Happy Tuesday! I had a great time going over this list with my 6th grade homeroom this morning. Based on their reactions, I already know that I am going to need lots of copies of Frazzled for all my Awkward-loving 6th grade girls. Jordan Sonnenblick has a new book, Falling Over Sideways, which is sure to be a hit. For older readers, I am VERY excited to read Kay Honeyman's new book, Interference, because I loved her writing style and character development in The Fire Horse Girl. Lisa McMann (Going Wild) is also a favorite author of mine, and as such, her books get plenty of checkout in my library. A Taste for Monsters and The Women in the Walls will appeal to students with a macabre side.
YOUNG ADULT (grades 8+):
  | Crooked Kingdom (Leigh Bardugo) Six of Crows, book 2. Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. Fantasy, action-adventure. |
  | A Mad Zombie Party (Gena Showalter) White Rabbit Chronicles, book 4. Kat Parker's spirit returns, insisting Frosty the Ice Man partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks, the one who betrayed them all, leading to Kat's death. But when Anima rises from the grave to become a force the slayers may not have the strength to overcome, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. |
  | Like A River Glorious (Rae Carson) Gold Seer trilogy, book 2. Squee! I am super-excited about this one. I LOVED the first book, Walk on Earth A Stranger. Leah/Lee Westfall and her best friend Jefferson have finally arrived in California, where Lee has a special gift for prosperity during the Gold Rush--the ability to sense gold. But Lee's Uncle Hiram will stop at nothing to control Lee's power for his own gain. Historical fiction, action-adventure. |
  | Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story (Caren Stelsen) This striking work of narrative nonfiction tells the true story of six-year-old Sachiko Yasui's survival of the Nagasaki atomic bomb on August 9, 1945 and the heartbreaking and lifelong aftermath. Having conducted extensive interviews with Sachiko Yasui, Caren Stelson shares the true story of a young girl who survived the atomic bomb and chronicles her long journey to find peace. Narrative nonfiction, WWII, Japan. |
  | Swarm (Scott Westerfeld) Zeroes, book 2. Six teens with unique abilities have taken on bank robbers, drug dealers, and mobsters. Now they're trying to lay low so they can get their new illegal nightclub off the ground. But the quiet doesn’t last long when two strangers come to town, bringing with them a whole different kind of crowd-based chaos. And hot on their tails is a crowd-power even more dangerous and sinister. Science fiction, action-adventure. |
  | Cloudbound (Fran Wilde) Bone Universe, book 2. When Kirit Densira left her home tower for the skies, she gave up many things: her beloved family, her known way of life, her dreams of flying as a trader for her tower, her dreams. Kirit set her City upside down, and fomented a massive rebellion at the Spire, to the good of the towers—but months later, everything has fallen to pieces. Steampunk. |
  | Scrooge #worstgiftever (Charles Dickens, Brett Wright) This book has the potential to be unique and fun, or it could be an irritating mess. As its title implies, this update on Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol is told as though all the characters are using modern technology. One of the ghosts only uses emojis, and the whole Cratchit clan can afford to buy smartphones. Not sure what to make of this one, but it could pull an audience, I suppose. There are classic retellings (Jane Austen, Shakespeare) in this series. Retelling. |
  | Bright Smoke, Cold Fire (Rosamund Hodge) I am IN LOVE with this cover! It's a retelling of Romeo & Juliet set in the walled city of Viyara, the only place untouched after The Ruining killed the living and the dead rose. Retelling, zombies. |
  | The Stand-In (Steve Bloom) I don't buy this premise, but I am excited to see that we have a male-authored romance that is also narrated by a male protagonist. Brooks volunteered to be a stand-in for Burdette's cousin who got stood up for Homecoming. But word spreads quickly, and now Brooks has become a "clean" escort service to wealthy parents who want don't want their daughters to miss out on social events of their Senior year. Romance. |
  | Interference (Kay Honeyman) Y'all, I LOVED Kay Honeyman's debut The Fire Horse Girl. I am so excited she's written a second book, especially since it's set in my home state of Texas! |
  | The Women in the Walls (Amy Lukavics) Not for the faint-of-heart! This is a gruesome horror story set in a Victorian mansion. When Lucy's aunt Penelope, the only mother she's ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Lucy's cousin Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic, and she claims she can hear her dead mother's voice whispering from the walls. Horror, depression. |
  | A Taste for Monsters (Matthew J. Kirby) Jack the Ripper, The Elephant Man, and a disfigured girl. Need I say more? Horror, mystery. |
MIDDLE GRADES (grades 5-8):
  | Secret Keepers (Trenton Lee Stewart) Eleven-year-old Reuben finds an extraordinary antique pocket watch that has the power to turn him invisible. Now Reuben is being pursued by a group of dangerous men called the Directions, and someone--or something--ominously called The Smoke. They all want the watch, and with the help of new friends, it's up to Reuben to unravel the mysteries surrounding it and protect the city from evil. Action-adventure. |
  | Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom (Booki Vivat) Oh, boy, this one is going to be POPULAR! Meet Abbie Wu. Abbie is in crisis—and not just because she’s starting middle school or because she’s stuck in a family that doesn’t quite get her or because everyone seems to have a Thing except her. Abbie Wu is always in crisis. Great for reluctant readers and fans of Chmakova's Awkward, which I have never had to shelve even though I have six copies. Humor, realistic fiction, illustrated text. |
  | The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (Adam Gidwitz) 1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children: William, an oblate on a mission from his monastery; Jacob, a Jewish boy who has fled his burning village; and Jeanne, a peasant girl who hides her prophetic visions. They are accompanied by Jeanne's loyal greyhound, Gwenforte...recently brought back from the dead. Retelling (The Canterbury Tales). |
  | Going Wild (Lisa McMann) Charlie Wilde knew her life would change forever when her family moved from the city of Chicago to the suburbs of Arizona…and that was before she found the bracelet. After putting it on, she notices odd things start to happen. Suddenly Charlie seems to have the speed of a cheetah and the strength of an elephant—and that’s just the beginning. Action-adventure, magical realism. |
  | Falling Over Sideways (Jordan Sonnenblick) Seventh grader Claire's life is a joke...but she's not laughing. While her friends seem to be leaping forward, she's dancing in the same place. The mean girls at school are living up to their mean name, and there's a boy, Ryder, who's just as bad, if not worse. And at home, nobody's really listening to her -- if anything, they seem to be more in on the joke than she is. Realistic fiction. |
  | Enter a Glossy Web (McKenna Ruebush and Jaime Zollars) Twelve-year-old George has no idea what to expect when she’s sent to stay with eccentric relatives following the disappearance of her brother. Soon after her arrival, she learns that Uncle Constantine has been kidnapped. George sets off to recover him and is joined by two orphaned boys along the way and Cavendish, a talking map. Fantasy, Action-adventure. |
  | Unbound: A Novel in Verse (Ann E. Burg) The day Grace is called from the slave cabins to work in the Big House, Mama makes her promise to keep her eyes down. Uncle Jim warns her to keep her thoughts tucked private in her mind or they could bring a whole lot of trouble and pain. But the more Grace sees of the heartless Master and hateful Missus, the more a rightiness voice clamors in her head-asking how come white folks can own other people, sell them on the auction block, and separate families forever. Free Verse. |
  | The Bicycle Spy (Yona McDonough) Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel's rides with checkpoints and questioning. Historical fiction. |
  | A Little Taste of Poison (R.J. Anderson) Sequel to: A Pocket Full of Murder. Isaveth has a talent for spell-making, but as a girl from a poor neighborhood she never dreamed she could study at the most exclusive magical school in the city. So when she’s offered a chance to attend, she eagerly accepts. The school is wonderful, but old and new enemies confront Isaveth at every turn, and she begins to suspect her scholarship might be more a trap than a gift. |
  | Short Histories: Mr. Fawkes, the King, and the Gunpowder Plot (Tony Bradman) Great hi-lo for upper-elementary or early middle school readers. Cecil the spymaster and his assistant, Jack, learn of a new plot to kill the king. They are determined to catch the plotters in the act. The trouble is, where do they begin their search? Mystery, action-adventure. |
PICTURE BOOKS (EVERYONE):
  | Jim Henson's Labyrinth Tales (Jim Henson, Cory Godbey) The Labyrinth lives again! Live a day in the life of Sir Didymus, the recklessly heroic fox-terrier; Ludo, the lovable oaf; Hoggle, an ever loyal companion; and others as they play games, work together, and revel in the magic of the labyrinth. |
  | Fly Guy's Ninja Christmas (Ted Arnold) It's Christmazzz Eve and Fly Guy doesn't have a present to give his best friend, Buzz. But when he goes out to look for one, Fly Guy meets a stranger in the house whom he has to fight off with his ninja action. Will Fly Guy defeat the stranger? Will he find a present for Buzz? |
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YA, MG, PB New Release Spotlight--September 20, 2016
YA, MG, PB New Release Spotlight--September 13, 2016