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Birth By Fire's Embrace
Ashleigh Galvin
Synopsis: A taut fantasy for all ages, Birth by Fire's Embrace explores how drastically things can change when the world that lies just beyond our senses begins to surface. When all that is familiar vanishes from Shar's life, she begins to look inside and find the strength and courage to carry on in a harsh world, and look towards another world that lies ahead.
At the beginning of the summer she was doing so well; done with school, a promising promotion in the works, the best boyfriend a girl could ask for, and the chance of a lifetime at the Academy. Then he came and it was all ashes. He had cost her everything, the job, the boy, the acting school, and even her family. He had cost her the world. What Shar didn't know was that the stranger was actually there to protect her from another dark intruder in her world. Caught in a deadly game between two lethal adversaries, she comes to know that there are forces around her that she has only dreamt of. Forces that will bring her to the edge of death and back again, that will show her a new realm to fill the void left by the one she has lost.
Publication Date: 06/17/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Series
Plague in the Mirror
Deborah Noyes
Synopsis: In a sensual paranormal romance, a teen girl’s doppelgänger from 1348 Florence lures her into the past in hopes of exacting a deadly trade.

It was meant to be a diversion — a summer in Florence with her best friend, Liam, and his travel-writer mom, doing historical research between breaks for gelato. A chance to forget that back in Vermont, May’s parents, and all semblance of safety, were breaking up. But when May wakes one night sensing someone in her room, only to find her ghostly twin staring back at her, normalcy becomes a distant memory. And when later she follows the menacing Cristofana through a portale to fourteenth-century Florence, May never expects to find safety in the eyes of Marco, a soulful painter who awakens in her a burning desire and makes her feel truly seen. The wily Cristofana wants nothing less of May than to inhabit each other’s lives, but with the Black Death ravaging Old Florence, can May’s longing for Marco’s touch be anything but madness? Lush with atmosphere both passionate and eerie, this evocative tale follows a girl on the brink of womanhood as she dares to transcend the familiar — and discovers her sensual power.
Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Charm & Strange
Stephanie Kuehn
Synopsis:

The 2014 Winner of the William C. Morris Award

When you've been kept caged in the dark, it's impossible to see the forest for the trees. It's impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .

In Stephanie Kuehn's brilliant debut Charm & Strange, Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He's part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He's part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he'll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths-that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
The Secret Ingredient
Stewart Lewis
Synopsis: For fans of Sarah Dessen and Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why comes a journey of family, food, romance, and self-discovery as Olivia, a teen chef living in L.A., finds a vintage cookbook and begins a search for her birthmother that will change her life forever.

Olivia doesn’t believe in psychics. But the summer before her senior year of high school, she meets one in an elevator.
   This summer will be pivotal, the psychic warns. Please remember—all your choices are connected.
   Olivia loves her life in Silverlake, Los Angeles, but lately, something’s been missing. And after getting this strange advice, her world begins to change. A new job leads Olivia to a gorgeous, mysterious boy named Theo. And as Olivia cooks the recipes from a vintage cookbook she stumbles upon, she begins to wonder if the mother she’s never known might be the secret ingredient she’s been lacking. 
   But sometimes the things we search for are the things we’ve had all along.

"Kissed with hope and possibility . . . the sort of book that makes you believe in the magic of everyday life and love."—Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds
 
"A delicious story. You’ll devour it."—Melissa Kantor, author of The Darlings in Love
 
"It doesn’t get any better than this—a touching tale of first love, family, and finding out who we really are."—Alissa Grosso, author of Popular and Ferocity Summer

"Lewis offers a thoughtful story about food and family."—Publisher’s Weekly

"Nuanced characters, including the talented protagonist and her loving but realistically flawed family, are the stars of this introspective and poignant coming-of-age tale."—Kirkus Reviews

"Olivia is a sympathetic protagonist and her struggles to find her place will resonate with many readers. Enjoyable chick lit."—School Library Journal

Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
A Matter of Days
Amber Kizer
Synopsis:

“Gripping and poignant, A Matter of Days takes readers on a heart-stopping journey of love and survival.“ — New York Times bestselling author Carrie Jones
 
Their new reality begins in just a matter of days.
 
On Day 56 of the Blustar Pandemic, sixteen-year-old Nadia’s mother dies, leaving Nadia to fend for herself and her younger brother, Rabbit. Both have been immunized against the virus, but they can’t be protected from what comes next. Their father taught them to “be the cockroach”—to adapt to and survive whatever comes their way. And that’s their mission.
 
Facing a lawless world of destruction and deprivation, Nadia and Rabbit drive from Seattle to their grandfather’s compound in West Virginia. The illness, fatigue, and hunger they endure along the way will all be worth it once they reach the compound.
 
Unless no one is waiting for them . . .

 
“Fans of Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave, S. D. Crockett’s After the Snow, or Cormac McCarthy’s adult novel The Road will find this a satisfying read.” —SLJ
 
“An exciting apocalyptic road trip.” —Publishers Weekly




From the Trade Paperback edition.
Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
My Chemical Mountain
Corina Vacco
Synopsis:

The Outsiders meets Erin Brockovich meets Bridge to Terabithia in this high-octane drama. TIM THARP, author of The Spectacular Now, National Book Award finalist, calls My Chemical Mountain “A gritty, surprising story that confronts important personal and social issues head-on.”

Jason and his friends live for the rush of racing their dirt bikes on Chemical Mountain and swimming in orange, chunky Two Mile Creek. But they hate wealthy and powerful Mareno Chem, the company responsible for invading their territory, polluting their town, and killing Jason's father. The boys want to get even. But revenge has a price--and more than one person will pay.

Winner of the Thirtieth Annual Delacorte Press Prize for a First YA Novel

A Bankstreet Best Book of the Year
 
“Reminiscent of The Outsiders. . . . Dark and unflinching.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Written in the tradition of such early twentieth-century muckrakers as Upton Sinclair, Frank Norris, and Ida M. Tarbell. Angry and urgent, topical and timely."--Booklist 
 
“From Jason’s complex teenage boy perspective, [Vacco] captures both the disheartening helplessness of the situation and the boys’ reckless resistance: ‘We cross a landfill on our way to school. We swim in creek water that smells like nail polish remover . . . We are not fools. We are brave and brilliant.’ There is power and hope in that kind of statement, and Jason’s coming-of-age tale, though dark, is full of both.” —The Horn Book Magazine
 
“Grim but impressive debut . . . lyrical prose and strong characters make it worth the read.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“A budding romance and subtle insight into Jason’s changing relationship with his friends guarantee that there’s a little something for all readers in this well-thought-out, well-executed story.” —School Library Journal
 
“The scenes, the attitudes, the desperation are brilliantly rendered. . . . My Chemical Mountain offers something of that punch-in-the-gut ethos of hard-boiled detectives, transferred to blue-collar youth living in a cauldron of pollution.” —The Tonawanda News

“Corina Vacco shows us real-life monsters, up close and very personal.” —ELLEN KLAGES, author of The Green Glass Sea

Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Burning
Elana K. Arnold
Synopsis: A sizzling love story between a small-town boy and a Gypsy girl unfolds as the Burning Man festival is in full swing. 

Ben, a small-town boy from Gypsum, Nevada, and Lala, a gypsy girl in town to read fortunes for the tourists who have come for the annual Burning Man festival, are from two completely different worlds. In the fall, Ben will be going off to college, and Lala will be entering into an arranged marriage. But this summer, each of them is searching for something more . . . And one sizzling summer day when Lala reads Ben’s cards, everything changes for both of them.
 

A Bankstreet Best Book of the Year

A Los Angeles Public Library Best Book 

“Seductive and uplifting . . . An absolutely perfect summer read.” —Andrew Smith, author of Winger and The Marbury Lens

“A story of forbidden love, great risk, and, ultimately, transformation. Readers will find themselves moved beyond words.” —Nova Ren Suma, author of Imaginary Girls and 17 & Gone

“Wholly compelling and full of surprises.” —Pam Houston, author of Cowboys Are My Weakness

"Lyrical and inspirational."--Kirkus Reviews

"Readers looking for a romantic coming-of-age novel won’t be disappointed."--SLJ

"The stirrings of an unconventional first love and the new freedoms that lie in wait for Lala and Ben provide readers ample reason to keep turning pages"--Publisher's Weekly
Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Belle Epoque
Elizabeth Ross
Synopsis: When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive.
   Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect adornment of plainness. 
   Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.  

   Inspired by a short story written by Emile Zola, Belle Epoque is set at the height of bohemian Paris, when the city was at the peak of decadence, men and women were at their most beautiful, and morality was at its most depraved.

A YASLA William C. Morris Award Finalist

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“Both touching and fun, this is a story about many things—true friendship, real beauty, being caught between two worlds—and it will delight fans of historical fiction.”—Publishers Weekly

“A refreshingly relevant and inspiring historical venture.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A compelling story about friendship, the complexity of beauty, and self-discovery…full of strong female characters.”—School Library Journal

“With resonant period detail, elegant narration, and a layered exploration of class and friendship, this provocative novel is rife with satisfaction.”—Booklist

“Much to offer a contemporary YA audience…flirtation and match-making to tantalize romance fans…prime book-club fare.”—The Bulletin

"This delectable Parisian tale left me sighting with sweet satisfaction. J'adore Belle Epoque!"-Sonya Sones, author of What My Mother Doesn't Know and To Be Perfectly Honest
Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Tournament
Dagmar Jacisinova, Jennifer Goebel
Synopsis: “The debut YA novel from author duo Goebel and Jacisinova finds a group of teenagers fighting to prevent the next nuclear catastrophe… There is plenty of excitement here… Young readers are sure to relate to these characters.” - Kirkus Indie Reviews

In 2014, a worldwide nuclear war demolishes a wide swath of the planet. Alaska, the only part left of the United States, joins with the other surviving countries to set up a Global Government. Its primary responsibility is to prevent another devastating war. Leadership changes every two years, based on the outcome of the only competitive outlet the survivors can agree on: a worldwide soccer tournament. In 2044, 17-year-old twin soccer stars Jason and Nate are ready to play the game of their lives. But they soon discover that Alaska’s new president has some very special plans and winning the Tournament is the least of their worries. For Grades 6 - 10. For more details visit www.Tournament2044.com

Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Dust Girl
Sarah Zettel
Synopsis: Fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners will love the blend of fantasy and twentieth-century history in this stylish series.

Callie LeRoux is choking on dust. Just as the biggest dust storm in history sweeps through the Midwest, Callie discovers her mother's long-kept secret. Callie’s not just mixed race—she's half fairy, too. Now, Callie's fairy kin have found where she's been hidden, and they're coming for her.

While dust engulfs the prairie, magic unfolds around Callie. Buildings flicker from lush to shabby, and people aren’t what they seem. The only person Callie can trust may be Jack, the charming ex-bootlegger she helped break out of jail.

From the despair of the Dust Bowl to the hot jazz of Kansas City and the dangerous beauties of the fairy realm, Sarah Zettel creates a world rooted equally in American history and in magic, where two fairy clans war over a girl marked by prophecy.

A strong example of diversity in YA, the American Fairy Trilogy introduces Callie LeRoux, a half-black teen who stars in this evocative story full of American history and fairy tales.

Supports the Common Core State Standards.


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date: 06/11/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
P.A.W.S.
Debbie Manber Kupfer
Synopsis: When Miri receives a silver cat charm from her omama on the night before she dies she has no idea that the charm holds a secret, a powerful magic that saved her omama's life and is about to make Miri's a whole lot more interesting. Join Miri on a mysterious and supernatural journey with her new friends, members of an underground St. Louis society known as the Partnership for Animagi, Werewolves, and Shapeshifters, better known as P.A.W.S.
Publication Date: 06/10/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Thing About Luck
Julia Kuo, Cynthia Kadohata
Synopsis: The winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, from Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata. There is bad luck, good luck, and making your own luck--which is exactly what Summer must do to save her family.

Summer knows that kouun means "good luck" in Japanese, and this year her family has none of it. Just when she thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong, an emergency whisks her parents away to Japan--right before harvest season. Summer and her little brother, Jaz, are left in the care of their grandparents, who come out of retirement in order to harvest wheat and help pay the bills.

The thing about Obaachan and Jiichan is that they are old-fashioned and demanding, and between helping Obaachan cook for the workers, covering for her when her back pain worsens, and worrying about her lonely little brother, Summer just barely has time to notice the attentions of their boss's cute son. But notice she does, and what begins as a welcome distraction from the hard work soon turns into a mess of its own.

Having thoroughly disappointed her grandmother, Summer figures the bad luck must be finished--but then it gets worse. And when that happens, Summer has to figure out how to change it herself, even if it means further displeasing Obaachan. Because it might be the only way to save her family.

Cynthia Kadohata's ode to the breadbasket of America has received six starred reviews.  Awards:APALA Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title Booklinks Lasting Connections Booklist Editors' Choice Capitol Choices List (DC) Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Multicultural Books List Charlie May Simon Book Award ML (AR) Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List (VT) Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee (NJ) Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book Keystone to Reading Book Award Master List (PA) Land of Enchantment Children's Book Award (NM) National Book Award Winner Volunteer State Book Award Master List (TN)
Publication Date: 06/04/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Shadow Train
Charlene Keel, J. Gates
Synopsis: Middleburg's teen martial artists scramble to reunite the broken shards of the powerful and mysterious Shen ring, in an effort to locate their missing friend Raphael and avert worldwide disaster―but it won't be easy.

A pack of government agents, a secret order of Chinese kung fu masters, and a family of vengeful fallen angels stand in their way. Amid the struggle, tensions between the two teen gangs flare once again when one of the Flats kids gets jumped and put in the hospital. Zhai and Ignacio, the leaders of the rival factions, struggle to maintain peace and continue their quest for the ring shards amid the rising tide of confrontation.

Meanwhile, Middleburg's leading ladies Maggie and Dalton put their differences aside in an effort to wrest their friend Aimee from the clutches of the sultry and seductive Nephilim, Orias. But when a powerful fallen angel learns that Orias has imprisoned his father Oberon, a new supernatural menace is unleashed on Middleburg, one that threatens to bring all the conflicting factions together in one final, deadly conflagration.

The only hope is that Middleburg's missing teen hero will somehow reappear and find a way to set things right―but he's been gone for over two months, without leaving a single clue as to his whereabouts. As the situation grows more dire, all of Middleburg wonders: where is Raphael Kain? With mighty doses of kung fu, eastern mysticism, and star-crossed love, Shadow Train is the most poignant, romantic and explosive book in The Tracks series thus far!
Publication Date: 06/04/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Super Pop
Daniel Harmon
Synopsis: Super-Pop offers a maximum-pleasure, minimum-effort way to become smarter, happier, and more likely to survive your next family function (or a shark attack). This hilarious and wide-ranging guide sorts nearly 500 different bestsellers, blockbusters, and underappreciated gems into quirky top ten lists, like “Outwit Death: Essential Lessons in Survival,” and “Achieve Mindfulness: Movies That Will Show You the Way (With Wise Elders Now Included).”  So whether you’re looking for some motivational workout music, need help planning a July 4th double feature, or just want to pick up some knowledge without straining your brain, this book has you covered. With new insights on old classics and fresh ideas for jaded eyes, Super Pop makes sense of pop culture – and then puts pop culture back to work!
Publication Date: 06/04/13
Age Level: Any Age
Genre: Nonfiction
Corrupt Practices
Robert Rotstein
Synopsis:

A Los Angeles church, considered by some to be a powerful cult, charges Rich Baxter with embezzling millions. Rich reaches out to former colleague and star trial attorney Parker Stern to come to his defense. Parker despises the cult, but he hasn’t entered a courtroom since developing severe stage fright after his mentor, Harmon Cherry, committed suicide. Rich claims that Cherry did not kill himself—he was murdered by someone connected to the church. At first, Parker doesn’t believe it . . . until disturbing events force him to question what’s really happening.

As the case takes an unexpected turn, Parker surprises himself and agrees to take on the church. But to represent his client and uncover the truth he must overcome his own long-buried secrets.

Publication Date: 06/04/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Tidal
Amanda Hocking
Synopsis:

Don't miss Tidal, the spellbinding third book in the Watersong series by New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking!

Gemma and Harper Fisher are facing the fight of their lives. Gemma has been cursed with extraordinary powers that have a terrifying dark side, but she's finally found what she needs―a way to break the curse and become human again. But finding the means to do it will be her greatest challenge yet. And now Penn, Lexi and Thea―the gorgeous but deadly creatures who cursed her―are determined to kill her before she has a chance. Making matters worse, Penn has her sights set on Daniel―the guy Harper loves―and Penn always gets what she wants.


As Gemma and Harper race to break the curse before it's too late, they're thrust deeper into a mythical world of immortal secrets. They must delve into their enemies' past to find the answers they need, even if it means being drawn deeper into their savagely beautiful world. But one of the girls is not what she seems…and Gemma finds an unlikely ally as she struggles to save herself. But will it be enough to break an ancient curse that no one has ever escaped alive?

Publication Date: 06/04/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal

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