New releases of fantasy and science fiction for kids and teens--the first half of March, 2012 edition

Here are the new releases of science fiction and fantasy for kids and teenagers from the first half of March, 2012--my information comes from Teens Read Too, with blurbs from Amazon. I'm trying to decided if I want to read Froi of the Exiles or not....

(in case anyone wonders, the YA books don't have blurbs because my life is too short to put them in, and they get lots more press at other blogs)

ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE GRADE

THE BATTLE FOR ARGON FALLS: TOMO by Jim Krueger "ONE FINAL BATTLE BRINGS GLORY ... OR DESTRUCTION The war appears lost and Argon Falls is doomed, but Hana's friends still believe in the power of prayer. With their support, her faith is restored and Hana bravely rejoins the fight. But when the forces of good and evil face off once more, the final battle will determine the fate of Argon Falls ... forever."

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG FLIES AGAIN by Frank Cottrell Boyce "When the Tooting family finds an old engine and fits it to their camper van, they have no idea what kind of adventure lies ahead. The engine used to belong to an extraordinary car . . . and it wants its bodywork back! But as the Tootings hurtle across the world rebuilding the original Chitty, a sinister baddie is on their trail - one who will stop at nothing to get the magnificent car for himself.

Fueled by wry humor , this much-anticipated sequel to the children's classic by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond - fe aturing a contemporary family and a camper van with a mind of its own - is driven by best-selling, award-winning author Frank Cottrell Boyce and revved up by Joe Berger's black-and-white illustrations."

EXPLORER: THE MYSTERY BOXES by Kazu Kibuishi "Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what’s in the box?

Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels—or mayhem—inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll.

GOBLIN SECRETS by William Alexander "In the town of Zombay, there is a witch named Graba who has clockwork chicken legs and moves her house around—much like the fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga. Graba takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie’s only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared.

Desperate to find him, Rownie joins up with a troupe of goblins who skirt the law to put on plays. But their plays are not only for entertainment, and the masks they use are for more than make-believe. The goblins also want to find Rowan—because Rowan might be the only person who can save the town from being flooded by a mighty river."

GOING OVERBOARD!: KATIE KAZOO, SWITCHEROO by Nancy Krulik "With indoor mini golf, a chance to swim with dolphins, and her best friend, Suzanne, onboard, Katie's cruise vacation sounds like an ocean of fun! But, of course, the magic wind appears - twice in this Super Special - and blows everything off course! Young readers love the black-and-white illustrations that bring this fun chapter book series to life."

THE KEY OF BRAHA: AMOS DARAGON by Bryan Perro "Amos survived his first mission as Mask Wearer, but soon after that, an encounter with a mysterious girl brings his life to an end—and sends him on his way to Braha, the City of the Dead, where souls await judgment. To get there, Amos, now a spirit himself, boards a boat, on which he meets Jerik, a decapitated criminal who must carry his head everywhere. Jerik tells Amos that Braha is overcrowded with spirits; the gods have shut the doors that lead to paradise and to hell. A key is said to unlock the doors—but its whereabouts are unknown. Only someone who dies and comes back to life can find it. Will Amos be that someone? Will his ingenuity and intelligence be enough to restore order in Braha? Or will he unknowingly serve those who are using him for their own gain? Most importantly, even if Amos finds the key, will he ever return to the land of the living?"

MORDRED: THE DRAGONS by Colin Thompson "Arthur has been crowned King and peace and happiness have broken out all over Avalon. Life has never been more peaceful and everyone is living happily ever after—so why are so many people planning rebellion? On one hand, the Dragons are planning an uprising. On the other hand, King Arthur's revolting little cousin Mordred is planning an uprising. And on the other, other hand, Brassica, the deposed fake King Arthur, is also planning an uprising. It's lucky that Merlin, who has more than two hands, has everything under control—or does he?"

MUNCLE TROGG by Janet Foxley "A topsy-turvy fairy tale about a small giant on a big adventure! Let's get ready to grumble!

Mount Grumble is where the giants live. But (contrary to what you might think, maybe because of their name) not every "giant" (see?) is, um...big. In fact, Muncle Trogg is so SMALL that all the other giants make fun of him for being (uh-oh) people-sized. And toss him around like a football! Fed up, Muncle Trogg climbs down Mount Grumble to take a look at the Smallings (that would be humans) he supposedly looks like. What he discovers is...a sulky green dragon and a terribly sensible girl? But when Mount Grumble is put in harm's way, it's up to little Muncle to be the bigger smallest giant, prove that size doesn't matter, and somehow save his home!"


SEEDS OF REBELLION: BEYONDERS by Brandon Mull "After the cliffhanger ending of A World Without Heroes, Jason is back in the world he’s always known—yet for all his efforts to get home, he finds himself itching to return to Lyrian. Jason knows that the shocking truth he learned from Maldor is precious information that all of his friends in Lyrian, including Rachel, need if they have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor.

Meanwhile, Rachel and the others have discovered new enemies—as well as new abilities that could turn the tide of the entire quest. And as soon as Jason succeeds in crossing over to Lyrian, he’s in more danger than ever. Once the group reunites, they strive to convince their most-needed ally to join the war and form a rebellion strong enough to triumph over Maldor. At the center of it all, Jason and Rachel realize what roles they’re meant to play—and the answers are as surprising as they are gripping."

SPY SCHOOL by Stuart Gibbs "Like many kids, Ben Ripley imagines life as a secret agent would be pretty awesome -- so when he learns he's been recruited to the C.I.A.'s top secret Academy of Espionage, it sounds too good to be true. And it is. From the moment he arrives -- and ends up in the middle of an enemy attack -- Ben finds Spy School is going to be far more difficult, dastardly and dangerous than he expected. Even worse, he soon discovers that he hasn't been recruited to become a top agent; instead, he's been brought in as bait to catch a devious double agent. Now, Ben needs a crash course in espionage so that he can catch the mole, prove his worth -- and get the girl. It won't be easy, but it'll be a very fun -- and very funny -- ride."

THEA STILTON AND THE SECRET OF THE OLD CASTLE by Geronimo Stilton "Geronimo's sister Thea Stilton narrates this action-packed adventure!

When the Thea Sisters' good friend Bridget has to return to Scotland to help her family repair their ancient castle, the five mice offer to help their friend in whatever way they can. Little do they know that Bridget will be kidnapped, and they'll have to rush to Scotland to help find her! Along the way, the Thea Sisters encounter Celtic legends, cryptic messages, and hidden treasures on a trip that's full of mysteries and surprises!"

TIME SNATCHERS by Richard Ungar "Caleb's blinders are off. The small group of orphans who were also "adopted" by Uncle used to feel like family, but the competition to be the top time snatcher and the punishment for failure has gotten fierce. Time traveling to steal valuable objects can be a thrill, but with bully Frank trying to steal his snatches, his partner Abbie falling for Frank's slimy charms, and Uncle's plans to kidnap innocent kids to grow his business, Caleb starts thinking about getting out. But Uncle's reach extends to any country in any time period, and runaways get the harshest punishment of all.

Caleb can steal just about anything from the past, but can he steal a family for the future?"

YOUNG ADULT

ANOTHER JEKYLL, ANOTHER HYDE by Daniel & Dina Nayeri
BALTHAZAR: AN EVERNIGHT NOVEL by Claudia Gray
BRAVE NEW LOVE: 13 DYSTOPIAN TALES OF DESIRE edited by Paula Guran
BURIED: A GOTH GIRL MYSTERY by Linda Joy Singleton
THE COMPELLED: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, STEFAN'S DIARIES by Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec
DEAD IS A BATTLEFIELD by Marlene Perez
THE DESERTER by Peadar O. Guilin
EVERLASTING: KISSED BY AN ANGEL by Elizabeth Chandler
EYE OF THE SWORD: THE ANGELAEON CIRCLE by Karyn Henley
FROI OF THE EXILES: THE LUMATERE CHRONICLES by Melina Marchetta
THE GIRL WHO COULD SILENCE THE WIND by Meg Medina
THE GRAVE ROBBER'S APPRENTICE by Allan Stratton
KATANA by Cole Gibsen
ILLUMINATE: GILDED WINGS by Aimee Agresti
INFAMOUS: CHRONICLES OF NICK by Sherrilyn Kenyon
LUCY: DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA by Kathryn Lasky
PANDEMONIUM by Lauren Oliver
PERCEPTION: A CLARITY NOVEL by Kim Harrington
THE REPOSSESSION by Sam Hawksmoor
THE SAVAGE GRACE: A DARK DIVINE NOVEL by Bree Despain
SOUL BOUND: A BLOOD COVEN VAMPIRE NOVEL by Mari Mancusi
SPELL BOUND: A HEX HALL NOVEL by Rachel Hawkins
STARTERS by Lissa Price
TRAITOR'S REVENGE: CRYPT by Andrew Hammond
VAMPIRE'S KISS: THE WATCHERS by Veronica Wolff
VENOM IN HER VEINS: A FORGOTTEN REALMS NOVEL by Tim Pratt