Eyes Like Stars

Eyes Like Stars

by Lisa Mantchev

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has a led a charmed life on the stage.

Literally.

She actually lives on a stage, in a magical theatre, where the characters from every play ever written come to life and perform.

With no knowledge of her parents or even how she came to live there, Beatrice hopes to one day meet the mother she's never known.

Of course, she first has to prove that she has the right to stay there.  And since she seems to be better at blowing cannonballs through set pieces instead of building them, that may be harder than even she believes.

With her constant companions, the fairies from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Beatrice must direct Hamlet (set in Egypt), deal with a dangerous flirt (an air spirit from The Tempest), and try to understand the only man who seems to truly want her to stay safe (a sailor from The Little Mermaid).

Can Beatrice learn all the secrets of the Théâtre Illuminata before she's forced to leave and live in the real world?

Give Up the Ghost

Give Up the Ghost

by Megan Crewe

Cass is probably the most feared and hated girl in school.  She knows everybody's secrets and she has made sure that everyone knows she knows.  No one talks to her because everyone is afraid of her.  Even the teachers back away from her.

She wasn't always feared.  She once had friends and a social life.  But things changed one year when her best friend betrayed her.  After that, the entire school bullied her until she was able to bully back with her knowledge of every secret on campus. 

But for all the secrets that she knows, no one knows her's.

Ever since Cass's sister died, Cass has been able to see ghosts.  And ghosts like to talk, especially when so few can hear them.

So Cass listens and learns the secrets of the school and seems to think that she's keeping it all together.... Until the class VP figures out her secret and requests her help in contacting his newly dead mother.

Now Cass has to decide between staying with the ghosts she knows or facing the fleshies around her.

Thirteenth Child

Thirteenth Child

by Patricia C. Wrede

Francine Rothmer (Eff to anyone who knows her) is the twin sister of Lan, the seventh son of a seventh son.  And, since sevens are the most powerful number in magic, being the seventh-seventh makes Lan the most powerful natural magician around.

This wouldn't be a problem, except that Eff is the thirteenth child.  And thirteen is the worst number to be.  Even at five years old, her own uncle tries to have her jailed for cursing her cousin, even though children can't work magic until they're ten.  The aunts even complain that she should have been drowned at birth and that it's never too late do it.

But Eff's mother, father, and siblings disagree that Eff is naturally bad, so they move out to the edge of the Great Barrier, where her father can teach magic to others and Eff can get away from the extended family.

Eff is given a chance to grow and learn without all the prejudices that surround a thirteen.  But is she really cursed?  Can she learn to manage the magic that surrounds everything the people do before it gets away from her and harms those she loves most?

This is an alternate reality book where the Great Barrier of magic was installed by Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, steam dragons threaten the settlers, and people live in the great country of Columbia near the Gulf of Amerigo.  What would the world have been like if magic truly was everywhere?

The School for Dangerous Girls

The School for Dangerous Girls

by Eliot Schrefer

Angela Cardenas is a "dangerous girl".... or at least her parents think so.

She steals, dates a boy far too old for her, and betrays a family member.  It's too much for her parents to take.  When they find out about Hidden Oak from distant relations who sent a daughter there because she, too, was "dangerous", they ship Angela before she has time to blink.

From day one, things are definitely not normal.  Confined to the "mansion", forbidden from leaving the building, locked in their rooms at night, spied on with video cameras that seem to be planted everywhere,  forced to play mind-games... and this is only the first month!

Can Angela find out the truth about Hidden Oak, and her own dangerous ways, before things go too far?

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Small town life is a drag.

Small town life in a South Carolina town where everyone knows everyone and the Civil War is still referred to as the War of Northern Aggression is even more of a drag.

And Ethan knows better than most was a drag it is.

He's counting down the days until he graduates high school and can leave his little town.

That is, until Lena arrives.

First, she haunts his dreams with strange premonitions and visions.  And when he actually meets her in person, he can't stay away.

But Lena is more than just the new girl.  She's even more than the new girl who lives with her uncle, the infamous town recluse.  She's more than anyone even knows... even Lena herself.

And now Ethan and Lena have to find out about a family curse that seems destined to turn Lena into something dark and sinister on her sixteenth birthday.  A day that is coming far too quickly for anyone's comfort.

Lips Touch

Lips Touch

by Laini Taylor

illustrations by Jim di Bartolo

Three short stories tell the tales of first kisses.

Kizzy has a strange family, strange traditions, and even strange clothes.  But her dreams are those of any girl.  She wants to be loved.  She wants to be adored.  She wants her first kiss to be something amazing.  When a new boy shows up and seems to be the one to fulfill all her dreams, will Kizzy fall for him?  Or will she remember her grandmother's warnings about goblins, temptations, and kisses?

Anamique has been cursed with the most beautiful voice in the world.  And it can literally kill.  One sound coming from her lips has the power to kill everyone around her.  When she falls in love with James, a man who doesn't believe in curses, will she risk the curse to tell him she loves him after their first kiss?

Without knowing it, our world is filled with demons known as Druj.  These immortal creatures have no emotions and no cares even though they sometimes believe that something is missing from their lives.  When the "pet" of the Queen of the Druj gets free with her daughter, events are set in motion that could change everything the Druj have ever known.

The Snog Log

The Snog Log

by Michael Coleman

The first day back to school after the summer break begins like many others. However, Robbie and his friends notice a difference in the girls.

They've.... developed.

All around them, the girls who they teased for being flat-chested and boring-looking, have now begun to fill out their shirts and started to look hot.

In honor of this new discovery, the boys decide to hold a Snogathon, which is kind of like a Readathon, except that instead of counting pages read, they count the kisses given.

There are rules, of course. And some girls are worth more than others in points. But Robbie is determined to win, even if he doesn't always feel like this is appropriate.

With the Christmas dance coming, and his last chance to score with the girl formerly known as "Microscopic Mel" fast approaching, will Robbie be able to rack up enough points to win?

Note: this book is set in England, so some terms may be confusing. Luckily, there's a short glossary in the back to help. AND! You may learn a few terms to try out in class and confuse your teachers!

Bad Apple

Bad Apple

by Laura Ruby

Tola Riley has always been a bit misunderstood. But can you blame her? Her parents have divorced. Her dad married an evil stepmother who seems to come straight from a Grimm's Fairy Tale. Her sister only thinks about death and the evils of the world. Her neighbor wants her to declaw her cat. And her former best friend has started a campaign to ruin the reputation of the only teacher in school who ever let Tola be herself.

It's been a bad year.

And things only get worse when no one believes her when she says that the teacher didn't do anything wrong. Her art isn't appreciated by any of the substitute teachers who change each day. Her own mom won't speak to her about what's going on. And her former best friend's mother is determined to ban almost every book in the school's library without having even read them.

Can she fix everything that's gone so wrong? And can she catch the eye of that cute guy even while it seems like everyone is just trying to ignore her?

Gone

Gone

by Michael Grant

One moment they were there... Then next they were gone.

Every adult at Perdido Beach and the surrounding area disappears without a second's warning.

Every person fifteen and older is gone.

Only children remain after an accident at the local nuclear power plant nearly destroys everything, and those children have no idea what to do.

Now they have the run of the entire town! McDonald's is theirs! All the junk food they can eat! Even alcohol is theirs if they want it!

But Sam Temple knows that this is no time to celebrate. He, Astrid, Edilio, and Quinn, all set out to find out what happened and why there is a HUGE dome cutting off their home from the rest of the world.

And when the kids from the nearby "reform" school come to town and take over, they know there could be trouble.

Making matters worse are all the strange mutating creatures around like the seagulls with talons for hunting, the snakes with wings, and the coyotes who can talk.

What happened to Perdido Beach? Will they ever get out? Will anyone ever find them? And what will happen to Sam in just a few days when he turns fifteen?

(Part 1 of a series)

Princess of the Midnight Ball

Princess of the Midnight Ball

by Jessica Day George

Many may know the tale of the 12 Dancing Princesses. Barbie even has a DVD about it. But this retelling spins the tale of the humble soldier-turned-gardener who falls in love with the eldest princess and is determined to save her.

Along the way, there are magic spells, capes that make the wearer invisible, bargains with the king of the kingdom under stone, arranged marriages, death, murder, dancing, and Midnight Balls.

To save his beloved Princess Rose, Galen must be more clever than the average person, and more than a little lucky.

Can Galen save Rose from her mother's deal with the king bound to live underground by magic hundreds of years old? Can he prevent her and her 11 sisters from having to marry the 12 sons of that king? Can he stop the invasion of the king's grandchildren, who could possibly rise above the earth and take it over?

There's only one way to find out.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
by Beth Fantaskey

Tired of the damsel-in-distress vampire stories? Need something you can really sink your teeth into?

Jessica (born Antanasia in Romania and adopted by American parents) is getting ready for the best senior year ever. She's top of the class, got the math championship in her sights, and the best looking guy on campus has finally figured out that she exists.

Nothing could ruin this for her.

Except maybe the extremely hot-looking foreigner from Romania who acts as if he's a prince (and he believes it, too)!

And when he moves to Jessica's place, calls her by her born name, and declares that not only are they promised to be married, but they're also vampire royalty... Well! Jessica decides that he's a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

However, he's determined, seems to be able to prove what he's saying, and did I mention hot! What's a girl to do?

Girl Stays in the Picture

Girl Stays in the Picture

by Melissa de la Cruz

Superstars! They're just like us!

Well... except for the movie star boyfriends, the parties, the designer clothes, the movie premieres, the yachts, the stage mothers, and the paparazzi... they really are just like us!

They scheme. They backstab. They try to steal boyfriends.

They are misunderstood. They are rumored about. They get cheated on. They get dumped.

They fall in love. They make BFFs. They learn to enjoy life.

Superstars!

Who wouldn't want to be one!??

Something to Blog About

Something to Blog About

by Shana Norris

Sometimes the only person you can talk to is yourself. And, since talking to yourself out loud makes you look a little crazy, a blog can be a great way to get out your feelings.

Now, Libby Fawcett knows that blogs (online diaries) can be dangerous, so she specifically signs up for one that is password protected. She's very careful to log out every time she's done. She hasn't even told her family and friends about it, so no one knows she even has it.

As she writes about her days, her friends, and her evil tormentor, she gets a place to let out her feelings, especially about her not-so-secret crush, Seth.

However, things are never as easy as that.

Libby's evil tormentor, Angel, also happens to be the daughter of the man that Libby's mom is dating. And neither one of them is happy about it.

If Angel ever finds out about her blog, and all the secrets it contains, Libby may never be able to survive the fallout.

Stitches

Stitches

by David Small

When he was born, he was sick and always crying.

When he was six, he had all sorts of sinus problems. So his dad, a radiologist, took tons of x-rays as therapy to help make him better.

When he was eleven, a growth appeared on his neck. Instead of taking him to surgery to have it removed, his dad bought his mom a new car and new furniture for the house.

When he was fourteen, he finally got the surgery he needed. And then had a second one the next day. And THEN he found out that he had cancer and that was why the doctor had been forced to remove glands and one of his two vocal chords.

So now he is mostly silent. Watching his extremely dysfunctional family fall apart before his eyes. And drawing it all.

It isn't until he is finally allowed to go to therapy that he finds out that life isn't supposed to be this hard. Then and only then can he draw his way past it to a better life.

This graphic novel is a very quick read with artwork that brings truth to the saying about a picture being worth a thousand words. Stitches is a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award.

m or f?

m or f?

by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbetts

Frannie and Marcus are brain twins. They've known each other for years, finish each other's sentences, and have the same taste in everything.

They are perfect for each other.

As friends.

Did I forget to mention? Marcus is gay.

When Frannie falls for Jeffrey, Marcus is there to push her on and support her. He helps her get dressed for her date, encourages her to chase off the blonde who sticks to Jeffrey like glue, and helps her chat with Jeffrey online.

But Marcus gets a little too supportive when he continues to chat with Jeffrey online even when Frannie is not around.

As he gets to know Jeffrey, he's discovering that maybe his brain twin's perfect match may be his, as well.

So... what to do!? Help his friend get the guy? Or steal the guy for himself (if he's also gay).

Sister Wife

Sister Wife

by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Nanette - Pure of thought. A true believer. God has a plan for her, her future husband, her future children, and his other wives.

Celeste - Tries to be pure of thought. Wants to be a true believer. But if God has a plan for her, he hasn't told her yet and she's making some plans of her own.

Taviana - Outsider. Had a hard life with the non-believers. Even became a prostitute to support herself until a man from Unity came and brought her to The Movement to try and save her. She enjoys the safety, but not all of the rules and strict guidelines. And she talks a little too much to Celeste to make the leaders of Unity comfortable.

This is a polygamist community where men have many wives and romance between teens is forbidden. Cell phones, TV, movies, and all fast food are forbidden. Girls stop attending school after eighth grade to help their mothers take care of the multiple children around the household.

When Celeste turns 15, the Prophet will speak to God and choose a husband for her, even though she's already in love. Nanette seeks only to be pure and follow the rules, but worries about her sister's soul because it looks like she's going to go against the Prophet. And Taviana just wants to stay off the streets, but the police keep looking for her.

Can these three girls find the strength to be themselves and find happiness?

Kiss & Blog

Kiss & Blog

by Alyson Noël

Being popular is all that Winter and Sloane ever wanted in high school. In fact, they spent their entire summer studying for it. They had index cards to plan proper responses to what the popular girls would say. They purchased clothes that the popular girls would wear. They planned their pajamas for when they were "kidnapped" after getting on the cheerleading squad with the perfect cheer. They even created and signed a contract between them promising that if one girl became popular, she'd take the other with her.

But that's so not how things turn out.

Sloane gets in and Winter gets ignored.

Not only does Sloane not help Winter become popular, she pushes Winter aside as she gets to be the leader of the popular girls and dates the senior hunk of the school.

But Winter is no wimp. She decides to get even.

She starts a blog that is solely focused on sharing every single one of Sloane's deepest, darkest, most embarrassing secrets.

And though no one knows who she is, and no one knows she's talking about Sloane, the blog soon becomes the talk of the school and Winter has a question to answer.

What is revenge?

1. Becoming exactly like the person who hurt you or...
   
2. Becoming popular in your own way, without changing who you are.

Can she do both?

She'd better figure it out before it's too late.

The Revealers

The Revealers
by Doug Wilhelm

Middle school is hard.

We all know it.

Sixth grade starts out ok because your friends from elementary school are still your friends when you start the new year.

But things change.

Seventh grade means cliques. Populars. Jocks. Geeks. Loners. Everyone gets an "identity"... whether they want it or not.

And the bullies come out. Boys get beat up. Girls get nasty little notes.

Middle school is very hard.

But does it have to be that way?

Can things change?

If there was a way to tell your story anonymously to everyone, would it make a difference?

Are the bullies doing it because they can? Or because people let them?

If you stand up and tell EVERYONE that you're being bullied, will the bullies go away?

It's an interesting idea. A thought. A scientific study to be made.

By posting stories on the school's LAN for everyone to read, Russell, Elliott, and Catalina open up a whole new world for the victims of bullies.

But some of the bullies are not happy with the change. And now The Revealers have to watch their backs before someone goes too far.

Twisted

Twisted
by Laurie Halse Anderson

Tyler Miller was a nobody. Nobody knew him. Nobody cared what he said. Nobody cared what he did.

Tyler Miller may have spent his enter life being a nobody except that he got fed up one day, bought some paint, and spray-painted some very rude things on the school walls about the junior class being awesome and the principal being... well... not awesome.

Of course, he still may have been a nobody if he hadn't stupidly left his wallet at the scene of the crime.

So after a summer of community service for a landscaping company and after emptying out his bank account to pay for the damage, Tyler Miller is not only famous, but now he has a reputation.

He's also bigger. Lifting all those 50-pound bags of mulch and tarring roofs adds muscle. So this quiet, shy, gamer has now become the strongest guy in his class.

He's finally gotten the attention of the most beautiful girl at school. Unfortunately, he's also gotten the attention of her jerk of a brother. And both of them are the children of Tyler's dad's boss, so having their attention means he's now really gotten his father's attention.

Now Tyler's got too many problems to manage on his own. His father has enrolled him in courses far too difficult for him. His mother is drinking herself to sleep each night. His sister is dating his best friend. The girl he likes thinks he's done something he hasn't. And the guy he hates has a few friends willing to do his dirty work for him.

With his 18th birthday nearing, the police suspecting that he's taken and posted nude pictures of someone, and everyone either avoiding him or hitting him, things are getting to a breaking point.

The question is.... in this twisted little world, who will break first and what will happen when all hell breaks loose.

ttyl

ttyl

by Lauren Myracle

OMG! u have 2 read this! angelas got this thing 4 this guy then this other guy then this OTHER guy and zoe has this tchr whos crushing on her and maddie starts hangin w/ the Queen Bee who makes her life HELL when she takes this embarrassing pic and snds it 2 evry1

O! and the whole story iz told in IMs!

no chaptrs and no dorky descriptions!

Note: If you are a guy or you can't read what is written above, this is probably not the book for you.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Just months after Katniss Everdeen defied the Capitol by not only surviving the Hunger Games, but saving her "boyfriend" in the process, the shock of all that death and destruction is still with her.

She still remembers all of the people she killed and those who were killed in front of her; and her nightmares about what she has seen are so bad that only Peeta can help her sleep long.

But nightmares are the least of her problems now. It turns out that her personal act of defiance has begun to spark rebellion among the 12 districts and the President blames her.

On a tour through the districts, Kat sees even more acts of rebellion, as well as those who would kill it... literally. Without her knowledge, she has become the symbol of the revolution. She and the President know that her death would end all trouble he has... but only if done right.

So he has another Hunger Game and forces Kat, Peeta, and other previous winners to fight to the death once again.

Somehow, Kat must save the world that she knows even while she fights it with all the strength that she has, even while saving herself, her family, her friends, and her fiancee.

Note: this is the second book of The Hunger Games series. It is highly recommended that you read The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, before reading Catching Fire.

The Unnameables

The Unnameables
by Ellen Booraem

"If it hath no Use, it needeth no Name, and wilt do thee no Harm. Turn thy Back and 'tis gone. Beware, lest thou stare at the Nameless thing for too long. Thou, and only thou, canst Transform the unnamed to the Unnameable. And then in Truth thou shalt be Gone."

This is one of the most important rules for the Island and Surrounding Waters. Everyone and everything must have a name. And that name must reflect its use. If it isn't useful, it can't have a name and it must be gone.

If you carve, your name is Carver. If you cook, your name is Cook. If you fish, your name is Fisher. If you practice carpentry, your name is Carpenter.

Life is simple that way. There is no confusion.

But Medford Runyuin is not one of them. His parents died when he was young and he was taken in by a Carver. And though he's been raised by one of them, he cannot believe that just because something has no use that it is all bad.

Because Medford has a secret. He doesn't just carve bowls and spoons. He also carves images of birds, faces, and even squirrels that look like they are just curled up and sleeping.

His carvings are beautiful, but they are also dangerous. And not just to him.

They are Unnameable.

Medford even starts to think that they should be destroyed completely... until the Goatman shows up.

And then the real trouble starts.

Note: This book contains words and phrases that can sometimes be a bit confusing. It's worth the read if you can work out the vocabulary in your head.

Girl v. Boy

Girl v. Boy
by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Luisa Perez. One of 10 (oops, make that 11) Luisa Perez's on campus, Lu is who she is, but no one sees her...

Except for the vain diva dancer who thinks fifteen minutes as a failed TV reality show competitor makes her the star of everything.

Oh! And the star basketball player who tries to grope Lu in the planetarium.

And don't forget the somewhat geeky, yet totally gorgeous guy who doesn't treat her like a moron.

There's also the skater who thinks she's worthy to stand on his rare board.

And, of course, there's her sister's boyfriend's co-worker who happens to be seriously cute and seriously into her.

What none of them know is that Lu happens to be the anonymous female columnist "Newshound" of the girl vs. boy column called "The Word".

The females (even the stuck-up divas) think everything she writes is amazing.

The males think her counterpart "Scoop" is always right (even when Lu thinks he's completely wrong).

And both of the columnists hate each other... at least on paper.

Can they work together, save the day, and still manage to win the literacy fundraising concert?

Who knows? But isn't it fun to watch?

Loserville

Loserville
by Peter Johnson

Have you ever felt like your life is one big reality TV episode and all you need is the annoying host to jump in and tell everyone how much your life sucks?

Lucas has issues. Nate has issues. Coco has issues. Even Phoebe has issues. But no one has issues like Derek's issues.

With a sexed up stepmother, a father who's lost touch, and a dead mother, Derek's life is hard. And it doesn't get any easier when his stepmother signs the family up to be on Loserville where an annoying host (a combination of Dr. Phil and Jerry Springer) does everything he can to make Derek look like the worst teen in the world.

So while Lucas and his friends have issues, they have no idea how to help Derek with his and he spirals out of control.

Fights. Drugs. Booze. Vandalism. His girlfriend nearly pregnant. And a jump from a very high bridge.

What do you do when your life starts spinning out of control and no one tries to stop it?

La Primavera

La Primavera
by Mary Jane Beaufrand

Flora's never been her mother's favorite. In fact, truth be told, her mother hates her. When she was born, her mother would have drowned her in a river if not for her Nonna (grandmother).

Because her mother hates her, she's worked hard to stay out of the way. So while everyone dotes on her beautiful older sister, Domenica, Flora spends her time in the dirt and muck, gardening and taking care of the house. She even trains to be a soldier and learns how to wield daggers, swords, and staffs.

That training comes in handy when her father joins forces with a dangerous man. Together, those two hatch a plot to kill the leading family in town and take control of the city.

But, as we all know, things don't always go as planned and it's up to Flora to save her family. Of course, she has to save herself first.

Set during the Italian Renaissance and inspired by Botticelli's La Primavera, this is the tale of growing up and staying alive when everyone wants you dead.