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Lifeboat 12
Susan Hood
Synopsis: In the tradition of The War That Saved My Life and Stella By Starlight, this poignant novel in verse based on true events tells the story of a boy’s harrowing experience on a lifeboat after surviving a torpedo attack during World War II.

With Nazis bombing London every night, it’s time for thirteen-year-old Ken to escape. He suspects his stepmother is glad to see him go, but his dad says he’s one of the lucky ones—one of ninety boys and girls to ship out aboard the SS City of Benares to safety in Canada.

Life aboard the luxury ship is grand—nine-course meals, new friends, and a life far from the bombs, rations, and his stepmum’s glare. And after five days at sea, the ship’s officers announce that they’re out of danger.

They’re wrong.

Late that night, an explosion hurls Ken from his bunk. They’ve been hit. Torpedoed! The Benares is sinking fast. Terrified, Ken scrambles aboard Lifeboat 12 with five other boys. Will they get away? Will they survive?

Award-winning author Susan Hood brings this little-known World War II story to life in a riveting novel of courage, hope, and compassion. Based on true events and real people, Lifeboat 12 is about believing in one another, knowing that only by banding together will we have any chance to survive.
Publication Date: 09/04/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
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: Classic
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: Nonfiction
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: Fantasy
Fresh Ink: An Anthology
Synopsis: All it takes to rewrite the rules is a little fresh ink in this remarkable YA collection from thirteen of the most recognizable diverse authors writing today including Nicola Yoon, Jason Reynolds, Melissa de la Cruz, and many more, and published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. 

"This awesome anthology came together with the fantastic organization We Need Diverse Books, and...combines an all-star cast of talent." --Paste Magazine

Careful--you are holding fresh ink. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written--whose next chapters are up to you. 

Because these stories are meant to be read. And shared.

Thirteen of the most accomplished YA authors deliver a label-defying anthology that includes ten short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print. This collection addresses topics like gentrification, acceptance, untimely death, coming out, and poverty and ranges in genre from contemporary realistic fiction to adventure and romance. It will inspire you to break conventions, bend the rules, and color outside the lines. All you need is fresh ink.

AUTHORS INCLUDE: Schuyler Bailar, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Sharon G. Flake, Eric Gansworth, Malindo Lo, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Aminah Mae Safi, Gene Luen Yang, Nicola Yoon

"I absolutely love this mix of established and newer talents, and I'm really intrigued and excited by the mixed formats." --BookRiot

"Huge, huge names in YA participated." --Bustle
Publication Date: 08/14/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Anthology
The Web Paige Chronicles
Emilio Iasiello
Synopsis: PRAISE FOR THE WEB PAIGE CHRONICLES: "Web Paige Chronicles offers a refreshing and empowering role model for young adults. By eschewing this iGeneration’s stereotypical malaise in favor of positive curiosity with technology, Iasiello folds practical cybersecurity guidance into a relatable story." -Scott Schober, author of Hacked Again Emilio Iasiello is a cyber-security expert who has written a modern and realistic coming-of-age book that either boys or girls will enjoy. It helps them learn to deal with such modern problems as cyber bullying, hacking, sexting, online predators and more. Though the main characters are junior high aged, older readers will enjoy this quick read, and learn a great deal about safely negotiating modern technology. Highly recommended for schools and parents to share with their tweens and teens--or their cyber-leery friends. Wilhelmina Evangeline Beatriz Paige is better known as “Web” to her friends because of her seemingly endless knowledge of computers. Always eager to lend a hand, she takes pride in helping the “technically-challenged” in her neighborhood as part of her “pay-it-forward” philosophy. But when her closest friends become the targets of cyber bullying and online predators, Web realizes that safely navigating the Internet is more than just using strong passwords and antivirus protection. By helping those who can’t help themselves, Web embarks on a journey through which she learns things from not only her friends, but also strangers, adults, and most importantly, herself.
Publication Date: 08/02/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile 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
Rad Girls Can
Miriam Klein Stahl, Kate Schatz
Synopsis: From the New York Times best-selling authors of Rad Women Worldwide and Rad American Women A-Z, a bold and brave collection of stories and art about inspiring and accomplished girls who have made positive impacts on the world before the age of 20.

You might know the stories of Malala Yousafzai, Anne Frank, Jazz Jennings, and Joan of Arc. But have you heard about Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee who swam a sinking boat to shore, saved twenty lives, then went on to compete as an Olympic swimmer? Or Trisha Prabhu, who invented an anti-cyberbullying app at age 13? Or Barbara Rose Johns, whose high school protest helped spark the civil rights movement?

In Rad Girls Can, you'll learn about a diverse group of young women who are living rad lives, whether excelling in male-dominated sports like boxing, rock climbing, or skateboarding; speaking out against injustice and discrimination; expressing themselves through dance, writing, and music; or advocating for girls around the world. Each profile is paired with the dynamic paper-cut art that made the authors' first two books New York Times best sellers. Featuring both contemporary and historical figures, Rad Girls Can offers hope, inspiration, and motivation to readers of all ages and genders.
Publication Date: 07/17/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Biography
The Secret Key of Pythagorum
Synopsis: Savaric is devastated. His grandmother, the only good person in his life, was dallying with something she had no right to on the day he was born…
Magic.

Savaric doesn’t know what to think. Is he a warlock? Is he cursed? Everyone already looks at him strangely everywhere he goes. But all that changes when Savaric discovers that, under the right circumstances, he can become invisible! However, what starts out as a fun talent quickly goes downhill when things start to go missing and he’s always to blame. Even his own mother thinks he’s responsible for every cooling pie missing from a window ledge (Well, maybe one or two!).

That is, until the day when his gift leads him to a mysterious map written in a language he’s never seen, and a beautiful golden key.

In the whirlwind that follows, Savaric leaves the only home he’s ever known, and sets off alone to solve the mystery behind the map and key. He soon makes friends and enemies alike, plans a prison escape, digs for treasure more than once, and meets Kings, Queens, and fairies. Savaric may even help stop destabilizing battles for the throne and save the English kingdom!

…but only if he can survive.

Publication Date: 07/10/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Door to the Lost
Jaleigh Johnson
Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mark of the Dragonfly comes a thrilling fantasy adventure about two magical friends living as refugees in a world that doesn't trust magic. Perfect for fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak and the School for Good and Evil series!

There was no warning the day magic died in Talhaven. It happened with a giant explosion and the arrival of a skyship full of children, all with magic running through their veins and no memory of home.

Rook and Drift are two of those children, and ever since that day, they've been on the run, magical refugees in a world that doesn't trust magic. Because magic doesn't die right away--it decays, twists, and poisons all that it touches. And now it's beginning to poison people.

Try as they might, Rook and Drift can't remember anything about their lives before Talhaven. But it's beginning to look like they're the only ones who can save their adopted world . . . if that world doesn't destroy them first.

Praise for The Door to the Lost

"This fun, exciting story...and the many well-rendered, imaginative and heartfelt scenes along the way make this journey worthwhile."--The New York Times Book Review

"Themes of refugees and found families are addressed in a way that retains fantasy flavor while realistically presenting the brutality of ignorance and beauty of humanity. Your new favorite fantasy."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Johnson's immersive world building is vivid...and the fast-paced action, compelling characters, and one cute magical fox will keep fantasy-loving kids hooked."--Booklist

"With heartfelt explorations of the meanings of friendship and family...fans of portal fantasies, steampunk, and action-driven books will find this an entertaining read and will be left wanting more."--School Library Journal

Praise for The Mark of the Dragonfly:

"This magnetic middle-grade debut . . . [is] a page-turner that defies easy categorization and ought to have broad appeal." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Heart, brains, and courage find a home in a steampunk fantasy worthy of a nod from Baum." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"A fantastic and original tale of adventure and magic. . . . Piper is a heroine to fall in love with: smart, brave, kind, and mechanically inclined to boot." --School Library Journal, Starred Review
Publication Date: 07/03/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Paths to the Stars
Edward Willett
Synopsis: From Edward Willett, Aurora Award-winning author of Marseguro, The Cityborn, and Worldshaper (DAW Books), among many others, comes twenty-two tales of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, drawn from a long career of telling fantastic tales. A young musician dreams of playing his songs among the stars...A Broadway performer on the lam is forced to direct aliens in The Sound of Music...Strange vegetables with dangerous properties crop up in small-town Saskatchewan...A man with a dark secret gets his comeuppance on a windy night on the prairie...An elderly caretaker on the Moon preserves the memory of the millions who died on Earth's darkest day...A woman and a bat-like alien must overcome their own prejudices to prevent an interstellar war... From the far future and the farthest reaches of space to the Canadian prairie, from our world to worlds that have never existed to world's that might some day, rich realms of imagination and the fascinating characters and creatures that populate them await within these stories, some previously published, some seeing print for the first time. Time to go exploring...
Publication Date: 06/28/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Short Story
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: Adventure
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

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