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So Much Closer
Susane Colasanti
Synopsis: When Brooke's crush, Scott, moves from their suburban town to New York City, she decides to follow him there. Living with her formerly estranged dad and adapting to a new school are challenging, and things go from bad to worse when Brooke learns that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she builds her new life, Brooke begins to discover a side of herself she never knew existed. And as she finds out, in the city that never sleeps, love can appear around any corner...

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Publication Date: 05/03/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Galapagos Islands Steve Trek Adventures
Synopsis: Steve Trek has always led a life of adventure. Being a divemaster in exotic locales brings new endeavors every day. Steve, along with fellow divemasters, Dave "Doc" Sighter and "Big Jeff" Hall, lead divers on adventures of a lifetime in the breathtaking backdrop of the Galapagos Islands. Together they dive in unbelievable terrain and see some of the most outstanding sights the ocean has to offer. But the conditions can be treacherous in the diverse sea surrounding the Galapagos. Sharks gather in droves beneath the surface, and a band of nefarious drug lords threaten the peace and quiet of the island when Steve and his crew cross their path. Can Steve and his fellow divers survive a confrontation with the ruthless Hiro Murisimo? Will they survive the other dangers lurking beneath the seas? Join author Terry Ross for an unbelievable island experience in Steve Trek Dive Adventures: Galapagos Islands.
Publication Date: 05/03/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Departures
Robin Jones Gunn
Synopsis: Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend.

Now Boarding at Gate 10
After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When Matthew starts to show a romantic interest in Christy, she realizes this summer vacation could change everything she thought her future would be.
 
In the Event of a Water Landing
Fifteen-year-old Sierra Jensen can’t wait to spend her summer vacation with her friend Jana at a pristine lake in Montana. But when they arrive, it becomes clear that Jana’s only interest is acquiring a boyfriend. Sierra just wants to hang out with the guys as friends, but Jana turns every encounter into a possible romantic relationship. As their friendship begins to suffer, Sierra wonders if it’s possible to find a Forever Friend who will listen to you, laugh with you, and keep your confidences.
Publication Date: 05/03/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Almost Final Curtain
Tate Hallaway
Synopsis: Craving the spotlight is in her blood.

Ever since high school student Anastasija Parker discovered she was vampire royalty, her life has been sort of crazy. The half-vampire- half-witch just wants some normalcy, and trying out for the spring musical seems like the perfect fix.

But when the ancient talisman that stands between vampire freedom and slavery to witches is stolen, Ana has to skip rehersal and track down the dangerous artifact before someone uses it to make this year's curtain call her last...
Publication Date: 05/03/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Vampire Diaries (Stefan's Diaries): The Craving
Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec, L. J. Smith
Synopsis:

The third book in the New York Times bestselling series by L.J. Smith.

The Craving is the third book in L.J. Smith’s bestselling Stefan’s Diaries series, which reveals the backstory of brothers Stefan and Damon from The Vampire Diaries series. This paperback features cover artwork from the hit CW TV series The Vampire Diaries, starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder.

Stefan Salvatore has come to terms with being a vampire. The events of the past few months have sobered him, and the fog of his own blood lust has begun to lift. He travels to New York City to start a new life—one that does not require him to kill humans to survive. Instead he feeds off of animals in Central Park. But the quiet life he envisioned is jolted when he runs into his brother Damon, who has convinced New York high society that he is Italian royalty. While Stefan is regaining his humanity, Damon has completely lost his. Stefan will do whatever it takes to protect Damon from himself—but there is another villain present. A vampire that seeks revenge for a death the Salvatores are responsible for. Stefan and Damon will have to work together to fight the greatest evil yet.

Full of dark shadows and surprising twists, the third book in the New York Times bestselling Stefan’s Diaries series raises the stakes for the Salvatore brothers as they face new loves, old treacheries, and unimaginable threats. Fans of L. J. Smith’s New York Times bestselling Vampire Diaries series as well as the hit television show won’t be able to put the latest Salvatore adventure down.

 

Publication Date: 05/03/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Where Things Come Back
John Corey Whaley
Synopsis: Winner of the 2012 Michael L. Printz and William C. Morris Awards, this poignant and hilarious story of loss and redemption “explores the process of grief, second chances, and even the meaning of life” (Kirkus Reviews).

In the remarkable, bizarre, and heart-wrenching summer before Cullen Witter’s senior year of high school, he is forced to examine everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town. His cousin overdoses; his town becomes absurdly obsessed with the alleged reappearance of an extinct woodpecker; and most troubling of all, his sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother, Gabriel, suddenly and inexplicably disappears.

     Meanwhile, the crisis of faith spawned by a young missionary’s disillusion in Africa prompts a frantic search for meaning that has far-reaching consequences. As distant as the two stories initially seem, they are woven together through masterful plotting and merge in a surprising and harrowing climax.

     This extraordinary tale from a rare literary voice finds wonder in the ordinary and illuminates the hope of second chances.

Book Details:Format: PaperbackPublication Date: 7/24/2012Pages: 256Reading Level: Age 14 and Up

Publication Date: 05/03/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Everfound
Neal Shusterman
Synopsis: While Mary lies in a glass coffin aboard a ghost train heading west, her minions are awaiting her re-awakening by bringing lots of new souls into Everlost to serve her. Meanwhile Jackin’ Jill has met Jix, a fur-jacker—a skin jacker who can take over the bodies of animals, most notably jaguars. Jix serves a Mayan god who collects Everlost coins, and has his own agenda. In the concluding volume of The Skinjacker Trilogy, Neal Shusterman reveals new sides of the characters of Everlost, who are pitted against each other in a battle that may destroy all life on Earth.
Publication Date: 05/03/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Inner Demons
Jasmine Denton
Synopsis: Caine McKay harbors a dark secret. Those anger issues of his, they’re not just scary—they’re lethal. When his father is sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit; Caine moves from Chicago to a small town to live with his kindhearted grandmother. He tries to start a new life and forget the tragic circumstances that brought him to Tree Hollow, but his conscience and alter ego won’t let him. He finds an unexpected ally in Hannah, the local preacher’s daughter. Her belief in hope and second chances give him the anchor he needs to keep his anger rooted, and before long, Caine is completely attracted to her. But will her friendship take him on a road to redemption, or will it tear his world apart? When his father is sent to jail, Caine moves from Chicago to a small town to live with his kindhearted grandmother. Struggling to control his violent alter-ego, he tries to start a new life and forget the tragic circumstances that brought him to Tree Hollow, but he fears the monster inside him will break loose. He finds an unexpected ally in Hannah, the local preacher’s daughter. Her belief in hope and second chances give him the anchor he needs to keep his anger rooted, and before long, Caine is completely attracted to her. But will her friendship take him on a road to redemption, or will it tear his world apart?
Publication Date: 05/02/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Dart and the Squirrels
Michelle Izmaylov, Nicole Izmaylov
Synopsis: Name’s Dart—short for d’Artagnan. You may not think much of a grizzled old German Shepherd with a torn ear and a nasty bite, but, trust me, when you’ve spent your whole life dogging it out in the pound, you learn appearances can be deceiving. I mean, just look at that squirrel. Nutty, crazy, you name it. If that sly squirrel isn’t chewing up Banshee’s homework and blaming me, she’s stealing my food, following me around the house, stealing my food, biting my tail, and, did I mention the worst part, stealing my food! This is outrageous! A proud purebred—okay, semi-purebred—German Shepherd such as myself can’t stand for this! I’ll sit. Hey, since you’re here, why don’t you listen up to my complaints? All my doggy pals like them—and their reviews are a little “ruff.”
Publication Date: 05/02/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Humor
The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book
Synopsis: Now you can write your own bestseller!

With The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, you're the author, illustrator, and main character. Filled with loads of interactive pages and plenty of space to write your own life's story, this book is all you need to create your masterpiece. Whatever you do, make sure you put it someplace safe after you finish. Because when you're rich and famous, this thing is going to be worth a fortune.

Includes more than 60 new pages! 32 pages of full-color comics (16 brand-new)!
Publication Date: 05/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
The Mangrove Tree
Susan L. Roth, Cindy Trumbore, Susan L. Roth
Synopsis:

For a long time, the people of Hargigo, a village in the tiny African country of Eritrea, were living without enough food for themselves and their animals. The families were hungry, and their goats and sheep were hungry too. Then along came a scientist, Dr. Gordon Sato, who helped change their lives for the better. And it all started with some special trees.

These are the trees,
Mangrove trees,
That were planted by the sea.

With alternating verse and prose passages, The Mangrove Tree invites readers to discover how Dr. Sato s mangrove tree-planting project transformed an impoverished village into a self-sufficient community. This fascinating story of environmental innovation is a celebration of creativity, hard work, and ability of one man to make a positive difference in the lives of many.

Publication Date: 05/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
The Seer and The Scribe
Synopsis: Luminis Books presents this suspenseful tale of power, secrets, and darkness in a story that transcends time. 
 
In medieval Germany, Hildegard of Bingen was born with a gift--the ability to see beyond this earthly realm. But a gift can also be a burden, especially when Hildegard's vision helps her witness the vicious murder of a monk at the monastery of Disibodenberg.
 
When the peace of the monastery is shattered by a second gruesome murder, Hildegard seeks the help of Volmar, her trusted scribe. Together, they discover a treacherous plot to seize the Spear of Destiny--a holy relic rumored to bear a curse that haunts anyone who tries to wield its power for their own purposes.
 
In turn, Volmar and Hildegard are cast into a web of violence and intrigue spawned by the greed of power-hungry noblemen, deceitful clerics, and the ambitions of a secret society sworn to protect the warriors of the Crusades.
 
Book One of The Seer and the Scribe series begins where recorded history is silent, introducing you to the extraordinary lives of Hildegard and Volmar, as they challenge the darkness of this fearful time.
 
YOUNG ADULT / EPIC FANTASY / HISTORICAL FICTION / MEDIEVAL TIMES / STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONISTS / PSYCHIC VISIONS / THE CRUSADES
Publication Date: 05/01/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Gray
Rachel Karns
Synopsis: Maggie Whitaker decides to forego college to work in her family-run jewelry shop. Ready to embrace her adult life, she becomes entangled with a mysterious John Doe. Through discovering him, she ultimately discovers herself.
Publication Date: 04/28/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Road to Sunrise
Olivia Beck
Synopsis:

Olivia begins her life facing the challenge of a physical disability, and at age 12, finds her life dramatically changed after the death of her mother in the late 1950s. Having been sheltered by the closeness of a large extended family, she and her 11-year-old brother Lenny suddenly find themselves with an uncertain future living with their self-centered father, as their older brother Benjy goes off to join the army.

The frustrated children shuttle between Brooklyn and the family's upstate home in Liberty, New York, while Olivia struggles to balance her complicated life as a teenager with adult responsibilities. Strong family ties and the house that bonds her with fifteen close cousins, strengthen Olivia's fortitude to deal with the trials she encounters on the road ahead.

With the backdrop of America's growing pains in the 1950s and 60s, Olivia relives her life from a young girl's perspective, through post-war economic growth, fear of nuclear war, ramifications of the McCarthy Era, the civil rights movement, the assassination of a president and the Vietnam War. School days, girlfriends, boyfriends and the birth of rock and roll, enrich her story of hardships, tragedy, and extraordinary childhood experiences.

Road to Sunrise takes us traveling from the busy streets of Brooklyn, NY to the tranquil Catskill Mountains in an emotionally charged journey from idyllic early childhood, through turbulent adolescence and teen years, to the hopes and dreams of a young woman.

Publication Date: 04/26/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Tangled Threads
Jennifer Estep
Synopsis: I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .
Publication Date: 04/26/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Forever Summer
Alyson Noël
Synopsis:

Forever Summer: Two Books In One from bestselling author Alyson Noël: Laguna Cove & Cruel Summer

Summer. A break from the burdens of school. Deep tans, deeper thoughts. Far away from the everyday. Closer to making dreams come true . . . What does summer mean to you? For the two teenage girls in these two unforgettable novels, summer means being torn away from the familiar and finding new friends. A new place in the world. A new sense of self. And maybe even new love along the way . . .

When you're having the time of your life, you never want it to end.

Publication Date: 04/26/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance

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