Juvenile Fiction
Posh
Lucy Jackson
Inside Manhattan's private school world of fast-paced over-the-top entitlement and superficial gloss lurk many secrets―the secrets of emotionally charged teenage and adult lives. In this eloquent novel set during one class's senior year at the Griffin School, among the queen bees and the wannabes, Michael Avery and Julianne Coopersmith begin a relationship. Their backgrounds are so different―he's beyond privileged and rich, her mother is a writer who drives a cab―but it's the rich boy who ends up being the needy one, with an emotional hole they both believe only Julianne can fill. Their parents are not immune from internal torture either―Michael's mother finds it easier to love her Chinese Crested Hairless than her own child, and Julianne's mother's protective instincts have unexpected consequences.Fast-paced, gently satirical, yet deeply felt, Posh is a poignant and knowing novel.
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Mercury Under My Tongue
Sheila Fischman, Sylvain Trudel
Frederick Langlois could be that geeky 17-year-old found in every high school the one who closely clutches his poem-filled notebook, who feels a bit too deeply, who’s just a little too old for his years. But Frederick isn’t in high school. He’s in a hospital ward with other critically ill adolescents, dying of bone cancer. Mercury Under the Tongue chronicles his short stay there, from his distant but friendly relationship with his therapist through comic moments in the ward and his emergent friendships with other teenage patients. Some survive, others are lost, and at the end, Frederick must make a final reckoning with himself and his family, one that is at once dispassionate and deeply felt. Avoiding both misty stoicism and made-for-TV bathos, the book exposes the fallible body as the humanizing factor that grounds spirited adolescent talk, creating a believable, likable protagonist while weaving a compelling, lyrical story.
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Thank You, Lucky Stars
Beverly Donofrio
It’s the first day of fifth grade, and Ally is psyched. She and her best friend, Betsy, are in the same class, and have already planned on singing in the annual talent show together. But it’s not long before she sees that Betsy has made a new best friend, and Ally is no longer on her radar screen. Not to mention that the weird new kid, Tina, has glommed on to Ally. In this phenomenally accurate and readable portrayal of the trials and tribulations of fifth grade, readers will watch a quirky, sensitive, and extraordinarily likeable girl try to survive. Narrated in Ally’s distinctive first person voice, Thank You, Lucky Stars beautifully illustrates that it is possible to be unpopular, individualistic, nice, and still have fun.
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5-Jul
Joseph M. McHugh
What does a poor, black high school kid from the projects have in common with a rich high school kid who drives a Porsche? What do those two have in common with a working-class, Irish-American high school teen, full of what he thinks is angst? What brings them together? What nearly tears them apart? And how does a mysterious, successful businesswoman, hated by the community, compel them to come to a new understanding of themselves and the world around them? These are the questions answered in Joseph M. McHugh’s gripping new novel, July 5, set in the world of a major American city. Josh Stanton is on his way to Harvard. Jerome Banneker lives a hard-scrabble life in an inner-city black neighborhood. Rob Flaherty feels trapped in the Irish working-class ghetto. These unlikely three meet, and when they undertake a special project for the despised businesswoman, they discover the secrets of the world, and the secrets of their souls. But first they must endure a trial that threatens to shatter their spirits, and changes their lives forever.
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Poseur
Compai, Rachel Maude
po•seur (noun): a person who pretends to be what he or she is not. Charlotte Beverwil, Janie Farrish, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene attend exclusive Winston Prep in the Hollywood Hills. And that's all they have in common. But hang out together? They'd rather be hanged. Borrow one another's clothes? They'd sooner borrow a zit. So when these four sophomores are forced into a class to create their own fashion label, they Clash with a capital C. Janie thinks Melissa and Charlotte are Beverly Hills brats. They dismiss Janie as a Valley rat in sheep's clothing. And Petra, well . . . Petra couldn't care less. Can a cool coquette, a shy punk, a hippie goddess, and a ghettoglam egomaniac make beautiful couture together? At Winston Prep, survival of the fittest comes down to who fits in-and what fits. Introducing a juicy new series from the publisher of the national bestselling series Gossip Girl, The Clique, The It Girl, and The A-List. Includes Do-It-Yourself instructions by NYC fashion label Compai and fashion sketches throughout by the author.
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Girl Overboard
Justina Chen Headley
Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her father is Ethan Cheng, billionaire, and she has everything any kid could possibly desire: a waterfront mansion, jet plane, and custom-designed snowboards. But most of what glitters in her life is fool's gold. Her half-siblings hate her, her best friend's girlfriend is ruining their friendship, and her own so-called boyfriend is only after her for her father's name. When her broken heart results in a snowboarding accident that exiles her from the mountains-the one place where she feels free and accepted for who she is, not what she has-can Syrah rehab both her busted-up knee, and her broken heart? Justina Chen Headley writes with an engaging wit and a powerful, distinct voice. Her first novel, Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies) was a Border's Original Voices nominee, a Book Sense pick, and received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly: "Headley makes an impressive debut with this witty, intimate novel."
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The Kayla Chronicles
Sherri Winston
Kayla Dean, junior feminist and future journalist, is about the break the story of a lifetime. She is auditioning for the Lady Lions dance team to prove they discriminate against the not-so-well endowed. But when she makes the team, her best friend and fellow feminist, Rosalie, is not happy.Now a Lady Lion, Kayla is transformed from bushy-haired fashion victim to glammed-up dance diva. But does looking good and having fun mean turning her back on the cause? Can you be a strong woman and still wear really cute shoes? Soon Kayla is forced to challenge her views, coming to terms with who she is and what girl power really means.Narrated with sharp language and just the right amount of attitude, The Kayla Chronicles is the story of a girl's struggle for self-identity despite pressure from family, friends and her own conscience. Kayla's story is snappy, fun and inspiring, sure to appeal to anyone who's every questioned who they really are.
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American Fringe
Valerie Frankel
Spring has arrived, and everything's coming up roses. Not only is Adora Benet madly in love with Nate, she's landed her own teen advice column in he local paper. When her response to an anonymous letter-writer prompts a senator to run for president, Adora's column becomes the headlines. The media frenzy introduces Dora to the candidate's charming son, Toby, whose larger-than- life personality is distracting her from Nate, just when things are heating up. Despite her newfound celebrity, Adora the advice queen can't help her friends, Eli and Liza, patch things up. Maybe the cute barista at the local coffee shop can do his part by serving Eli a spring fling that will make her forget all her troubles...
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The Year of the Rat
Grace Lin
In this sequel to Year of the Dog, Pacy has another big year in store for her. The Year of the Dog was a very lucky year: she met her best friend Melody and discovered her true talents. However, the Year of the Rat brings big changes: Pacy must deal with Melody moving to California, find the courage to forge on with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and learn to face some of her own flaws. Pacy encounters prejudice, struggles with acceptance, and must find the beauty in change.Based on the author's childhood adventures, Year of the Rat, features the whimsical black and white illustrations and the hilarious and touching anecdotes that helped Year of the Dog earn rave reviews and satisfied readers.
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The Year My Sister Got Lucky
Aimee Friedman
In this hilarious, heartrending novel, New York Times bestselling author Aimee Friedman reminds us of the importance of sisters. . . and of not wearing stilettos in the mud.When Katie and Michaela Wilder are uprooted from NYC and planted in rural Fir Lake, Katie is horrified by their new surroundings: the too-friendly neighbors, the local uniform of sandals paired with socks, the very idea of milking a cow. But while Katie suffers through shopping withdrawal, Michaela transforms into a small-town social firefly, flirting with the hot quarterback and soaking up nature with her new hick-town friends. As in, people who think camping is *fun*. Does Katie even know her sister anymore? And after Michaela hides a jaw-dropping secret from her, does Katie even want to?
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