New Books for June - Part 1

Hi all, I know this post is a little late, but the new books have been on the shelf!  I just hadn't gotten around to posting about them yet.  Enjoy!

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gaviel Savit

Historical Fiction 

When her university professor father is sent by the Gestapo to a concentration camp, seven-year-old Anna travels the Polish countryside with the mysterious Swallow Man during World War II.

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

Mystery 

Oscar Dunleavy, a teenager who used to make incredible apple tarts, has gone missing and everyone thinks he is dead, but Oscar's best friend Meg and his little brother Stevie, form a band as they try to figure out what happened to him.

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Contemporary Fiction 

David Piper, always an outsider, forms an unlikely friendship with Leo Denton who, from the first day at his new school wants only to be invisible, but when David's deepest secret gets out, that he wants to be a girl, things get very messy for both of them.

Assassination Classroom vol 9 by Yusei Matsui

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

Nagisa risks life and limb in an attempt to take down the mastermind behind a biological attack. After the dust settles, Koro Sensei tries to ignite some summer romances between the students of 3-E. Their teacher Irina Jelavitch, at least, has her sights on someone…and everyone happily conspires to bring them together! Back at school, one of the 3-E students defects from the ranks for all the wrong reasons. How will they bring him back before he inflicts irrevocable damage on them all…?

Attack on Titan vol 11 by Hajime Isayama

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

Thanks to Eren's timely arrival, the 104th has managed to turn the tide at Wall Rose. But this momentary victory forces two more traitors into a corner – and the identity of the Titans who have been destroying the walls is revealed! What can Eren do against the two most dangerous monsters humanity has ever faced? And who else might be an enemy in disguise?

Biggie by Derek Sullivan

Contemporary Fiction 

Henry "Biggie" Abbott has hidden behind his weight for years, and although he is the son and stepson of two of Finch, Minnesota's most famous athletes, he prefers academic success until the girl of his dreams suggests he join the baseball team, and, with his stepbrother's help, he discovers he is a great pitcher.

Curl Up With One of February's New Books (part 3)

Concentr8 by William Sutcliffe

Action/Adventure

In a not-so-distant future London, riots have become the norm. But when the government suddenly stops distributing Concentr8--a behavioral modification "miracle" drug akin to Ritalin--the city's residents rise up fiercer than they ever have before. Amidst the chaos, five teens pick a man seemingly at random and chain him up as a hostage in a warehouse. Blaze is their leader, and Troy has always been his quiet sidekick--the only person he has ever trusted. But even Troy didn't see this coming, and as their story unfolds over six tense days, one thing is clear--none of them will ever be the same again. Told from the perspective of multiple characters in a world familiar to our own, this searing look at a group of teens who push back from the margins of society is perfect for fans of thoughtful fiction like Panic and The Program series.

Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Contemporary Fiction 

Ten years ago, God gave Braden a sign, a promise that his family wouldn't fall apart the way he feared. But Braden got it wrong: his older brother, Trey, has been estranged from the family for almost as long, and his father, the only parent Braden has ever known, has been accused of murder. The arrest of Braden's father, a well-known Christian radio host has sparked national media attention. His fate lies in his son's hands; Braden is the key witness in his father's upcoming trial. Braden has always measured himself through baseball. He is the star pitcher in his small town of Ornette, and his ninety-four mile per hour pitch already has minor league scouts buzzing in his junior year. Now the rules of the sport that has always been Braden's saving grace are blurred in ways he never realized, and the prospect of playing against Alex Reyes, the nephew of the police officer his father is accused of killing, is haunting his every pitch. 

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

Historical Fiction 

Helen must make a choice: Save her reputation, or save the world. London, 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation at the royal court of George III. Her life should revolve around gowns, dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family's maids disappears, she is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few able to stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons that has infiltrated all levels of society. Carlston is not a man she should be anywhere near, especially with the taint of scandal that surrounds him. Yet he offers her help and the possibility of finally discovering the truth about the mysterious deaths of her parents. Soon the two of them are investigating a terrifying conspiracy that threatens to plunge the newly Enlightened world back into darkness. But can Helen trust a man whose own life is built on lies? And does she have the strength to face the dangers of this hidden world and her family's legacy?

Don't Stay Up Late by R. L. Stine

Action/Adventure 

In the small town of Shadyside, don't stay up late, because horrible things can happen... Both day and night, Lisa Brooks is plagued with nightmares and hallucinations. Could they be caused by the horrifying accident that landed her in the hospital for weeks? When Lisa finds out that a neighbor is looking for a babysitter for her little boy, Lisa jumps at the chance to keep busy and take her mind off of her troubling thoughts. But then the murders start -- and her friends begin dying one by one. Are Lisa's nightmares coming true? 

The Emperor of Any Place by Tim Wynne-Jones

Historical Fiction

When Evan's father dies suddenly, Evan finds a hand-bound yellow book on his desk--a book his dad had been reading when he passed away. The book is the diary of a Japanese soldier stranded on a small Pacific island in WWII. Why was his father reading it? What is in this account that Evan's grandfather, whom Evan has never met before, fears so much that he will do anything to prevent its being seen? And what could this possibly mean for Evan? In a pulse-quickening mystery evoking the elusiveness of truth and the endurance of wars passed from father to son, this engrossing novel is a suspenseful, at times terrifying read from award-winning author Tim Wynne-Jones.

July New Books (Part 4)

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Contemporary Fiction 

Fourteen-year-old Audrey is making slow but steady progress dealing with her anxiety disorder when Linus comes into the picture and her recovery gains momentum.

First There Was Forever by Juliana Romano

Contemporary  Fiction 

Los Angeles, California, tenth-graders Lima and Hailey have always been best friends, but now Hailey is chasing after a more popular crowd, and Lima connects not only with a different popular group, she also begins getting close to Hailey's long-term crush, Nate.

Freaking Out: Real Life Stories About Anxiety by Polly Wells

Nonfiction 

Presents thirteen true accounts of teenagers with varying levels of anxiety disorders, exploring how they addressed their anxiety and dealt with such issues as peer pressure, perfectionism, grief, and self-mutilation.

Game Seven by Paul Volponi

Action/Adventure 

A sixteen-year-old shortstop in Cuba who dreams of playing with the pros must choose between his country and his father who defected to the U.S.

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Paranormal 

A girl, who's adopted and raised by a race of creatures with feathers for hair and magic in their veins, becomes involved in an ancient war and a centuries-old love, discovering startling truths about the world she lives in.

April Books bring May...more books! (April new books part 1)

The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith

Contemporary Fiction

The story of Ariel, a Middle Eastern refugee who lives with an adoptive family in Sunday, West Virginia, is juxtaposed against those of a schizophrenic bomber, the diaries of a failed arctic expedition from the late nineteenth century, and a depressed, bionic reincarnated crow.

All New Ultimates vol 1: Power for Power by Michael Fiffe

Graphic Novel

The next generation of Ultimates is here! Spider-Man, Black Widow, Kitt y Pryde, Bombshell, Cloak and Dagger unite to tackle the vicious, rampant crime wave overtaking Hell's Kitchen! But the young Ultimates are put to the test as they try to survive their first mission: going head to head with the city's most ruthless gang, the Serpent Skulls, led by Diamondback! Meanwhile, detective Brigid O'Reilly and her anti-gang unit are on the hunt for a serial mask killer called Scourge! As Jessica Drew adjusts to the mantle of Black Widow, Spider-Man falls for a villainess and Bombshell's life is changed by tragedy, Crossbones joins the fray! These young heroes have fought Galactus, but can they survive super-powered street gangs and psychopaths?

All Star by Jesse Lonergan

Graphic Novel

As the summer of 1998 nears, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa are racing each other to break the home-run record, Bill Clinton is being questioned about a certain Monica Lewinsky, Semisonic's "Closing Time" is top of the charts, and Carl Carter is leading the Elizabeth Monarchs of rural Vermont to the state championship his senior year. The world is Carl's oyster: a full scholarship to the University of Maine awaits, going pro after college isn't out of the question, and he's so good he can do whatever he wants--until, that is, he makes one very arrogant mistake. 

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Contemporary Fiction

Told in alternating voices, when Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school--both teetering on the edge--it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship, a journey to discover the "natural wonders" of the state of Indiana, and two teens' desperate desire to heal and save one another.

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen

Paranormal

Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast . . . unless she can figure out a way to break the curse forever.

My gift to you...New Books for December! (part 4)

Fairy Tail vol 13 by Hiro Mashima

In the next volume of Fairy Tail, Master Makarov's gradson, the too-powerful wizard Laxus, has seen the new Fairy Tail guild hall and doesn't like what he sees!  So he gathers some of the strongest wizards in the guild, and starts a Fairy Tail civil war!

The Fashion Book: Create Your Own Cool Looks from the Story of Style by Alexandra Black

A sassy style guide for teenage girls shares insight into the fashion world and how to personalize one's appearance for best results, chronicling fashion trends throughout history while sharing practical tips from top designers and models.

Found by Harlan Coben

Mickey Bolitar and his friends continue to investigate the Abeona Shelter, while Mickey searches for answers about his father's tragic death.

Get Happy by Mary Amato

On her birthday, Minerva, a seventeen-year-old singer/songwriter, hears from the father she has never known and her placid life is turned upside down.

Hardball by Steven Barwin

Baseball season has begun for the South Coast Sharks. As a senior, Griffin has college in his sights and plans to land himself a baseball scholarship. His determination causes him to turn a blind eye to the hazing of new players by the team captain, Wade. But when Griffin senses that his cousin Carson is getting the brunt of Wade's aggression, Griffin finally stands up to him. Soon after, steroids are found in Carson's locker, and he's kicked off the team. Can Griffin stop Wade's reign of terror, prove his cousin's innocence and still stay on track with his baseball dreams?

New Books ~ August 2014 ~ Part 7

Followers by Anna Davies

To tweet or not to tweet . . . what a deadly question. When Briana loses out on a starring role in the school's production of Hamlet, she reluctantly agrees to be the drama department's "social media director" and starts tweeting half-hearted updates. She barely has any followers, so when someone hacks her twitter account, Briana can't muster the energy to stop it. After all, tweets like "Something's rotten in the state of Denmark . . . and a body's rotting in the theater" are obviously a joke. But then a body IS discovered in the theater: Briana's rival. Suddenly, what seemed like a prank turns deadly serious. To everyone's horror, the grisly tweets continue . . . and the body count starts to rise. There's no other explanation; someone is live-tweeting murders on campus. With the school in chaos and the police unable to find the culprit, it's up to Briana to unmask the psycho-tweeter before the carnage reaches Shakespearian proportions . . . or she becomes the next victim.

The Giant by Jonathan Mary-Todd

In 1874 Manhattan, Luc, sixteen, at nearly seven feet tall and seemingly impervious to pain, has become a local boxing star but when kangaroos are introduced to the ring, Luc's tender heart leads him to run away to save a joey.

Med Head: My Knock-Down, Drag-Out, Drugged-Up Battle with my Brain by James Patterson & Hal Friedman

Follows a family's long struggle with their son's mysterious medical disorder that induced violent physical tics and prompted traumatic treatments, a situation that pitted the family against a disheartening medical establishment.

Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry by Harvey Frommer and Frederic Frommer

This signature book by the father-son team of Harvey Frommer and Frederic J. Frommer on the "Great Rivalry" features exclusive interviews with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, former governors Mario Cuomo of New York and Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, congressmen, reporters, broadcasters, and especially former and current players, coaches, managers and front-office execs from the Red Sox and Yankees.

Swim That Rock by John Rocco & Jay Primiano

Clinging to hope after his father goes missing in a fishing boat accident, fourteen-year-old Jake teams up with local quahoggers to raise money and save his family's diner from loan sharks.

First New Books of 2014~ Part 2

World After by Susan Ee

Penryn's search for her kidnapped sister, Paige, leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans, while Raffe must choose between reclaiming his wings--and his role as the angels' leader--or helping Penryn survive.

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

A year after vanishing from a party, screaming and drenched in blood, seventeen-year-old Annaliese Rose Gordon appears hundreds of miles from home with no memory, but a haunting certainty that she is actually another girl trapped in Annaliese's body.

The Pitcher by William Hazelgrove

A boy with a golden arm but no money for lessons. A mother who wants to give her son his dream before she dies. A broken down World Series pitcher who cannot go on after the death of his wife. These are the elements of The Pitcher . A story of a man at the end of his dream and a boy whose dream is to make his high school baseball team. In the tradition of The Natura l and The Field of Dreams , this is a mythic story about how a man and a boy meet in the crossroads of their life and find a way to go on. You will laugh and you will cry as The Pitcher and Ricky prepare for the ultimate try out of life.

No Easy Way Out by Dayna Lorentz

Teens Marco, Shay, Ryan, and Lexi form new allies in the quarantined mall-as the bodies pile up, the disease mutates, the Senator's authority is questioned, and it becomes clear there's no one to trust.

Break These Rules by various YA Authors

If you're a girl, you should strive to look like the model on the cover of a magazine. If you're a boy, you should play sports and be good at them. If you're smart, you should immediately go to college after high school, and get a job that makes you rich. Above all, be normal. Right? Wrong , say 35 leading middle grade and young adult authors. Growing up is challenging enough; it doesn't have to be complicated by convoluted, outdated, or even cruel rules, both spoken and unspoken. Parents, peers, teachers, the media, and the rest of society sometimes have impossible expectations of teenagers. These restrictions can limit creativity, break spirits, and demand that teens sacrifice personality for popularity. In these personal, funny, moving, and poignant essays, Kathryn Erskine ( Mockingbird ), Matthew Quick ( The Silver Linings Playbook ), Gary D. Schmidt ( The Wednesday Wars ), Sara Zarr ( Story of a Girl ), and many others share anecdotes and lessons learned from their own lives in order to show you that some rules just beg to be broken.

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Hiya teens~  Its the start of a new week!  How many days of school left?  You must be getting down to the final count.  May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, as you might have guessed from the post title.  This is an initiative spearheaded by the White House to get everyone active and on the path to a healthy lifestyle.  One part of the program is the President's Challenge.  For this program you are challenged by the president to increase the amount of physical activity in your life.

You can find out more here:
http://www.presidentschallenge.org/

Got that part down?  Or do you need some inspiration?  Well I've made a book display in the library of some of our books that are about active young adults, and here are a sampling of what we have available~


YA WEA
Since the death of his older brother, thirteen-year-old Billy Baggs has had a distant relationship with his father, but life on their farm in northern Minnesota begins to change when he starts to play baseball.


YA KOR NM '12
Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water.


YA MYE
If Harlem high school senior Drew Lawson is going to realize his dream of playing college, then professional, basketball, he will have to improve at being coached and being a team player, especially after a new--white--student threatens to take the scouts' attention away from him.


YA RUS
Anything seems possible to 13 year-old Gary when he's on his backyard rink. However, things aren't so easy outside of his backyard. Gary finds that his first year of bantam hockey is tough and that his recently separated parents are dating other people. The positive things in Gary's life include the arrival of the New Mexico Snow Dogs (a farm team) to his hometown and his new friendship with Dmitri. However, Dimitri's brother gets involved with the Russian mafia and the Snow Dogs consider leaving for a bigger city.


YA WAR
At boarding school, Katie tries to focus on swimming and becoming popular instead of the painful memories of her institutionalized schizophrenic older brother.


YA BRY
Avery heads to Telluride Colorado for a snowboard competition, but finds herself competing against an all-star boarder.

So, readers, get inspired, get out, get fit, and, most importantly, get healthy this month~