Juvenile Fiction

Jack Templar Monster Hunter
If you're not a monster hunter, don't read this book!Seriously, this book is not meant for you. By reading it, you run the risk of attracting monsters to your position and being attacked. So, unless you are willing to join the fight...just walk away.Still here? OK, don't say I didn't warn you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Jack Templar and I'm an orphan.Recently, I discovered that I came from a long line of monster hunters. You know, vampires, werewolves, zombies, you name it. Turns out there was some kind of truce between monsters and the hunters that kids under fourteen were off-limits. I didn't find out about all this until the day before my birthday. Yeah, you guessed it, my fourteenth birthday. So, all bets were off. The monsters were coming to get me.Not only that, but I also found out that if monsters around the world could choose one human to kill, it would be me. Why? I haven’t a clue, but the hunters I've met talk about a prophecy and that they think I'm the One...whatever that means. I’d like to find out some day, but for right now, I’m just trying to stay alive. If you want to hear a story that will scare you, gross you out and forever change the way you look at the world around you, then you came to the right place. But, if you want to keep the illusion that the world is a safe and orderly place, then get out of here and stop wasting my time. Do your duty, come what may.JT"Gunhus brings young readers a monster-filled romp...complete with action, cliff-hangers and surprise reveals."-Kirkus Reviews
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The First
Cassie Craig is not the chosen one. Not even Close.She's just an ordinary, 15-year-old California girl with a few problems. She talks too much. She has a crush on a guy in her school. She worries about her dad who is a Marine in Afghanistan.Then, there's her new friend, Violet Starkey. The weirdest girl in school, Violet comes from a group of magical people who claim to be the first on earth.When Cassie discovers that Violet has powers over nature, she will do anything to be her friend--all for the chance Violet might help bring her dad home.But Cassie isn't the only one who wants Violet's powers, and she soon finds out just how dangerous it is to be the true friend of one of the most powerful magical beings in the world.
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Splendors and Glooms
Laura Amy Schlitz

"Winner of the Newbery Honor award, Splendors and Glooms will captivate middle grade readers with mystery, fantasy, magic and friendship in a Victorian gothic setting." - Seira Wilson, Amazon EditorNewbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz brings her sorcery to a Victorian gothic thriller — an enthralling, darkly comic tale that would do Dickens proud.The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants. Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late. Newbery Medal winner Laura Amy Schlitz’s Victorian gothic is a rich banquet of dark comedy, scorching magic, and the brilliant and bewitching storytelling that is her trademark.
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After Eli
Rebecca Rupp
When Daniel’s brother Eli is killed at war, Daniel considers the history of unusual fatalities to determine what makes a death — or a life — matter.Some people die heroically, others accidentally. When Daniel Anderson’s older brother dies, he wonders which category Eli’s death falls into. In an attempt to understand, Danny creates a Book of the Dead — an old binder that he fills with details about dead people, how they died, and, most important, for what purpose. Time passes, and eventually Daniel is prompted to look up from his notebook of death and questions to make new friends and be swept into their imaginings. With gentle humor and genuine emotion, Rebecca Rupp examines the questions that arise following a profound loss and the moments that start life rolling again.
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Windscape
Sam Wilding
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Girl The Reaper
In the summer of 1976, shy fourteen-year-old Cate Evans inadvertently saves her father from the grim reaper and becomes a type of reaper herself.
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When book-smart Anne Parson meets Halloween Spavento, she sees exactly what she wants to see -- a friend. Halloween waves away trouble, magically silences school bullies and offers Anne unfailing friendship. But, when the Spavento family's enchanting exploits are exposed, will Anne face her fears and save Halloween? A spellbinding tale of outcasts who find acceptance, a girl who discovers the true meaning of family, and characters who are not always what they seem. 2012 Kay Snow Award Winner 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree Amazon Bestseller: #1 Children's Halloween Book
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On the Run
Clara Bourreau
A young boy discovers the real whereabouts of his absent father--jail!Anthony hasn't seen his dad in years. The reason: His father is busy traveling the world as a wildlife photographer—at least, according to Anthony's mom and sister. The real reason: His dad has been a fugitive from the law and is now in jail, awaiting trial.When Anthony finally learns the truth, his life changes overnight. He insists on visiting his dad in prison. And once the trial begins, it's the lead story on the local news. Everyone at school starts to taunt Anthony about having a criminal for a father, even his best friend. Then one day, in a shocking turn of events, his dad escapes from the courtroom. Anthony wants to be with him—and when he gets the change, he grabs it. Now father and son are on the run. But how far will they get?
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Sky High (Zigzag Kids)
Patricia Reilly Giff
Charlie has lots of ideas. Need something to go sky high? Ah-ha! The zinger-winger! Need to launch a cheese popper into soup? The amazing popper-upper! But the zinger-winger zings more than wings and the popper-upper plops. Charlie isn't allowed to invent for a week. Meanwhile, the afterschool invention fair is coming up. He needs time to make something special. Good thing he has his friends and Mr. Redfern, another inventor, to help him out.
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Behind the Bookcase
Kelly Murphy, Mark Steensland
A girl stumbles into a fantastic world in this tale perfect for fans of Coraline, Alice in Wonderland, and The Twilight Zone.Spending the summer at her grandmother's house is the last thing Sarah wants to do—especially now that Grandma Winnie has died—but she has no choice. Her parents have to fix the place up before they can sell it, and Sarah and her brother, Billy, have to help. But the tedious work turns into a thrilling mystery when Sarah discovers an unfinished letter her grandmother wrote: Strange things are happening behind the bookcase. . . . Sarah's mother dismisses the letter as one of Grandma Winnie's crazy stories, but Sarah does some investigating and makes a remarkable discovery: behind the bookcase is a doorway into Scotopia, the land where shadows come from. With a talking cat named Balthazat as her guide, Sarah begins an unforgettable adventure into a world filled with countless dangers. Who can she trust? And can she face her fears, not only in Scotopia, but also back at Grandma Winnie's house, where more secrets and strange goings-on await her?