by De la Cruz, MelissaOh, to be a vampire – beautiful, talented, smart, with everything you could ever want and no down sides, right? Wrong. In Revelations, the third Blue Blood novel, there have been more attacks by the silver bloods and Schuyler has been accused of being one of them because of her mixed blood. She also has to deal with the Forces and Mimi’s increasingly cruel pranks. The one thing Schuyler has to look forward to are her secret meetings with a forbidden someone. Bliss is also dealing with some strange and slightly sinister changes. And did I mention that a large group from the committee takes an urgent and rather secretive trip to Rio de Janeiro, where everything goes down? This is an amazing installment in an Read more…

by Paulsen, GarySarny lives on the Waller plantation. One day a slave named Nightjohn comes to the plantation with Mr. Waller. In exchange for a lip of tobacco, Nightjohn begins teaching Sarny how to write letters. After a while, it is revealed that he was free at one time, but returned to the South to teach slaves to read and write. But slaves caught reading and writing are punished severely. So when Mr. Waller catches Sarny writing, he looks for someone to blame. The punishment he inflicts has a permanent result. This book is filled with meaningful dialogue and characters. Written from Sarny’s point of view, it powerfully portrays injustice, wonderment of the written language, and a spirit of hope.- reviewed by Jeanenne, Steele Read more…

by Ryan, CarrieThis fast-paced, suspense-filled YA novel is set in a small village that must always be guarded for fear of the entrance of the Unconsecrated who live on the other side of the fence. The protagonist, Mary, is sent to live with the sisters who protect the village after her mother and father join the Unconsecrated. Soon after, the village becomes unsafe and Mary is forced to set out into the unknown in hopes of finding a safe home away from the Unconsecrated. In the meantime, she is trying to work out her feelings for the boy whom she is betrothed to and the boy she really loves who was betrothed to her best friend. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a unique and well-written YA book!- reviewed by Amy, ImaginOn, Read more…

What do Room, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Pigeon English have in common? Stephen Kelman joins an Adult Books for Young Adults tradition, using the voice of a young, naive character in peril to narrate terrible happenings that he doesn’t fully understand. The setting for this book reminds me of another – Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow by Faiza Guène (Mariner, 2006), which is narrated by an Algerian immigrant living in a Parisian project. Huge hype surrounded the March publication of this title in the UK, and it was shortlisted for the 2011 Desmond Elliott Prize (for a first novel published in the UK). KELMAN, Stephen. Pigeon English. 288p. Houghton Harcourt. July 2011. Adult/High School -– This novel opens with Read more…

by Tingle, RebeccaOh, to be a princess. Jewels, horses, books and servants, all the best things in life. Of course there are down sides too. Kidnapping attempts, silent guardians and arranged marriages. Fifteen-year old, Aethelflaed is King Alfred's oldest daughter and has been promised in marriage to Ethelred of Mercia. With the betrothal gifts comes a bodyguard called Red. Flaed is only once able to escape his watchful eyes and the consequences are greater than she anticipated. As she gets to know Red she realizes she could learn a lot from him, and begins to accept him as a part of her changing life. Will she ever have a need for the skills she's been taught, and if she does how will her fiance react? – reviewed by Read more…

by Schroeder, LisaWritten entirely in verse, this novel addresses one of life’s most difficult lessons, death. At 15, Ava has just lost her true love Jackson. She’s angry; she’s confused; she’s completely lost but soon she realizes that she’s not alone. Jackson is still around. Whether it’s a random radio turning on and playing a special song or a chilling of the air around her, Ava knows her dead boyfriend is still with her. This book is well worth reading. The writing style intensifies the emotions Ava is feeling and provides a unique reading experience. The chapters are short, and the pacing is good. This is a nice choice for the beach or by the pool.- reviewed by Tiffany, University City Regional, Read more…

by Peretti, Frank In the sequel to The Hangman’s Curse – The Veritas Project, a boy runs away. When he turns up again, he is unstable at best, crazy at worst. He can't tell anyone where he has been or what he has been doing. In fact, he really only says two words: Nightmare Academy. The Springfield twins, Elijah and Elisha, are called in to go undercover to try and find out what and where this place is. They end up at the Knight-Moore Academy and things are kind of weird. What will they do when finding the truth is their job and people tell them that truth is relative, that there are no absolutes? Will they break or will they hold tight to the truths they know? Will this trip become a nighmare? – reviewed by Elizabeth, , Read more…