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The Portal's Choice: Book One of The Gatekeepers of Em'pyrean (Volume 1)
The Portal's Choice
Top Choice
Portals. Doorways. Gateways. All ways to get in or out of someplace, right? Nothing weird, spooky or otherworldly about them. Or, at least that’s what Tallis Challinor always thought. Tallis is a practical young woman, a writer, a lover of words and a natural storyteller. But she’s not sure what to do when real-life sucks her into a story far stranger than anything she’s ever imagined. Tallis discovers that portals are passageways between the human and spirit worlds. She finds out that bent-on-evil ghosts can escape from the spirit realm through those gateways whether they are supposed to or not. And when they do, Tallis finds herself the chosen human, picked by the portal in her basement in New Hampshire, to seek out and return the wayward spirits. All Tallis wants to do is recover from the loss of her parents and settle into her new home. She’d like a boyfriend, someone like the cute guy, Aiden, down the street. She’d like some girlfriends to talk to and maybe even go shopping with. And she’d like the ghosts, the portal, and the responsibility that has been thrust upon her to disappear. But when the ghosts threaten her new hometown, her friends, and the family she holds so dear, Tallis discovers the inner courage to meet the portal’s challenge and save those most precious to her. Along the way, Tallis learns that she is more than she’s ever imagined herself to be and that she deserves more than she’s ever dreamed possible.

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Rebels of the Kasbah (Red Hand Adventures)
Rebels of the Kasbah
Joe O'Neill
Kidnapped on the streets of Tangier and sold into slavery, Tariq, Fez, and Aseem are fighting for their lives with the evil warlord, Caid Ali Tamzali, ruler of the Rif Mountains. Joined by British school girl Margaret Owen, also kidnapped and sold to the Caid to join his harem, the four must act quickly to escape before almost certain death—or worse. Although aided by a beautiful assassin and a small but clever band of resistance fighters, their lives depend on their own teamwork, inventiveness, and courage.This fast-paced historical adventure, set in 1912, transports you from Tangier's corrupt slave markets to the wild frontier of the Moroccan desert, to the heart of ancient China, and the pirate-infested seas of the Mediterranean. The first book in the Red Hand Adventures series, Rebels of the Kasbah is an exhilarating tale of adventure, daring, danger and friendship.

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Revenge of a Not-So-Pretty Girl
Revenge of a Not-So-Pretty Girl
Carolita Blythe
Fans of Walter Dean Myers and Rita Williams-Garcia's One Crazy Summer will cherish this gripping story of an African American girl living in 1980s Brooklyn, who overcomes abuse and neglect in discovering real friendship, self-respect, and that pretty and mean don't always win.  Girls who are pretty have a way of looking down their perfect noses at anyone they feel isn’t worthy of sharing the air with them. They have a way of making regular girls like me feel inferior for not winning the gene pool lottery. Tormenting them is my way of getting even. Everyone knows that pretty equals mean, and Evelyn Ryder used to be a beautiful movie star—never mind that it was practically a lifetime ago. There’s no time limit on mean. So if you think I feel guilty about mugging her, think again. But for something that should have been so simple, it sure went horribly wrong. A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTIONA Bankstreet Best Book of the Year"Definitely a page-turner!"--Seventeen.com“Exhilarating . . . compelling and believable.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred“A well-told story of an empowering friendship.”—The Bulletin, Recommended “This realistic portrayal of emotions, decisions, and hardships will appeal to teens who are also struggling with their identities.”—SLJ “Blythe, in her first book for teens, explores karma, guilt, morality, and taking responsibility for one’s actions.  . . . the story provides a thoughtful glimpse of what it’s like to reevaluate one’s life at any age.”—Publisher’s Weekly   “This is a classic coming-of-age story . . . Faye’s personal growth and her eventual escape from a dark home life are rewarding.”—Booklist

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Promises to Keep
Promises To Keep
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
The compendium of creations (SingleEarth, the Bruja guilds, the Midnight empire) intertwine in an exciting, unsettling plot featuring happenings both accidental and deliberate that will forever change the alternate landscape inhabited by vampires, Tristes, shapeshifters et al. It all begins with a wrong turn and a crashed party, and from there it's an epic clash of elements and the promise of more chaos still to come. At the center of the storm is Jay, a young vampire hunter that no one would ever have predicted might be earth's best bet to thwart the rise of a vampire-controlled slave empire called Midnight. Teens will find themselves drawn to Jay, who struggles to prove his worth even while he has his own fears that those who have written him off may be right to do so.

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Strands of Bronze and Gold
Strands of Bronze and Gold
Jane Nickerson
The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world. Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

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Scowler
Scowler
Daniel Kraus
Equal parts haunting and horrifying, this literary horror novel gives readers insight into the mind of a controlling homicidal man and the son who must stop him. "Marvin Burke is one of the great monsters of literature, a figure of immense, credible terror and savagery."--Cory Doctorow, author of Little Children and coeditor of Boing BoingImagine your father is a monster. Would that mean there are monsters inside you, too?Nineteen-year-old Ry Burke, his mother, and little sister eke out a living on their dying family farm. Ry wishes for anything to distract him from the grim memories of his father’s physical and emotional abuse. Then a meteorite falls from the sky, bringing with it not only a fragment from another world but also the arrival of a ruthless man intent on destroying the entire family. Soon Ry is forced to defend himself by resurrecting a trio of imaginary childhood protectors: kindly Mr. Furrington, wise Jesus, and the bloodthirsty Scowler.

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Starstruck
Starstruck
Rachel Shukert
A new series set in the golden age of glam . . . “Wit, pluck, darkness, pitch perfect period details, juicy twists, and big heart. This book is one to savor.”--Anna Godbersen, New York Times bestselling author of the Luxe and Bright Young Things seriesEvery week they arrive in Los Angeles--beautiful and talented young hopefuls who dream of becoming stars. It's all Margaret Frobisher has ever wanted—and when she's discovered by a powerful agent, she can barely believe her luck. She's more than ready to escape her snobby private school and conservative Pasadena family for a chance to light up the silver screen.The competition is fierce at Olympus Studios and Margaret—now Margo—is chasing her Hollywood dreams alongside girls like Gabby Preston, who at 16 is already a grizzled show-biz veteran caught between the studio and the ravenous ambition of her ruthless mother, and sultry Amanda Farraday, who seems to have it all--ambition, glamour . . . and dirty secrets. Missing from the pack is Diana Chesterfield, the beautiful actress who mysteriously disappeared, and there are whispers that Diana's boyfriend—Margo's new co-star—may have had something to do with it. Margo quickly learns that fame comes with a price, and that nothing is what it seems.   Set in Old Hollywood, Starstruck follows the lives of three teen girls as they live, love, and claw their way to the top in a world where being a star is all that matters.“Valley of the Dolls for a new generation.”—a TeenVogue.com  ‘Read During Spring Break’ selection“If you're into T.V. dramas like Smash, or love the over-the-top fashion of The Great Gatsby, Starstruck will have you hooked!”—a Seventeen.com  ‘What to Read This Summer’ selection

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Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath)
Deep Betrayal
Anne Greenwood Brown
Fans of Amanda Hocking's novel, Wake, will dive into this paranormal romance featuring mermaids--the killer kind--and won't come up for air! It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . . "Deep Betrayal is as suspenseful as it is sexy. You'll want to catch this one!"--MaryJanice Davidson, New York Times bestselling author of the Undead series"Heartbreaking. Nerve-racking. Absolutely irresistible."--Kristen Simmons, author of the Article 5 series

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Mountains Beyond Mountains (Adapted for Young People): The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer,  A Man Who Would Cure the World
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Michael French, Tracy Kidder
Tracy Kidder's critically acclaimed adult nonfiction work, Mountains Beyond Mountains has been adapted for young people by Michael French. In this young adult edition, readers are introduced to Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard-educated doctor with a self-proclaimed mission to transform healthcare on a global scale. Farmer focuses his attention on some of the world's most impoverished people and uses unconventional ways in which to provide healthcare, to achieve real results and save lives.

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Heart of Glass
Heart of Glass
Sasha Gould
Heart of Glass In Renaissance Venice, Laura's marriage to Roberto is thrown into chaos when he is accused of murder, while the Segreta are under threat from the Doge's army, and loyalties are sorely tested. Full description

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