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Rise of the Heroes by Andy Briggs
Looking for a book for boys? I recommend this book! Four teens (Toby, Pete, Lorna, and Emily) stumble across a website called Hero.com. They realize the site allows them to download powers that make them become superheroes. At first, everything is done in fun, but then they accept a “job” from the job board. The teens become involved in a battle with Doc Tempest. The supervillian kidnaps the mother of Toby and Lorna. It is no longer a game to the teens. Fast pace action. Part of the series, Hero.com. Briggs has also written an anti-series, Villian.net and the first book in that series is Council of Evil. The author also has a website to in conjunction with the books: http://www.herovillianbooks.com. Readers of Alex Rider books should enjoy these two series. --SS
September 28, 2009
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Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
There is an entire fiction sub-genre of older children’s/ teens novel-length reimaginings of traditional fairy tales. Cinderella variations are the most common, although Vivian Vande Velde once did a collection of Rumplestiltskin variations. Jessica Day George has chosen the Twelve Dancing Princesses to retell, with love, magic and knitting working together produce the traditional happy ending. --MM
September 10, 2009
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Full service by Will Weaver
It’s 1965 in rural Minnesota, and teenager Paul’s mother urges him to take a job in town at the local Shell station. Paul’s family belongs to a conservative Christian sect which practices communal farming and fellowship. Paul is uneasy about meeting the townspeople, who include the popular local teens, a retired gangsters, and travelling hippies. One reviewer called this book Lake Woebegone meets “The Outsiders.” A heartwarming, fun coming-of-age tale. --SB
July 24, 2009
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Things change by Patrick Jones
The story of 16-year-old Johanna and her boyfriend Paul, who comes between her and her family and friends. Paul is violent and abusive, and Johanna, who has been a straight-A student, sacrifices her self-respect for attention from him. --SB
July 22, 2009
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Dairy queen by Catherine Murdock
D.J. Schwenk, a teenage girl who is running her family’s dairy farm, is asked to train the quarterback of her high school’s rival team. Her older brothers are away at college playing football, and D.J. had to quit the basketball team to pick up a larger share of the chores when her father was injured. D.J. is a terrific character, who will appeal to girls who are not into the girly-girly shopping and make up stories. --SB
June 1, 2009
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Edenville owls by Robert B. Parker
Set in post World War II Massachuetts. Teenaged Bobby sees his pretty young teacher having words with a man in a parking lot. When she comes to school with bruises, he recruits some of his friends to protect her. Bobby has also put together a basketball team, the Owls, but they don’t have a coach. They compete with local teams and dream of entering a tournament. Parker, well known for his “Spenser” series, offers up his first young adult novel. --SB
April 21, 2009
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Boy toy by Barry Lyga
A teacher instigates a relationship with her teenage student--he does not think of himself as a victim, until he realizes how the teacher's actions have hurt him and his ability to relate to others. Sensitively done yet disturbing at times, this is one of the few books that tell the story of sexual abuse from a teenage boy's viewpoint. --SB
April 1, 2009
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