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Sources of Light
Margaret McMullan
Synopsis:

It's 1962, a year after the death of Sam's father--he was a war hero--and Sam and her mother must move, along with their very liberal views, to Jackson, Mississippi, her father's conservative hometown. Needless to say, they don't quite fit in.
    People like the McLemores fear that Sam, her mother, and her mother's artist friend, Perry, are in the South to "agitate" and to shake up the dividing lines between black and white and blur it all to grey. As racial injustices ensue--sit-ins and run-ins with secret white supremacists--Sam learns to focus with her camera lens to bring forth the social injustice out of the darkness and into the light.

Publication Date: 04/12/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Nonfiction
Living Hell
Catherine Jinks
Synopsis:

What happens when a single moment changes everything? For seventeen-year-old Cheney, life on earth exists only in history books. He and more than one thousand other people have known life only aboard the Plexus spacecraft: self-contained, systematic, and serene. But that was before the radiation wave.

Now Plexus has suddenly turned on them, becoming a terrifying and unrecognizable force. As the crew dwindles under attack, Cheney and his friends need to fight back before the ship that’s nurtured them for so long becomes responsible for their destruction.

Publication Date: 04/12/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
The Black Pearl
Scott O'Dell
Synopsis: From the depths of a cave in the Vermilion Sea, Ramon Salazar has wrested a black pearl so lustrous and captivating that his father, an expert pearl dealer, is certain Ramon has found the legendary Pearl of Heaven. Such a treasure is sure to bring great joy to the villagers of their tiny coastal town, and even greater renown to the Salazar name. No diver, not even the swaggering Gaspar Ruiz, has ever found a pearl like this!

But is there a price to pay for a prize so great? When a terrible tragedy strikes the village, old Luzon’s warning about El Diablo returns to haunt Ramon. If El Diablo actually exists, it will take all Ramon’s courage to face the winged creature waiting for him offshore.
Publication Date: 04/12/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Dungeon Crawlers Ep. 1 and Ep. 2
Stefan U. G. LeBlanc
Synopsis: A Glorious Adventure Awaits A world of ancient artifacts and technological advancement, harrowing duels with monsters and mechanized enemies, soaring through the azure skies on sky ships and traversing foreign lands on foot, hunting for treasure in decrepit tombs and scouring the modern dungeons of a brave new world. An adventure ten thousand years in the making, these are Lars and Izlude Nokuten's first steps towards greatness. How do they fare? The answers are all inside. After all this, there's only one question that remains: Are you on board yet?
Publication Date: 04/08/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Cthulhu's Reign
Darrell Schweitzer
Synopsis: All original stories about the return of Cthulhu and the Old Ones to Earth.

Some of the darkest hints in all of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos relate to what will happen after the Old Ones return and take over the earth. What happens when Cthulhu is unleashed upon the world? What happens when the other Old Ones, long since banished from our universe, break through and descend from the stars? What would the reign of Cthulhu be like on a totally transformed planet where mankind is no longer the master? Find out in these exciting, brand-new stories.
Publication Date: 04/06/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Touched By An Alien
Synopsis: Sci-fi action meets steamy paranormal romance in Gini Koch’s Alien novels, as Katherine “Kitty” Katt faces off against aliens, conspiracies, and deadly secrets. • “Futuristic high-jinks and gripping adventure.” —RT Reviews 

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt had just finished a day on jury duty. When she stepped out of the Pueblo Caliente courthouse, all she was thinking about was the work she had to get caught up on. Then her attention was caught by a fight between a couple that looked like it was about to turn ugly.

But ugly didn't even begin to cover it when the "man" suddenly transformed into a huge, winged monster right out of a grade Z science fiction movie and went on a deadly killing spree. In hindsight, Kitty realized she probably should have panicked and run screaming the way everyone around her was doing. Instead she sprinted into action to take down the alien.

In the middle of all the screeching and the ensuing chaos, a hunk in an Armani suit suddenly appeared beside her, introduced himself as Jeff Martini with "the agency," and then insisted on leading her to a nearby limo to talk to his "boss." And that was how Kitty's new life among the aliens began...

Touched by an Alien is the thrilling first installment of the Alien novels.
Publication Date: 04/06/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Paper Daughter
Jeanette Ingold
Synopsis:
An engaging mystery...a love letter to journalism -Seattle's ChildOppenheimer Gold SealTeen journalist Maggie Chen wants to be a great reporter. Fai-yi Li still hides behind the identity he used to evade Chinese Exclusion Era immigration laws. Their goals collide in this poignant young adult mystery that's both contemporary and historical fiction.

Maggie's search for her Asian-American family will appeal to readers who wonder how their own lives have been shaped by their ancestors' choices. The Chinatown of Fai-yi's Seattle will make 20th century history buffs want to know more about an almost-forgotten time in the United States' past.  Challenges at the modern newspaper where Maggie works will speak to those who care about journalism and ponder how it's changing.

From the Christopher Award-winning author of Hitch, Mountain Solo, and The Big Burn

"I love Paper Daughter, as I do all of Jeanette's books. They're smart, savvy, and full of heart" -Kathi Appelt, author of Newbery Honor Book The Underneath

"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! Ingold did a wonderful job of tying history to a contemporary issue" -Mississippi Trial, 1955 author Chris Crowe

"Ingold brings together past and present in this fascinating mystery set in Seattle" -Washington Parent

"A rich, inspiring story about using research and tenacity to uncover the truth" -Horn Book Review

"A must read for those who love mysteries and family history" -VOYA

"I devoured Paper Daughter...a short read and perfect if you want to lounge around with a contemporary book on a slow afternoon" -Books and Wine

"The tried and true theme of a parent's mysterious background will keep readers invested, and fans of Laurence Yep may want to ponder how Chinese Exclusion of years past could come back to haunt the present" -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This novel cleverly weaves together intrigue and family drama into an engrossing story that is difficult to put down" -Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

"Great contemporary and historical characters and an intriguing, interwoven plot make this a great summer read" -Bewitched Bookworms

"Offers insights into the sacrifices and secrets involved in emigration from China during this period and their ripple effects" -Publishers Weekly

"A lesson on 'paper sons' and 'paper daughters'...Ingold doesn't sugarcoat the lengths people would go through to come to the States and the fear they had about being caught" -Asian Weekly

 "A wonderful addition to regional historical fiction, this compelling page-turner explores the painful loss--and discovery--of identity" -Seattle Public Library System Library Talk

Manages to be both about Chinese-Americans and identity without being *about* race -The YA YA YAs

"Readers will want to know more about the historical elements of the story after reading this realistic tale" -Children's Book and Play Review/BYU Families & Literacy Book of the Week

"The open-ended conclusion feels realistic and highlights Maggie's elemental questions about how family history influences personal identity" -Booklist

"It was neat to learn more about the lives of journalists and the Exclusion Era" -Booktalking at the Bronx Library Center

Praise from readers:

"A touching and emotionally tearing story of a girl who has her life laid open" 

"Like (Louis Sachar's) Holes, it weaves a story from generations ago into the present" 

"A remarkable job integrating accurate history with an exciting modern story that a middle school girl would want to read"

"A great story...A quick read"

"A coming of age/discovering who you thought you knew/mystery...a great young adult read"

"Short, to-the-point book...I read it in a single sitting and will be encouraging the teens that I know to check it out as well"
Publication Date: 04/05/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Swoon At Your Own Risk
Sydney Salter
Synopsis:

You’d think Polly Martin would have all the answers when it comes to love—after all, her grandmother is the famous syndicated advice columnist Miss Swoon. But after a junior year full of dating disasters, Polly has sworn off boys. This summer, she’s going to focus on herself for once. So Polly is happy when she finds out Grandma is moving in—think of all the great advice she’ll get.

But Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy sexagenarian! How can Polly stop herself from falling for Xander Cooper, the suddenly-hot skateboarder who keeps showing up while she’s working at Wild Waves water park, when Grandma is picking up guys at the bookstore and flirting with the dishwasher repairman?

No advice column can prepare Polly for what happens when she goes on a group camping trip with three too many ex-boyfriends and the tempting Xander. Polly is forced to face her feelings and figure out if she can be in love—and still be herself.

Publication Date: 04/05/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Tracking Trash
Loree Griffin Burns
Synopsis:

Aided by an army of beachcombers, oceanographer Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer tracks trash in the name of science. From sneakers to hockey gloves, Curt monitors the watery fate of human-made cargo that has spilled into the ocean. The information he collects is much more than casual news; it is important scientific data. And with careful analysis, Curt, along with a community of scientists, friends, and beachcombers alike, is using his data to understand and protect our ocean.

In engaging text and unforgettable images, readers meet the woman who started it all (Curt’s mother!), the computer program that makes sense of his data (nicknamed OSCURS), and several scientists, both on land and on the sea, who are using Curt’s discoveries to preserve delicate marine habitats and protect the creatures who live in them. A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book for Nonfiction.

Publication Date: 04/05/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Not Safe For Vampires
William Frost
Synopsis: Not Safe For Vampires is a didactic fictional novella written by William Frost in 2010.
The story chronicles the life of a Civil War soldier who becomes a vampire.
Publication Date: 04/04/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Secrets: You Tell Me Yours and I'll Tell You Mine
Synopsis: Following on the heels of the best-selling book The Truth, SECRETS is the continuing diary of a girl moving into her teen-age years. The Girl has plenty to fill her journal. The pages reveal a new school, a new baby in the family, new friends, a new guy and a new set of issues to face. Share the secret world of an almost-teen as she learns which secrets to share and which to keep to herself.
Publication Date: 04/02/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Nuts
Kacy Cook
Synopsis: An eleven-year-old girl cares for two orphaned squirrels
Publication Date: 04/01/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Conspiracy 365  April
Gabrielle Lord
Synopsis: On New Year's Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning, "They killed your father, they'll kill you--you must survive the next 365 days"; hurled into a life on the run, the 15-year-old fugitive must somehow uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret. A new series of 12 books, one publishing each month for 12 months.
Publication Date: 04/01/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Sense and Sensibility
Jane Austen
Synopsis:

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.

'Oh! Mama, how spiritless, how tame was Edward's manner in reading to us last night! I felt for my sister most severely. Yet she bore it with so much composure, she seemed scarcely to notice it. I could hardly keep my seat.'

Spirited and impulsive, Marianne Dashwood is the complete opposite to her controlled and sensible sister, Elinor. When it comes to matters of the heart, Marianne is passionate and romantic and soon falls for the charming, but unreliable Mr Willoughby. Elinor, in contrast, copes stoically with the news that her love, Edward Ferrars is promised to another.

It is through their shared experiences of love that both sisters come to learn that the key to a successful match comes from finding the perfect mixture of rationality and feeling.

Publication Date: 04/01/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
This World We Live In
Susan Beth Pfeffer
Synopsis: The heart-wrenching companion to the bestselling novels Life As We Knew It and The Dead & The Gone.

It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. Miranda and her two brothers spend their days scavenging for food and household items, while their mother stays at home and desperately tries to hold on to the ordinary activities of their previous life. But they all know that nothing is truly normal in this surreal new world they live in.
           
The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.
Publication Date: 04/01/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
The Popularity Papers
Amy Ignatow
Synopsis: Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang are best friends with one goal: to crack the code of popularity. Lydia’s the bold one: aspiring theater star, stick-fighting enthusiast, human guinea pig. Julie’s the shy one: observer and artist, accidental field hockey star, faithful recorder. In this notebook they write down their observations and carry out experiments to try to determine what makes the popular girls tick. But somehow, when Lydia and Julie try to imitate the popular girls, their efforts don’t translate into instant popularity. Lydia ends up with a bald spot, their parents won’t stop yelling, and Julie finds herself the number-one crush of Roland Asbjørnsen. Worse, they seem to be drifting farther and farther from their goal—and each other.
Amy Ignatow’s hilarious debut novel introduces the intrepid fifth-graders Julie and Lydia, whose quest to understand popularity may not succeed in the ways they want, but will succeed in keeping readers in stitches.

From Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books:
Lydia and Julie, BFFs since birth, are now preparing to enter junior high, and they're on a mission to become popular. First, however, they have to determine exactly how popularity is achieved, so they decide to approach the matter as any good scientist would: observe those creatures already at the height of popularity and apply said observations to themselves, in the hopes of cracking into that mysterious world of junior-high stardom. The two record their observations and the often spectacularly unsuccessful outcomes of their various social experiments in a scrapbook-like journal, complete with notes passed at school, lists of projected popularity goals, and credibly goofy and kidlike drawings. The story here is fairly familiar: the girls fail miserably at their first attempts at the A-list (Lydia's hair falls out after a botched dye job, among other disasters) but eventually find acceptance in the upper echelon, only to learn the valuable lesson that it's the people you're most comfortable around who make the best friends. The diary format, however, adds an extra dimension of funny, and as in Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid series about Greg Heffley, it allows Julie and Lydia to come alive through their witty dialogue, their perceptive commentary, and even their characteristic handwriting. Secondary characters shine as well, particularly Julie's embarrassing but ultimately charming two dads, along with Lydia's goth-punk sister, a font of random quips and junior high wisdom. The popular kids end up being far from perfect and each has issues of her own to contend with, making the actual friendships that form among the girls all the more endearing. Those waiting for the next installment of Greg Heffley's adventures will be well served by this amusing experiment in sixth-grade celebrity. KQG
Publication Date: 04/01/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

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