12 and up

I Am Alfonso Jones
John Jennings, Stacey Robinson, Tony Medina
Named to the 2018 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens list (Young Adult Library Services Association) and the New York Public Library's list of Best Books for Teens.Alfonso Jones can't wait to play the role of Hamlet in his school's hip-hop rendition of the classic Shakespearean play. He also wants to let his best friend, Danetta, know how he really feels about her. But as he is buying his first suit, an off-duty police officer mistakes a clothes hanger for a gun, and he shoots Alfonso.When Alfonso wakes up in the afterlife, he's on a ghost train guided by well-known victims of police shootings, who teach him what he needs to know about this subterranean spiritual world. Meanwhile, Alfonso's family and friends struggle with their grief and seek justice for Alfonso in the streets. As they confront their new realities, both Alfonso and those he loves realize the work that lies ahead in the fight for justice.In the first graphic novel for young readers to focus on police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, as in Hamlet, the dead shall speak--and the living yield even more surprises. Featuring a foreword by Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy.
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Royal Blue: Book Two of the True Blue Trilogy
Friday night lights in Southern Alabama... Jeana and the boys are now sophomores at Vigor High School. Jeana still thinks she'll never find a boy like the men in the novels she loves to read, so when Mickey Royal moves back to Chickasaw from Washington, Jeana is baffled by her instant attraction to this three-sport athlete with the bluest eyes she's ever seen. Wade Strickland has gone from the sweet boy she grew up with to the reigning football phenom on the varsity team, setting him on a path to violence with Mickey from their first encounter. Billy Joe DuBose is still Jeana's wise-cracking best friend who bonds with Mickey instantly—or is he only pretending so he can keep an eye on Jeana? And which boy will be the one to win her heart? Played out against a landscape painted with the music, muscle cars, and culture of the late seventies—sans disco of course—this second installment of the True Blue Trilogy is like the American Graffiti of the classic rock era.
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It's 1972 in Chickasaw, Alabama—a time when kids ride their bikes all over town, spend lazy summer days finding shapes in the clouds, squirt each other with the water hose, catch lightning bugs in a jar, and play outside until the streetlights come on. Best friends Jeana, Wade, and Billy Joe have lived on the same street all their lives, but things start to change the summer after the fourth grade. The boys begin to look at Jeana and each other differently, and puberty is getting close to rearing its ugly head. Can the three of them stay friends, or will someone's heart get broken? And who is that new boy in Chickasaw with the royal blue eyes? Fans of Stand By Me and Bridge to Terabithia will love the friendship bond between the characters and how it's affected by the sweet adolescent love story reminiscent of The Wonder Years.
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The Good Citizen
A dystopian novel for today. Governcorp has taken over the United States, Broadcasters are ubiquitous and immigrants can't be trusted.Fifteen-year-old Hannah, a new citizen, and thirteen-year-old Jenny, a future safety officer, have nothing in common. But it's Jenny's job to make sure Hannah follows the Governcorp citizenship rules-especially to carry and use a Protector properly. Having a Protector is supposed to keep you safe, and help you keep others and your community safe. Protect yourself; protect your property; protect community property; protect your friends, family and fellow citizens-that's what the Governcorp rulebook says. And what Jenny believes with all her heart.Hannah wants to be a good citizen, for her family and for her father who worked so hard to gain citizenship for them-but for someone who grew up in the Homestead, Protectors mean something else entirely to her: fear and Governcorp control. She doesn't want to carry one and she doesn't want to use one, but she has no choice. As she navigates what it means to be a citizen, she finds herself part of a rebellion that questions the rules. But when questioning the rules leads to breaking them, she'll have to rely on Jenny for help. And Jenny's idea of being a good citizen is very different from Hannah's..."Gripping, disturbing, suspenseful and well-crafted, this book will appeal to reluctant teen readers as well as avid reading enthusiasts." "Believable and engaging teenage characters and their relationships are at the heart of the story The question that keeps recurring in this book is, what is the best way to act in a brutal and repressive society? Should one simply go along with the crowd and ignore the dissonance between reality and what the government says? Should one peacefully protest for the redress of grievances, or should one become part of a violent revolution and use any means to topple the establishment? The Good Citizen shows there is no simple or easy answer.""Reminiscent of Orwell's 1984, this is a memorable book which deserves to be read, especially by those who want to be good citizens in a corrupt and confusing world."
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Rebel Seoul
Axie Oh
EAST ASIA, 2199. After a great war, the East Pacific is in ruins. In brutal Neo Seoul, where status comes from success in combat, ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the academy's ranks. Abandoned as a child in the slums of Old Seoul by his rebel father, Jaewon desires only to escape his past.When Jaewon is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government's supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war.With secret orders to report on Tera, Jaewon becomes Tera's partner, earning her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon begins to question his loyalty to an oppressive regime that creates weapons out of humans. As the project prepares to go public amidst rumors of a rebellion, Jaewon must decide where he stands--as a soldier of the Republic, or a rebel of the people.Pacific Rim meets Korean action dramas in this mind-blowing, New Visions Award-winning science fiction debut.
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The battle between teenage twins, Arky and Iris, is about to explode into war--the Civil War. Arky is ready to give up on rescuing their mother, Dr. Octavia Jongler, who is lost in the past. Iris refuses to give up hope, and playing the Jongler cor anglais to reawaken its powers of time travel. When Arky's buddy, Danny, a pitching ace, throws his baseball future away, Iris and the cor anglais perform a shocking double blowback. Danny and Arky are blown to a time and place, 1863, where a boy's game was being played in the middle of a man's war. (True story!)While Danny is thrust into a world of baseball he never imagined, Arky discovers tantalizing clues that put him on the trail of his missing mom. In the present, Iris's quest to bring everyone home from 1863 leads to a risky game of cat-and-mouse with Matt Grinnell, her first victim and beneficiary of time travel. The war that spans centuries--between brother and sister, pitcher and batter, blue and gray, love and loss--is fought to the last page.
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A Brush with Colours
The sky did not always look blue on a cloudless, sunny day. Neither did tulips bloom in bright, cheerful colours at the start of spring. There was a time when our world lacked colour – when grapes looked like big water drops and banyan tree roots like icicles. And it would have remained so, had it not been for a witch named Vega. A Brush with Colours is the story of colours as they were made and spread into the world, as well as that of Zoran, Adriana, Luca and many other witches and wizards who knowingly or unknowingly played their part in this journey. It is the story of why the sea is blue, why the rainbow has seven colours and why butterfly wings lose some colour if touched.
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The Door to January
2017 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot Nominee for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult NovelEver since sixteen-year-old Natalie Payson moved away from her hometown of Bernier, Maine, she's had nightmares. And not just the usual ones. These are inside her, pulling her, calling her back, drawing her to a door, a house, a place, a time. Full of fear, full of danger. So this summer, Natalie's going back to Bernier to face up to a few things: the reason she left town in the first place; the boy she's trying hard not to trust; and the door in her dreams. But once she goes through the door, into a murky past, she's entangled in someone else's world. And only Natalie can help right the wrongs of both the past and the present. Breakthrough author Gillian French skillfully weaves together themes of small town bullies, unsolved murders, time travel, and the force of the spirit in this gripping paranormal thriller.
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From the Publisher

Tortall: A Spy's Guide
The must-have guide for any fan of #1 New York Times bestselling fantasy author TAMORA PIERCE! Enter the world of Tortall in this full-color, behind-the-scenes collectible guide, brought to you by the author who Sarah J. Maas says “shaped [her] not only as a young writer but also as a young woman” and whom Leigh Bardugo calls “the real lioness.” The secrets of Tortall are revealed. . . . As Tortall’s spymaster, George Cooper has sensitive documents from all corners of the realm. When Alanna sends him a surprising letter, he cleans out his office and discovers letters from when King Jonathan and Queen Thayet first ascended the throne, notes on creating the Shadow Service of spies, threat-level profiles on favorite characters, Daine’s notes on immortals, as well as family papers, such as Aly’s first report as a young spy and Neal’s lessons with the Lioness. This rich guide also includes the first official timeline of Tortallan events from when it became a sovereign nation to the year Aly gives birth to triplets. Part history, part spy training manual, and entirely fascinating, this beautiful guide makes a perfect gift and is ideal for anyone who loves Alanna, King Jonathan, Queen Thayet, Kel, Neal, Aly, Thom, Daine, Numair, and the unforgettable world of Tortall! “Tamora Pierce creates epic worlds populated by girls and women of bravery, heart, and strength. Her work inspired a generation of writers and continues to inspire us.” —HOLLY BLACK, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Few authors can slay so effectively with a single sentence—I mean fist-in-the-air, shouting-at-my-book slay—as Tamora Pierce. All these years later, I still draw strength from her words.” —MARIE LU, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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Netherfield Prep: A Modern Reimagining of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'
"It is a truth universally assumed that a stupidly rich boy must be in want of a girlfriend. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl who has just travelled half a world must be in want of a bed."From her first day at pompous boarding school Netherfield, fiery Australian Lily Brewer comes up against the arrogance of Austin Cooper. Austin and his twin Jax are the hottest guys in school. And the richest. It’s quick wits and sass versus suave intelligence and abs, and they refuse to fall for each other. The rest of the school ignores Austin’s behaviour for his pretty face and fat wallet. But, Lily can’t get past his cold character even while her insults are enough to bring a smile to Austin’s usually dour face. As Lily’s roommate Anne is getting closer to Jax, Austin and Lily are always at each other’s throats despite the sizzling chemistry that both of them deny simmering below the surface.Between an ardent proposal from her step-mother’s simpering nephew, a dashing young fellow-Aussie from the Military College, the twins’ scheming bitch of a cousin, Lily’s embarrassing family, Austin’s intended fiancée, the antics of the twins’ best friend, the overbearing Lady Celia, and a whole lot of stubbornness, love seems off the dance card for everyone.Will pride and prejudice ruin them all? Or will love win the day?Get ready to spot all your favourite characters in this Young Adult modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, told in dual POV.Please be aware that this story uses Australian English spelling and syntax.What People are Saying:"...this was lighter and funny version of the old, heavy, royal, mannerly, and serious pride & prejudice. This is ‘Pride & Prejudice’ story for younger generation." - Yesha (Books Teacups and Reviews.)"Jovial and light-hearted, Netherfield Prep made me smile, gush and laugh the way the original Jane Austen novels always have..." - Zoe (Attic Salt Reviews)"I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!" – Kimberly"Austen aficionados may enjoy finding the hidden little links to other Pride and Prejudice spin-offs..." - Anna