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Dragons and Dwarves
S. Andrew Swann
Synopsis: Two novels in one volume.

An omnibus edition of Dragons of the Cuyahoga and The Dwarves of Whiskey Island

Kline Maxwell was a serious political reporter. He wasn't interested in working on "fuzzy gnome" stories, or any of the other unbelievable tales that should end up only in sensationalist rags. But twelve years ago a magical Portal had opened into Cleveland, a Portal that had ruined much of Cleveland's modern-day technology even as it released magical energy all over town. And suddenly there was a shift in the population as humans fled the burg while dwarves, elves, dragons, ogres, gnomes, mages, and every other denizen of the fantasy realm on the other side of the Portal began moving into town.

And whether he wanted to or not, Maxwell had found himself covering stories that sometimes took him far from his political beat and into way too much danger both magical and mundane. Still, he took his job seriously, and when he was assigned to cover a dragon's death by crash-landing into the Cuyahoga, he headed over to the accident site with only a few curses. But what should have been a simple accident report soon led Maxwell in search of a much bigger story—one that would see him kidnapped by elves, framed for murder, holding secret meetings with dragons, and fleeing not only from the cops but from pretty much everybody!

Publication Date: 08/04/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Timelock
David Klass
Synopsis:

In Timelock, the thrilling finale to the Caretaker Trilogy, the end of life as we know it has arrived, and history will be made -- or lost -- at the hands of one young hero.

Jack Danielson has spent the last year saving the oceans and the Amazon, attempting to fulfill a prophecy that was written before his birth. Now he's more than ready to get back to life as a typical teenager and spend some quality time with his girlfriend, P.J. Too bad the world has other plans.

Wrenched away once more from those he knows and loves, Jack is thrust through time to the fiery deserts of the future and the frozen tundra of the Arctic, battling cyborgs, zombie warlocks, and scorpions the size of tanks. At least he has Gisco -- everyone's favorite surly telepathic canine -- to keep him company, not to mention the Ninja Babe, Eko. And he will finally be reunited with the parents who abandoned him so long ago, in order that he might save their dying planet.

But it isn't only a race to save Earth. As the clock ticks down before the final confrontation with the dreaded Dark Lord, Jack must decide once and for all who he really is -- prince of the future or humble human of the present -- and choose between the two women who love him.

Publication Date: 08/04/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Journey of Dreams
Marge Pellegrino
Synopsis:

This is the story of how one family survives the Guatemalan army's 'scorched earth' campaign in the 1980s and how, in the midst of tragedy, suspicion and fear, their resilient love and loyalty - and Papa's storytelling - keeps them going. On their harrowing journey as refugees to the United States, the dramatic ebb and flow of events are mirrored in the tapestries of one daughter's dreams.

Publication Date: 08/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Westward Ho!
Malcolm Day, Charles Kingsley
Synopsis: Beginning in the fictional seaport of Bideford Quay in Devon, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Charles Kingsley's monumental novel follows the fortunes of Amyas Leigh, a young man who sets sail on a life of adventure on the high seas. After battling pirates and treasure-hunting in the Caribbean, and setting out to rescue his beloved Rose Salterne, Amyas joins Sir Francis Drake as he prepares to face England's greatest threat—the Spanish Armada. Packed with drama, excitement and romance Westward Ho! is a magnificent celebration of an age of exploration, discovery and conquest. More than this, however, the novel also draws parallels between Elizabethan England and mid-nineteenth century Britain, when many feared imminent invasion by the French under their Catholic emperor Louis Napoleon. Included is an insightful introduction by historical writer Malcolm Day.
Publication Date: 08/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Coffeehouse Angel
Suzanne Selfors
Synopsis:

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions, and now he won't leave until he can reward Katrina's selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. How can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself?

Fans of romantic comedies will be clamoring for this heartfelt novel that is good to the last drop.

Publication Date: 08/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Montooth and the Canfield Witch
Lauren Ireland, Meghan S. Christian, Robert Jay
Synopsis: The first in the Carty Andersson series, Montooth and the Canfield Witch follows the spirited main character leading her three close male buddies in The Crew on heart thumping mayhem through the Florida swamps of 1950. Deep in Morose Swamp, on the outskirts of the Everglades, The Crew encounters the last descendant of a family chased from Salem, Mass. by 17th Century witch hunters. The hag is dogged by cutthroat treasure hunters led by The Cuban, an ex-Marine imbued with deadly focus and intelligence. The four teenaged members of The Crew are torn by parental warnings to avoid the Canfield Witch's house and the chivalrous impulses they feel despite their fears. Tucked inside the adventure is a fable about a unique alligator whose presence in real life plays a key role in the climax. Young adult readers will enjoy learning about the apparent hardships of students living in an era without television, cell phones and iPods. Older readers will recall with fondness many long gone or seldom seen products that appear throughout the book, like Bab-O, DeSoto and Moon Pies. Carty is a well-grounded and capable girl whom today's teens can admire. Her male friends, who comprise a trio of diverse backgrounds, share a bond of bravery, loyalty, and ability with her. Though good is generally rewarded in Montooth and the Canfield Witch, and evil is usually punished, getting there is an arduous and frightening trip. Though originally written for adults, Montooth has become a Crossover sensation as teens embraced it. Montooth has been garnering a number of awards including the number one position on the recommended reading list in the Anniversary Issue of My Magazine for Girls, Atlanta; Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Award for Historical Fiction; and three awards from Young Voices Foundation, Virginia: Adult Fiction, Juvenile /Adult Fiction, and Mystery/Suspense Young Adult Fiction.
Publication Date: 08/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Fade To Blue
Sean Beaudoin
Synopsis: Sophie Blue started wearing a black skirt and Midnight Noir lipstick on her last birthday. It was also the day her father disappeared. Or spontaneously combusted. Which is sort of bad timing, since a Popsicle truck with tinted windows has started circling the house.

Kenny Fade is a basketball god. His sneakers cost more than his Jeep. He's the guy all the ladies (and their mommas) want. Bad.

Sophie Blue and Kenny Fade don't have a thing in common. Aside from being reasonably sure they're losing their minds.

Acclaimed author Sean Beaudoin's wildly innovative novel combines uproarious humor with enough plot twists to fill a tube sock. Part thriller, part darkly comic philosophical discussion, and accompanied by a comic book interstitial, Fade to Blue is a whip-smart romp that keeps readers guessing until the last paragraph.
Publication Date: 08/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Anna's World
Pat Perrin, Wim Coleman
Synopsis: YA Historical Fiction also loved by many adults.
1840's America--a bright, headstrong girl faces challenges in a Shaker community and in Boston. Forced from her home and away from her beloved father, Anna is sent to live among the stern people called Shakers. Their strange ways and strict lifestyle are both appealing and difficult for the bright, headstrong Anna. When reunited with her father, Anna is plunged into upper-class Boston life, where she faces a troubling mystery, new responsibilities, deadly danger, and events that will affect not just herself and her loved ones, but a country about to come apart at the seams. With a cast that includes Henry David Thoreau, a perceptive Shaker schoolmistress, and a murderous false friend, Anna's World is a powerful coming of age story, widely praised for its vivid characters, gripping plot, and moral stature.
Publication Date: 07/31/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Treasure Map of Boys
Synopsis: From E. Lockhart, author of the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestseller We Were Liars, which John Green called "utterly unforgettable," comes The Treasure Map of Boys, the third book in the uproarious and heartwarming Ruby Oliver novels.

Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it’s her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what’s more:

Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby’s already-sucky reputation is heading downhill.

Not only that, she’s also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.

In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and to find true love—if such a thing exists.
Publication Date: 07/28/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Notes From The Dog
Gary Paulsen
Synopsis: “Sometimes having company is not all it’s cracked up to be.” Fifteen-year-old Finn is a loner, living with his dad and his amazing dog, Dylan. This summer he’s hoping for a job where he doesn’t have to talk to anyone except his pal Matthew. Then Johanna moves in next door. She’s 10 years older, cool, funny, and she treats Finn as an equal. Dylan loves her, too. Johanna’s dealing with breast cancer, and Matthew and Finn learn to care for her, emotionally and physically. When she hires Finn to create a garden, his gardening ideas backfire comically. But Johanna and the garden help Finn discover his talents for connecting with people.
Publication Date: 07/28/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Billy Green Saves The Day
Synopsis:

When the War of 1812 breaks out between the British in Canada and the United States, eighteen-year-old Billy Green is an expert woodsman with romantic ideas of combat. Struggling with his father’s ideals and with his attraction to Sarah, the daughterof an American sympathizer, Billy soon finds himself faced with a series of fateful decisions.

Then on June 5, 1813, he spots the massive American forces camped in the tiny hamlet of Stoney Creek. Against all odds, the young man rides three hours in the middle of the night to Burlington Heights to warn the British. The Americans have already captured Fort George and destroyed Fort York. Burlington Heights is the only bastion of British forces remaining in the area, and if the Americans seize it, all of Upper Canada could fall under U.S. control.

Can Billy Green help save the day? The ensuing historic battle will forever change the face of a nation and present Billy with challenges that will shake him to his very core.

Publication Date: 07/28/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Three Witches
Paula Jolin
Synopsis:

Three seemingly ordinary girls, studying together in the same ordinary high school. All have their own reasons to summon Trevor Saunders after his car goes over a cliff. Aliya brings the mystical seances of Syria. Gillian contributes the voodoo arts from her native Trinidad. Miya shares the secret magic of ancient Japan. Will they be able use their powers to bring him back one more time? Should they?

Publication Date: 07/21/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Devil's Queen
Jeanne Kalogridis
Synopsis:

From Jeanne Kalogridis, the bestselling author of I, Mona Lisa and The Borgia Bride, comes a new novel that tells the passionate story of a queen who loved not wisely . . . but all too well.

Confidante of Nostradamus, scheming mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, and architect of the bloody St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Catherine de Medici is one of the most maligned monarchs in history. In her latest historical fiction, Jeanne Kalogridis tells Catherine’s story—that of a tender young girl, destined to be a pawn in Machiavellian games.

Born into one of Florence’s most powerful families, Catherine was soon left a fabulously rich heiress by the early deaths of her parents. Violent conflict rent the city state and she found herself imprisoned and threatened by her family’s enemies before finally being released and married off to the handsome Prince Henry of France.

Overshadowed by her husband’s mistress, the gorgeous, conniving Diane de Poitiers, and unable to bear children, Catherine resorted to the dark arts of sorcery to win Henry’s love and enhance her fertility—for which she would pay a price. Against the lavish and decadent backdrop of the French court, and Catherine’s blood-soaked visions of the future, Kalogridis reveals the great love and desire Catherine bore for her husband, Henry, and her stark determination to keep her sons on the throne.

Publication Date: 07/21/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Bug Boy
Eric Luper
Synopsis: It is the summer of 1934, and even at the height of the Great Depression, money is no object for the socialites at posh Saratoga Race Course. The trouble is times are tough for everyone else, especially penniless track workers like fifteenyear- old Jack Walsh. When Jack suddenly graduates from exercise rider to apprentice jockey, or bug boy, he is an overnight sensation. Success brings him all sorts of attention, including that of a brainy blond beauty who is more involved with the gritty underbelly of the track than she lets on and a vicious thug who presses Jack to break his code as a jockey for a payoff that could solve all his family’s problems.

Set amid the rough backstretch of Thoroughbred racing, this edge-of-your-saddle read follows the course of a young athlete whose rise to glory in the most popular sport in America is accompanied by ever-increasing pressure to do something that could leave him trampled in the dirt.
Publication Date: 07/21/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury, Tim Hamilton
Synopsis:

Now an HBO Original Movie starring Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther), Sofia Boutella (Star Trek: Beyond), and Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water).

An Eisner Award Nominee

"Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner, burn 'em to ashes, then burn the ashes."

For Guy Montag, a career fireman for whom kerosene is perfume, this is not just an official slogan. It is a mantra, a duty, a way of life in a tightly monitored world where thinking is dangerous and books are forbidden.

In 1953, Ray Bradbury envisioned one of the world's most unforgettable dystopian futures, and in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, the artist Tim Hamilton translates this frightening modern masterpiece into a gorgeously imagined graphic novel. As could only occur with Bradbury's full cooperation in this authorized adaptation, Hamilton has created a striking work of art that uniquely captures Montag's awakening to the evil of government-controlled thought and the inestimable value of philosophy, theology, and literature.

Including an original foreword by Ray Bradbury and fully depicting the brilliance and force of his canonic and beloved masterwork, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is an exceptional, haunting work of graphic literature.

Publication Date: 07/21/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Ponga Boy
Philip Reed, Phil Lebherz
Synopsis: Ponga Boy is the story of a young Mexican boy’s journey from small town fisherman to college soccer megastar. Pichu Castillian, alias Ponga Boy, grew up in an impoverished fishing village at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. Pichu is the heart and soul of the dock, a local legend who works the bait fishing boats, or pongas, with his father, and amazes locals and tourists alike with his feats of athleticism. One day he attracts the attention of two American collegiate soccer coaches. After witnessing Pichu’s abilities, they offer him the opportunity of a lifetime—a tryout with the University of San Francisco soccer team and a full scholarship. Pichu embarks on a journey that goes beyond soccer as he enters a world that challenges everything he’s ever known and leads him to confront who he is and what he really wants in life.
Publication Date: 07/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

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