New Books for June - Part 5

The Great Wide Sea by M. H. Herlong

Action/Adventure 

Still mourning the death of their mother, three brothers go with their father on an extended sailing trip off the Florida Keys and have a harrowing adventure at sea.

Heir to the Sky by Amanda Sun

Fantasy 

As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits: by her duties as a member of the royal family, by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman, and by the edge of the only world she's ever known--a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what's left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft. When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks and other terrifying creatures. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself.

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Contemporary Fiction 

Agoraphobic sixteen-year-old Solomon has not left his house in three years, but Lisa is determined to change that--and to write a scholarship-winning essay based on the results.

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

Paranormal 

John "Smoke" Conlan uses his supernatural ability to travel outside the walls of a juvenile detention center to try to clear his name and help his fellow inmates find redemption.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Contemporary Fiction 

Amanda Hardy only wants to fit in at her new school, but she is keeping a big secret, so when she falls for Grant, guarded Amanda finds herself yearning to share with him everything about herself, including her previous life as Andrew.

New Books for April 2016 (part 7)

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Fantasy 

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Fantasy 

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok's lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna's survival depends on the world believing she is dead. But that doesn't stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized. With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express by Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete

Contemporary Fiction 

Being a teen is hard enough. But when you have autism--or when your sibling is struggling with the condition--life can be a topsy-turvy ride. What happens when you come face-to-face with dating, parties, sports, body changes, school, and kids who just don't get you? Where do you turn when your sibling with autism is the butt of jokes, the victim of misunderstood social cues, and the one everyone thinks is weird? Through alternating narratives based on their own lives, Ryan Elizabeth Peete and her twin brother, RJ, who has autism, bravely and honestly reveal what it means to be a teen living with the disorder. 

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

Fantasy 

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She'll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen. In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol's father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai's heart. But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn't going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

The Skeleton Tree by Iain Lawrence

Action/Adventure 

Less than forty-eight hours after twelve-year-old Chris sets off on a sailing trip down the Alaskan coast with his uncle, their boat sinks. The only survivors are Chris and a boy named Frank, who hates Chris immediately. Chris and Frank have no radio, no flares, no food. Suddenly, they've got to forage, fish, and scavenge the shore for supplies. Chris likes the company of a curious, friendly raven more than he likes the prickly Frank. But the boys have to get along if they want to survive. Because as the days get colder and the salmon migration ends, survival will take more than sheer force of will. 

New Books for April 2016 (part 1)

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

Science Fiction 

For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She's been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the giant, genetically engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas's first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas's dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup and teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea. 

After The Woods by Kim Savage

Mystery 

An emotionally-charged debut novel about the deadly lies hidden beneath a destructive friendship. One year ago, two best friends, Liv and Julia, were attacked in the woods by a paroled predator. In an attempt to save Liv, Julia was left behind while Liv escaped. After spending three days in the woods trying to escape her abductor, Julia was rescued. She only remembers what happened in the woods in terrifying flashbacks. Now, on the eve of the anniversary of the attack, a body is found in the woods. This discovery rips open fresh wounds between the two girls as the truth about Liv's role in the kidnapping is revealed.

All-New Ultimates vol 2: No Gods, No Masters by Michel Fiffe

Graphic Novel (Comic Book) 

Spider-Man, Black Widow, Kitt y Pryde and Cloak & Dagger can barely hold back the carnage of vengeful sewer leaders Vermin and Agent Crock! Meanwhile, the Bengal joins the police squad just in time to deal with Scourge's murderous aftermath...but will Scourge break out of prison and conti nue his killing spree of costumed crusaders? And will the hunt for Crossbones reveal a deeper, darker secret behind the city's rampant crime wave? As the all-new Ultimates battle superpowered mercenaries the Femme Fatales and the white supremacist meth-head militia the Watchdogs, the team's ulti mate nemesis makes his first deadly play - and Miles and co. will never be the same when it hits! It's the deadliest battle of the super street war!

The Best Summer Programs for Teens 2016-2017 by Sandra L. Berger

Nonfiction 

Record numbers of teens are applying to selective universities and the competition to gain entrance into college is tougher than ever before. The 2016-2017 edition of The Best Summer Programs for Teens helps teenagers find the coolest, most exciting, and most fulfilling summer programs across the United States. College-planning expert Sandra L. Berger provides students and parents with advice on using summer opportunities to help gain entrance into selective universities, and guidance on researching, choosing, applying for, and making the most out of summer programs. Students will be able to peruse the updated directory of more than 200 of the best summer opportunities in the areas of academic enrichment; fine arts; internships and paid positions; leadership and service; math, science, computer science, and technology; and study abroad or international travel, to find the program that fits them best.

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

Contemporary Fiction 

Fifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two years what has mattered are the number of cacao pods he and his younger brother, Seydou, can chop down in a day. This number is very important. The higher the number the safer they are because the bosses won't beat them. The higher the number the closer they are to paying off their debt and returning home to Moke and Auntie. Maybe. The problem is Amadou doesn't know how much he and Seydou owe, and the bosses won't tell him. The boys only wanted to make some money during the dry season to help their impoverished family. Instead they were tricked into forced labor on a plantation in the Ivory Coast; they spend day after day living on little food and harvesting beans in the hot sun - dangerous, backbreaking work. With no hope of escape, all they can do is try their best to stay alive - until Khadija comes into their lives. She's the first girl who's ever come to camp, and she's a wild thing. She fights bravely every day, attempting escape again and again, reminding Amadou what it means to be free. 

Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward

Action/Adventure 

Between Mother Nature and human nature, disasters are inevitable. Lea was in a cemetery when the earth started bleeding. Within twenty-four hours, the blood made international news. All over the world, blood oozed out of the ground, even through the concrete, even in the water. Then the earth started growing hair and bones. Lea wishes she could ignore the blood. She wishes she could spend time with her new girlfriend, Aracely, in public, if only Aracely wasn't so afraid of her father. Lea wants to be a regular teen again, but the blood has made her a prisoner in her own home. Fear for her social life turns into fear for her sanity, and Lea must save herself and her girlfriend however she can.

New Books for the Best Month ~ March 2016 (part 3)

How to Win at High School by Owen Matthews

Contemporary Fiction 

Partly for the sake of his brother Sam, who is paralyzed, Adam decides to go from high school loser to god by selling completed homework assignments, buying alcohol, and arranging for fake IDs, but before the end of junior year, he realizes his quest for popularity has gone way too far.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Nonfiction Memoir 

I Am Malala. This is my story. Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school. Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on October 9, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause: She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize nominee. In this Young Readers Edition of her bestselling memoir, which includes exclusive photos and material, we hear firsthand the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world -- and did. 

Imposter by Antony John

Contemporary Fiction 

Seth Crane has hit rock bottom. His mom recently died, his dad had a stroke and is out of work, and he just lost out on a commercial role.  So when a producer shows up at his community theater production and offers him the lead role in an Indie film with major Hollywood buzz, it seems like the answer to all Seth’s problems. Seth gets swept up in the Hollywood glamour right away, staying in a fancy hotel, going to the best parties, doing press conferences, and falling for the beautiful starlet Sabrina Layton and then his costar Annaleigh. But things suddenly start popping up in the tabloids—things Sabrina and Annaleigh told him in confidence and that no one else could know—and the line between the film and reality starts to blur. Nothing in Hollywood is what it seems, and Seth has to decide just how far he’s willing to go for fame, money, and to protect the people he loves.

The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Graphic Novel 

Tessa Gray has found friends among the Shadowhunters, supernatural protectors of mankind who possess angelic blood. But Tessa's new life is threatened when some members of the Clave challenge Charlotte's leadership and pressure her to resign. If Charlotte is forced out, Tessa will have to leave as well, making her easy prey for the still-at-large Magister! Will and Jem are determined not to let this happen, but sometimes danger comes from where it's least expected...

I See Reality: Twelve Short Stories About Real Life by various

Contemporary Fiction 

An anthology of twelve original short stories by top authors exploring real issues for real teens. Through prose and comics alike, these heart-pounding short stories for young adults ask hard questions about a range of topics from sexuality and addiction to violence and immigration. Here is the perfect tool for starting tough discussions or simply as an introduction to realistic literary fiction. In turns funny, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking, I See Reality will resonate with today's teens long after the last page has been turned. Contributing authors include Jay Clark , Kristin Clark , Heather Demetrios , Stephen Emond , Patrick Flores-Scott , Faith Hicks , Trisha Leaver , Kekla Magoon , Marcella Pixley , James Preller , Jason Schmidt , and Jordan Sonnenblick . 

MAY I have some New Books please? (May new books part 6)

Kiss of the Rose Princess by Aya Shouoto

Graphic Novel 

Anise Yamamoto has been told that if she ever removes the rose choker given to her by her father, a terrible punishment will befall her. Unfortunately she loses that choker when a bat-like being named Ninufa falls from the sky and hits her. Ninufa gives Anise four cards representing four knights whom she can summon with a kiss. But now that she has these gorgeous men at her beck and call, what exactly is her quest?!

Kissing Ted Callahan (And Other Guys) by Amy Spalding

Contemporary Fiction 

Sixteen-year-olds Riley and Reid make a pact to pursue their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook they call "The Passenger Manifest."

Lost Girl Found by Leah Bassoff and Laura DeLuca

Historical Fiction 

For Poni, life in her small village in southern Sudan is simple and complicated at the same time. But then the war comes and there is only one thing for Poni to do. Run. Run for her life. Driven by the sheer will to survive and the hope that she can somehow make it to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, Poni sets out on a long, dusty trek across the east African countryside with thousands of refugees. In Kakuma she is almost overwhelmed by the misery that surrounds her. Poni realizes that she must leave the camp at any cost. Her destination is a compound in Nairobi. There, if she is lucky, she can continue her education and even one day convince authorities that she is worthy to go to the land of opportunity called America.

Love & Profanity: True, Tortured, Wild, Hilarious, and Intense Tales of Teenage Life by various

Nonfiction 

A collection of short, true stories by well-known and up-and-coming YA authors on the teenage experience.

Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy

Contemporary Fiction 

Through a series of lists, a narrator reveals how fifteen-year old Darren's world was rocked by his parents' divorce just as his brother, Nate, was leaving for college, and a year later when his father comes out as gay, then how he begins to deal with it all after a stolen weekend with Nate and his crush, Zoey.

MAY I have some New Books please? (May new books part 5)

The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey

Action/Adventure 

Not every gift is a blessing. Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite. But they don't laugh. Melanie is a very special girl. Emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end, The girl with all the gifts is the most powerful and affecting thriller you will read this year.

Harley Quinn vol 2: Power Outage by Amanda Conner

Graphic Novel 

When bona fide super hero Power Girl drops outta the sky and into Harley Quinn's new Coney Island 'hood, there's only one thing the former moll to do: sew herself a new costume so the amnesiac Power Girl believes their a pair of crime-fighting super heroines! But how long can Harley keep up the act now that she's pretending to be on the straight and narrow? Plus! A look into the future of the greatest power couple in crime as Harley and the Joker are reunited in Futures End! Double plus! Harley puts the "con" back in "Comic Con" with a wild trip to San Diego.

Hawkeye vol 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction

Graphic Novel 

Ace archer Clint Barton faces the digital doomsday of - DVR-Mageddon! Then: Cherry's got a gun. And she looks good in it. And Hawkeye gets very, very distracted. Plus: Valentine's Day with the heartthrob of the Marvel Universe? This will be...confusing. Marvel architect Matt Fraction continues his exciting, adventurous reinvention of the arrowed Avenger!

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Contemporary Fiction 

Skylar Evans, seventeen, yearns to escape Creek View by attending art school, but after her mother's job loss puts her dream at risk, a rekindled friendship with Josh, who joined the Marines to get away then lost a leg in Afghanistan, and her job at the Paradise motel lead her to appreciate her home town.

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka, Martin Ganda, & Liz Welch

Nonfiction 

Chronicles the friendship between an American girl and her pen pal from Zimbabwe, discussing how a class assignment was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.

The Kidney Hypothetical: Or, How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days by Lisa Yee

Contemporary Fiction 

A week before high school graduation, Harvard-bound Higgs suddenly finds his life falling apart and the other students turning against him, and somehow it all started with a hypothetical question about donating a kidney--but really it goes much deeper, all the way back to the death of his older brother.

Fabulous February New Books ~ Part 3

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

YA SFF SAN

At age eight, David watched as his father was killed by an Epic, a human with superhuman powers, and now, ten years later, he joins the Reckoners--the only people who are trying to kill the Epics and end their tyranny.

Sick by Tom Leveen

YA ACT LEV

Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They're the misfits, the troublemakers--the ones who jump their high school's electrified fence to skip school regularly. So when the virus breaks out, they're the only ones with a chance of surviving.

Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder

YA GN SNY

After a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City, Batman begins to realize that perhaps these crimes go far deeper than appearances suggest. As the Caped Crusader begins to unravel this deadly mystery, he discovers a conspiracy going back to his youth and beyond to the origins of the city he's sworn to protect. Could the Court of Owls, once thought to be nothing more than an urban legend, be behind the crime and corruption? Or is Bruce Wayne losing his grip on sanity and falling prey to the pressures of his war on crime? Collects issues #1-7 of Batman.

Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge

YA FIC KOE

Walker shouldn't have been so surprised to find Jesus standing in the middle of his bedroom. After all, he'd prayed for whoever was up there to help him, and to help his mom, who hadn't stopped crying since Noah died two months ago. But since when have prayers actually been answered? And since when has Jesus been so irreverent?

Atlantis Rising by T. A. Barron

YA SFF BAR

In a magical land called Ellegandia, a young boy named Promi scrapes by, stealing pies, cakes and sweets to survive. But little does he know that his country is a pawn in an ages-old war between good and evil, battled both in the spirit realm and in the human world. Harboring secrets of his own, Promi teams up with a courageous girl named Atlanta and the two vow to save their land; and each other; no matter the cost. But their vow has greater repercussions than they ever could imagine; in fact, it may just bring about the creation of Atlantis, an island cut off from the rest of the world, where magic reigns supreme.

In November I am Thankful for...New Books! (part 4)

So You Want to be a Comic Book Artist by Philip Amara

A step-by-step guide to creating, publishing and marketing comic books shares professional insights into developing compelling characters and approaching publishers, offering additional advice for such topics as adapting storylines for video games and movies.

 

Soda-Pop Rockets by Paul Jarvis

Anyone can recycle a plastic bottle by tossing it into a bin, but it takes a bit of skill to propel it into that bin from 500 feet away. Skill, and a copy of Soda-Pop Rockets.

 Author and engineer Paul Jarvis has designed 20 different easy-to-launch rockets that can be built from discarded plastic drink bottles. After learning how to construct and fly a basic model, readers will find out new ways to modify and improve their designs.  Clear, step-by-step instructions with full-color illustrations accompany each project, including how to build a launch pad, along with photographs of the author firing his creations into the sky. 

 

 SYLO by D. J. MacHale

They came from the sky parachuting out of military helicopters to invade Tucker Pierce's idyllic hometown on Pemberwick Island, Maine. They call themselves SYLO and they are a secret branch of the U.S. Navy. SYLO's commander, Captain Granger, informs Pemberwick residents that the island has been hit by a lethal virus and must be quarantined. Now Pemberwick is cut off from the outside world. Tucker believes there's more to SYLO's story. He was on the sidelines when the high school running back dropped dead with no warning. He saw the bizarre midnight explosion over the ocean, and the mysterious singing aircraft that travel like shadows through the night sky. He tasted the Ruby--and experienced the powers it gave him--for himself. What all this means, SYLO isn't saying. Only Tucker holds the clues that can solve this deadly mystery. Look to the sky because Pemberwick Island is only the first stop.

 

 Taken by Erin Bowman

In the isolated town of Claysoot, every male is mysteriously "Heisted" on his eighteenth birthday, and seventeen-year-old Gray Weathersby is determined to figure out why.

 

 

This is NOT a Writing Manual by Kerri Majors

You're an aspiring writer. Maybe you've just discovered your love of words and dream of being a novelist someday. Maybe you've been filling notebooks with science-fiction stories since middle school. Maybe you're contemplating a liberal arts degree, but you don't know what the heck you're going to do with it. The last thing you need is another preachy writing manual telling you how you should write. This book isn't a writing manual. It is a series of candid and irreverent essays on the writing life, from a writer who's lived it.

In November I am Thankful for...New Books! (part 2)

The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his baby brother, five-year-old Patrick, have managed to stay alive by following the Instructions of a mysterious Games Master. They spend their nights fighting the Bellows, grotesque, flesh-eating creatures. But the brothers may not survive much longer. The Bellows are evolving. And the others in The Game don't always follow the rules. 

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who've been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance. With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals. When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she's drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can't remember but Death can't forget.

The Extra by Kathryn Lasky

Is the chance to serve as an extra for Hitler's favorite filmmaker a chance at life -- or a detour on the path to inevitable extermination? In this chilling but ultimately uplifting novel, Kathryn Lasky imagines the lives of the Gypsies who worked as extras for the real Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, giving readers a story of survival unlike any other.

Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football's Make or Break Moment by Carla Killough McClafferty

When the 1905 football season ended, nineteen players were dead and countless others were critically injured. The public was outraged. The game had reached a make-or-break moment fourth down and inches. Coaches, players, fans, and even the president of the United States had one last chance: change football or leave the field. Football's defenders managed to move the chains. Rule changes and reforms after 1905 saved the game and cleared the way for it to become America's most popular sport. But they didn't fix everything. Today, football faces a new injury crisis as dire as 1905's. With increased awareness about brain injury, reported concussions are on the rise among football players. But experts fear concussions may only be the tip of the iceberg. The injuries are almost invisible, but the stakes couldn't be higher: the brains of millions of young football players across the country.

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Sixteen-year-old Boy’s never left home.  When you’re the son of Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride, it’s tough to go out in public, unless you want to draw the attention of a torch-wielding mob.  And since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it’s important they maintain a low profile.  Boy’s only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can hide his hulking body and stitched-together face behind a layer of code.  When conflict erupts at home, Boy runs away and embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak. But no matter how far Boy runs, he can’t escape his demons—both literal and figurative—until he faces his family once more.

New School Year...New Books for September! (part 3)

45 Pounds (more or less) by K. A. Barson

When Ann decides that she is going to lose 45 pounds in time for her aunt's wedding, she discovers that what she looks like is not all that matters.

 Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer

Wounded in Iraq while his Army unit is on convoy and treated for many months for traumatic brain injury, the first person Ben remembers from his earlier life is his autistic brother.

 Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff

Join troublemaker Delilah Dirk for a headlong plunge into adventure!Lovable ne'er-do-well Delilah Dirk is an Indiana Jones for the 19th century. She has traveled to Japan, Indonesia, France, and even the New World. Using the skills she's picked up on the way, Delilah's adventures continue as she plots to rob a rich and corrupt Sultan in Constantinople. With the aid of her flying boat and her newfound friend, Selim, she evades the Sultan's guards, leaves angry pirates in the dust, and fights her way through the countryside. 

The How-To Handbook by Martin Oliver

Whether you plan on spending your life playing sports, serving clients, running businesses, or flying to the moon, there are certain things that everyone just has to know how to do: unjamming a jar, for instance, fixing a flat tire, and removing a particularly embarrassing stain. They may seem simple in retrospect, but you don’t have to turn all your laundry pink more than once before you learn that it’s best just to get things right the first time. The How-To Handbook packs over 50 essential life skills into one handy reference book.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Josie, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a French Quarter prostitute, is striving to escape 1950 New Orleans and enroll at prestigious Smith College when she becomes entangled in a murder investigation.