Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 60 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien
Synopsis: The first volume in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure THE LORD OF THE RINGS One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

“A unique, wholly realized other world, evoked from deep in the well of Time, massively detailed, absorbingly entertaining, profound in meaning.” – New York Times
Publication Date: 09/18/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Crown of Embers
Rae Carson
Synopsis: She does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.

Elisa is a hero. She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from both foreign realms and within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears once and for all, Elisa must follow the trail of long-forgotten--and forbidden--clues from the deep, undiscovered catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her goes a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man who--despite everything--she is falling in love with.

If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.
Publication Date: 09/18/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Burn For Burn
Siobhan Vivian, Jenny Han
Synopsis: Payback is paradise in this start to a trilogy from New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han, and New York Times bestselling author of The List, Siobhan Vivian.

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge.

KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend.

LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it.

MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him.

None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.

With an unlikely alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together.
Publication Date: 09/18/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Subway
Christopher Taylor
Synopsis: In the first book of a three part series, Stacy Martin, High School Freshman, copes with the pressures of the Ridgeland High social scene by escaping into the world of her creative writing. Strange events in the classroom begin to blur the lines between the story she is writing and her real life. When she is summoned to 'The Institute,' Stacy travels to New York City in search of answers and along the way she learns the shocking truth that she is the subject of a sinister experiment. At the end she must face a death-defying leap to get back to the beginning or remain forever trapped in a dream of her own creation.
Publication Date: 09/15/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Hanging By A Thread
Sophie Littlefield
Synopsis: “Dark secrets, a dangerous romance, and a chilling murder mystery I won’t soon forget.” —Stacey Jay, author of Juliet Immortal
 

In a town where appearance means everything, how deep beneath the surface will Clare dig to uncover a murderer?

 
Summer is the best part of the year in Winston, California, and the Fourth of July is the highlight of the season. People consider themselves lucky to live in the quaint, serene beachside town, and native Clare Knight, now a city girl, feels doubly lucky to be moving back there a week before the July festivities kick off.
 
But the perfect town Clare remembers has changed, and everyone is praying that this summer will be different from the last two—that this year’s Fourth of July festival won’t see one of their own vanish without a trace, leaving no leads and no suspects. The media are in a frenzy predicting a third disappearance, but the town depends on tourist dollars, so the residents of Winston are trying desperately to pretend nothing’s wrong.
 
And they’re not the only ones hiding something.
 
Clare has been blessed—or perhaps cursed—with a gift: she can see people’s pasts when she touches their clothes. And since she’s a seamstress who redesigns vintage clothing, her visions are frequent—and usually unwanted. When she stumbles across a denim jacket that once belonged to Amanda Stavros, last year’s Fourth of July victim, Clare sees her perfect town begin to come apart at the seams.
 
Publication Date: 09/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Mystery
The Secret of the Stone Frog
Synopsis: When Leah and Alan awaken in an enchanted forest, they have only each other and their wits to guide them. In a world full of pet bees and giant rabbits, they befriend foppish lions and stone frogs. Learning to overcome danger, they find their way home—and their independence.
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Manga/Graphic Novel
Beyond: A Ghost Story
Graham McNamee
Synopsis: Jane is not your typical teen. She and her best friend Lexi call themselves the Creep Sisters. Only Lexi knows why Jane is different from anyone else: Her own shadow seems to pull her into near-fatal accidents. Jane is determined to find out why these terrifying things happen, and to overcome her shadow enemy. Her sleuthing with Lexi connects her own horrors to the secret history of a serial killer.
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Mystery
The Odyssey
Neil Packer, Gillian Cross
Synopsis: A bold re-envisioning of The Odyssey, told with simplicity and style — perfect for fans of graphic retellings and mythology enthusiasts alike.

Odysseus faces storm and shipwreck, a terrifying man-eating Cyclops, the alluring but deadly Sirens, and the fury of the sea-god Poseidon as he makes his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War. While Odysseus struggles to make it home, his wife, Penelope, fights a different kind of battle as her palace is invaded by forceful, greedy men who tell her that Odysseus is dead and she must choose a new husband. Will Odysseus reach her in time? Homer’s epic, age-old story is powerfully told by Carnegie Medalist Gillian Cross and stunningly illustrated by rising talent Neil Packer.
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Classic
The Impossible Rescue
Martin W. Sandler
Synopsis: The dead of an Arctic winter. Whaling ships full of men, stranded in ice. Follow three rescuers in a race against time — and all odds — in this heartpounding true adventure.

In 1897, whaling in the Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast was as dangerous as it was lucrative. And in that particular year, winter blasted early, bringing storms and ice packs that caught eight American whale ships and three hundred sailors off guard. Their ships locked in ice, with no means of escape, the whalers had limited provisions on board, and little hope of surviving until warmer temperatures arrived many months later. Here is the incredible story of three men sent by President McKinley to rescue them. The mission? A perilous trek over 1,500 miles of nearly impassable Alaskan terrain, in the bone-chilling months of winter, to secure two herds of reindeer (for food) and find a way to guide them to the whalers before they starve. With the help of photographs and journal entries by one of the rescuers, Martin W. Sandler takes us on every step of their riveting journey, facing raging blizzards, killing cold, injured sled dogs, and setbacks to test the strongest of wills.
Back matter includes an epilogue, further information, a time line, source notes, a bibliography, and an index.
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Nonfiction
Shadowfell
Juliet Marillier
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured and brought before him. Eager to hide her own canny skill--a uniquely powerful ability to communicate with the fairy-like Good Folk--Neryn sets out for the legendary Shadowfell, a home and training ground for a secret rebel group determined to overthrow the evil King Keldec.

During her dangerous journey, she receives aid from the Good Folk, who tell her she must pass a series of tests in order to recognize her full potential. She also finds help from a handsome young man, Flint, who rescues her from certain death--but whose motives in doing so remain unclear. Neryn struggles to trust her only allies. They both hint that she alone may be the key to Alban's release from Keldec's rule. Homeless, unsure of who to trust, and trapped in an empire determined to crush her, Neryn must make it to Shadowfell not only to save herself, but to save Alban.
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Island of Doom: The Hunchback Assignments 4
Synopsis: After previous assignments in London, the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Australian rain forest, this final adventure in the Hunchback Assignments series finds our hero, shape-shifting, masked spy Modo, on his most personal quest. Along with fellow spy Octavia Milkweed, they search for Modo's biological parents. But when the Clockwork Guild find Modo's parents first, Octavia and Modo chase them across Europe and North America to the Island of Doom. Joined by memorable characters from the first three books--some lovable, and some who are terrifying and evil--Modo and Octavia dash towards a thrilling conclusion.
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Hidden: A Firelight Novel
Synopsis:

Fans of Maggie Stiefvater and Colleen Houck will love this epic tale of forbidden romance and nail-biting action from New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan.

In the climactic finale to the steamy Firelight trilogy, Jacinda must fight to save her life, her love, and all of her kind.

If Jacinda were to follow the wishes of her community, she'd happily settle down with Cassian, the prince of her pride. But she just can't. She's in love with Will, a human boy who comes from a family of hunters.

Their relationship breaks the most sacred rule and endangers everyone she cares about. Now Jacinda, Will, and Cassian fight back against the hunters and their shadowy allies who would destroy them all. . . .

Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Outcasts United
Warren St. John
Synopsis:

A moving account of how a soccer team made up of diverse refugees inspired an entire community here in the United States.
 
Based on the adult bestseller, Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference, this young people's edition is a complex and inspirational story about the Fugees, a youth soccer team made up of diverse refugees from around the world, and their formidable female coach, Luma Mufleh.
 
Luma Mufleh, a young Jordanian woman educated in the United States and working as a coach for private youth soccer teams in Atlanta, was out for a drive one day and ended up in Clarkston, Georgia, where she was amazed and delighted to see young boys, black and brown and white, some barefoot, playing soccer on every flat surface they could find. Luma decided to quit her job, move to Clarkston, and start a soccer team that would soon defy the odds. Despite challenges to locate a practice field, minimal funding for uniforms and equipment, and zero fans on the sidelines, the Fugees practiced hard and demonstrated a team spirit that drew admiration from referees and competitors alike.
 
Outcasts United explores how the community changed with the influx of refugees and how the dedication of Lumah Mufleh and the entire Fugees soccer team inspired an entire community. 


Praise for Outcasts United
 
“An uplifting underdog story.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Motivating messages that will resonate with teen readers.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review

 
Praise for Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference
 
“Wonderful, poignant book is highly recommended..."–Library Journal, Starred Review
 
“Engagingly written.”—School Library Journal
 
“Richly detailed, uplifting … educational and enriching.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Dee"Inspiring...richly detailed...Deeply satisfying...a bighearted book."—Shelf Awareness

Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Call the Shots
Don Calame
Synopsis: And . . . action! As the uproarious trio returns, sensitive Sean takes the spotlight — scripting a low-low-budget film while fielding unexpected female fans.

Coop is cooking up another sure-misfire scheme (big surprise), and this time the comedy plays out from Sean’s point of view. What’s the new master plan? Making a cheapo horror movie guaranteed to make Coop, Sean, and Matt filthy rich! It’s a terrible idea, and Sean knows it. But he actually is desperate for cash — and for a way to wipe that big fat L off his girlfriend-less forehead. But when he agrees to write a script about the attack of zombie-vampire humanzees, he has no idea just how powerful a chick magnet this movie will be. Suddenly Sean is juggling not one but three interested ladies. There’s his accidental-girlfriend-turned-psychotic-stalker, Evelyn. There’s the wicked hot actress from drama class, Leyna, who seems willing to do anything to land the starring role. And even his twin sister’s gothed-out best friend, Nessa, is looking at Sean in a whole new way. Will any of them wind up as Sean’s true leading lady? Will Sean stop being a doormat and finally start calling the shots?
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Humor
Come August, Come Freedom
Synopsis: An 1800 insurrection planned by a literate slave known as "Prosser’s Gabriel" inspires a historical novel following one extraordinary man’s life.

In a time of post-Revolutionary fervor in Richmond, Virginia, an imposing twenty-four-year-old slave named Gabriel, known for his courage and intellect, plotted a rebellion involving thousands of African- American freedom seekers armed with refashioned pitchforks and other implements of Gabriel’s blacksmith trade. The revolt would be thwarted by a confluence of fierce weather and human betrayal, but Gabriel retained his dignity to the end. History knows little of Gabriel’s early life. But here, author Gigi Amateau imagines a childhood shaped by a mother’s devotion, a father’s passion for liberation, and a friendship with a white master’s son who later proved cowardly and cruel. She gives vibrant life to Gabriel’s love for his wife-to-be, Nanny, a slave woman whose freedom he worked tirelessly, and futilely, to buy. Interwoven with original documents, this poignant, illuminating novel gives a personal face to a remarkable moment in history.
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Crimson Shard
Teresa Flavin
Synopsis: A shard of crimson stone, a magical elixir, and a painted doorway that opens to the past . . .

During what seems like an ordinary museum visit, a tour guide lures Sunni and Blaise through a painted doorway, where they discover they’ve stepped into eighteenth-century London.

When they realize their "tour guide" will do anything to learn what Sunni and Blaise know about magical paintings, they attempt to flee and encounter body snatchers, art thieves, and forgers in this gripping sequel to The Blackhope Enigma.

Can they evade their captors and figure out how to get back home before it’s too late? Or will keeping their secret safe mean they’re stuck in the past forever?
Publication Date: 09/11/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS