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Love to Everyone
Hilary McKay
Synopsis: The Penderwicks meets Warhorse in this charming story about a girl who is fighting for her independence during World War I, from award-winning author Hilary McKay.

Clarry Penrose finds the good in everyone. Even in her father, who isn’t fond of children, and especially girls. He doesn’t worry about her education, because he knows she won’t need it. Her grandparents, who care for her in the summers, assume that she’ll play nicely and do what she’s told. It’s the early twentieth century, after all, and the only thing girls are expected to do is behave.

But Clarry longs for a life of her own. She wants to dive off cliffs and go swimming with her brother Peter and cousin Rupert. And more than anything, she wants to get an education. She helps Peter with his homework all the time, so why can’t she manage it by herself? When war breaks out, Clarry is shocked to find that Rupert has enlisted, but she focuses on her schoolwork. Then Rupert is declared missing, and Clarry is devastated. Now she must take a momentous step into the wide world—for if she misses this chance, she may never make it.

From award-winning author Hilary McKay comes an inspirational, funny, and heartwarming story about a girl who dares to open doors that the world would rather keep closed.
Publication Date: 09/18/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Gularian Islands
Tracey C Ayres
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Ben Mason has known for some time he’s a little bit different than other people. It isn’t until traveling back to Australia from a holiday in the United States he discovers just how true that is. Ben and his friends are flying home when their airplane crashes on a remote island. Guided by the captain, the passengers try to stay alive and safe until rescue arrives. But Ben feels strange things happening. Soon he meets a boy named Noke who saves Ben from drowning and a swarm of killer bees. Then, twenty-six days into their ordeal, Ben meets Goldevere, a prisoner of the dragon, Black Knight. Goldevere tells Ben he has the gift that can help both of their people and that he needs to find his wife Silver for help. They must work quickly to save the world from the angry black dragon.
Publication Date: 09/06/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Smoke and Mirrors
K. D. Halbrook
Synopsis: “The novel’s wistful prose and a relatable search for the Light will be rewarding for readers who can see in the Smoke any number of metaphors for the things that haunt us.” —BCCB (starred review)

“A Wrinkle in Time-inspired adventure…Halbrook’s writing is artful.” —Kirkus Reviews

“In K.D. Halbrook’s gorgeous prose, readers will be drawn immediately into the Cirque, but more importantly, they’ll be drawn into Sasha’s heart. This is a story to savor.” —Kathi Appelt, National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor–winning author of The Underneath and Keeper

“Adventure and magic unfold in this captivating story.” —School Library Connection

“A fairy-tale atmosphere wafts through Halbrook’s story of magic, love, belonging, and circus...Enchanting.” —Booklist

Circus Mirandus meets Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms in this beautifully written fantasy novel about a girl who must face her fears in order to right a terrible wrong, confront what it means to be different, and discover her own power.

Smoke has come to the Cirque Magnifique. And Sasha Brown is sure it is her fault.

Sasha has always loved the Cirque, a place filled with sequined costumes, dazzling spotlights, and magnificent tents. But when she starts fifth grade with the Islanders—the ordinary folk from the other side of the Island—for the first time, she’s not so sure she wants to be a Cirque kid. She starts to question her home and her Cirque family. Is the magic real? Are the stories even true? As the bullying by the Island kids gets worse, swirling blue-gray Smoke appears.

One night in the big tent, Sasha’s dad performs, twisting his body through the air as the lights dance. Sasha is supposed to be helping, but instead she sits beneath the bleachers, seething. She has wished for the Smoke to come and make it all disappear: the Cirque, her family, the Island with its mean Island kids. And the Smoke does come. As Sasha watches her dad, he flips and raises his arms out for the bar that is supposed to meet him, his bright grin confident and sure. But there is only air…and Smoke.

Both of Sasha’s parents disappear that night, and it’s all Sasha’s fault. What can she do but try and find them?
Publication Date: 09/04/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery
Synopsis:

When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, she's confused. It's the job of Sam, a young soldier who died in 1865, to teach her the rules of the afterlife and to warn her about Suppression—a punishment worse than death.

Lacy desperately wants to leave the cemetery and find out how she died, but every soul is obligated to perform a job. Given the task of providing entertainment, Lacy proposes an open mic, which becomes a chance for the cemetery's residents to express themselves. But Lacy is in for another shock when surprising and long-buried truths begin to emerge.

Publication Date: 09/01/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
Synopsis: The Graphic Novelization of a Classic Tale!

Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked to the magical land of Oz where they meet the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Mike Cavallaro transforms L. Frank Baum’s world of Oz into a manga-influenced graphic novel.
Publication Date: 08/28/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Black Beauty
Anna Sewell
Synopsis: A handsome horse with a glossy black coat and a pretty white star on his forehead, Black Beauty seems to lead a charmed life. Although his mother warns him that there are 'bad, cruel men' in the world, he begins his life in a happy home, with a friendly groom to look after him and plenty to eat. However, when a change of circumstances means that he is sold, he soon discovers the truth of his mother's words. Anna Sewell's moving story is one of the best-loved animal adventures ever written.
Publication Date: 08/28/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Our Stories, Our Voices
Amy Reed, Alexandra Duncan, Christine Day, Somaiya Daud, Tracy Deonn Walker, Ilene (I.W.) Gregorio, Hannah Moskowitz, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Aisha Saeed, Maurene Goo, Jaye Robin Brown, Martha Brockenbrough, Brandy Colbert, Anna-Marie McLemore, Stephanie Kuehnert, Sona Charaipotra, Nina LaCour, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Julie Murphy, Sandhya Menon, Amy Reed
Synopsis: From Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Sandhya Menon, and more of your favorite YA authors comes an anthology of essays that explore the diverse experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America.

This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors—including award-winning and bestselling writers—touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today’s America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman’s shelf.

This anthology features essays from Martha Brockenbrough, Jaye Robin Brown, Sona Charaipotra, Brandy Colbert, Somaiya Daud, Christine Day, Alexandra Duncan, Ilene Wong (I.W.) Gregorio, Maurene Goo. Ellen Hopkins, Stephanie Kuehnert, Nina LaCour, Anna-Marie LcLemore, Sandhya Menon, Hannah Moskowitz, Julie Murphy, Aisha Saeed, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Amber Smith, and Tracy Walker.
Publication Date: 08/14/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Where the Woods End
Charlotte Salter
Synopsis: In a forest filled with treacherous beasts, the thing to be most afraid of is closer than you think in this middle grade horror fantasy.

Kestrel, a young huntress, lives in a seemingly endless forest crawling with dangerous beasts. But the most dangerous beasts of all are the Grabbers--beings that are born when you are and stalk you throughout your life, waiting for the perfect moment to snatch and eat you. No one has ever defeated their Grabber once attacked, and those that die from accidents or other creatures are considered "lucky." Kestrel has been tasked by her mother, a powerful and controlling spell-caster, to hunt down the Grabbers in an effort to protect their village in the forest. Accompanied by Pippit, a hilariously bloodthirsty weasel, she hones her skills as she searches for a way out of the forest--and away from the judgmental villagers who despise her. But her own Grabber is creeping ever closer, and nothing in this forest is what it seems...including her mother's true motivations.
Publication Date: 08/14/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Behind These Hands
Linda Vigen Phillips
Synopsis: "My hands aren't the same hands
as before.
Even my friends feel different."

Claire Fairchild, 14, has always known music would be her life. So when she has the opportunity to enter a prestigious contest, she goes all in—until she realizes she’s also competing against Juan, a close childhood friend and one of the most talented musicians she knows. It doesn’t help that her thoughts about him are turning romantic.
 
When Claire and her family receive a devastating blow from Batten disease, her world enters a tailspin. Claire decides her musical goals no longer seem relevant. She can’t reconcile the joy that music would bring to her life while her brothers succumb to an early and ugly death. Her decision puts everything at risk: her friendship with Juan, her parents’ expectations, and her own happiness.

After Claire accompanies a friend on a school newspaper assignment, she meets a centenarian with a unique musical past and only one regret in life. Claire knows something in her life has to change before it’s too late, but she’s not sure she has the courage to take the next step. 
 
Publication Date: 07/17/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Selkie of San Francisco
Todd Calgi Gallicano
Synopsis: In the thrilling sequel to Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw, an epic adventure novel that "is sure to keep lovers of Rick Riordan running to the shelves," Sam London dives headlong into his second case involving a selkie, a mysterious girl, and an ominous new threat to the mythical and human worlds (School Library Journal)!

Sam London didn't mean to uncover an ancient secret, but when he found out that mythical creatures are real and living in our national parks, he became the newest recruit to the Department of Mythical Wildlife. Ever since, the middle schooler has been anxiously awaiting the call for his next case . . . and it finally arrives with the brazen appearance of a selkie in San Francisco Bay.

Along with Dr. Vance Vantana and the guardian Tashi, Sam pursues the selkie, who has taken a peculiar interest in fashion's newest "it" girl and social media star, Pearl Eklund. But the closer he gets, the more questions emerge about Pearl's mysterious connection to the mythical world. Is she the long-lost hope for an entire civilization or the harbinger of its doom? It's up to Sam to find out the truth, and fast. . . . The fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

Praise for Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw, Book One:

"A death-defying, globe-spanning adventure, packed with creatures out of folklore and myth." --Publishers Weekly

"So original and exciting. This is the best fantasy-adventure novel I have read in some time." --Martin Olson, New York Times bestselling author of The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia
Publication Date: 06/19/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
From Twinkle, With Love
Sandhya Menon
Synopsis: “Utterly charming.” —NPR
“Cinematic.” —Teen Vogue
“Funny and sweet.” —Buzzfeed
“Dazzling.” —Bustle

Three starred reviews for this charming romantic comedy about an aspiring teen filmmaker who finds her voice and falls in love, from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.
Publication Date: 05/22/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Aftermath
Kelley Armstrong
Synopsis: Secrets don't remain hidden for long in this thrilling read from a #1 New York Times bestselling author that's perfect for fans of Adam Silvera's More Happy Than Not and Barry Lyga's Bang.

Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there's no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn't a victim; he was a shooter.

Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don't heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend--Skye.

Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can't resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.
Publication Date: 05/22/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Life On Earth - Book 1 - Losing The Girl
Synopsis:

Claudia Jones is missing. Her classmates are thinking the worst . . . or at least the weirdest. It couldn't be an alien abduction, right?

None of Claudia's classmates at Blithedale High know why she vanished—and they're dealing with their own issues. Emily's trying to handle a life-changing surprise. Paula's hoping to step out of Emily's shadow. Nigel just wants to meet a girl who will laugh at his jokes. And Brett hardly lets himself get close to anybody.

In Losing the Girl, the first book in the Life on Earth trilogy, Eisner-nominated cartoonist MariNaomi looks at life through the eyes of four suburban teenagers: early romance, fraying friendships, and the traces of a mysterious—maybe otherworldly—disappearance. Different chapters focus on different characters, each with a unique visual approach.

Publication Date: 05/01/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Blink
Sasha Dawn
Synopsis:

When Josh was four, a little girl named Rachel was kidnapped and never found. Twelve years later, Chatham Clairborne appears, apparently on the hunt for her runaway sister. But Josh suspects she is also tied to the mystery of Rachel.

Josh falls for Chatham, but Chatham remains elusive. He can't tell if she's lying or not. But he's sure that once he finds out the truth about her, he will be able to unlock the mystery of Rachel's disappearance—and find out who the true Chatham Clairborne is.

But will he discover the truth in time? And does he really want to know what the truth is?

Publication Date: 05/01/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Window
Amelia Brunskill
Synopsis: "A gripping tale of suspense, secrets, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood."—Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

If you loved The Third Twin and One of Us Is Lying and binge-watched Thirteen Reasons Why, get ready for a heart-wrenching psychological thriller about a girl who knows her twin sister better than anyone . . . or does she? Taut and atmospheric, The Window will keep you guessing until the end.

Secrets have a way of getting out. . . .

Anna is everything her identical twin is not. Outgoing and athletic, she is the opposite of quiet introvert Jess. The same on the outside, yet so completely different inside--it's hard to believe the girls are sisters, let alone twins. But they are. And they tell each other everything.

Or so Jess thought.

After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess's life begins to unravel. Everyone says it was an accident, but to Jess, that doesn't add up. Where was Anna going? Who was she meeting? And how long had Anna been lying to her?

Jess is compelled to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew. At first it's a way to stay busy and find closure . . . but Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she's looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover.

Because Anna wasn't the only one with secrets.

"Layered and compelling, THE WINDOW is a fast-paced mystery anchored by a bold and intriguing protagonist, and you won’t want to put it down until you’ve uncovered every last one of its secrets!"—Caleb Roehrig, author of Last Seen Leaving
 
"Lyrical and haunting, with plenty of twists that kept me reading long into the night.”—Kara Thomas, author of The Darkest Corners
Publication Date: 04/03/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Troublemakers
Catherine Barter
Synopsis:

When she was three, Alena's activist mother died. She's been raised by her half-brother and his boyfriend in East London, which is being targeted by a lone bomber. Alena desperately wants to know about her mother, but her brother won't tell her anything.

Alena's played by the rules all her life, but that's over. When she starts digging up information herself and does something that costs her brother his job and puts the family in jeopardy, Alena discovers she can be a troublemaker—just like her mother.

Now she must figure out what sort of trouble she's willing to get into to find out the truth.

Publication Date: 04/01/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

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