Latimer dares to write me from the Royal Mint that there is not enough silver there to mint it! By heaven, they shall find silver quick enough when they hear of my wrath!"There was a whimper from the doorway and I thought the messenger was going to faint.; Title: Deception (The Grace Mysteries) | [
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14,805 | 0 | *Starred Review* In this engaging historical novel set in 1918, 16-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks leaves Iowa and travels to a Montana homestead inherited from her uncle. In the beautiful but harsh setting, she has less than a year to fence and cultivate the land in order to keep it. Neighbors who welcome Hattie help heal the hurt she has suffered from years of feeling unwanted. Chapters open with short articles that Hattie writes for an Iowa newspaper or her lively letters to a friend and possible beau who is in the military in France. The authentic first-person narrative, full of hope and anxiety, effectively portrays Hattie's struggles as a young woman with limited options, a homesteader facing terrible odds, and a loyal citizen confused about the war and the local anti-German bias that endangers her new friends. Larson, whose great-grandmother homesteaded alone in Montana, read dozens of homesteaders' journals and based scenes in the book on real events. Writing in figurative language that draws on nature and domestic detail to infuse her story with the sounds, smells, and sights of the prairie, she creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters. Kathleen OdeanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedLarson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.School Library Journal, StarredFrom the Trade Paperback edition.; Title: Hattie Big Sky | [
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14,806 | 2 | Grade 3-4Irrepressible Lucy Rose returns in this second book, which is set during the summer between third and fourth grade. She is full of plansto write in her journal, make a lanyard key chain at Parks & Rec., protect her grandmother's apricots from squirrels, and, most importantly, have a birthday adventure with her father. Life is not all fun and games for Lucy, however. Her parents have been separated for a year, and she begins to fear that this means divorce. Also, a new girl in the neighborhood seems to go out of her way to be unpleasant. Lucy's summer does turn out to be quite full of adventure and she deals with it all in her usual exuberant and cheerful style. She has the dreaded talk with both her mother and father, and learns that yes, there is going to be a divorce, but that it will not affect their love for her. Lucy relates all this and more in her lively diary entries. She is an older version of Junie B. Jones and narrates the story in the same breathless, conversational style. The adults in her life are warm and supportive, and there is never any doubt that they treasure the unique Lucy Rose. Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 2-4. Lucy Rose is "big on fun and big on plans" for the summer between third and fourth grades. She keeps a journal of her not-boring life in which she writes about making lanyard key chains and loopy pot holders, having a Very Important Day with her father, calling Bingo games at a local nursing home, helping her mother redecorate their new home, and attempting to solve her grandparents' trouble with apricot-stealing squirrels. Lucy Rose's exuberance is evident in her long, run-on sentences, and she makes grammatical errors appropriate to her age. The one subject that dampens Lucy's pervasive optimism is her parents' possible divorce. When the discussion about the subject finally takes place, Lucy comes to understand her grandmother's sage advice: sometimes knowing is better than guessing. This genuine girl and her amicable family provide another palindrome for Lucy's collection: This book is "top spot!" An unresolved problem with a sullen new girl sets the stage for another installment in Lucy's life. Cindy DobrezCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Lucy Rose: Big on Plans (Lucy Rose Books) | [
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14,807 | 2 | Mixed-race Brendan Buckley is fascinated by science, and he likes to find the answers to questions that he poses in his notebook. Brendan finds that life isnt alwaus easily explained, however, after he meets his grandfather for the first time at a rock club meeting. Brendans white grandfather has been estranged from Brendans mother since her marriage to an African American. Despite Brendans mixed parentage, he bonds with his grandfather through their shared interest in rock collecting, and they continue to meet secretly until Brendans mother finds out. It takes time and a serious accident for Brendans grandfather to come to his senses and reunite with his family. By frequently lightening her tone, Frazier delivers her messages without using an overly heavy hand. Brendan is a real kid with a passion for science and also a willingness to push his parents rules; hes not just a placard for the authors central message. Grades 4-6. --Todd Morning"Brendan is an appealing character with a sense of honor...A good, accessible selection to inspire discussion of racism and prejudice." -- Kirkus Reviews (September 15, 2007)"Frazier writes affectingly about what being biracial means in a 21st century America." -- School Library Journal (September 2007); Title: Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It | [
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14,808 | 0 | All miscreants and ill-thinkers, keep out! The Lady Grace Mysteries come to us from the most privy and secrete daybooke of Lady Grace Cavendish, Maid of Honour to her Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I of that name. The author lives in London, England.The First Day of March,in the Year of Our Lord 1570Near eleven of the clockA new daybooke! With clean pages and no blots a all! The Queen gave it to me this morning and laughed and said I must be the greatest consumer of paper and goose feathers outside the men of the Exchequer and Sir William Cecil himself. She added that I had better leave off my scribbling when I was wed, for what would my husband say when he saw I had scribbled over the accounts?I curtseyed and answered, "Then I had rather not be wed, so I need not leave the Court and can stay with you, Your Majesty. Especially if I must reckon up accounts as well." I distinctly saw Lady Jane sniff and toss her head as if she thought I was lying to flatter Her Majesty, because Lady Jane is on fire to marry, I know not why. But the Queen smiled and also gave me a whole bag of goose feathers, already cured and stripped and ready for me to cut into pens, and a new bottle of the best ink from the stationers at St. Paul's. That made Mrs. Champernowne, Mistress of the Maids, tut and roll her eyes, for fear I would get ink on my kirtle. But then I unwrapped the third part of the present, and found it was a black satin apron backed with canvas so as to be ink-proof, which I knew would please the old Welsh fusspot.That was early this morning when we attended Her Majesty after breakfast. Now the sun is high and alas, I am bored. Here I am, sitting on a hard cushion in the Presence Chamber, while one of the Scottish Ambassadors proses away at the Queen in that strange language of theirs that almost sounds like proper English but isn't quite. Not even the Queen speaks Scots. The translator is whispering in an undertone, which is very hard to understand, and even with translation I have no idea what the Scottish Ambassador is speaking about, except it has something to do with the scandalous Queen of Scots.Mary Shelton is knitting the second of a pair of silk stockings for herself, whilst Carmina is embroidering beside me. I ought really to be embroidering as well, but instead I am trying to write this with my new book balanced on my knee and the inkpot on the rush matting next to me.Mrs. Champernowne has already given me a nasty scowl, but I have my new black satin apron on and can ignore her, since it will stop any more disasters striking my kirtle. As if it were my fault that Carmina tripped and knocked my ink bottle flying last week. I did ask if I could perhaps have a black kirtle next time to hide the ink, but the Queen frowned and said it is not suitable for a Maid of Honour to wear a black kirtle. Alackaday. Still, the apron will do nicely.I do like being the youngest Maid of Honour at the Queen's Court. I have been with the Queen here for as long as I can remember, and she has been so kind to me since my poor mother died two years ago, saving Her Majesty's life. But I wish I didn't have to wear suitable raiment all the time. Kirtles, farthingales, petticoats, and the like are such a nuisance, especially when I want to go climbing trees with my friends, Masou the acrobat and Ellie-from-the-laundry. And there are some wonderful climbing trees here at the Palace of Nonsuch, because we are right out in the Surrey countryside and there is a ring of coppices next to the orchards, for supplying the court with firewood.Oh no! The first blot.Later, at the painters' and stainers' WorkroomI am waiting for Lady Sarah to change her attire, so I will write a little more of the morning's events. Lord! What a to-do there was! I wish there were a better way of writing than pen and ink, for I nearly lost another white damask kirtle despite my apron.And that big blot above wasn't my fault, either. Mary Shelton elbowed me as we sat with the Queen. "Have you drawn out my embroidery pattern yet?" she whispered. "I have the heavy linen for the sleeves now."I sighed, put my newly smudged book down to dry, for I had no wiper or sand to blot it, and then fished about in my workbag. It is in terrible disorder, I fear, what with old quills and scraps of paper in it and my penner. I keep my embroidery work in another bag inside to keep it from getting dirty.Mary's pattern was right at the bottom. "Here it is," I said at last, uncrumpling it to show to her."Oh!" said Mary Shelton, with a big smile across her pleasant, round face. "Oh, that's lovely!"I felt myself going pink. I did try hard with the pattern because I like Mary, even though she snores. I had made a simple trellis-work design with curling branches for most of the blackwork, but for the centres of the diamond-shapes I drew a little picture of a cat, carrying a kitten and peeping out from behind a rose. I did it from memory of when the cook in the Privy Kitchen found a mother cat with kittens in one of the woodboxes by the fire."Ahh," cooed Mary in delight, taking it from me. "Look here, Carmina, isn't it just like Grimalkin in the Privy Kitchen?""Hmm? Eh?" muttered Carmina, who had been dozing where she sat. Small blame to her: that Ambassador's miserable whining voice would put anyone to sleep. It would serve him right if the Queen herself started to snore, not that she would. She always looks sharply at Ambassadors and listens to every word. I don't know how she does it.; Title: Feud (The Grace Mysteries) | [
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14,809 | 2 | Grade 4-6 Twins Keira and Minni, 11, are used to the funny looks their chessboard family receives: Keira takes after their black mother and Minni resembles their white father. In spite of differences in appearance and personality, the girls share a bond that they are convinced is unbreakable. When their maternal grandmother invites them to fly from their coastal Washington town to North Carolina and enroll in the Miss Black Pearl of America Program, their mother is hesitant, but finally agrees. Keira is ecstatic to enter, but introverted Minni is not happy. Her reservations seem well founded when they arrive: Grandmother Johnson is as persnickety as ever, and the program's president questions whether Minni qualifies to participate in an event for black girls. Minni learns what it feels like to be the odd person out in terms of appearance, and Keira is resentful that, up until now, Minni really hasn't understood what her sister was going through in their white Seattle suburb. The girls mature and learn a few things about their grandmother's struggle to be seen as an equal by the white community. As in Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It (Delacorte, 2007), Frazier addresses issues faced by mixed-race children with a grace and humor that keep her from being pedantic. The story is enjoyable in its own right, but will also encourage readers to rethink racial boundaries and what it means to be black or white in America. Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* The idea of being a twin has built-in appeala sibling who has almost identical experiences of the world can be an instant BFF. That ideal informs the lives of sisters Minni and Keira, but the differences between the biracial siblings may be vaster than theyd like to think, because Minnis coloring is white like their fathers, while Keiras is black like their mothers. During the summer when the girls turn 11, awareness of how theyre perceived is driven home when a storekeeper in their home state of Washington has a widely disparate reaction to the girls browsing through fancy dresses. Later, when the girls visit their prickly maternal grandmother in North Carolina and compete in a beauty contest for African Americans, Minni feels she is the focus of skeptical attention. Not only does Frazier raise questions worth pondering but her ability to round out each character, looking past easy explanations for attitude, is impressive. She also leavens the whole with easy humor and builds suspense over the pageant itself. Will the talented and outgoing Keira win the prize? Will Minni be able to overcome her shyness and shine? A novel with a great deal of heart indeed, from the winner of the John Steptoe New Talent Award for Brendan Buckleys Universe and Everything in It (2007). Grades 4-6. --Karen Cruze; Title: The Other Half of My Heart | [
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14,810 | 2 | Praise for the treasure map of boys: Fans will continue to root for the authentic if self-centered narrator as she relates both the hilarious and painful moments of her life.They will appreciate her honest insights about the good and bad in everyone.Publishers Weekly "Lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Ruby is smart, confused, and often foolish when it comes to love; few characters ring this true. As Ruby would say: complete and utter deliciousness.Booklist Ruby is funnyvery funny. She expresses herself in a manner both self-depricating and precocious, with a quirky use of language and an appreciation for the absurd that is thoroughly endearing. A definite purchase.School Library Journal Rubys voice is solidly witty with that edge of hysteria characteristic of todays teen girl narrators. If readers are already interested in her story, this is a must, but even those whove never met her will find this an enjoyable read.The Bulletin of the Center for Childrens BooksA Junior Library Guild SelectionAn ALA Best Book for Young AdultsFrom the Hardcover edition.E. Lockhart is the author of the highly acclaimed New York Times bestseller We Were Liars and the Ruby Oliver quartet (The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, The Treasure Map of Boys, and Real Live Boyfriends), as well as Fly on the Wall, Dramarama, and How to Be Bad (the last with Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle). Her novel The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks was a Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book, a finalist for the National Book Award, and winner of a Cybils Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon--and Me, Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver Quartet) | [
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14,811 | 2 | Ann Brashares is the #1New York Timesbestselling author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series,The Whole Thing Together,The Here and Now, 3 Willows, The Last Summer (of You & Me),andMy Name Is Memory.She lives in New York City with her family.Visit Ann online at AnnBrashares.com and follow @AnnBrashares on Twitter.; Title: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / Second Summer of the Sisterhood / Girls in Pants (3 Book Set) | [
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14,812 | 2 | Gr 8 Up-In her signature dramatic style, McDaniel explores the grief, anger, and upheaval caused by a school bombing. Complete with pep rallies and teen romances, Edison High School is ordinary and suburban. But when a bomb explodes just before morning classes start, students find their lives turning upside down. Through the perspectives of teens impacted by the blast, readers will quickly empathize with their confusion, despair, and determination. Characters represent a mix of the school's population, including a popular cheerleader, the student-council president, a goth girl, and an outsider. While characterizations can be broad, none of them slips into stereotypes. The characters speak and act in a believable manner save for some instances-e.g., one teen refers to his "Web avatar," which seems a bit dated. The shocking fate of two characters involved in a romantic relationship is revealed dramatically. The depiction of the explosion, panic, and glee felt by the main perpetrator while witnessing the explosion from a safe distance are realistically detailed. However, the exposure of the true perpetrators is a bit rushed and anticlimactic. Reluctant readers will be drawn to the novel's brevity, romance, and ripped-from-the-headlines subject matter.-Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Morgan is a popular cheerleader who is dating jealous Trent, and Roth is a goth who doesnt realize that his only friend (and occasional hookup), Liza, has feelings for him. The four teens are forever changed when someone detonates a bomb in the middle of the school, killing and maiming many of their classmates. McDaniels story works best when she sticks close to her familiar territoryteens dealing with devastating illness or injury. She is less successful at intrigue, and the weak ending includes a deus ex machina that pulls in random characters to take the blame. A romance between Morgan and Roth is roughly sketched out, but they are likable characters who readers will enjoy, and the idea that high-school romance may still be true love even if it doesnt last forever is refreshing. An eye-catching cover and McDaniels name should draw plenty of romance readers. Grades 8-11. --Snow Wildsmith; Title: Red Heart Tattoo (Lurlene McDaniel) | [
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14,813 | 2 | Barnes's (Golden) book about four friends who get special powers from their temporary tattoos has some fun moments, despite the far-out premise. Even 15-year-old narrator Bailey acknowledges the surreal situation when she considers explaining what's going on to her mother: "An evil fairy princess who doubles as one of the three Fates is sucking out the souls of innocent people, and my friends and I have been imbued with the powers to stop her, but we only have the powers for like another twelve hours." But readers learn enough about the protagonist to believe that she could be a descendent of the powerful Sidhe, and the girls cleverly put to use their powers (Annabelle can control minds, Zo can see the future and Bailey can start fires). The book's best moments may come from ditzy Delia, with the power of transmogrification, who turns a hotel door lock into butterscotch pudding, plus gives the girls Rollerblades when they're on the chase, including a fashionable pair for herself that look like high heels. Delia also delivers the book's best line when facing off against evil Alecca: "You think you're bad?... I'm on the cheerleading squad; I know what real evil looks like." In the end, readers will get a few good laughs from these sassy heroines. Ages 12-up. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Imagine the gang from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series with magic tattoos that give them each different powers. Fashionable, boy-crazy Delia can now transmogrify objects; athletic Zo has become prescient; and brainy Annabelle reads minds and can speak through others. Narrator Bailey gets two gifts: telekinesis and telepathy, because she is also the liaison between the mysterious fairies and Fates who are fighting to gain control of our world. Barnes, a recent Yale graduate, has made great progress since her first novel, Golden (2006). The plot complexities are many and varied--Celtic mythology, Wiccan practices, high-school crushes, and mean-girl cliques--but easy enough to follow. Spunky, fun-loving, and sometimes cranky teen-girl friendships and realistic dialogue propel this character-driven, fast-paced read. Debbie CartonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Tattoo | [
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14,814 | 2 | Adam Melon (Melonhead) from Kellys Lucy Rose books begins his spin-off series, and if Lucy Rose is an older Junie B. Jones, then Adam is a nine-year-old Stink, from the eponymous series by Megan McDonald. Adam is at that growing-up stage where possible consequences take a backseat to enthusiasm, resulting in a lot of learning, a lot of parental bafflement, and a lot of laughs. Other than getting his leg stuck in a tree, cutting open a saturated diaper, and scouring the kitchen for lost reptiles, Melonhead enters the school reinvention fair and trades creative rhyming phrases with his best friend, such as Dont be silly, Willie and Youre smart, Fart. The everyday adventures, set in Washington, D.C., and relative lack of conflict are precisely what provide the appeal here, and readers will enjoy meeting an average kid. Grades 3-5. --Andrew MedlarStarred Review, Publishers Weekly, February 23, 2009"Adam's goofy sense of humor and his comic interactions with his parents, teachers and best friend Sam ... are just right for the target audience."; Title: Melonhead | [
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14,815 | 2 | LURLENE MCDANIEL is the #1 author of inspirational fiction for young adults. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.1 She awoke in the dark, too terrified to move. Her eyes were wide open, but she saw nothing but blackness. Pressure squeezed her chest and she couldn't breathe. She grew light-headed, and just when she thought she would suffocate, she heaved a great gasping breath, like a drowning person breaking the surface of water. Air poured into her lungs and she gagged with the need for it. At once the darkness was broken by the flare of a single light. "Don't be afraid," a man's voice said in her ear. "I'm right here." She turned her head to see a glowing candle held aloft, and behind it, his face. Dark hair framed pale skin. He had angular cheekbones and a chiseled jaw, and his eyes were the color of rain. "Who--" she whispered, terror tracing the word. "Don't be frightened. You're safe. I'm watching over you." He reached out and stroked her cheek. His touch was cool, soothing, and her brain grew sluggish. She wondered if she had a fever. "But where--" she asked. "Time for questions and answers tomorrow," he interrupted. "For now, just sleep." Her eyelids grew heavy, and despite all her fears, she closed her eyes and obeyed him. When next she awoke, gray gloom had replaced the dark. She blinked up at a high canopy stretching above the bed where she lay. Tall windows dominated the wall directly in front of the bed, and lead-colored daylight seeped between partially drawn thick velvet drapes. Her heart pounded. She remembered the lighted candle, though, and the voice and face from behind it. She cut her eyes to the bedside. The young man had kept his promise. He was stretched out in a chair, asleep. In the murky light she saw that her first impression of him had been accurate--dark tendrils of black hair fell over his forehead, and his skin was indeed pale. His hands were draped over the chair's arms, and his fingers were long and tapered, pale and smooth. The other thing she noticed was that he was quite elegant. He was lean, and dressed in leather breeches and a soft, loose white shirt open at his throat. With one look at him she knew much more about him than she did about herself. Where was she? Who was she? Why had she no memory of herself? How could a person forget who she was? Her own name? Where memories should have been, she found only black holes. "You're awake." His voice startled her. She struggled to sit upright. He moved quickly and gracefully to sit on the bedding beside her. "No, lie back. You're weak. Let me bring you something to eat." She was weak. One more thing she didn't understand. He eased her against the pillow. "I'll be right back." She grasped at his arm. "Please. Tell me what's happened to me." His eyes, the irises so pale, the pupils black and fathomless, settled on hers. "I'll tell you everything I know as soon as you eat." He left through a tall wooden door, and the second it closed, she eased to a sitting position. The room spun. She took deep breaths until her vision cleared. She examined the room, saw elaborate tapestries hanging along the wall that butted into the wall of windows and velvet curtains, and another wall heavy with elaborately carved pieces of furniture. Nothing looked familiar, only foreign and foreboding. She closed her eyes, dug deep, searching for some memory, anything that she could hold on to, to tell her about herself and where she was. She moved her arms and then her legs beneath the covers. Her body worked. Nothing hurt. But her memory was a blank slate. She lifted the covers and saw that she wore a thick white cotton nightgown. Beneath that, she was naked. Before she even had time to wonder about it, the door opened and her benefactor came in carrying a tray. "Here you go--tea and wheat toast with honey. Cream and sugar for your tea." She pulled the covers up to her chin, fisting the sheets and thick coverlet snugly to her body. "I don't know if I drink tea," she said. "You'll like it," he said. He set the tray across her lap and poured steaming brown liquid from a sparkling silver pot into a rose-patterned china cup so thin and finely made she could see through it. He settled himself on her bed to face her. "A little cream, and how about two sugars?" She watched him drop two small white cubes into the cup with little silver tongs, then pour white cream from a silver pitcher that matched the teapot. He stirred the mixture with a silver spoon and lifted the cup and saucer toward her. "Drink up." Her hands trembled as she reached for the cup, not wanting to look at him, but unable to help it; her gaze was drawn to his like a magnet to steel. His deep-set eyes were now the color of smoke, the pupils as dark as before. Her heart beat uncontrollably. He smiled warmly and she raised the cup to her mouth. The liquid tasted warm and sweet and began to revive her. "It's good," she said, prying her gaze away from his. "Excellent." He grinned, took the cup and picked up the toast and ladled thick golden honey over it. She took it, ate it. "This is good too." He leaned back, braced a booted foot against the bedside chair. "Now, as promised, your questions." She had a million questions, but decided not to let him know she remembered nothing of who she was first thing out of her mouth. "H-how did I end up here?" "I found you." "Found me?" "On my father's estate, up by the entrance gate, just inside. You were lying in a heap on the ground, unconscious." "But how did I get there?" He shrugged broad but graceful shoulders. "That I don't know. I was out riding. My horse drew up or he would have stepped on you." "When was this?" "A few days ago." "Days!" She sat up straighter and the tray would have slid away if he hadn't caught it. "I brought you here," he said, setting the tray on the nearby chair. "To this room. To this bed." She remembered the gown she was wearing. And what she wasn't wearing under it. "Who dressed me?" She couldn't bring herself to ask "Who undressed me?" "I did," he said. Her face burned hot, and she wanted to hide under the thick covers. "Where are my clothes?" "I burned them." Her embarrassment turned to shock, then to anger. "You burned them! They might have held a clue about me." "Your clothing was dirty and torn. I'll find something for you to wear." "I don't want your clothes. I want mine. I want to go--" She halted. Go where? He rose from the bed, bowed and gestured toward the door. "You may leave at any time. You're not a prisoner, just a lost girl I rescued from the cold and brought into my home." Her anger fizzled. "I--I don't mean to be ungrateful. I know you've helped me. It's just that--that . . ." She couldn't finish. He moved closer to the bed, lifted her chin. Once again, she found his touch cool, as if his hand had been in cold air. "I get that you're frightened. But now that you are here, you're my guest, and you're safe." ; Title: Reaching Through Time: Three Novellas | [
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14,816 | 2 | As If Being 12 34 . . . is Donna Gepharts first novel. She lives with her family in Jupiter, Florida, where shes already at work on her second.I'm sitting on a wooden folding chair, hoping I don't get a splinter in my derriere, as Chester Fields tries to spell "thoroughly." Chester Fields is an idiot. "Thoroughly" is an easy word. But somehow he manages to muck it up, spelling, "T-h-u-r-u-h, I don't know, w-l-y." Cowbell for that boy! How did he even get to the schoolwide bee? I'll bet his teacher felt sorry for him. Or maybe it's because his mother is on the board of directors at Lawndale Academy.I, Vanessa Rothrock, am sweating like a pig--do pigs sweat?--and wishing I could smell my pits, but the whole audience is looking at me. I pump my left leg up and down like crazy and hear Mom's voice in my head: Don't fidget, Vanessa; it's unbecoming. Still yourself. Still yourself? Easy for her to say. She's all poise and grace, forever saying and doing the perfect thing. Maybe I'm not really Mom's daughter. Maybe I was adopted, or switched at birth. But when I think of Mom's enormous feet, I know I'm all hers. I rest my hand on my leg to stop fidgeting and crane my neck. Is Mom even--?"Vanessa Rothrock, please come up."I gasp and choke on my own saliva. Then I stand and grab the back of my chair. Unfortunately, I do not die of asphyxiation (Asphyxiation. A-S-P-H-Y-X-I-A-T-I-O-N. Asphyxiation.) and I maneuver around students' feet and chair legs. The microphone is in sight. I'm sighing with relief at having passed through the minefield of legs without tripping when my gigantic feet tangle in the principal's microphone cord.I lurch forward, grab for the podium, and end up with a handful of papers before crashing to the stage. I say something charming, like "Ooomph!" The audience lets out a collective gasp. Unfortunately, I do not crack my head and die instantly. Why am I such a klutz?As I lift my cheek from the dusty floor, I see camera lights flash like lightning. I put my head down and imagine tomorrow's headline: governor's daughter takes spill during school spelling bee. entire state of florida humiliated."No photographs, please," Mrs. Foster begs. "You were informed."I look up again and see Mr. Martinez marching toward me from backstage. That's all I need to complete the humiliation package--my six-foot-tall security guard scooping me up from the stage and brushing me off.I hold up a few fingers and he stops. I mouth the words "I'm okay." Mr. Martinez backs up so that he's offstage again. And against my better judgment, I stand and face the audience, who, by the way, have their mouths hanging open. My cheeks grow so hot I'm sure my head will spontaneously (Spontaneously. S-P-O-N-T-A-N-E-O-U-S-L-Y. Spontaneously.) combust. I look at Mrs. Foster and silently plead: Give me a word already and put me out of my misery.Mrs. Foster clears her throat and motions toward my feet. I realize that her papers are scattered there. I gather them up and give them to her with trembling hands. I hear Mom's words again: Still yourself, Vanessa. Still yourself!After adjusting her glasses and clearing her throat, Mrs. Foster says, "Your word is 'resuscitate.' "I snort. I can't help it. I imagine a cute emergency tech resuscitating me on the floor of the stage. Unfortunately, when I snort, it makes a screeching noise in the microphone, and the people in the audience (even Mrs. Foster) cover their ears as though a supersonic jet has flown overhead. I see Mr. Martinez wince.Why, I wonder, do I suffer such humiliation? What was God thinking when She made me?Someone clears her throat. For a moment I think it's God, but then I look over and see Mrs. Foster tapping her watch.My nostrils flare in a less-than-flattering way. I hate when someone taps a watch. I shake my head. What is my word again? OHMYGOD! I've completely forgotten. Sweat begins to pool under my arms. Did I remember to apply deodorant this morning or did I just spray perfume and hope for the best? "Could I have the origin of the word, please?""Resuscitate," Mrs. Foster snaps. "It comes from--""Resuscitate." I cut the principal off midsentence. "R-e-s-u-s-c-i-t-a-t-e. Resuscitate.""That is correct." I imagine the "thank goodness and sit down" she doesn't say.I curtsy--CURTSY? what am I, five years old?--then scamper back to polite applause. It's obvious I impress the audience by making it to my seat without tripping."Reginald Trumball, please come up."Reginald turns and winks at me. At least I think it's at me. My heart goes into overdrive, and fingers of heat creep up my neck.I notice my best friend, Emma Smith, staring at Reginald as he gets out of his seat. I wonder for a moment if she's even more in love with Reginald than I am. Not possible.I watch Reginald jog to the microphone. He doesn't even stumble. That boy is all grace and good looks. If I'm lucky enough to have children with Reginald Trumball someday, I hope they inherit his good looks and quirky charm . . . and my ability to spell obscure (Obscure. O-B-S-C-U-R-E. Obscure.) words.Mrs. Foster smiles and nods at Reginald. "Your word is 'categorize.' "I close my eyes, squeeze my fingers into fists, and will the correct spelling into Reginald's gorgeous head. But something must be blocking my brain waves, because Reginald says: "C-a-t-i-g-o-r-i-z-e."When the cowbell signals his defeat, Reginald's mother has her arm around his shoulders before he's even completely off the stage. Reginald puts his arm around his mother's shoulder and leans his head close to hers. She whispers something into his ear, probably about how he'll never need to spell that word again and how she'll take him out for ice cream later. I want that mother.; Title: As If Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President! | [
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14,817 | 1 | A little white pony dreams of a sparkling gate in a cold, snowy place: a welcoming entrance to a pony heaven of sorts. The vision comforts him on what will be the harsh and cruel saga of his life on the pony team of Robert Falcon Scotts mission to the South Pole from 1910 to 1912. Dubbed James Pigg by his kindly handlers, our pony narrates in sparkling prose this heartbreaking tale of toil, adventure, and herculean effort against all odds. Desperate to keep up with the faster, stronger ponies and prove himself against the snarling dogs, Jimmy Pigg battles for his survival every day. I didnt want him to see that I was hurt. An injured pony was a dead pony, he muses when his human teammate Patrick tends to him. Young readers will question the ethics of the doomed journey, one that later generations would see was not planned carefully enough compared to Roald Amundsens successful mission. Theyll also need warning of the gruesome pony deaths. That said, Lawrence tells a most compelling tale. Grades 5-8. --Anne OMalleyIAIN LAWRENCE's previous novels include The Giant-Slayer, The Seance, Gemini Summer, B for Buster, Lord of the Nutcracker Men, Ghost Boy, The Lightkeeper's Daughter, as well as the Curse of the Jolly Stone trilogy: The Convicts, The Cannibals, and The Castaways; and the High Seas trilogy: The Wreckers, The Smugglers, and The Buccaneers.; Title: The Winter Pony | [
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14,818 | 11 | Starred Review, Booklist, September 15, 2007:"The vivid characters, the fine imagery, and the satisfying story arc make this a rewarding novel."Carolyn PhelanStarred Review, Publishers Weekly, October 1, 2007:"The prose captivates from the first chapter ... a vibrant, large-hearted story."Laura Resau lived in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca, Mexico, for two years as an English teacher and anthropologist. She now lives with her husband and her dog in Colorado.; Title: Red Glass | [
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14,819 | 2 | Jennifer Lynn Barnes wrote her first book when she was still a teenager, and she is currently hard at work on her next. Visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com. She lives in Oklahoma.Chapter 1Code Word: Body GlitterOnce upon a time, I thought that the cheerleaders at my high school were no more capable of intelligent thought or true athleticism than the average dachshund. Suffice to say that unless the wiener dogs of the world have been holding out on mebig-timeI was very, very wrong.Amelia Juarez. Jacob Kann. Anthony Connors-Wright. Hector Hassan. Brooke set the files down one by one, careful to avoid any undue wear and tear on her French manicure. Thats four TCIs arriving in Bayport in the past two days. The question is why.Personally, I could think of a few other questions, starting with whats a TCI and why are cheerleading spies so fond of acronyms? and running straight through to do you have any idea how incredibly uncomfortable this godforsaken polyester uniform is?To my credit, though, I somehow managed to remain remarkably quiet. Experience had taught me that if I waited long enough, someone would answer at least one of my unasked questions. Experience had also taught me that the fashionistas among us got, for lack of a better word, cranky when you criticized their fabric choices.What level threat are we talking about here? Tara asked from my right. It wasnt exactly one of my questions, but close enough.Nothing higher than third or fourth tier, Brooke said. She arched an eyebrow at Zee in silent command, and our resident profiler obligingly picked up where Brooke had left off.According to our data, their connections to known terrorists and/or terrorist organizations are weak, but the links are there, and in each case, there have been enough person-to-person interactions with suspected terrorists to warrant full profiling and a place on the watch list. Zee tucked a strand of jet-black hair behind her ear, a gesture I associated more with her ability to dispense gossip than her skills as a profiler. All four are ambitious, and they all feel that they have something to prove. Amelia Juarez and Jacob Kann are terrorist-connected through their parentslots of money, lots of power, long, drawn-out history of high-level crimes in both families. Hector Hassan is a businessmanagain, young, smooth, very ambitious. And Anthonys father is an independent operative working primarily for the U.S. and U.K. governments.Tara rolled her eyes. Teenage rebellion? she inferred, as if the children of operatives often rebelled by going over to the dark side and becoming wannabe evil masterminds.Try midtwenties rebellion, Zee said, but, yeah, more or less. Anthonys driven by his fathers career choices as much as Amelia and Jacob are by theirs, but in a different direction.So far, we had a crime prince, a crime princess, an intelligence brat, and a young businessman, all with some kind of vague-ish connections to terrorist groups. The part of my brain thats tuned in to patterns and codes played back everything that had been said in the debriefing so far, and zeroed in on the combination of words most likely to fit the acronym.Terrorist-Connected Individuals, I guessed out loud. TCIs.At the head of the table, Brooke rolled her eyes. Very good, Toby, she said, her voice syrupy sweet. Do you want a cookie?As a matter of fact, I would have loved one, but somehow, I didnt think Brookes offer was anywhere near the ballpark of sincere. She was our Squad captain. In operative terms, that meant she was technically my commanding officer. In cheerleading terms, it meant she was a bitch.Either way, I wasnt getting a cookie.No offense, Brooke, but it doesnt seem that complicated to me. I was completely unwilling to back down from the challenge in Brookes eyes or the condescension in her voice. An influx of TCIs to Bayport cant be a good thing, even if theyre only fourth tier. We need to know why theyre here.Before Brooke could roll her eyes again, I plowed on.It sounds like were looking at some pretty basic surveillance maneuversminimal interaction, bugs in their hotel rooms . . .Trackers on their rental cars, Tara volunteered.Brooke didnt acknowledge the fact that Id actually come up with a decent (albeit obvious) plan. Instead, she turned to Chloe, the original gadget girl in Gucci. Can you get the necessaries by this afternoon?Chloe nodded. Ill have the bugs and tracking chips in the guidepost by the time the pep rallys over this afternoon.Tracking chips and pep ralliespar for course.Without a word, Brooke picked the folders up off the table, and began handing them out. Chloe, you and April take Amelia Juarez, Zee and I will tail Connors-Wright, Lucy and Bubbles, youve got Hassan.There was only one folder left and two teams. In the split second before Brooke made her decision, I swore to myself that if she put the twins on active duty and left Tara and me at the school to clean up after the pep rally, someone was going to die. Painfully, and without so much as a single Go Lions!Jacob Kann is all yours, Tare. Brooke handed the last folder to Tara, and by the transitive property, she handed it to me.Well tag the TCIs tonight and report back here afterward to debrief, Brooke said. No matter what, with the bugs up and running, we should have some major intel by this time tomorrow afternoon. She smiled then, a tight, broad smile that took up most of her face, and with that relatively small change, el capitan went from Squad mode to squad mode, from agent to cheerleader. Next order of business: What color body glitter should we wear today? Blue or gold? Thoughts?From TCIs to body glitter in less than three seconds. Confused? Join the club.Id been a member of the Squad for less than a month, and I still woke up most mornings thinking it was all just some crazy Twinkie-induced dream. Then I looked in the mirror, noted my perfectly sculpted eyebrows and artificially tanned face, and the truth sank in.This wasnt a dream. I, Toby Anti-Social Klein, had really been recruited to the varsity cheerleading squad, only to discover that said squad was actually a cover for an elite team of government operatives. The most popular girls at my high school were actually secret agents affiliated with a top-secret branch of the government somehow related to the CIA.Yeah. Try to wrap your mind around that one.; Title: Killer Spirit | [
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14,820 | 2 | Grade 5-7 - In this latest installment in "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase" saga, Dido attempts to rescue Simon, now king of England, from that tedious role, by seeking out an alternate heir. She and her friend Piers set off to the remote village of Clatteringshaws to find Malise the witch, sister of Father Sam (former hermit, now Archbishop of Canterbury), who may be able to help with the search. While the combination of giant flying otterworms and an invading army of Wends that can be fended off by a sturdy game of hnefatefl (a Wendish board game) may strain the plot's credulity, Aiken somehow brings this story off with panache. Readers soon realize that her characters are just as amused by events as they are, swinging the story away from the ludicrous into a jolly romp of a fantasy. Similar to Gerald Morris's Arthurian legends in its dry, sarcastic humor, this tale is a quick read that resonates with many well-known elements of folklore and history, hallmarks of Aiken's offbeat yet satisfying fantasies. While not a stand-alone volume, Clatteringshaws will please those who have read earlier titles in this series; they'll be glad to continue with Dido and Simon's adventures. - Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-7. Dido Twite returns for another adventure in that alternate-history version of England, where her old friend Simon now serves, reluctantly, as king. In search of an alternate heir to the throne, Dido and her pal Woodlouse journey to Scotland, where they search for a royal lad abandoned there as a baby. They carry out their plan to its surprising conclusion, while Simon leads the English army and displays an unexpected knack for kingship. With elements reminiscent of Charles Dickens' novels, Andrew Lang's fairy tales, and Monty Python's sketches, the story romps to its satisfying ending. Readers familiar with the earlier books will enjoy references to past adventures, but newcomers can easily follow along. Though Aiken died in January, her work lives on. The Dido Twite series, which began in 1963 with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, is an outstanding example. Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Witch of Clatteringshaws (Wolves Chronicles) | [
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14,821 | 2 | Gr 6-10After her best friend, Elowyn, is in a fatal car accident, Kassey finds out that Elowyn registered to be a donor while receiving her new driver's license. Her death brings new life to Arabeth, who has been on the heart-transplant list for years. As Kassey attempts to come to terms with her grief, Arabeth begins to realize that Elowyn may not be completely gone. She finds herself suddenly sharing the same intense passions as the deceased, right down to the same boyfriend and best friend. As she tries to reclaim her life, Kassey and Elowyn's family cling to the hope that she still exists in the heart of this new girl. The concept of cellular memory, where organ recipients retain knowledge, skills, or feelings of the organ's original owner, is fascinating. Unfortunately, McDaniel doesn't fully delve into the details of the concept. Instead, the book focuses on the drama and angst created by the situation, which is still enough to keep some readers interested. Kassey and Arabeth are realistic teens, and even secondary characters are rounded out and interesting. The story, although a bit melodramatic, moves quickly and makes for a satisfying read. Give this to fans of McDaniel's work or anyone who enjoys a good cry.Jessie Spalding, Tempe Public Library, AZ Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Best friends forever, Kassey and Elowyn met in seventh grade, and not even high-school boyfriend relationships can shake their bond. When Elowyn is killed in a senseless car accident, her loved ones are left with their grief. But Elowyns transplanted heart renews the life of Arabeth, whose newfound health also brings some sudden and uncanny parallels in behavior and expressions with her donor. Is part of Elowyns personality now embedded in Arabeth? The prospect of the cellular memory phenomenon crops up, and the eerie connections between Elowyn and Arabeth tantalize Elowyns parents, Kassey, and others. As Arabeth struggles with identity and healing, the role she now plays in the lives of the bereavedespecially Elowyns motherthreatens to overwhelm her. Reason eventually triumphs, and life takes a hopeful turn in McDaniels wrenching page-turner that is sure to please fans. Grades 7-10. --Anne OMalley; Title: Heart to Heart (Lurlene McDaniel) | [
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14,822 | 0 | A Thousand Never Evers, a debut novel by Shana Burg, creates a convincing portrait of the South during the Civil Rights Movement. The book follows a year in the life of Addie Ann Pickett, a girl on the verge of her early teens in Kuckapoo, Mississippi in 1963. Addie Ann goes through some of the biggest changes of her young life just as the whole world around her is changing. On the one hand, she's an ordinary girl: she babysits, she enjoys school, and has crushes. On the other hand, everything Addie Ann knows about her world is crashing down as she begins to understand more about what is really going on (in her family and in her town), her place in history as she forms her own opinions and takes personal action. Addie Ann's voice is convincing and compelling, and her story provides an important perspective on the impact of tremendous social changes occurring in the South during the early 1960s. Author Shana Burg's father was a civil rights attorney, and she grew up hearing stories about Medgar Evers, Emmett Till, and the March on Washington. Mining those stories, as well as conducting a fair amount of research and drawing upon her experiences as a teacher, paid off. Addie Ann is a courageous and memorable character--one with whom younger readers should be able identify. Her experiences can truly give readers a sense of what it might have felt like to live in those historic times. (Ages 9-12) --Heidi BroadheadGrade 58Burg's debut novel, set in 1963, is told through the eyes of Addie Ann Pritchett, a seventh-grade African American. She finds herself embroiled in the Civil Rights Movement that affects her family and her little town in the Mississippi Delta in profound and personal ways. To start, there's the death of the richest man in town, who bequeaths his land to everyone in Kuckachoo so that, "together whites and Negroes shall plant a garden." Addie and her mother work as household help for a young couple in town, where the girl overhears hateful remarks made by members of the Garden Club, who have no intention of sharing the produce from Old Man Adams's land across racial lines. Meanwhile, Addie's brother accidentally breaks the leg of a white bully who is tormenting her cat and flees into the bayou. Elias disappears and is feared drowned. Weaving in and out of these serious concerns are the normal insecurities of a girl on the brink of adolescence. Addie's relationships with her family and friends are interesting and well developed. The civil rights issues that come to a head as Addie's uncle is arrested and in danger of being lynched will make the injustices of the era vivid for today's readers. The protagonist moves from protected innocence out to the larger, often-threatening world and finds strength in her family, her community, and herself. This is not a perfect booksome of the dialogue seems stiff-but it is a compelling story that doesn't oversimplify complex situations.Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: A Thousand Never Evers | [
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14,823 | 2 | Barnes crosses Greek gods with faeries in her addition to the teens-with-special-powers-and-destinies genre. In this companion novel to Tattoo, Bailey, aka the Fate of Life (single-handedly responsible for weaving the lives of the entire world), is back and joined once more by best friends Delia, Annabelle and Zo. With the help of mysterious pendants (Bailey's friends have lost the powers they possessed in the first book), they must help Bailey face the Reckoning, when she must choose between her world and the Otherworld. Barnes has her mythical realms covered with the Otherworld, also known as Faerie, Olympus, Avalon, and the Beyond, where Bailey spends her nights while her less-mythic friends dream. Bailey's upbeat narration adds flair to this story of girl power and friendship, though her Otherworldly trips (which are, unfortunately, italicized) cover large swaths of the book and can feel like a disruption. Readers who hang tight to the friendship arc, though, will find this story pulpy but fun. Ages 12up. (Mar.) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Jennifer Lynn Barnes earned a bachelors degree from Yale University and a masters from Cambridge University. Fate is her sixth novel for young adults. You can visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com.; Title: Fate | [
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14,824 | 2 | Grade 5-7Twelve-year-old Livvie begins a cold St. Paul, MN, winter by throwing away a chain letter, having learned from her mother and experience that it can be more trouble than it's worth. Her superstitious friend, Joyce, claims that this act has brought a series of unfortunate events to their lives, including Livvie's classroom humiliations and broken toe, and Joyce's mononucleosis. Continuous, fluid descriptions of slapstick events and interesting issues of family and friendship will keep readers turning the pages as they begin to know and care about this likable protagonist. Lots of attention is given to her days in school and her growing awareness of luck, serendipity, and the power to make important choices. One of Livvie's concerns is the prospect of her mother dating Phil, who is her friend Peter's widowed, "weird" father. Readers will feel chilled to the bone as Livvie and Peter encounter a man who is stalking Phil on a sub-zero evening, and they will appreciate the story's suspense, humor, and many examples of fine prose.Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MILivvie isnt superstitious like her best friend, Joyce, who thinks everything is bad luck. So Livvie isnt worried about tearing up the chain letter and throwing it awayuntil shes humiliated in gym class, falls down her back stairs, and gets invited to Thanksgiving dinner at Peter Finchs house. Clearly, Joyce was right: breaking the chain was a huge mistake. And the only way to set things straight is to find out who sent the letter in the first place. . . .; Title: The Chain Letter | [] | Test |
14,825 | 2 | Lurlene McDaniel is the foremost author of inspirational fiction for young adults. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.; Title: Breathless | [
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14,826 | 2 | Lowrys prose is simple and clear. This carefully plotted fantasy has inner logic and conviction. Readers will identify with Littlest, who is discovering her own special talents. . . . A beautiful novel with an intriguing premise.School Library Journal, StarredLois Lowry has twice been the recipient of Newbery Medals and has written many popular books for children.; Title: Gossamer | [
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14,827 | 2 | Gr 5-7In this sequel to Oracles of Delphi Keep (Delacorte, 2009), Laurie places her characters at a crucial point in history: the buildup to the Nazi invasion of Poland, which triggered the beginning of World War II. Orphan siblings Ian and Theo are trying to fulfill the prophecy of Laodamia of Phoenicia and have become the center of a struggle to save humankind from devastating evil and violence. The brothers, who are in possession of certain magical abilities and objects, travel from Dover to Poland through a portal in search of the Healer, the third of six oracles, who will help them to save the world. In the process they face great danger at the hands of the evil Magus the Black and his equally malevolent siblings. While the attempt to connect ancient myth to modern historical events is interesting, the mythological connections include a mishmash of ancient Greece, medieval Christianity, and druidic Britain, and the connections fall flat. The sense of adventure is hampered by a meandering plot, wooden dialogue, and one-dimensional characters. The hint of romance is awkwardly presented and remains unresolved. Although the characters succeed in their quest for the Healer, the author has set up the ending for a sequel.Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.When Victoria Laurie was eleven, her family moved from the United States to England for a year abroad. She attended the American Community School at Cobham, and one day, while on a class field trip, she first glimpsed the White Cliffs of Dover. Her trip to the cliffs, the year abroad, and her grandfather's stories of his childhood as an orphan left such an indelible impression on her that when she turned to a career as an author, she was compelled to write the Oracles of Delphi Keep series. The Curse of Deadman's Forest is the second book in this series. The first book, Oracles of Delphi Keep, is available from Delacorte Press.You can visit Victoria at www.oraclesofdelphikeep.com.When Victoria Laurie was eleven, her family moved from the United States to England for a year abroad. She attended the American Community School at Cobham, and one day, while on a class field trip, she first glimpsed the White Cliffs of Dover. Her trip to the cliffs, the year abroad, and her grandfather's stories of his childhood as an orphan left such an indelible impression on her that when she turned to a career as an author, she was compelled to write the Oracles of Delphi Keep series. The Curse of Deadman's Forest is the second book in this series. The first book, Oracles of Delphi Keep, is available from Delacorte Press.; Title: The Curse of Deadman's Forest (Oracles of Delphi Keep) | [
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14,828 | 2 | A Junior Library Guild SelectionA Hackmatack Childrens Choice Book Award Nominee A Sheila Egoff Childrens Literature Prize FinalistA Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Readers Choice Award NomineePraise for The Skeleton Tree:Unsettling and compelling, a gripping, evocative read. Kirkus ReviewsFans of HatchetandLord of the Flieswill be drawn to this harrowing survival story from Lawrence (The Winter Pony), which offers psychological suspense and action in equal measure. The boys exploration of rugged territory and the mysterious skeleton tree with coffins in its branches neatly parallels their individual quests to make sense of recent losses and the lives they have left behind. Publishers Weekly"An emotionally engaging and heart-pounding read." The Horn Book ReviewThis is not a typical survival tale ... the focus is on the rocky and evolving relationship between the two boys. Though Frank is cruel and Chris is innocent, readers come to understand that each boy is much more than he appears. School Library JournalMore Praise for Iain Lawrence:"From the evocative jacket painting of a moonlit shipwreck to the superb characterizations, hair-raising plot and authentic period details, Lawrence's fiction is first-rate." Starred Review, Publishers WeeklyFast-moving, mesmerizing, this is a tale in the grand tradition of Robert Louis Stevenson and Leon Garfield.TheHorn Book MagazineonThe WreckersIain Lawrence grew up moving all over Canada with his family. He worked in logging, fishing, and even as a forest-fire fighter before studying journalism in Vancouver and working at newspapers for ten years. He is the author of fifteen books for young readers, including this one, and has received many accolades, including the Governor Generals Award and the California Young Reader Medal. He lives in the Gulf Islands with his companion, Kristin, and their dog and cat. He invites you to visit him online at iainlawrence.com.; Title: The Skeleton Tree | [
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14,829 | 2 | Grade 69Devi, 18, wastes her high school years devoting her time to her boyfriend, Bryan, who breaks up with her. As a result, she loses her girlfriends and only gets accepted to Stulen State (aka Stupid State). By happenstance, she drops her cell phone into a fountain, and, when she retrieves it, the one person she can call is her 14-year-old self, giving her the opportunity to fix her life. With every alteration freshman Devi makes, senior Devi's life changes as well. Temporary consequences include her former best friend trading an eating disorder for a plastic-surgery obsession, and her parents getting divorced. Some decisions bring about good results, like being accepted to Harvard, but with each calamity senior Devi puts more pressure on freshman Devi to fix the future. Mlynowski contrasts the priorities of both Devis, giving them each a distinct presence. Readers will quickly realize that freshman Devi has more poise than her older counterpart. The overbearing senior is fixated on getting into a good college at the expense of running freshman Devi ragged. Meanwhile, younger Devi focuses on adjusting to high school, her crush on Bryan, and being a good friend. In the end, both girls learn to live more balanced lives and that altering destiny isn't worth the hassle of cleaning up the mess it makes. Mlynowski fans will not be disappointed with this blend of chick-lit, light fantasy, and comedic mishaps.Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.When Devis high-school sweetheart breaks up with her right before their senior prom, she is devastated. Not only is she dateless but she is also friendless and relegated to a mediocre college because she has concentrated on her boyfriend instead of academics. Where were her priorities? In a fresh twist on time travel, she contacts her freshman self via cell phone and proceeds to change their future. Of course, one small change leads to others, and both girls begin to wonder about the wisdom of this collaboration. Mlynowski has given herself a complicated, challenging story, and she is particularly effective in conveying the differences in maturity and perspective between a freshman and a senior. The on-again, off-again friendship and college plotlines are a bit less polished. Still, Devi is likable regardless of her age, and the author taps into a universal fantasy: Who hasnt coveted a do-over in at least some aspect of life? Filled with tech-savvy details, this gives a contemporary feel to a timeless YA dilemma: how to keep friends and academic priorities while cultivating a love life, too. Grades 7-10. --Frances Bradburn; Title: Gimme a Call | [
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14,830 | 2 | Grade 7 UpErin Misrahe, 16, has spent almost half of her life in and out of psychiatric wards. With the help of serious drugs, she has managed to stay out of the hospital for more than two years and is attending classes at a local high school. But the dreams of blood and violence and being a completely different person have started again, and it seems that her alter ego, Shevaun, may be something more than just a figment of her imagination. With the help of her shape-shifter friends and Shevaun's longtime lover, Erin and Shevaun fight to separate their minds and memories and try to figure out what happened to connect them in the first place. What sets this novel apart from the current rash of teenaged-vampire-angst fiction are the two narratorsErin, grown used to, and even comfortable with, the idea that she is mentally ill; and Shevaun, willing to do anything to protect the family she's cobbled together. Secondary characters are equally compelling, and the world that Atwater-Rhodes has created is believable and intriguing. Hand this novel to the multitudes going through Stephenie Meyer withdrawal and they won't be disappointed.Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Thanks to her arsenal of pills, 16-year-old schizophrenic Erin has kept her violent alter ego, Shevaun, at bay long enough to start public school and make friends. Shevaun, however, is not a construct of Erins mind, as shes always believed; Shevaun is a 500-year-old vampire living with her witch lover, Adjila. When Erin wakes up in Shevauns body for the first time in 18 months, Adjila becomes aware of this strange connection and determines to sever it. First, though, they must find Erin and discover why the link exists. Erins perspective, skewed through her perceived mental illness, is an interesting one, and Sassy, her shapeshifter friend, adds a refreshing dose of humor. Atwater-Rhodes sets up an intriguing ideathat supernatural powers can be misdiagnosed as mental illness by the mundane worldbut ultimately fails to fully explore it. While the link between Erin and Shevaun is fascinating, the particulars are so convoluted and rapidly introduced that the explanation is confusing, as is the resolution. Still, the authors fans will likely enjoy this supernatural tale. Grades 7-10. --Krista Hutley; Title: Persistence of Memory (Den of Shadows) | [
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14,831 | 7 | The only way back is forward. Be what youd become. Leprechauns dont swim. It never hurts to take a sweater. Lying here is A-OK. Such is the advice 13-year-old Lilybet receives in a letter from her recently deceased grandmother, Gigi, after Lily is snatched from her front porch and deposited with much ceremony into the world of little green men (and women). Seems that Gigi was the keeper of the Green tribes pots o gold, and Lily is meant to take her place. But first she must prove herself brave, clever, and loyal by completing three treacherous tasks, and by exposing the traitor trying to sabotage her. A fun, fresh take on leprechaun lore that pushes well past typical depictions to embrace banking transactions, lepro-human relations, and some creative problem-solving. Lily is a credible hero, by turns scared and confident, and definitely one young readers will enjoy following. Grades 5-8. --Cindy WelchLaura Peyton Roberts is the author of many books for young readers, including the novels Ghost of a Chance, The Queen of Second Place, and Queen B. She lives with her husband in San Diego, California. Visit her at www.laurapeytonroberts.com.; Title: Green | [
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14,832 | 2 | "Satisfying...A fun, light read." --Kirkus Reviews"Funny & appealing." --BooklistSarah Mlynowski's novels include the four books in the Magic in Manhattan series (Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags and Parties & Potions), Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) and along with E. Lockhart and Lauren Myracle, How to Be Bad. Like Rachel, Sarah lives in Manhattan. Unlike Rachel, Sarah has no magical powers . . . yet. Visit her anyway at sarahm.com.From the Hardcover edition.; Title: Parties & Potions (Magic In Manhattan, Book 4) | [
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14,833 | 2 | Jennifer Lynn Barnes wrote her first book when she was still a teenager, and she is currently hard at work on her next. Visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com. She lives in Oklahoma.Chapter 1 Code Word: Pom-pomIf youd told me at the beginning of sophomore year that I was going to end up a government operative, I would have thought you were crazy, but if youd told me I was destined to become a cheerleader, I would have had you committed, no questions asked. At that point in time, there were three things in life that I knew for certain: (1) I was a girl whod never met a site she couldnt hack or a code she couldnt break, (2) I had a roundhouse that could put a grown man in the hospital, and (3) I would without question chop off my own hands before Id come within five feet of a pom-pom.I liked to fly below the radar. I was the girl slouched in the back of your geometry class, not the one shaking my booty on the field. In fact, in the year and a half since wed moved to Bayport, Id spent more time in detention than at pep rallies and considered myself lucky; unless school spirit referred to a school-board-sanctioned wine, I had no intention of buying.And then, one day out of the blue, the note appeared in my locker.Toby KleinYou are cordially invited to an information session on the Bayport High Varsity Spirit Squad today at four in room 117. Go Lions (and Lionesses)!The year before, a bunch of angry feminist mothers had sued the district for having a male mascot, so now we were officially the Bayport Lion(esse)s. I kid you not. Thats just one of the many reasons I couldnt fathom the idea of actually supporting the school in any way, shape, or form. That and the fact that Id had to forcibly remove a football players hand from my brothers arm three times in the last month. Emphasis on the word forcibly. If they touched Noah again, someone was going to lose an arm. Go Lions!I turned the note over in my hand. Wow, I thought, the God Squad must really be scratching bottom if theyre recruiting me. Maybe they just couldnt stand it that there were actually a few sophomore and junior girls who werent willing to sell their souls for cheerleading immortality. There was a reason the varsity cheerleaders were collectively referred to as the God Squad, and it wasnt because they were religious; it was because at Bayport High, they were gods: the ultimate social power. Most people did everything short of bowing down to worship them on a regular basis.I was not most people.Slamming my locker shut, I moved to throw the note away, but decided to save it for ammunition in case anyone in my carpool got too rowdy. As I moved to jam the invite into my pocket, light caught the letters, and for just a second, a few of them jumped out at me.Stupid glitter pens, I muttered, but automatically, my mind began cataloging the letters Id noticed. I stuffed the note into my jeans, took four steps down the hallway, and then stopped. My brain does tricky things with letters and numbers: scrambles them and unscrambles them, analyzes their combinations, looks for patterns. When I was little, I loved palindromes and anagrams and any secret language more complicated than Pig Latin. Standing there in the hallway, my letter-savvy mind did its thing, and I pulled the invitation back out of my pocket.After a quick glance around the hall to make sure no one was watching, I held the small white card in the light again and, one by one, picked out the letters that appeared slightly more sparkly than their counterparts.Toby KleinYou are cordially invited to an information session on the Bayport High Varsity Spirit Squad today at four in room 117. Go Lions (and Lionesses)!There it was in black and white, or, more specifically, in hot pink glitter pen. COME ALONE.After that, I really did throw the note away, because there was no way it had been written by an actual cheerleader. Most of them probably couldnt even spell cordially, let alone embed secret instructions in an invite to one of their oh-so-special meetings. Someone was definitely playing a trick on me, and I had a pretty good idea who that someone was. I also had a pretty good idea what I was going to do about it.Proximitynamely the fact that my brothers locker was only three down from minewas on my side.Very funny, Einstein. Since Id trashed the message and therefore had nothing to throw at him, I settled for flicking my brother on the back of one of his ears.Hey! Noah tried not to lose what little cool he had, but failed miserably. After glaring at me for a second (like that did any good), he changed tactics. Toby, he said in a low whisper, Im working my magic here.And that was why Noah kept getting attacked by football players with no necks and something to prove. No matter how many times I assured him that hot senior girls werent under any circumstances interested in scrawny freshman goofballs, he still couldnt help trying out his charms on the older women.It was a miracle he wasnt dead, and given the current circumstances, there was a decent chance that I was going to kill him myself.Works over, I said. I didnt even spare a glance at the current object of his affection before literally dragging him to the side of the hall. You got anything you want to tell me? I asked. For a girl my size (five three), I can sound pretty mean when I want to.Ummm . . . not that I can think of, Noah said, giving me one of his most charming grins.Try harder.Well . . . I . . . uhhh . . . did tell Chuck that youd take him home after school.; Title: Perfect Cover (The Squad) | [
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14,834 | 2 | Grade 36While her parents are in India on business, 11-year-old Poppy Ray spends a month with her veterinarian uncle, Sanjay. She begins the summer with navely high expectations, planning to use her time healing and saving pets of all kinds. However, as her mother is allergic to anything with fur, life in Los Angeles has given Poppy no practical knowledge of animals or their peculiar owners. Her stubborn resolve to help Uncle Sanjay's clients brings her frustration, anger, and hurt, but a developing friendship with 13-year-old Hawk and meditation with a piece of seaglass slowly give her a more realistic understanding of animals, humans, and their relationships. In this realistic story, adults are pretty much hands-off, allowing Poppy to explore her new independence and grow with her experiences. Animal lovers will appreciate the warm, fuzzy moments, cry at the sad times, and feel at home in this rural island community off the coast of Washington state.Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Eleven-year-old Poppy wants to be a veterinarian like her uncle Sanjay. So while her parents are in India visiting relatives, she spends several weeks with him on Nisqually Island, Washington, helping out at his Furry Friends Animal Clinic. Episodic chapters focus on the people and animals that Poppy meets, her efforts to do a good job, no matter whats thrown at her, and the difficulty she encounters in balancing dreams against some harsh realities. One terrific thing about this book is that theres no talking down, either to Poppy or the reader. Everythings on the table, from Sanjays fathers negative reaction to his sons career choice to the limits of care a vet can provide when a pet is terminal. There are many moving events here, and only the hardest of hearts wont soften when Poppy tries to comfort an elderly man whose beloved cat is being put down. Sometimes amusing, sometimes gross, and always true to itself, this should find a wide readership. Pencil illustrations enliven the chapter headings. Grades 4-6. --Ilene Cooper; Title: Seaglass Summer | [
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14,835 | 6 | Liz Ruckdeschel was raised in Hillsdale, New Jersey, where What If . . . is set. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in religious studies and worked in set design in the film industry before turning her attention toward writing. She currently lives in Los Angeles.Sara James has been an editor at Mens Vogue, has covered the media for Womens Wear Daily, and has written about fashion for InStyle magazine. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in English literature. She lives in New York City and Los Angeles, California.ENDLESS SUMMERFall has a certain appeal come the dog days of summer."I wonder if there's a way to make the music play backward."Haley Miller, slumped on the couch in her father's study in a pair of cutoff overalls and a tank top, snapped her head toward her seven-year-old brother, Mitchell, who was busy fiddling with her MP3 player. "What did you just say?""Nothing.""Say it again."Mitchell didn't reply."Come on, Mitchie. Humor me.""I mean, if I took your MP3 player apart and put it together backward, would it play music, you know, in reverse?"Haley could hardly believe her ears. She was so amazed she barely noticed that her brother was about to ruin her carefully programmed listening device. "One more time, Mitchie.""Why?"It wasn't what Mitchell said, but how he'd said it. For the first time in over a year he'd used complete sentences and spoken in a normal, human voice. Up until that very minute Haley's brother had insisted on speaking in a robotic monotone. Just. Like. This. It had worried Haley's parents no end, and of course drove her crazy."Mitchell, what happened? You spoke. And not like an alien.""Duh. Why shouldn't I?" Mitchell said. "I don't live on an asteroid.""Dad! Mom!" Haley jumped up, grabbed Mitchell's hand and ran into the kitchen, where she found her father, Perry, and her mother, Joan, scraping corn kernels off three dozen ears. They were making creamed corn to freeze for winter. Freckles, the family's excitable dalmatian, stirred from a nap and began barking, caught up in the excitement of the moment. "Listen to Mitchell!""Please, Haley," Joan said. "Between all the tests, exercises and recordings we've done with him, I can't take another sentence.""Just listen." Haley dragged Mitchell by the hand and stood him in front of her parents. "Okay, Mitchell. Go. Talk."Mitchell, who sometimes--make that always--seemed to enjoy bothering his big sister, just smiled and said nothing."Talk or I'll break both your thumbs!" Haley snapped."No!" Mitchell cried. "I need them for playing video games.""Exactly." She smiled triumphantly at her parents. "Did you hear that?""I don't see what the big deal is," Mitchell said. "I didn't grow purple wings and fly."Joan's mouth fell open. Perry fell to his knees and hugged his little boy. "It's true!""Oh, thank God," Joan said. "Just in time for second grade, when the teachers don't take to eccentricities quite so kindly.""What happened, Mitchell?" Perry asked, tousling Mitchell's hair. "Who deprogrammed you?""Yeah," Haley said. "It must have been hard to keep that robot gag up for a whole year."For much of that time, Haley's parents had been dragging Mitchell from expert to expert, trying to understand their son's quirky stutter. Psychologist after psychiatrist after speech therapist had tested Mitchell and declared, much to Joan and Perry's dismay, that the robot voice was probably just a phase. "Just a phase?" Joan kept uttering. "His imaginary friend, Marcus--that was a phase. The only-eating-brown-foods bit one winter--a pretty time-consuming but ultimately harmless phase. But this? I've never seen anything like it. And I've read all the textbooks."Since no one seemed to be able to help little Mitchell, the Millers finally just decided to let it go for a while and see if, in fact, he would outgrow his strange and annoying speech patterns. And, much to everyone's relief, it looked as if he finally had."This is quite a milestone," Perry said as he jumped to his feet and left the room, returning a few seconds later with his camcorder. As a documentary filmmaker, he liked to record every event in the life of the Miller family, no matter how tedious or embarrassing."Are you going to make a movie about me?" Mitchell asked, looking into the camera."Do you want me to?" Perry asked. "I could make you my freshman class project," he teased. After taking the summer off, Perry was about to return to his job as an adjunct professor at Columbia's film school."What do you think is my best angle?" Mitchell asked, suddenly posing like a Mexican wrestler. "Look, Dad, I'm like one of your trees," he added, holding his arms up like branches and swaying to a make-believe breeze. Perry's most recent documentary was on the life cycle of deciduous trees."You're certainly a natural," Perry replied, chuckling from behind the camera as he captured Mitchell's performance.Haley thought she still heard a slight jerkiness in her brother's speech occasionally, but whatever--this was a huge improvement. "Thanks, Mitchie.""For what?" he asked."You've already improved all our lives a gazillion times over. You have no idea how annoying it was listening to you at the dinner table night after night.""I'm glad I could be of assistance," Mitchell said, and bowed. With that, he snatched Haley's MP3 player from where he'd left it on the counter and ran out of the room."Oh, Mitchell," Haley called after him. "If you try to take that thing apart, I really will break your thumbs."Haley doubted her brother would listen, but unfortunately she was too sweltering hot to chase after him. The Millers didn't believe in air-conditioning, or as Joan called it, "That carbon-hogging contraption that anesthetizes you from feeling the effects of climate change." Summer was dragging on into its last days, and the muggy New Jersey weather had Haley's brain in a fog. For starters, she could hardly believe she was about to enter the junior class at Hillsdale High. This time last year, when the Miller family was in the process of moving cross-country from Northern California, her future had seemed completely open. Unknowable. A blank slate.But now everything was different. Haley knew who her friends were. Or at least she thought she did. She understood the lay of the land at her new school, Hillsdale High, and she only very rarely got lost in the maze that was the math wing these days. And yet, a lot of loose ends had been left hanging when she finished up her sophomore year and plunged into summer. With school about to start in just a few days' time, Haley was once again unsure of where she stood in the Hillsdale hierarchy.Everything and everyone had changed so much in the past year. When she came to Hillsdale, Coco De Clerq, Whitney Klein and Sasha Lewis were the social queen bees who lorded it over the class and much of the rest of the school. Now Coco was obsessed with the gubernatorial campaign of Eleanor Eton, the mother of her boyfriend, Spencer. Perpetual beta girl and Coco-sidekick Whitney was coming into her own as a local fashion designer, and Sasha had abandoned the populette life for soccer and rock 'n' roll.; Title: What If . . . All the Rumors Were True | [
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14,836 | 2 | Starred Review. Grade 5–9—This lively collection of brief essays (and a poem) by 100 outstanding children's and young adult authors teaches through example. Each selection highlights a small step (or steps) taken by the writer toward a greener Earth. From Mem Fox's very serious "When the Rain Refuses to Fall" to Robert Lypsyte's silly "Captain Mean-Green's Ten Rules to Save the Planet," readers are encouraged to reduce their consumption (and waste) of energy and goods. The essays are grouped by location: "Your Home," "Your School." "Your Community," etc., and most end with a practical, doable suggestion, from the humble—use a clothesline—to the more complex—set up a worm compost. The essays also provide insight into the lives and thoughts of many familiar and beloved authors such as Laurie Halse Anderson, Ralph Fletcher, Gary Schmidt, Lois Lowry, Susan Patron, and Rick Riordan. Several pages of Web sites offer a starting point for action and information. Highly useful for classroom and family discussions and science-project ideas.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Starred Review, School Library Journal, August 2009:"Provide[s] insight into the lives and thoughts of many familiar and beloved authors."; Title: Recycle This Book: 100 Top Children's Book Authors Tell You How to Go Green | [
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14,837 | 2 | Grade 7 UpCooper Blake's life is in ruins. A summer car accident shattered his body and ruined his football career. He can'tor won'ttalk to anyone about the pain, the nightmares, or his inability to sleep, and he is feeling disconnected from his family and friends. And then there is Samantha, the attractive, sassy girl who has stayed by his side since the accident. She has been his confidant and cheerleader, urging him to fight through the pain of physical therapy. There is only one small problemCooper is the only one who can see her. Samantha has no memories before he woke up in the hospital. She just knows that she wants a physical body. Cooper also sees dark shadows that seem to feed on the living. Samantha's desire for a body sends him to the occult section of the public library and a chance encounter with Brent. Brent takes Cooper to a sorcerer who may be able to help him deal with the shadows and discover Samantha's true nature. Cooper also runs into Delilah, the captain of his school's cheerleading squad and a budding sorceress in her own right. Together they seek answers to Cooper's visions and Samantha's origins, and in the process expose themselves to dangerous forces beyond their understanding. Atwater-Rhodes has crafted another chilling tale with enough plot twists to keep readers guessing. Some may find the ending a little too neat, but most readers will burn through this slim novel in one or two sittings.Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.After waking from a damaging car accident, Cooper finds himself haunted by a mysterious girl he can only assume is a ghost. Samantha doesnt remember what happened, and Cooper doesnt know why she is with him, but both are pursued by malevolent shadows that others cannot see. Estranged from his football friends because of his injuries and this new strangeness, Cooper relies on two acquaintancesDelilah, a witch; and Brent, a telepathto help him figure out where Samantha came from. Helping Samantha, however, may be more dangerous than any of them realizes. Coopers appeal as the clueless, traumatized do-gooder and the mystery regarding Samanthas origin keep the pages turning. Theres an unexpected twist to Samanthas true nature and the reason for her link with Cooper, but the explanation is rushed and the resolution not particularly convincing. Fans of Atwater-Rhodes paranormal teens will enjoy this tale of elemental powers and body swapping, but others may wish for more follow-through. Grades 6-10. --Krista Hutley; Title: Token of Darkness (Den of Shadows) | [
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14,838 | 1 | When he isnt traveling the world, writing about Grk, Joshua Doder is a reporter for the Guardian. He lives in London, England.; Title: Grk Smells a Rat (The Grk Books) | [
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14,839 | 0 | Grade 58In this gripping story, Stephie and Nellie, two Austrian Jewish sisters, are evacuated in 1938 from Vienna to a Swedish island and placed in separate foster homes. Twelve-year-old Stephie has promised her parents that she will try to ease her younger sister's way, a burdensome promise to keep. Auntie Alma, Nellie's Swedish mother, is warmer and more welcoming than Auntie Mrta, Stephie's more austere foster parent. At first it seems that Nellie will have a more difficult time adjusting, but the opposite happens. Loneliness and a sense of isolation engulf Stephie. The shunning and taunting of cliquish, bigoted girls intensify her longing for home and the familiar, but Stephie bravely perseveres, bolstered by the hope that she will only be separated from her parents for a short time. Unfortunately this does not happen, and the girls must remain on this faraway island. Children will readily empathize with Stephie's courage. Both sisters are well-drawn, likable characters. This is the first of four books Thor has written about the two girls. It is an excellent companion to Lois Lowry's Number the Stars (Houghton, 1989), Kit Pearson's The Sky Is Falling (Viking, 1990; o.p.), and Olga Levy Drucker's Kindertransport (Holt, 1995).Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Annika Thors novel, A Faraway Island, is the first book in a quartet featuring the Steiner sisters. The books were bestsellers in Sweden and were adapted into a popular television series. She lives in Stockholm.; Title: A Faraway Island | [
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14,840 | 0 | Grade 24Roland has always wanted to be a knight, but he's unlikely to achieve his dream since he doesn't come from a noble family. Then a messenger of the court arrives at his father's forge to proclaim that the blacksmith's fine armor has saved the life of the king during battle. To show his gratitude, the king has extended an invitation to one of Mr. Wright's two sons to become a page at the castle and a knight in training. Roland is beside himself with happiness until his brother also declares an interest, forcing their father to choose between them. To help make his decision, Mr. Wright creates a contest complete with jousting, archery, and other physical tests. How the scrawny, younger Roland goes on to beat his much bigger and more athletic sibling becomes a tale of more than just physical abilities. This engaging book, the first in a series, has accurate details about the Middle Ages and a feisty, persevering hero who demonstrates the qualities of a true knight, such as being a good loser and respecting others. Rogers's charming pen-and-ink illustrations enhance the story and may also make it more appealing to reluctant readers. A tiny picture of Roland's long suffering and adorable pet mouse, Nudge, appears at the end of each chapter in a pose that reflects the action that has just taken place. Boys, especially, will enjoy this story of chivalry, knighthood, and adventure.Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.The year is 1409 and, more than anything in the world, nine-year-old Roland Wright wants to grow up to become a knight. But how can he? His father is only an armorer. True, he is the best armorer in all the land but, still, he is not a nobleman and only those of noble birth can aspire to knighthood. Or can they? One day a retinue of visitors from the Royal Court unexpectedly arrive at Rolands fathers armory, and things suddenly get interesting! Readers will learn a lot about armor and what it takes to become a knight in this first volume of a planned Roland Wright series from Australia. The story is as quietly charming as the black-and-white illustrations by Greenaway Medalwinning artist Rogers. As a bonus, readers will find the first chapter of volume two (Brand-New Page) waiting for them at the books end. Grades 2-4. --Michael Cart; Title: Roland Wright: Future Knight | [
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14,841 | 0 | Gr 9 UpIt's September 1890, and Josephine "Jo" Montfort has been called home from Miss Sparkwell's School for Young Ladies upon her father's death. The police said it was an accident, but Jo knows her father would never have been so careless as to clean a loaded gun. When rumors of suicide reach her ears, she feels compelled to discover the truth of what happened that night in her father's study. Risking her reputation, the teen searches for answers wherever the clues take her, even to the dangerous slums and docks of New York City. With a handsome and nosy newsman as her reluctant guide, Jo begins to learn more about her family's murky history. Each secret she uncovers leads to another, stirring up her past and threatening her future. Donnelly's latest is a glimpse into the changing societal structure of turn-of-the-century New York City, personified by Jo Montfort. She is a girl trapped by her family's expectations and yearning for a different life, sentiments that will resound with today's teens. She and her co-amateur detective and forbidden romantic interest, Eddie Gallagher, are likable, well-drawn, and interesting. While there may not be many surprises for discerning readers, interest is maintained as they unravel the puzzle through Jo's naive eyes. The plot moves forward at steady pace and short chapters break the novel up into easily devourable pieces. VERDICT A beautifully written mystery that will appeal to a variety of readers.Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, ALPraise for These Shallow Graves:An Amelia Bloomer Project Award Book These Shallow Graves succeeds as a wonderfully paced thriller, a heart-pounding romance and an unflinching look at the hard choices one young woman must make when society disparages her dreams. -Shelf Awareness, Starred Review "Fast-paced and thrilling...a smart, insightful, timely depiction of a young woman poised on the brink of a new world after the shattering of another."-Booklist, Starred Review "Action-packed chapters propel this compelling mystery...[and] the injustices Donnelly highlights remain all too relevant."-Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"A beautifully written mystery."-SLJ"[A] fast-paced thriller...the story races to its surprising conclusion."-Kirkus Reviews"A heroine you can't help cheering on."-The Horn Book"A twisted tale of secrets, murder, love, and revenge. This historical thriller delivers...[and] Donnelly will keep you on the edge of your seat with this fast-paced, tightly written page turner."-USAToday.com"Donnelly returns with a powerhouse of a whodunit. Her eighth novel strikes hard against poverty, sexism, classism, and gree, driving as relentlessly as Jo in her pursuit of truth and freedom."-BookPage.com"These Shallow Graves delivered all that I adore: lovely prose, historical intrigue, unique characters and setting. I devoured this book!"-Ruta Sepetys, New York Times bestselling author of Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea"An intelligent, personable heroine-Jo Montfort's hopes for an enlightened future uncover a dark past, resulting in a splendidly hair-raising tour of the brightest and darkest corners of Victorian New York."-Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity and Black Dove, White Raven"Jo Montfort is a gutsy modern heroine in a beguiling tale of old New York. Money, murder, betrayal, and family secrets....I loved spending time in this world!"-Elizabeth Ross, author of William C. Morris Award finalist Belle Epoque"A fast-paced Gilded Age crime thriller that plunges its intrepid investigative-journalist heroine into the sordid underworld of nineteenth-century New York City and into her own family's dark secrets."-Julie Berry, award-winning author of All the Truth That's In Me; Title: These Shallow Graves | [] | Train |
14,842 | 2 | Jennifer Lynn Barnes graduated summa cum laude from Yale University in 2006 and was awarded a Fulbright to continue her studies at the University of Cambridge, in England. She wrote her first novel, Golden, when she was 19, and her next books, The Squad and The Squad: Killer Spirit are due out in January 2008. Visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com.; Title: Platinum | [
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14,843 | 2 | Calves dont need names, Libbys dad warns as she chooses her first two steers to show at the Practical County Fair. Yet in her enthusiasm and determination to bring a ribbon home to Ryansmeade, the family farm and cattle ranch, Libby immediately names the animalsPiggy and Muleand falls in love. How will she ever sell them at auction now? First-time novelist Houts paints an idyllic yet authentic picture of farm life as she takes Libby and her family through the ups and downs of cattle raising and fair-showing with sly humor and a flair for description and characterization. Rural readers and their urban cousins alike will laugh at the Darling sistersPrecious, Lil, and Ohmawho are fine villains, all, and they will cry with Libby as she leads her prize steers to slaughter. Welcome another talented YA author to the fold. Grades 6-9. --Frances BradburnONEGranddad's PastureThey were total opposites from the very beginning. It was almost a year ago that I first saw them. It was a sunny Saturday morning in early September, and if I hadn't seen a calendar, I would have thought it was still midsummer. The air was heavy and sticky already at nine-thirty in the morning, when Dad, Frannie, and I piled out of the rusty old pickup at the gate to Granddad's pasture.I loved the pasture. It always gave me a comfortable, kind of homey feeling. There was just something about acres and acres of green with big brown and black dots scattered all over, slowly moving and munching, like furry lawn mowers, keeping the grass all even and neatly trimmed. But pasture ground was a rare sight in Practical County."Northern Indiana farm ground's just too good for pasturing," I'd heard Dad say many times. What he meant was a man could earn a better profit raising a crop of corn or soybeans than he could growing grass for cattle to eat.That was why Granddad's pasture was so perfect. With little rolling hills, a winding creek that cut a jagged path diagonally through it, and a couple of acres of woods, it would have been a nightmare to till, plant, and harvest.As we stood at the gate, all of Granddad's calves loped eagerly over to greet us. All but one. In fact, that one acted downright uninterested in any of us while his herdmates licked our hands with their long, rough tongues.The week-old calves wrapped their tongues around my fingers and tugged. That's a calf's way of saying, "Pleased to make your acquaintance," Dad had explained when I was no bigger than Frannie, my four-year-old sister, who at that moment was walking the fence. I watched her teetering, arms out straight, her mess of blond curls flapping behind as she placed one tennis-shoed foot after the other on the top rail. Where she had gotten those blond curls was a mystery. My own stick-straight, mousy brown hair came from the Ryan side. I ponytailed it daily, because there wasn't much else I could do with it.While Frannie planted herself firmly on a fence post, I stared out across acres and acres of grass still green from summer but chewed to the very roots by the hungry herd inside the fence. The new calves at the gate were checking us out with the same curiosity we were showing to them. I set my mind on finding the calves with the most potential for steer stardom. I was looking for a steer calf that would take the Practical County Fair by storm.The Practical County Fair. It was nothing short of the best week of the year in Practical County. Everyone in the community pretty much stopped whatever they were doing to come to the fair. It was where for one week you could do what you couldn't the whole rest of the year. Like eat elephant ears. Or sit inside the Grange tent sipping milk shakes and catching up with the neighbors. For some folks, the fair was a chance to show off their finest whatever. To pick that perfect rose and display it in a vase to see if it could earn the blue ribbon. Or wow the judges with a deep-dish apple crumb pie from Great-grandma's secret recipe. For a handful of others, it wasn't about competing but about coming to see it all. The exhibits, the animal shows, the annual Beef Princess pageant, and the neighbor folks who were usually too busy working to visit.For my family, the Practical County Fair was all about beef.Dad's family had raised some of the best beef in Indiana for generations. The Ryan family farm, dubbed Ryansmeade by Granddad's Irish parents, sat on four hundred acres located exactly fourteen and a half miles from Nowhere. Nowhere, Indiana. Population four thousand and not really growing much. Now, I've often wondered, Who on God's green earth names a town Nowhere? Because Nowhere is actually somewhere. It's the county seat of Practical County, and it's right smack-dab in the middle of the flattest fields of northern Indiana.Dad was raised here, and so was Mom. And generations of their families before them. Granddad, Dad's dad, was my only living grandparent, and he lived in the old home place right beside the pasture and about a half mile from my house. The old home place looked like something from a folk-art painting. A square, white, plain-fronted, wooden-sided farmhouse with twin chimneys on each end. Except for new paint every four years and the electric lines that linked it to the poles along the road, that house probably looked just like it did when it was built a hundred years ago. It was old. And it was big for just Granddad, but he had been born there and he'd sworn time and time again that he would die there when the good Lord had a notion to take him.Just then Granddad stepped out onto the small back porch, slipped his stocking feet into his black rubber boots, and joined us at the pasture gate."Good morning," he said to all of us, calves included. "You here to pick 'em out, Libby?""You bet I am.""Are you sure about this, Lib?" Dad asked. He still had that hint of doubt in his voice. As if a girl couldn't possibly fill my older brother Ronnie's shoes. Well, maybe I couldn't yet handle those big, square hay bales like Ronnie could, but I was sure I could show a steer just as good, and, I hoped, better."I'm sure, Dad," I told him with no hint of doubt in my voice.Looking out over the pasture as the September morning grew into a sweltering day, I knew I had an important task ahead of me. Two of these calves would be mine; I had to be sure we had at least one winner.I had been to the Practical County Beef Show every year for as long as I could recall, watching and cheering for Ronnie in the show ring. There was so much to take in. The exhibitors as they maneuvered their enormous animals around the ring. The judges, deep in thought as they ranked each steer in their minds. The hush that fell over the crowd just before the champion was selected. I'd seen it all from the stands, and watching my big brother show steers was thrilling. But now that I was twelve, it was my turn. At next summer's fair, it would be me in the show ring. And I had big plans. Not only would I prove to Dad that I could show steers, but I would show the Grand Champion steer as well.; Title: The Beef Princess of Practical County | [
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14,844 | 6 | Liz Ruckdeschel was raised in Hillsdale, New Jersey, where What If . . . is set. She currently lives in Los Angeles.Sara James has been an editor at Men's Vogue, and has covered the media for Women's Wear Daily. She currently lives in New York.; Title: What If. You Broke All the Rules: A Choose Your Destiny Novel | [
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14,845 | 2 | Bryson offers a kid-friendly version of his popular-science compendium for adults, A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003), in this illustrated trip through, well, nearly everything. His enthusiasm is apparent right from the foreword, where he proclaims that there isnt anything in existencenot a thingthat isnt amazing and interesting when you look into it. He proceeds to back up this statement as he whirls through mind-numbing notions such as the creation of the universe and the life-span of an atom with good cheer and accessible, even exciting, writing. The two-page spreads meander their way through the various recesses of science with a combination of explanatory prose, historical anecdotes, wry asides, and illustrations that range from helpful to comical. Absent are source notes to back up Brysons many claims (or any other back matter aside from an index, photo credits, and a list of Brysons adult books). That isnt to say he shouldnt be trusted, but readers should take this for what it is: irreverent and illuminating edutainment, good for the science-phobic and -centric alike. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman"Brims with strange and amazing facts . . . destined to become a modern classic of science writing." -"The New York Times"; Title: A Really Short History of Nearly Everything | [
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14,846 | 0 | J-14 Magazine book club: If you like historical fiction like Anna Godbersen's The Luxe or fantasy romances like Aprilynne Pike's Wings (and of course, Twilight), you'll love J-14's newest book club pick: Timeless by Alexandra Monir. Michele Windsor is just your average California beach girl, but after a terrible tragedy strikes her family, she's forced to move to New York City and live in a stuffy mansion with the grandparents she's never met. While making friends and fitting in at a new school is hard enough, Michele also has to unravel an unbelievable family secret --an old diary that has the mysterious power to transport her to the year 1910. In this other world, Michele meets Philip, a gorgeous and sweet guy who's haunted her dreams her entire life. Convinced he's her soulmate, soon she's leading a double life and caught up in a race through history to save Philip's life.I was so drawn into Michele and Philip's love story that I tore through Timeless in just two days! Once you've finished the book, head over to our J-14 message boards to discuss. You can also download the original songs that play a crucial role in the Timeless plot! (http://www.j-14.com/2011/01/j-14-book-club-timeless-by-alexandra-monir.html) SAVVY Magazine: There is nothing quite like curling up with a book you just cant seem to put downand wouldnt want to even if you could. Enter TIMELESS, written by Alexandra Monir. I was lucky enough to interview this impressive young author about her debut book and cant wait to share some sneak peeks into the story, as well as into Alexandras own life, with all of you!TIMELESS will sweep you away from era to era, alongside main character Michele Windsor as she defies the constricts of time and engages your heart and mind. The power of music is embedded deeply in this story, as Michele turns out to be a song writerjust like the author really is! Alexandra, in her own words, says that music is how we express ourselves when emotions are too overpowering for just words, and with a love story like TIMELESS, there are definitely overwhelming emotions at play that only the music my characters write together can fully express! Alexandra is so passionate about music that she actually recorded two of the songs from the story (bonus: the songs are available via digital download to anyone who purchases the book!).Alexandra expertly hits the sweet spot in this story, weaving together the perfect blend of quality content, romance and heart-pounding adventure that fill every page. She is currently working on the sequel to this novel and we could not be more excitedly awaiting its arrival. TIMELESS is one book I guarantee you do want to miss, but just let me warn youthe characters and story are sure to come alive in your hands and leave a lasting impression in your heart! (http://savvymagazine.blogspot.com/2011/01/timeless.html)From the Hardcover edition.At the age of 25, author and recording artist Alexandra Monir released her popular debut young adult novel,Timeless.Alexandra currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where she is at work on the sequel toTimeless, as well as further projects in writing and music.; Title: Timeless (Timeless Series) | [
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14,847 | 2 | AMELIA ATWATER-RHODES wrote her first novel, In the Forests of the Night, when she was 13 years old. Other books in the Den of Shadows series are Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror, and Midnight Predator, all ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults. She has also published the five-volume series The Kiesha'ra: Hawksong, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List Selection; Snakecharm; Falcondance; Wolfcry, an IRA-CBC Young Adults' Choice; and Wyvernhail. She is also the author of Persistence of Memory. Visit her online at AmeliaAtwaterRhodes.com.From the Hardcover edition.Chapter 1 Saturday, 5:52 a.m. The ringing in her ears surely was the sound of the world shattering. It was louder than the November air whistling outside as it tore leaves the color of fire and blood from the trees, and louder than the hum of the Chevy's engine as Adianna Vida pressed the gas pedal down further, accelerating past sixty . . . seventy . . . Pushing eighty miles per hour, she twisted the dial on her satellite radio, turning the music up in the hope that it would drown out every other sound and thought. She wasn't even sure what she was listening to. It didn't matter. She wondered if this was why Sarah had always been drawn to fast, flashy cars. Adia went for vehicles that drew no particular attention, cars she could get on short lease terms and trade in frequently, and she had always thought it was a little silly when Sarah picked out something that turned heads whenever she drove up. But that was the way Sarah was. Adia glanced at her instrument panel and realized the needle had just passed ninety. Where were the cops who were supposed to be patrolling this highway, anyway? Wasn't there anyone out here still serving and protecting? She flexed her left hand, clenching her jaw to control a wince as she did so. Two of the fingers were broken. They wouldn't wrap around the steering wheel. The arm was still sore from a minor fracture she had received half a week earlier. She would have double-checked that the hastily tied bandage on her arm was still in place, but she didn't think it was a good idea to take her one good hand off the wheel, even to make sure she wasn't bleeding again. At least the other guy looked worse . . . though that would have been more comforting if the "other guy" hadn't been a large bay window and some kind of ugly garden statue she had hit on her way down. But it wasn't a complete loss. She had learned what she had needed to learn. She had learned the last thing she had wanted to learn. Adianna Vida, now the only child of Dominique Vida, matriarch of the ancient line of witches, wished she were still ignorant. It had taken a hell of a fight, but she had finally, unfortunately, throttled the information out of someone. "Looks like she's decided to live, witch," a bloodbond had told her, the last word like a curse. "She's staying with Nikolas and Kristopher. Not that you'll find them. They've been hunted for more than a century. They know how to take care of themselves." Sarah was still alive. No, not Sarah. The creature who existed now looked like Adia's little sister, but she wasn't a witch anymore; she was a vampire. She had woken at sundown and had hunted. No one had been able to tell Adia who the victim had been, but Sarah's change had been traumatic, which meant the first hunt would have been fierce. She had probably killed. And then she had decided to live as a vampire. To continue as a vampire, at least. Which proved it really wasn't Sarah, right? A daughter of Vida waking to find herself a monster should have ended it at that moment. She should have known that stopping herself then, before the vampiric power twisted her too badly, was the only way she could protect the helpless victims she would inevitably end up hurting in the future. But she hadn't. Before Adia could learn any more, another bloodbond had leapt forward and sent them both through the window. Adia had wanted to fight at that point but had already found the information she needed, and knew that Dominique would disapprove of her lingering. Realizing she was approaching her exit, she slowed--probably more abruptly than she should have, but who cared? It was six in the morning on a Saturday, and she hadn't seen another car in nearly half an hour. She was almost home, and when she pulled into the driveway, she would have to be fully under control. She turned the radio down to barely a whisper, until she could hear the mournful wind again. In front of her mother's house, the trees were already nearly bare, except for a few golden leaves they still managed to cling desperately to. She sympathized; some part of her had been ripped away, as well, when she had let her sister die. It took her two tries to get the car door open with the damage to her arms. The frigid air that rushed in to replace the warmth in the car was bracing and helped her calm her thoughts. She managed not to limp as she approached the front door. Her mother was waiting for her in the kitchen, at the antique oak table where Adia had spent countless hours as a child studying ancient Vida laws. Forty years old, Dominique had been the only child of her father's second wife. She had survived the deaths of her parents, her sister, a niece and a nephew closer to her age than her sister had been, and Sarah and Adia's father, and all Adia had ever seen from her was stoicism and the grim acceptance that a hunter's life was dangerous. Her practical short blond hair had occasional bits of gray and her Vida-blue eyes were perhaps a little more tired, but she still stood as if carrying the weight of the world were simply a task she had to accept. And at that moment, she wasn't alone.From the Hardcover edition.; Title: All Just Glass (Den of Shadows) | [
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14,848 | 2 | Grade 79While this is a companion to A Bridge to the Stars (2007) and Shadows in the Twilight (2008, both Delacorte), it is not necessary to have read those novels to understand the action and characters in this story. Joel, 14, is certain of two things: life gets more complicated over time, and winter always arrives unexpectedly. With the New Year approaching, he visits a graveyard to make three resolutions: to live to be 100 years old, to see the sea for the first time, and to see a naked woman. Enduring a winter night outside, trying to find a way to move away from his slowly decaying town, and seeking out the new shopkeeper's assistant are only a few incidents that follow. An awkward encounter with a classmate brings intense embarrassment, which is followed quickly by Joel's heralded heroic actions in an unrelated event. At times as spare and chilly as the Swedish winter, this book is an affecting portrayal of a young man's maturation and the difficulties of a troubled father-son relationship. Although the story is set in 1950s rural Sweden, readers will relate to Joel's mixed feelings about his father, his budding sexuality, and the fluidity of the humiliation and admiration that are bestowed upon Joel by his peers. Admittedly, the book's audience might be limited to mature and thoughtful readers who don't need constant action to keep the pages turning, but libraries that hold Mankell's related titles will want to add this one.Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Starred Review, Booklist, October 1, 2009:"So honest about emotions, especially in a story filled with action"; Title: When the Snow Fell | [
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14,849 | 0 | Gr 7 Up-Time traveler Michele Windsor thought she left the love of her life behind in 1910 in Timeless (Delacorte, 2011), so she is shocked to find him enrolled as a student in her elite New York City school. Even more perplexing, Philip doesn't seem to recognize her, despite the close connection they shared in the past. As she tries to sort out the mystery of Philip's reappearance, another issue arises: Rebecca, a rogue time traveler with a grudge against the Windsor family, appears. When Michele loses the key that allows her to travel through time, she is trapped in the present, where Rebecca is plotting to do her harm. With the help of friends from the present and the past, Michele must thwart her nemesis and solve the mystery of her own origins and Philip's apparent reappearance. The strength of this book lies in its plot, with plenty of twists and turns. However, most of the secondary characters are fairly flat and the writing lacks polish. Devoted fans of the first book may want to read this volume, but for everyone else, it's strictly an additional purchase.-Misti Tidman, Licking County Library, Newark, OH(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Michele Windsor is an orphaned child born of time-crossed parents, an anomaly that should never happen. Her father was a Timekeeper who could time travel at will, and Michele has inherited his abilities. She found, and then lost, her true love, Philip, in 1910, and is now living a somewhat hollow life in contemporary New York while trying to avoid Rebecca, a vengeful ancestor with an extreme grudge. Then a boy who looks just like Philip transfers to Micheles exclusive boarding school, and their time lines begin to converge and split as everything Michele knows changes. Choppy writing and multiple points of view in several time periods make for a somewhat confusing narrative, especially for those who havent read Monirs first novel, Timeless (2011), but the sheer desperation of Micheles quest to reunite with Philip is compelling. The settingManhattan, both turn of the century and contemporarystands out clearly as the true centerpiece of this love letter to the opulence of the Gilded Age. Grades 7-10. --Charli Osborne; Title: Timekeeper | [
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14,850 | 7 | Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell are the creators of the Far-Flung Adventures and the Barnaby Grimes series.* Chapter One *The Armada of the Dead'What are we going to do?'Deadbolt Vulpoon turned from the cabin window and glared at the thin quartermaster who had just spoken.'The storms over Undertown are growing, if anything,' said a cloddertrog in a bleached muglumpskin coat.The other sky pirates at the long table all nodded.'And there's nothing moving on the Mire Road,' he added. 'All trade has stopped dead.'The nodding turned to troubled muttering.'Gentlemen, gentlemen,' said Deadbolt, resuming his seat at the head of the table. 'We are sky pirates, remember. Our ships might no longer fly, but we are still sky pirates. Proud and free.' His heavy hand slammed down on the table so hard, the tankard of woodale in front of him leaped up in the air. 'And no storm--dark maelstrom or not--is going to defeat us!''I repeat my question,' said the thin quartermaster with a supercilious sniff. 'What are we going to do? There are over thirty crews in the armada. That's three hundred mouths to feed, three hundred backs to clothe, three hundred purses to fill. If there is no trade on the Mire Road, then what shall we live on? Oozefish and mire water?' He sniffed again.'No trading, no raiding,' said the cloddertrog.Again, the assembled sky pirates nodded in agreement.Deadbolt Vulpoon grasped the tankard and raised it to his lips. He needed to collect his thoughts.For weeks, the dark clouds had gathered on the far horizon at the Undertown end of the Great Mire Road. Then, two days ago, the huge anvil formations of cloud had merged into the unmistakable menacing swirl of a dark maelstrom.Sky help those caught underneath, he'd thought at the time.Now Undertown was lost from view and the Mire Road was deserted. A great shryke battle-flock had disappeared in the direction of Undertown just before the storm struck, and then the remaining shrykes from the tally-huts had retreated back to the Eastern Roost . . .Deadbolt took a deep draught from the tankard and slammed it back on the table. 'I have sent out another raiding party,' he announced with a confidence he didn't feel. 'And until we get to the bottom of this, I for one don't intend to panic.''Raiding party!' snorted the thin quartermaster, pushing his chair noisily back and climbing to his feet. 'To raid what?' He paused. 'I hear there's opportunities opening up in the Foundry Glades, and that's where my crew are headed. And you're all welcome to join us!'He strode from the cabin.'Gentlemen, please,' said Deadbolt, raising a hand and motioning to the others to remain seated. 'Don't be hasty. Think of what we've built up here in the Armada. Don't throw it all away. Wait until the raiding party returns.''Until the party returns,' said the cloddertrog as the sky pirates got up to leave. 'And not a moment longer.'As they trooped out, Deadbolt Vulpoon climbed to his feet and returned to the window. He looked out through the heavy leaded panes at the Armada of the Dead beyond.What exactly had they built up here? he wondered bitterly.When stone-sickness had begun to spread through the flight-rocks of the sky ships, he and the other sky pirates had read the writing on the wall. They came together and scuppered their vessels, rather than letting sky-sickness pick them off one by one.The hulks of the sky ships had formed an encampment in the bleak Mire, and a base from which to raid the lucrative trade along the Great Mire Road. It wasn't sky piracy, but it was the closest thing to it in these plagued times. And sometimes, when the mists rolled in and the wind got up, he would stand on his quarterdeck and imagine he was high up in Open Sky, as free as a snowbird . . .Vulpoon looked at the grounded vessels, their masts pointing up so yearningly towards the sky, and a lump formed in his throat. The ships still bore their original names, the letters picked out in fading gold paint. Windspinner, Mistmarcher, Fogscythe, Cloudeater . . . His own ship--the Skyraider--was a battered and bleached ghost of her former glory. She would rot away to noth_ing eventually if she didn't raise herself out of the white mire mud.But that, of course, could never happen, for the flight- rock itself at the centre of the great ship was rotten. Unless a cure for stone-sickness was discovered, then neither the Skyraider, nor the Windspinner, nor the Mistmarcher, nor any of the other sky pirate ships would ever fly again.Thick, sucking mud anchored the great hulls in place, turning the once spectacular sky vessels into odd-shaped buildings, made all the more peculiar by the additional rooms which had been constructed, ruining the lines of the decks and clinging to the sides of the ships like giant sky-limpets.What future lay ahead for him? he wondered. What future was there for any of the those who called the Armada of the Dead home?Deadbolt reached for the telescope that hung from his breast-plate. He put it to his eye and focused on the distant horizon.He could see nothing through the impenetrable black clouds--either of Under-town or of the Great Mire Road. Even the distant Stone Gardens, normally silhouetted against the sky, were covered with a heavy pall that obscured them completely.Deadbolt Vulpoon sighed. He lowered the eye-glass and was about to turn away when something caught his eye. He returned the telescope to his eye and focused the lens a second time. This time his efforts were rewarded with a clear picture of seven, eight . . . nine individuals tramping towards him. It was the raiding party.Back so soon? he wondered, a nagging feeling of disappointment settling in the pit of his stomach.Two of the sky pirates were holding up poles, at the top of which was a large brazier-cage. The burning lufwood charcoal it contained blazed with a bright purple light which illuminated the treacherous Mire, ensuring that no one inadvertently stumbled into a patch of sinking-sand, stepped on an erupting blow-hole, or stumbled into a fearsome muglump . . .As the raiding party came closer, Vulpoon leaned out of his cabin window. 'Any luck?' he bellowed.Yet even as he cried out he knew the answer. The sacks slung across their shoulders were empty. The raid had yielded nothing.; Title: Edge Chronicles: Freeglader (The Edge Chronicles) | [
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14,851 | 0 | FromBooklistThe granddaughter of Khubilai Khan, 16-year-old Emmajin takes more interest in joining the army than in finding a husband. When her grandfather asks her to gather intelligence from foreigners who have arrived from the West, she befriends young Marco Polo. Their relationship, begun with some trepidation and marred by cultural missteps and misunderstandings, deepens throughout the story. Meanwhile, Emmajin's goals slowly alter through her contacts with other cultures and her experiences as a soldier. An appended glossary identifies characters and places, defines Mongolian terms such as del and ger, and offers historical information that separates fact from fiction within the novel. Emmajin's first-person narrative will capture readers with its scenes of adventure and its vivid depiction of a capable young woman in a time of change. The battle scene is realistically brutal, and the love scenes are subtly written, but the most involving element of the storytelling is Emmajin's ongoing struggle to forge her own way. Grades 8-10. --Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.So much of history is written from the white male perspective. That is the version of Marco Polo we have inherited: his observations on the China he visited.But I wondered: what would Marco Polo have looked like from an Asian woman's perspective?I created the character of Emmajin - a fictional granddaughter of Khublai Khan - and told the story through her eyes.; Title: Daughter of Xanadu | [
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14,852 | 2 | Lois Lowry has twice been the recipient of the Newbery Medal, for Number the Stars and for The Giver. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.; Title: The Willoughbys | [
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14,853 | 11 | Gr 5-8During World War II, 12-year-old CC is helping her grandmother rescue downed American pilots from behind enemy lines when she falls and ends up in a monthlong coma. Hypnotherapy provides a superfluous frame for the main story. She learns that in 1091, she is 13-year-old Mei Lan, who, along with her older brother, forms a close friendship with Ah Zhao, an orphaned slave possessing considerable artistic talent. As they grow up, the three friends explore the truth behind beauty and art, the prisons formed by societal expectations, and the lasting memories of one perfect day. In the story of their friendship, Mah provides a possible explanation for the provenance of several Song Dynasty paintings, reproductions of which appear in a full-color insert. Throughout the book, the story and characters are often lost in excessive historical detail and background. Further, explanations of culture and language are frequently and clumsily inserted into the dialogue. Despite this attention to historical detail, the characters are extremely modern, creating a confusing disconnect.Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.In this Chinese Cinderella novel, CCs odd conversations and references while recovering from an injury prompt Grandma Wu to take her to a physician who practices hypnosis. Thats the tipping point that plunges CC from mid-twentieth-century China to the days of the Northern Song dynasty, where she lives as a privileged daughter in love with a gifted young orphan painter. Hard-edged stepmother Niang works to thwart the relationship as CC defies her family and fights for romance and adventure. The painter, Ah Zhao, is based on a famous court artist in this time-travel historical fantasy that sings the praises of art and love. Grades 5-9. --Anne OMalley; Title: Along the River: A Chinese Cinderella Novel | [
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14,854 | 2 | Gr 7-10-Based on people and events from Austen's adolescence, this book does a better job than most to evoke the feel of the writer's novels. The story begins with Jane and her cousin Jenny at a strict boarding school. Jane falls ill with a fever, but the headmistress refuses to notify her parents, so Jenny slips out late at night to post a letter to Jane's mother. On the streets of Southampton she is nearly accosted by some unsavory characters but finds a protector in gallant naval captain Thomas Williams. Her mission is successful, the girls are removed from the school, but Jenny's secret fear is that Captain Williams will mention seeing her on the streets late at night, thereby ruining her reputation. She assumes that she will never see her rescuer again, but while visiting Jane's family, she and Captain Williams come face to face once again. Harrison takes some liberties with characterization and the ages of characters and downplays Jane's closeness with her sister Cassandra in order to highlight her friendship with Jenny, but has obviously done her research in Austen lore. This novel does a good job of maintaining the feeling of the period, and Hellard's pen-and-ink sketches are the perfect accompaniment to the book's diary format. The story is lighter fare than Austen's novels, but will certainly be enjoyed by younger teens familiar with them as well as readers who enjoy historical romance.-Misti Tidman, formerly at Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Harrison looks into Jane Austens fifteenth year, in 1791, through the eyes and ostensible reports of her cousin Jenny Cooper (based on Austens real-life cousin Jane Cooper). Shown to be good humored, irreverent, sometimes moody, and always ready to take on new projects, this teenage Austen comes alive on the page. Jennys character, although likable, is less seamlessly credible and prone to unexplained shifts in mood and changes of heart. Because Harrison doesnt incorporate authentic period idiom while describing period dress and posture, a kind of cognitive dissonance opens for those already familiar with the real Austens own fiction. Scattered throughout, Hellards small line drawings add some delicate finery to a story that will appeal to readers interested in gentle romance. Harrisons afterword provides good historical authenticity of the characters included in this novel, including Janes disabled brother, George, and the whirlwind courtship of Jane Cooper. Grades 8-10. --Francisca Goldsmith; Title: I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend | [] | Train |
14,855 | 2 | Gr 47Raine and her Grandma share a magical ability: they can both read memories that linger on objects. Raine's fingers tingle to touch and experience the "sparkles" of memory that she views on objects. When Raine's grandmother passes away, she and her eccentric mother settle into the town of Yielding. In her new home, Raine relives short glimpses of past memories that have occurred in the house. Little does she and her mother know that they have moved into the house of the local schoolgirl, Emily H., who disappeared weeks ago. School is burdensome as Raine deals with three cruel bullies. Her once stable life starts to unravel as she suspects that the mean girls know something about Emily's disappearance. Raine realizes she must take the risk and pick up "sparkles" from them to get to the bottom of the mystery. As she delves into their disturbing memories, she learns enough to get started on solving the disappearance of Emily. Raine grapples with bullying (both in person and online) and must defeat a dangerous pyromaniacall to help get Emily back to her family. Themes of communication and trust build throughout the plot as Raine faces challenges. VERDICT In this mild action-adventure, readers will value the captivating, emotional roller coaster young girls experience with friendships and new beginnings.Krista Welz, North Bergen High School, NJ Magic exposes the extent of vicious school bullying in this arresting middle school mystery. Kirkus Reviews Will be well received . . . a scary expos on the power of cell phones and the Internet in high schools. VOYA An involving mystery thriller with a touch of fantasy and just a hint of romance. BooklistFrom the Trade Paperback edition.; Title: The Disappearance of Emily H. | [
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14,856 | 2 | Gr 7 Up-In this conclusion to the series, Aoife Grayson is stuck in Thorn Land, which is populated by the Fae. The teen is destined to be the Gateminder, a person with the gift of creating "Gates" to other realms, but she is mired in a deep emotional hole of guilt. Aoife blames herself for her boyfriend, Dean, being stuck in "Deadland" and opening a Gate that plunges the world into an epidemic. It takes a couple of chapters for her to get a grip and for the plot to get going. However, once the action does pick up, Aoife's primary focus is on rescuing Dean while saving the world from an apocalyptic ending brought about by the "Old Ones," with reconciling with her family coming in at a distant second. Readers who enjoyed the details of the earlier books will find this final title more streamlined. The previous novels also have more steampunk elements in them; this installment, in contrast, leans more toward dark fantasy. On her journey, Aoife shows maturity and learns to put others' needs before her own. The various plotlines all come together in the end, but with the Old Ones' threat to return, Kittredge creates an open ending, leaving room for spinoffs. Purchase where the other volumes are popular.-Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Steampunk fans will welcome back spunky Aoife Grayson, half human, half fae. At 16, Aoifes allergy to iron kicked in, forcing her to leave the Iron Lands, where she was an engineering student. Now living with her mother in the Faerie kingdom, Aoife is determined to travel to the Deadlands and save her boyfriend, Dean. She gathers her shape-shifter friend Cal and her brother and sets out to rescue her dead boyfriend. Think Eurydice saving Orpheus, with zeppelins, clockwork, and a special appearance by Nikola Tesla. While readers new to the series may feel lost, those who have enjoyed Aoifes adventures will appreciate this fast-paced read in the Iron Codex series. Grades 7-12. --Carton, Debbie; Title: The Mirrored Shard (Iron Codex) | [] | Train |
14,857 | 2 | This concluding volume of the Navigator series begins10 monthsafter Owen killed the Harsh king,and the villainous Harsh are preparing their revenge. Mounting a mighty invasion, they plan to turn Earth into an icy wasteland, and once more, the Resistors must be awakened to defend the world. The action is intense and mysteries are cleverly solved as McNamee skillfully weaves multiple plot strands together. The large cast of characters and ingenious contraptions are as intriguing as ever. The conclusion is wholly satisfying, yet McNamee leaves the door slightly ajar for future adventures. Grades 5-8. --Lynn RutanEoin McNamee was born in County Down, Northern Ireland, and lives in County Sligo, Ireland. He is the author of novels for adults as well as The Navigator and City of Time, the first two books in the Navigator trilogy. He was awarded the Macaulay Fellowship for Irish Literature.; Title: The Frost Child (Navigator Trilogy) | [
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14,858 | 2 | Gr 8 Up-High school senior and math-whiz Shannon Card gets accepted to Wellesley College, but can't afford to attend because her father was recently laid off. She tutors Max, her secret crush, hoping to secure a math scholarship from her school. She also gets a job waitressing at a local casino where she is invited by handsome bad-boy Cole to join a secret group of poker players. He promises her that Aces Up can help her make more than enough money for school. When waitressing proves less lucrative than she'd planned, and her relationship with Max gets complicated, Shannon succumbs to the temptations provided by Aces Up and Cole. As gambling hurts her relationships and grades, Shannon realizes that she is in danger of losing what is important to her and seeks redemption. The plot is strikingly similar to the movie 21, which is referenced in the book. Shannon is a quirky and earnest overachiever, and her account of her adventures is reminiscent of Bridget Jones's Diary. Her narration is peppered with pop-culture references and poker strategy, and her tendency to make lists is used to amusing effect. Her droll style maximizes the humor, which could undermine the serious theme. While Shannon is endearing and genuine, the rest of the characters are poorly developed. In addition to gambling, there is underage drinking and some strong language.-Erin Carrillo, formerly at Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Lauren Barnholdt is the author of many books for teens and tweens, including Two-Way Street and The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney. She lives in Boston with her husband. Visit her Web site at www.laurenbarnholdt.com and say hello.; Title: Aces Up | [
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14,859 | 2 | When VICTORIA LAURIE was 11, her family moved from the United States to England for a year abroad. There, she attended the American Community School at Cobham and, one day, while on a class field trip, she first glimpsed the White Cliffs of Dover. Her trip to the Cliffs, the year abroad and the childhood experiences of her orphaned grandfather left an indelible impression on the young girl such that, when she later turned to a career in writing, this was a story she felt she had to tell. You can visit Victoria at oraclesofdelphikeep.com.AN OATH SWORNA hidden cave, Morocco 1232 BCGeneral Adrastus Augustus of Lixus tugged hard on the large sack filled with gold, silver, and other treasure hed managed to snatch away from the Carthaginians currently looting his city. Sweat ran into the creases of his brow as he pulled the last of his massive fortune into the mouth of a cave, relieved to have snuck right past the Carthaginian guards posted at the harbor.His vessel was tucked into a small lagoon not far away, and the general had already determined that he would wait until nightfall, in a few hours or so, to load the treasure onto his boat and sail away, with no one the wiser.The general had discovered this small cavern after first arriving on the beaches of Morocco when he was a boy, during the time his father had ruled the great city of Lixus. He remembered climbing the large rock wall down the beach only to discover this hidden cove and, at the opposite end, another rock formation.Curious, hed come to this side and found the small and somewhat shallow cave with the most astonishing secret: in the back wall of the cave was a skeleton, set into the rock as if somehow the very stone had formed around it. How the bones had become encased in solid rock was a mystery hed long wondered about; what truly fascinated him was that they were clearly human. As he knew the bones to be a secret--no one had ever mentioned them, and bones encased in stone would be something worth talking about in Lixus--he thought this the perfect place to hide his wealth until that evening.With a final tug he lugged the last sack close to the seven others he had already laid at the foot of the bones, and sat down to wipe his brow. It was while he was catching his breath that something quite extraordinary happened: as if by magic, the wall that held the skeleton disappeared, and the bones that had been entrapped by it clattered to the ground at his feet.By Zeus! Adrastus exclaimed, jumping up in utter amazement. But he was even more astonished when he saw that on the other side of where the wall had been stood a beautiful woman with her arms crossed over her chest, and eyes that seemed to pierce his soul.For a long moment he stood gaping at her, and it wasnt until she lowered her arms and bent over slightly that he realized the woman was gravely injured. Blood seeped through a wound in her side, and she shook with the effort to maintain her posture.My lady! Adrastus gasped, leaping forward to catch her as her legs gave out and she fell into his arms. What wickedness has befallen you?But the lady did not answer him. Instead, her trembling fingers pulled off two large bronze cuffs that adorned her wrists, and she pushed them into his chest. These belonged to my husband, Iyoclease, she said, her voice barely stronger than a whisper. And now they belong to you, General Adrastus of Lixus.Adrastus eyed her closely. He was quite certain he had never seen her before, because he would have remembered a lady so lovely. Still, as he lifted her in his arms and gently eased her over to one of his sacks of treasure so that she could lean against it, he asked, Have we met before, my lady?The woman coughed and a small bit of blood appeared on her hand when she covered her mouth. No, General, but in the next few hours before my death, we shall know each other quite well.Adrastus removed his cloak and covered her. I must find you a healer, he said, thinking perhaps the ladys condition was making her a bit delirious. You have lost much blood, my lady. If you are brave enough to sit here for a bit, I shall go in search of a healer immediately.But the woman only clasped his arm tightly and said, Please, General, do not waste what little time I have left with such a noble but fruitless cause. You must sit with me and I must tell you a tale and then I will ask something of you, something of the greatest importance.The general had no intention of allowing the beautiful creature to fade away when he was certain he could find a healer. He was about to gently protest and pry her hands off his arm if need be when she said to him, My name is Laodamia of Phoenicia. I am an Oracle of Delphi and I have seen the way of things, General Adrastus. I know that you will grant me this wish, so perhaps you will agree to listen and allow me to get to my tale?The general gasped anew. My lady, he said, you do not wish to imply that you are the Laodamia of Phoenicia? The greatest Delphian Oracle the world has ever known?The pale features of the ladys countenance lifted in a sardonic smile. Yes, General, I do mean to imply that very thing.Adrastus looked at the place where the wall had been and back at the woman before him. He remembered a coin given to him by his mother for good luck. It had been engraved with the great Oracles face, and he could clearly see the resemblance to the beauty on his coin, but his mind was having difficulty believing what his eyes beheld. But, my lady, how can this be?Again the woman pushed the bronze cuffs at him. Here, she said. Take them, General. They are key to opening the portal at will. Use them to help you on your journey, and to help the United find each other.Adrastus stared down at the cuffs, still reluctant to take them, but Laodamia would not give up until he had donned them. To his surprise, they fit perfectly.When you want the portal to open, merely cross your arms over your chest and think of the next place you must go. The portal will act as both guide and protector. You will need it to act as such in order to stay alive, General. And do not take these words lightly, my friend, for they will mean the difference between the salvation of mankind and its utter annihilation.Laodamia was breathing heavily, and Adrastus could see now that her wound was mortal; how she found the strength to speak at all was quite beyond him.Yet speak she did. She spoke of things nearly beyond his ability to understand, but he took in every word with rapt attention, and then, when the day had grown long and she was finished, she said this to him: So you see, my champion--for that is what you will be to me, Adrastus of Lixus--I and the United desperately need you to carry out a mission. Momentarily, my protegee and dearest friend, Adria, shall be arriving....At that very moment Adrastus could hear the faint clop, clop, clop of hoofbeats approaching from the far end of the newly enlarged cave.She will need some of your silver, my friend, Laodamia added, to fashion the boxes which I have requested of her, but which could not be made until now. She is also bringing the prophecies to be stored in the treasure boxes, which she has kept hidden for me in her fathers home.Prophecies? Adrastus asked, anxious to learn everything before the great Oracles strength gave out.Laodamia offered him a weak nod. Yes. Prophecies which will likely make no sense to you, my dear general, but which are of the greatest importance to the One and the United.Adrastus remembered from her tale who this One was, and he hoped he would have a chance someday to meet this greatest Oracle of all.The contents of these prophecies are to be kept secret. No one can know of them. You must be my Secret Keeper, and swear an oath to me that you shall deliver the boxes to their proper hiding places and never allow them to pass into the hands of our enemies.Outside, the sound of hoofbeats drew even closer. I swear, my lady, Adrastus said, taking her hand formally, bowing his head, and placing his free fist across his chest. On my life, I swear my allegiance to you and this cause. I shall be your Secret Keeper.When he looked up again, Laodamias pale face was stained with falling tears. Thank you, General, she said, and forgive me for what I am about to say to you....At that moment the hoofbeats outside came to a stop. Mia! a womans voice called.But Laodamia did not answer; instead, she held Adrastuss gaze and said, There will come a day, shortly after you pass through a bright green door on your way to hiding the final box, when you shall be tempted to betray your oath to me. I cannot tell you why; this is what I have foreseen. The full consequences of that betrayal are beyond my sight, but know this: they would be disastrous. So I will only ask that you weigh your decision carefully, bearing in mind what I have said to you here today.Mia! the other womans voice exclaimed, and Adrastus looked up to see another incredibly beautiful woman standing over them, holding several scrolls in her arms.Laodamia regarded her visitor with calm dignity. Adria, she said, meet your future husband, General Adrastus of Lixus.General Adrastus thought he had been shocked as much as he could be until he heard the Oracle utter those words. Future husband? he and Adria said in unison.The Oracle took a ragged breath and a tiny smile formed on her pale lips. Yes, she said. I have foreseen it, and it will be a most happy union, I can assure you.Adria dropped to her knees and set the scrolls aside. By Zeus, Mia! she exclaimed as she took in the condition of her mistress. Forget such talk and tell me, what has happened to you?But Laodamia ignored her and pulled the cloak about her more tightly, concealing her wound from her protegee. Adria, I am fine. You do not need to worry about me. She then turned again to Adrastus. I beg of you another promise, General.Adrastus could see the light dimming in the great Oracles eyes, and he felt a deep pang in his heart at the thought of her death. He knew her from legend, of course, but now that he had sat with her for a time, he found he was oddly heartbroken by the thought of losing her after even so brief an encounter. Anything, he told her, wanting her final moments to be spent in peace. If there was something he could do, another promise to make or oath to take, he would do it.Laodamia held his hand and closed her eyes. I wish for my funeral pyre to be lit on this beach, she said. Do it when the night is upon you, then take your treasure and the first box Adria crafts, which will contain my second prophecy, to a cave in the foothills of the mountains. The journey there will be long and arduous, but you will escape notice. I have foreseen it, so go there with confidence. Your treasure will be quite safe hidden deep in the cave you choose, but mark the route as I have instructed you, so that those who need to find the Star you wear about your neck, and the box, will see the way.When you return, Adria will have finished the rest of the boxes and I will have been reduced to ash. Bury my remains next to those of my beloved, then take Adria with you through the portal to begin hiding the rest of the boxes.Adrastus opened his mouth to protest the last bit, and he noticed that Adria was about to do the same, but at that moment Laodamias eyes flew open and she looked at each of them sternly. Vow this to me!Adrastus looked at Adria and something passed between them. The general couldnt have explained what it was, but he suspected it was the first hint of a deeper bond to come. Still, he lowered his gaze and considered for a long while what the Oracle was asking of him. He had accepted the earlier vow because the city he had loved and was bound by oath to protect was in his enemies hands. There was nothing left for him there, and he could hardly return to Greece; the shame of losing Lixus to the Cartha-ginians would be too great.Being the Oracles Secret Keeper was just the cause he needed, and her faith in him seemed so absolute that he found his spirits lifted and his purpose renewed by accepting the charge. He also felt no pangs about leaving his treasure behind for a time. If the greatest Oracle the world had ever known had stated that it would be safe, then he believed it with absolute certainty. He could always return to retrieve it, and with the cuffs to open the portal any time he commanded, he could move his treasure freely anywhere he chose after his mission was complete.But bringing along this woman, Adria, well, that was another matter entirely. She was beautiful, of that there was no question, but would she become a burden to him? Not only that, but Laodamia had said they would actually marry! Even though his faith in the Oracle was absolute, this one prediction he chose not to accept.Adrastus of Lixus was a bachelor at heart, and he had no plans to marry anyone. Ever.But did the Oracle need to know that? Laodamia was not asking him to marry the woman now; she was merely asking him to bring Adria along. And that was a charge he felt he could accept, especially when he remembered that the cuffs would allow him to open the portal at will. If she became too much of a burden, he would simply open the stone wall and push the woman through.With a sigh, the general resigned himself. I vow this to you, mistress, Adrastus finally said, and he heard Adria say the same words at the same time, which he found quite remarkable.When next he looked at the great Oracle of Delphi, her eyes were still open but no longer stern, a beautiful smile was held across her lips, and the life within her was gone.; Title: Quest for the Secret Keeper (Oracles of Delphi Keep) | [
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14,860 | 7 | Grade 48In this third book about Sherry Baldwin and her mother, a deceased cop who is now a ghost detective, Sherry finds herself at the center of another mystery when her sleepover guests have a bad reaction to face cream she bought at the mall's new makeup kiosk. Was it just a bad batch or is someone sabotaging the products? It's refreshing to follow a girl who is so self-assured: Sherry "rocks" at investigating, hosts "the makeup slumber party of the century," and is followed around by an agreeable and handsome boyfriend who supports her in her investigations. In fact, the only thing that produces strife is that her mother's afterlife has been complicated by a bureaucratic ghost organization called the Academy of Spirits. They hang out in a secret part of the local Dairy Queen and are not in favor of the mother-daughter pair working closely together. The teen tries to play by their rules because the Academy can occasionally grant what is called "Real Time"a short moment when the living can interact with their departed loved ones; Sherry can talk to her mom but she can't see her. Sherry's supernatural relationships are central to the series but also hold the story back. (Her grandpa has come back as a cactus wren, the state bird of New Mexico.) Anyone who has ever been desperate for just five minutes more with a loved one might find Sherry's beyond-the-grave relationships frustrating.Kathleen Meulen Ellison, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Barrie Summy lives in California with her husband and four children. Please visit her at www.barriesummy.com. Barrie Summy lives in California with her husband and four children. Please visit her at www.barriesummy.com.; Title: I So Don't Do Makeup | [
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14,861 | 2 | Gr 3-5-When fourth-grader Odessa Green-Light gets mad at her toady little brother, Oliver, and stomps on the floor of her attic bedroom, she is shocked to find herself in the same spot exactly 24 hours earlier. The next time she stomps on the floor she finds herself exactly 23 hours back in time. Once she realizes she has unique time-travel capabilities, she employs her powers to go back and right the supposed wrongs in her life, such as when she forgot to study for a quiz, or when she had unexpected flatulence in front of the boy she liked. As the hours tick downward, however, Odessa wonders if she is wasting her powers on selfish changes. Perhaps she can find a way to rehyphenate her divorced parents, or help her brother or mother in ways that really count. Odessa's relationships with friends, family, and her elderly landlord are built upon nicely as she matures with this realization. Though no explanation is given for the inexplicable time travel, the story flows well and will be relished by readers who have ever wished they could go back and fix events that have just occurred.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Odessa Green-Lights life has been tougher since her parents divorce. Her dad is remarrying, and Odessa, her mom, and little brother, Oliver, have to move to a new house. At least Odessa gets to bunk in the attic, but once there, she has a surprising experience. She falls through the attic floor and goes back a day in time. At first, this just seems weird. Then Odessa begins to see the possibilities that come with reliving a dayif you can change things for the better. Of course, Odessaand readerssoon sees that changing the past comes with consequences for the future. And not always good ones. The story runs on familiar themes: the desire to have parents reunite; an annoying sibling; the possibility of a first boyfriend. While the time-travel aspect adds another dimension (pun intended), it is laboriously explained, and even then doesnt always add up. Still, this Groundhog Day redo for the younger set does pose some intriguing questions about whats important in life and whether you want the power to make other peoples decisions for them. Grades 4-6. --Ilene Cooper; Title: Odessa Again | [
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14,862 | 2 | Grade 5–9—Danny Caulfield is a smallish boy with pixielike features. He is harassed and bullied at school and is generally ignored by his workaholic parents. He is given a chance to start over at a distant boarding school (a chance he does not want). A mysterious and surly cab driver delivers him not to the school chosen by his mother but to Wilson's Academy of the Devious Arts—a school for spies. It sits between two parallel worlds and is the only thing protecting the Upper World (ours) from the evil that has taken over the Lower World. The still-incomplete Ring of Five rules the Lower World with the help of the vicious Cherbs, to whom Danny bears a striking resemblance. With the academy's defenses weakening, Danny may be the Upper World's only hope. While The Ring of Five has tense, exciting moments and possesses the elements of good fantasy adventure, character development is spotty and the plot is uneven. On the whole, the story does not elicit the suspension of disbelief necessary for a good fantasy adventure. D. J. MacHale's "Pendragon" series (S & S) is a much better choice in this genre.—Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.If you need a simple way to think of this book, it's Harry Potter, boy spy. It's hard not to make that comparison when Danny Caulfield is whisked from his home with an uncaring family to Wilsons, a magical boarding school dedicated to using spy craft in the fight between good and evil. Danny has no idea why he is there, but he is shocked to learn he is not who he thought he was. His resemblance to the wicked Cherbs, who have decided to take over all of the Lower World, makes him a valuable commodity. If the Wilsons crowd is not successful in holding off the bad guys, the Upper World, where humans live, could be destroyed as well. Like the Harry Potter books, the secondary characters add immensely to the richness of the narrative, and there's plenty of action, although the big final battle, surprisingly, drags. The book finishes with a cliff-hanger that will leave kids eager for the next title in this trilogy pitting one boy against a heavenly host. Grades 5-7. --Ilene Cooper; Title: The Ring of Five | [
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14,863 | 2 | JACQUELINE HARVEY has spent her working life teaching in girls' boarding schools. She has also published three novels for young readers as well as a picture book in her native Australia.From the Hardcover edition.Chapter 1Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones waved goodbye to her parents at the gate."Goodbye, Mummy. Please try to be brave." Her mother sobbed loudly in reply. "Enjoy your golf, Daddy. I'll see you at the end of term." Her father sniffled into his handkerchief.Before they had time to wave her goodbye, Alice-Miranda skipped back down the hedge-lined path into her new home.Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies had a tradition dating back two and a half centuries. Alice-Miranda's mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and so on had all gone there. But none had been so young or so willing.It had come as quite a shock to Alice-Miranda's parents to learn that she had telephoned the school to see if she could start early--she was, after all, only seven and one-quarter years old, and not due to start for another year. But after two years at her current school, Ellery Prep, she felt ready for bigger things. Besides, Alice-Miranda had always been different from other children. She loved her parents dearly and they loved her, but boarding school appealed to her sense of adventure."It's much better this way," Alice-Miranda had said with a smile. "You both work so hard and you have far more important things to do than run after me. This way I can do all my activities at school. Imagine, Mummy--no more waiting around while I'm at ballet or piano or riding lessons.""But darling, I don't mind a bit," her mother protested."I know you don't," Alice-Miranda had agreed, "but you should think about my being away as a holiday. And then at the end there's all the excitement of coming home, except that it's me coming home to you." She'd hugged her mother and stroked her father's brow as she handed them a gigantic box of tissues. Although they didn't want her to go, they knew there was no point arguing. Once Alice-Miranda made up her mind there was no turning back.Her teacher, Miss Critchley, hadn't seemed the least surprised by Alice-Miranda's plans."Of course, we'll all miss her terribly," Miss Critchley had explained to Alice-Miranda's parents. "But that daughter of yours is more than up to it. I can't imagine there's any reason to stop her."And so Alice-Miranda went.Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale sat upon three thousand emerald-colored acres. A tapestry of Georgian buildings dotted the campus, with Winchesterfield Manor the jewel in the crown. Along its labyrinth of corridors hung huge portraits of past headmistresses with serious stares and old-fashioned clothes. The trophy cabinets glittered with treasure and the foyer was lined with priceless antiques. There was not a thing out of place. But from the moment Alice-Miranda entered the grounds she had a strange feeling that something was missing--and she was usually right about her strange feelings.The headmistress, Miss Grimm, had not come out of her study to meet her. The school's secretary, Miss Higgins, had met Alice-Miranda and her parents at the gate, looking rather surprised to see them."I'm terribly sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones. There must have been a mix-up with the dates--Alice-Miranda is a day early," Miss Higgins had explained.Her parents had said that it was no bother and they would come back again tomorrow. But Miss Higgins was appalled at the idea of causing such inconvenience and offered to take care of Alice-Miranda until the house mistress arrived.It was Miss Higgins who had interviewed Alice-Miranda some weeks ago, when Alice-Miranda had first contacted the school. At that meeting, Alice-Miranda had thought Miss Higgins quite lovely, with her kindly eyes and pretty smile. But today she couldn't help noticing that Miss Higgins seemed a little flustered and talked as though she were in a race.Miss Higgins showed Alice-Miranda to her room and suggested she take a stroll around the school. "I'll come and find you and take you to see Cook about some lunch in a little while."Alice-Miranda unpacked her case, folded her clothes and put them neatly away into one of the tall chests of drawers. The room contained two single beds on opposite walls, matching chests and bedside tables. In a tidy alcove, two timber desks, each with a black swivel chair, stood side by side. The furniture was what her mother might have called functional. Not beautiful, but all very useful. The room's only hint of elegance came from the fourteen-foot ceiling with ornate cornices and the polished timber floor.Alice-Miranda was delighted to find an envelope addressed to Miss Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones propped against her pillow."How lovely--my own special letter," Alice-Miranda said out loud. She looked at the slightly tatty brown bear in her open suitcase. "Isn't that sweet, Brummel?"She slid her finger under the opening and pulled out a very grand-looking note on official school paper. It read:Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young LadiesDear Miss Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones,Welcome to Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies. It is expected that you will work extremely hard at all times and strive to achieve your very best. You must obey without question all of the school rules, of which there is a copy attached to this letter. Furthermore, you must ensure that your behavior is such that it always brings credit to you, your family and this establishment.Yours sincerely,Miss Ophelia Grimm HeadmistressWinchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies School Rules1. Hair ribbons in regulation colors and a width of 3/4 of an inch will be tied with double overhand bows. 2. Shoes will be polished twice a day with boot polish and brushes. 3. Shoelaces will be washed each week by hand. 4. Head lice are banned. 5. All times tables to 20 must be learned by heart by the age of 9. 6. Bareback horse riding is not permitted in the quadrangle. 7. All girls will learn to play golf, croquet and bridge. 8. Licorice will not be consumed after 5 p.m. 9. Unless invited by the headmistress, parents will not enter school buildings. 10. Homesickness will not be tolerated.Alice-Miranda put the letter down and cuddled the little bear. "Oh, Brummel, I can't wait to meet Miss Grimm--she sounds like she's very interested in her students."Alice-Miranda folded the letter and placed it in the top drawer. She would memorize the school rules later. She popped her favorite photos of Mummy and Daddy on her bedside table and positioned the bear carefully on her bed."You be a brave boy, Brummel." She ruffled his furry head. "I'm off to explore, and when I get back I'll tell you all about it."; Title: Alice-Miranda at School | [
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14,864 | 1 | Grade 3-6Christian the lion lived in London with two antique dealers until they decided he needed to be trained to survive in the wild and live out a happier life in Africa. Bourke and Rendall tell this strange tale of buying the lion cub in a department store, giving him the run of their home and store, and introducing him to their life in the thick of the city. They describe where he liked to sit, what he liked to do, and how he reacted to new situations. All of the circumstances pile up on one another, making for a slow-paced narrative. The story is based on the authors' experiences, but, according to the CIP, the names of people, places, dates, the sequences and details of events, and the actions and conversations of real-life figures have been changed. So it is difficult to know what is true and what is not other than their love for this gentle lion and their understandable unhappiness about their preparations for his eventual departure. Some of the photos seen on YouTube are grouped with other black-and-white and color shots in the center of the book. Back matter contains tidbits about Christian, lions in general, and various famous animals. This is not an essential purchase.Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Anthony Ace Bourke was born in Sydney in 1946. He has become one of Australias leading art curators, a pioneer in the field of Aboriginal art, and a colonial art specialist, staging numerous critically acclaimed exhibitions. Ace hopes to immerse himself again in wildlife and conservation projects, to help address the worlds urgent environmental issues. He lives in Sydney with his two cats.John Rendall is a sixth-generation Australian and divides his time between London and Sydney. He continues his commitment to the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust and is a member of the Royal Geographical Society in London. He has been involved in travel-focused public relations, concentrating on conservation projects, lodges, and reserves in Africa. Johns three children share his passion for wildlife and conservation.; Title: Christian the Lion | [
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14,865 | 2 | Booklist, June 1, 2011:"If the unnamed narrator of Paulsens Lawn Boy (2007) is the plucky entrepreneur who skyrockets to riches, Kevin is the wannabe mogul who sees an angle a mile away but trips over his own skys-the-limit aspirations. A glib, quick read to launch a thousand MBAs."GARY PAULSEN is the distinguished author of many critically acclaimed books for young people, His most recent books are Liar Liar, Masters of Disaster, Lawn Boy Returns, Woods Runner, Notes from the Dog, Mudshark, Lawn Boy, Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, The Time Hackers, and The Amazing Life of Birds (The Twenty Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech).From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.; Title: Flat Broke: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Greed | [
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14,866 | 2 | Sixth-grader Sophia just wants to be one of the popular students at Middlebrooke Middle School. Unfortunately, her plans to accomplish this have not met with success. Sophia and BFF Nona did not end up in super fun elective classes where they could talk to cool kids, and their after-school activities did not make them popular, just sweaty. After the final strawSophias mom taking a substitute-teacher position at the schoolSophia becomes determined to use her anonymous school blog to post gossip about the popular kids in hopes that at least her blog will find popularity. Things go awry though, and Sophia discovers that maybe the popular girl she is trying to bring down isnt so bad after all. Written as a journal with illustrations and asides, this humorous take on trying to fit in will find wide appeal. Hand this to female fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and theyll soon start anticipating Sophias next adventure. Grades 5-8. --Shauna Yusko"Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Harriet the Spy." - Keeper of all Wisdom (blog)"Rose Cooper brings Sofia to life in her debut book...Through her witty words and sketches, Cooper is able to take a serious concept, bullying and name-calling, and show readers why its a bad idea." - GirlsLife.com"I really enjoyed reading this book...It's totally BLOGTASTIC!" - National Geographic Kids"Written as a journal with illustrations and asides, this humorous take on trying to fit in will find wide appeal. Hand this to female fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and they'll soon start anticipating Sophia's next adventure." - Booklist"Cooper keely captures Sofia's quintessential preteen voice: spunky and full of a blustering bravado meant to mask her vulnerability. Sofia's experiences, recorded in faux-hand printing on lined paper, and the many hilarious sketches scattered throughout the journal will garner groans and laughs from readers." - Kirkus Reviews"The tone here is frothy and middle-school histrionic, making Sofia a wonderfully entertaining voice...Coopers black-and-white sketches add additional comic appeal; particularly amusing are the portraits, composed with big-eyed manga flair and a caricature-esque attention to defining details." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"What a very clever book! . . . Girls reading this book will truly understand what Sophia is going through. The writing is interesting, flows well, has humor and heartbreak, and is such a perfect book for a girl. . . . Perfect for a reluctant reader." --Children's Literature; Title: Gossip From the Girls' Room: A Blogtastic! Novel | [
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14,867 | 2 | Grade 58The orphanage at Delphi Keep is a great place for Ian and Theodosia to grow up. They love exploring the tunnels all around the White Cliffs of Dover. One day, they happen upon a silver box in one of them. When Ian wedges it free from the sand, a vicious hell-hound, the servant of an evil sorcerer, begins to chase them. The two soon find themselves embroiled in a wild adventure involving a prophecy foretold by the oracle Laodamia about the coming of the Nazis and the end of the world. It hinges on an old legend about the Demogorgon fathering four children who control the elements and who are bent on destruction. Now, the two children, along with their friend Carl, their teachers, and an old antiquities professor, must race against half-demons and piece together the clues of the prophecy. If they don't find several important objects mentioned in it, the world could be destroyed. While the story begins well and has several breathtaking action sequences, it quickly meanders and loses steam. Laurie has too many plot strands to tie together and she does so haphazardly, leaving the story overloaded with characters, especially villains. The characters themselves seem more like archetypes than real people, and the dialogue is sometimes unrealistic. With an overlong, complicated plot and long stretches of low action, the story is unlikely to find a wide audience.Necia Blundy, Marlborough Public Library, MA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Victoria Laurie lives in Austin, Texas. You can visit her on the Web at www.oraclesofdelphikeep.com.; Title: Oracles of Delphi Keep | [
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14,868 | 11 | Adeline Yen Mah divides her time between Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. You can visit her at www.adelineyenmah.com.From the Hardcover edition.; Title: China: Land of Dragons and Emperors: The Fascinating Culture and History of China | [
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14,869 | 0 | Grade 24This installment finds Roland settling into the king's castle, but not without several mishaps along the way. First, he inadvertently angers the resident bully with his mere existence. Mean spirit that he is, Hector engineers a plan to oust the page from the king's domain: he releases the ruler's new elephant from its enclosure and blames the deed on Roland. Though the boy is able to coax it back into its area, this act of bravery isn't enough to tame the king's misplaced wrath. Fortunately, a sentry witnesses the true culprit in the act, and Roland is not only cleared of blame, but also hailed as a hero. Readers will learn bits of interesting information, such as the meaning of words like "bailey" and "cockentrice." They will also delight in having a character whom they love to hateHector is so unequivocally evil that readers will be cheering when he finally gets his comeuppance. And though he is punished in the end, Roland does not rub it in his face, even when he has the opportunity to do so. Goofy cartoon illustrations keep the mood light, even during tense parts of the story. A solid choice for children who are ready to make the leap to chapter books, especially if they have an interest in medieval lore.Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Tony Davis is the author of bestselling adult and childrens nonfiction in his native Australia. He lives in Sydney.Gregory Rogers has illustrated many childrens books.; Title: Roland Wright: Brand-New Page | [
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14,870 | 2 | In Manhattan, Kanako Goldberg says she is Japlish, part Russian Jewish, part Japanese, and she tries hard to make it into her eighth-grades in-crowd. Then Ruth, a bipolar classmate, hangs herself, and Kanakos parents send her to spend the summer working on her grandparents fruit farm in a Japanese village, where she confronts her guilt about following her bitchy classmates behavior, and she talks to Ruth in her head. The story is purposive, and readers may be slowed by the long, detailed passages about local culture. But Kanakos urgent teen voice, written in rapid free verse and illustrated with occasional black-and-white sketches, will hold readers with its nonreverential family story. Kanakos bossy grandmother is no sweet comfort, always nagging Kanako about her big butt, but she does give good advice about comforting friends back home. The spare poetry about place (silent / as the night shadow / climbs Mount Fuji) mixes with jokes about giving spirits GPS-activated cell phones, and readers will want to talk about the big issues, especially the guilt of doing nothing. Grades 7-10. --Hazel RochmanStarred Review, School Library Journal, March 2011:"Thompson has crafted an exquisite, thought-provoking story of grief and healing that will resonate with teen readers and give them much to discuss."Review, Publishers Weekly, January 3, 2011:“Eloquently captures a teenager’s anger, guilt, and sorrow after a classmate takes her own life. . . . Understated yet potent verse.”Review, Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2011:“A fast-paced page-turner that explores the rippling effects of suicide.”Review, Booklist, January 1, 2011:“Readers will want to talk about the big issues, especially the guilt of doing nothing.” Review, VOYA, “Compelling. . . . Teens who enjoy learning about other cultures will relish Thompson’s ability to evoke the sights, smells, and tastes of Japan, while poetry fans will enjoy the novel’s unique format.”Review, The Winston-Salem Journal, March 20, 2011:"This lyrical look at bullying and the afterschocks of suicide may be gut-wrenching, but Orchards is crafted with a sensitive beauty."; Title: Orchards | [
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14,871 | 2 | Gr 5-7Sixth-grader Lane Cisco's life near the top of the middle school hierarchy is just about perfect. She nailed her interview to be a class leader, and now she just wishes that her secret boyfriend would be a little more official. Then her cousin arrives for an extended visit from Alaska. Mint dresses wrong, talks wrong, and thinks wrong. Lane is sure she'll be branded a loser and hopes she doesn't bring her down with her. Lane's world is turned upside down when Mint isn't shunned. Instead, her classmates think she's cooleven the boys Lane and her BFF, Ava, are crushing on. When Ava concocts a plan to ruin Mint, Lane's loyalties are torn. The protagonist is a rather unreliable, unsympathetic narrator who doesn't gain much insight as the plot progresses, and she seems to have an inordinate amount of unsupervised time at school. Certain plot contrivances are oddly jarring, such as the abruptness of Mint's visit, Lane's parents' reluctance to tell her of the visit beforehand, and their decision to lie to the school district and share that lie with a 12-year-old, among others. Still, the author has a real sense of tween dialogue, relationship dynamics, and preoccupations. Readers will recognize the Lanes in their lives and root for Mint in this gentle story of friendship and individuality.Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.KRISTEN TRACY grew up in a small town in Idaho surrounded by cows. She did not think it was cool. And that's why you won't find any cows in this book. She is the acclaimed author of the middle-grade novels Camille McPhee FellUnder the Bus, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter,andBessica Lefter Bites Back,as well as the young adult novelsLost It, Crimes of the Sarahs, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers,andSharks & Boys. She lives with her family in Rhode Island in a tree-lined, cowless city, where she is very happy. Visit her at kristentracy.com.; Title: Too Cool for This School | [
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14,872 | 2 | Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2011Two teenage girls and a noble, aged horse on a road trip. What could beat that?Sixteen-year-old Hattie, in an expressive, quirky yet pitch-perfect first-person voice, provides the flowing narrative, as she steals Speed, an ancient horse scheduled to be put down the following autumn morning (merely to prevent the possibility of a difficult winter burial) and heads west with her best friend, Delores. Shes an emotionally fragile 18-year-old, rejected by her boyfriend-focused mother, and needs a rescue almost as badly as the horse. Their goal is to find free range for Speed, offering him the opportunity, for once in his life, to just be a horsefree, not plodding around a carnival ring. Along the way they encounter other horse lovers, most notably Julie, an elderly woman who just wants to share a few heart-wrenching moments with patient Speed; Fry, a Minnesota double amputee with plenty of land and a big heart; and Punch, a handsome young rodeo rider who loves both horses and Hattie. Monnigers writing is delicious, evocative and, especially during horse-focused scenes, moving.Horse story, road trip, coming-of-age tale: It's any and all of these, but mostly a tender and authentic voyage into the mind of a wise, funny and wholly likable protagonist. (Fiction. 11 & up)JOSEPH MONNINGER has published 11 novels and three nonfiction books for adults. Recently he cowrote The Letters with bestselling author Luanne Rice. His previous YA novels are Wish, Baby, and Hippie Chick.; Title: Finding Somewhere | [
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14,873 | 0 | LADY GRACE CAVENDISH was a Maid of Honour at the court of Queen Elizabeth. She became a ward of the court after both her parents were tragically killed in the service of the Queen. This daybooke marks her debut in the world of writing.; Title: The Grace Mysteries: Assassin & Betrayal | [
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14,874 | 2 | Gr 7 Up-Emma, a 15-year-old American raised in Japan, feels adrift when she is transplanted to her grandmother's home in Massachusetts so her mother can undergo breast-cancer treatment. Though she is not Asian, she considers Japan her home. But to her surprise, she starts putting down roots in her new home by volunteering at a long-term care center and navigating a tentative relationship with another volunteer, a Cambodian American boy named Samnang. Emma's story weaves together a variety of disparate topics, including reverse culture shock, cancer, the Cambodian refugee experience, dance, volunteerism, and teen alcoholism. The number of themes could seem overwhelming, but is made manageable by the spare beauty and clarity of free verse. The format flows naturally from the plot, as Emma is a poet herself, and her volunteer service involves helping a stroke victim cope through the exercise of writing poetry. Today's teens, said to volunteer at a higher rate than previous generations, will see themselves in Emma as she looks beyond herself to understand and help others even while grappling with her own concerns. She is driven to help in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, and readers will cheer her on as she faces the challenge of contributing to relief efforts from a distance. Her longing for Japan will also resonate with those familiar with the country and its culture, as Thompson captures perfectly the feeling of belonging elsewhere. A sensitive and compelling read that will inspire teens to contemplate how they can make a difference.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Emma has lived in Japan nearly all of her life and spoke Japanese before she spoke English. But when Emmas mother develops breast cancer, her parents choose to move to Massachusetts for medical care, and Emma finds herself entering high school in a completely foreign world. With a little pushing from her grandmother, Emma becomes a volunteer poetry helper at a long-term care center. Another volunteer, a boy named Samnang, becomes Emmas first American friend. A number of story lines emerge, but the fluid nature of this novels free verse allows these subplots to mesh together like a series of linked poems. Thompson beautifully conveys Emmas Japanese sensibilities in the structure of the verses. For example, Emma often expresses herself through silence, conveyed through well-placed breaks. Interspersed throughout are poems that Emma finds, which Thompson references in an appendix. Like Ron Koertges Shakespeare Bats Cleanup (2003), the appeal of poetry slips easily into the flow of this story. Grades 7-10. --Diane Colson; Title: The Language Inside | [
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14,875 | 7 | LIAN TANNER is a playwright and a captivating storyteller. She lives in Australia.The Captive CityIt was nighttime when the three children entered the city of Jewel. Ragged and filthy, they clung to the shadows, their feet making no sound on the cobbled paths.They had been gone for weeks, torn away from home without the chance to say goodbye, and they were bursting with impatience to see their parents. But they carried secrets with them--secrets that would get them killed if they were caught by the wrong people. And so they stopped and listened at every corner.They saw no one, but the hair on the backs of their necks prickled and their faces were pale with tension. This was not the city they had left behind. Fear hung over the streets, as thick as fog. The light of the watergas lamps seemed to tremble as it spilled across the deserted footpaths. The houses, with their locked doors and tightly drawn curtains, held their breath.The children crept deeper and deeper into the city, until at last they came to the Bridge of Beasts, where it crossed the Grand Canal. They paused there, watching for any sign of movement. Then they slipped across the bridge one by one.They were close to their homes now, and eager to press on. But the last few weeks had taught them the value of caution, and they paused again.It was just as well they did. Somewhere nearby a boot struck the cobblestones. Immediately, Goldie gave a hand signal and all three children pressed into the shadows at the end of the bridge. Toadspit wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the sword that he carried at his side. His younger sister, Bonnie, gripped her longbow. But Goldie shook her head fiercely at them, and they did not move again.The five men who came swaggering up the middle of the boulevard were clearly soldiers, although their uniforms and haversacks seemed to be made up of bits and pieces from a dozen different armies. They carried rifles slung across their chests, and their eyes and teeth gleamed in the gaslight. They looked as if they owned the city and everything in it.Goldie had been expecting something like this, but still it was a shock to see such men on the streets of Jewel. She found her hand straying toward the sword on Toadspits hip. Her breath quickened....No! She jerked her hand back. The wolf-sark, the battle madness that she carried so unwillingly inside her, lay just below the surface. If she drew that sword she would be lost. She had almost killed someone last time the wolf-sark took hold of her. She would not risk it happening again.She swallowed her anger and prayed that the soldiers would pass quickly.But the soldiers seemed to have no intention of passing. One of them, a tall man with red side-whiskers that curled almost to his chin, leaned his rifle against the canal fence and took biscuits and a water canteen from his haversack. His companions copied him.Toadspit touched Goldies hand, tapping out a question in the quick, subtle movements of fingertalk. Go or stay?Goldie chewed her lip. She and Toadspit could easily slip away without being seen. If they really wanted to, they could probably steal the biscuits out of the soldiers hands and leave them wondering where their supper had gone. But Bonnie had not had the same training and might well be spotted.Stay, Goldie signed.The men lounged against the fence, throwing biscuits at each other and guffawing at the tops of their voices, as if they wanted everyone in the surrounding houses to hear them and tremble. They reminded Goldie of the soldiers she and Toadspit had encountered deep inside the Museum of Dunt, behind the Dirty Gate. Those soldiers were the remnants of an ancient war that only survived within the museum. They carried pikes and swords and old-fashioned muskets, and spoke in the accents of Old Merne.But these men were modern, and their scrappy uniforms suggested that they were mercenaries, whose loyalty could be bought and sold. Goldie wondered what they had done with the citys militia. And where was the Grand Protector? The Protector would never have allowed mercenaries on the streets of Jewel--Goldies thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a street-rig clattering over cobblestones. The mercenaries hastily shoveled food and drinks back into their haversacks and grabbed their rifles.What sort of idiot drives around after curfew? growled the red-haired man. Anyoned think they want to be stuck in the House of Repentance!Theyre coming this way, said one of his companions, and he strutted out into the middle of the road.Spoked wheels rattled toward him. An engine roared, and headlights pierced the shadows that surrounded the children. Goldie dared not look at her friends, but she could feel Bonnie as tense as a wire beside her, and Toadspit, balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to run. If the mercenaries turned around now...But the men were strung across the boulevard, blocking the path of the approaching street-rig. For a moment, Goldie thought it wasnt going to stop. It rumbled toward the soldiers at a steady pace, bathing them in light. Its horn blared twice. An angry voice shouted something incoherent. The mercenaries raised their rifles and took careful aim at the cabin behind the lights.With a squeal of brakes, the street-rig skidded to a halt. The engine died. The shout came again, but this time Goldie heard it clearly.How dare you? How dare you? Remove yourselves from our path immediately!The mercenaries didnt budge. Out of the rig, said the red-haired man in a bored tone. Come on, make it quick.There was a mutter of voices and, to Goldies relief, the headlights snapped off. By the time her eyes had adjusted, two people were stepping down from the street-rig--two people wearing the heavy black robes and black boxy hats of the Blessed Guardians.A shiver of loathing ran through Goldie. It was more than six months since the Blessed Guardians had been banished from the city. The Grand Protector had put them on trial first, for treason and cruelty. Then she had thrown every -single one of them out of Jewel, with a warning never to -return.But here they were, back again.Goldie touched Toadspits hand. Leave now, while theyre busy, she signed.Toadspit nodded, and murmured in his sisters ear. But before they could move, the two Guardians swept past the mercenaries and marched straight toward the end of the bridge.Hey! shouted the red-haired man, striding after them with his side-whiskers bristling. Where do you think youre going? Theres supposed to be no one on the streets at night. Thats our orders.The Blessed Guardians stopped, not five paces from where the children crouched. One of them, a man with very pale skin, raised his eyebrows. The curfew doesnt apply to us, you fool! he said, in a high, grating voice. Go and carry out your orders somewhere else.; Title: Path of Beasts (Keepers Trilogy) | [
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14,876 | 2 | AARON STARMER 's first novel was the comic children's adventure Dweeb. He lives with his wife in Hoboken, New Jersey.1The MainlandThe stars melted away. Martin had rowed through the night. The next time I see stars, he thought, it won’t be from the island and it won’t be from the ocean.For through the first spits of morning sunlight, he spied the mainland only a few hundred yards ahead of him. The island had ten houses, while the mainland had hundreds. Dozens of docks lined the water’s edge, and countless boats bobbed quietly in a harbor. Many of the boats were half submerged. A few were almost entirely covered in water. Broken masts stuck up through the froth like stubborn little birch trees.Seagulls circled above him as Martin guided the boat up to a dock. He climbed out and scanned the surroundings. Streets and paths wound their way through the town and into hills in the distance. Cars were strewn everywhere--along the streets, in the streets, even in the grass, which was as high as Martin’s shoulder. Martin had never seen a car before, but he knew that they were “boats with wheels and windshield wipers,” as his father put it, and in nearly every book Martin had read, they were the preferred manner of transportation.Many of the buildings near the dock were decorated with signs announcing things like the coldest beer in town or fine dining for fine folks. Martin hadn’t eaten in a day, and while he was accustomed to going without a meal or two, the row from the island had left him ravenous.He made his way down the dock and entered the first building he came upon, a modest construction with a hand-carved sign above the door that read the barnacled butcher.The first things he noticed were the red stains on the floor. Then a scattering of meat- and marrow-picked bones. Lingering scents of rot and feces hit him next. It had seemed a reasonable place to find a meal, but he had read far too many books about murderers and monsters. He wasn’t going to risk meeting such things.For now, he would explore the rest of the town. Perhaps he would meet someone. Perhaps someone would know where to find George. It had been almost two years since he had seen a soul, and he desperately needed to see one now.But there wasn’t anyone anywhere he looked.Without even a sliver of warning, a fog hustled in. Martin became blind to everything more than a few yards away. So he kept to the winding streets, hiking for more than a mile and dodging car after car--some with their windows open and their seat cushions torn into tidy little nests; all abandoned and splattered white with gull guano.If there’s not someone, he thought, then there must be something that can tell me where I am and where I should go.For now, the best the world could give Martin was a pile of waterlogged books, pouring out onto the street. He stepped over them and onto a wild, dewy lawn, where he found a series of plastic tables overturned on the ground, their legs sticking up and hugged by weeds. Next to one table, he found a sign. He lifted it, wiped away the mud, and read: Gently Used Books--Support Our Renovations This Saturday and Sunday.He placed the sign down and squinted through the fog at a building across the lawn. He could barely make out a line of steel letters on the brick entryway.LIBRARYIt was chillier inside. And dark--so dark that Martin had to let his eyes adjust for a minute before taking a step beyond the doorway. There was an odor, a mustiness, but nothing like in the butcher shop. The floors were relatively free of debris, and as he made his way past a large wooden desk, Martin drew in a breath of relief.Thousands of books filled dozens of shelves. A few books lay open on the floor, but for the most part, everything seemed in good shape. Martin placed his hand on a line of bindings, then ran his fingers down the row, releasing flurries of dust and listening to the beautiful thwap, thwap, thwap.He lifted a book off a shelf and stared at its glossy cover, adorned with a photograph of the moon. It would take a lifetime to read every book in the library, and Martin began to wonder if maybe it wasn’t such a bad way to spend his days. Maybe he wasn’t ready to go on. Maybe he was meant to see the world through the filter of books.Something in the world had changed, though. It couldn’t always have been like this, and the books couldn’t answer the most important questions.What happened?Where is everyone?Why is something pressing against my knee?Martin looked down to see a dark mass at his feet. A black nose rubbed gently against his right knee, then moved down his shin until it came to his sock, where it tried to work itself inside with an inquisitive snuff.Instinctively, Martin reached his hand down to pet the animal at his feet. Its fur was thick and course, like slightly damp hay. He had petted dogs on the island but had never felt one like this. As he pulled his hand away, the nose followed his fingers. Martin got a closer look. It had a snout like a dog’s, but its head was rounder and its ears were stiffer. It raised a paw and placed it in the bend of Martin’s elbow. Its claws were as thick as Martin’s fingers. The pads of its feet were as big as his hands.“Hello,” Martin said softly.The creature let out a low rumbling sound--soothing at first, then more anxious.“I’m Martin Maple. From the island. I’m here for a visit. To have a look around.”The creature answered by pulling its head away from Martin. It opened its mouth in what looked like a yawn. Small daggers for teeth, hot breath. It lifted itself until it was standing on two feet. Even standing straight up, it was shorter than Martin by a good foot and a half, but Martin’s body still tensed in recognition.“You’re a bear.”The bear blinked.“I’ve read about you. You’re smaller than I expected. You don’t seem so mean.”Martin eased his hand back toward the bear, planning to calm it by petting its head. But just as his hand reached the snout, he felt a warm, damp breeze blow onto the top of his neck.Then he heard a rumble.It was similar to the rumble the bear had made, but it was coming from behind Martin. It was also deeper and louder. Vibrations crept across Martin’s scalp.He turned around in time to see another bear moving slowly toward him. It was three times as big as the first and had a fox dangling from its jaws. The fox was jerking violently, but the bear didn’t seem to notice. Its eyes were locked on Martin.All at once came a flash of teeth and nostrils as the bigger bear tossed the fox into the darkness and lunged at Martin. Martin threw himself against the bookshelf. A cascade of hardcovers raged out, and the entire thing crashed to the ground.Martin looked up from the pile of wood and paper. The smaller bear was smiling down at him, and the larger one was rising to its feet, recovering from its failed lunge. Martin’s legs flew into a fit of kicking. Books launched into the faces of both bears. They turned their heads, but their backs still blocked the entrance to the library. Martin scrambled to his feet and began to run. Weaving in and out of the aisles, he searched for any sign of sunlight. He would kick and claw a hole in the wall if need be. He had to get out of there.Then he saw an orange dot in front of him. He zeroed in on it. He didn’t dare slow down or turn his head and look back. The dot was moving. It was going somewhere. He was going to follow it.The orange dot darted purposefully across the floor, at a speed Martin could match but couldn’t beat. He followed it through aisles of books, down a hallway, through a wide-open room, all the way to a staircase. Then, without any warning, it stopped. Martin closed in.At the foot of the staircase sat the fox that had been dangling from the bear’s mouth. Its orange fur was shifting to red as blood plotted a slow and insidious takeover. One of the fox’s legs was bent, and stuck out uselessly to the side. Exhausted, the animal looked up at Martin. It looked at the stairs it had to climb. It curled into a ball.Without thinking, Martin snatched the fox, tucked it under his arm, and raced up the stairs. At the top, he saw a pane of glass as big as a door. It was damp with the fog but also glowing with the small bit of sunlight that had found its way through. He lowered his shoulder, held the fox behind his back, and plowed into the glass.Instead of breaking, the glass heaved. Then it popped from the wall like a head off a dandelion and fluttered down into the grass. Martin’s body swayed in the hole for a moment, and his canvas bag dangled and tried to pull his shoulder down with its weight. Behind him was the sound of the bears thundering up the stairway. Below him was the mist-soaked backyard of the library. He looked out to a tight line of trees where a forest began. Gravity and momentum finally took over and Martin closed his eyes as he and the fox tumbled down into a patch of hardy bushes below.From the Hardcover edition.; Title: The Only Ones | [
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14,877 | 2 | Judy Blume lives in Key West and New York City. You can visit her at www.judyblume.com.Chapter 1My mother named me Deenie because right before I was born she saw a movie about a beautiful girl named Wilmadeene, who everybody called Deenie for short. Ma says the first time she held me she knew right away that if she named me Deenie I would turn out the same way--beautiful, that is. I was only four hours old then. And it took me almost thirteen years to find out what really happened to the Deenie in the movie. She went crazy and wound up on the funny farm. Ma says I should just forget about that part of the story.The reason I know about it is the movie was on TV last night and I saw it. Even Helen, who is my older sister, who never watches anything on TV, stayed up late to see the original Deenie. It was a great movie. I really liked it, especially the scenes between Deenie and Bud. He was this guy who was madly in love with her. It was all very romantic, even when she went crazy.There's a boy named Buddy Brader in eighth grade and I think he's kind of nice. So it is possible that there might be a real-life Deenie and Bud some day, right here in Elizabeth, New Jersey.This morning I wanted to sleep late. Everybody I know sleeps late on Saturdays but I couldn't because me and Ma had an appointment in New York.My father drove us downtown in plenty of time to catch the nine-thirty bus. Before we got out of the car Ma said, "Wish us luck, Frank. This could be the big day.""Just be yourself, Deenie," Daddy told me. "No matter what happens.""I'll try," I said.Daddy touched my cheek. Then he turned to Ma. "Do you need any money?" he asked her."I've got enough," she said. "We're not doing any shopping.""Well then . . . have a good time."Ma leaned over and kissed him.The bus stops on the corner by Old Lady Murray's news-stand. Ma bought a magazine and a pack of gum from her. I try not to look at Old Lady Murray because she's so ugly she makes me want to vomit. She has a big bump on her back and she can't stand up straight. You can see the bump right through her clothes. Even in winter, when she wears an old black coat, you can see it. That's a fact. But today it was warm and sunny, just the way it always is in September when you're wishing it would hurry and get cold. And Old Lady Murray was wearing a plain cotton dress. I pretended to be window shopping so I wouldn't have to look her way.I was happy when the New York bus finally came down the street. "Hey, Ma . . ." I called. "Here's the bus."As we got on, the bus driver greeted me with, "Hi, Beautiful!"Ma gave him a big smile and said, "Deenie's the beauty, Helen's the brain."The bus driver didn't say anything else because what does he know about our family? He was probably sorry he bothered with us in the first place. I hate it when Ma brags about me and Helen. One time Midge and Janet were over and Ma started in about Helen's brain and my face and I almost died! Later, I told her, "Please don't do that again, Ma. You embarrassed me in front of my friends." But Ma just laughed and said, "I was only telling the truth, Deenie."Ma took our tickets from the bus driver and sat down in the second row of seats, next to the window. She dusted off the seat next to her with a tissue before she'd let me sit in it. Then she settled back and pretty soon she was dozing off. I looked out the window for a while but the view from the New Jersey Turnpike's not so hot, so I started thinking instead.My mother wants me to be a model, with my face on all the magazine covers. Ma says I'll make a lot of money and maybe get discovered for the movies too. A teenage model has to make it by the time she's seventeen if she's ever going to make it big. So the next four years will be very important to me. The thing that really scares me is I'm not sure I want to be a model. I would never tell that to Ma, but I've told Daddy. He says I don't have to be unless I want to.Today is the third time this month that we're going to a modeling agency. The first one Aunt Rae read about in TV Guide. It was an ad that said, "Be a model or just look like one." When we got to that agency the lady in charge told my mother that I had a lot of potential and wouldn't Ma like to enroll me in a modeling course for only $250? They'd be able to teach me how to walk the right way and everything.But Ma told the lady, "My daughter already knows how to walk and with her face we don't need to pay anybody. She's the one who's going to get paid."After that Ma and Aunt Rae found out about some real modeling agencies. The kind that gets you paying jobs. We went to one two Saturdays ago. The lady there told Ma they were very interested in me, except for my posture, which wasn't great. Since then I've been walking around with books on my head. I hope that's helped, so Ma will leave me alone.The bus stopped at the Port Authority building on Eighth Avenue. We rode the escalator down to the main level and walked outside to the corner, where we took the crosstown bus. "Once you get started modeling we'll be able to afford taxies," Ma said."That'll be nice," I told her. My feet were already hurting. Ma says I should stop wearing sneakers. They make your feet spread so your regular shoes don't fit right anymore.When we got to the modeling agency there were two girls waiting to be interviewed ahead of me. I sat down next to one of them. She was by herself. I guess she was at least sixteen and very pretty.She had her portfolio on her lap. My mother carries mine. It's like a loose-leaf notebook filled with photographs of me. Ma hired this guy to take a whole mess of pictures over the summer. In some of them I'm wearing wigs. I think I look kind of funny and much older than I really am."Are you a model?" I asked the girl."Yes," she said. "Are you?""I'm just getting started. Is it fun?""It's okay," she said. "It's a lot harder than most people think. You have to sit under hot lights for hours. Sometimes I get so bored I practically fall asleep.""I thought it would be more exciting than that," I said."The money's pretty good," she told me. "That's why I do it. I hope I get this job. It could lead to a commercial."The receptionist called, "Rachel Conrad . . ." and the girl next to me stood up."Good luck," I said."Thanks. You too."When Rachel came out the receptionist called, "Linda Levin . . ." and this very tall girl got up and went in."We're next, Deenie," Ma said."I have to go to the bathroom," I whispered."Now? You should have thought of that before.""I didn't have to go before.""Well, hurry up."When I get nervous I don't sweat or shake or anything but I always feel like I've got to go to the bathroom. I asked the receptionist where to go and when I came out Ma said, "It's our turn . . . I better put some drops in your eyes before we go in. They're a little bloodshot." She opened her bag."Not now, Ma!" I told her, glancing at the receptionist."Deenie Fenner . . ." she called.Me and Ma stood up and the receptionist showed us into a small office. The walls were covered with pictures of beautiful girls. A lady was sitting behind a big glass-topped desk. "Are you Deenie?" she asked."Yes," I answered.She held out her hand. "I'm Mrs. Allison."My mother reached over and shook hands with her. "I'm Thelma Fenner, Deenie's mother."Mrs. Allison smiled at me. She had a space between her two front teeth. "So you want to be a model . . ." she said."Yes."Ma said, "I have her portfolio right here, Mrs. Allison." She handed it to her.Mrs. Allison opened it up to the first page. "What a sweet baby," she said.I felt my face turn red. I wish Ma would get rid of that picture."That's Deenie when she was sixteen months old," Ma said. "She's won a national contest and had her picture in all the magazines, advertising baby food.""Have you worked as a model since then, Deenie?" Mrs. Allison asked."No," I told her. "My father didn't want me to at least until I started junior high. I'm in seventh grade now.""Modeling is hard work," Mrs. Allison said. "I don't blame your father." She flipped through my portfolio.I wiggled my toes around inside my shoes. The big toe on my left foot hurt bad. I think I cut my toenails wrong again. They're always getting ingrown and infected.When Mrs. Allison was through looking at my pictures she zipped up my portfolio and said, "You're a pretty girl, Deenie.""Thank you," I said."Let's see you walk around the room."I glanced at Ma but she just smiled at me. I got up and walked across the room. The worst part of these interviews is having people stare at you while you walk around. I feel like a real klunk. When I finished crossing the room I stood in front of Mrs. Allison's desk and turned around in a slow circle, the way Ma taught me.Mrs. Allison stood up and walked around her desk. She put her hands on my shoulders. "Relax, Deenie," she said. "You're too stiff." She moved my head back and forth and kind of rearranged my shoulders. "Now, try walking this way. You'll be more comfortable."I crossed the room again. I saw Mrs. Allison make some notes on her pad. Then I stood in front of her and waited.Mrs. Allison looked at me without saying anything, and I was sure if I stood there for one more minute I would have to go to the bathroom again. I shifted from one foot to the other while I waited for her to say something.Finally she said, "I don't know, Deenie. There's something about the way you move that's not quite right. But your face is very lovely and you do photograph well. Let me think about you for a while. I'll be in touch."Mrs. Allison stood up then and held her hand out to me. I shook it this time while Ma grabbed my portfolio off her desk."Thank you for coming, Mrs. Fenner," Mrs. Allison told Ma. "And for bringing Deenie."My mother nodded and took my arm, leading me out of the office. All the way down in the elevator Ma held on to my arm and she didn't say anything, not one word. When we were on the street she steered me into a lunchroom. We sat opposite each other, in a booth. Ma ordered a cheeseburger for each of us and when the waitress was gone I said, "I'm sorry, Ma.""It looked like you slouched on purpose, Deenie.""I didn't, Ma. Honest. Why would I do that? I tried as hard as I could." Tears came to my eyes."Don't give me that, Deenie. You heard Mrs. Allison say there's something funny about the way you move.""Please, Ma . . . please believe me . . . I didn't do it on purpose."My mother didn't say anything for a minute. I took a sip of water. Finally Ma said, "Deenie, God gave you a beautiful face. Now, he wouldn't have done that if he hadn't intended for you to put it to good use.""I know it, Ma.""I hope so. Because I'm not going through this again. Next time we have an appointment you'll have to try harder.""But Mrs. Allison didn't say no to us, Ma. She said she'd think about me, remember?""That means no, Deenie. So we'll have to try another agency.""Can't we wait a little while? Maybe until next year?""Don't be silly," Ma said. "We don't want to waste time when you're ready now." She reached out and patted my hand. "I know this is hard for you, Deenie, but some day you'll thank me. You'll see."When the waitress brought our lunch I didn't feel like eating anything, but one thing that makes Ma really mad is seeing good food go to waste.Chapter 2That night I soaked my foot for an hour. My big toe was killing me. Midge called to ask how I made out at the modeling agency."It was okay," I said."Me and Janet went to Woolworth's. She tried on orange lipstick and brown eyeshadow.""Did she get caught?""Of course not."When we go to Woolworth's Janet's the best at trying on junk without buying. You're not supposed to do that but Janet always gets away with it. The one time I tried on some nail polish the saleslady caught me and I had to buy the whole bottle."And we saw Harvey Grabowsky," Midge said."You did?""Yes. We followed him all around the store.""Did he say anything?""He never even noticed.""Oh."Harvey is the best-looking guy in ninth grade. He's also on the football team and president of his class. Harvey has never said one word to me. I guess he doesn't talk to seventh-grade girls at all.As soon as I hung up, the phone rang again. It was Janet."We followed Harvey Grabowsky in Woolworth's," she said."I know. I just talked to Midge.""Did she tell you what he bought?""No . . . what?""Three ballpoint pens and a roll of Scotch tape. And once I stood right next to him and touched his shirt sleeve!"I just knew I'd miss out on something great by going to New York.Monday morning I got up early so I wouldn't have to rush. I wanted to make sure I looked my best because of cheerleading tryouts that afternoon. Most times I don't even think about the way I look but on special occasions, like today, being good-looking really comes in handy. Not that a person has any choice about it. I'm just lucky.; Title: Deenie | [
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14,878 | 2 | "A tour-de-force comic narration that will leave you gasping in awe — if you ever catch your breath from laughing." —E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars"Hilarious, moving, and utterly ingenious." —Robin Wasserman, author of the Book of Blood and Shadow and the Waking Dark"Sarah Mlynowski does it again with a fresh, fun, and fabulous story filled with secrets, surprises, and a sixth sense. Don't even THINK about passing up this hilarious read!" —Elizabeth Eulberg, author of the Lonely Hearts Club"Finally, someone understands that if you develop powers as a teenager, it's not the government you have to watch out for—it's your best friends. Funny, realistic, heartfelt, satiric, and unpredictable." —Ned Vizzini, New York Times bestselling author of It's Kind of a Funny Story"Mlynowski continues to make comedy look easy in this smart and frequently hilarious novel, which features a collective first-person narrative that fits the premise like a glove... Filled with heartbreak, hilarity, and some brutal truths, Mlynowski’s novel will leave readers thinking about the gaps between our private and public selves and the lies we tell others and ourselves." --Publishers Weekly, starred review"Mlynowski hits all the right notes. There's enough levity to keep readers laughing, but this is far from fluff--the real-life commotions are engaging, and the characters are fully developed. The story is funny, sweet and true to life, as readers have come to expect from Mlynowski. Her teens are emotional without being drama queens, amusing but not twee. A perfect read." --RT Book Reviews"Readers will hope for a sequel with amped-up Espie secrets and scandals. Hand to fans of Cecily von Ziegesar’s all-seeing Gossip Girl and Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian’s Burn for Burn revenge books. Now, flu shot, anyone?" --Booklist"The multiple characters are remarkably distinctive, and the plot moves along briskly, combining family drama, complicated romance and friendship turmoil into a compelling view of teen dynamics." --Kirkus Reviews"Mlynowski writes teen protagonists with heart and depth—authentically illustrating the trials and tribulations of the high school experience, rather than making a mockery out of adolescent egocentrism. This is a fun read, recommended for fans of contemporary fiction." --School Library JournalA 2015 Tayshas High School Reading List title2017 Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Awards Honor Book2015-2016 Teen Readers' Choice Stellar AwardSARAH MLYNOWSKI is the author of the Magic in Manhattan and Whatever After series, as well as Don't Even Think About It, Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have), Milkrun, and more. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Sarah was born in Montreal but lives and writes in New York City.You can visit her online at sarahm.com and follow @sarahmlynowski on Twitter and Instagram.; Title: Don't Even Think About It | [
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14,879 | 2 | Gr 7 UpWhen Jessica is declared brain dead after a car crash, her parents donate her organs, much to her lingering spirit's despair. Jessica observes the four teens who have benefitted from her organs: Samuel, who receives her kidneys; Vivian, her lungs and a heart; Leif, who receives tissue that will help his reconstructed joints; and Misty, her liver. The narration of her slow-motion crash, paramedics' attempts to revive her, and the confusion and chaos at the hospital when her parents learn of her fate is heartrending yet not overdramatic. The isolation, loneliness, and family stress faced by the chronically or critically ill characters is poignantly captured, as is the condescending attitude often shown toward them. Conflicts between the teens and their overbearing parents create sympathy for both sides. The survivors find solace in different ways: Samuel in computers, Vivian in art, and Misty in the public library. Although the emphasis does largely shift to the four beneficiaries, Jessica coming to terms with her death and the fate of her organs is an important aspect of the story. Facts about cystic fibrosis and post-transplant recovery are delivered conversationally without feeling tacked on. Although there are multiple protagonists with complex situations, each teen is fully developed as a character. An author's note explains deviations from the common post-transplant recovery time, and facts about organ donation. Brief information about cystic fibrosis, liver disease, and kidney disease is also included. Recommended for fans of medical dramas or Chris Lynch's Pieces (S. & S., 2013).Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VAOn one very bad day, cheerleaders engulf Jessica Chai in the school hallway and force her to cut her glistening blonde locks for their cancer charity competition. Her reward is a Halloween party invitation for that night that sets her mother on a mission to primp Jessica for optimal social belonging. Trying to find the party, Jessica has a fatal car accident, and the pieces of her become the guts of Kizers organ-donation-centered tale. Gamer Samuel receives her kidneys, artist Vivian her lungs and heart, football star Leif receives tissue and bone, and library page Misty gets her liver. Jessica follows her donations within the recipients, wondering how much of her soul they received along with her cells. Chapters alternate with each recipient starring in his or her own recovery and life circumstances. Kizer crosses their paths while chronicling their serious health issues. Readers comfortable with spirited deceased protagonists will appreciate Jessicas support of her recipients aspirations and impact on one another as they embrace her memory as a foundation for their interlaced futures. Grades 9-12. --Gail Bush; Title: Pieces of Me | [
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14,880 | 0 | Gr 47In this follow-up to Black Radishes (Delacorte, 2010), Meyer continues the story of a French Jew named Gustave, now 12, who emigrates with his parents to safety in the United States during World War II. Based on memories from the author's father, the story rings true as Gustave starts school at the Joan of Arc Junior High in New York City. His challenges learning English and navigating American culture make for a difficult start for the protagonist, along with his worries about his best friend, Marcel, whom he left behind in France to an uncertain fate. His friendship with September Rose, an African American girl at his school, makes his life easier in some ways, but he also encounters threats for being friends with someone of a different race. Eventually, he joins a French Boy Scout troop, which bring him pleasure, and he begins to fit in at school as his English improves. Letters from a friend in France, though censored by the Nazis, bring news from home and help Gustave appreciate the freedoms he now enjoys. Meyer brings in some very realistic details to the story, such as Gustave's mother's struggle at the grocery store, where bargaining is not customary as it was in France; the family's first experience with a banana; and Gustave's negative reaction to police officers. Gustave is disappointed to encounter racism and religious intolerance in America, where he finds "liberty and justice for all" is not always the case. September Rose has a teenage brother heavily involved in the Double V Campaign against racial segregation. The interaction between black teens and the New York City police is disturbingly similar to current newspaper headlines. Despite the heavy topics covered, the everyday details of the story guide readers, allowing them to enjoy following Gustave's entry into the United States and his growth toward appreciating all that's ahead for him in his new home. Meyer doesn't try to pretty up Gustave's experience, lending this work a strong note of authenticity. VERDICT Although not a book likely to fly off the shelves, it should still be considered a first purchase for its strong historical content, rich descriptions, and smart subtleties about the links between history and current events.Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NCJulia Ward Howe Honor Award Sydney Taylor Notable Book Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the YearJunior Library Guild Selection "This rich story reminds us that America can be at its best as a melting pot. A page-turner for all the right reasons."VINCE VAWTER, Newbery Honorwinning author ofPaperboy"I love everything about this poignant story, especially the gorgeous prose, which brings to life such an important slice of American history in a way I haven't seen before. Simply put, this heartfelt book is a masterpiece."--SHANA BURG, author of A Thousand Never Evers and Laugh with the MoonThe everyday details of the story guide readers, allowing them to enjoy following Gustaves entry into the United States and his growth toward appreciating all thats ahead for him in his new home. . . . Strong historical content, rich descriptions, and smart subtleties about the links between history and current events.School Library Journal Readers may gradually start to think of the characters as close friends. . . . The conflict might feel like it's happening to people the readers have always known. A sweet book that readers will find sneaks up on them.Kirkus Reviews"Well paced with fully realized characters, this provides a textured look at race, refugees, war, and the process of creating a new life."--Booklist ; Title: Skating with the Statue of Liberty | [
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14,881 | 0 | ROBIN BRIDGES's previous YA novel is The Gathering Storm, Volume I in the Katerina Trilogy.; Title: The Unfailing Light | [
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14,882 | 2 | Liz Ruckdeschel was raised in Hillsdale, New Jersey, where What If . . . is set. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in religious studies and currently lives in Los Angeles. Sara James has been an editor at Mens Vogue, has covered the media for Womens Wear Daily, has been a special projects producer for The Charlie Rose Show, and has written about fashion for InStyle magazine. She lives in New York and Los Angeles.ARMCHAIR LIBERALSSometimes "auld acquaintance" should be forgot."More mock-n-cheese, honey?"Haley Miller watched as Mrs. Armstrong plopped a mound of macaroni and tofu concoction onto her husband's plate. Dinner had ended for everyone else, but Doug Armstrong clearly couldn't get enough of this gelatinous stuff. And apparently, neither could Annie Armstrong's boyfriend, Dave Metzger."I'll take some more too, please, Mrs. Armstrong," Dave said, holding out his plate. "There's nothing like a big helping of mock-n-cheese. Mock cheese tastes better than real cheese any day, I think.""I totally agree," Mr. Armstrong said. Dave beamed at him. And Annie smiled at the two of them, obviously pleased to see them getting along so well.Haley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was weird to see just how alike Annie's father and her boyfriend were. They both had wiry, frizzy hair and bad skin. Even their names--Doug and Dave--were quite similar. The thought that Annie might like Dave because he was so much like her dad made Haley suddenly queasy--though the rumbling in her tumbling could have been the mock-n-cheese. It was probably both."It's almost time for the ball to drop," Haley said. Any excuse to get away from the faux gras. "Shouldn't we move into the living room and turn on the TV?""The city of New York wastes so much energy lighting up that silly ball," Haley's mother, Joan Miller, said. "I don't know whether to feel guilty for watching it and therefore supporting it, or guilty for depriving my kids of the communal experience.""I know what you mean, Joan," Blythe Armstrong said. "But if they're going to use the energy, we might as well enjoy it."The entire group stood up and waddled, full of vegetables and tofu, into the living room. It was New Year's Eve, and the Miller family--Haley, her seven-year-old brother, Mitchell, and their parents, Joan and Perry--were celebrating quietly with Annie Armstrong's family and a few friends. Annie's mother, Blythe, was an environmental lawyer at Armstrong & White, the firm where Joan worked, so the conversation was never lacking on the granola front.Blythe Armstrong poured champagne for Haley's parents and sparkling apple cider for the minors while Annie turned on the TV. It wasn't the most exciting New Year's Eve Haley could imagine--far from it--but she tried to make the best of it. At least she had some friends with her, even if they were mostly of the brainiac variety: Annie, Dave, their classmate Hannah Moss and star debater and politico Alex Martin, who cochaired the debate team with Annie. Alex stood out, even in this supersmart and superambitious crowd, but it was mostly for his conservative political views. He worked as an intern for New Jersey's Republican governor-elect, Eleanor Eton, known in the Miller household as Public Enemy Number One.Haley didn't agree with Alex's politics, but she found him the most interesting person at the party to talk to. And, in his bookish way, he was also the cutest."Maybe they should light the ball with nuclear power," Doug Armstrong said. "That would save a lot of energy, uh-heh, uh-heh." That odd pseudo-laugh he tacked onto the end of his sentence struck Haley as strangely familiar. She didn't have to wait long to figure out why."Sure--and possibly blow the city to smithereens," Dave said. "That'd be cool, uh-heh, uh-heh.""Nuclear power? Not that again," Perry said. "I did a doc on no-nukes fifteen years ago. I thought we'd settled the whole nuclear thing, and if Washington hadn't been too mired in lobbyist politics to push forward on greener technology, it would have stayed settled."Haley's father, Perry, was a documentary filmmaker who taught at Columbia and shared a liberal activist bent with his wife. Haley was all for liberal activism too; she just didn't find it scintillating party chat. She slid a silver elastic off her wrist and pulled her shoulder-length auburn hair into a loose ponytail. Why even bother looking glam for this crowd? Might as well get comfortable, since it looked as if she was in for a long night of discussing the pros and cons of clean energy sources."Nuclear power is a lot safer than it used to be," Alex protested. "And it's way cleaner than oil.""Nuclear power will never be safe enough for me," Perry said. "What do we do with the waste?""What do you suggest we use instead, Perry?" Blythe said. "So-called clean coal?""I think clean coal's not a bad way to go, actually," Doug chimed in."There's no such thing," Joan said. "It's an oxymoron, like healthy cigarettes. Al Gore is right about that, at least.""You should see what coal mining does to the Appalachians, too," Perry said. "It's like an open wound on the land, and the people who live there deal with all kinds of contamination. . . .""Well, we've got to use something to fuel our economy," Doug said. "I don't suppose anybody here is in favor of offshore drilling for more oil.""No!" Perry, Joan and Blythe shouted at once."Uh, it's New Year's Eve," Haley said. "Do you think we could talk about something a little more . . . festive?""Like what?" Annie said."How about Mrs. Eton's upcoming inauguration?" Alex suggested.Joan Miller looked horrified. "Look, Alex, you're a nice boy--a little misguided, maybe, but nice. What are you trying to do here, start a fistfight?""There's no issue more compelling to me right now than the environment," Blythe said. "I'd say this is our World War Three.""I'll settle this," Haley said. "The obvious compromise is a blend of traditional and alternative-energy sources. End of discussion. See how easy that was?""My practical daughter," Joan said. "We forgot about solar."Doug scoffed. "Please. Next you'll be telling me to convert my diesel car to vegetable oil.""That really works, you know, Dad," Annie said."Haley will be getting her driver's license soon," Perry said. "Only a month and a half from now. I have to admit that thought scares me a little."Haley was offended. "I'll be a good driver, Dad.""I'm sure you will," Perry said. "It just gives us another thing to worry about: car accidents.""Will you be getting a car for your birthday, Haley?" Alex asked."I don't know," Haley replied, nodding toward her parents. "Ask them.""She might be," Joan said with a knowing smirk."There may be a little surprise in the driveway come February fourteenth," Perry added, a little too confidently."Really?" Haley smiled. A lot of her friends had gotten cars for their seventeenth birthdays, but she hadn't expected her own parents to buy one for her. As far as Joan and Perry were concerned, mass transit was always the best way to travel, and Haley could take the bus. Or so she thought anyway. The idea that they might be softening in their old age and that she might actually get a car of her very own was the most exciting news she'd heard all night. In fact, it almost made up for the mock-n-cheese.; Title: What If . . . All Your Friends Turned on You | [
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14,883 | 11 | Gr 7 Up-In this young adult adaptation of Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference (Spiegel & Grau, 2009), St. John presents the remarkable, inspiring story of a persevering female coach, a soccer team of refugee boys, and the Georgia town that is their home. With conviction and skill, Jordanian Luma Mufleh established and coached three soccer teams known as the Fugees. Her players were haunted by memories of war-torn homelands and personal tragedies and were struggling to adjust to life in the United States. However, her high expectations and willingness to help families impacted her young players. Despite challenges to locate a practice field, minimal funding for uniforms and equipment, and zero fans on the sidelines, the Fugees practiced hard and demonstrated a team spirit that drew admiration from referees and even their competitors. Featuring pivotal soccer games and anecdotes about interactions between a coach and her players, tension among the boys, family responsibilities, and a town wrestling with its changing identity, St. John delivers a vivid, cohesive story about hope and determination. Profiles are enriched with background information on the conflicts that drove the players from their homes in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Respecting cultural differences, building a global community, and the importance of getting involved are powerful, motivating messages that will resonate with teen readers, not just soccer fans.-Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Christopher Award WinnerA Junior Library Guild SelectionAn NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People"Respecting cultural differences, building a global community, and the importance of getting involved are powerful, motivating messages that will resonate with teen readers, not just soccer fans."--Starred Review, School Library Journal"An uplifting underdog story that will appeal to readers interested in the immigrant experience and the surprising role sports can play in people's lives."--Kirkus Reviews"Exciting youth soccer action blends with politics . . . filled with fast kicks, scrimmages, dribbles, crossses, corners, shots, and misses on the field that will grab kids, as will the harrowing stories of what the families fled from their continuing struggle."--Booklist; Title: Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town | [
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14,884 | 2 | Gr 5-9Wyatt Parker is an awkward eighth grader who gets picked on by bullies and told what to do by his parents; his older brother, Aaron; and even his best friend, Francis. During the summer between middle school and high school, he tries to convince his parents that playing recreational football would be a better idea than going to boring golf camp. He's sick of being pushed around and wants to impress his crush-worthy neighbor. When they refuse to let him play, Aaron, a known troublemaker, makes Wyatt a deal he can't refuse: if Wyatt ditches golf camp and keeps it a secret from their parents, Aaron will let him play in the League of Pain, a rough and dirty secret football league in their town. Heldring creates a believable story about one boy's journey to find himself and make his own decisions. Although the plot develops slowly, at the halfway point the pace picks up. With its focus on bullying, a first crush, changing friendships, and coming of age, this book is a solid choice for reluctant readers who also happen to love football.Joanne Albano, Commack Public Library, NY(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Heldrings latest novel conveys well the allure of contact sports, particularly tackle football, and the appeal of evasive tactics, particularly lying to your parents. Of course, Heldring shows how lying fails Wyatt Parker in the end, but he also makes Wyatts actions understandable. Wyatt is introduced as a model eighth-grade student, but its the start of the summer, and he feels a need to prove himself. For too long, bigger kids have bothered, if not bullied, him, and although his parents are pushing him into golf camp, he would rather play flag football. So, in a tale narrated by Wyatt in hindsight, he ditches golf camp to sneak off to his older brothers secret football league. Wyatts deceit extends beyond his parents, but his desire to be part of a group, combined with the exhilaration of excelling at a team sport, helps him justify to himself what hes doing. Heldring deftly shows how Wyatt figures out the differences between him and his brother as well as the great appeal of a clear conscience. Grades 5-8. --Abby Nolan; Title: The League | [
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14,885 | 2 | Booklist, December 1, 2011:"A compelling look at World War IIera Sweden, this distinguished Holocaust story will resonate."Horn Book, January/February 2012:"Stephies story of adjustment to a new school and of a first crush is both specific and universal"ANNIKA THOR's bestselling quartet featuring the Steiner sisters has been translated into numerous languages and was adapted into a hugely popular television series in Sweden.; Title: The Lily Pond (Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Books) | [
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14,886 | 2 | CAITLIN KITTREDGE is the author of the Nocturne City series, the Black London adventures for St. Martin's Press. She lives and writes in Massachusetts. You can visit her at CaitlinKittredge.com.; Title: The Nightmare Garden (Iron Codex) | [
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14,887 | 0 | In the fast-paced conclusion of the Katerina Trilogy, the powerful young necromancer has made her romantic choiceGeorgebut their attempts to be together are thwarted at every turn. And now Konstantins spirit has possessed Danilo and kidnapped Katerina in his rush to find the Morning Star, with which he can regain rule of Russia. New locales, particularly Egypt and the nebulous Greylands, are vividly portrayed. Bridges character-building and pacing are perfect, though she does resort to a deus ex machina at least once to make the storys resolution work. Readers wont care because the bittersweet ending satisfies. Grades 7-10. --Melissa MooreROBIN BRIDGES's previous YA novels are The Gathering Storm and The Unfailing Light, Volumes I and II in The Katerina Trilogy.; Title: The Katerina Trilogy, Vol. III: The Morning Star | [
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14,888 | 2 | Praise for Kate Saunders Praise for Magicalamity [Children] will love this action-packed adventure, brimming with sly humor and clever asides.This book should fly off the shelves, with or without a magic carpet.SLJ, Starred Review A quick, magical romp.The Bulletin Saunders weaves a tight tale with a satisfying conclusion. BooklistFive Children on the Western Front Winner of the Costas Award for Childrens Fiction An irresistible read.Publishers Weekly, Starred Review Skillful and deeply moving. The GuardianA rewarding experience.BooklistSaunders strikes a surprisingly successful balance between the mischievous magic of the sand fairy and the harsh realities of wartime England. The BulletinA dramatic, heartrending look at World War Is far-reaching consequences for families and individuals.SLJ The Curse of the Chocolate Phoenix Saunders weaves the supernatural with the ordinary with ease. Readers who enjoyed The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop will not be disappointed.Booklist Clearly, Saunders has honed her deft and breezy comic style while affectionately channeling mild echoes of Harry Potter and The Hobbit.Kirkus Reviews Saunderss imagination is out in full force.Hand this to readers who love adventure, fantasy, and Mission Impossibletype adventure.SLJ The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop This story has adventure, excitement, humor and magic, and will appeal to boys and girls alike.SLJ Reminiscent of Roald DahlsCharlie and the Chocolate Factory.BooklistA quick pace and intricate plot twists keep excitement high . . . [in] this enjoyable and moving romp through a magical London underworld.Publishers Weekly Beswitched A Junior Library Guild Selection This absorbing novelfeatures a dimensional, delightful protagonist, whose personality and growth ring true....Along with the entertaining magical elements, the universal themes of self-discovery, and looking beyond appearances combine into a wholly engaging and enjoyable read.Booklist, Starred Review Saunders offers a coming-of-age tale against the rich backdrop of full period detail . . . [It] will charm readers.Publishers Weekly A ripping English boarding-school story with a perceptive heroine and time-travel twist guaranteed to appeal to modern schoolgirls.Kirkus ReviewsKATE SAUNDERS has written lots of books for adults and children. She lives in London with her son and her three cats.; Title: Magicalamity | [
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14,889 | 2 | JACQUELINE HARVEY has spent her working life teaching in girls' boarding schools. She has also published three novels for young readers as well as a picture book in her native Australia.; Title: Alice-Miranda on Vacation | [
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14,890 | 2 | Gr 9 UpStrong-willed Jay Marinitch is a vampire hunter living in an intriguing world full of Tristes, shape-shifters, and other supernatural beings. Jay, 19, is a witch and part of SingleEarth, an organization whose purpose is to maintain the peace and keep the multitude of species in balance. In his search for answers surrounding the discovery of an unconscious woman, Jay accidentally releases an angry elemental, a being that gain[s] power through the mortals bound to [it], who is bent on revenge. He also uncovers disturbing information about the resurgence of Midnight, a vampire-controlled slave empire. To combat impending chaos, Jay partners with some unlikely allies. While full of mysterious characters, compelling mythology, and intricate plot twists and turns, this involved story can be confusing and leaves many questions unanswered. Readers should be familiar with Atwater-Rhodes's past works since previous characters are mentioned or make appearances, which can complicate things. Recommended for the author's fans.Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.AMELIA ATWATER-RHODES's most recent novel is Poison Tree. She wrote her first novel, In the Forests of the Night, when she was 13. Other books in the Den of Shadows series are Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror, Midnight Predator, Persistence of Memory, Token of Darkness, and All Just Glass. The five-volume series The Kiesha'ra includes: Hawksong, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Selection; Snakecharm; Falcondance; Wolfcry, an IRA-CBC Young Adults' Choice; and Wyvernhail.; Title: Promises to Keep | [
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14,891 | 0 | The plot is enriched by winning characters, meaningful friendships, a taut atmosphere, and secrets multiplying as fast as the storys rats. Bookliststarred reviewNot only will this novel hold a proud spot on the deadly disease shelf with Jim Murphy's An American Plague and Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793, it's a vivid picture of 20th-century San Francisco and a stirring story of a lonely, funny girl trying to be her "best true self." Shelf Awareness starred reviewFrom the Hardcover edition.Gennifer Choldenko is the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honorwinning author of many popular childrens books, including Notes from a Liar and Her Dog, If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, Al Capone Does My Shirts, Al Capone Shines My Shoes, Al Capone Does My Homework, and No Passengers Beyond This Point. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she hopes never to see a rat. Dead or otherwise. Visit her online at choldenko.com.; Title: Chasing Secrets | [
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14,892 | 0 | Gr 6-8-Inspired by Emile Zola's short story Les Repoussoirs, this debut novel takes place during the late 1800s. Maude Pichon, a runaway, discovers life in Paris to be crueler and much less romantic than she imagined from her country home in provincial Brittany. To get by, she takes a job as a repoussoir, a young woman hired for her ugliness and used to highlight the beauty of her patroness. Maude's first client is a challenge: a headstrong young woman named Isabel, who is unaware that Maude has been hired by her mother to act as Isabel's beauty foil. But as the lines of friendship are blurred by her responsibilities, what will Maude choose? Should she stay true to her friend at the expense of her career or continue to be the mother's puppet, potentially sacrificing Isabel's happiness? This is a compelling story about friendship, the complexity of beauty, and self-discovery. It is full of strong female characters driven by the pursuit of their dreams rather than pursuit of a husband, thus defying their societal roles. Maude's evolution and development are believable, and are the driving force of the plot. Her journey from the proletariat to the elite and back again gives readers a comprehensive picture of Parisian life during the Belle Epoque.-Tiffany O'Leary, Mount Saint Mary College, NY(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Maude, 16 and homeless, makes her way from provincial Brittany to Paris, determined to claim a place in its shimmering heart. But life at the close of the nineteenth century is hard. Maude struggles to make her way and soon finds herself a repoussoir at the Durandeau Agency, a plain girl rented out to the cream of society to make their own daughters shine in comparison. In no time, she is employed by a countess and attached to Isabelle, a debutante of surprising integrity. Maude is soon caught in a web of deceit, torn between her employer and her friend, between splendor and substance, and between reality and dreaming. She clings to the work that keeps her afloat, dazzled by the splendor of society and intrigued by Isabelles secret plans for university, all the while tamping down her own, growing hopes for a small piece of happiness that just might include Paul, a floppy, charming bohemian musician. With resonant period detail, elegant narration, and a layered exploration of class and friendship, this provocative novel is ripe with satisfaction. Grades 7-12. --Thom Barthelmess; Title: Belle Epoque | [
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14,893 | 2 | GARY PAULSEN is the distinguished author of many critically acclaimed books for young people. His most recent books are Crush; Flat Broke; Liar, Liar; Paintings from the Cave; Lawn Boy Returns; Woods Runner; Masters of Disaster; Notes from the Dog; Mudshark; Lawn Boy; Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day; The Time Hackers; and The Amazing Life of Birds (The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech).; Title: Vote (Liar Liar) | [
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14,894 | 2 | Sofia, the Blogtastic Blogger, is back in this follow-up to Gossip from the Girls Room (2011). This time she swears against spreading gossip, but an overheard conversation about an exchange student is too juicy to ignore. In her private pre-blogging notebook, chock full of doodled illustrations, Sofia obsesses about popularity, boys, and a mean girl whose main offense appears to be fruit-scented hair. The style recalls the Wimpy Kid series but lacks its sympathetic narrator, engaging characters, or slapstick humor. Still, there is high demand for journal-style books, and fans of the first book may gravitate to this one. --Suzanne Harold"The lightweight plot skips along steadily, and the black-and-white sketches on lined notebooklike paper add appeal. Coopers uncanny ability to think, illustrate, and blog like a middle schooler shines through in Sofias charming, comical voice. Fans of Jeff Kinneys Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Abrams) as well as other diary-related books should find this one especially attractive, while the short, easy format will appeal to reluctant readers." --School Library JournalPraise for Gossip from the Girls' Room:"Diary of a Wimpy KidmeetsHarriet the Spy."--Keeper of all Wisdom (blog)"Rose Cooper brings Sofia to life in her debut book...Through her witty words and sketches, Cooper is able to take a serious concept, bullying and name-calling, and show readers why its a bad idea." --GirlsLife.com"I really enjoyed reading this book...It's totally BLOGTASTIC!" --National Geographic Kids"Written as a journal with illustrations and asides, this humorous take on trying to fit in will find wide appeal. Hand this to female fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and they'll soon start anticipating Sophia's next adventure." --Booklist"Cooper keely captures Sofia's quintessential preteen voice: spunky and full of a blustering bravado meant to mask her vulnerability. Sofia's experiences, recorded in faux-hand printing on lined paper, and the many hilarious sketches scattered throughout the journal will garner groans and laughs from readers." --Kirkus Reviews"The tone here is frothy and middle-school histrionic, making Sofia a wonderfully entertaining voice...Coopers black-and-white sketches add additional comic appeal; particularly amusing are the portraits, composed with big-eyed manga flair and a caricature-esque attention to defining details." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"What a very clever book! . . . Girls reading this book will truly understand what Sophia is going through. The writing is interesting, flows well, has humor and heartbreak, and is such a perfect book for a girl. . . . Perfect for a reluctant reader." --Children's Literature; Title: Rumors from the Boys' Room: A Blogtastic! Novel | [
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14,895 | 0 | Praise for the Dispossessed Trilogy:“A deliciously satisfying mix of historical fiction, mystery, and supernatural romance.”—The Bulletin“Morgan combines fantasy with gothic romance in this well-crafted standout.”—Booklist “Forbidden romance and hot kissing abound.”—Kirkus Reviews“Morgan keeps the plot moving with constant action…dark adventure and romance.”—School Library Journal“Morgan's fluid descriptions, inventive otherworldly elements, and characters with convincing motivations result in an immersive first installment.”—Publishers WeeklyFrom the Hardcover edition.   Page Morgan has been fascinated with les grotesques ever since she came across an old black-and-white photograph of a Notre Dame gargoyle keeping watch over the city of Paris. Her subsequent research fed her imagination, and she was inspired to piece together her own mythology for these remarkably complex stone figures. Page lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their three children.   Visit her at pagemorganbooks.com, follow her on Twitter @PageMorganbooks, and look for the first book in the Dispossessed trilogy, The Beautiful and the Cursed, as well as the final book of the series, The Wondrous and the Wicked, available from Delacorte Press.; Title: The Lovely and the Lost (The Dispossessed) | [
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14,896 | 2 | JACQUELINE HARVEY has spent her working life teaching in girls' boarding schools. She has also published numerous novels for young readers in her native Australia.; Title: Alice-Miranda At Sea | [
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14,897 | 2 | Praise for the Reckoners Series:"The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive."James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series Another win for Sanderson . . . hes simply a brilliant writer. Period. Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind [STAR] Snappy dialogue, bizarre plot twists, high-intensity action, and a touch of mystery and romance . . . leaves [readers] panting for the sequel. Booklist, Starred "Action-packed."EW.com Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store. The A.V. ClubAn absolute page-turner."Publishers Weekly"A straight-up Marvel Comics-style action drama."Kirkus ReviewsFrom the Hardcover edition.Brandon Sanderson is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Reckoners series: Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity, as well as the internationally bestselling books in the Stormlight Archive and the Mistborn trilogy. He was also chosen to complete Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. His books have been published in more than twenty-five languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He lives and writes in Utah. To learn more about Brandon and his books, visit him at brandonsanderson.com and follow @BrandSanderson on Twitter.; Title: Steelheart (The Reckoners) | [
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14,898 | 2 | This fanciful frolic through the alphabet gives youngsters words and images aplenty to chuckle over.Publishers WeeklyBill Grossman worked as a gravedigger, forklift operator, computer engineer, and third-grade teacher before writing books for children. He is now a professor of engineering. He lives in Connecticut.Kevin Hawkes is the author as well as the illustrator of The Wicked Big Toddlah. He lives in Maine.; Title: My Little Sister Hugged an Ape | [
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14,899 | 11 | Gr 8 UpAspiring chefs and fans of the Food Network will appreciate learning about the incredible journey of celebrity chef Samuelsson from this new edition of his autobiography Yes, Chef (Random, 2012), adapted for a teen audience. Samuelsson's perfectly imperfect life began in Ethiopia. An orphan whose parents died of tuberculosis, Samuelsson and his sister were adopted by a couple living in Sweden, where they thrived under the warmth and protection of their new parents. The Samuelssons instilled in him a strong work ethic, while his beloved grandmother nurtured his interest in food and cuisine. Devastated by his failure as a soccer player due to his slight weight and stature, Samuelsson instead decided to train as a chef. His incomparable work ethic would help him rise to the highest echelons of European cuisine, while a chance opportunity would elevate him to become the youngest chef ever to receive three stars from the New York Times. This new edition is a delightful read, and Samuelsson effectively connects his love of food to his personal journey. He is a clear and thoughtful storyteller, conveying his frustration about how his race made him an outsider. His refusal to quit amid adversity is admirable. In adjusting his book for teenage readers, however, Samuelsson leaves out many compelling chapters about his life, including the experience of meeting his biological family in Ethiopia and winning the covetous award for the best chef in the United States. VERDICT While this is an enjoyable memoir, libraries would be better served by purchasing Yes, Chef.Maria Alegre, The Dalton School, New York"'Step up to the challenge; don't avoid it. Win or lose, take the shot.' Samuelsson neatly serves up inspiration and food for thought."--Kirkus Reviews"The perfect book for teen foodies and a great choice for others, thanks to its . . . compelling story . . . and sound advice."--VOYA"A delightful read. . . .Samuelsson effectively connects his love of food to his personal journey."--School Library Journal"Samuelsson asserts . . . that three things have stood him in good stead: he is humble, he works hard, and he loves food. This smoothly written account, coauthored with [Veronica] Chambers, brings the drama of the kitchen to vivid and memorable life."--Booklist; Title: Make It Messy: My Perfectly Imperfect Life | [
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