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Personal Demons
Lisa Desrochers
Synopsis: If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?

Are you sure about that...?

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.
Publication Date: 09/14/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Breathless
Lurlene McDaniel
Synopsis: This moving and charged novel by Lurlene McDaniel, the bestselling author of inspirational fiction for young adults, presents ethical as well as moral dilemmas and explores the harsh reality of making a choice that, once made, can never be undone.
 
Travis Morrison knows how good his life is. He’s a champion diver and one of the most popular kids at school. He has Darla, the girl he loves; Emily, his kid sister, whom he actually doesn’t mind hanging out with; and Cooper, his best friend.
On the first day of summer vacation, all four go boating on the lake, and everything feels perfect. They cut the motor and drift toward their favorite spot, where cliffs abound—nature at its finest. Travis’s friends ask him not to try the diving stunt, but he can’t resist a challenge.

Travis’s silly stunt dive goes wrong, and he fears he has broken his leg. Instead, his trip to the hospital reveals devastating news. In an instant, Travis’s life and the lives of everyone around him are forever changed.

Travis understands that his parents believe they’re doing what’s best for him. But he’s always been sure of himself, and he’s sure of one thing now—that he and only he should decide the course of his life. He has a plan, but he can’t carry it out alone. How will he convince the three people he feels he can count on most to help him? And when things get even worse, who will fulfill his most important request?

In this honest and probing novel, Lurlene McDaniel tackles a controversial subject, sensitively exploring the issues of personal choice and quality of life, and poignantly reminding readers that every individual deserves to be treated with dignity.
Publication Date: 09/14/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Kid Table
Andrea Seigel
Synopsis:

Ingrid Bell and her five teenage cousins are such a close-knit group that they don't really mind sitting at the kid table―even if they have to share it with a four-year-old. But then Brianne, the oldest cousin, lands a seat at the adult table and leaves her cousins shocked and confused. What does it take to graduate from the kid table?

Over the course of five family events, Ingrid chronicles the coming-of-age of her generation. Her cousins each grapple with growing pains, but it is Ingrid who truly struggles as she considers what it means to grow up. When first love comes in the form of first betrayal (he's Brianne's boyfriend), Ingrid is forced to question her own personality and how she fits into her family. The cousins each take their own path toward graduating into adulthood―only to realize that maybe the kid table was where they wanted to be all along.

Almost a reverse coming-of-age, this touching and hilariously funny novel will appeal to any reader who has sat at the kid table . . . or is still sitting there!

Publication Date: 09/14/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
How to Trap a Zombie
A.R. Rotruck
Synopsis: The Dangerous Book for Boys with a fantasy twist!

Ever wonder how to:
 
 Improvise a wand?
 
 Capture a werewolf?

 Make a monster-catching net?

Why wait to be accepted into wizardry school to learn the answers? Packed with easy projects using everyday materials, this fact-filled activity book shows wannabe wizards how to craft unique creations such as their own wizard robes, play games such as vampire tag, master adventuring skills like mapping a monster-filled dungeon, and follow step-by-step instructions on how to "survive" almost any monster attack.

The fantastical fun never ends in this book that will inspire hours of imaginative play!
Publication Date: 09/14/10
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Dark Water
Laura McNeal
Synopsis: A National Book Award Finalist
A Kirkus Reviews Best Books for Teens

Fifteen-year-old Pearl DeWitt lives in Fallbrook, California, where it's sunny 340 days of the year, and where her uncle owns a grove of 900 avocado trees. Uncle Hoyt hires migrant workers regularly, but Pearl doesn't pay much attention to them...until Amiel. From the moment she sees him, Pearl is drawn to this boy who keeps to himself, fears being caught by la migra, and is mysteriously unable to talk.

Then the wildfires strike.
Publication Date: 09/14/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Roll Up The Streets
John Bladek
Synopsis: Hilarious! Roll Up The Streets is very creative and original. The whole story is unbelievable, but still you find yourself thinking, "Yep, that could happen." Roll Up The Streets is brilliantly imaginative with its creative story, plot twists and footnotes. I love the footnotes; they're a great touch. ( Amazon customer)
Publication Date: 09/10/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Humor
Age 14
Geert Spillebeen
Synopsis: Set during the First World War, Age 14 is a heartbreaking and powerful story about growing up quickly in the face of war. Twelve-year-old Patrick Condon wants to escape his impoverished and tedious life in Ballybricken, County Waterford, so he hatches a plan. Not wanting to wait until he is old enough to join at sixteen, Patrick gives the army the name, John, and age, seventeen, of his older brother, and is enlisted. In the army, Patrick, now John, makes friends easily. The man's world is just what he always desired; if only there was more action. John gets all the action he is looking for when the war breaks out following the murder of the Austrian Crown Prince in 1914. Before he knows it, he is training with bayonets but it is nearly a game so long as no blood is spilled. The battle seems so far away. But the war is very real, and it is only a matter of time before John is at the front of it all. Based on a true story, this faction is about dreams, about war and peace, and the lives lost to achieve both. It is about a young boy named Patrick, and named John, the adventure and glory he so craved, and the tragic way he achieved both.
Publication Date: 09/10/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Educational
The Limit
Kristen Landon
Synopsis: An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .

With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.
Publication Date: 09/07/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Half Upon A Time
James Riley
Synopsis: Jack lives in a fantasy world. Really. He's the son of the infamous Jack who stole the magic beans from the giant, and he's working hard to restore his family's reputation. He finds the perfect opportunity when a "princess" lands in front of him, apparently from the land of Punk, as her Punk Princess t-shirt implies. May is from our world, and she's utterly confused to find herself in the midst of the fairy tale characters she has read about. But Jack and May have more in common than they realize--and together, they embark on a hilarious and wild adventure in this highly accessible, modern middle grade fantasy novel.

Half Upon a Time is the first book in the Half Upon a Time series.
Publication Date: 09/07/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Extraordinary
Nancy Werlin
Synopsis: Amazon Best of the Month, September 2010: A faerie world is about to die--and one ordinary girl can change its fate. When Phoebe meets Mallory Tolliver, she is irresistibly drawn to her, despite Mallory’s odd ways. The two form a sister-like bond until Mallory’s handsome brother, Ryland, appears during their junior year, and Phoebe finds herself intensely attracted to him. A dangerous romance begins, but Phoebe soon discovers that Mallory and Ryland are not who they seem. In Extraordinary, National Book Award finalist Nancy Werlin has crafted an enchanting novel of friendship and loyalties, where family history determines the fate of many and a generations-old pact requires a sacrifice of the greatest proportion. With underlying themes of self-discovery and allegiance, there is more to Extraordinary than first meets the eye.--Seira Wilson
Publication Date: 09/07/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Getting the Girl
Susan Juby
Synopsis:

Meet Sherman Mack.

Short. Nerdy. Amateur P.I. And prepared to do anything for Dini Trioli, tenth-grade goddess.

Nobody knows how the tradition began, but every girl at Harewood Tech fears being D-listed, a ritual that wipes her off the social map forever. When Sherman believes Dini is in danger of being D-listed, he launches a full-scale investigation to save her. Part comedy, part mystery, and with all of Juby’s trademark laugh-out-loud style, Getting the Girl takes on the cruelest aspect of high school social life.

Meet Sherman Mack, the only one willing to fight back.

Publication Date: 09/07/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Humor
Firelight
Sophie Jordan
Synopsis:

The first book in an addictive, romantic trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Tahereh Mafi, and Claudia Gray.

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms.

But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness forces her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is the gorgeous, elusive Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide, from New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan.

Publication Date: 09/07/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall
Mary Downing Hahn
Synopsis:

When twelve-year-old Florence boards the crowded horse-drawn coach in London, she looks forward to a new life with her great uncle and aunt at Crutchfield Hall, an old manor house in the English countryside. Anything will be better, she thinks, than the grim London orphanage where she has lived since her parents' death.
          But Florence doesn't expect the ghost of her cousin Sophia, who haunts the cavernous rooms and dimly lit hallways of Crutchfield and concocts a plan to use Florence to help her achieve her murderous goals. Will Florence be able to convince the others in the household of the imminent danger and stop Sophia before it's too late?

Publication Date: 09/06/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Payback Time
Carl Deuker
Synopsis: Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist—a fat high school journalist named Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel.  When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past—or at least not one he is willing to discuss.  Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel's incredible talent off the field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field.  Is he an undercover cop, wonders Mitch?  Or an ineligible player?  In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this player is and what he's done.  In the end, the truth surprises everyone.
Publication Date: 09/06/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Reformed Vampire Support Group
Synopsis:

Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.
   Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.
   The perfect anecdote to slick vampire novels, this murder-mystery comedy of errors will thrill fans of Evil Genius.

Publication Date: 09/06/10
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Bed, Bats, & Beyond
Mernie Gallagher-Cole, Joan Holub
Synopsis: Funny chapter book for ages 6-9.

Fink can't sleep...

He's tried counting mosquitoes. He's tried counting spiders -- but nothing seems to work.

"I know something that'll put you right to sleep. A scary story," said his brother Fang.

"What you need is an adventure story," said his brother Batrick.

"You need a love story to make you feel all warm and marshmallowy inside," said his sister Batsy.

Now Fink is wide awake, scared, excited, and totally grossed out by the kissing story!

The sun is coming up and it's time for bats to got to bed. Is there any way Fink will ever get to sleep?
Publication Date: 09/01/10
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Juvenile Fiction

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