New Fiction

Grove, G.R. Flight of the Hawk. YA/ GROVE
The Second book in the Storyteller Series.Once again Gwernin, the intrepid Welsh bard, ventures forth into adventure, learning, and some danger. This is a delightful read for those who love historical fiction and good storytelling. The stories within the stories are one of my favorite things about this book, as Gwernin travels throughout medieval Wales plying his bardcraft and learning from semi-mythic figures like Taliesin. The history feels absolutely solid, this is a medieval world view one can totally believe in. And since we work from Gwernin's point of view, the magic and the mundane are inextricably mixed, as they would have been for someone who lived in this period. We feel the cold, we warm at the fire, and we do believe in the world unseen.

Grove, G.R. The Ash Spear. YA/ GROVE
The third book in the Storyteller Series. Once again we follow Gwernin Storyteller on his quest to learn the trade and lore of the bard, and once again Grove crafts a rich portrayal of the lands, people, and culture of 6th century Britain. As she did in adding a bit more action in Flight of the Hawk, Grove adds another element to the story, balancing the inclusion of a larger sense of the more spiritual or supernatural elements of British lore with the flow of characters, culture, and action already attained in the series. Also, to this reader at least, the wonderful flashes of humor used throughout the series really hit at the right moments in this book, both cutting and creating tension in the tale even more so than in the previous volumes.

Calonita, Jen. Broadway Lights. Secrets of My Hollywood Life. YA/ CALONITA
Hollywood teen starlet Katilin Burke moves to New York for the summer to appear in a Broadway show, all the while worrying about her boyfriend back in Los Angeles, her handsome new co-star, and the offstage drama going on around her.

Gee, Maurice. Salt. Volume 1 The Salt Trilogy. YA/ GEE
Hari, one of the enslaved people from Blood Burrow, and Pearl, a member of the ruling families known as Company, forge an unusual alliance and become reluctant traveling companions, as they undertake a desperate pilgrimage to save the world from a terror beyond their greatest imaginings.

Gormley, Beatrice. Poisoned Honey. YA/ GORMLEY
Relates events from the life of a girl who would grow up to be a close follower of Jesus Christ, interspersed with stories of the Apostle Matthew. Includes author's note distinguishing what Scripture says of Mary Magdalene from later traditions.

Kidd, Ronald. On Beale Street. YA/ KIDD
In Memphis, in the 1950's, when fifteen-year-old Johnny is introduced to the blues, he ventures to the infamous Beale Street and finds the friendship with an up-and-coming young musician Elvis Presley.

Langan, Paul. The Bully. YA/ LANGAN
Darrell Mercer, a 9th grader at Bluford, is at the center of this story. Darrell and his mother move to the Bluford area in the middle of the school year. Physically smaller than his peers, Darrell quickly becomes a target for Tyray Hobbs, the freshman class bully.

Lee, L.S. The Agency. A Spy in the House. YA/ LEE
Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, 17-year-old orphan and thief Mary Quinn is offered a place at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, where she is trained to be part of an all-female investigative unit called the Agency in order to infiltrate a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships.

Madigan, L.K. Flash Burnout. YA/ MADIGAN
"Telephoto lens. Zoom. In a shutter release millisecond, Blake's world turns upside down. The nameless woman with the snake tattoo is not just another assignment. 'That's my mom!' gasps Marissa. Saturated self-portrait: Blake, nice guy, class clown, always trying to gget a laugh, not sure where to focus. Contrast. Shannon, Blake's GF. Total. Babe. Marissa, just a friend and fellow photographer. Shannon loves him; Marissa needs him. How is he supposed to frame them both in one shot?"--dust cover flap.

Logsted, Greg. Alibi Junior High. YA/ LOGSTED
After thirteen-year-old Cody and his father, an undercover agent, are nearly killed, Cody moves in with his aunt in Connecticut, where he is helped with his adjustment to the trials of attending public school for the first time and investigating a threat in nearby woods by a wounded Iraq War veteran.
Rapp, Adam. Punkzilla. YA/ RAPP

Ryan, Carrie. The Dead-Tossed Waves. YA/ RYAN
Gabry lives a quiet life in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, hemmed in by the dead who hunger for the living, but her mother Mary's secrets, a cult of religious zealots who worship the dead, and a stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry threaten to destroy her world.

Smith, L.J. The Return: Shadow Souls. The Vampire Diaries. YA/ SMITH
Eighteen-year-old Elena Gilbert journeys to the Dark Dimension with Damon and Matt in hopes of rescuing her vampire boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, from imprisonment, and once again they face the sinister Shinichis.

Sonnenblick, Jordan. After Ever After. YA/ SONNENBL
Although Jeff and Tad, encouraged by a new friend, Lindsey, make a deal to help one another overcome aftereffects of their cancer treatments in preparation for eighth-grade graduation, Jeff still craves advice from his older brother Stephen, who is studying drums in Africa.

Three Dog Tales. YA/ THREE
Old Yeller / Fred Gipson -- Sounder / William H. Armstrong -- Savage Sam / Fred Gipson. Summary Three novels explore the relationship between boys and their dogs.

Uehashi, Nahoko. Moribito II: Guardian of Darkness. YA/ UEHASHI
The wandering female bodyguard Balsa returns to her native country of Kanbal, where she uncovers a conspiracy to frame her mentor and herself.

Atwater- Rhodes, Amelia. Token of Darkness. YA/ ATWATER
After Cooper Blake wakes from a serious car accident to find himself in the company of an attractive, tormented ghost, he keeps his visions to himself until he discovers that two of his peers also hide supernatural abilities.

Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. YA/ FISHER
To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.

Harrison, Lisi. Boys R Us. YA/ HARRISON
Massie, hurt that friends have caught the eyes of boys she was interested in, hires actresses to pretend to be her new friends while Claire, who feels somehow responsible, makes a dramatic move to set things right.

Peters, Julie Anne. By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead. YA/ PETERS
High school student Daelyn Rice, who has been bullied throughout her school career and has more than once attempted suicide, again makes plans to kill herself, in spite of the persistent attempts of an unusual boy to draw her out.

Volponi, Paul. Rikers High. YA/ VOLPONI
Arrested on a minor offense, a New York City teenager attends high school in the jail facility on Rikers Island, as he waits for his case to go to court.

Werlin, Nancy. The Killer’s Cousin. YA/ WERLIN
After being acquitted of murder, seventeen-year-old David goes to stay with relatives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he finds himself forced to face his past as he learns more about his strange young cousin Lily.

Woodson, Jacqueline. The House You Pass on the Way. YA/ WOODSON
When fourteen-year-old Staggerlee, the daughter of a racially mixed marriage, spends a summer with her cousin Trout, she begins to question her sexuality to Trout and catches a glimpse of her possible future self.