Thin Space by Jody Cassella

Cassella, Jody.  Thin Space.  Simon Pulse/Beyond Words. 978-1582703923. Marshall Windsor is devastated over the loss of his twin brother in a car accident where Marsh was the driver.  Marsh has been trapped in a foggy haze of grief and remorse since that fateful night. The tension builds as Marsh frantically searches for that sliver of space between the living and the dead to meet up with Austin once again and make things right.  Identical twins often switch places so all Marsh has to do is convince Austin to switch places with him one more time.  Buy multiple copies of this supernatural thriller!

OELMA PRESENTATION:  YA TITLES FOR 2013 by Krista Taracuk & Ann Pechacek  PRINTOUT FOR ATTENDEES:

1.                  Binns, Barbara A.  Being God.  AllTheColorsofLove Press.  9780988182110.  Seventeen year old Malik is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, uncle, and older brother as the biggest and baddest bully in the local high school. Booze is his escape until he is faced with court-ordered community service for someone else’s crime and meets Barney who wants nothing to do with him.  Forced to work together in mentoring a 10 year old whose older brother Lamont is a gang leader, Malik and Barney foster an uneasy truce in an attempt to save T’Shawn from Lamont’s gang life.  Malik finally realizes that he can’t save the world, but he can make it a better place one day at a time. Reluctant readers.

2.                  Miranda, Megan.  Hysteria. Walker & Company. 978-0-8027-2310-9. Mallory “knows” that she killed her boyfriend Brian, but cannot seem to get away from Brian’s presence at every turn. Readers will be drawn in by the spooky and mysterious events as Mallory tries to come to terms with a night that she cannot remember. Thriller.

3.                  Yancey, Rick.  The 5th Wave.  Putnam.  978-0-399-16241-1. The first wave is a massive electromagnetic pulse that wipes out all power, followed by three more waves of terror from the aliens.  Then it gets really bad and Cassie is on her own.  As Stephen Hawking said, “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.”  The book has been optioned by Sony Pictures so expect a sequel. Language.  Science Fiction.

4.                  Yovanoff, Brenna.  Paper Valentine.  Razorbill. 978-1-59514-599-4.  Hannah has been struggling with trying to keep her head above water ever since her best friend Lillian died from anorexia—and is haunting her bedroom.  With a serial killer on the loose in her small town, Hannah can’t seem to gain any balance in her life. To top it off, bad boy Finny Boone enters the picture.  When the dead girls begin to appear to Hannah, she searches for their murderer. Paranormal/romance/thriller.

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5.                  Levithan, David. Two Boys Kissing. Alfred A. Knopf. 978-0-307-93190-0. A chorus of men who died of AIDS observes and yearns to help a cross-section of today's gay teens who navigate new love, long-term relationships, coming out, self-acceptance, and more in a society that has changed in many ways. Beautifully written and so many thought provoking passages. GLTBQ.

6.                  Quick, Matthew. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. Little Brown and Company. 978-0-316-22133-7.  It’s Leonard’s birthday today and he is ready to make a change. He has his grandfather’s gun from WWII and has decided to shot a former friend and himself. Told in short quick chapters with footnotes, Leonard says goodbye to his friends and contemplates on how he got to this point. Matthew Quick is the author of Silver Linings Playbook. Language throughout the book. Realistic Fiction. 

7.                  Sepetys, Ruta. Out of the Easy. Philomel. 978-0-399-25692-9.  From the author of Between Shades of Grey comes a historical novel set in the 1950s New Orleans. Josie, daughter of a woman of ill repute, works for the madam cleaning rooms and lives on the second floor of a bookshop. Great look into the underbelly of New Orleans with a mystery tossed in to keep you guessing. Though it deals with prostitutes it is done tastefully and the reader roots for Josie to come out on top. Historical fiction.

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8.                  Blagden, Scott. Dear Life, You Suck.  978-0-547-90431-3. As the oldest kid stuck in a group home in the middle of nowhere, Cricket Cherpin has an ugly past and no future with limited prospects ranging from fighting to drug dealing. Cricket is complex and funny and tough and in love with Wynona Bidaban who is dating the school bully. This is a heartbreaking story of a young man with no future—but with a much better life than he thought. Language.

9.                  Brian, Kate.  Shadowlands.  Hyperion.  978-1-4231-6483-8. Because she has been targeted by a serial killer, the FBI has relocated Rory Miller and her family.  The vacation getaway of Juniper Landing seems like the perfect spot--until Rory realizes that the serial killer has followed her and is now targeting both her sister Darcy and her. Teens will love the twists, the turns, and the shocking ending. First book in a thrilling trilogy. Paranormal thriller.

10.              Brown, Jennifer.  Thousand Words.  Little, Brown and Company. 978-0-316-20972-4.  A picture is worth a 1000 words and a picture of a naked Ashleigh is worth her life’s reputation. After their breakup, college freshman Kaleb forwards a photo of a naked Ashleigh to his friends. The photo goes viral and Ashleigh’s life begins to circle the drain. The scandal involves the media, students, parents, the school board, the local police, and everyone in the community—but Mack.

11.              Byrne, Eugene & Simon Gurr. Darwin: A Graphic Biography.  Smithsonian Books.  978-1-58834-352-9.  What do you get when you combine a history buff and a cartoonist?  A humorous historical fiction/graphic novel.  This is an excellent portrayal of a man and his struggles in a time period filled with questions.  It’s a very readable book but should not be considered for factual research. Graphic novel.

12.               Barson, K.A. 45 Pounds (More or Less). Viking. 978-0-670-78482-0.  “16 year old Ann has battled with her weight for as long as she can remember.  Diets? You name it, she’s tried it.  Her mother, on the other hand, is picture perfect: thin, beautiful, and athletic.  When Ann’s Aunt Jackie gets engaged, Ann is determined to lose 45 pounds in two months before the wedding and prove to her mom (and herself) that she can lose the extra weight once and for all.  Light language; teenage drinking; adultery; anorexia. Realistic Fiction.

13.              Black, Holly. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 978-0-316-21310-3. After a vampire outbreak, the infected, possibly infected and those already cold are quarantined into walled towns, or Coldtowns. After a night of partying Tana wakes up to find her friends are dead and her ex-boyfriend infected only thing to do is take him to Coldtown. A new vampire story in the vein of Anne Rice and not Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. Horror/Paranormal Fiction.

14.              Castor, H.M. VIII. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 978-1-442-47418-5. The life of King Henry VIII starts when “Hal” is a youngster and gets it into his head that he is ordained to become the next great King of England, problem is he is second in line. Events happen, brother dies, father dies, and he is made King. Henry wants to be righteous but he is spoiled and he makes excuses. Teens will like the short chapters and action scenes. VIII is a great way to introduce teens to the Tudor dynasty. Historical Fiction.

15.              Chiaverini, Jennifer. Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker. Dutton.  978-0-525-95361-6. Elizabeth Keckley became the dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln during Lincoln’s first term in office, but became a friend and confidant of the First Lady over the years. Elizabeth had purchased freedom for herself and her beloved son who eventually enlists as a white man in the Union Army. This is a well-researched book that covers the behind-the-scenes world of a freed slave as well as the family dynamics in the Lincoln household.  This book is not for the casual student reader, but is definitely a welcome addition to any historical fiction list as it’s told from the perspective of a strong woman who moved from slavery in the Deep South to the political backstabbing in Washington politics. Excellent companion to the movie Lincoln. Historical fiction.

16.              Ellison, Kate.  Notes From Ghost Town. Egmont. 978-1-60684-264-5.  Sixteen year old art student Olivia Tithe’s life turns upside down with her parents’ divorce and her mother’s arrest for the murder of Olivia’s best friend. Olivia has gone colorblind just like her schizophrenic mother and fears that she too will become schizophrenic. At the risk of her own life, Olivia tries to find the real killer. Language. Paranormal thriller.

17.              Elston, Ashely. Rules for Disappearing. Hyperion. 978-1-4231-6897-3.  Madeline, Isabelle, Avery, Olivia, Gabrielle.  Meg no longer knows who she is. After multiple relocations in the witness protection program, her family is falling apart. Her father is growing more distant while her mother is slipping deeper and deeper into alcoholism. Meg is falling in love with a classmate named Ethan whose observations are getting too close to the truth. What could her father have done that was so horrible that her entire family had to be relocated?  Meg’s nightmares suddenly reveal there is more to the entire story than she formerly believes.  In fact, she realizes that SHE, Anna Boyd, is the reason for her family’s relocation.  Sequel?

18.              Fichera, Liz. Hooked.  Harlequin Teen. 9780-373-21072-5.  Fred Oday’s problems are just beginning when another player is kicked off the golf team to make room for Fred. Fred is a poor Native American girl who has multiple obstacles to overcome, including jealousy and prejudice from classmates, life on the reservation, and romance with a rich white boy who clearly doesn’t understand her world. Readers will become “hooked” by Fred’s struggles in a very realistic situation. Multicultural literature.

19.              Finneyfrock, Karen.  The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door.  Viking. 978-0-670-01275-6. Freshman Celia Door is determined to leave everything from middle school behind but to get revenge on her former friend/now enemy Sandy Firestone. Through her poetry, Celia debates the good and the bad of her plan but when she meets new kid Drake who shares his deepest secret with her, Celia must find a way to change. LGBT.

20.              Estep, Jennifer. Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy Bk. 1) 978-0-758-26692-7.  After Gwen’s mother dies in a car accident, her grandmother sends her to Mythos Academy a school for daughters and sons of Vikings, Spartans, Amazons, and more. Gwen is a gypsy and hasn’t been trained for anything. When the mean girl on campus is murdered Gwen tries to use what power she has to solve the mystery. Percy Jackson for girls. Fantasy/Paranormal fiction.

21.              Konigsburg, Bill. Openly Straight. Arthur A. Levine Books. 978-0-545-50989-3.  As an openly gay teen living in the liberal town of Boulder, Colorado, Rafe is living a pretty great life.  He plays soccer, has supportive parents, and is accepted for who he is by his peers.  But after years of being out and speaking to other high schools about tolerance, Rafe is tired of being known as “that GAY guy. He decides to move to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England and keep his sexuality a secret in the hopes of having a clean slate – no labels.  Language; teenage drinking; sexuality; drug references (marijuana). Realistic fiction. GLTBQ.

22.              Lange, Erin Jade. Dead Ends. Bloomsbury. 978-1-619-63080-2.  When Dane, a bully, refuses to hit Billy D because he has Down Syndrome, Billy takes that as a sign of friendship and enlists Dane's help in solving riddles left in an atlas by his missing father, sending the pair on a risky adventure. Realistic Fiction.

23.              LeBan, Elizabeth. The Tragedy Paper. Alfred A. Knopf. 978-0-375-87040-8.  Tim, a senior transfer, just wants to get through the year without any issues but it is hard when you are new and the only albino in the school. Tim ends up falling for the most popular girl in school but his fellow classmates don’t like the romance. The story is told via CDs Tim has left Duncan, an entering senior who has been assigned Tim’s old dorm room. Duncan doesn’t want to remember what happened the last month of school year when tragedy struck the boarding school and changed both his life and Tim’s life. Realistic Fiction.

24.              Morgan, Kass. The 100. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 978-0-316-23447-4. Humanity has lived on spaceships for hundreds of years following a nuclear war on Earth but the resources are dwindling. In an effort to create a better future for humanity, 100 convicted teens are sent back to Earth to be the first humans to populate the planet since the nuclear devastation. The story is told from the perspective of four teens and has romance and action. The 100 is being made into a TV series on the CW Network. The first book in the dystopian series.

25.              Rowell, Rainbow. Eleanor & Park. St. Martin’s Griffin. 978-1-250-01257-9. Eleanor boards the school bus for the first time and ends up finding a seat next to a boy who doesn’t want to talk to her. Eleanor dresses all wrong, is harassed daily and has a horrible family life but she and Park bond over graphic novels and music become friends and then find love. This is a wonderful first love romance between two high school students set in 1986. Historical Fiction.

26.              Gratz, Alan.  Prisoner N-3087. Scholastic Press. 978090545-45901-3. Based on the true story of Jack Gruener, a young Jewish boy who survived years of hell in ten different concentration camps across Europe. Yanek (who later becomes Jack Gruener) must find ways to survive both physically and emotionally the loss of his entire family, the brutality of the camps, and find little joys in everyday life. Historical Fiction. Reluctant readers.

27.              Hathaway, Jill.  Impostor. Balzar + Bray. 978-0-06-207798-1. Sylvia, known as Vee, has the ability to slide into other people’s bodies. Unfortunately, she soon finds herself in unknown situations and realizes that someone is sliding into HER body and is trying to exact revenge. This is a sequel to Slide. Readers will want to read Slide first. Paranormal/Fantasy/Thriller.

28.              Leavitt, Lindsey. Going Vintage. 978-1-59990-787-1.  Mallory decides to go retro and swears off boys and modern technology when she finds her boyfriend cheating on her with an online girlfriend. She decides to revert back to the simplicity of the 1960s and follow a list of goals her grandmother had made in 1962. As Mallory fights both the pros and cons of the past and her present, she realizes that every family has depth that no one can see and that love and heartache are present for every generation.

29.              Joseph, Lynn. Flowers in the Sky.  HarperTeen. 978-0-06-029794-7. Shipped off from the only home that she has ever known in the Dominican Republic to the “perfect” world of New York City, Nina Perez must overcome the emotional and physical obstacles set up by her family and her surroundings.  Nina is trying to find her way in this foreign environment as well as navigate her family’s high expectations. Multicultural literature.

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30.              Shan, Darren. Zom-B. (Zom-B Series Bk.1 ) Little Brown & Company. 978-0-316-21440-7. B doesn’t believe in the rumors that something strange has taken over neighboring towns. B is just trying to survive her own life let along the horror show that is being reported on the news. When the zombie attack happens at her own school B has to make some tough choices. Horror fiction.

31.              Skovron, Jon. Man Made Boy. Viking Penguin.  978-0-670-78620-6. Tired of being sheltered from humans, seventeen-year-old Boy, son of Frankenstein's monster and the Bride of Frankenstein, runs away from home and embarks on a wild road trip that takes him across the country and deep into the heart of America. 

32.              Smith, Andrew. Winger. Simon & Schuster BFYR. 978-1-442-44492-8.  Ryan Dean is a 14 year old who's a junior at a private boarding school. While this makes him an excellent winger for his school's rugby team (hence his nickname and the title of the book) it does not make him popular with the ladies, especially his BFF and super crush, Annie. When Ryan Dean's antics land him in O-Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, he decides to toughen up and take some risks, ensuing in a hilarious, coming-of-age story. Realistic Fiction

33.              Wendig, Chuck. Under the Empyrean Sky. Skyscape. 978-1-477-81720-9.  Angry with the oppressive dictates of the Empyrean government, Heartlander and Captain of the Big Sky Scavengers Cael McAvoy discovers a secret, illegal garden and Cael, together with his crew, decides to make his own luck ... a choice that will bring down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and change life in the Heartland forever. First book in The Heartland Trilogy. Science Fiction

34.              Zadoff, Allen. Boy Nobody. Little, Brown and Company. 978-0-316-19968-1.  Sixteen-year-old Boy Nobody, an assassin controlled by a shadowy government organization, The Program, considers sabotaging his latest mission because his target reminds him of the normal life he craves. Suspense Fiction.

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35.              Kade, Stacey. Project Paper Doll: The Rules. Hyperion. 978-142315328-3. Technically, Ariane is a dead girl.  She escaped from the GTX Labs where she was a ground-breaking science experiment. Ariane has a dead girl’s identity and a dead girl’s family but the only way to really survive is to remain anonymous, which works reasonably well until she makes the mistake of crossing paths with Mean Girl Rachel. Science fiction/romance.  Fans will demand the sequel.

36.              Kline, Christina Baker. Orphan Train. William Morrow.  0-978-06-195072-8. An orphaned Irish girl is sent on an orphan train from New York to Minnesota where she will hopefully be found a home.  Hunger, cold, lies, disease, the Depression, human predators, and worst of all, loneliness, all take their toll on Vivian’s soul, but somehow the brave and resilient Vivian learns to survive.  She is able to share her story with a modern day orphan, Penobscot Indian Molly, meets the 91 year old Vivian through a court-ordered community service project. Told in alternating chapters, this is a powerful story of the thousands of orphan children who were sent West for over 75 years. Historical fiction.

37.              Lawson, Shandy.  The Loop.  Hyperion. 978-142316089-2.  Sixteen year old Ben and Maggie are not aging because they are trapped inside the loop and continue to live the same two days over and over---only to be gunned down over and over. Each time they circle through the loop, they learn something new and try to break free. Science Fiction.

38.              Murdoch, Emily. If You Find Me. St. Martin’s Griffin.  978-1-250-0215206.  Carey Blackburn has spent the last six years of her life taking care of her younger sister, Jennessa, because their mother is a meth addict hiding them in a national forest. When a social worker and her biological father find them, Carey realizes that everything she believed is wrong but worst of all, she must hide a catastrophic secret.  Readers who liked The Glass Castle will be fascinatingly horrified at the physical, emotional and sexual abuse suffered by the children but will be mesmerized by the strength and resilience shown by the children.

39.              Schroeder, Lisa.  Falling For You. Simon Pulse. 978-1-4424-6121-5. Rae writes poetry to escape her home life and carefully guards her heart with friends and colleagues but she quickly falls for new student Nathan who is handsome, charming, and nothing like her abusive stepfather.  He may seem different, but he’s not good for Rae. She soon finds that nowhere is safe; home, school, work, or even time with friends isn’t safe as Nathan’s love turns into obsession. Rae starts an anonymous poetry revolution through the school newspaper in an attempt to fight her way through the darkness.

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40.              BOOKS TO WATCH:  Elkeles, Simone. Wild Cards. Bloomsbury. 978-0-802-73437-2. Brand new title from the always popular author Elkeles, author of Perfect Chemistry series. Romance, football, betrayal what more can a teen reader want?

41.              King, A.S. Reality Boy. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 978-0-316-22270-9. In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child "star" struggling to break free of his anger. Publication date October 22, 2013.

42.              Lyons, C.J. Broken. Sourcebooks Fire.  978-1-402-28545-5. The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does. Publication date November 5, 2013.

43.              Ness, Patrick. More Than This. Candlewick. 978-0-763-66258-5.  Seth dies and then wakes up in what he believes to be hell, but it is more, so much more. Patrick Ness is the author of Chaos Walking trilogy and A Monster Calls.

44.              Rowell, Rainbow. Fangirl. St. Martin's Griffin. 978-1-250-03095-5. Online, Cath is famous.  In real life, at her first year in college she is a nobody.  Can she navigate being just Cath without her fan fiction to hide behind?

45.              Wein, Elizabeth. Rose Under Fire. Disney-Hyperion. 978-1-423-18309-9. Companion novel to the award winning Code Name Verity (2013 Printz Honor).

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46.              Skilton, Sarah. Bruised. Amulet Books. 978-1-4197-0387-4.  Sixteen-year-old Imogen witnesses a robbery gone wrong.  Because she’s a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, she feels guilty that she should have done something—anything----to have stopped the robbery because she thought that her black belt meant that she was stronger and more courageous than anyone around.  Unfortunately, her entire world is shattered by what she learns about herself and she must rebuild her life. Language.

47.              Strohm, Stephanie Kate.  Confederates Don’t Wear Couture.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  978-0-547-97258-9.  Libby Kelting’s plans for the summer are turned upside down when her best friend, Dev, decides that they should leave their home in Minnesota and model period costumes at Civil War reenactments in Alabama.  Libby, who loves history, finds romance, ghosts, and lots of history in this light-hearted romp.  LGBT. Reluctant readers.

48.              Walls, Jeannette. The Silver Star.  Scribner.  978-1-4516-6150-7. Fifteen year old Liz and her twelve year old sister Bean have moved around the country whenever their mother needed a fresh start.  In 1970 when their dreamer mother takes off for the big stage and leaves them alone for two months, they end up with living with their Uncle Tinsley.  In the small town of Byler, Virginia, Liz and Bean learn about integration, adversity, adult bullies, and family.  Another psychological adventure from Jeannette Walls.

49.              Winters, Cat.  In the Shadow of Blackbirds.  Amulet Books.  978-1-4197-0530-4.  It’s 1918 with the Spanish Flu is raging across America and panic running rampant. With her mother dead and her father imprisoned, sixteen year old Mary Shelley Black goes to live with her Aunt Eva. She is missing her childhood friend and unrequited love Stephen Embers who is fighting the Germans somewhere in Europe. Mary has never believed in ghosts until Stephen begins showing up in her nightmares. Historical fiction/romance.

50.              West, Kasie.  Pivot Point.  HarperTeen. 978-0-06-211737-3. Addison Coleman has the paranormal ability to see potential futures so when her parents decide to divorce, she must choose between her alternate futures of living with one parent or the other.  Chapters alternate between her choices. As a Searcher living in a compound with other gifted individuals, Addison is not sure that she can live outside in the normal world. Paranormal/science fiction.

Do the young adults in your school library want to keep up with their favorite authors?

Use http://yalit.com/index.php = One stop calendar for release dates of young adult book titles.

Check out http://mashable.com/2009/05/08/twitter-authors/which lists over 100 authors and their literary tweets.

Library Thing: Early Reviewers <http://www.librarything.com/er/list>

EarlyWord.com = Publishers post news about upcoming releases of books for all ages and movies based on books, as well as author information.  Librarians post reviews and recommendations.

The following titles plus other titles are listed on the blog:  http://kristaspicks.blogspot.com

1.                  Albin, Jennifer.  Crewel.  Farrar Straus Giroux. 978-0-374-31641-9. Families, children, genetics, thought, food, weather, life, death—everything, including Adelice Lewys’s rare ability to weave time with matter, is controlled by the Spinsters.  After nuclear warfare wiped out Earth, a new world called Arras has been established—a new world where there is no pain. Adelice may live in the world where her abilities are revered and she is given every comfort when she utilizes her ability to shape the world and its future specifically under The Guild’s rules—or she must somehow escape the confining tentacles of the new world.  First in a planned science fiction trilogy.

2.                  Alcott, Kate. The Dressmaker.  Doubleday.  978-0-385-53558-8.  A naïve but adventurous Tess Collins decides to seek employment on the Titantic and runs into the famous (and infamous) Lady Lucille Duff Gordon who designs magically beautiful dresses for society’s top names.  Lady Duff Gordon is the image of haughty English society who rants and raves over every little perceived slight, never considering the feelings of anyone else.  Based loosely on the fact that Lady Duff Gordon’s lifeboat contains only 12 people, refuses to allow any other survivors on board, and refuses to return to help anyone stranded in the water, this novel explores the moral and immoral actions of a nightmare that haunted the world. Tess learns the definition of loyalty, friendship, and love on her way to surviving as a dressmaker in her new world.  Historical fiction.

3.                  Anastuasiu, Heather.  Glitch.  St. Martin's Griffin. 978-1-250-00299-0. To protect the community from the destruction of rampant emotions that caused the downfall of the Old World, all humans have been fitted with a small electronic chip and live underground away from the radiation caused by the nuclear bombs.  Unfortunately, Zoel Q-24’s chip has been malfunct-ioning with glitches that allow her to experience emotions.  The action twists and turns as Zoe must decide whether or not to leave the “safe” orderly and only world that she has known or to chance contact with the outside world. Override, the second book in the trilogy, will be released in February 2013. Science Fiction. 

4.                  Blake, Jon. The Last Free Cat. Albert Whitman & Company.  978-0-8075-4364-1. Because a deadly cat flu virus has overtaken the world, cats and their breeding are strictly monitored by governmental bureaucracy.  Only the wealthy can afford cats bred by the mandated government program, so when Jade finds a beautiful but stray cat, names her Feela, and decides to keep her hidden, she places herself and everyone around her in danger.  After her mother’s death, Jade must decide whether her new friend Kris will be a help or a hindrance in trying to save Feela.  Science fiction.

5.                  Blount, Patty. Send.  Sourcebooks. 978-1-4022-7337-7.  It’s a battle between Kenny and Daniel.  Kenny is an obnoxious bully and a murderer while Daniel is a senior trying to overcome 9 months spent in a juvenile detention center.  Relocating from New Jersey to New York to Maryland cannot separate the two because in reality, they are the same person.  As Kenny, he posted a locker room picture of Liam Murphy in his Scooby Do underwear which resulted in Liam’s suicide.  Kenny was then sentenced to a juvenile detention center for distributing kiddie porn and has tried to rebuild his life as Daniel.  Language.

6.                  Bodeen, S. A. The Raft.  Feiwel and Friends.  978-0-312-65010-0. Robie hops a cargo flight to return to her home on Midway but a storm damages the plane.  Escaping the plane lands her in the middle of the ocean with no water, no supplies, and only Max, the copilot, as her companion.  This realistic thriller pits Robie against the elements as well as the fact that no one is actually looking for her because she wasn’t listed on the manifest.  Sharks, starvation, dehydration, and hallucinations test her survival skills. Reluctant readers.

7.                  Brown, Jennifer. Perfect Escape.  Little, Brown, and Company.  978-0-316-20050-9.  All her life, Kendra has been forced to play second fiddle to her brother Grayson and his overwhelming OCD which requires him to count everything.  Every moment of every day of her life is dictated by what Grayson does—or does not do. To combat her parents’ focus on Grayson, she has strived to be the perfect child—until she cheats on a calculus exam—and decides to escape into a new world, taking Grayson with her, where she finds that being perfect is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

8.                  Burch, Heather.  Halflings.  Zondervan. 978-0-310-72818-4. Seventeen year old Nikki thought she led a pretty normal life—until she is attacked by hell-hounds and rescued by unknown creatures that look like humans but are half-angels.  Book 2 = Guardian.  Readers who like this book will be clamoring for the next book in the paranormal series.

9.                  Caletti, Deb. The Story of Us.  Simon Pulse.  978-1-4424-2346-6. Cricket decides that the week before her mom’s wedding to Dan might be the longest week in captivity.  Her mother has already left two previous boyfriends at the altar.  While trapped at a small inn, add snarky future step-sisters, a hovering ex-wife, two sets of feuding grandparents, a stoned innkeeper, a crazy aunt, dog problems, a handsome potential boyfriend, and wild raccoons to make for a hilarious train wreck of a week---which is nothing compared to the chaos and ruin that Cricket has made of her own love life. Language.

10.              Chen, Justina. Return to Me.  Little, Brown and Company. 978-0-316-20043-1.  Just as Becca Muir’s dreams of escaping her hometown are about to become reality and she is on the way to Columbia as a freshman, everything that she believes in suddenly falls apart.  She doesn’t know what to do, whom to trust, or even which way to turn, but she does know that she just wishes that good…. (Publication date is January 15, 2013).

11.              Clark, Marcia.  Guilt by Degrees.  Little, Brown and Company. 978-0-316-12953-4. A deputy district attorney in the Special Trials department, Rachel Knight jumps into the hopeless case of the murder of a homeless man.  There are no leads, no witnesses, not even a name for the homeless victim.  Rachel and her friends Bailey and Toni become targets themselves when the first murder is linked to the murder of a cop.  Second in a series.  (first book is Guilt by Association). Older readers will like this mystery/thriller. Language.

12.              Crewe, Megan.  The Way We Fall. Hyperion. 978-1-4231-4616-2.  It starts with a sneeze---then itching, coughing, fever, hallucinations, and finally death.  The island is quarantined to save the rest of the world from the unknown virus as Kaelyn Weber and her family fight to survive. Rioting, looting, and death became daily occurrences in this new world.  Written in a diary format, there are no heroic efforts from the government or miracle cures from the medical world for this dystopian society.  Kaelyn must save her own family. Language.

13.              Crockett, Sophie D. After The Snow.  Fiewel and Friends. 978-0-312-64169-6. It is 2059.  Global warming has so damaged the atmosphere that the oceans don’t work and there is nothing but snow covering most of the earth. Fifteen year old Willo Blake lives in Wales and returns from hunting to find his family gone.  Humans have been reduced to scavenging for the smallest of comforts in this post-apocalyptic society and his family had thought that they had escaped the government’s oppression.  For readers who liked Hunger Games meets Maze Runner meets The Knife of Never Letting Go, all in the frigid cold. Expect a sequel.

14.              De Baun, Hillary Hall.  Starring Arabelle.  Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. 978-0-8028-5398-1. Arabelle Archer, known as Alex, has big plans to kick off her freshman year in high school by trying out for the school play.  With a locker stuck between upperclassmen Jeff Anderson and Bonnie Atwood, she seems doomed before she even begins her first class.  To top it off, her guidance counselor “volunteers” Alex to working at the local senior citizens’ center to earn her volunteer hours.  Nothing goes right as she even gets into a big fight with her best friend.  Alex soon learns that life as a freshman is nothing like the romantic books she reads.  Reluctant readers.

15.              Defilippis, Nunzio and Christina Weir and illustrated by Jackie Lewis.  Play Ball.  Oni Press.  978-1-934964-79-8. Dash Brody moves to a new town and runs into all the problems inherent with settling into a new school. Added to the acclimation process is that Dash does not want to play softball, but wants to play on the boys’ baseball team.  There are no easy solutions to Dash’s decision as the entire school gets involved in the controversy. Graphic novel.

16.              Doller, Trish.  Something Like Normal. Bloomsbury.  978-1-59990-844-1. Known as the “son of former Green Bay Packer Dean Stephenson” and a major disappointment to that father, Travis just wants to be known as Travis Stephenson and live a “normal” life.  With his life on a collision course for his personal train wreck, Travis, nicknamed Solo after Han Solo, must come to terms with his previous life as a major jerk, his family, his PTSD from a tour in Afghanistan, and his love life.  Realistic fiction for reluctant readers. Language.

17.              Feinstein, John.  Rush for the Gold.  Alfred A. Knopf Publishing. 978-0-375-86963-1. 

Fifteen year old Susan Carol Anderson is overwhelmed with her overnight success as a media darling.  It seems as if every marketing firm in the sports world wants to sponsor her. She was excited to attend the Olympics as a future sports writer and now she will be competing in the Olympics. Soon she is embroiled in a behind-the-scenes mystery of just how far individuals and companies will go to be the best in the world.  Mystery/sports fiction.

18.              Fukuda, Andrew.  The Hunt.  St. Martin’s Griffin. 978-1-250-00514-4. Life is defined by the 3 D’s: desert, desolation, and death.  Beyond the limited living area, there is nothing but the desert and DBS: death by sunlight.  Life is lonely and desolate as humans have become extinct.  Don’t laugh, don’t sweat, don’t. . .don’t. . don’t--- or the result will be instant death.  As a human disguised as a vampire and one of the hunted, Gene must learn to survive in a frightening world where one mistake will result in a brutal death, just like for his mother, his sister, and his father. Stunning ending. Highly recommended!

19.              Gardiner, Meg.  Ransom River.  Dutton. 978-0-525-95285-5. Rorie Mackenzie fled Ransom River in order to rebuild her shattered life.  After serving two years in an international peace foundation, she has returned to her quite hometown in an attempt to rebuild it once again.  Unfortunately, she is called for jury duty on a highly emotional trial involving two cops.  When the courtroom is overtaken by two gunmen, the town suddenly becomes a hotbed of unrest with Rorie as a prime suspect in the plot. Mystery/thriller for older teens because of size of book.

20.              Grace, Amanda.  In Too Deep.  Flux.  978-0-7387-2600-7. A lie of omission is still a lie. Samantha has dug herself into a hole that involves the entire community with a lie of omission.  She loves Nick and tries to make him jealous by chasing Carter.  When Carter ruthlessly rejects Sam and she leaves in disheveled clothes and tears, the rumor begins that Carter raped her.  Soon the entire community has chosen sides and Sam is in too deep. Reluctant readers.

21.              Gray, Shelley Shepard. Missing.  (The Secrets of Crittenden County, Book One)  Avon Inspire. 978-0-06-208970-0. The discovery of Perry Borntrager’s body dumped into a shallow well sends the entire community of small town Crittenden, Kentucky, into a tailspin.  Detective Luke Reynolds finds numerous roadblocks in his search for the truth behind Perry’s activities and his eventual death.  Perry’s former Amish girlfriend, Lydia Plank, and his one-time Englischer friend, Walker Anderson, are at the center of the controversial investigation. Lydia struggles with the sudden knowledge that she is adopted while Walker struggles with his growing attraction to Lydia. Christian fiction.

Gray, Shelley Shepard.  The Search.  (The Secrets of Crittenden County, Book Two). Avon Inspire. 978-0-06-208970-0 and Found (The Secrets of Crittenden County, Book Three).  Avon Inspire.  978-0062089755.

22.              Grisham, John.  Calico Joe.  Doubleday. 978-0-385-53607-3.  Paul Tracey loves baseball, but hates the wild swing of emotions that baseball causes in his professional baseball father because no matter what Paul does, it’s not good enough.  This is a story that revolves around baseball, but more importantly, it revolves around the relationship between father and son. For reluctant readers who will appreciate the smaller size of the book and for older students who will understand both the physical and emotional devastation caused by a bully.

23.              Grossman, Nancy. A World Away.  Hyperion. 978-142315153-1. Sixteen year old Amish Eliza Miller has never used a computer, a microwave, a car, a hair dryer, or a CD player.  She is surprised at the stiffness of the material when wearing her first pair of jeans.   With her mother’s words of “Try their ways but remembers ours” in her ears, Eliza heads to Chicago to work in the English world as a nanny for two small children.  Although Chicago is only three hours away from her Iowa community, it is really a world away from her Amish world.

24.              Harrington, Hannah. Speechless.  Harlequin. 978-0-37321052-7.  Sixteen year old Chelsea is the queen of gossip and will do anything to stay at the top of the social food chain.  When Chelsea blurts out private information and someone is beaten and hospitalized because of it, Chelsea becomes the focal point of the entire school—in a very negative way.  She decides to take a vow of silence because an apology isn’t enough to repair the damage she has caused.  LGBT.

25.              Henry, April.  The Night She Disappeared.  Christy Ottaviano Books (Henry Holt and Company).  978-0-8050-9262-2. Delivering pizzas can be murder—literally.  When Kayla unknowingly responds to a fake pizza order and doesn’t return from the delivery, the entire town goes on high alert.  Her co-worker Drew agonizes over wishing he had recognized a murderer, while coworker Gabie is even more distraught because the caller specifically asked for her. The murderer is identified—or is he?  Mystery thriller for reluctant readers.

26.              Howard, Chris.  Rootless.  Scholastic. 978-0-545-38789-7. Wiped out by The Darkness over a century ago, trees are non-existent in Banyan’s world.  To help alleviate the absolute desolation of the new world, Banyan builds trees out of any scrap metal to be found. Pirates, poachers, locusts, GenTech, and even the climate will do anything it takes to keep Will from accomplishing his mission of finding real live trees. Will be released in November of 2012.

27.              Johnson, Angela.  A Certain October.  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 9781442431614.  Scotty is struggling to balance her mind which is in one place and her body which is in another.  Once she thought that her life was as bland as tofu, except for what is added.  And what’s added during one certain October is a train wreck that hospitalizes her autistic brother Keone with multiple broken bones and a coma and kills a long-time friend named Kris. Will appeal to reluctant readers.  Language.

28.              Kephart, Beth.  Small Damages.  Philomel Books. 978-0—399-25748-3.  Kenzie’s life has been turned upside down by the death of her father and her resentment towards her mother’s goals to move on. Now Kenzie’s plans to spend the last summer together with her four best friends are shot down when her mother ships her off to Spain for five months.  Kenzie decides that she is the Queen of Missing—especially missing her 4 best friends at their beach rental house.  But what she doesn’t realize is that she is missing herself and until she finds herself, she won’t be able to manager her own life---or the life of the baby she carries.

29.              The Letter Q: Queer Writers’ Notes to Their Younger Selves.  Arthur A. Levine Books.  978-0-545-39932-6.  ge comes wisdom—or at least the ability not to be so self-critical and to realize that conformity is not all that it’s cracked up to be.  This powerful and heart-warming book contains words of advice from 63 authors looking back on surviving those dreadful years in high school as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender teenager. LGBT.

30.              Leveen, Lois.  The Secrets of Mary Bowser.  William Morrow.  978-0-06-210790-9. Mary was born a slave in Richmond, Virginia, but baptized in a white church and taught arithmetic and reading by the unconventional Bet Van Lew, who bought all her mother’s slaves to then set them free.  Because it was illegal to educate a slave in Virginia, Bet was determined that Mary be educated in Philadelphia where she herself had been educated.  By law, Mary would not ever be able to return to Virginia, but returns posing as a slave so that she may help abolish slavery. Mary becomes a spy for the North and actually serves Jefferson Davis in the Confederate White House.  Both she and Bet Van Lew made such an impact on the abolition movement that fifty years after the Civil War, the original Van Lew mansion was destroyed because Southern public opinion still protested the support of the Union by its own citizens. Historical fiction.

31.              Lorentz, Dayna.  No Safety in Numbers.  Dial Books. 978-0-8037-3873-7.  When Marco inadvertently discovers a bomb at the local mall, it creates a nightmare beyond anything ever imagined.  Quarantined in the mall, surrounded by hazmat suits, and with bodies piling up, chaos reigns.  Teenagers Shay, Ryan, Lexi, and Marco must learn to rely on each other as well as their mortal teenage enemies if they hope to survive. Book One in a series.  Reluctant reader.

32.              Lynch, Chris.  Vietnam: Book 1:  I Pledge Allegiance. Scholastic.  978-0-545-27029-8.  Best friends since fourth grade, Beck, Ivan, Morris, and Rudi make a pact for everything—including a pledge to stay together no matter what.  When Rudi is drafted into the Vietnam War and joins the Marines, the other three pledge that they will all go to Vietnam together.  Ivan enlists in the Army; Beck enlists in the Air Force, and Morris enlists in the Navy because the Navy watches over the Marines and he will be able to “protect” Rudi.  Leaving the city of Boston for the USS Boston, Morris fights to keep his pledge of keeping his friends safe. Part of a series:  The second book is Sharpshooter (978-0-545-27026-7) which features Ivan’s experiences as a sniper in Vietnam.  The third book is Free-Fire Zone (978-0-545-27025-0) which features Rudi’s experiences as a Marine private in Vietnam. Books should be read in order.  Reluctant reader/historical fiction.  Language. Book #4, Casualties of War will be released in January of 2013.

33.              Lynch, Janet Nichols. Racing California. Holiday House. 978-0-8234-2363-7. Evan Burroughs is an average looking high school senior who must study to do well on his advanced placement exams and loves cycling in his free time.  Despite the warnings from his mother and troubles with his girlfriend, he is willing to risk his high school career when he’s offered a job riding for a professional cycling team.  Even if the reader knows nothing about cycling, the reader will enjoy the action, triumphs, pressures, disappointments, and overwhelming emotions of the cycling world. Reluctant readers.

34.              Lyon, George Ella. Holding On To Zoe.  Margaret Ferguson Books (Farrar Straus Giroux). 978-0-374-33264-8. Sixteen year old Julie is burdened with the care of her new born daughter Zoe when her boyfriend drops out of school and leaves town, while her mother refuses to even acknowledge Zoe.  Julie’s life erupts when the reality of the present collides with the nightmare of the past and no one but Julie wants to keep Zoe in her life. Psychological thriller for reluctant readers.

35.              Mandanna, Sangu.  The Lost Girl.  Balzer + Bray. 978-0-06-208231-2. Eva has had sixteen years to study for her final exam, but nothing truly prepares her to live someone else’s life.  Eva was designed and built as an exact replica of Amarra in case something should ever happen to Amarra.  Eva is just an Echo of Amarra.  When Amarra is killed in a car accident and Eva is sent to “replace” Amarra, Eva quickly realizes that she doesn’t want to – and can’t – replace a real person.  Unfortunately, escape is impossible. Science Fiction.

36.              McBride, Kristina.  One Moment.  Egmont.  978-1-60684-086-3.  One moment Maggie is enjoying a weekend with her friends, the next moment she’s blanked out because that moment includes Joey’s death.  Five friends, Adam, Joey, Maggie, Shannon, and Tanna, have hiked to their favorite hangout which includes a cliff with a 30 foot plunge to the water below where Joey plunges to his death.  As Maggie fights to regain her memory, she realizes that Joey wasn’t the perfect boyfriend after all.  Mystery suspense.

37.              McCormick, Patricia.  Never Fall Down.  Balzer + Bray. 978-0-06-173094-8. Based on the true story of Arn Chorn, a Cambodian boy who learns to kill to survive, this book chronicles his life from April of 1975 until he is adopted by an American relief worker in 1980.  Between the starvations, the malaria, the beatings, the labor camps with no medical supplies, and surrounded by death, both slow and too fast, Arn learns to survive the only way he can.  Historical fiction.

38.              McDonald, Abby.  Getting Over Garrett Delaney.  Candlewick. 978-0-7636-5507-5.  From the moment that Garrett Delaney moved into town, Sadie has been Garrett’s own personal fan club. Unfortunately, for two solid years, Garrett recognizes her only as his BFF (aka his special fan) who agrees and/or likes everything he does.  When Sadie is not accepted to a highly anticipated summer writer’s club, but Garrett is, Sadie decides that the six week break will be the time to reinvent herself through a 12 step process into the real Sadie. Language.

39.              McGarry, Katie.  Pushing the Limits.  Harlequin Teen.  978-0-373-21049-7. Echo Emerson was a popular sophomore dating the heartthrob of the school and an award winning artist until her bipolar mother destroyed her life.  Echo is trying to cope with her mother’s abuse, the death of her brother in Afghanistan, and the intrusion of her former babysitter into her life as her new stepmother when she connects with Noah Hutchison who is described as a girl-using stoner.  Noah will do anything to achieve his goal of gaining custody of his 4 year-old and 8 year-old brothers. Romance.  Expect to purchase the sequel which covers Beth’s (Noah’s friend in the foster home) story.  Language.

40.              Miranda, Megan.  Fracture.  Walker & Co.  978-0-8027-2309-3. Eleven minutes can be an eternity—especially if you’re drowning in the freezing lake.  After being in a coma for six days with no physical signs of brain damage, Delaney realizes that something about her has mysteriously changed.  She can sense death around her.  Romance/supernatural. Language. Highly recommended.

41.              Monoghan, Annabelle.  D1G1T: She’s Got Your Number.  Houghton Mifflin. 978-0-547-66852-9. Farrah Higgins, (yes, she’s named after THAT Farrah), is a math genius nicknamed Digit, when all she really wants to do is be part of the regular high school crowd. Instead she finds herself the focus of an eco-terrorist group when she unravels their plot to bomb their next target.  With her life on the line, she is rescued by John, a young and handsome FBI agent, a brainiac language specialist, and realizes that being smart isn’t all bad.

42.              Nicholson, Lorna Schultz.  Vegas Tryout.  James Lorimer & Co. 978-1-4594-0070-2.

Carrie Munroe is shocked and embarrassed when her synchronized swim coach announces in front of the entire team that Carrie is the shortest and heaviest girl on the team—and needs to lose 10 pounds. Carrie is willing to do whatever it takes to make the final cut for the synchronized team heading to Vegas—even losing 10 pounds and then 20 and then. . . Reluctant readers

43.              Pausch, Jai. Dream New Dreams:  Reimagining My Life After Loss. Crown Archetype.  978-0-307-88850-1. Readers who enjoyed The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch will appreciate the other side of the story told by his widow, Jai Pausch.  Brutally honest about the three ring circus, i.e. the kids, Randy’s health, and the friends/family who were constantly in the house to help out, Jai Pausch tells of the heartbreaking weariness that overcomes caretakers, especially when in the public spotlight.

44.              Reeves, Amy Carol.  Ripper.  Flux.  978073830721.  After her mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Arabella Sharp is taken in by Lady Westfield, the haughty grandmother she has never met.  Arabella’s liberal ways are a tribulation to her grandmother until Dr. Julian Bartlett offers to let Arabella volunteer at his Whitechapel Hospital which serves the health needs of the unfortunate women in the East End of London.  Feeding newborn orphans, witnessing the death of a pregnant woman, facing a violent husband, and encountering the handsome Dr. William Siddal are all in a day’s work.  Unfortunately, the nights are filled with visions of Whitechapel patients as future murder victims of the infamous Ripper.  Expect a sequel as Arabella plans to attend medical school as well as stop the formidable Ripper.

45.              Roberts, Jeyn.  Dark Inside.   Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. 978-1442423510. Earthquakes, bombs, families gone, night time, and zombies called Baggers are just a few of the frightening changes in the new world that was once called North America.  Aries, Clementine, Mason, and Michael, along with the anonymous Nothing, narrate this story in alternating chapters, where nothing is as it seems, especially when it comes to the traitor Nothing. Expect a sequel.

46.              Rosenfelt, David. Heart of a Killer.  Minotaur Books. 978-0-312-59837-2. What would you do to save the life of your daughter?  Convicted murderer Sheryl Harrison wants to donate her heart to her daughter who is in desperate need of a transplant and has a rare blood type that only matches her mother’s. Sarcastic, unmotivated Jamie Wagner is assigned the pro bono case by his large law firm and is not sure how he feels about working with a murderer.  Mystery thriller for older readers. Language.

47.              Rushby, Allison.  Shooting Stars.  Walker & Company.  978-0-8027-2375-8. High school student and professional paparazzo Josephine Foster is known as Zo Jo in the media world.  She is able to get those shots that no one else can, but her real goal is to become a professional portrait photographer. When she’s asked to take the sleazy job of going undercover to get reality photos of an elusive star, she must come to terms with the conflict between her love life and her disliked occupation.  Reluctant readers.

48.              Scheier, Leah,  Secret Letters.  Hyperion. 978-1-4231-2405-4. Sixteen year old Dora Joyce travels to London to further her career as an investigator – and to look up her biological father whom she believes is Sherlock Holmes. She is disappointed to find Sherlock Holmes dead and instead partners with Peter Cartwright, a seventeen year old investigator. Victorian romance/ historical fiction.

49.              Schmidt, Tiffany.  Send Me A Sign.  Walker & Company.  978-0-8027-2840-1. With a drama queen for a mother who expects her to be academically and socially perfect, senior Mia Moore is always looking for a sign that will help her make the right decision. She knows that her friends would never understand her dilemmas and the only one who does understand is Gyver Russo.  Then Mia is diagnosed with leukemia and not only struggles with the physical issues of leukemia, but finds it even harder to deal with the emotional issues.  Language. 

50.              Shoemaker, Tim.  Code of Silence.  Zondervan.  9780310726531.  Three friends are witness to the robbery of a local diner.  Based on the threats of the robbers, Cooper, his cousin Gordy, and their friend Hiroko vow to keep a “code of silence” and not tell anyone what they saw.  As the threats to their safety escalate, their friendship begins to disintegrate.  Each must decide what price they are willing to pay to keep the “simple” pact or to inform the police—who may be in on the robbery.  Mystery thriller for younger high school students.

51.              Simmons, Kristen.  Article 5.  Tor Teen Book. 978-0-7653-2958-5.  After a disastrous attack on the United States, the Moral Militia is the ruling class of the new world.  Religion, literature, and family structure are all clearly defined under the new statutes.  Non-compliant citizens are sent to rehab—which means they never return.  And unfortunately, the rules of compliance constantly change.  Ember Miller’s mother is arrested for non-compliance of Article 5 because she had Ember out of wedlock---seventeen years ago. Now seventeen-year-old Ember must fight to find her mother and must trust people who can’t be trusted—including the former love of her life, Chase Jennings.

52.              Sonnenblick, Jordan. Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip.  Scholastic Press. 978-0-545-32069-6. Filled with humor at his arrival onto the high school scene as well as sadness at his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s, Peter Friedman must learn how to cope with it all.  A serious accident ruins Peter’s hopes of becoming the star of the baseball team so he must find his way through the rocky road of girls, friends, parents, aging grandparents, and the dynamics of high school. High interest novel for both boys and girls.

53.              Spielman, Chris with Bruce Hooley.  That’s Why I’m Here.  Zondervan.  978-0-310-33614-3. This is a love story.  It’s about the love of football, the love of God, and the love for his wife, Stefanie.  Chris Spielman is known for his toughness.  He is a football legend at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels but his wife, Stefanie, was even tougher.  Although she was kind, beautiful, and athletic, her best attribute would not be clearly defined until she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Will appeal to both boys and girls as well as adults.  Highly recommended.

54.              Tashjian, Janet.  For What It’s Worth.  Henry Holt and Company. 978-0-8050-9365-0. Record albums, The Vietnam War, Mama Cass, Ouija boards, and The Draft all make up a regular day in the life of fourteen year old Quinn in 1971.  Those of us who actually lived in 1971 may appreciate this “historical” fiction more than kids would. It’s filled with music trivia and real life issues.  Music fans as well as reluctant readers.

55.              Tsintziras, Aya.  Pretty Bones.  James Lorimer & Co. 978-1-55277-712-1.  Raine is a popular and excellent student, but no one realizes that she is afraid-----afraid of her own reflection.  She is especially afraid of the bathroom scales that show she weighs a disgusting and astronomical 100 pounds. Those three digits are a monster that almost drive her to her death.  Reluctant reader.

56.              Valentine, Jenny.  Double. Hyperion. 978-1-4231-4715-5. When he is mistaken for Cassiel, another 16 year old boy who has been missing for two years, runaway Chap is suddenly surrounded by the family he had always wished for.  Unfortunately, some times we get what we wish for. . . and families aren’t always what they seem----especially the family member who murdered Cassiel.  Mystery thriller.

57.              Vivian, Siobhan. The List. Push. 978-0-545-16917-2. On the last Monday of September, the hallways of Mount Washington High School are covered with “The List.”  Eight girls become famous or infamous, depending on where they are ranked on the list---as the prettiest girl in their class or the ugliest girl in their class.  Each girl struggles with the burden of being brutally evaluated by her looks. 

58.              Volponi, Paul. The Final Four.  Viking.  978-0-670-01264-0.  Filled with quotes from both former players and coaches, realistic problems for collegiate athletes, and national news, this novel covers the story of four college basketball players on their way to the biggest goal of their life—the NCAA championship.  Freshman Malcolm McBride plans on leaving the projects of Detroit behind him and playing in the NBA; Junior Roko “Red Bull” Bacic escaped his native Croatia but misses his family terribly. Crispin Rice is inspired by the wealthy Hope, the girl of his dreams. Reserve player M.J. wants to get off the bench and prove that he can live up to his name of Michael Jordan.

59.              Wenn, Elizabeth.  Code Name Verity. Hyperion.  978-1-4231-5219-4.  A World War II pilot and her best friend crash behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied France in the middle of 1943. Only one survives.  Told by the alternating characters, the survivor, code name Verity, is captured by the Gestapo and faces the choice of the firing squad or sharing the details of her mission. Historical fiction/suspense.

60.              Wolf, Jennifer Shaw.  Breaking Beautiful.  Walker & Co.  978-0-8027-2352-9. Allie can’t remember many details from the night that her boyfriend Trip was killed as his truck drove over a cliff—and the details that she can remember, she wishes she could forget—especially the details of Trip’s continuous physical and emotional abuse. The once beautiful Allie is now broken—inside and out—and must find her way out of the black hole of her depression.  Mystery thriller.

61.              Woodson, Jacqueline. Beneath A Meth Moon. Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin). 978-0-399-25250-1. After her mother and grandmother are killed in Hurricane Katrina, Laurel Daneau’s remaining family end up in Galilee, Iowa, where there’s a new job for her father and a new friend, a place on the cheerleading squad, and a boyfriend for Laurel.  Fourteen-year-old Laurel falls in love with the beautiful T-Boom who makes her feel better, stronger, and happier than she’s ever been----or maybe it’s the methadone that T-Boom gives her.  Laurel runs away from home and spends her 15th birthday begging for money, addicted to chasing the moon.

62.              Yocum, Robin.  The Essay.  Arcade Publishing. 978-1-61145-766-7. James Leland Hickam comes from a long line of social outcasts known for their exploits on the wrong side of the law. Because of that history, Jimmy Lee is so low in the social strata that he’s not considered “white trash.” He’s a dogger, a resident of Red Dog Road that leads to the county’s dump. Raised by parents who are appallingly nonchalant in their neglect, Jimmy Lee only has hopes of being the first of his family to possibly graduate from high school and finding a steady job in the mines of Vinton County. School is not important because it leads nowhere, just like his life and the lives of everyone around him. Students who liked The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie will be mesmerized by this tautly written, powerful, and insightful book.  Language.  Highly recommended.

63.              Zarr, Sara.  How To Save A Life.  Little, Brown, and Company. 978-0-316-18614-8.  Jill is angry.  She’s angry at her friends, her boyfriend, her mom, --- basically she’s angry at the world for her father’s death in a car accident.  And NOW, her mother has decided to adopt the baby carried by petite, wholesome-looking Mandy whom she met through the Internet.  Is her mom trying to erase the memory of Jill’s dad—or worse, Jill herself with this new baby? Feeling raw and exposed, Jill is unprepared for the beautiful but naïve Mandy. Told in alternating chapters by the two girls, there is the surly, pierced, dyed-hair Jill versus Mandy, now a high school dropout, who was raped by her mother’s boyfriend.  Mandy has nowhere to go, no money, and no future. Each is trying to find her place in the world.