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Ugly To Start With
John Michael Cummings
Synopsis:

Jason Stevens is growing up in picturesque, historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in the 1970s. Back when the roads are smaller, the cars slower, the people more colorful, and Washington, D.C. is way across the mountains—a winding sixty-five miles away.
 Jason dreams of going to art school in the city, but he must first survive his teenage years. He witnesses a street artist from Italy charm his mother from the backseat of the family car. He stands up to an abusive husband—and then feels sorry for the jerk. He puts up with his father’s hard-skulled backwoods ways, his grandfather’s showy younger wife, and the fist-throwing schoolmates and eccentric mountain characters that make up Harpers Ferry—all topped off by a basement art project with a girl from the poor side of town. Ugly to Start With punctuates the exuberant highs, bewildering midpoints, and painful lows of growing up, and affirms that adolescent dreams and desires are often fulfilled in surprising ways.

Publication Date: 10/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Mercy: The Last New England Vampire
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Haley is struggling to cope with her stepmom and baby brother, with her beloved cousin's terminal illness, and with dropping grades at school. When she digs deep into her family history for a school project, she uncovers a disturbing New England tradition and a ghostly past. Haley must overcome her doubts and confront a vampire in order to save herself and her family. Inspired by a true New England story, Mercy is accomplished children's author Sarah L. Thomson's first book for Islandport Press.
Publication Date: 10/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Gordon Ryder's Blues
Synopsis: Gordon Ryder has the blues. It's 1969, the worst year of Gordon's life so far. He has no friends, and when his father deserts the family, Gordon is left alone with his overly controlling mother. Gordon's only solace is running, which leads to an encounter in the forest preserve that could change everything. Myra Roth, a hippie leader at Gordon's high school, invites him into her inner circle. Gordon must decide: should he enter Myra's world of war protests, drugs, and free love? Gordon Ryder's Blues tells the story of a teenager coming of age in the turbulent Sixties, a story written to entertain young adults curious about that time, baby boomers eager to reminisce, and everyone in between.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Voyance
Rhonda Brutt
Synopsis: Have you ever thought about someone, and suddenly the phone rings? And when you answer, you discover that it's them on the other end of the line? Have you ever had a feeling that something unusual was about to happen...and then it did? If you have...you are not alone. Emma Patterson was born with clairvoyant and telepathic abilities. But, for as talented as Emma is, she feels very alone in the world. No one she knows shares her gifts, or understands what it's like to be different; but, that all changes when her mother sends her away for her senior year of high school. Hidden along the Florida coast is Voyance, an institute for students with extrasensory talents. Here, Emma must learn how to navigate in a new environment, make friends, and rise to the challenges that being psychic present for her and her fellow classmates. She soon finds herself falling hard for the school administrator's only son, Alex. As their relationship grows, Emma and Alex discover that not everything is always the way it appears. There is more going on at the school than meets the eye. And sometimes, even being psychic doesn't give you the answers you need. Together, they uncover the school's secrets that some would do anything to keep hidden. They must find a way to uncover the truth about Voyance, without risking the bond they share...their future depends on it. If you were psychic, what choices would you make? Outcomes can change. Love does not. Welcome to Voyance.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
If I Die
Rachel Vincent
Synopsis:

The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
A Beautiful Dark
Jocelyn Davies
Synopsis:

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Shifting
Bethany Wiggins
Synopsis: After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Art Geeks and Prom Queens
Synopsis:

Being the new girl is tough―just ask sixteen-year-old Rio Jones. A New York transplant, Rio has no clue how she's going to fit in at her fancy new private school in Southern California. Plus, being late, overdressed, and named after a Duran Duran song doesn't make the first day any easier.

Then, Rio meets Kristi. Beautiful, rich, and a cheerleader, Kristi is the queen bee of Newport Beach, and she isn't friends with just anyone, so Rio is thrilled when she's invited to be part of the most exclusive, popular clique. At first, Rio is having a great time, but as she becomes more immersed in the jet set crowd, she discovers an unwritten rule that her new friends forgot to mention: don't cross Kristi... in Alyson Noël's Art Geeks and Prom Queens.

Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Humor
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Michelle Hodkin
Synopsis: Mara Dyer doesn't believe life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.                                                                                                                                                  She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.                                                                                                       She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Arabat: Absolute Midnight
Clive Barker, Clive Barker
Synopsis:

Clive Barker, author of The Thief of Always, delivers an epic battle filled with fantasy and adventure that readers won't want to put down!

Candy Quackenbush, her allies, and her enemies are back in Abarat: Absolute Midnight, the third book in Clive Barker's New York Times bestselling Abarat series.

"The waiting is over. Tomorrow there will be no dawn. Only midnight, absolute and eternal." Mater Motley, the Old Mother of Darkness herself—following the events of Abarat and Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War—has crafted a scheme that may destroy the Abarat, a vast archipelago where every hour is an island in one eternal day.

When Candy discovers Mater Motley's secret plot, she realizes that only she can bring an end to the destruction. Only she can stop the complete darkness threatening to abolish all hope and happiness from the Abarat.

Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Conquer the Dark
L.A. Banks
Synopsis: The rapidly approaching battle between Dark and Light threatens to destroy mankind in this action-packed new series from New York Times bestselling author L.A. Banks.

Celeste Jackson never had much hope for the future—and certainly never imagined that she would be living in an abandoned warehouse in Philadelphia with her magnificent protector Azrael, the angel of death, and a fierce battalion of warrior angels. But although her powers have bestowed the angels with the freedom to return to the Light or stay within the mortal realm, they need her more than ever.

Celeste is one of the few remaining half-human, half-angel Remnant, with a unique ability to locate others of her kind. The search leads Azrael and his celestial brothers to Egypt to recover a powerful relic that can raise an army of bloodthirsty fallen if it falls into the wrong hands. It is a relic the dark angel Asmodeus will do anything to possess—and his quest puts Celeste in mortal danger. Soon Azrael faces an impossible decision: Can he surrender the woman who has become his salvation . . . or will he save her and allow all of humanity to perish?
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Spider's Revenge
Jennifer Estep
Synopsis: Old habits die hard for assassins.

And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.

 Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don’t think the mission will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I’m coming for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I’ve got my powerful Ice and Stone magic—and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson—to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a good chance I won’t survive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Pink Locker Society: Girls in Charge
Synopsis:

Inspired by the popular KidsHealth website, THE PINK LOCKER SOCIETY features a trio of teens who have taken on a mysterious mission--to help middle school girls by answering their questions about anything, especially the PBBs (Periods, Bras, and Boys).

For the first time in a long time, Jemma, Piper, and Kate have tossed boys aside to spend time on their one true love: THE PINK LOCKER SOCIETY. And with the help of two-well placed school officials, they're back in their swanky pink offices. But how long will it last?
Jemma is juggling school, the cross country team, becoming a big sister, and all the Pink Locker action, including a tough new problem from a bullied classmate. With 8th grade graduation around the corner, the girls have to decide who will carry on the Pink Locker Society's important mission. Are there 7th graders who have the right stuff to be in the PLS? And just as Jemma's life is bursting with excitement, Forrest reappears and seems genuinely interested in her. Even though she keeps him at arms' length, she has one lingering question: Was he the one who sent her a pink carnation on Valentine's Day?

From crushes, to friendship, to family surprises, GIRLS IN CHARGE explores the concerns that so many young girls talk about with their friends. Funny, entertaining, and honest, this fourth installment of the Pink Locker Society series feels like having your BFF by your side.

Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Lost in Time
Melissa de la Cruz
Synopsis: The stakes have never been higher for the young Blue Bloods of Manhattan. After their brief yet beautiful bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force depart for Egypt, desperate to find the elusive Gate of Promise before Jack must face his twin, Mimi, for a blood trial. A blood trial that only one of them can survive. But everything Schuyler thought she knew about the gate turns out to be a lie, and they soon find themselves ensnared in a deadly battle against the demon-born. Schuyler and Jack take up arms, only to realize that there is a much graver threat simmering in the Kingdom of the Dead.

Meanwhile, determined to save the only vampire she still loves, Mimi has followed Kingsley Martin into Hell. With the help of her new human Conduit, Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi makes a bargain with the Queen of the Dead that she may soon regret. When the time comes to choose between love and revenge, both Mimi and Oliver will learn the true meaning of sacrifice.

Confronted by danger, betrayal, and loss at every turn, the Blue Bloods must find the will to fight—and love—another day.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
The Beating Teenage Heart
C. K. Kelly Martin
Synopsis: Ashlyn Baptiste is falling. One moment she was nothing—no memories, no self—and then suddenly, she's plummeting through a sea of stars. Is she in a coma? She doesn't remember dying, and she has no memories of the life she left behind. All she knows is that she's trapped in a consciousness without a body and she's spending every moment watching a stranger.

Breckon Cody's on the edge. He's being ripped apart by grief so intense it literally hurts to breathe. On the surface, Breckon is trying to hold it together for his family and his girlfriend, but underneath he's barely hanging on.

Even though she didn't know him in life, Ashlyn sees Breckon's pain, and she's determined to find a way help him. As her own distressing memories emerge from the darkness, she struggles to communicate with the boy who can't see her, but whose life is suddenly intertwined with hers. In alternating voices of the main characters, My Beating Teenage Heart paints a devastatingly vivid picture of both the heartbreak and the promise of teenage life—a life Ashlyn would do anything to recover and Breckon seems desperate to destroy—and will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen, John Green, and David Levithan.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Gordon Ryder's Blues
Synopsis: Gordon Ryder has the blues. It's 1969, the worst year of Gordon's life so far. He has no friends, and when his father deserts the family, Gordon is left alone with his overly controlling mother. Gordon's only solace is running, which leads to an encounter in the forest preserve that could change everything. Myra Roth, a hippie leader at Gordon's high school, invites him into her inner circle. Gordon must decide: should he enter Myra's world of war protests, drugs, and free love? Gordon Ryder's Blues tells the story of a teenager coming of age in the turbulent Sixties, a story written to entertain young adults curious about that time, baby boomers eager to reminisce, and everyone in between.
Publication Date: 09/27/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction

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