[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Young Adult Books March 2008
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 09:21:05 -0500
Young Adult Books March 2008
"A man who is 'of sound mind' is one who keeps the inner madman under lock and
key."
~ Paul Valéry (1871-1945), French poet, essayist, and philosopher
New and Recently Released!
The Luxe - by Anna Godbersen
Publisher: HarperCollins
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 12/1/2007
ISBN: 9780061345661
ISBN-10: 0061345660
Historical Fiction. Like a Gilded Age Gossip Girl, this deliciously decadent
and superbly scandalous novel details the bad behavior of a group of (mostly)
wealthy young men and women in 1899 Manhattan. Everyone seems to be keeping a
secret, and passion motivates each of the characters to betray a friend or
family member. Then, when celebrated socialite Elizabeth Holland--who is
betrothed to notorious playboy Henry Schoonmaker--drowns in the Hudson River,
rumor has it that her death was no accident. If you're looking for a fun,
frothy read full of drama, romance, mystery, and deception, this is it.
Breathe My Name - by R.A. Nelson
Publisher: Razorbill
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 11/8/2007
ISBN: 9781595140944
ISBN-10: 1595140948
Fiction. Frances Robinson's life seems pretty calm on the surface: she's got a
loving adoptive family, a true-blue best friend, and she's beginning a romance
with Nix, the cute new guy in town. But Frances is plagued by flashbacks to a
terrifying trauma--when she was only seven, her biological mother smothered
her three younger sisters, and would have killed Frances, too, if a passerby
had not intervened. Now, 11 years later, Frances' mother is out of the hospital
and wants to see her. Scared but sure that she needs to confront her past,
Frances decides to make a secret road trip to face "the monster in its lair."
Unwind - by Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 11/6/2007
ISBN: 9781416912040
ISBN-10: 1416912045
Science Fiction. It's about half a century into the future, after the Second
Civil War between pro-life and pro-choice activists has ended. Now the
government
has decreed human life utterly inviolable. However, the law does allow for
parents to have their children "unwound" between the ages of 13 and 18--meaning
that their bodies will be kept technically alive, but all their organs will be
harvested and "recycled." Troublemaker Connor has discovered his parents'
(irrevocable) order to have him unwound, and runs away from home. While on the
run, he inadvertently rescues two other Unwinds, orphan Risa and Lev, whose
zealously religious parents conceived him as a tithe. This pulse-pounding and
at times horrific story will captivate fans of dystopian fiction, especially
Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series.
First Chapter
Wilderness - by Roddy Doyle
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/1/2007
ISBN: 9780439023566
ISBN-10: 0439023564
A novel of mothers lost and found. Grainne's Mom disappeared years ago when her
parents were divorced, and Mom moved to the U.S. Now, bafflingly, she's
reappeared and wants to meet. What could she be up to? To get out of the way of
this mysterious reunion, Grainne's half-brothers, Johnny and Tom, go with
their mother, Sandra, on an "adventure holiday" in Finland. But before they're
more than a few days into the snowy north, the boys are separated from Sandra,
taking impossible risks to save her life.
Focus on: Basketball
Ball Don't Lie - by Matt de la Peña
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/27/2005
ISBN: 9780385732321
ISBN-10: 0385732325
Fiction. Ever since his mother died, Travis Reichard--a.k.a. "Sticky"--has
bounced from one foster home to another, but the only place he feels at home
is on the basketball court at L.A.'s Lincoln Park Recreation Center. Sticky's
good enough to play pickup games with the hard-core players who frequent
the Lincoln Rec gym; he practices constantly, and while his OCD habits may seem
odd, they actually help him on the court. But Sticky is haunted by his
past, and he makes a big mistake that could put his freedom and his future in
jeopardy. This gripping novel combines the rhythm of the streets with fast-paced
basketball action and will score with readers who like gritty, realistic
fiction.
First Chapter
Hoops of Steel - by John Foley
Publisher: Flux
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/1/2007
ISBN: 9780738709819
ISBN-10: 0738709816
Fiction. Jackson O'Connell is trying to make the most of his senior year, even
though he's got volcanic zits, is still painfully shy around girls, and--ever
since the night he defended himself against his raging, alcoholic
father--people are avoiding him at school. Estranged from his parents, Jackson
has been
living with a kindly neighbor and spending weekends shooting hoops with guys
from the rival school's team. It's his dream to win a basketball scholarship
to a Division I college, but when team politics keep him from making first
string, Jackson has to figure out how to chart his own destiny.
Black and White - by Paul Volponi
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 5/5/2005
ISBN: 9780670060061
ISBN-10: 0670060062
Fiction. Superstar high school basketball duo Marcus and Eddie are known as
"Black and White" because, unlike most folks where they live, they cross the
color line with their friendship. When they're faced with demands on their
empty wallets, Black and White cross another line together--into petty crime.
They don't want to hurt anyone; all they want is enough cash to cover senior
dues and a pair of the new Nike Maurauders in their school colors. But then
a stickup goes horribly wrong, and Eddie shoots a man. After laying low for a
few days, the friends think they may have gotten away with it...until the
detectives show up at Marcus' door. This is an intense, fast-paced story of
loyalty and betrayal with lots of action, both on the court and in the
courtroom.
Playing Without the Ball: A Novel in Four Quarters - by Rich Wallace
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 8/1/2002
ISBN: 9780440229728
ISBN-10: 0440229723
Fiction. High school senior Jay McLeod lives on his own in Sturbridge, PA,
working as a short-order cook in the bar below his apartment when he's not in
school or playing basketball, his raison d'être. When he's cut from the school
team, Jay joins a YMCA church league and plans to lead them to the
championships.
Meanwhile, his one really close friend, a girl punk-rocker named Spit, tries to
help him in the romance department. For game action so real that "even
church league takes on the tension of an NBA playoff" (Booklist), don't miss
this underdog b-ball hero's story.
First Chapter
Serious Mind Games
Psychological suspense, psychological thrillers, and other types of
"psychological fiction" are not quite mysteries and not quite high-octane
thrillers.
They do share a tendency to make readers uncomfortable, or to peel back layers
of meaning that uncover surprises or frightening truths. If you like books
that are a little (or a lot!) on the dark side and that definitely mess with
your head, try one of the books described below.
Tenderness - by Robert Cormier
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/14/2004
ISBN: 9780385731331
ISBN-10: 0385731337
Psychological Suspense. Clean-cut, handsome 18-year-old Eric Poole is about to
be released from a juvenile detention center after serving time for murdering
his mother and stepfather. He's ecstatic that the authorities don't know about
the others, the three young girls he killed in his search for tenderness...and
he's eager for number four. That's when 15-year-old runaway Lori Cranston,
who's obsessed with the idea of a relationship with Eric, shows up at his place.
This chilling and gritty novel puts readers inside the mind of a
psychopath--tender hearts beware.
First Chapter
Playing it Cool - by Joaquin Dorfman
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 5/23/2006
ISBN: 9780375836411
ISBN-10: 0375836411
Psychological Suspense. Sebastian Montero, 18, fixes things. Need a hot date?
Someone talked down from a ledge? An escort to and from an abortion clinic?
Bastian can make it all happen, because he does favors...and asks favors in
return. Currently, he's helping reunite his best friend Jeremy with slightly
shady Dromio Johansson, the father who left him years before. Bastian and
Jeremy agree to swap identities for the meeting with Dromio, but before Bastian
knows it, the situation slips out of his control. Elaborate schemes, fast-paced
action, and memorable characters make this tale of power and influence
a riveting read.
First Chapter
What Happened to Cass McBride? A Novel - by Gail Giles
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/12/2006
ISBN: 9780316166386
ISBN-10: 0316166383
Psychological Thriller. Cass McBride is rich, pretty, popular--she hopes to be
the first junior ever elected prom queen--and a bit on the cruel side. She
thinks nothing of rejecting nerdy David Kirby when he asks her out. But after
David commits suicide, Cass wonders whether she's partly responsible. David's
older brother, Kyle, doesn't wonder--he's sure that Cass is to blame for
David's death. And he means to get revenge. When Cass wakes up from a drugged
sleep the morning after David's funeral, she slowly comes to the horrible
realization that she has been kidnapped...and buried alive. If you couldn't put
down Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, this white-knuckle page-turner is sure
to keep you up all night reading, too.
Zel - by Donna Jo Napoli
Publisher: Puffin Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 11/1/1998
ISBN: 9780141301167
ISBN-10: 0141301163
Fantasy/Psychological Fiction. Maybe you think you know the story of Rapunzel,
but author Donna Jo Napoli will make you think again. High in the mountains
of Switzerland, a woman and her beloved daughter Zel live alone, convinced that
all they need is each other. That is, until the day that Zel--nearly a
teenager--goes to town and meets Konrad, who loves her at first sight. Zel's
mother cannot bear to part with her, and locks Zel in a tower, where she slowly
goes mad while Konrad searches for her. What would cause a mother to imprison
her own child? The terrible secret at the heart of this novel will hold readers
spellbound.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
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