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Flood
Stephen Baxter
Synopsis: The "deeply scary"(BBC Focus) new novel from a national bestselling and critically acclaimed author.

Four hostages are rescued from a group of religious extremists in Barcelona. After five years of being held captive together, they make a vow to always watch out for one another. But they never expected this...

The world they have returned to has been transformed by water-and the water is rising. As it continues to flow from the earth's mantle, entire countries disappear. High ground becomes a precious commodity. And finally, the dreadful truth is revealed: before fifty years have passed, there will be nowhere left to run...
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Synopsis: Belly has an unforgettable summer in this stunning start to the Summer I Turned Pretty series from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han.

Belly’s never been the kind of girl that things happen to. Year after year, she’s spent her summers at the beach house with Conrad and Jeremiah. The boys never noticed Belly noticing them. And every summer she hoped it would be different. This time, it was. But the summer Belly turned pretty was the summer that changed everything. For better, and for worse.
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Coraline
Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell
Synopsis:

Neil Gaiman's enchanting, nationally bestselling children's book Coraline is brought to new life by acclaimed artist P. Craig Russell in this gorgeously illustrated graphic novel adaptation.

When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.

But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

 

Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Riding The Universe
Gaby Triana
Synopsis:

Chloé Rodriguez values three things above all else—her family; her best friend, Rock; and Lolita, her Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster. With a black body, blue airbrushed flames, and perfect sloping ape hangers, Lolita is Chloé's last connection to her beloved uncle, Seth, who left her the bike when he died last summer. So when a failing chemistry grade threatens to separate Chloé from her motorcycle, she vows not to let that happen . . . no matter what.

Enter Gordon. Ridiculously organized, übersmart, and hot in a casual, doesn't-know-it kind of way, Chloé's peer tutor may have a thing or two to teach her besides chemistry. But she has to stop falling for Gordon . . . and get Rock to act mature whenever he's around . . . and pass chemistry so she doesn't lose Lolita forever. Just when Chloé thinks she's got it all figured out, a bump in the road comes out of nowhere and sends her skidding.

Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Portia's Exclusive and Confidential Rules
Synopsis: Psychoanalytic girl detective Portia Avatar is back on the case! New girl Misty Longfellow, amateur animal rescuer, requests Portia’s help getting to the bottom of why a recently rescued bunny seems so blue. While working with Misty to solve the case of the depressed bunny, Portia unexpectedly gains a new friend and faces drama with her old ones. Portia’s convinced that the biggest mystery is friendship itself and sets out to find some answers, while also still searching for more clues about her missing father, Patch. Anna Hays offers up another sweet, charming story with spirit and heart.
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Brand-New Emily
Ginger Rue
Synopsis: Everyone at Wright Middle School knows you should not make an enemy of the uber-clique that fourteen-year-old Emily Wood calls The Daisies. But that's exactly what she has done, and now she's paying the price...until Emily stumbles onto some top-secret gossip about a teen heartthrob and finds herself in the good graces of a top New York PR firm. Now--with an ace publicist in her corner--make way for Brand Em: She's got style, she's got attitude, and her troubles at school are a thing of the past! But no product can stay hot forever, and it isn't long before Emily discovers the limits of brand loyalty.

In her first novel, Ginger Rue captures perfectly the desire to be part of the in-crowd. And while the solution to Emily's problems may be every teen's fantasy, readers will cheer as the once-bullied girl finds her way back to her true self.
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Chick Lit
Rooftops of Tehran
Mahbod Seraji
Synopsis: From "a striking new talent"(Sandra Dallas, author of Tallgrass) comes an unforgettable debut novel of young love and coming of age in an Iran headed toward revolution.

In this poignant, eye-opening and emotionally vivid novel, Mahbod Seraji lays bare the beauty and brutality of the centuries-old Persian culture, while reaffirming the human experiences we all share.

In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran's sprawling capital city, 17-year-old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari's stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah's secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice...
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Crouching Vampire Hidden Fang
Synopsis: For a woman married to the vampire of her nightmares, the honeymoon's over- and reality bites...

Pia Thomason is torn between two Dark Ones: her husband Kristoff-who doesn't trust her-and his best friend, Alec, who is MIA. So Pia goes back to her humdrum Seattle life, but fate has other plans. And she realizes that if she and Kristoff are going to be shackled together for better or worse, she may as well start to enjoy it...

Read Katie MacAlister's posts on the Penguin Blog.
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Series
Magic in the Blood, Devon Monk
Synopsis: Working as a Hound-tracing illegal spells back to their casters-has taken its toll on Allison Beckstrom. But even though magic has given her migraines and stolen her recent memory, Allie isn't about to quit. Then the police's magic enforcement division asks her to consult on a missing persons case. But what seems to be a straightforward job turns out to be anything but, as Allie finds herself drawn into the underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic.
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Mystery
Terra Insegura
Stephan Martiniere, Edward Willett
Synopsis: The battle for survival returns to earth in the sequel to the Aurora Award-winning sci-fi adventure Marseguro

Marseguro, a water world far from Earth, is home to a colony of humans and the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from modified human DNA. For seventy years the colony has lived in peace. Then Earth discovers Marseguro, and a strike force is sent to eradicate this "abomination."

But Marseguro has created a genetically tailored plague to use against Earth's Holy Warriors. With the enemy defeated, the people of Marseguro feel they are safe.

But Chris Keating, the traitor who signaled Marseguro's location to the Holy Warriors, has fled to Earth, unknowingly carrying the deadly plague within him. The people of Marseguro feel they must send a ship to Earth with a life-saving vaccine. Only time will tell what awaits them when they reach their destination.
Publication Date: 05/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Dragon's Heart
Jonathon Schmidt, Jane Yolen
Synopsis: Austar IV isn't the planet it once was, and when Jakkin and Akki finally return to the dragon nursery, their homecoming arouses mixed emotions. Together they've survived the insurmountable, and now they can weather the brutal conditions of Dark After and communicate with the dragons they love. But with this knowledge comes responsibility. What they've learned about survival could transform the planet--or, if entrusted to the wrong hands, bring about its destruction. Akki's insistence that she return to the Rokk to finish her training and begin new experiments drives a chasm between her and Jakkin. Suddenly she finds herself in the midst of a political battle that could claim her life. Only Jakkin can save her. If only he could reach her. . . .
Publication Date: 05/04/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Come Juneteenth
Ann Rinaldi
Synopsis: Sis Goose is a beloved member of Luli's family, despite the fact that she was born a slave. But the family is harboring a terrible secret. And when Union soldiers arrive on their Texas plantation to announce that slaves have been declared free for nearly two years, Sis Goose is horrified to learn that the people she called family have lied to her for so long. She runs away--but her newly found freedom has tragic consequences. Includes an author's note.
Publication Date: 05/04/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Beautiful Stories of Life
Carson Ellis, Cynthia Rylant
Synopsis: Newbery Medal-winner Cynthia Rylant retells her favorite stories from Greek mythology, breathing fresh life into the tales of Pandora, Persephone, Orpheus, Pygmalion, Narcissus, and Psyche. The writing is lyrical and understated, a perfect tone for stories that introduce young readers to themes of love and loss, pride and forgiveness. Carson Ellis's elegant black-and-white illustrations lend an aura of beauty and mystery.
Publication Date: 05/04/09
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Classic
The Jewel Keepers
E.J Bousfield
Synopsis: The first book of a trilogy. A fantasy fiction historical timeslip epic set in the 1st century AD and the present day Britain
Publication Date: 05/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Council of Evil
Andy Briggs
Synopsis:

Jake Hunter is your quintessential bully-tough, mean, and misunderstood. While he likes the power gotten from picking on the nerdy kids, he's sick of his dumb buddies, and he craves some adventure in his dull life. So when he stumbles upon a Web site called Villain.net that lets him download superpowers, he's eager to try out the laser vision and the radioactivity. But when he joins forces with a supervillain named Basilisk, Jake must decide if he truly wants to accept the consequences of being a villain. And of course, little does he know that Hero.com is out there too, recruiting teens for the other side. . . .

Publication Date: 05/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Gringolandia
Lyn Miller-Lachmann
Synopsis: Daniel’s papá, Marcelo, used to play soccer, dance the cueca, and drive his kids to school in a beat-up green taxi—all while publishing an underground newspaper that exposed Chile’s military regime.

After papá’s arrest in 1980, Daniel’s family fled to the United States. Now Daniel has a new life, playing guitar in a rock band and dating Courtney, a minister’s daughter. He hopes to become a US citizen as soon as he turns eighteen.

When Daniel’s father is released and rejoins his family, they see what five years of prison and torture have done to him. Marcelo is partially paralyzed, haunted by nightmares, and bitter about being exiled to “Gringolandia.” Daniel worries that Courtney’s scheme to start a bilingual human rights newspaper will rake up papá’s past and drive him further into alcohol abuse and self-destruction. Daniel dreams of a real father-son relationship, but he may have to give up everything simply to save his papá’s life.

This powerful coming-of-age story portrays an immigrant teen’s struggle to reach his tortured father and find his place in the world.

Publication Date: 05/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

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