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Slant
Laura E. Williams
Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Lauren, a Korean American adoptee, is best friends with the prettiest — and tallest — girl in the school, Julie, who has an endless amount of confidence. Lauren, on the other hand, has been saving for years to pay for a special eye surgery that will deepen the crease of her eyelids. It's not that she wants to look like everyone else in her suburban Connecticut school; she'd just be happy if kids stopped calling her "slant" and "gook." Up until now she's been able to ignore the insults, but when the cutest boy in her class calls her "slant," she realizes she needs to do something about her "nickname." When she convinces her reluctant father to consent to the eye operation, Lauren suddenly finds herself faced with a challenge: should she get the operation that might make her more confident and popular, or can she find that confidence within herself? Laura Williams' sensitive, beautifully written story offers a powerful lesson to young readers whose self-esteem depends too much on how they look.
Publication Date: 10/01/08
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Stolen
Vivian Vande Velde
Synopsis: The same day that the villagers of Thornstowe finally hunt down a witch with a reputation for stealing children, a 12-year-old appears in the woods with no memory of her past. Is there a connection between Isabelle, the girl who doesn’t know who she is, and the girl the witch stole six years earlier? One of the few things Isabelle remembers is a chant that keeps running through her head:
 
Old as dirt,
dirty as dirt.
Ugly as sin,
mean as sin.

Don’t let the old witch catch you!
 
Could Isabelle have been stolen by the old witch of the woods, or has she lost her memory as the result of an accident? And what about the baby the witch stole right before the villagers attacked? Did either the witch or the baby survive the fire the villagers set?
 
"Isabelle heard no sound beyond the faintest shivering of leaves in a gentle breeze. No sound of pursuit. But surely something was wrong, or she would know who and where she was. So she resumed running. But it wasn’t as effortless as before. Her worry weighed her down as she tried to list the things she knew—and found the list of things she didn't know longer by far."
Publication Date: 10/01/08
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Mystery
Key to Redemption
Talia Gryphon
Synopsis: When her lover, master vampire Aleksei Rachlav, offers his home as a safe haven for those paramortals who stand against Dracula's army, fighter and healer Gillian Key finds their relationship strained by the new clients he has brought to her and by the return of an old enemy. Original.
Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Navigators: Stars and Planets
Steve Stone, Dr. Mike Goldsmith
Synopsis:

This intergalactic travelogue takes space lovers where they have never gone before. They visit Mars, disappear inside a black hole, dodge asteroids, and speculate on the future of human endeavors in space, all without leaving their chairs. With links to the best space-related information on the Internet, this book is―you guessed it―a blast!

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Killer Creatures
Claire Llewellyn
Synopsis:

Readers get up close and personal with some of the planet's deadliest predators in this high-octane title. From the feeding frenzy of a school of piranhas to crushing snakes, polar hunters, and the strike of a scorpion, thrill-seeking nature lovers will explore every aspect of this subject in all its dangerous glory. Gotcha!

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
The Seems
John Hulme, Michael Wexler
Synopsis:

WARNING: Anything can happen in a Split Second

Becker Drane's still got the coolest job in The World, but it's getting harder and harder to live a normal life outside of The Seems. He's definitely feeling the strain of being a teenager (complete with mood swings and a newfound respect for sarcasm) and he can't stop thinking about Jennifer Kaley, the totally cool girl he met during his Mission in Sleep. Things don't get any easier when a bomb explodes in the Department of Time and Becker is called in to pick up the pieces after a more senior Fixer couldn't disarm the device. It's his toughest mission yet, and Becker finds himself going places in The Seems he never knew existed, and meeting people long thought dead. Yep, it's just another day in the life of Becker Drane. Let's hope he lives to Fix again . . . .

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
The Tsarina's Daughter
Carolly Erickson
Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette comes a dramatic novel and powerful love story about the last Russian imperial family.

 

It is 1989 and Daria Gradov is an elderly grandmother living in the rural West. What neighbors and even her children don’t know, however, is that she is not who she claims to be—the widow of a Russian immigrant of modest means. In actuality she began her life as the Grand Duchess Tatiana, known as Tania to her parents, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra.

            And so begins the latest entrancing historical entertainment by Carolly Erickson. At its center is young Tania, who lives a life of incomparable luxury in pre-Revolutionary Russia, from the magnificence of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to the family’s private enclave outside the capital. Tania is one of four daughters, and the birth of her younger brother Alexei is both a blessing and a curse. When he is diagnosed with hemophilia and the key to his survival lies in the mysterious power of the illiterate monk Rasputin, it is merely an omen of much worse things to come. Soon war breaks out and revolution sweeps the family from power and into claustrophobic imprisonment in Siberia. Into Tania’s world comes a young soldier whose life she helps to save and who becomes her partner in daring plans to rescue the imperial family from certain death.

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Alicia Afterimage
Lulu Delacre
Synopsis: On the evening of September 24, 2004, sixteen-year-old Alicia María Betancourt was killed in a car accident. Popular, happy, fun-loving Alicia daughter, sister, and friend to so many gone in an instant. How would those left behind cope with such a sudden, devastating loss? Wrestling with grief, anger, mortality, and spirituality, Alicia's loved ones struggle to create a lasting place in their hearts for someone who is no longer a physical presence. They share joyful and painful memories, and discover the resilient power of enduring friendship and love. In time, each person finds a way to heal while keeping Alicia's vibrant spirit alive for those who knew her, and those who never will. Alicia Afterimage is a remarkable story of loss and recovery, but mostly it is a story of love. In this moving tribute to an extraordinary girl, readers will find a pathway through grief and a road map to remembrance. It is a book of comfort for all teens and adults who seek a way to ease the pain of losing someone they cherished.
Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Astonishing Fantasy Worlds
Christopher Hart
Synopsis: Another sure-fire hit about one of today’s hottest genres—from best-selling author Christopher Hart!



• Drawing fantasy doesn’t have to be just a fantasy anymore


• Journey through fantasy worlds, meet strange and fascinating characters—then draw them, the Chris Hart way


• Brimming with fantastic art from top names!



Everyone loves fantasy, whether they’re young or old, male or female, geeky or chic-y. We all thrill to the bold heroes, the powerful heroines, and the evil villains. Now top-selling author and artist Christopher Hart reveals exactly how to draw every major fantasy genre: horror, Gothic, magic, medieval, primitive, undersea, and fairy. Here are wizards, beasts, soldiers and slaves, kings and queens, princes and princesses, knights, giants, nymphs and fairies, elves, griffins and unicorns, werewolves, dragons, and many more denizens of the many worlds of fantasy. And to make those fabulous creatures come to life, Hart uses his signature step-by-step style to explain exactly how to create deep shadows, high contrast, chains, spikes, sallow faces and bony fingers, cliffs, castles of light and castles of darkness, undersea cities, and other fantastic places and effects. It’s a fantasy lover’s fantasy, all between the covers of one fantastic book: Astonishing Fantasy Worlds.
Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Icy Hand
Chris Mould, Chris Mould
Synopsis:

THE ICY HAND VOLUME 2 :THE SECOND ADVENTURE IN STANLEY BUGGLE'S SAGA

Even more wicked and weird than the first! Stanley is looking forward to a relaxing winter. After all, nothing could have been weirder than the werewolf curse and plotting pirates he had to face the summer before! Or at least that's what Stanley thinks; but he has a lot to learn about Cramdon Rock, especially after accidentally bringing some dead pirates back to life―ones that make the previous pirates he faced look like cuddly puppy dogs and ones that are trudging across the arctic determined to fi nd a magical medallion in Stanley's house. The only person who can save him is his dead great-uncle Bartholomew, which is a little tricky considering he's…well, dead. Oh, and did we mention headless? With the help of a talking stuffed fish and a new friend named Daisy, Stanley sets out to fi nd his great-uncle's head, stop the pirates, and win over some new readers in this second funny and spooky installment of a thrilling new series.

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Wooden Mile
Chris Mould, Chris Mould
Synopsis:

THE WOODEN MILE VOLUME 1: PIRATES…WEREWOLVES…LOST TREASURE AND A SPOOKY HOUSE

Something Wickedly Weird is most definitely here! Crampton Rock seems like a lovely seaside town…at least until dark. When eleven-year-old Stanley Buggles inherits a house from a mysterious uncle he didn't know he had, he also inherits a mystery and some strange and sinister new neighbors. The questions begin to pile up: Why are all the dogs in town three-legged? Why is no one on the streets after dark? Is it true that the man who runs the candy shop is a werewolf? And why do those shoemakers look an awful lot like pirates? With the help of Mrs. Carelli, a housekeeper, and a talking stuffed fish, Stanley begins to unravel the mysteries that haunt his great-uncle's death and have set their sights on him. A thrilling, spooky, and funny read, and the first installment of a kid-pleasing new series.

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Knight of the Red Beard
Andre Norton, Sasha Miller
Synopsis:

Having rebuilt the NordornLand from rubble, Ashen and Gaurin rule justly and fairly over a reinvigorated land. Beloved by their kingdom, they now turn their attention to the next generation of Nordorn royalty.

Responsible Bjaudin, heir to the throne, focuses on his studies and Hegrin, Queen of Rendel, rears her own growing brood. But the youngest siblings, Elin and Mikkel, seem destined to alter the future of the NordornLand—for better or for worse.

Thirteen-year-old Elin craves power, and believes her new alliance with the evil Ysa may help her achieve it.

Eleven-year-old Mikkel stows away on a Sea-Rover ship, hoping for a brief adventure. But when the ship is attacked, Mikkel is taken prisoner, and soon his bonds to the NordornLand are the last thing on his mind.

Through births and deaths, celebration and wars, Ashen and Gaurin have worked tirelessly to bring peace and prosperity to their kingdom. But it appears that this era of peace may be at its end. This final installment of the Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan brings the series to a thrilling climax worthy of these fascinating characters.

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Graveyard Book
Margaret Atwood, Dave McKean, Neil Gaiman
Synopsis:

The original hardcover edition of a perennial favorite, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which has sold more than one million copies and is the only novel to win both the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal.

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?

The Graveyard Book is the winner of the Newbery Medal, the Carnegie Medal, the Hugo Award for best novel, the Locus Award for Young Adult novel, the American Bookseller Association’s “Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book,” a Horn Book Honor, and Audio Book of the Year.

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Nation
Terry Pratchett
Synopsis:

The sea has taken everything.

Mau is the only one left after a giant wave sweeps his island village away. But when much is taken, something is returned, and somewhere in the jungle Daphne—a girl from the other side of the globe—is the sole survivor of a ship destroyed by the same wave.

Together the two confront the aftermath of catastrophe. Drawn by the smoke of Mau and Daphne's sheltering fire, other refugees slowly arrive: children without parents, mothers without babies, husbands without wives—all of them hungry and all of them frightened. As Mau and Daphne struggle to keep the small band safe and fed, they defy ancestral spirits, challenge death himself, and uncover a long-hidden secret that literally turns the world upside down. . . .

Internationally revered storyteller Terry Pratchett presents a breathtaking adventure of survival and discovery, and of the courage required to forge new beliefs.

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula
Synopsis: Cassidy Jones and the Eternal Flame, Book 5, COMING SOON! 

One Girl. One Accident. One Incredible Superhero.

Cassidy Jones is your typical teenager-- that is, until a seemingly harmless accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist turns her world upside down.

Discovering incredible strength, speed, and enhanced physical senses that defy logic, Cassidy embarks on an action-packed adventure that has her fighting for answers...and for her very life.

Other books in Cassidy Jones Adventures:
Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift, Book Two
Cassidy Jones and the Seventh Attendant, Book Three
Cassidy Jones and the Luminous, Book Four

Please note that the books in the Cassidy Jones Adventures series are Superhero Fiction and not graphic novels or comic books.
Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Mystery
Fabulous and Monstrous Beasts
Synopsis:

Throughout time, myths and stories have been full of fantastical beasts, monsters, and legends, some wondrous and some downright scary. Learn about these creatures from around the world in this eye-popping compendium. From fairies and hobgoblins to mermaids, vampires, sea serpents, yetis, and so much more, this book also includes information on the real-life "monsters" behind the myths. Divided into Creatures of the Air, Creatures of the Land, and Creatures of the Water, this collection is packed with dynamic illustrations, photography, and plenty of information to keep readers hooked. Whether it's ancient creatures or modern monsters, this book is a must have for young fantasy lovers.

Publication Date: 09/30/08
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Fantasy

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