October+2009


 * __ I NTO THE WILD NERD YONDER __** ** by Julie Halpern ** (October 2009): Jessie has always hung out with best friends Bizza and Char. But when they transform themselves into faux-punks (faux because their clothes are from the mall, not from thrift stores like real punk kids) Jessie, a self-professed "mathelete," isn't sure where she belongs. Her beloved, punk rocker older brother shaves his Mohawk and dates the homecoming queen, and her longtime crush, a drummer in her brother's band, hooks up with . Bizza. Jessie's quest for new friends is an LOL tour through high-school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way - the D&D crowd, who out-nerd everyone. Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes?

If you go to the dorkside, can you ever come back? Here are the trials of high school, made fresh and hilariously familiar by the singular voice of Julie Halpern.

The man is crazy. The girl is desperate. This violent ride is only just beginning. And it will leave the brothers taking cover from hard truths about loyalty, love, and survival that crash into their lives.
 * __ IN THE PATH OF FALLING OBJECTS __** ** by Andrew Smith ** (October 2009): Jonah and his younger brother, Simon, are on their own. They set out to find what's left of their family, carrying between them ten dollars, a backpack full of dirty clothes, a notebook, and a stack of letters from their brother, who is serving a tour in Vietnam. And soon into their journey, they have a ride. With a man and a beautiful girl who may be in love with Jonah. Or Simon. Or both of them.

One more thing: The brothers have a gun. They're going to need it.

**__ A BANQUET FOR HUNGRY GHOSTS __** by Ying Chang Compestine ( October 2009): According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories, Ying Chang Compestine takes readers on a journey through time and across different parts of China. From the building of the Great Wall in 200 BC to the modern day of ipods, hungry ghosts continue to torment those who wronged them.

At once a window into the history and culture of China and an ode to Chinese cuisine, this assortment of frightening tales—complete with historical notes and delectable recipes—will both scare and satiate!


 * __ THE GOODBYE SEASON __** by Marian Hale ( October 2009): Mercy Kaplan doesn’t want to be like her mother, saddled with crying kids and failing crops for the rest of her life. Mercy longs to be on her own—until her wish comes true in the worst possible way. It is 1918 and a deadly flu epidemic ravages the country, leaving her utterly alone and penniless.

Mercy soon finds a job with Mrs. Wilder. But there’s something unsettling about the woman, whose brother died under mysterious circumstances. And then there’s Daniel, who could sweep a girl off her feet if she isn’t careful. . ..


 * __ MY INVENTED LIFE __** by Lauren Bjorkman ( October 2009): With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, and pull off the craziest prank. Still they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk email for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.

Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare. Which leads to an act of total insanity.

Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.

Josh Lieb - Author
 * __ I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT __**

Family Guy meets Election in this hilarious young adult debut!

Twelve-year-old Oliver Watson’s got the IQ of a grilled cheese sandwich. Or so everyone in Omaha thinks. In reality, Oliver’s a mad evil genius on his way to world domination, and he’s used his great brain to make himself the third-richest person on earth! Then Oliver’s father—and archnemesis—makes a crack about the upcoming middle school election, and Oliver takes it as a personal challenge. He’ll run, and he’ll win! Turns out, though, that overthrowing foreign dictators is actually way easier than getting kids to like you. . . Can this evil genius win the class presidency and keep his true identity a secret, all in time to impress his dad?

M. Jerry Weiss - Editor Helen Weiss - Editor Joan Bauer - Author Jack Gantos - Author Mel Glenn - Author Gordon Korman - Author David Lubar - Author Walter Dean Myers - Author John H. Ritter - Author Dian Curtis Regan - Author Nancy Springer - Author Sharon Dennis Wyeth - Author
 * __ THIS FAMILY IS DRIVING ME CRAZY __**
 * __ TEN STORIES ABOUT SURVIVING YOUR FAMILY __**

You think your family’s bad? What if your dad was a preacher at the mall? What if your sister made you dress like Little Lord Fauntleroy for her wedding? What if your grandfather was wanted by the law in three states? You’d be hard pressed to be in more embarrassing, tougher situations than these kids.

Ten hilarious, poignant, thoughtful stories about how our families drive us crazy, and how we love them anyway. Featuring some of today’s most talented authors:

Joan Bauer Jack Gantos Mel Glenn Gordon Korman David Lubar Walter Dean Myers Dian Curtis Regan John H. Ritter Nancy Springer Sharon Dennis Wyeth

This is the perfect gift for that special someone who drives you crazy!

Nina LaCour - Author An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, froma breakthrough new voice in YA fiction dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.
 * __ HOLD STILL __**

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful. . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself

Book 2 Michael P. Spradlin
 * __ THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: TRAIL OF FATE __**

Having escaped the Holy Land, the young squire Tristan must cross Europe on his secret mission to save the Holy Grail. Together with his friends, the fiery archer Robard Hode and the courageous assassin Maryam, he immediately finds himself caught in the middle of a conflict between the French kind and a heretical band of Cathears. But when Tristan falls for the beautiful leader of the Cathars, his devotion to the Grail wavers, which might have disastrous consequences.

Robin McKinley - Author Peter Dickinson - Author Master storytellers Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson, the team behind Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits, collaborate again to create five captivating tales incorporating the element of fire. In McKinley’s “First Flight,” a boy and his pet foogit unexpectedly take a dangerous ride on a dragon, and her “Hellhound” stars a mysterious dog as a key player in an eerie graveyard showdown. Dickinson introduces a young man who must defeat the creature threatening his clan in “Fireworm,” a slave who saves his village with a fiery magic spell in “Salamander Man,” and a girl whose new friend, the guardian of a mystical bird, is much older than he appears in “Phoenix.”
 * __ FIRE: TALES OF ELEMENTAL SPIRITS __**

With time periods ranging from prehistoric to present day, and settings as varied as a graveyard, a medieval marketplace and a dragon academy, these stories are sure to intrigue and delight the authors’ longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Kristin Cashore - Author
 * __ FIRE: THE PREQUEL TO GRACELING __**

She is the last of her kind... It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don’t need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven’t, you’ll be dying to read it next.

Thomas Wharton
 * __ THE SHADOW OF MALABRON __**

Malabron the Night King seeks to turn all stories into one – his story, a nightmare of absolute power. When Will Lightfoot, a rebellious teenager, stumbles into the Perilous Realm where all stories come from, he is unwillingly caught up in the struggle against this ancient evil.

Aided by some of the Storyfolk – including the feisty Rowen, her grandfather, Pendrake the loremaster, Finn Madoc, a knight-in-training, and Shade, the wise and loyal wolf – Will must set out on a dangerous journey and face a host of perils if he is ever to find the gateless gate that will take him home.

This is high fantasy on a grand scale, which imaginatively intertwines well-known stories with Will’s quest to weave an unforgettable adventure.

author: Tim Flannery
 * __ WE ARE THE WEATHER MAKERS __**
 * __ THE HISTORY OF CLIMATE CHANGE __**

co-author : Sally M. Walker First published for an adult readership, THE WEATHER MAKERS received critical kudos for its solid science and powerful message. Now this accessible new edition speaks directly to young adults, offering a clear look at the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what we can do to prevent a cataclysmic future. Here is an immediate and hard-hitting look backward -- and forward -- in climate history, bolstered by models and projections of current data. It includes interviews with people whose livelihoods have been directly affected by climate change, as well as individuals who make new technology and renewable resources a part of daily life. Newly featured are twenty-five practical tips that give readers the tools for living a greener lifestyle -- at home, in school, in the community, and ultimately, on Earth.

Every young person who cares about preserving the planet needs to know what’s inside this book -- and follow the authors’ call to action.

Natalie Standiford
 * __ HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT __**

New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?

Alexander Gordon Smith
 * __ LOCKDOWN: ESCAPE FROM FURNACE __**

Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Alex Sawyer is the “new fish.” Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, he knows he has two choices: resign himself to death in the darkness at the bottom of the world or find a way to break out of this escape-proof nightmare. Full of twists and terror, //Lockdown// is the incredible first book in Smith’s “Escape from Furnace” series.

Daniel Kirk
 * __ ELF REALM: THE HIGH ROAD __**

This is the much anticipated sequel to "Elf Realm: The Low Road". In book two, "The High Road", Matt and his sister Becky must work with the Elves and the troll Tomtar to save the Cord and both their worlds. After forming an uneasy alliance, Matt, the elf Tuava-Li and troll Tomtar set off to find Adri, the sick and dying tree at the northern pole, whose roots bind the world together through the Cords. The trio must plant a seed from the Tree that will grow it anew and restore well-being to all the realms, both fairy and human. Meanwhile Becky accompanies Asra and their guardian Radik to free Becky's parents, held captive in the eleven kingdom of Helfratheim. To their horror both groups discover that Brahja-Chi has begun to kidnap human children for a mass sacrifice to appease the Goddess. Not only do they new have to accomplish the tasks that they originally set out to perform, but must now try to stop the fiendish Brahja-Chi and her accomplice Jardaine. Kirk's trademark illustrations - including maps, character portraits and other scenes - bring to life the riveting and engaging story.

Jessica Verday
 * __THE HALLOW__**

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special. Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her -- one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity