Jan 28 14:26

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne
290 pages; 2010

Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be your average, happy, vanilla eighth grader. But with Shakespearean scholar parents who dress in Elizabethan regalia and generally go about in public as if it were the sixteenth century, that's not terribly easy. It gets worse when they decide that Hamlet's genius sevenyear- old sister will attend middle school with her— and even worse when the Shakespeare project is announced and her sister is named the new math tutor. By the time an in-class recitation reveals that our heroine is an extraordinary Shakespearean actress, Hamlet can no longer hide from the fact that she—like her family—is anything but average. ~Publisher's Description

Jan 28 14:19

Some Girls Are

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
245 pages; 2010

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be. ~Publisher's Description

 

Jan 20 15:12

Captivate

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Captivate by Carrie Jones
276 pages; 2010

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his. ~Publisher's Description

Jan 20 15:09

Calamity Jack

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale
144 pages; 2010

Jack likes to think of himself as a criminal mastermind…with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. A schemer, plotter, planner, trickster, swindler...maybe even thief? One fine day Jack picks a target a little more giant than the usual, and one little bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk. With help from Rapunzel (and her trusty braids), a pixie from Jack’s past, and a man with inventions from the future, they just might out-swindle the evil giants and put his beloved city back in the hands of good people ....while catapulting themselves and readers into another fantastical adventure. ~Publisher's Description

Jan 12 14:59

The Pale Assassin

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliot
336 pages; 2009

This exciting novel about a teen aristocrat who must question the justice of her own wealth while facing the cataclysmic divisions of her society will captivate readers as secrets come out, sympathies shift, and every choice can change—or end—a life.

Spoiled, beautiful fourteen-year-old Eugénie de Boncoeur is accustomed to outrageous privilege. The French Revolution may rage around her, but Eugénie's luxurious lifestyle is only improved by visits from her brother, Armand, especially doting since the two were orphaned. What Eugénie doesn't know is that their guardian has promised her in marriage to the wealthy, vengeful Le Fantome, a revolutionary nursing a secret grudge against her family. As the Revolution becomes increasingly violent, Eugénie is shipped off to convent school. Finally, there is no place in France that is safe for her. Eugénie dusts off her lightly used brains and rises to the challenge of survival; and soon she is in the thick of turmoil and romance, confronting spies, secret agents, and double-crossing suitors in her quest to get out of France alive. ~Publisher's Description

Jan 12 14:51

Out of the Blue

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Out of the Blue by S.L. Rottman
297 pages; 2009

Stu and his mom are heading to Minot, North Dakota, where she will assume command of the Air Force base. But this time it will be just the two of them. His brother is away at college, and their father has abruptly decided to move to Nevada. With his family scattered and his mother preoccupied with military duties, Stu finds himself on his own and adrift in this new environment, caught between a respect for the regimented life of the military and an aching desire for independence and freedom. As he struggles to find his way, he is pulled into his neighbors' dysfunctional family drama and becomes an unwitting participant. When tragedy finally strikes, Stu must come to terms with his own culpability. ~Publisher's Description

Jan 12 14:46

Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman
282 pages; 2009

Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there's no escaping high school drama.

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie's big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex-best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn't understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

Torn between doing what's right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did. ~Publisher's Description

Jan 12 14:41

Broken Memory: a novel of Rwanda

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Broken Memory: a novel of Rwanda by Elizabeth Combres
139 pages; 2009

Emma is a Tutsi orphan living with the Hutu woman who took her in, at risk of death, during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Emma can remember nothing of her life before then, except for the sounds of her mother being brutally murdered and her mother's last words to her: "You must not die, Emma!" In a gentle narrative focusing on details of daily life, readers follow Emma finally home and to a restored memory. Though well-focused, the translated text drifts at an awkward pace and between perspectives and offers little beyond Emma's very specific psychological and emotional journey. ~Publisher's Description

Jan 12 14:31

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: a Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: a Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales by Ying Chang Compestine
180 pages; 2009

According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories,Ying Chang Compestine takes readers on a journey through time and across different parts of China. From the building of the GreatWall in 200 BCE to themodern day of iPods, hungry ghosts continue to torment those who wronged them.

At once a window into the history and culture of China and an ode to Chinese cuisine, this assortment of frightening tales—complete with historical notes and delectable recipes—will both scare and satiate! ~Publisher's Description
 

Jan 12 14:25

The Wrath

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

The Wrath by DC Comics
142 pages; 2009

Batman and Nightwing become embroiled in the return of a major nemesis who was long believed to be dead: The Wrath has returned, and he knows too much about Batman -- and the deaths of his parents. ~Publisher's Description