For Reluctant Readers

An unusual psychological thriller asks: Is it possible to fix a tragic future by changing the past -- while experiencing life backwards? At the moment Dan's life ends, the Rider's begins. Unwillingly tied to Dan, the Rider finds himself moving backwards in time, each day revealing more of the series of events that led to Dan's suicide. As the Rider struggles to figure out what he's meant to do, he revels in the life Dan ignores. Beyond the simple pleasures of a hot shower and the sun on his face, the Rider also notices the people around Dan: his little sister, always disappointed by her big brother's rejection, his overwhelmed mom, who can never rely on Dan for help, and Cat --with her purple hair, artistic talent, and misfit beauty. But Cat doesn't want anything to do with Dan. While the days move in reverse and Halloween looms, it's up to the Rider to find out why Cat is so angry, and what he must do to make things right. In his second novel for teens, Todd Mitchell turns time around as the Rider attempts to fix the future by changing the past and experiences the joys and heartbreak of living backwards.
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Drift
Patrick Jones
The great thing about drifting, thinks Kekoa, is that it's more about skill than expensive parts. That's good for him. Since his mom left him on the island with his grandma, his Nissan Skyline 350 is all he has to his name. Life is the opposite for Billy Cain, who can buy his way into or out of anything. But when Billy's antics threaten the few things Kekoa cares about, they'll put it to the test: does skill or money win out when it comes to wheels, winding mountain roads, honor, and love?
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Slammed
Patrick Jones
DeAndre knows racing again could land him back in reform school—or this time, behind bars. But even with his Honda Civic impounded, he can't stay away. Especially when he gets the chance to go head-to-head with Ali, who stole DeAndre's girlfriend, Nikki. When others aren't playing fair, DeAndre will have to decide: How can he tell who's on his side? And is earning back his credibility worth risking his life?
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Jacked
Eric Stevens
Ever since James turned old enough to drive, he's wanted to enter his Ford Focus ST in the street races downtown. The first night he sneaks out, James finds trouble before he reaches the starting line. A gorgeous older girl has crossed some dangerous people—and she decides James is her ride out of harm's way. The situation is explosive, but James can't keep from investigating. Will he drive the girl to a new life—or crash and burn? Includes real tech specs and tuning details for the FORD FOCUS ST!
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Blind Curve
Elizabeth Karre
An Acura Integra has been in Penny's family's garage for years. Now, after countless hours of work, Penny and her brother have turned the Acura into fine-tuned street-racing machine. But just as Penny's ready to show off her ride—and her driving skills—a car that looks suspiciously like her beloved Integra is involved in a brutal hit-and-run that nearly kills a classmate. Did her own brother cross the center line?
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Echo
Amanda Clay
On the surface Emily Porter, aka Echo, has it all: plenty of money, a close-knit group of friends, permissive parents, a job in fashion. But what she really wants is less. Much less. Less food, less flesh, less fat, less of the body she sees as her captor and her cage. A chance to model in an upcoming Gothic fashion show is the perfect deadline, and Echo takes this opportunity as a challenge to achieve less -- a chance to reduce herself to nothing. At first the transformation is effortless. Echo loses weight, meets a new boy, hosts the social event of the holiday season. But soon there are problems: weakness, temptation, blackouts, freak-outs, trouble with family and friends. What begins as diet and exercise soon turns into blood, pain, obsession, and as Echo's mind and body begin to change so does her view of herself. She cannot see the woman in the mirror, nor the danger she is facing. Can she stop herself, see herself, before it's too late?
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Timmy Failure
Stephan Pastis, Stephan Pastis
Want to aspire to greatness? Check out this new edition of Timmy Failure’s first adventure—featuring the bonus section “How to Draw Timmy and Total.”He may be clueless, but the comically self-confident Timmy Failure is CEO of the best detective agency in town, perhaps even the nation. Now Timmy’s legion of fans are invited to set off on their own path to mastery with the help from Stephan Pastis. Added material includes step-by-step instructions on how to draw Timmy and his impressively lazy business partner, the polar bear Total—including a trick to making them both look a tiny bit nuts (hint: the secret is in the eyes). Even better, kids are invited to share the spotlight with Timmy by sending their drawings to his website, for a chance to be featured in the Timmy Failure Gallery of Greatness.
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Make Magic! Do Good!
Dallas Clayton, Dallas Clayton
From from an exciting new face in children’s literature, Dallas Clayton, comes a book of illustrated poems full of wisdom, wonder, and whimsy.A boy with a beard tries to stay six forever. A frightful monster lives a million miles away, but is equally scared of you. A magic rope hangs from the sky, next to a sign saying "Give me a try." In this brightly illustrated selection of playful, often provocative poems, ideas run the gamut from stopping your lightning-fast running to help others keep up, imagining a store that sells colors never before made, or admitting you’ll never know all the answers (and sleeping better at night). Following the runaway success of his self-published debut, Dallas Clayton’s quirky, captivating collection makes it clear that this rising talent, whose work has evoked comparisons to Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, and Shel Silverstein, exudes a spirit and style all his own.
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The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas
David Almond, Oliver Jeffers
A boy escapes home to seek his own way in the world in a whimsical new outing by the award-winning David Almond, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.Stanley Potts’s uncle Ernie has developed an over-the-top fascination with canning fish in the house, and life at 69 Fish Quay Lane has turned barmy. But there’s darkness in the madness, and when Uncle Ernie’s obsession takes an unexpectedly cruel turn, Stan has no choice but to leave. As he journeys away from the life he’s always known, he mingles with a carnival full of eccentric characters and meets the legendary Pancho Pirelli, the man who swims in a tank full of perilous piranhas. Will Stan be bold enough to dive in the churning waters himself and choose his own destiny?