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Girls Acting Catty
Leslie Margolis
Synopsis:

What's harder to deal with than a group of boys who act like dogs? How about a clique of catty mean girls? Annabelle has just figured out how to survive in junior high school. She's made great friends, her teachers are nice, and she's got lots of tricks up her sleeve for taming those pesky boys. But now she and her friends must confront a whole new brand of headache-- the mean girl clique. At first Taylor and her friends were out to get Annabelle's bff Rachel, but soon the whole group is involved. Their friendship is getting tenser by the minute -- unless Annabelle can save the day again?

Publication Date: 11/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Youngest Templar
Michael Spradlin
Synopsis: Tristan and his friends haveescaped the Holy Land, but theirdangerous journey is far fromover!

Picking up right where the breathtaking actionleft off, Tristan and his friends, the archer RobardHode and the assassin Maryam, have escapedthe Holy Land, but they are still a long wayfrom the end of their perilous journey. And whilethey may have eluded the villainous Templar SirHugh, they know he will never be far behind.

Their only hope is to reach safety in England. Butbefore they do that they run straight into a rebelband of Cathars, a heretical sect fighting off the oppressionof France’s king. When Tristan falls for thebeautiful leader of the Cathars, though, his loyaltiesare torn between aiding her in her hour of need orfleeing with his sacred charge—to protect the HolyGrail.

Publication Date: 10/29/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Lockdown: Escape From Furnace
Alexander Gordon Smith
Synopsis:

Furnace Penitentiary: the world's most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth's surface. Convicted of a murder he didn't commit, sentenced to life without parole, "new fish" Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.

Together with a bunch of inmates―some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers―Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace's deeper, darker purpose, Alex's actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that's hidden from the eyes of the world.

Publication Date: 10/27/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Horse Diaries: Koda
Ruth Sanderson, Patricia Hermes
Synopsis: For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse’s story . . .

Independence, Missouri, 1846

Koda is a bay quarter horse with a white blaze. He loves to explore the countryside and run free with his human friend Jasmine nearby. But after Koda sets out with Jasmine’s family on a long and dusty wagon train journey on the Oregon Trail, he finds out what is truly important to him. Here is Koda’s story . . . in his own words.

With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black-and-white art throughout—both by real horse people—this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!
Publication Date: 10/27/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Buck Fever
Cynthia Chapman Willis
Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Joey MacTagert's dad wants his son to carry on the family tradition of hunting. But Joey has "buck fever"―he can't pull the trigger on a deer, and hates the idea of killing animals. He's more interested in art and hockey, two activities that his dad barely acknowledges.

Joey's dad wants him to use his special skill in tracking to hunt down the big antlered buck that roams the woods near their home. Joey knows how to track Old Buck, but has kept secret from his father the reason he's gained the deer's trust. When trouble between his parents seems to escalate, Joey and his older sister, Philly, find themselves in the middle of tensions they don't fully understand. Joey wants to keep the peace, and if conquering his buck fever will do it, he has to try.

Buck Fever is a nominee for the 2003 Edgar Award for Best First Novel.

Publication Date: 10/27/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Espressologist
Kristina Springer
Synopsis: What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.
Publication Date: 10/27/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Dragonfly
Julia Golding
Synopsis: Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil of Gerfal in order to unite their lands. And he's not too pleased, either. They hate each other on sight. So, when Tashi and Ramil are kidnapped, they fear there's no escape - from their kidnappers or from each other. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing, and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure help them or betray them to the enemy?
Publication Date: 10/20/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Snapped
brntpopcorn
Synopsis: The Quizilla Mibba and Wattpad classic is finally in print. The tale of Melany and her adventure into her other life. When a black-winged angel breaks through Melany's window and lands on her bedroom floor things begin to change. And so Melany met Sorter, the angel, but this isn't just a onetime encounter. The angels refuse to leave her alone. The next day Sorter and Zeke, another angel, appear on the street ready to go to school with her. Zeke seems to be as nice as an angel should while Sorter threatens to kill her if she tells anyone about them. Melany does not realize there might be a deeper reason to them being there or that she could be in the middle of a war between angels and demons. Her life is changed forever, as Melany is exposed to portals and travels to their world. She becomes aware of the threat humanity is facing. But Melany has a destiny that could end the war, save her friends, her people, and allow her to go home finding happiness in her own world. What will be Melany's fate?
Publication Date: 10/20/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Front and Center
Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Synopsis: Football season may be over, but basketball is about to begin, and if D.J. thinks she can escape the attention—and the pressure—her star power brings, she is mistaken.

 
Publication Date: 10/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Magic Can Be Murder
Vivian Vande Velde
Synopsis: Nola's not much of a witch--she can work only a few useless spells, like the one that lets her spy on people. But there's no spell for keeping her crazy mother--who hears voices and is a magnet for witch-hunters--out of trouble. The two flee from town to town until the day Nola magically witnesses a murder. Which is bad enough, but worse is that the murderer may frame Nola and her mother for the crime. And then no amount of magic will save her. And you think your teenage years are tough. . . .
Publication Date: 10/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Ghost Ride
Marina Cohen
Synopsis: 2011 Red Maple Award ― Shortlisted

Fourteen-year-old Sam McLean is less than thrilled with the prospect of moving to a collection of old mansions on the northern fringe of a small town called Ringwood. A nobody at his old school, Sam is desperate to be accepted by the cool kids and latches on to Cody Barns, aka Maniac. Cody’s claim to fame is performing wild stunts ― the crazier the better ― and posting them on his blog.

When Sam reluctantly joins Cody and his sidekick, Javon, on their midnight ghost riding, a practice in which the driver and passenger climb onto the hood of their moving car and dance, something goes terribly wrong. Cody convinces Sam to flee the scene, leaving Javon for dead. But soon mysterious messages appear on Cody’s blog and anonymous notes are slid into Sam’s locker. As Sam struggles with his conscience, a haunting question remains: Who else knows the truth?
Publication Date: 10/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Day of the Pelican
Katherine Paterson
Synopsis: 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

Meli Lleshi is positive that her drawing of her teacher with his pelican nose started it all. The Lleshis are Albanians living in Kosovo, a country trying to fight off Serbian oppressors, and suddenly they are homeless refugees. Old and young alike, they find their courage tested by hunger, illness, the long, arduous journey, and danger on every side. Then, unexpectedly, they are brought to America by a church group and begin a new life in a small Vermont town. The events of 9/11 bring more challenges for this Muslim family--but this country is their home now and there can be no turning back.A compassionate, powerful novel by a master storyteller.
Publication Date: 10/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Goth Girl Rising
Barry Lyga
Synopsis:

Time is a funny thing in the hospital. In the mental ward. You lose track of it easily. After six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home. Unfortunately, she’s about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than time.

Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who’s ever appreciated her for who she really is.

But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from everything he was into someone she barely recognizes.
And the anger and memories come rushing back.

There’s so much to do to people when you’re angry.
Kyra’s about to get very busy.

Publication Date: 10/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Flash Burnout
L. K. Madigan
Synopsis:

Winner of the 2010 William C. Morris Award!

Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him.

When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing drama opens up a world of trouble, both for him and for Marissa. He spends the next few months trying to reconcile the conflicting roles of Boyfriend and Friend. His experiences range from the comic (surviving his dad’s birth control talk) to the tragic (a harrowing after-hours visit to the morgue).

In a tangle of life and death, love and loyalty, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of himself.

Publication Date: 10/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Other Side of Blue
Valerie O. Patterson
Synopsis:

Cyan was named after a shade of blue, her artist mother's favorite color. The color of the sea. Since her father's death last year, she’s felt just as mercurial and dark as her namesake, and the distance between Cyan and her mother has grown as wide as an ocean. Now they're returning to the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean, where her father's mysterious accident occurred, and joining them will be Kammi--who may soon become a stepsister. Haunted by the secrets of the past, Cyan will explore all the depths of her blueness this summer, discovering the light, the darkness, and the many shades in between that are within her—and within us all.

Publication Date: 10/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
I Learned A New Word Today....Genocide
Synopsis: Javier Mendoza has learned a new word and he does not like it. As his fifth grade class explores the shocking history of countries ranging from Armenia to Sudan, Javier realizes that the past—and even the present—is telling him a story that he cannot ignore. Then he overhears a conversation that triggers a mysterious chain of events at his school. Now Javier is faced with the reality that no one is immune to the consequences of genocide. And perhaps everyone has a responsibility to help end it, even himself.
Publication Date: 10/16/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction

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