CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 7, 2012
"This commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its brightest star. (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
A teenage assassin, a rebel princess, menacing gargoyles, supernatural portals and a glass castle prove to be as thrilling as they sound.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 7, 2012
"Though hamstrung by a depressingly chick-lit-y cover, this total-immersion emotional experience is one readers will both recognize and thoroughly enjoy. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
A girl in love with the theater tells the story of her first great love in the form of a script.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 19, 2012
"Infused with an urgent hope, this glimmering love story exhilarates and refreshes. (Magical realism. 12 & up)"
Her name--Frenenqer--means "restraint" in "some language or other," and she is the only child--creation, really--of a man for whom affection is unspeakable:
Pfft.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 17, 2012
"Simply lovely. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: July 17, 2012
"Meticulously researched and told with inspiring prose and stirring images, this is a gripping, triumphant story of science and survival. (photographs, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10 & up)"
As he did in The Race to Save the Lord God Bird (2004), Hoose explores the tragedy of extinction through a single bird species, but there is hope for survival in this story, and that hope is pinned on understanding the remarkable longevity of a single bird.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 10, 2012
"Who knew the biography of a germ could be so fascinating? (acknowledgments, picture credits, index [not seen]) (Nonfiction. 9-14)"
Murphy and Blank chronicle the story of the tuberculosis microorganism, the greatest serial killer of all time.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 10, 2012
"Dragon books are common enough, but this one is head and talons above the rest. (cast of characters, glossary) (Fantasy. 12 & up)"
In Hartman's splendid prose debut, humans and dragons--who can take human form but not human feeling--have lived in uneasy peace for 40 years.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 3, 2012
"A solid addition to what is turning into a swell series. (Historical mystery. 12 & up)"
Teen detective Iris Anderson struggles to solve parallel mysteries while coming to terms with her Jewish identity in World War II–era New York City in this engrossing follow-up to
The Girl is Murder (2011).
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 3, 2012
"Laugh-out-loud funny, heart-wrenchingly sad and fist-pump-in-the-air triumphant, this sparkling gem proves that vampires, zombies and even teenagers…at heart, we're all on Team Human. (Fantasy. 12 & up.)"
Both lovers and loathers of teen vampire romance will revel in this hilarious satirical take on the genre.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 3, 2012
"Working with the darker threads of Barrie's bittersweet classic, Anderson weaves an enchanting tale. (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
It's no paradise--white-sand beaches and spectacular sunsets come with mud, mosquitoes and croc-infested swamps--but guided by fragile, insect-size faerie Tink, readers are drawn into this richly re-imagined Neverland anyway.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 26, 2012
"This cracking good mixture of magic and place will leave readers eagerly awaiting the sequel. (Fantasy. 12-14)"
A mixed-race girl in Dust Bowl Kansas discovers her long-lost father isn't just a black man: He's a fairy.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 19, 2012
"This smart, stylish series opener raises the bar for paranormal fiction, leaving readers impatient for the next installment. (author's note) (Urban fantasy. 12 & up)"
Crime noir meets paranormal romance in this addictive thriller about two London teens in whom the fae awakens, conferring abilities at once exhilarating and harshly stigmatized.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 19, 2012
"Among the most historically and culturally significant battles ever fought, Marathon gets righteous due--and so does its greatest hero. (Graphic historical fiction. 12-15)"
Retold in expressionistic blurs of action, this account of the battle of Marathon chronicles at once a glorious win for the underdogs and an awe-inspiring personal achievement.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 14, 2012
"While the happy ending comes as no surprise, the path to it is funny as well as satisfying, with many nods to Jane Austen along the way. (Fiction. 13 & up)"
A romp of a Regency romance told through the discerning voice of a witty teenage beauty whose family needs her to marry for money.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
"Surprising, vivid and cohesive--the work of a pro. (Steampunk. 13 & up)"
A steampunk adventure in which an omniscient narrator delves into multiple heads and a quartet of friends take lurid risks to save their fifth counterpart.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
"As the clock ticks down on Heidi's soul, readers will be rooting for both Jerome and Heidi with all their hearts. (Paranormal adventure. 12 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
"A carefully researched, precisely written tour de force; unforgettable and wrenching. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
Breaking away from Arthurian legends (
The Winter Prince, 1993, etc.), Wein delivers a heartbreaking tale of friendship during World War II.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
"A vivid, disturbing and all-too-real topical story. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
When 14-year-old Teddy is classified as troublesome, disrespectful and defiant of authority, his despised stepfather sends him off to St. Ignatius Academy for Boys, an isolated Roman Catholic boarding school.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
"Space battles! Political intrigue! Engineered warriors! Techno-wizardry! Assassins! Pirates! Rebels! Duels! Secrets, lies, sex and True Love! What more can anybody ask for? (Science fiction. 14 & up)"
Exuberant and insightful, this science-fiction
bildungsroman grapples with the essential question: "Who am I?"
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 8, 2012
"Absolutely delectable; if it has more fripperies and furbelows than are strictly speaking necessary, it makes up for that in the wizardly grace of its storytelling. (Fantasy. 12-18)"
Readers who get past the generic title and an off-puttingly generic cover will discover a fabulous fairy-tale mashup that deserves hordes of avid readers.
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