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12 and up | Page 325 | LitPick Book Reviews
12 and up
War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk About War
War Is
Patty Campbell, Marc Aronson
In a provocative anthology, two editors with opposing viewpoints present an unflinching collection of works reflecting on the nature of war.Marc Aronson thinks war is inevitable. Patty Campbell thinks war is cruel, deceptive, and wrong. But both agree on one thing: that teens need to hear the truthful voices of those who have experienced war firsthand. The result is this dynamic selection of essays, memoirs, letters, and fiction from nearly than twenty contributors, both contemporary and historical — ranging from Christian Bauman's wrenching "Letter to a Young Enlistee" to Chris Hedges's unfl inching look at combat to Fumiko Miura's Nagasaki memoir, "A Survivor's Tale." Whether the speaker is Mark Twain, World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle, or a soldier writing a miliblog, these divergent pieces look war straight in the face — and provide an invaluable resource for teenagers today.

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My Father's Son
My Father's Son
Terri Fields
WHAT IF YOUR FATHER ISN'T WHO YOU THOUGHT HE WAS?"I turn up the volume as a woman at a news desk announces, 'This just in…the alleged DB25 monster has been arrested.' Good. The camera switches from the anchor to a mug shot…and it is my face--or at least my face as it will look thirty years from now…A new image replaces the full-screen mug shot as I see two cops hustling my handcuffed father into the back of a police car." Kevin has to face the worst imaginable possibility: that his father may be the man responsible for a series of vicious killings. How much does he really know about his father?

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Isabelle's Boyfriend
Isabelle's Boyfriend
Caroline Hickey
WHAT DO YOU DO IF THE GUY OF YOUR DREAMS IS SOMEBODY ELSE’S BOYFRIEND?Taryn has found the perfect guy. Epp is tall, athletic, handsome, and best of all, she is sure he likes her, too. There’s only one problem: He’s dating someone else. But when Taryn becomes friends with Epp’s beautiful girlfriend, Isabelle, her life begins to change. New friends, movie dates, and a first kiss—life couldn’t get any better, could it? Except that Epp is still Isabelle’s boyfriend. Girls will relate to Taryn’s sincerity and humor as she tries to balance family, friendship, and, of course, romance. 

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Papillon 1
Papillon
Miwa Ueda
BUTTERFLYIt’s no fun being a high school outcast. It’s even harder when your twin sister is the most popular girl in school! The ultra-glam Hana is the ultimate teen queen, but her sister, Ageha, is just a shy tomboy. Hana loves being the center of attention so much that she’ll do anything to keep her sister in her shadow. But Ageha has a plan that will change her life. Because no one, not even Hana, can hold Ageha back forever. . . .

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Alicia Afterimage
Alicia Afterimage
Lulu Delacre
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.

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The Wyrmling Horde: The Seventh Book of The Runelords
The Wyrmling Horde
David Farland
The Saga of the Runelords is written in the finest tradition of Tolkien and other works that rise above the fantasy genre to special and individual heights. Now the epic story continues: at the end of Worldbinder, Fallion Orden, son of Gaborn, was imprisoned on a strange and fantastic world that he created by combining two alternate realities. It's a world brimming with dark magic, ruled by a creature of unrelenting evil who is gathering monstrous armies from a dozen planets in a bid to conquer the universe. Only Fallion has the power to mend the worlds, but at the heart of a city that is a vast prison, he lies in shackles. The forces of evil are growing and will soon rage across the heavens. Now, Fallion's allies must risk everything in an attempt to free him from the wyrmling horde.

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Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3) (The Inheritance Cycle)
Brisingr
Christopher Paolini
Don’t miss the latest book from the author of Eragon, The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm: Tales from Alagaësia, coming December 31, 2018! Perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings, the New York Times bestselling Inheritance Cycle about the dragon rider Eragon has sold over 35 million copies and is an international fantasy sensation.Oaths sworn . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide. Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep. First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran’s beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices— choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice. Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?

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Queen of the Masquerade (Hallowmere, Book 5)
Queen of the Masquerade
Amanda M. Jenkins, Tiffany Trent
BBYA author Amanda Jenkins teams up with Tiffany Trent to give voice to the next Hallowmere heroine...Christina wakes in a new world with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Tasked with solving a riddle that will save the duke and duchess who rescue her and take her in as a changeling, Christina seeks to puzzle out just what she's doing here and why her memory has fled.But the riddle isn't just a key to saving the duke and duchess--it's Christina's key to something far more dire, a mission she knows she must remember, one that involves the strange young man who keeps appearing in odd places. Is the riddle a prophecy or a warning? Acclaimed YA author Amanda M. Jenkins, in partnership with Tiffany Trent, takes on Christina's voice to determine just how much Christina's fate depends upon the answer to that question.

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Astonishing Fantasy Worlds: The Ultimate Guide to Drawing Adventure Fantasy Art
Astonishing Fantasy Worlds
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.

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The Icy Hand: Something Wickedly Weird, vol. 2
The Icy Hand
Chris Mould, Chris Mould
THE ICY HAND VOLUME 2 :THE SECOND ADVENTURE IN STANLEY BUGGLE'S SAGAEven 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.

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