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Tween Reads September 2014
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"…all time is always present, but buried layer by layer under what people call Now. Today lies on top of yesterday, and yesterday lies on top of the day before, and so on down the layers of history, until the layers are so think that the voices underneath are muffled to whispers." ~ from Jeanette Winterson's Tanglewreck
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New and Recently Released!
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| Jim Averbeck Presents: A Hitch at the Fairmont by Jim AverbeckHistorical Mystery. In 1956 San Francisco, 11-year-old Jack lives at the Fairmont Hotel with his Aunt Edith, who cares more about her pet chinchilla than she does about Jack. Yet when Aunt Edith disappears, leaving behind a ransom note written in chocolate, Jack knows it's his duty to find her – with some help from famous movie director (and Fairmont guest) Alfred Hitchcock. Known for his cleverly constructed thrillers, Hitchcock has the skills that Jack needs to unravel the perplexing web of deceit that surrounds his aunt's kidnapping. Looking for more suspenseful books about eerie, old-school movies? Read Ronald Kidd's The Year of the Bomb, which takes place on the set of a 1950s science fiction film. |
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| Shipwreck Island by S.A. BodeenAdventure. Sarah Robinson thought it was bad when her dad suddenly decided to remarry, but that was only because she didn't know what was coming next: a mandatory family cruise with her dad, new stepmother, and new stepbrothers, Marco and Nacho (who are just as angry about the situation). But when a freak storm leaves them shipwrecked, the reluctantly blended family has to pull together to survive the fierce creatures and sinister (possibly supernatural?) events that plague their remote island. Fast-paced and "intensely readable" (School Library Journal), this series debut will leave you intrigued and eager for the next volume. While you wait, check out a similarly creepy survival story in Bad Island by Doug Ten Napel. |
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| Family Ties by Gary PaulsenFiction. Business, politics, romance -- eighth-grader Kevin has been there and done that. But in this 5th book in the Kevin Spencer series (which begins with Liar, Liar), he takes on something even more complicated: family. Hoping to impress his girlfriend, Tina, Kevin volunteers to plan his uncle's wedding in one week -- one week filled with an ever-increasing number of crazy relatives and house guests, including a fire-starting 5-year-old, a gigantic dog with bladder control issues, and a fake baby named Dumpster Assassin. Anyone who has ever thought their family was weird will appreciate this funny yet sincere story. |
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| The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang; illustrated by Sonny LiewGraphic Adventure. Chinese-American teen Hank Chu is perfectly happy just to work at his family's grocery store, but his mother -- resentful of the gangsters who've been terrorizing Chinatown -- wants Hank to be a superhero. She makes him a costume, urges him to learn kung fu, and eagerly exposes him to toxic chemicals in an effort to kick-start his "origin story." Despite all of this, Hank doesn't gain superpowers until tragic events introduce him to a wish-granting shadow spirit. Inspired by a real superhero comic from the 1940s, this stylish graphic novel combines a nostalgic tone with real-world issues of race, identity, and heroism. |
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| London Calling by Edward BloorHistorical Fantasy. Bullied by the other students at his prep school, scholarship student Martin chooses to study at home, with his grandmother's vintage radio for company. Through the radio, Martin is transported to the 1940 London Blitz, where he meets Jimmy, a boy who needs his help -- and whose fate may be tangled up with that of Martin's own grandfather, who worked for General Lowery, the founder of Martin's school. Was the General less heroic than history made him appear? And can exposing the injustice of the past help Martin confront the unhappiness in his present-day life? Thoughtful readers will enjoy finding out in this angsty, multilayered historical fantasy.
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| The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin ColferScience Fiction. If you loved the biting humor, clever gadgets, and dangerous magic of the Artemis Fowl series, don't miss this 1st book in an explosive new series by Eoin Colfer. When a wormhole transports Riley, a 14-year-old killer-in-training, from 1898 London to the present day, he's followed by his master, assassin and illusionist Albert Garrick. Time travel has mutated Garrick into an evil genius, and now Riley, along with teen FBI agent Chevie, must stop him from changing history to suit his murderous plans. Alternating time periods and narrators keep the action moving at breakneck speed in this gruesome, gripping thriller. |
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| The Cydonian Pyramid by Pete HautmanScience Fiction. Lah Lia was born to die. As a "Pure Girl," she knows it's her duty to be sacrificed for the sins of others. But when a time-travel "disko" portal appears during her sacrificial ceremony, Lah Lia seizes her chance for escape and hurls herself into a turbulent journey back and forth through time. As she experiences war, rebellion, cults, and the destruction of humanity by a Digital Plague, Lah Lia resolves to control of her own future, even if it means unraveling the past. Awesomely complicated and weirdly intriguing, this "mind-expanding" (Kirkus Reviews) sequel to The Obsidian Blade is a great pick for fans of Catherine Fisher. |
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| The Wells Bequest by Polly ShulmanFantasy. After a confusing visit from himself (and a mysterious girl) riding on a tiny time machine, Leo's search for answers leads him to the New York Circulating Material Repository, where he finds both the machine and the girl. The girl is Jaya, head page of the weird and marvelous Repository, and the time machine is part of a unique collection of objects from science fiction books. When a fellow page threatens to unleash Nikola Tesla's death ray, Jaya and Leo must jump back in time to stop him. Loaded with action, humor, and a dash of romance, this delightful sequel to The Grimm Legacy is sure to please fantasy readers. For another bookish, time-twisting tale, check out House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini. |
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| Tanglewreck by Jeanette WintersonFantasy/Science Fiction. In a world where Time Tornadoes cause entire school buses to disappear or drop woolly mammoths into modern London, the only thing that can restore order is a mystical clock known as the Timekeeper. And, according to prophecy, the only person who can find the Timekeeper is 11-year-old orphan Silver Rivers. Aided by her friend Gabriel and his fellow underground-dwelling Throwbacks, Silver bravely launches an epic, unpredictable search across time and space, pursued all the while by ruthless villains who want to use the Timekeeper for their own sinister purposes. Inventively blending science, magic, and history, Tanglewreck is "an appealing read for fantasy and science fiction fans alike" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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