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Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E.
Synopsis: Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E. is suitable for the straight A student, the troubled teen, and the girl looking to be empowered. The goal is to transform our teens into successful women by giving them the tools needed to build their self confidence and self esteem. This book focuses on the hottest topics facing teens such as relationships, self esteem, bullying, the importance of education, and how to set goals. If guidance is what you need, Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E. is here to the rescue!
Publication Date: 06/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Cascade
Lisa T. Bergren
Synopsis:

 

Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?” In Cascade, the second book in the River of Time Series, Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead. But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

 

Publication Date: 06/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Thief-Book 2 in the Brides of Alba
Synopsis:

Exiled in shame and wounded in battle, Caden O’Byrne accepts a mission of penance—to search for his healer’s long-lost daughter. At worst, he’ll finally get his death wish. At best, this could be God’s second chance. But the lovely minstrel Sorcha wants no part in him, his newfound God, or the rescue. In fact, she’s robbed him blind—to help finance her work of buying young captives and returning them to their families. She’s also gone into debt and promised to marry a man she doesn’t love—all for the chidlren’s sake. But before she and Caden can sort out the situation, a treacherous murder forces them to run for their lives…together. While Caden’s rekindled faith is tested, Sorcha wonders if his God is real. If so, can a thief like her dare hope for His mercy? And do the two of them have a chance of reaching home—Sorcha’s real home—alive?

Publication Date: 06/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Violet Flash
Mike Mason
Synopsis:

 

There’s a rip in the blue umbrella, and time—and Chelsea—are slipping through!             One moment she was there, the next moment she was not, and Ches Cholmondeley was watching when it happened. And he learns of other mysterious goings-on: for three days in a row the world’s atomic clocks have lost a second, resulting in bizarre accidents ranging from dropped casseroles to plane crashes. Are these events related? What’s a brother to do?            Figure out a way to get his sister back, of course. In search of answers, Ches befriends the local clockmaker, Myron Stinchcombe, who knows a lot about time, and seeks out Sky Porter, who knows a lot about, well, everything.            But time is running out. And Ches is torn, knowing that the very deed that can save the world might also keep his sister from ever returning to it.

 

Publication Date: 06/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Blackdaw Cottage
Philip Dent
Synopsis: When Abigail, Morton, Ruth and her dog go sledging one snowy day in their sleepy village, they wander off into the forest to find the cottage of the notorious recluse, Bentley. After an encounter with the unpleasant gamekeeper Vargis, they continue through a worsening blizzard to the cottage, where they are forced to take shelter. Bentley returns and the children are scared, but they soon grow to trust the elderly man, who tells them the story of Ivan and Gertrude Murdac, outcasts who lived at Blackdaw Cottage years earlier. Meanwhile, the children's parents wait for them, miles away, worried at the fate of their offspring in such horrendous conditions. Day turns to night, night turns to day, and everyone finds that the snow has changed some things forever.... A novel for teenages, Blackdaw Cottage will keep the reader hooked as they follow the story of the Murdacs and the fate of the three young children and a dog. Author Philip has been inspired by a number of authors, including classic writers the Brontës, Charles Dickens and George Eliot amongst others. He is a particular fan of V S Naipaul, whose book The Enigma of Arrival he studied for his MA.
Publication Date: 06/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Gravestone
Travis Thrasher
Synopsis: His Fear Will Soon Turn to Anger…. At first, Chris Buckley was simply warned. And watched. But as Chris unravels the haunting riddles of the town of Solitary, he finds that much more than the life of a town is at stake. Whether facing a pastor with a house full of skeletons or a cousin he never knew existed, Chris is forced to choose between light and darkness, life and nightmarish death. Every choice he makes reminds him that the unthinkable has already happened—and if he trusts the wrong person, it may happen again. This second book in the Solitary Tales continues Chris’s journey toward finding out who he is and what his own role is in the darkness suffocating his tiny new hometown. Filled with shocking twists, Gravestone is a tale of a teenager thrown into a battle over a town, a secret—and ultimately his own soul.
Publication Date: 06/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Girl in the Steel Corset
Synopsis:

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

Publication Date: 05/31/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Nightspell
Leah Cypess
Synopsis:

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.

Darri's sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister . . . if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.

In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

Publication Date: 05/31/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Dead on the Delta
Stacey Jay
Synopsis: Once upon a time, fairies were the stuff of bedtime stories and sweet dreams. Then came the mutations, and the dre-ams became nightmares. Mosquito-size fairies now indulge their taste for human blood—and for most humans, a fairy bite means insanity or death. Luckily, Annabelle Lee isn’t most humans. The hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, bicycle-riding redhead is immune to fairy venom, and able to do the dirty work most humans can’t. Including helping law enforcement— and Cane Cooper, the bayou’s sexiest detective—collect evidence when a body is discovered outside the fairy-proof barricades of her Louisiana town.
But Annabelle isn’t equipped to deal with the murder of a sixyear- old girl or a former lover-turned-FBI snob taking an interest in the case. Suddenly her already bumpy relationship with Cane turns even rockier, and even the most trust-worthy friends become suspects. Annabelle’s life is imploding: between relationship drama, a heartbreaking murder investigation, Breeze-crazed drug runners, and a few too many rum and Cokes, Annabelle is a woman on the run—from her past, toward her future, and into the arms of a darkness waiting just for her. . . .

"A sultry start to a promising new series. Dead on the Delta sizzles with action, danger, and romance." -- Jennifer Estep, USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series
Publication Date: 05/31/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Mystery
Concrete Savior
Yvonne Navarro
Synopsis: THEY SAY NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. BRYNNA MALAK IS LIVING PROOF .

A fallen angel in human form, Brynna is trying to earn another chance at heaven. So far, her road to redemption is littered with casualties, especially since Lucifer’s minions are intent on dragging her back to hell. And being mortal only got more complicated since Brynna became involved with Detective Eran Redmond.

Still, Brynna’s relationship issues—like the fact that one glimpse of her can drive men crazy with desire—may have to wait. A mysterious “hero” is saving Chicago’s citizens from certain death, with strange and sinister consequences. Brynna knows too much about demonkind to believe in coincidences. Some dark force is at work here, and Brynna may be the only one who can stop it. . . .

Publication Date: 05/31/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Mystery
Open Wounds
Joseph Lunievicz
Synopsis: Cid Wymann, a scrappy kid fighting to survive a harsh upbringing in Queens, NY, is a almost a prisoner in his own home. His only escape is sneaking to Times Square to see Errol Flynn movies full of swordplay and duels. He s determined to become a great fencer, but after his family disintegrates, Cid spends five years at an orphanage until his injured war-veteran cousin Lefty arrives from England to claim him. Lefty teaches Cid about acting and stage combat, especially fencing, and introduces him to Nikolai Varvarinski, a brilliant drunken Russian fencing master who trains Cid. By 16, Cid learns to channel his aggression through the harsh discipline of the blade, eventually taking on enemies old and new as he perfects his skills. Evocative of The Book Thief with a dash of Gangs of New York, Open Wounds is the page-turning story of a lost boy s quest to become a man.
Publication Date: 05/31/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
A Kid From Southie
Shea, Michael Harmon, Red, John
Synopsis: High school senior Aiden O Connor's life is in turmoil. Bored with school, his growing skill at boxing won t pay the rent when his drunken father leaves, and someone is keeping his mom from finding work in any pub in South Boston. Lured by childhood friend Tommy's promise of easy money, Aiden reluctantly gets mixed up with the Irish mob. Aiden s strong sense of honor makes him a bit too good at his job with the King of the Street, who wants to keep Aiden involved for reasons of his own. Conflicted about nearly everything, Aiden has to decode where his loyalties lie and when he has had enough. Exploding with tough choices and the grit of true crime, A Kid from Southie is the story of one teen s dangerous trip through the temptations of power and the sacrifices that come with it on his way to deciding who he wants to be.
Publication Date: 05/31/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Ugly Tree
Tamara Lyon
Synopsis: Considering Cane Kallevik's rocky start, her life has been normal under the watchful eye of Grandma Betty. When shes not running five miles at a crack, shes riding her bike around the rural farming town of Savage, Illinois and engaging in a secret warfare with her former best friend, Mikayla Atwood. The biggest thorn in her side is Jenny Ryanne Schaeffer, her employer, who Cane has nicknamed Jelly Roll. When Justice Price, Jelly Rolls gorgeous, older nephew rolls into town, Cane is convinced that their age difference is a minor inconvenience. After a disastrous tornado, Cane's house is destroyed, and Grandma Betty is in a coma. Out of necessity, Cane moves in with the Schaeffer family and spends the summer falling in love with Justice, keeping vigil at Grandma Bettys side, fighting with Jelly Roll, walking a fine line between love and hate with Mikayla, and discovering scandalous secrets about Mikaylas mother, Annette. Cane endures a summer of waiting, loving, and longing. In a dramatic conclusion her world literally goes up in flames, but instead of losing everything, she finds exactly what shes looking for in the most unexpected way.
Publication Date: 05/30/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Lucy Dakota: Rocky Mountain Beginnings (Book 1)
Synopsis: Lucy Dakota isn't different from other teens - she is just like them. Lucy has many strengths, she just doesn't realize them. She is smart and kind, organized and tenacious, trusting and a bit naive. At school, she tries desperately to fit in somewhere, anywhere. That leads her to make poor decisions, particularly around boys and friends. She joins various sports teams, she goes out with boys that have no respect for her and she is friends with a girl who bullies her. Then one day our heroine, Lucy Dakota, is invited to explore in the Colorado wilderness. She faces danger around every corner, and discovers her adventurous side. She starts believing in herself and her abilities and learns there is a lot she can do. Join Lucy as she comes to grips with who she is as a young woman and starts loving life and being alive.
Publication Date: 05/25/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Spinning Out
David Stahler
Synopsis: High school senior Frenchy has little ambition beyond hanging out at the smoking rock until his best friend, the ever-witty and conniving Stewart, gets him to try out for Man of la Mancha. To everyone's surprise, the guys are a hit. But when Stewart's antics begin to grow more obsessivehe wears his costume 24/7, freaks out about little details, and displays an incessant hatred of the high-tech windmills outside of townFrenchy worries that there's something deeper going on. Is Stewart spiraling into madness, just like Don Quixote? And can Frenchy battle through his own demons in time to save his friend from self-destruction before it's too late?
Publication Date: 05/25/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Fibble: The Fourth Circle of Heck
Bob Dob, Dale E. Basye
Synopsis: With more dark humor and zany silliness, Dale E. Basye returns to Heck for his most over-the-top (the Big Top, that is) adventure yet.

When Marlo Fauster claims she has switched souls with her brother, she gets sent straight to Fibble, the circle of Heck reserved for liars. But it's true—Milton and Marlo have switched places, and Marlo finds herself trapped in Milton's gross, gangly body. She also finds herself trapped in Fibble, a three-ring media circus run by none other than P. T. Barnum, an insane ringmaster with grandiose plans and giant, flaming pants. Meanwhile Milton, as Marlo, is working at the devil's new television network, T.H.E.E.N.D. But there's something strange about these new shows. Why do they all air at the same? And are they really broadcasting to the Surface? Soon Milton and Marlo realize that they need each other to sort through the lies and possibly prevent the end of the world—if Bea "Elsa" Bubb doesn't catch them first.
Publication Date: 05/24/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy

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