All Books
Synopsis: When saying no is the right thing to do. Sometimes it’s okay to ignore the rules or break the law. In fact, it’s essential! This thought-provoking book features people who did just that: Sophie and Hans Scholl, siblings who distributed antigovernment pamphlets in Nazi Germany; and Andrei Sakharov, who helped develop the nuclear bomb in Cold War Russia, but then spoke out against its use. Some, like Rosa Parks, were not originally in positions of political power but came out of the ranks of regular citizens to stand up for human rights. Others, like Oscar Romero, archbishop of El Salvador, used their power to change the status quo. Also included are Helen Suzman, a South African member of parliament who fought apartheid; Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest for protesting the dictatorship in Burma; and the people of Egypt, who recently brought down the repressive government of Hosni Mubarak. These inspirational profiles of people who followed their moral compass make for riveting stories as well as excellent starting points for discussions about ethics and morality.
Publication Date: 06/21/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Educational
Synopsis: Janine Larson is a quiet, responsible kid. But her ditsy friends keep her out past her curfew, and her parents are angry she hasn't found a summer job. They think she spends too much time hanging with her friends and her boyfriend, Dan. Her father arranges for her to spend a month as an au pair girl for Dr. Cargill and his wife; they take their two kids to an island summer vacation home, and Janine goes along. Janine slowly wins the trust of the little boy. She can't get close to his spoiled, snooty sister. But she has bigger problems to worry about, with the rude, unpleasant parents - and the fact that there is something not quite right about the way Dr. Cargill arranges adoptions for "orphan" children. Once the Cargills suspect that Janine knows too much about what is going on, Janine finds that her employers have changed from difficult to deadly . . .
Publication Date: 06/21/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Synopsis: Moonbeam Children's Book Award Winner
As children, Lily and her brother Jasper were captivated by tales of the Moon Realm, with its magical lunamancers, undersea merfolk, winged dragons, and Lily's favorite, the heroic Rinn.
Their Uncle Ebb made it sound like he'd been there himself. "Tales, unlike stories, never lie. Would you like to hear one?"
He made them sound so real--like place you could visit, like a place you could . . . touch.
Illustrated by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the The Moon Realm Series.
As children, Lily and her brother Jasper were captivated by tales of the Moon Realm, with its magical lunamancers, undersea merfolk, winged dragons, and Lily's favorite, the heroic Rinn.
Their Uncle Ebb made it sound like he'd been there himself. "Tales, unlike stories, never lie. Would you like to hear one?"
He made them sound so real--like place you could visit, like a place you could . . . touch.
Illustrated by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the The Moon Realm Series.
Publication Date: 06/20/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: When nine-year-old Bud accidentally catches the wrong bus and finds himself launched into a far-away galaxy, making friends is the least of his problems! At Cosmos Academy, Bud soon learns that Earthlings are the most feared creatures in the galaxy. But with the help of his new friend, Gort, Bud hides his true identity and even learns to play anti-gravity Zero-Ball (when he's only ever been good at watching sports). But with paranoid Principal Lepton threatening to expel any Earthlings, and nothing more than Gort's Blip-computer to determine Earth's coordinates, Bud may be lost in space forever! Both gripping and hilarious, this dynamic graphic novel is perfect for kids who crave adventure with a sense of humor.
Publication Date: 06/20/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Manga/Graphic Novel
Synopsis: Fantasy Adventure for Young Adults from Zoë Tyson. In a World born out of magic lives 14 year old Miloney Merren. In his World humans are ruled by an immortal species of creature. And the creatures have one major rule. A human must never have magic. Unfortunately for Milo, he does... And it’s getting out of control. Will he be able to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to help his family and friends? "When magic becomes dangerous, you need to remember one thing. It will either define you or kill you."
Publication Date: 06/19/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Have you ever questioned your sanity? Thinking back now, it's funny to believe I would have given my life for her. Don't get me wrong, I would do the same now, but I don't think it would be quite the same noble gesture. Chance Falls is a young adult fiction novel which explores the growing relationship between two high school students as they take a journey in a fast-paced murder mystery. The only question is how can it be murder if no one is dead? In a gripping exploration of one's mental stability, Chance Falls is an unforgettable leap into the unknown. Is it love? Is it a murder? Is it fate? You Decide!
Publication Date: 06/19/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
It's the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won't stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn't sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she's failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she's forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group's fate is determined less and less by what's happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life―and death―inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
Publication Date: 06/19/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
Laugh with the Moon is on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List.
Thirteen-year-old Clare Silver is stuck. Stuck in denial about her mother’s recent death. Stuck in the African jungle for sixty-four days without phone reception. Stuck with her father, a doctor who seems able to heal everyone but Clare.
Clare feels like a fish out of water at Mzanga Full Primary School, where she must learn a new language. Soon, though, she becomes immersed in her new surroundings and impressed with her fellow students, who are crowded into a tiny space, working on the floor among roosters and centipedes.
When Clare’s new friends take her on an outing to see the country, the trip goes horribly wrong, and Clare must face another heartbreak head-on. Only an orphan named Memory, who knows about love and loss, can teach Clare how to laugh with the moon.
Told from an American girl’s perspective, this story about how death teaches us to live and how love endures through our memories will capture the hearts of readers everywhere.
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Nonfiction
Synopsis: "Thriller, magic, mystery, love and betrayal: in the cards and in these pages." —Kirkus
When Cat and her friends put an end to the sinister Game of Triumphs, they thought they could simply collect their prizes and walk away. But they unwittingly created a monster. Before the dust has settled, the self-proclaimed Master of Misrule is engineering a sadistic lottery that will unleash the power of the Game onto an unsuspecting London. Misrule's agenda of chaos threatens life as they know it, gambling away free will for fickle fortune. And his power has quickly grown to proportions they never could have imagined. It all comes down to one final play. Cat, Flora, Blaine, and Toby must go back into the Arcanum and take fate into their own hands. This time they have everything to lose.
This spine-tingling follow-up to Powell's The Game of Triumphs is everything you could hope for in a sequel and more! It's every bit as thrilling and complex as the first book, with higher stakes and even a hint of romance added to the mix.
When Cat and her friends put an end to the sinister Game of Triumphs, they thought they could simply collect their prizes and walk away. But they unwittingly created a monster. Before the dust has settled, the self-proclaimed Master of Misrule is engineering a sadistic lottery that will unleash the power of the Game onto an unsuspecting London. Misrule's agenda of chaos threatens life as they know it, gambling away free will for fickle fortune. And his power has quickly grown to proportions they never could have imagined. It all comes down to one final play. Cat, Flora, Blaine, and Toby must go back into the Arcanum and take fate into their own hands. This time they have everything to lose.
This spine-tingling follow-up to Powell's The Game of Triumphs is everything you could hope for in a sequel and more! It's every bit as thrilling and complex as the first book, with higher stakes and even a hint of romance added to the mix.
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: 1 concert. 2000 miles. 3 ex-best friends.
Alice, Summer, and Tiernan used to be best friends—as well as the self-proclaimed biggest fans of the band Level3. But when the band broke up, so did their friendship.
Now, four years later, they’ve just graduated from high school. When Level3 announces a one-time reunion show in Texas, Alice impulsively buys tickets and invites her two former friends along for the trip. Reluctant at first, both girls agree to go, each with her own ulterior motive. But old resentments and other roadblocks—from unintended detours to lost concert tickets—keep getting in the girls’ way. Will their friendship get an encore, or is the show really over?
Alice, Summer, and Tiernan used to be best friends—as well as the self-proclaimed biggest fans of the band Level3. But when the band broke up, so did their friendship.
Now, four years later, they’ve just graduated from high school. When Level3 announces a one-time reunion show in Texas, Alice impulsively buys tickets and invites her two former friends along for the trip. Reluctant at first, both girls agree to go, each with her own ulterior motive. But old resentments and other roadblocks—from unintended detours to lost concert tickets—keep getting in the girls’ way. Will their friendship get an encore, or is the show really over?
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Humor
Synopsis: Reviews
Readers who were enticed by the first volume will gobble this one up and probably mark their 2013 calendars with reminders to order volume three. It s that addictive, and, thankfully, also worth the effort. ForeWord Reviews
Amanda Havard spins a rich story that's rooted in history, but teeming with all our favorite myths and legends. The Survivors: Point of Origin is a wild ride, beautifully written and wonderfully told. --Brittany Geragotelis, author of the Life's a Witch series
Filled with colorful characters, romance, and a fascinatingly rich mythology, Point of Origin is one heck of a read! I couldn't put it down and now I'm left wanting, no, needing the third book! If you haven't started this series, do so immediately! Once you start, you won't want to stop. -DJ DeSmyter, author of Hunted
The book you're holding in your hands is chock-full of the Good Stuff. Don't waste any more time reading this blurb; head directly to the checkout, do not pass Go, and start reading the stuff between the covers immediately. -Rodger Nichols, Haystack Broadcasting
Point of Origin is astounding. That's the best word to describe it: astounding. -Kallie Mathews, Bookshelf Banter
Review Direct Title of Special Note
The winter is upon us. The Survivors are in chaos. The war is coming.
One year ago, Sadie Matthau was living among humans, existing as one of them. But now she wakes each morning in a house in the Survivors City, listening to the invocations and insults of her family members as they cope with their new future. A war. Rogue abandoners turned monsters. Sadie and the icy Winters living in their midst, bringing the outside world in.
The Survivors: Point of Origin is Sadie's quest to save her family. But can she find what she is looking for when she can barely stomach the Winters wintry demeanor and finds herself distracted by Cole Hardwick s warm heart? Will she be able to uncover her family's history even as the elders grip tightens around her throat? In an action packed ride full of magic and misery, terror and triumph, Sadie Matthau seeks the Survivors beginning just in time to face her end.
Readers who were enticed by the first volume will gobble this one up and probably mark their 2013 calendars with reminders to order volume three. It s that addictive, and, thankfully, also worth the effort. ForeWord Reviews
Amanda Havard spins a rich story that's rooted in history, but teeming with all our favorite myths and legends. The Survivors: Point of Origin is a wild ride, beautifully written and wonderfully told. --Brittany Geragotelis, author of the Life's a Witch series
Filled with colorful characters, romance, and a fascinatingly rich mythology, Point of Origin is one heck of a read! I couldn't put it down and now I'm left wanting, no, needing the third book! If you haven't started this series, do so immediately! Once you start, you won't want to stop. -DJ DeSmyter, author of Hunted
The book you're holding in your hands is chock-full of the Good Stuff. Don't waste any more time reading this blurb; head directly to the checkout, do not pass Go, and start reading the stuff between the covers immediately. -Rodger Nichols, Haystack Broadcasting
Point of Origin is astounding. That's the best word to describe it: astounding. -Kallie Mathews, Bookshelf Banter
Review Direct Title of Special Note
The winter is upon us. The Survivors are in chaos. The war is coming.
One year ago, Sadie Matthau was living among humans, existing as one of them. But now she wakes each morning in a house in the Survivors City, listening to the invocations and insults of her family members as they cope with their new future. A war. Rogue abandoners turned monsters. Sadie and the icy Winters living in their midst, bringing the outside world in.
The Survivors: Point of Origin is Sadie's quest to save her family. But can she find what she is looking for when she can barely stomach the Winters wintry demeanor and finds herself distracted by Cole Hardwick s warm heart? Will she be able to uncover her family's history even as the elders grip tightens around her throat? In an action packed ride full of magic and misery, terror and triumph, Sadie Matthau seeks the Survivors beginning just in time to face her end.
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: A critically acclaimed bestseller in Canada, The Girl Giant is “emotionally exquisite and heartfelt” (The Globe and Mail)—a gorgeous and moving literary novel about a girl whose affliction gives her the mysterious power to see into the dark secrets of her family’s past and present.
“Something good can come from even the most terrifying things. For eve y thing that is taken away, something else is given.”
Ruth Brennan is a giant, “a rare, organic blunder pressed into a dollhouse world,” as she calls herself. Growing up in a small town, where even an ordinary person can’t simply fade into the background, there is no hiding the fact that Ruth is different: she can see it in the eyes of everyone around her, even her own parents. James and Elspeth Brennan are emotionally at sea, struggling with the devastation wrought on their lives by World War II and with their unspoken terror that the daughter they love may, like so much else, one day be taken away from them. But fate works in strange ways, and Ruth finds that for all the things that go unsaid around her, she is nonetheless able to see deeply into the secret hearts of others—their past traumas, their present fears, and the people they might become, if only they have courage enough.
“Something good can come from even the most terrifying things. For eve y thing that is taken away, something else is given.”
Ruth Brennan is a giant, “a rare, organic blunder pressed into a dollhouse world,” as she calls herself. Growing up in a small town, where even an ordinary person can’t simply fade into the background, there is no hiding the fact that Ruth is different: she can see it in the eyes of everyone around her, even her own parents. James and Elspeth Brennan are emotionally at sea, struggling with the devastation wrought on their lives by World War II and with their unspoken terror that the daughter they love may, like so much else, one day be taken away from them. But fate works in strange ways, and Ruth finds that for all the things that go unsaid around her, she is nonetheless able to see deeply into the secret hearts of others—their past traumas, their present fears, and the people they might become, if only they have courage enough.
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Fans of Amanda Hocking's novel, Wake, will dive into this paranormal romance featuring mermaids--the killer kind--and won't come up for air!
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.
It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.
One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.
"Riveting! A cold-blooded tale of secrets, revenge, and forbidden love that will leave you terrified to go in the water."--Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess
"Scary and spooky . . . I really enjoyed reading this."--USA Today
“A haunting tale of revenge and romance.”--Justine Magazine
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.
It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.
One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.
"Riveting! A cold-blooded tale of secrets, revenge, and forbidden love that will leave you terrified to go in the water."--Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess
"Scary and spooky . . . I really enjoyed reading this."--USA Today
“A haunting tale of revenge and romance.”--Justine Magazine
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
The conclusion to the worldwide bestselling FALLEN series, with exclusive content from the darkly romantic world of FALLEN and an excerpt of Lauren Kate's novel TEARDROP.
A USA Today bestseller
A New York Times bestselling series
More than 3 million series copies in print!
When evil triumphs . . . when the world ends . . . trust your love.
The sky is dark with wings. . . . Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn't know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they've borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters. In the fight for Luce, who will win? The astonishing conclusion to the Fallen series. Heaven can't wait any longer.
And don't miss FALLEN on the big screen! The first book in the worldwide bestselling FALLEN series is now a motion picture available for streaming.
“Sexy and fascinating and scary . . . I loved loved loved it!”
—P. C. Cast, New York Times bestselling author on Fallen
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: With their father en route to Africa for Doctors Without Borders, city-kids Nicholas and younger twin sisters Haley and Hetty are off to spend the summer with their Great-Uncle Nick at his house on Forsaken Lake. Despite some initial doubts, Nicholas is right at home in the country: he learns to sail, learns about his father as a boy, and makes fast friends with a local-girl, the tomboy Charlie.
The summer takes a turn toward the mysterious, though, when Nicholas discovers an old movie that his father made as a boy: it tells the story of the local legend, The Seaweed Strangler, but was never finished. Before long Nicholas wants answers both about the legend, and about the movie. Together, he and Charlie work to uncover the truth and discover some long-buried family secrets along the way.
In this lovely middle-grade novel, Michael D. Beil has invoked one of his own favorites, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, as well as other great summer books of years-past.
The summer takes a turn toward the mysterious, though, when Nicholas discovers an old movie that his father made as a boy: it tells the story of the local legend, The Seaweed Strangler, but was never finished. Before long Nicholas wants answers both about the legend, and about the movie. Together, he and Charlie work to uncover the truth and discover some long-buried family secrets along the way.
In this lovely middle-grade novel, Michael D. Beil has invoked one of his own favorites, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, as well as other great summer books of years-past.
Publication Date: 06/12/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: It's not easy losing the love of your life...
But when Maggie Graham freed Rowan Mackenzie from the curse that bound him to this world, she took the first step toward her new life as director of the Crossroads Theatre. As a hectic new season begins, magic takes a back seat to ticket sales as Maggie balances the demands of her interfering board president and a company of actors that includes bewildered amateurs, disdainful professionals, a horde of children, and an arthritic dog. But magic is hard to banish from the old white barn, where memories lurk like ghosts in the shadowy wings and the unexpected is as time-honored a tradition as the curtain call. And when the tangled spells of the past turn Maggie's life upside down, it will take more than magic to ensure the happy-ever-after ending she longs for.
But when Maggie Graham freed Rowan Mackenzie from the curse that bound him to this world, she took the first step toward her new life as director of the Crossroads Theatre. As a hectic new season begins, magic takes a back seat to ticket sales as Maggie balances the demands of her interfering board president and a company of actors that includes bewildered amateurs, disdainful professionals, a horde of children, and an arthritic dog. But magic is hard to banish from the old white barn, where memories lurk like ghosts in the shadowy wings and the unexpected is as time-honored a tradition as the curtain call. And when the tangled spells of the past turn Maggie's life upside down, it will take more than magic to ensure the happy-ever-after ending she longs for.
Publication Date: 06/05/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy