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Juvenile Fiction | Page 57 | LitPick Book Reviews
Juvenile Fiction
The Ever Breath
The Ever Breath
Julianna Baggott
Follow the secret passageway . . . and discover the magic!In a world where locust fairies flutter and firebreathers burst from snowbanks, two children are having the adventure of their lives. Truman and his twin sister, Camille, have just met their grandmother . . . and she’s a little strange. She whispers a tale about something called the Ever Breath, an amber orb that maintains the balance between our world and a dreamy one of imagination—and evil.Soon Truman and Camille find themselves in the Breath World, a magical place where ogres clash and a mouse holds the key to a mystery. Some creatures want to help them—and some want them D-E-A-D. That’s because the Ever Breath has been stolen, and an epic battle is raging to bring it safely back. Can the twins save not only one world—but two?

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I So Don't Do Spooky
I So Don't Do Spooky
Barrie Summy
Someone’s out to get Sherry’s stepmom. . . .Can she save her before it’s too late?Did you know that the main campus of the Academy of Spirits is at a Dairy Queen in Phoenix? Me either. Until now. Some weird stuff has been happening to my stepmother, Paula, and the Academy has asked me, Sherry Holmes Baldwin, to get to the bottom of it. They think someone’s trying to hurt her.I really don’t want to get involved—my life is way too busy. Josh and I are celebrating two blissful months of togetherness. And my best friend, Junie, is finally showing a teeny bit of interest in clothes and makeup after years of brainiac behavior. But being that my mom is a ghost and all, me, my brother, and my dad rely on Paula a lot. So it’s not like I can just ignore what’s going on. Especially since my mom is competing at the Ghostlympics. If she comes in first place, she earns five minutes of Real Time.And that means I’ve got to get involved in a creepy, freaky mystery. But . . . I so don’t do spooky.

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Firespell (Dark Elite, Book 1)
Firespell
Chloe Neill
New Girl. New School. Old Evil. From the author of the Chicagoland Vampires novels. A new series about a boarding school filled with something worse than homework. Lily's parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn't bad enough, she's hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie's creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens. They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It's too bad Lily doesn't have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she's discovered yet...

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Indian Summer
Indian Summer
Tracy Richardson
Luminis Books presents this harrowing tale of friendship, adventure, and doing the right thing, no matter what the cost.  Can a spirit from the past come back to help us solve a problem in the present? Expecting another lonely summer at her grandparents' cottage in the woods, twelve-year-old Marcie Horton gets more than she bargained for when the area is threatened by a wealthy university president, who has no problem replacing the quaint, historic area with over-sized mansions. Marcie refuses to sit back and watch her childhood memories disappear into the past--she'll do anything to save the centuries-old forest from destruction. Bewildered by the enormous task ahead, Marcie finds unexpected guidance when the spirit of a Native American girl presents herself, offering cryptic-dream like messages that are clearly the key to succeeding in her quest. Although she seems to be making real progress on her mission to save the forest, her budding friendship with the  university president's daughter--her one summer-time companion--threatens to unravel everything. Will Marcie stay true to her friends even if it means giving up everything she's fought so hard to protect? Or, will she choose to save the forest at great personal sacrifice? INDIANA / FOREST / NATIVE AMERICANS / SAILBOAT RACES / ENVIRONMENTAL FICTION / FRIENDSHIP / MIDDLE-GRADE

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Best Bet: A Novel (The Hallie Palmer Series)
Best Bet
Laura Pedersen
Since Hallie's father died and left behind ten children, money at the Palmer household is tighter than ever. And just when Hallie thought she was graduating from college, it turns out she's four credits short. A professor needs one more student for a project that will take her around the world, only longtime boyfriend Craig has another proposition for Hallie. Thus begins Hallie's great odyssey, for the first time she ventures outside the safety of Cosgrove County and the sixty-mile radius in which she's functioned for her entire life. But somehow, escaping home doesn't translate into leaving behind all of her problems, and, unfortunately, not all can be solved by putting her superior gambling skills to work. Eventually, it's time to return home to all the good people who are great at driving each other crazy. Hallie must finally face the biggest decision of her life. Humorous and heartfelt, Best Bet underscores the importance of friends, family, and a sense of belonging. The characters in this modest, but neighborly, small town prove that an ordinary existence made up of small but genuine moments can satisfy a soul that's hungry for life in all of its glories and disappointments.

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Counterfeit Son
Counterfeit Son
Elaine Marie Alphin
Cameron Miller is pretending to be someone he isn't. When he began presenting himself as Neil Lacey, it was the only way he could think of to distance himself from what Pop had done, to finally climb out of his nightmarish existence. He thought it would be easy--playing the rich kid, sailing his boat--but he didn't count on Cougar. Now Cougar, his father's old accomplice, has tracked Cameron down and presented an ultimatum: Share the wealth or be exposed. Will Cameron give up his new identity to protect Neil's family? Or will he let his search for a new life destroy those around him?

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Xoe: Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! (Xoe Meyers Young Adult Fantasy/Horror Series) (Volume 1)
Xoe
Sara C. Roethle
Xoe Meyers had a normal life. So she was stuck going to high school, and she only had a few friends to call her own. She liked her normal life. Things were about to change though, because there's a new guy in her small town, and he is anything but normal. Before Xoe can say, "Werewolf," her best friend's life is in peril, and Xoe's world is turned upside-down. Then, of course, there's Jason. Xoe doesn't trust him as far as she can throw him, and given that he's a vampire, she'd have to be able to catch him first.

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Center Field
Center Field
Robert Lipsyte
Mike has his junior year well under control. He's got a solid group of friends. He's dating Lori, one of the hottest girls in school. And Coach Cody has all but given him the starting spot as the Ridgedale Rangers' varsity center fielder. And then Oscar Ramirez shows up. Oscar is an amazing ballplayer, as talented at the plate as he is in center field, and it's not long before Mike loses control. He's on the bench, he's getting into fights, and he finds himself in weekend detention with Katherine Herold, the most mysterious, abrasive, alluring girl in school. Mike is lost, confused, and looking to Coach Cody to help him get back on track. But the coach has his own set of rules for Mike to play by, and the decisions Mike makes are going to impact more than just the starting lineup.Robert Lipsyte, one of the most celebrated writers in young adult literature, has crafted a subtly intense tale of adolescent struggle, a sports story about much more than sports—one that shows us how the moves one makes off the field matter even more than the moves one has on it.

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Snow Queen
Snow Queen
Emma Harrison
Chamberlain Ski Resort and SpaWelcome to the 10th Annual Snow Queen competition!I can't believe I got roped into this.Snow Princesses must attend all pageant rehearsals, with appropriate outfits.Well, no matter what it takes, I'm going to wipe that smirk off Layla Chamberlain's face.Our rehearsal space can be booked to practice your talent.Um, does "looking dumb in a dress" count as a talent?See Grayson Chamberlain, the assistant director, with any questions.If you insist! First question: How can someone so sweet (and hot!) be a Chamberlain?Good luck! One of you will soon be our new Snow Queen!Oh joy.Unless Grayson comes with the tiara . . .

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Three Witches
Three Witches
Paula Jolin
Three seemingly ordinary girls, studying together in the same ordinary high school. All have their own reasons to summon Trevor Saunders after his car goes over a cliff. Aliya brings the mystical seances of Syria. Gillian contributes the voodoo arts from her native Trinidad. Miya shares the secret magic of ancient Japan. Will they be able use their powers to bring him back one more time? Should they?

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