Fiction
Finding the Worm
Mark Goldblatt
The New York Post praised Twerp as “reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Finding the Worm is a sequel that stands on its own--an unforgettable coming-of-age story about life, loss, and friendship. Perfect for fans of The Sandlot and readers who love books by Jennifer L. Holm, Andrew Clements, and Rebecca Stead. It’s not a test unless you can fail. . . . Trouble always seems to find thirteen-year-old Julian Twerski. First it was a bullying incident, and now he’s been accused of vandalizing a painting. The principal doesn’t want to suspend him again, so instead, he asks Julian to write a 200-word essay on good citizenship. Julian writes 200 no’s instead, and so begins an epic struggle between Julian and his principal. Being falsely accused is bad enough, but outside of school, Julian’s dealing with even bigger issues. His friend Quentin has been really sick. How can life be fair when the nicest guy in your group has cancer? Julian’s faith and friendships are put to the test . . . and the stakes have never been higher.Praise for Twerp: A Bank Street Best Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Selection A Summer Top Ten Kids’ Indie Next List Pick “Reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. . . . You don’t have to be a twerp to read this book.” —New York Post “A vivid, absorbing story about one boy’s misadventure, heartache, and hope for himself.” —Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal–winning author of When You Reach Me “[Fans of] Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid who have matured beyond the scope and gravity of that series will find a kindred spirit in Julian.” —School Library Journal “Reminiscent of movies like The Sandlot. . . . Well-written and funny.” —The Advocate “Alternately poignant and comical. . . . A thought-provoking exploration of bullying, personal integrity and self-acceptance.” —Kirkus Reviews “Funny, poignant, and an effective commentary on bullying and its consequences.” —The Horn Book Magazine
Book Details
Recommended Books
I Remember You
Cathleen Davitt Bell
For fans of THE FUTURE OF US comes an engrossing story of two teens, whose love for each other is tested by time and fate. Lucas and Juliet couldn’t be more different from each other. But from the moment Lucas sees Juliet, he swears he remembers their first kiss. Their first dance. Their first fight. He even knows what’s going to happen between them—not because he can predict the future, but because he claims to have already lived it. Juliet doesn’t know whether to be afraid for herself or for Lucas. As Lucas’s memories occur more frequently, they also grow more ominous. All Juliet wants is to keep Lucas safe with her. But how do you hold on to someone you love in the present when they’ve begun slipping away from you in the future?"An ode to the enduring, transforming power of love." - Susane Colasanti, author of Now and Forever"This is a book that shows you what true love is: heart-stopping, mind-bending, life-changing." - Melissa Cantor, author of Maybe One Day
Book Details
Recommended Books
Seeker
Arwen Elys Dayton
“Katniss and Tris would approve.”—TeenVogue.com The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor. As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world. And she'll be with the boy she loves--who's also her best friend. But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes. Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought. And now it's too late to walk away."This book will not disappoint."-USAToday.com"Fans of Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Marie Lu’s Legend, and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series: your next obsession has arrived."-School Library Journal"In this powerful beginning to a complex family saga...Dayton excels at creating memorable characters."-Publishers Weekly“[A] genre-blending sci-fi, fantasy…[with] action-packed scenes.”—Booklist "Secrets, danger, and romance meet in this unforgettable epic fantasy." —Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures & author of Unbreakable"A tightly-woven, action-packed story of survivial and adventure, Seeker is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones." —Tahereh Mafi, author of the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series
Book Details
Recommended Books
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
Teresa Toten
Filled with moments of deep emotion and unexpected humor, this understated and wise novel explores the complexities of living with OCD and offers the prospect of hope, happiness and healing. Perfect for readers who love Eleanor & Park and All the Bright Places. ADAM’S GOALS:Grow immediately.Find courage.Keep courage.Get normal.Marry Robyn Plummer. The instant Adam Spencer Ross meets Robyn Plummer in his Young Adult OCD Support Group, he is hopelessly, desperately drawn to her. Robyn has an hypnotic voice, blue eyes the shade of an angry sky, and ravishing beauty that makes Adam’s insides ache. She’s also just been released from a residential psychiatric program—the kind for the worst, most difficult-to-cure cases; the kind that Adam and his fellow support group members will do anything to avoid joining.Adam immediately knows that he has to save Robyn, must save Robyn, or die trying. But is it really Robyn who needs rescuing? And is it possible to have a normal relationship when your life is anything but? Select praise for The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B:“. . . achingly authentic. Like Augustus Waters before him, Adam Spencer Ross will renew your faith in real-life superheroes and shatter your heart in equal measures.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred“This book made me laugh, cry, think, and kept me coming back for more.” —The Guardian “Adam is a protagonist that readers will root for.” —VOYA “Honest, fresh, and funny . . . Toten employs information about OCD like grace notes in this deft and compelling narrative.” —Booklist “Adam is a fresh and complex character, and far more than the sum of his symptoms.” —Publishers Weekly
Book Details
Recommended Books
A Grandfather's Blessing (Amber-Autumn Series Book 2)
In this second chapter book Amber and Autumn go to an estate sale in an old home and discover a secret room in the library. They purchase an ornate chest they find in the room and later uncover its hidden mysteries that lead them on an adventure they won't soon forget.
Book Details
Recommended Books
Toks & the Phoenix Project
Toks has never considered herself as anyone special and her life is pretty ordinary for the most part. The only thing she cares about is moving out from home away her mother’s watchful eye and having a real life outside school. As it is, she has just started graduate school under the tutelage of the eccentric, grumpy but brilliant scientist Professor Johnson as part of his research team which already consists of three other interesting, brilliant students and quickly gets to work creating a ‘miracle’ hair growth formula. However, just when Toks thinks she’s on the verge of a breakthrough with her hair formulation, Professor Johnson rejects her thesis proposal and wants her to catalog the metabolic characteristics of some bacterium instead, which is nothing more than pointless grunt work in Toks’s view. To make matters worse, this new assignment is also the most unpromising research project in his entire group. Professor Johnson has either gone nuts or is onto something. But unknown to her and her fellow students, Professor Johnson is secretly working for the CIA to uncover a mysterious plot involving a dangerous group known as the Shango Triangle who have made it clear to the professor that they want his top secret research project for themselves and will do anything to get it. When the CIA’s plans to capture the master mind of the Shango Triangle go awry and the respected professor is unable to continue, Toks becomes an unwitting star in the conspiracy and it becomes a race against time to discover what the professor was involved with in order to save the lives of her family and friends. As Toks works to uncover the mystery, she finds herself in the middle of a plot that is an intoxicating concoction of espionage and secrecy. The only question now is, will Toks make it through the semester intact or will she be a casualty by association?
Book Details
Recommended Books
Coral & Bone
Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame. Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can't help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.
Book Details
Recommended Books
Peace, Bugs, and Understanding: An Adventure in Sibling Harmony
Lily and her little sister Ruby are having a picnic when Ruby spoils their game of checkers. Lily lashes out but soon gets absorbed in a wonderful book, the story of her great grandfather’s encounter with a strange looking frog-like creature called Anger. The precious old journal teaches Lily about Metta, a technique that has helped people transform anger into loving kindness for thousands of years.With original watercolors by award-winning illustrator Youme Nguyen Ly, Peace, Bugs, and Understanding is an invaluable tool for parents and teachers, and will help children learn to understand the causes of their own strong emotions, while teaching them peaceful ways to resolve difficulties through mindfulness and meditation.
Book Details
Recommended Books
The Tale of the Wulks
When evil threatens to dominate earth and subjugate its citizens, a mixed band of humans and magical creatures must set forth to confront it. Among them, a unique autistic being discovers the depth of his courage and power as he steps forward to lead his small group of warriors as life and death hang in the balance. An action-packed journey in the ageless battle between good and evil, V. K. Green’s debut weaves fantasy-adventure with science fiction and thriller elements to stunning effect. Rilk Wulk is an autistic boy living among his people atop Mission Peak Regional Preserve in California, unknown to the humans a short distance away. A magical race, they are guardians of the earth and its citizens, ever vigilant, ever watchful, ever ready to take up arms against those who would attack our planet. One day when Rilk sees his grandfather Manfield leaving the country with the Dragon Prince Englar, he knows that danger is imminent and that he and his friends must join the quest—whatever the cost. Dark Lord Vanko is determined to dominate earth and make humankind his unwilling subjects. Now Rilk, Prince Englar, and their friends must destroy Vanko’s evil plans. To do so, however, they will need greater numbers. Joined by races of men, dwarfs, and elves, they face a foe far more powerful than their numbers combined. Narrowly escaping death and barely holding their fellowship together, Rilk steps forward to lead them as Lord Vanko prepares to kill all of them. A breathtaking vision of unbridled imagination, Green delivers a mind-expanding action-adventure that is filled with amazing creatures, edge-of-your-seat thrills, and jaw-dropping battles. Moving effortlessly forward, it portrays a character whose autism is neither a hindrance nor a special power—it is, as they say, simply what it is: a difference in how the brain functions. As thought provoking as it is entertaining, The Tale of the Wulks will change the way you think as it both entertains and captivates you.
Book Details
Recommended Books
In the not-too-distant future, the United Regions of America has formed. Governors hold territories instead of states, and while Washington, DC, is gone, the government has more control than ever before. For fifteen-year-old Vivica Wilkins, the daughter of a governor, this is life as usual. High school seems pretty much the same--until one day, that controlling power steps right through the door during study hall.When Vivica speaks out to defend her pregnant friend against the harsh treatment of Population Management Officer Marina Ward, she has no idea she's sowing the seeds of a revolution in her own life. But it isn't long before she discovers her own illegal pregnancy. Now she has to decide whether to get the mandatory abortion--or follow her heart, try to keep the baby, and possibly ruin her mother's chances at becoming president.A rebel group called the Emancipation Warriors, who are fighting to restore freedoms once held unalienable, offer her asylum. Can Vivica trust these rebels to help her or will they bring everything crashing down around her? Accepting their help may come with consequences she isn't ready to face.Marissa Shrock's debut novel crafts a chilling story of what may be to come if we allow the economic and moral crises currently facing our country to change the foundations on which we built our independence--and of the difference one person can make when they choose to trust God's lead.
Book Details
Recommended Books