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New Books for Teens
@ the Library ( K - Z )
Names Will Never Hurt Me
by Jaime Adoff
This book shares the stories of four high-school students:
Kurt, the "freak" who gets bullied by his peers;
Ryan, the football star who walks the hallways like a king;
Tisha, who feels like an unattractive misfit because she's
of mixed race; and Floater, the operator who acts as the
principal's right-hand man. These four very different teens
are suddenly brought together as escalating events involving
bullying, racism, and an accusation of rape happen all during
the course of a single school day. As tensions rise, will
these four teens be able to reach out to one another before
tragedy occurs?
Nothing to Lose
by Alex Flinn
A year ago Michael's life seemed pretty good, at least from
the outside. But with a new stepfather in the picture, his
world was really violently out of control. So Michael grabs
a chance to leave town with a traveling fair and finds a
welcome refuge from the unbearable situation at home. But
now Michael is back in Miami, and his mother is on trial
for murder. As the day of her trial draws close, Michael
wonders how much longer he can hide from his past . . .
and his future.
The Oracle Betrayed
by Catherine Fisher
(Book One of The Oracle Prophecies)
"Listen . . .
I will trust you.
There is no one else,
and I will be dead soon.
The Speaker is corrupt.
The Oracle is being betrayed.
Burn this.
Stay alive."
Prep
by Jake Coburn
"The toughest hoods in Manhattan's prep schools aren't
like other street thugs. They aren't poor and angry-they're
just angry. They aren't outsiders; none of them have spent
their lives trying to make it out of anywhere. They go to
the best schools and spend their summers in the Hamptons.
Prep-school hoods normally wear a Tommy Hilfiger or Polo
shirt with a nice-size label, and a North Face jacket, hood
and all. They're kind of funny to watch, most of the time,
until they decide to put somebody in the hospital."
The Ring of the Slave Prince by Bjarne Reuter
"'I am Tom O'Connor,' he shouted, 'grandson of Grainne
Ni Mhaille. I am wanted all over the Caribbean because I
kill and I set fires, I free slaves and I steal horses.
They have tried to drown me, shoot me, stab me, and hang
me. I have been whipped, robbed, rolled, and keelhauled.
They have taken my last penny, my best knife, and one of
my fingers, but Tom O'Connor is still standing.'"
The Secret Hour
by Scott Westerfeld
(Book One of the Midnighters Trilogy)
Nobody is safe in the secret hour. Strange things happen
at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma. Time freezes.
Nobody moves. For one secret hour each night, the town belongs
to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small
group of people knows about the secret hour--only they are
free to move about the midnight time. These people call
themselves Midnighters. Upon moving to Bixby, Oklahoma,
Jessica learns that she is one of the Midnighters, but the
dark creatures seem determined to destroy Jess.
See You Down the Road
by Kim Ablon Whitney
Bridget Daughterty's family lives in a trailer, moving
every so often; she is engaged and her wedding is sooner
than she'd like, and her parents want her to quit high school
so that she can help more with the family business. The
problem is: Bridget's not sure the Traveler life is for
her anymore. She feels guilty about pulling scams, and she's
not ready to get married. But Bridget has always done what
she's told, and there is no way her parents will let her
out of the wedding. And if she leaves the life, she is out
of the family for good.
Shadowmancer
by G. P. Taylor
Craving power and filled with insatiable greed, vicar Obadiah
Demurral has welcomed a darkness into his life that enables
him to do terrible things, in the hopes of harnessing ultimate
control over the universe. But young Raphah, Thomas, and
Kate are pulled into the epic battle of good versus evil
that may cost them their very souls.
The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable
Calwyn, a young priestess of ice magic, or "chantment,"
joins with other chanters who have different magical skills
to fight a sorcerer who wants to claim all powers for his
own.
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The Spirit Line
by Aimee and David Thurlo
Crystal Manyfeathers is caught between two worlds: her life
at a modern American high school, and her life with her
Navajo people. In deference to her father, Crystal prepares
for her upcoming womanhood ceremony, but just days before
it starts, the valuable rug Crystal has been weaving for
the event is mysteriously stolen. Whatever the reason for
the theft, Crystal has little time to discover the culprit,
recover her rug, and prepare for the ceremony that means
so much to her father. Will she find it in time? And will
Crystal at last learn to be at peace with her Navajo identity?
Story Time
by Edward Bloor
George and Kate are promised the finest education when
they transfer to the Whittaker Magnet School. It boasts
the highest test scores in the nation. But at what price?
Their new school's curriculum is focused on beating standardized
tests; classes are held in dreary, windowless rooms, and
students are force-fed noxious protein shakes to improve
their test performance. Worst of all, there seems to be
a demon loose in the building, one whose murderous work
has only just begun.
Things Change
by Patrick Jones
Johanna always feels like she has to be perfect-the perfect
student and the perfect obedient daughter, which leads her
to be the perfect outcast among her high school peers. And
they say that opposites attract. That must be what draws
Johanna to Paul, who is always the life of the party. Johanna
longs to be part of Paul's inner circle, and whenever Johanna
wants something, she plans and works hard to achieve her
goal. But Johanna's life changes drastically as she and
Paul become involved. Just how important is this relationship
to Johanna? More important than her friends? Grades? Safety?
Tree Girl
by Ben Mikaelsen
When, protected by the branches of one of the trees she
loves to climb, Gabriela witnesses the destruction of her
Mayan village and the murder of nearly all its inhabitants,
she vows never to climb again. After months of hunger, thirst,
and the threat of more violence by soldiers, Gabriela is
reunited with her traumatized sister and finds safety in
a Mexican refugee camp. But can she move beyond the horrors
that have become her life?
Walking on Air
by Kelly Easton
It is the Depression in America, 1931. June is a tightrope
walker. Performing in her preacher father's revival shows,
June travels through cities, makeshift camps, carnivals,
and freak shows. The family has no home, no money, no friends
-- and faith that is getting thinner than the air upon which
June walks. On her journey, June is forced to face old family
secrets and make some gut-wrenching decisions.
Waters Luminous and Deep: Shorter
Fictions
by Meredith Ann Pierce
Eight shorter works of fantastic fiction are included in
this book. Among the stories are: the text to her only picture
book, "Where the Wild Geese Go;" a tale written
by the author as a teenager, "Rafiddilee;" and
a powerful story with a strong heroine, a tangibly imagined
world, and unforgettable imagery, "Rampion."
The Young Man and the Sea
by Rodman Philbrick
This author tells the sea-faring adventure of Skiff Beaman,
a determined boy living in a small fishing village. After
his mother's death and his father's ensuing depression,
Skiff alone can take care of things, including retrieving
and repairing their sunken boat. To earn the money he needs,
Skiff plans to trap lobsters, but when his rival, Tyler
Croft, foils that plan, Skiff goes after bigger fish. The
quest is one that will nearly kill him before saving his
life, and then some.
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