12 and up
Shooting Stars Everywhere
Martina Wildner
The first anonymous letter arrives on July 23rd, Victor’s 13th birthday. Which is good, because it gives him something to write about in the journal his father gave him as a present. Soon Victor is writing down everything that happens as he tries to solve the mystery of the letters, conquer his fear of jumping off the high diving board at the pool, and figure out what is going on between his divorced parents. Things change when he meets D, however. A good diver and an assertive detective, she helps Victor to stop writing his life and start living it.
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Becoming Chloe
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Meet Jordy. He’s on his own in New York City. Nobody to depend on; nobody depending on him. And it’s been working fine.Until this girl comes along. She’s 18 and blond and pretty–her world should be perfect. But she’s seen things no one should ever see in their whole life–the kind of things that break a person. She doesn’t seem broken, though. She seems . . . innocent. Like she doesn’t know a whole lot. Only sometimes she does.The one thing she knows for sure is that the world is an ugly place. Now her life may depend on Jordy proving her wrong. So they hit the road to discover the truth–and there’s no going back from what they find out.This deeply felt, redemptive novel reveals both the dark corners and hidden joys of life’s journey–and the remarkable resilience of the human soul.
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Being Bindy
Alyssa Brugman
Eighth grade is torture–at least it is for Bindy!(1) Her best friend since kindergarten becomes her worst enemy.(2) She’s stuck taking yoga in sports ed, where she unleashes the Very Bad Thing that gets the whole school talking.(3) She suffers total humiliation when certain unmentionables are tossed around at assembly.What’s more, Bindy’s divorced parents are behaving badly.(1) Her laid-back father looks like he’s falling for–could it be?– none other than her ex-best friend’s mother. Which means that . . .(2) . . . Bindy’s worst enemy might just end up as her sister!(3) Her domineering mom always wants Bindy to do things her way.Enough is enough! To survive the drama in her life, Bindy must make some tough decisions in this funny, searching novel about being true to yourself.
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Exile
Lady Grace Cavendish
There’s a new arrival—a mysterious and exotic young princess—at Court and Lady Grace can’t believe how many rumours there are about her already. The exiled Banoo Yasmine from Sharakand is a beautiful girl with a pet panther and, everyone believes, magical powers. Yasmine also possesses the renowned Heart of Kings Ruby, a huge stone that she wears around her neck to balls and feasts, that legend says has the power to make kings. When the famed jewel goes missing, the finger is pointed at Grace’s dear friend Ellie the laundry maid. Grace must prove her friend’s innocence, find the true thief, and restore the stone to its rightful owner.All miscreants and ill-thinkers, keep out!
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Lost Bullet
Malcolm Rose
Recently qualified as a forensic investigator, Luke Harding is assigned to the slums of London, where he and Malc investigate a doctor's murder. They find a bullet wound to her head, but rain has washed away the bullet -- and all other clues. As more innocent doctors die, Luke's sleuthing leads him to a mysterious cult called The Visionaries. With no time to lose, Luke must infiltrate the sect and find the culprit before the bizarre shooting spree becomes an all-out massacre.
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The Sea Singer
Craig Moodie
Craig Moodie's finely crafted adventure novel tells the story of twelve-year-old Finn, who stows away to search for his lost father and brothers. It's a journey that brings storms, shipwreck, tense encounters with the inhabitants of an unexplored continent -- and a coming of age for Finn, who will in the end, face his father as a young man and a Viking. Dramatic and beautifully told, The Sea Singer is a first-rate literary sea story.
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Out of Order
Betty Hicks
One million American children become part of blended family every year. What happens to stepsiblings when the oldest child suddenly becomes the middle child, and the youngest even younger? Out of Order delivers four electric points of view from stepsiblings, ages nine to fifteen, in a super-unsettled, scrambled-up family. An unforgettable Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament, plus 120 hazardous bug snacks, equals humor, insight, and serious indigestion. Betty Hicks gives us her most entertaining and complex novel yet.
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The Lake of Souls
Darren Shan
Darren and Harkat face monstrous obstacles on their desperate quest to the Lake of Souls. Will they survive the savage journey? And what awaits them in the murky waters of the dead? Be careful what you fish for...
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Anthem
Leonard Peikoff, Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand’s classic tale of a dystopian future of the great “We”—a world that deprives individuals of a name or independence—that anticipates her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.They existed only to serve the state. They were conceived in controlled Palaces of Mating. They died in the Home of the Useless. From cradle to grave, the crowd was one—the great WE.In all that was left of humanity there was only one man who dared to think, seek, and love. He lived in the dark ages of the future. In a loveless world, he dared to love the woman of his choice. In an age that had lost all trace of science and civilization, he had the courage to seek and find knowledge. But these were not the crimes for which he would be hunted. He was marked for death because he had committed the unpardonable sin: He had stood forth from the mindless human herd. He was a man alone. He had rediscovered the lost and holy word—I.“I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities.”—Ayn Rand
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Souls of the North Wind
Chrissy McVay
Iksik ran to his cousin's side, grabbing up the wolf head harpoon. At the curve in the trail a large shadow cascaded over the rocks. 'They heard the loud panting of the beast just before it rounded the corner, staring straight at them. A light breeze brought the overwhelming stench of its body. It was the smell of a beast that slept in its own filth. The long shaggy hair covering its massive chest was layered with the dried blood of old kills "Entertaining and educational, this book would be an excellent learning tool for teachers and should be a part of every school library" Shirley Roe, Allbooks Review' Reminiscent of Jack London's Call of the Wild, her writing combines a gentleness of touch with a fine eye for detail' McVay's largeness of heart'is what really enhances a unique storytelling style that will burrow into readers' hearts "Patrice TappeeRapid River Art Magazine - Asheville, N. C. 'Souls of the North Wind'is an exceptional book' five thumbs up. Lillian Cauldwell - author of Sacred Honor' 'remnant of the stories we all read as children about growing up, about being ourselves, and about questioning stereotypes" Tami Brady - author of The Complete Being 'I dare anyone to put this book down. The author brings you on the adventure of the two Inuit cousins just as if you were there with them" C. Gale Perkins - Author of The Baby's Cross
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