[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Young Adult Books February 2008
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:28:23 -0500
New and Recently Released!
Laika - by Nick Abadzis
Publisher: First Second
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/1/2007
ISBN: 9781596431010
ISBN-10: 1596431016
Graphic Novel. Did you know that the first earthling launched into space had
four legs, not two, and was "recruited" off the streets of Moscow in 1957?
The Space Race between the United States and the former Soviet Union had begun,
and the Soviets desperately wanted a quick follow-up to their success with
Sputnik--which meant sending a living creature into space. This novel tells the
story of Laika, the curly-tailed stray dog who was captured, trained, tested,
loved by her handlers--and ultimately sacrificed for scientific and political
gain. If you are intrigued by Cold War history or space travel, don't miss
this poignant piece of historical fiction...but dog lovers beware: you'll need
tissues.
Angel Isle - by Peter Dickinson
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/9/2007
ISBN: 9780385746908
ISBN-10: 0385746903
Fantasy. The ancient magic that protects the peaceful valley where Saranja,
Maja, and Ribek live is weakening, and the three of them are forced to go on
a dangerous quest to locate the Ropemaker--the only person who can restore the
valley's crumbling defenses against the cruel rulers of the nearby Empire.
This sequel to The Ropemaker unfolds in an unhurried way and rewards patient
readers with intricate plotting, well-developed and memorable characters,
grand adventure (complete with flying horses, parallel worlds, dragons, and
demons)...and even a touch of true love.
First Chapter
November Blues - by Sharon M. Draper
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/23/2007
ISBN: 9781416906988
ISBN-10: 1416906983
Fiction. In The Battle of Jericho, 16-year-old Josh Prescott died in an
initiation ritual gone wrong. November Blues picks up the story as Josh's family
and friends are grieving his death and trying to move on...but November Nelson,
Josh's girlfriend, can't escape her memories of him: she's pregnant with
his baby. November has always been her mother's "perfect," college-bound
daughter, but she knows that her mom's image of her is about to be shattered,
and that her own life is forever changed. Meanwhile, Josh's cousin and best
friend Jericho has given up playing the trumpet and hopes that the physical
pain he suffers on the football field will blot out his emotional pain. But has
Jericho forgotten his promise to stand by November?
First Chapter
Sure Fire - by Jack Higgins with Justin Richards
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/18/2007
ISBN: 9780399247842
ISBN-10: 039924784X
Adventure. After their mother is killed in a traffic accident, 15-year-old
twins Rich and Jade are surprised when their father--Jack Chance, a man they've
never met--shows up at her funeral and takes them to London to live with him.
Jade doesn't trust Jack, and neither twin has any intention of going to boarding
school as Jack seems to think they should. Soon Rich and Jade find they have
more complicated problems when their father is kidnapped at gunpoint and their
attempts to rescue him involve them in a dangerous international plot to
control the world's oil supply. If you like suspense and non-stop action, Sure
Fire is a sure bet.
Red Spikes - by Margo Lanagan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/9/2007
ISBN: 9780375843204
ISBN-10: 0375843205
Short Stories. Australian author Margo Lanagan (who also wrote Black Juice)
creates many mythical worlds in this collection of strange, wonderful, and
sometimes
terrifying tales. From her interpretation of the emotionless gray world of
Limbo in "Under Hell, Over Heaven" to her story about a hermit witch woman who
takes revenge on her neighbors' crops in "Mouse Maker" to a truly horrifying
tale featuring Wee Willie Winkie as a bogeyman, each story weaves weirdness
into everyday existence. Fans of horror, fantasy, and folktales will be
transfixed by Red Spikes.
First Chapter
Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale - by Donna Jo Napoli
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/23/2007
ISBN: 9780689861765
ISBN-10: 0689861761
Historical Fiction. Fifteen-year-old Melkorka is a 10th-century Irish princess
and a self-centered chatterbox who is accustomed to being pampered. While
her father, the King, prepares to avenge a Viking attack that disfigured
Melkorka's brother, Mel and her younger sister Brigid are sent away for their
own safety--but on the way to their refuge, the sisters are captured by Russian
slavers. On board their slave ship, Mel's only protection is her refusal
to speak, which makes the superstitious captain and crew wary of her. This
lavishly (and sometimes brutally) detailed story of strength in adversity is
based on an Icelandic legend.
Love and Romance
24 Girls in 7 Days - by Alex Bradley
Publisher: Dutton Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 2/3/2005
ISBN: 9780525473695
ISBN-10: 0525473696
Fiction. High school senior Jack Grammar is smart, funny...and hopeless at the
dating game. After he blows his chance at going to the prom with his dream
girl, Jack's best friends Natalie and Percy put a personal ad in the school
newspaper on his behalf. Responses to the ad flood in, and after his pals narrow
the list of potential prom dates down to 24, Jack has only seven days to go out
with all of them and make a choice. Meanwhile, a girl with the screen name
FancyPants is emailing him dating advice, and Jack thinks he might be falling
for Natalie. For a fun romantic comedy from a guy's point of view, pick up
24 Girls in 7 Days.
First Chapter
This Lullaby: A Novel - by Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 5/1/2002
ISBN: 9780670035304
ISBN-10: 0670035300
Fiction. Remy has reasons to be cynical about love: her mother is about to get
married--for the fifth time!--and her rambling musician father left before
she was born. His only gift to Remy was a hit song he wrote for her containing
the prophetic line, "I will let you down." In self-defense, Remy has made
herself into a self-proclaimed ice queen who never lets boys get too
close...until she meets Dexter. He's nothing like her--he's impulsive, unkempt,
and
clumsy--and even worse, he's a musician. But if Remy isn't careful, Dexter just
might melt her icy heart. If you like sarcastic humor, believable characters,
and a dose of realism with your romance, you'll want to stay up late reading
This Lullaby.
Who Am I Without Him?: Short Stories About Girls and the Boys in Their Lives -
by Sharon G. Flake
Publisher: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 5/1/2004
ISBN: 9780786806935
ISBN-10: 0786806931
Short Stories. This collection of ten stories about teenagers in love tells it
like it is. In the funny and touching "Mookie in Love," a young man's female
family members try to protect him from heartbreak; "Wanted: A Thug" tells about
a girl who lusts after her best friend's boyfriend; and the final story,
"A Letter to My Daughter," is an absent father's poignant advice to his
daughter about boys. Whether they're about good girls sneaking out to meet
guys--and
finding trouble--or about young women who put up with abuse for fear of losing
a boyfriend, all of these stories encourage self-respect without being preachy
or prudish.
Table of Contents
Love, Cajun Style - by Diane Les Becquets
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 8/25/2005
ISBN: 9781582346748
ISBN-10: 1582346747
Fiction. Lucy Beauregard is trying to figure out what love is all about--and
worried that she'll never find it for herself. All around her small town of
Sweetbay, Louisiana, people are falling in love: her two best friends, a pair
of senior citizens at the nursing home, and even Lucy's free-spirited,
army-fatigue-wearing
Tante (aunt) Pearl. Meanwhile, Lucy's afraid that her devoutly religious--and
quite married--mother may be having an affair, and a new boy in town, Dewey,
starts paying attention to Lucy. This sweetly romantic and often hilarious
story is chock-full of memorable characters and Southern culture...with some
scandalous uses for hot pepper sauce thrown in for good measure.
Table of Contents
Boy Meets Boy - by David Levithan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/1/2003
ISBN: 9780375824005
ISBN-10: 0375824006
Fiction. Paul's hometown is a gay utopia. The star quarterback at his high
school, a six-foot-five drag queen named Infinite Darlene, is also the
homecoming
queen; boys in love walk through town holding hands without fear; and the
school has ousted the Boy Scouts (who don't allow gays to join) and replaced
them with Joy Scouts. When Paul falls hard for Noah, he thinks he's found the
love of his life--but then he messes up and has to find a way to make things
right and win Noah back. This sweet and funny love story of two young men who
don't have to struggle for acceptance will delight fans of Francesca Lia
Block's Weetzie Bat, or anyone who dreams of a world where differences are
celebrated.
First Chapter
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