New Releases--January 23, 2018

Has anyone else's January been as boring as mine? So far, January has been work, read, cook, blog, and repeat for me. This week though, something interesting looms on the horizon. According to today's weather report, Shanghai is expecting 1-3 inches of snow Thursday night! I'm originally from the mountains of Virginia, and after living in Texas for 18 years and in China for 3 1/2 years, I miss snow so much! In Texas, we did get snow sometimes, but it hasn't snowed in Shanghai since we've lived here. Winter is plenty cold and wet, but it doesn't often get cold enough to snow. So, I am very much looking forward to seeing if we do get some beautiful white stuff!

This week, I found eight new releases, which gives me some extra time to work on the whopper new release list I'll post on in a couple of weeks. You won't want to miss the February 6th list, that's for sure!


YOUNG ADULT (GRADES 7+):

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes (Atia Abawi) Finally a YA novel about Syrian refugees! After their home in Syria is bombed, Tareq, his father, and his younger sister seek refuge, first with extended family in Raqqa, a stronghold for the militant group, Daesh, and then abroad. Don't miss this one! Multiple starred reviews. Professional reviewers recommend this one for Grades 7+. Realistic fiction, political refugees, Middle East, Syria.

Reign of the Fallen (Sarah Glenn Marsh) Odessa is a master necromancer, catering to her kingdom's deceased nobles and helping to retrieve their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world. But there is a cost to being raised--the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into Shades (zombies). If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin. A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa's necromancer community. Someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead--and training them to attack. SLJ starred. Recommended for Grades 7-12. Supernatural, zombies.

Let's Talk About Love (Claire Kann) After her girlfriend dumps her, nineteen-year old Alice believes she is asexual. She swears off dating but ends up having feelings for her co-worker Takumi. Recommended for Grades 9+. Romance, asexuality.

The Last Girl on Earth (Alexandra Blogier) This is one of those books where early Goodreads ratings and professional reviews disagree. Many early Goodreads reviewers are rating this 1- or 2-stars, while professional reviewers say it's a great addition to YA collections. Li is the only human left after aliens take over the planet, but she learns to stay alive, with the help of her human-sympathizing father, by assimilating to Abdolorean society, which she must keep a secret at all costs or risk the terrifying consequences of exposure. Recommended for Grades 7+. Sci-fi, romance.

THIS WEEK'S SEQUELS (YA):




MIDDLE GRADES (GRADES 4-7):

Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army (Enigma Alberti, Scott Wegener) Sergeant Victor Dowd, a member of a top secret unit of artists and sound engineers known as the Ghost Army, uses his skills to fake out the Germans during World War Two. Librarians should note that this book includes spycraft materials that are necessary to decode the clues. You will need a system to ensure these materials are returned with the book. Recommended for Grades 3-8 and reluctant readers. Historical fiction, mystery, spies.

The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle (Leslie Connor) Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason's learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason's best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family's orchard. An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can't understand why Lieutenant Baird won't believe the story Mason has told about that day. Multiple starred reviews. Recommended for Grades 5-8. Realistic fiction.

A Problematic Paradox (Eliot Sappingfield) Nikola Kross has given up on living in harmony with classmates and exasperated teachers- she prefers dabbling in experimental chemistry to fitting in. But when her life is axially inverted by a gang of extraterrestrials who kidnap her dad and attempt to recruit her into their service, she discovers he's been keeping a world of secrets from her--including the school for geniuses where she's sent for refuge, a place where classes like Practical Quantum Mechanics are the norm and where students use wormholes to commute to class. Recommended for Grades 5-7. Kirkus starred. Science fiction.

My So-Called Superpowers (Heather Nuhfer, Simini Blocker) My So-Called Superpowers, book 1. More than anything, Veronica McGowan wants to fit in with the cool kids. There s just one problem: they barely know she exists. Veronica wishes for something, anything to fix her nobody status and gets more than she bargained for when she wakes up with stupidpowers. Grades 4-8. Humor, superheroes, friendship.

THIS WEEK'S SEQUELS (MIDDLE GRADES):




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