New releases of fantasy and science fiction for teenagers and kids--the beginning of June, 2010 edition

Here are the new releases of science fiction and fantasy for children and teenagers from the beginning of June. This time, just to be fair, I started at the bottom and worked up with the pictures, getting as far as I could stand before giving up....(and I have given up trying to tease blogger into letting me format the blurbs with pictures into neat rows. I was so hopeful when I discovered the html for paragraph breaks, but it didn't help appreciably).

Blurbs from the publishers, list from Teens Read Too.

I have a couple of these on hand in the waiting-to-be-reviewed pile...and I've just added some to my Amazon shopping cart, like the new Nathaniel Fludd book (for my oldest), and House of Dolls (for me, because I like doll house books). And YA-wise, Everlasting looks great, and The Sorcerer of Sainte Felice sounds very nice also...Which ones do you want?

MIDDLE GRADE:

ADVENTURES OF A CAT-WHISKERED GIRL by Daniel Pinkwater. Big Audrey is a girl . . .with cat’s whiskers . . .and sort of cat’s eyes. But, is there an other cat-whiskered, sort of cat-eyed girl? Big Audrey waves goodbye to her friends Iggy and Neddie, Seamus, and Crazy Wig, in Los Angeles and hitches a ride with bongo-playing-while-driving Marlon Brando across the country to Poughkeepsie, New York, city of mystery. She finds she has questions needing answers—and a bit of inter-plane-of-existence traveling to do. Big Audrey and her telepathic friend Molly zigzag off on an incredibly strange and kooky adventure, and solve the mystery of the cat-whiskered doppleganger.

AURORA FEE by Megan Barnes With her pale white skin, long black hair, and unnaturally large eyes, sixteen-year-old Aurora Fee stands out in a crowd. But there’s something different about this seemingly ordinary high school student. She’s wise beyond her years. And she’s keeping a centuries-old secret, one that threatens to hurt the people she loves: Aurora Fee may have been human once, but she s not anymore.

THE BASILISK'S LAIR: NATHANIEL FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST by R. L. LaFevers. Nate Fludd, Beastologist, is back in the camel saddle in hot pursuit of a missing, deadly Basilisk--the King of Serpents. As if saving an entire Dhughani village from the Basilisk's poisonous gaze isn't difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must begin to piece together the mystery of his parents' disappearance and protect the lone copy of the Fludd Book of Beasts from a sinister man who always seem to be one step ahead of them. Pack your goggles, rue, and an extra pair of gloves and join Nate on another unbelievable adventure--there's no rest for the world's youngest beastologist-in-training!

BATTLES OF THE CLANS: WARRIORS by Erin Hunter. An inside look at each Clan's fighting secrets:

• ShadowClan's night ambush technique
• ThunderClan's surprise Lightning Strike tactic
• WindClan's secret underground tunneling
• RiverClan's water maneuvers
• SkyClan's fearsome "skydrop" move

Plus never-before-told stories behind the most significant battles in Clan history!

THE BRIMSTONE KEY: GREY GRIFFINS, THE CLOCKWORK CHRONICLES by Derek Benz & J. S. Lewis A year ago, the Grey Griffins were just regular kids from Avalon, Minnesota. That was before they learned about the existence of evil fairies, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. Now they are monster-hunters, celebrated heroes, and allies to the legendary Templar knights---but even heroes have to go to school.When the Griffins enroll at Iron Bridge Academy, a school to train young recruits in the fight against the forces of evil, they find themselves at the center of a whole new adventure. The Clockwork King, a Templar foe from days past, has returned to finish the plan he set in motion decades ago. A plot to steal the souls of changelings---humans infused with fairy blood and supernatural abilities---in order to power his army of clockwork war machines.

BUDDY ZOOKA IN THE FRENCH QUARTER & BEYOND by Tracey Tangerine Buddy Zooka brings the French Quarter to life like no one since Ignatius Reilly. In fact, if A Confederacy of Dunces were written by Lewis Carroll, Buddy would appear. Buddy is a happy-go-lucky musician in the French Quarter until one day he goes fishing and catches an alligator, Mardi Gator, who quickly decides to take up residence in Buddy’s hat. Thrown off his usual carefree routine, Buddy loses his smile and starts to contemplate his world. Buddy’s journey turns spiritual as faith healers show him how man has been degrading his environment and how the secret to our salvation resides within each one of us. Buddy’s story is at turns zany and contemplative, and the lesson learned is a profound one that resonates in New Orleans like nowhere else.


CHOKE: PILLAGE by Obert Skye. Pillage was the first of three books in the fantasy adventure that Obert Skye calls a Pillogy. Choke, the second, continues the eccentric adventures of Beck Phillips, who seems to have a knack for causing mischief in the secluded village of Kingsplot. In book one, Beck used his unique gift to unexpectedly hatch several dragon eggs. Thankfully, the dragons were destroyed . . . or were they? In Choke, a stranger has discovered that Beck Phillips is the key to finding and hatching a lost dragon s egg a task that will bring the riches and fortune that Beck s family was destined to have. Beck learns that outward appearances can be deceiving and that grown-ups really do have valuable lessons to offer. Readers will laugh out loud at Beck s antics and sit on the edge of their seats while Beck and his friends confront Liz, the largest, most ferocious dragon Beck has ever seen!


FAIRIES AND THE QUEST FOR NEVER LAND by Gail Carson Levine. Gwendolyn Carlisle loves fairies, perhaps too much. On her birthday, she receives the precious “kiss” necklace, which has been passed down from mother to daughter ever since Peter Pan gave it to Wendy Darling. That night, Gwendolyn has her first tantalizing vision of Fairy Haven. More than anything, Gwendolyn wishes she could be there. At last, Peter Pan comes for her. The instant they reach Never Land, she sets out to find fairies. But the fairies are not eager to meet her. Then the evil Kyto, a dragon the fairies once helped to capture, escapes. He intends to destroy Never Land, starting with Fairy Haven. The fairies have but one choice: they must stop Kyto. As they begin their desperate quest—a quest that could be their very last—the fairies must decide if Gwendolyn can help or hinder. . . .

THE GENIE KING: SECRETS OF DROON by Tony Abbott. Neal, Julie, and Keeah are on a quest to find the wizard Galen and his all-powerful Moon Medallion. But this is no ordinary mission, for the Moon Medallion is hidden in no ordinary place. It's somewhere in Ut, a magical city in a bottle that only appears once every one hundred years. Fortunately, as a genie, Neal can travel through time. But he'll need a little help from his fellow genies to find the Medallion. To prove himself, he must complete seven difficult trials. Will he pass the genies' test in time to save Galen?

GHOST HUNTER: CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS by Michelle Paver. Her cry rips the souls from your marrow. With her spear she snares them. She devours them. Eostra truly is an eater of souls. Winter is coming. Souls' Night draws near. Eostra, the Eagle Owl Mage, holds the clans in the grip of terror. Torak must leave the Forest and seek her lair in the Mountain of Ghosts, while Renn faces an agonizing decision. Wolf, their faithful pack-brother, must overcome wrenching grief. And in the final battle against the forces of darkness, Torak will make the most shattering choice of all. Ghost Hunter, the final book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, draws the reader for the last time into the shadowy world of the deep past and brings Torak to the end of his incredible journey.

GHOST STORIES: SHADES SHORTSby Dennis Hamley, Gillian Philip, Anne Rooney, & Alex Stewart. Four terrifying ghost stories are packed into this haunting collection. A girl has a strange encounter on a misty road in Gillian Philip's "Misty;" a boy at war finds himself stepping into the past in Dennis Hamley's "Tunnel;" an ancient wrong needs to be righted in Anne Rooney's "The Hanging Tree;" and a stay in the country isn't quite what it seems in Alex Stewart's "The Waiting Room."

HOUSE OF DOLLS by Francesca Lia Block. In a little house from another time, with lace curtains in every window and paintings hung in gold doily frames, Wildflower, Rockstar, and Miss Selene live a warm and cozy life. They wear fancy dresses, bake play-dough cakes, and spend their days enjoying one another's company. For the three dolls, life is small but good. But life is not good for Madison Blackberry, the owner of the dollhouse. Her grandmother pays more attention to the dolls than to her. The dolls have one another, but she is lonely in her big, empty apartment. Then one day, as things always do—even for dolls—everything changes...

THE LAST HUNT: THE UNICORN CHRONICLES by Bruce Coville. In the center if Luster stands an enormous tree called the Axis Mundi, the Heart of the World. But now that tree is wounded, pierced through by magic. And through that wound marches an army of Hunters, led by the sinister and vengeful Beloved. And they are all determined to destroy each and every unicorn. As the unicorns gather to defend their lives, the human girl, Cara, is sent on a mission to meet a ferocious and mysterious dragon. Faced with perilous danger, Cara must make a desperate decision that will change her life forever.

THE POWER POTION: THE GECKO & STICKY by Wendelin Van Draanen. Thirteen-year-old Dave Sanchez is a daytime student, an after-school courier . . . and a secret superhero! So far Dave's been able to juggle his different roles. But in Dave's hands is the scariest package he's ever been asked to deliver. It's a tube, sealed on each end with wax, and addressed to . . . Damien Black. Holy tacarole! He can't just hand over a package to the most devious criminal in the city! Who knows what's in there? So Dave breaks a cardinal rule of mail carriers everywhere—he opens the package. Inside is a small bottle that's labeled: one drop, two at most, tested, works. The potion in this bottle is blue and sparkly and oozy and smelly—but what does it do? Ah, poor Dave. He has opened a Pandora's box of trouble. Your classic can of worms. And as a result, he'll find himself facing off with six-horned goats, terrifying tarantulas, a java-junkie monkey—and, of course, Damien Black.

RAIJU: A KAIJU HUNTER NOVEL by K. H. Koehler. His home destroyed by a rampaging kaiju, or giant monster, Kevin Takahashi and his father relocate to New York City where Kevin believes the nightmare is over and the only battleground left to face from now on is high school.
But soon after his arrival in the Big Apple, a new kaiju emerges. Qilin is so powerful that even the U.S. Military may be unable to contain or destroy the monster. And if that isn't bad enough, Kevin is falling in love with Aimi Mura, the resident "bad girl," and the girlfriend of the toughest bully in school. But will Aimi still want him when she discovers his darkest secret? Because Kevin is more than a ragged refugee from the now defunct city of San Francisco. He's also a Keeper -- a teen wizard who can summon ancient, demonic god-beasts to do battle for him, and his creature to call is Raiju, the oldest of the ancient Kami. Kevin has only a short time to win Aimi over and save the city of New York. Because Raiju and Qilin are about to clash, and after the dust settles, there may be no home left for either one of them!

RISE OF THE NINJA: MOONSHADOW by Simon Higgins. In the moonlight, the explosive fast draw became a horizontal streak of silver, flashing momentarily from the cover of the shadow. The tip of Moonshadow's sword ambushed the lurking foe, who stood, still drawing his own weapon.

It's the dawn of an age of peace in medieval Japan, and a power hungry warlord is plotting to plunge the nation into a deadly civil war using a secret weapon from the West. Enter Moonshadow, the newest and youngest agent for the Grey Light Order, a covert brotherhood of shinobi (ninja spy warriors) who work for the shogun. For his first mission, Moonshadow is sent on a perilous journey to capture the plans for the secret weapon. Can Moonshadow defeat the evil warlord, rogue samurai, professional killers, and another ninja spy to save his country from violent chaos? Or will his first mission also be his last?

SCI-FI STORIES: SHADES SHORTS by Mary Chapman, Alan Durant, David Orme, & Gillian Philip. An enthralling collection of four intriguing science fiction stories. A strange creature kept in a science lab isn't quite what it seems in Gillian Philip's "The Changeling;" two space garbage men pick up a bit more than they bargained for in David Orme's "Space Junk;" a young girl has an unsettling encounter with identical strangers in Mary Chapman's "Strangers;" and a space war comes to an end, but at what cost in Alan Durant's "The Neronian Box."

THE SECRET ZOO by Bryan Chick. Something strange is happening at the Clarksville City Zoo. Late at night, monkeys are scaling the walls and searching the neighborhood— but what are they looking for? Noah, his sister Megan, and their best friends, Richie and Ella, live next door to the zoo. Megan is the first to notice the puzzling behavior of some of the animals. One day Megan disappears, and her brother and their friends realize it's up to them to find her. Their only choice is to follow a series of clues and sneak into the zoo. But once inside, will they discover there's much more to the Clarksville City Zoo than they could ever have guessed?

SHADOW DEMON OF OZ, by James C. Wallace II. It was in the early month of Spring when the old humpback trunk of O.Z. Diggs, the original Wizard of Oz was opened by his great grandson, Jamie Diggs, revealing a magical heritage lurking within. Following in the footsteps of his great grandfather, a young boy named Jamie pursued the ways of magic and soon found himself transported to the magical Land of Oz where, alongside Dorothy, he faced his greatest fears and the fearsome Army of Trees in defense of the Tin Woodman. Now the young magician is called to return to the Land of Oz to take his place as the new Royal Magician of Princess Ozma; Ruler and Sovereign of Oz.

THE SHADOW HUNT by Katherine Langrish. Wolf is on the run—from the oppressive monastery where he was raised, from the ghosts and demons that haunt the windswept moors of Devil's Edge, and from the shadows in the landscape that resemble the Devil himself. When Wolf rescues a strange child on Devil's Edge, he takes her to a grand castle hoping to win the favor of its ruler. There he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a girl named Nest, and he thinks he's finally found a place to call home. Wolf is determined to fit in, but not everything is as it seems at the castle. Dark forces are conspiring against Wolf and Nest, and a sinister enemy is looming closer than they could ever realize. With lies masquerading as reality, will Wolf and Nest learn who they can trust . . . before it's too late?


SPACE COWBOY by Justin Stanchfield. On the remote planet of Aletha Three, a genetically engineered creature with the unstoppable killing instinct of earth’s most ancient predators has begun stalking the struggling population. Armed only with his dad’s old rifle, cowboy Travis must find out where the predator came from and how he can stop it – before it gets a taste for people, instead of cattle.




THE SUBURB BEYOND THE STARS. by M. T. Anderson Something very strange is happening in Vermont. It's not The Game of Sunken Places - Brian and Gregory have been through that before, and there's not supposed to be another Game until they say there's a Game. But still . . . when they go to visit a relative in the Vermont woods, they find many things are . . . off. Like, people aren't where they're supposed to be. And houses are everywhere. In fact, the houses seem to be taking over. If anyone in the universe can make high adventure out of supernatural urban sprawl . . . well, it's M. T. Anderson.

THE TILTING HOUSE by Tom Llewelyn. Brothers Josh and Aaron Peshik are about to discover that their new home with the tilting floors hides many mysteries. When the boys and their neighbor Lola discover the hidden diary of F.T. Tilton, the brilliant but deranged inventor who built the house, they learn a dark secret that may mean disaster for the Peshik family. Can the kids solve the riddles of the tilting house before time runs out?

WOLVEN by Di Toft. With his big snaggly teeth, patchy black fur, and glowing golden eyes, Woody is far from the cutest of dogs, yet Nat is strangely drawn to the rough mutt that howls at the moon. And before long Nat discovers that Woody's not a dog at all--he's a wolven: a shape-shifter who changes from wolf to boy without much warning. A secret government agency knows about Woody's mutant status, too, and wants to trap him and turn him into a hairy new breed of bioweapon. To escape capture, and to make sense of Woody's strange identity, the two friends--boy and werewolf--set off on a great adventure.

THE WORLD ABOVE: ONCE UPON A TIME by Cameron Dokey. A retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk.

THE ZOMBIE CHASERS by John Kloepfer. Zombie Attack! When brain-gobbling zombies invade, a sleep­over at Zack Clarke's house quickly turns into a Level-3 creep-over. The undead have infested the streets, filling the air with deathly moans and the stench of rotting flesh. Meet the Zombie Chasers: Zack: His house is a wreck, his sister's a zombie, and he's stolen his mom's Volvo. He's totally going to be grounded if he survives the night. . . .Rice: He's studied The Zombie Survival Guide, but is he prepared to fight the living dead? Madison: She seriously cannot believe her best friend has become a zombie and left her alone with these dweebs!They're on a mission to save the world, but first they have to survive their flesh-eating, half-dead neighbors—and one another. Can the Zombie Chasers make it out alive?

YOUNG ADULT

DECEPTION: HAUNTING EMMA by Lee Nichols. When Emma Vaile's parents leave on mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. Throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of her junior year. Then her best friend stops talking to her, the cops crash her party, and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian—her college-age "knight in J.Crew armor," Bennett Stern—and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England. After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular legacy crowd. But she can't shake the strange visions that are haunting her. She has memories of Thatcher she can't explain, as if she's returning home to a place she's never been. Emma doesn't trust anyone anymore—except maybe Bennett. But he's about to reveal a ghostly secret to Emma. One that will explain the visions . . . and make Emma fear for her life.

EVERLASTING by Angie Frazier. Sailing aboard her father's ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a lady in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn't love in order to preseve her social standing. On her last voyage before the wedding, Camille learns the mother she has always believed dead is in fact alive and in Australia. When their Sydney-bound ship goes down in a gale, and her father dies, Camille sets out to find her mother and a map in her possession - a map believed to lead to a stone that once belonged to the legendary civilization of the immortals. The stone can do exactly what Camille wants most: bring someone back from the dead. Unfortunately, her father's adversary is also on the hunt for the stone, and she must race him to it. The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar - a handsome young sailor and her father's first mate - who is in love with Camille and whom she is inexplicably drawn to despite his low social standing and her pending wedding vows. With an Australian card shark acting as their guide, Camille eludes murderous bushrangers, traverses dangerous highlands, evades a curse placed on the stone, and unravels the mystery behind her mother's disappearance sixteen years earlier. But when another death shakes her conviction to resurrect her father, Camille must choose what - and who - matters most.

FORGIVE MY FINS by Tera Lynn Childs. Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush. Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life. When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

MY SOUL TO KEEP: SOUL SCREAMERS by Rachel Vincent. Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them. Until something does. Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked. And so is someone else…

NOCTURNE by L.D. Harkrader Flanders Lane is tired of being protected by her Uncle Anatole. After years of studying magic in the back of his bookshop, she's ready for an adventure of her own. Then one day, strange things start happening. A burglar breaks into the butcher's shop, stealing nothing, but leaving the floors sparkling clean. Soon the seamstress's apprentice vanishes on her way home, leaving behind only a shoe still laced at the top. And then worst of all, Uncle Anatole disappears. That night, a young vampire hunter named Pascoe knocks urgently on the bookshop door. Pascoe insists there is a vampire lurking in nearby Blakely Hall. Flanders looks deep into Pascoe's gorgeous eyes and finds herself agreeing to help him. As Flanders tracks the vampire, her feelings for Pascoe grow until she stumbles upon a secret that turns everything she thought she knew about Pascoe--and herself--upside down.

PASSING STRANGE: GENERATION DEAD by Daniel Waters. Karen DeSonne always passed as a normal teenager; with her friends, with her family, and at school. Passing cost her the love of her life. And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing—this time, as alive. Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of antizombie regulations that have forced them into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is—because the consequences would be worse than death.

RAISED BY WOLVES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two. But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

THE SECRET TO LYING by Todd Mitchell James was the guy no one noticed — just another fifteen-year-old in a small town. So when he gets into an academy for gifted students, he decides to leave his boring past behind. In a boarding school full of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless pranks to invent a new James: fighter, rebel, punk. Everyone’s impressed, except for the beautiful "Ice Queen" Ellie Frost and the mysterious ghost44, an IM presence who sees through his new identity. But James is riding high, playing pranks and hooking up with luscious Jessica Keen. There’s just one thing awry: he’s starting to have vivid dreams of being a demon-hunting warrior, a thrill that is spilling over into dangerous and self-destructive acts while he’s awake. As he’s drawn deeper into his real-life lies and his dream-world conquests, James begins to wonder: What’s the price for being the coolest guy around?

SHADOWS OF THE REDWOOD: THE SCIONS OF SHADOW by Gillian Summers When the Redwood Forest tree shepherd disappears under mysterious circumstances, Keelie Heartwood and her elven grandmother arrive at the local Renaissance festival to investigate. Then her grandmother vanishes—and Keelie finds herself ensnared in a life-or-death battle against an ancient curse, a goblin prophecy, and a diabolical alliance.

THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER: AN ECLIPSE NOVELLA by Stephenie Meyer. Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.



SISTERS RED by Jackson Pearce. Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead. Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

THE SORCERER OF SAINTE FELICE by Ann Finnin Condemned to death by the Holy Office for sorcery, fifteen-year-old Michael de Lorraine is rescued from the flames by Abbot Francis and granted refuge at Sainte Felice, a Benedictine monastery in fifteenth-century France. Michael learns that this strange and wonderful place, famous for its healing wine, harbors renegade monk-sorcerers, enchanted gargoyles, and a closely guarded secret that could spell violent death for the Abbot. As the church intensifies its cruel pursuit of Michael, Abbot Francis and the wizard monks find themselves in grave danger. Michael will do anything to protect his mentor, but are his own magical powers great enough to save the monastery from the merciless, bloodthirsty Inquisition?

The Pyramid of Souls (Magickeeper, Book Two) by Erica Kirov

Pyramid of Souls (Magickeeper, Book Two) by Erica Kirov (Sourcebooks, 2010, middle grade, 208 pages)

Nick has become almost accustomed to his new life as part of a Russian clan of powerful magic users. He doesn't bat an eyelid anymore at his cousin Isabella's tame Siberian tiger, and he's proud to take his place onstage, performing magic with the rest of the family in the Las Vegas hotel where they live. But still, the threat of the Shadowkeepers, the dark magic users led by the evil Rasputin, hangs over his head.

This year, Nick's family are the hosts of a gathering of magic clans from around the world, all vying to out-do each other in feats of fantastical skill; one of these clans is the protector of the Pyramid of Souls, created long ago to hold the spirits of evil magic users. When the Shadowkeepers steal it for their own evil purposes, everything Nick has learned to love is threatened as he finds himself caught in a maelstrom of dark magic. A prophecy has predicted that Nick will be Rasputin's downfall...but how can one boy, who hasn't mastered his magic yet, defeat so powerful a foe?

The first book of the Magickeeper's introduced the reader to Nick's new life--this second book is a stronger, faster, read, as one gets to jump right into the swing of the magic and enjoy the ride (I don't think it necessary to have read the first book in order to enjoy this one). It's great fun to see Nick, the ordinary American pizza-loving, skateboarding boy, caught up in this bizarre household of very traditional Russian magic users--the descriptions of his life in the Las Vegas hotel are very entertaining. And the plot, although not, in essence, deeply original (boy of prophecy meets bad guy) is fleshed out with bright detail. The backstory of the Pyramid of Souls, for example, involves Alexander the Great, Edward Allen Poe, and an elephant who once belonged to P.T. Barnum, and leads to a few plot twists I didn't see coming.

I enjoyed, but wasn't desperately crazy about, the first book in the series (here are my thoughts), but with her second book, unhampered by the need to set things up, Kirov gets to take her story and run with it! The result is an entertaining book-- perhaps for the 10 or 11 year old reader in particular. It's not one I'd necessarily rush to give to my adult acquaintances (not quite enough depth of emotion and characterization for that), but it's intended audience should enjoy it lots.

Other reviews at Books4yourkids, The Children's Book Review, Aurora Reviews, and Carrie's YA Bookshelf.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Counter Clockwise, by Jason Cockcroft, for Timeslip Tuesday

Counter Clockwise, by Jason Cockcroft (Harper Collins, 2009, middle grade, 202 pages)

Nathan's mother was hit by a bus and killed. Now he and his father live a somewhat nervous life in an old apartment complex that's been condemned....existing, rather than truly living. But a chance encounter with a time-travelling beefeater just after Nathan's parentally-enforced evening physics class, and his father's disappearance through a father-shaped hole in the bathroom wall change things. Just a tad.

"[Nathan] took a step toward the hole and looked down at the ground far below, half expecting to catch the figure of his father falling in slow motion through the air, toward the parked car and burning Dumpster.

"But there was no figure, and no man falling. There was nothing but the hole." (page 37)

It turns out that the mysterious beefeater has come forward in time specifically to find Nathan, so as to save the fabric of time from being destroyed by Nathan's father. Because his father has travelled back in time, to save his mother from the bus....and so Nathan follows, watching his own tragedy unfold....time after time.

I just noticed that the jacket flap promises "a startlingly original narrative structure." I'm not at all sure why anyone might think so. Maybe if you've never read a book about anyone trying to alter their own past, and changing their present in consequence, resulting in multiple narratives of the same time period, it would seem original....But I will grant that this is a rather nice example of such a book. There's a lot of emotional intensity to the story, re-enforced by the sympathetic secondary characters. And it's a rather gripping story too, what with its emotionally fraught central premise--in order to save the world, Nathan has to make sure his mother dies. I was eager to see how it all played out, and was satisfied at the end.

My one quibble is that the whole business of time travel is left somewhat murky. The beefeater does turn out to have a familial connection to Nathan, but if there was any coherent explanation about how he got to Nathan's time, I didn't pick up on it. Ditto Nathan's father's excursion through the bathroom wall--just one of those mysteries (although I have been known to miss things when I read, and I have a nagging suspicion that I read this one too fast. But it was because I was enjoying it).

A good one to offer a sixth or seventh grade kid (perhaps boy kid in particular) as a nice alternative to Fantasy-type fantasy, and a pleasantly diverting read, not without emotional punch, for the fan of time travel stories of any age (although it really isn't "startlingly original").

Here are other takes on this one from Literate Lives, Everything Distills into Reading, and Bibliophile Support Group.

The Silver Anklet, by Mahtab Narsimhan

The Silver Anklet, Book 2 of the Tara Trilogy, by Mahtab Narsimhan (2009, Dundurn Press, YA, 268 pages)

At the end of The Third Eye (2007), Tara thought she had finally seen the end of the evil Zarku who had terrorized her village and family--after all, she had had the help of the god Ganesh. But to her horror, her village's annual fair turns into a nightmare when she realizes that Zarku has returned, vengeful and hungry for power.

One child is killed that day, and two more are missing, victims of unnaturally savage hyenas. One of the missing is Tara's beloved little brother Suraj. Tara knows that Zarku's evil spirit is behind the attacks, and she cannot sit back and wait while the adults search for the lost ones. So she sets off herself into the jungle, joined by her older brother, the siblings of the other missing child, and another boy, the young Ferris wheel attendant.

But Zarku is expecting them--they struggle through the Indian jungle only to find that they have walked into a trap. For Zarku has plans for Tara, and no objection to torturing the other children in passing...and so the story becomes a cat and mouse game of pursuit, fear, and bloodshed, as Zarku sadistically manipulates the children for his own twisted aims.

Once I had grasped who all the characters were (there's a bit of a character dump at the beginning, with many children introduced in rapid succession), I was hooked by their desperate plight. This might not be the most subtle book with regard to characterization that I've ever read-- Tara came alive for me, but the secondary characters, not so much--but the struggle of the children to survive kept me turning the pages briskly. I am, in general, a fan of groups of children/teenagers struggling to survive, and this is a gripping take on that basic story.

The plot became a little odd toward the end, when the final confrontation happened and the mystery surrounding the silver anklet came into play, but I am always willing to give young protaganists (and the authors behind them) a certain amount of latitude when dealing with Villians of Great Power (see this discussion at The Enchanted Inkpot). Especially since, at this point, I was firmly rooting for Tara.

This book is marketed as YA. Narsimhan doesn't hold back on her descriptions of death and injury. A child does die, after all, right at the beginning of the book, and the evil hyenas are an active menace throughout the book. Because things do get somewhat graphic, I'd recommend this to older middle graders only if they have a working familiarity with goryness, even though theme-wise, and lack of romance-wise, this felt more upper middle gradeish to me....

Recommended in particular to those looking to add diversity to their fantasy reading portfolio--Narsimhan has filled her story with details of life in India, which make the book memorable.

(disclaimer: my copy received from the author)

This week's round up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from aroung the blogs

A rather light week, perhaps in part due to the excitement that was Book Expo America... (and, for some of us who couldn't make it to New York) the fun of Armchair BEA!

Please do let me know if I missed your post (or, if you wanted to be really proactive, you can tell me about someone else's post!).

This just in: The Guardian children's book longlist (winner to be announced in September) includes several fantasy books (the book blurbs can be found in the Guardian's article about it (thanks to Tasha at Kids Lit for the head's up)

Ghost Hunter, by Michelle Paver (Orion, £10.99). Age: 10+
Those who are new to the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness and those who are already fans will be equally delighted by this final instalment of Torak's adventures in a richly imagined prehistorical world of snowy mountains, ice-bound rivers and seemingly impenetrable forests. Torak sets out on his quest to set his world to rights with the support of his friend Renn and his loyal companion and pack-brother Wolf. In the end, though, he has to make the final journey alone. And when it is over, what then? What choice will Torak make? The warm-hearted, dramatically tense, many-layered sequence of novels is brought to a most satisfying conclusion.

White Crow, by Marcus Sedgwick (Orion, £9.99). Age: 13+
Newly arrived from the city, Rebecca hopes that the small village her father has found to be their home will be a place of safety. Adjusting is hard but, when Rebecca meets Ferelith, it looks possible. Ferelith is strange, unpredictable and ever changing, but Rebecca is drawn into the dangerous plan she has which leads to a shocking discovery from the past. The chill of horror is never far below the surface in this gripping, blood-soaked gothic novel which questions life, death and friendship.

The Ogre of Oglefort, by Eva Ibbotson (Macmillan, £9.99). Age: 8+
When a hag, a troll, a wizard and a boy who lacks magic altogether are given the Summer Task at the annual Summer Meeting of Unusual Creatures, it is no great surprise that they shake and tremble and even think of running away. Facing up to the terrifying flesh-eating Ogre is quite an ordeal; trying to rescue the princess as well seems impossible. But nothing, in this deliciously entertaining and frothy novel, goes quite according to plan. It's full of surprises, and all the capers unfold elegantly, leading to a delightful conclusion.


Lob, by Linda Newbery, illustrated by Pam Smy (David Fickling, £10.99). Age: 8+
Lucy loves visiting her grandparents in the country and especially loves spending time with her grandfather as he potters around his garden. It is Grandpa Will who introduces her to Lob, his mysterious helper. Grannie Annie scoffs at the idea of the hidden green man, but Lucy believes absolutely long before she finally catches her first glimpse of him. When Lucy's world is turned upside down, Lob is her comfort and her connection to an important part of her childhood. Laced with poems, and beautifully illustrated, this is a magical story of believing in the unknown.

The other books on the list are Prisoner of the Inquisition, by Theresa Breslin, Now, by Morris Gleitzman Unhooking the Moon, by Gregory Hughes, and Sparks, by Ally Kennen

Reviews:

Any Which Wall, by Laurel Snyder, at Litland.

Blimpo, Dale E. Basye, at The HappyNappyBookseller.

House of Many Ways and Enchanted Glass, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Jenny's Books.

Knife, by R.J. Anderson, at Nayu's Reading Corner, and a review of its sequel, Rebel, at the same blog.

The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bagthistle, by Deva Fagan, at Reading in Color, The HappyNappyBookseller, and Charlotte's Library.

Middleworld, J&P Voelkel, at The O.W.L.

Monster Slayers, by Lukas Ritter, at Fantasy Book Critic.

My Invisible Sister, by Beatrice Colin and Sara Pinto, at Book Aunt.

Nathan Abercrombie, Acccidental Zombie--Dead Guy Spy, by David Lubar, at Welcome to my Tweendom

Neive, by Terry Griggs, at Charlotte's Library.

Savvy, by Ingrid Law, at Bookshelves of Doom.

The Shadow Hunt, by Katherine Langrish, at Imagination in Focus.

The Wide-Awake Princess, by E.D. Baker, at Book Nut.

An interview with Carla Mooney (author of Owen and the Dragon) at Lori Calabrese's blog, and Katherine Langrish (author of The Shadow Hunt) is interviewed at Scribble City Central and at Imagination in Focus.

And finally, some thoughts on gory stories can be found at Eva's Book Addiction.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

New Releases of Fantasy and Science Fiction for Children and Teens--the end of May edition

Here are the new releases of fantasy and science fiction for kids and teenagers from the end of March. Unless otherwise noted, the blurbs are from the publishers. My list comes from Teens Read Too. It's too nice a day to spend any more time on this, so the formating is yucky, and there aren't pictures for the YA books....sorry! (not all that sorry. Maybe a tad rueful).

Of the ones I don't already have, I'd pick The Summer of Moonlight Secrets....

Edited to add: I also very much want to read Necromancer, the new book by Michael Scott, adn so I've just entered a giveaway that requires creating a link....here is the interview and contest, at Cleverly Inked!

THE BONESHAKER by Kate Milford Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie’s half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right.

DODGER FOR SALE: DODGER AND ME by Jordan Sonnenblick When Willie, his best friend, Lizzie, and his pal Dodger (a hyperactive blue chimpanzee with strange powers) learn that the nearby woods is about to be sold for development, they marshal their resources to save this literally magical place and its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Willie’s sister, Amy, is captured by leprechauns. The book is strongest when rooted most firmly in reality and weakest soaring into fantastic realms. Still, fans of the earlier two Dodger and Me books have never lacked the ability to suspend disbelief. They will find this volume, evidently the last in the series, amusing and satisfying (from Booklist)

THE DRAGON IN THE LIBRARY: DRAGON KEEPERS by Kate Klimo Dragon keepers Jesse and Daisy need help! Emmy, their rapidly growing dragon, has become a real grouch, saying she's missing "something," and the cousins don't have a clue what that something is. Jesse and Daisy go online to ask Professor Andersson, their favorite dragon expert, for help and end up seeing him being kidnapped! The kidnapper is none other than Sadie Huffington, the girlfriend of their enemy, St. George the Dragon Slayer. She has hatched a wicked scheme to use the professor to both find St. George and capture Emmy. Now the dragon keepers and their dragon must storm Sadie's castle and rescue the professor from the witch and her pack of vicious dog-men!

FOUND: THE MAGIC THIEF by Sarah Prineas Never turn your back on a dragon! Sneaking out of prison isn't easy, unless you are a thief, or a wizard. Luckily, Conn is both! Trouble is, once he's out, where does he go? His home is a pile of rubble since he blew it up doing magic. His master, the wizard Nevery, is not happy with him. Worst of all, Conn's been exiled, and staying in the city will mean his death. But Wellmet is in danger from an evil predator coming to destroy the city, and Conn must set off on a quest to fight it. Suddenly, a huge shadow looms over him and he is swept away by something more awesome than his wildest imaginings. Is Conn brave enough to answer magic's call, or is he really just a thief at heart?

FREE REALMS BK. 1 by J.S. Lewis SONY teams with WildStorm and best-selling fantasy author J.S. Lewis (the Grey Griffins series) for an exciting adaptation of Free Realms, their exciting, all-ages virtual world! This family-friendly series mirrors the nonstop action of the game, offering thrilling adventures, battles with vicious monsters and, of course, the allure of gorgeous fairies! The story begins when a young boy is abducted and dragged into a darkened forest teeming with twisted monsters. It's up to a relic hunter and a pixie to save him, but their mission is cut short when a horde of troll-like creatures captures them.

FROZEN IN TIME by Ali SparkesRachel and Ben are resigning themselves to a long, wet summer stuck at their uncle's house in the English countryside, until they discover the underground vault at the bottom of the garden, and the amazing secret inside - two children from the 1950s who they awaken from a sleep that's lasted for decades. But when Rachel and Ben "unearth" Freddy and Polly, they also uncover a mountain of questions. What will their new friends think of the 21st century? Will they ever fit in? How will their bodies hold up after being frozen for so long? How is cryogenic freezing even possible? Why doesn't the world know about the process fifty years later? And why does it feel like they're all suddenly being followed . . . ?

KEEPER by Kathi Appelt To ten-year-old Keeper, this moon is her chance to fix all that has gone wrong...and so much has gone wrong. But she knows who can make things right again: Meggie Marie, her mermaid mother who swam away when Keeper was just three. A blue moon calls the mermaids to gather at the sandbar, and that's exactly where she is headed -- in a small boat, in the middle of the night, with only her dog, BD (Best Dog), and a seagull named Captain. When the riptide pulls at the boat, tugging her away from the shore and deep into the rough waters of the Gulf of Mexico, panic sets in, and the fairy tales that lured her out there go tumbling into the waves. Maybe the blue moon isn't magic and maybe the sandbar won't sparkle with mermaids and maybe -- Oh, no..."Maybe" is just too difficult to bear.

THE KINGS OF CLONMEL: RANGER'S APPRENTICE by John Flanagan Mankind puts its faith in many things—gods, kings, money—anything for protection from the world’s many dangers. When a cult springs up in neighboring Clonmel, promising to quell the recent attacks by lawless marauders, people flock from all over to offer gold in exchange for protection. But this particular group, with which Halt is all too familiar, has a less than charitable agenda. Secrets will be unveiled and battles fought to the death as Will and Horace help Halt in ridding the land of a dangerous enemy. The worldwide phenomenon is back with a gripping new adventure. Yet for these Rangers, the peril is only beginning . . .

MAGIC CARPET by Scott Christian Sava Kevin lives in a small house with his three brothers and sisters. He has no room of his own. No privacy. All he wants is a little space to himself. One day, Kevin gets his wish when he inherits a Magic Carpet and embarks on an adventure of a lifetime that takes him to far off lands fraught with magic, danger, monsters, and even a princess!

THE MAGICAL MISADVENTURES OF PRUNELLA BOGTHISTLE by Deva Fagan All Prunella wants is to be a proper bog-witch. Unfortunately, her curses tend to do more good than harm. When her mixed-up magic allows a sneaky thief to escape her grandmother’s garden, Prunella is cast out until she can prove herself. It’s hard enough being exiled to the unmagical Uplands, but traveling with the smug young thief Barnaby is even worse. He’s determined to gain fame and fortune by recovering the missing Mirable Chalice. And to get what she wants, Prunella must help him, like it or not.

MY INVISIBLE SISTER by Beatrice Colin & Sara Pinto Ten-year-old Frank and his family have moved nine times in eleven years, and Frank has had it. This is the last move. No more new schools and new friends. This time he's going to make his sister love the place so much she never wants to leave. Because, you see, when your sister is invisible, she can do pretty much whatever she likes. And if she gets unhappy…

THE SUMMER OF MOONLIGHT SECRETS by Danette Haworth At The Meriwether, Florida’s famous antebellum hotel off of Hope Springs, nothing is quite as it seems. Secret staircases give way to servants’ quarters and Prohibition-era speakeasies make for the perfect hide-and-seek spot. Allie Jo Jackson knows every nook and cranny of The Meriwether—she’s lived there her whole life—and nothing surprises her, until the first time she spots the enigmatic and beautiful Tara emerging from the springs. Tara’s shimmery skin, long flowing hair, and strange penchant for late moonlight swims disguise a mysterious secret—and once Allie Jo and her friend Chase discover Tara’s secret, nothing will ever be the same.

WINDBLOWNE by Stephen Messer Every kite Oliver touches flies straight into the ground, making him the laughingstock of Windblowne. With the kite-flying festival only days away, Oliver tracks down his reclusive great-uncle Gilbert, a former champion. With Gilbert's help, Oliver can picture himself on the crest, launching into the winds to become one of the legendary fliers of Windblowne. Then his great-uncle vanishes during a battle with mysterious attack kites—kites that seem to fly themselves! All that remains is his prize possession, a simple crimson kite. At least, the kite seems simple. When Oliver tries to fly it, the kite lifts him high above the trees. When he comes down, the town and all its people have disappeared. Suddenly the festival is the last thing on Oliver's mind as he is catapulted into a mystery that will change everything he understands about himself and his world.

WORLDSHAKER by Richard Harland Col, among the elite on the juggernaut Worldshaker, learns the terrible truth about the nature of his society

Young Adult

ANGEL STAR by Jennifer Murgia Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel. But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.

THE BATTLE OF THE SUN by Jeanette Winterson Jack is the chosen one, the Radiant Boy the Magus needs in order to perfect the alchemy that will transform London of the 1600s into a golden city. But Jack isn’t the kind of boy who will do what he is told by an evil genius, and soon he’s battling to save London in an epic and nail-biting adventure featuring dragons, knights and Queen Elizabeth I.

CLAIRE DE LUNE by Christine Johnson Torn between two destinies? Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf. As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

THE DEMON'S COVENANT: THE DEMON'S LEXICON TRILOGY by Sarah Rees Brennan The Demon's Covenant is the sequel to The Demon's Lexicon. Mae was always in control, but suddenly everyone she trusted is lying--and in danger. [I guess the publishers didn’t wan’t to have spoilers]

EARLY TO DEATH, EARLY TO RISE: MADISON AVERY by Kim Harrison Fans of Once Dead, Twice Shy (2009) won’t be disappointed by this more-of-the-same sequel, which follows Madison—the newly minted dark timekeeper of the afterworld—as she tries to stave off unnecessary reaper scythings. The plot this time revolves around a dangerous computer virus, but the story’s primary concerns are the rocky relationships between the rogue’s gallery of supernatural characters (and a few human ones, too). Harrison’s afterworld rules remain rather exhausting, but her theme of fate versus choice is more finely tuned here than in the first book. If this is your kind of thing, you already have it on order. (Booklist)

FLIGHT OF SHADOWS by Sigmund Brouwer Looming buildings rise into the sky of a near-future America, shadowing the desperate poverty of the soovie parks, death doctors, and fear bombs. In this world of walled cities, where status matters most, Caitlyn Brown is desperate to remain invisible, wrongly believing what she needs to hide is the deformity on her back. The powerful want her for so much more. She’s forced to take flight again, relying on the help of Razor, a street-smart illusionist she can’t trust. Her only hope is to reach friends already tracked by government. With a twisted bounty hunter in full pursuit, she and Razor begin to learn the unthinkable about her past and the unique gifts of her DNA. It leads Caitlyn to a choice between the two men who love her, and whether to keep her freedom or sacrifice herself to change human destiny.

FRENZY: DREAMHOUSE KINGS by Robert Liparulo When you live in a house that's really a gateway between past and present, you have to be ready for anything. It's a painful fact the Kings have faced since moving to Pinedale eight days ago. Desperately trying to rescue their mother from an unknown time and place, brothers Xander and David have lunged headlong into the chaos of history's greatest--and most volatile--events. But their goal has continually escaped their grasp. And worse: Finding Mom is only a small part of what they must do, thanks to the barbaric Taksidian. His ruthless quest to sieze their house and its power from them has put not only the family, but all of mankind, in grave danger. Somehow, the key to it all hinges on Uncle Jesse's words to the boys: "Fixing time is what our family was made to do." But how can they fix a world that has been turned updisde down--much less ever find their way home?

THE GARDENER by S.A. Bodeen. Mason has never known his father, but longs to. All he has of him is a DVD of a man whose face is never seen, reading a children’s book. One day, on a whim, he plays the DVD for a group of comatose teens at the nursing home where his mother works. One of them, a beautiful girl, responds. Mason learns she is part of a horrible experiment intended to render teenagers into autotrophs—genetically engineered, self-sustaining life-forms who don’t need food or water to survive. And before he knows it, Mason is on the run with the girl, and wanted, dead or alive, by the mysterious mastermind of this gruesome plan, who is simply called the Gardener.

GLIMMERGLASS: FAERIEWALKER by Jenna Black It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie. Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

INFINITY: CHRONICLES OF NICK by Sherrilyn Kenyon At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity. Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead. But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu. As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

THE LAST WORDS OF WILL WOLFKIN by Steven Knight It's funny. If you're born a certain way, you don't really understand how it is to be any other way. So it has been for Toby Walsgrove—paralyzed since birth, unable to move or talk, with no known family, he has spent his entire life at a Carmelite convent in London. That is, until the day that his cat, Shipley, starts talking to him. Shipley has been watching over Toby his whole life and tells him they must go to Langjoskull, a city of exiles buried deep below the surface of Iceland. Because Toby is no ordinary boy—he's a descendant of the great king Will Wolfkin, and his kingdom needs him. Toby has never wielded a sword that can stop time. He has never shifted into his kin creature. He has never even walked on his own two legs before. Ready or not, though, he has a destiny, a responsibility, even a family—and not all of them are happy to meet him. . . .

LOVE BITES: VAMPIRE KISSES by Ellen Schreiber As a mortal girl dating a vampire, Raven knows that love isn't always easy. Now that Alexander's parents have returned to Romania, Raven and her dreamy vampire boyfriend are happy to resume their cryptic romance. But soon another visitor comes knocking: Sebastian, Alexander's best friend, arrives for a stay at the mansion. At first Raven is wary, then thrilled—this is the perfect chance to learn more about her darkly handsome boyfriend and his past. Raven has been wondering whether Alexander will ever bite her and make their love immortal, and Sebastian could be her guide to the love habits of Alexander and his kind. But when Sebastian falls for a particular Dullsvillian, will another mortal beat Raven to the bite?

PUCKER UP by Rhonda StapletonIn this irresistably romantic trilogy, Felicity discovers that she's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid! Felicity can't believe her luck. Her longtime crush is now officially her boyfriend, and just in time for prom. Felicity isn't just smitten with Derek, she's head-over-heels in love. So when she learns that her boss at Cupid's Hollow used cupid magic to make Derek fall for her, Felicity is devastated. What will happen when the magic wears off? Felicity has only two weeks to win Derek's heart for real--no matter what it takes!

THE NECROMANCER: THE SECRETS OF THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL by Michael Scott San Francisco: After fleeing to Ojai, then Paris, and escaping to London, Josh and Sophie Newman are finally home. And after everything they've seen and learned in the past week, they're both more confused than ever about their future. Neither of them has mastered the magics they'll need to protect themselves from the Dark Elders, they've lost Scatty, and they're still being pursued by Dr. John Dee. Most disturbing of all, however, is that now they must ask themselves, can they trust Nicholas Flamel? Can they trust anyone? Alcatraz: Dr. Dee underestimated Perenelle Flamel's power. Alcatraz could not hold her, Nereus was no match for her, and she was able to align herself with the most unlikely of allies. But she wasn't the only one being held on the island. Behind the prison's bars and protective sigils were a menagerie of monsters-an army for Dee to use in the final battle. And now Machiavelli has come to Alcatraz to loose those monsters on San Francisco. Perenelle might be powerful, but each day she weakens, and even with Nicholas back at her side, a battle of this size could be too much for her. Nicholas and Perenelle must fight to protect the city, but the effort will probably kill them both. London: Having been unable to regain the two final pages of the Codex, Dee has failed his Elder and is now an outlaw-and the new prey of all the creatures formerly sent to hunt down Flamel. But Dee has a plan. With the Codex and the creatures on Alcatraz, he can control the world. All he needs is the help of the Archons. But for his plan to work, he must raise the Mother of the Gods from the dead. For that, he'll have to train a necromancer. And the twins of legend will make the perfect pupils. . . .

PERCHANCE TO DREAM: THEATRE ILLUMINATA by Lisa Mantchev When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

PRINCESS OF GLASS by Jessica Day George Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other's countries in the name of better political alliances—and potential marriages. It's got the makings of a fairy tale—until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way.

REIGN CHECK: DEMON PRINCESS by Michelle Rowen Fresh from finding out she is a demon princess and meeting her father for the first time, Nikki Donovan is looking forward to getting back to her regular high school life. But then Rhys, the handsome teenage king of the faery realm, enrolls at her school as a "foreign exchange student." Her conflicted feelings for Rhys and her boyfriend are getting in the way of her new relationship with the Shadow-creature Michael. But this love triangle from hell isn't even Nikki's biggest problem: There's a new prophecy that claims she will destroy all the demon and human worlds. Her best friend Melinda just might be a demon-slayer-in-training. Throw in a field trip to none other than the Underworld itself . . . and Nikki's going to be hoping for a rain check on more than just her homework!

THE SONS OF LIBERTY by Alexander & Joseph Lagos Graphic novels are a revolution in literature, and The Sons of Liberty is a graphic novel like no other. Visual and visceral, fusing historical fiction and superhero action, this is a tale with broad appeal-for younger readers who enjoy an exciting war story, for teenagers asking hard questions about American history, for adult fans of comic books, for anyone seeking stories of African American interest, and for reluctant readers young and old. In Colonial America, Graham and Brody are slaves on the run-until they gain extraordinary powers. At first they keep a low profile. But their mentor has another idea-one that involves the African martial art dambe . . . and masks. With its vile villains, electrifying action, and riveting suspense, The Sons of Liberty casts new light on the faces and events of pre-Revolution America, including Ben Franklin and the French and Indian War. American history has rarely been this compelling-and it's never looked this good.

SPIRIT BOUND: A VAMPIRE ACADEMY NOVEL by Richelle Mead Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong... After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever.

TALES OF TERROR FROM THE TUNNEL'S MOUTH by Chris Priestley The third installment of the spine-tingling trilogy. A boy's first solo train journey turns out to be more of a challenge than anyone could have imagined as the trian stalls at the mouth of a tunnel and a mysterious woman in white helps the boy while away the hours by telling him stories—ghost stories with a difference.