Squirm

Hiaasen, Carl.  Squirm.  2018.  Alfred A Knopf, New York.

Billy Dickens is your average, ordinary, everyday teenager.  He is in high school.  He does okay in school.  He really loves snakes.

Point of fact: The kids at school were rummaging through his locker, because the kid who'd had the locker before him had given the combination to everyone in school.  Billy put a live rattlesnake in his locker to keep them from messing with his stuff.  The snake's mouth was taped shut, so it wasn't like it could actually hurt anyone.  But still - the scare factor of finding a live rattlesnake in someone's locker is enough to give a kid a reputation.  And a nickname.

At the end of the school year, Billy decides to head out to Montana to see his father.  He hasn't actually seen his Dad since he was 3 years old.  But still - how else are you going to meet a guy who doesn't want to be met?  You surprise him.
Billy books himself a non-refundable flight to Montana, and then tells his mother that he had been in touch with his Dad, and it was okay with Dad.

When Billy arrives in Montana, he discovers his step-mother Lil, a Crow Indian, and his Step-Sister Summer.  His father however, is nowhere to be seen.  When Billy settles in with Lil and Summer, he discovers that having a second family out in the wilds of Montana is beyond amazing.  And then, when Billy discovers that his Dad's job involves the U.S. Government, spy drones, and Grizzly Bears, things begin to get a little bit weird.  Billy returns home to Florida, never having met his father, but intrigued nonetheless by what the man says he does.

Things take a decided turn for the strange when his father show up in Florida, along with his drone, his step sister, and a wild tale of illegal game poaching and the man who is determined to bring down the biggest game hunter of them all.

This wild adventure with Billy, Summer and their families will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/16438264

Etiquette and Espionage

Carriger, Gail.  Etiquette and Espionage.  2013.  Little, Brown and Company, New York, NY.

Sophronia is quite the character.  She is more interested in climbing, jumping, learning, and finding out how things work than she is in the everyday business of the latest fashion, gossip, and coming out parties. 

Despairing of ever teaching her 14 year old daughter to be a "proper" young lady, Mrs. Temminnick sends her daughter off to finishing school.  But then the strangest things begin to happen.  The carriage that is carrying Sophronia is attacked by Flywaymen on the way to the finishing school.  The school itself is floating above the ground - carried there by three dirigibles.  A Werewolf meets them below and ferries them up to the school.  And then when Sephronia's first class is introduced as Music and Intelligence Gathering, principles of deceit: fundamental espionage; and rudimentary seduction - she begins to suspect that the school is more than she initially thought.

As Sephronia delves deeper into her studies at the school, she seeks to find out two very important things:

1) Why was their carriage attacked by Flywaymen on her way to the school?

2) Who recommended her to this particular finishing school?

Can Sephronia solve these mysteries in time to save her family?  Come delve into this wonderful Steampunk Victorian Suspense Novel to find out!  You won't be disappointed!

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/924501499

Escaping from Houdini

Maniscalco, Kerri.  Escaping From Houdini.  2018.  Jimmy Patterson Books, a division of Little, Brown, and Company, New York, NY.


The adventures of Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell continue in Escaping From Houdini.  Audrey Rose and Thomas are headed to America with Audrey Rose's Uncle aboard the ship Eturia.   The entertainment on the ship is presented by members of the Midnight Carnival - a unique traveling carnival that preserves their secrets behind exotic masks.

The unique entertainment is unexpectedly imaginative and fun until passengers begin turning up dead.  Not only are the passengers murdered, they are discovered in the most horrific positions imaginable... positions which are reminiscent of the Tarot Cards that members of the Carnival use to identify themselves.

Audrey Rose finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the world of the Carnival as she attempts to find the murderer.  But, can she solve the mystery before she loses everything she holds most dear?

Note:  Readers of Stalking Jack the Ripper will enjoy this latest installment of the adventures of Audrey Rose.  This is a stand alone novel.



Author Web Site:  https://kerrimaniscalco.com/

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1041481870

Binti

Okorafor, Nnedi.  Binti.  2015.  A Tom Doherty Associates Book.  New York, NY. 


Binti is chasing her dreams.  She is the first of the Himba tribe to be offered a place at Ooma University.  When her parents forbid her to go, Binti sneaks away from her family and gets a ride to the university on a space ship headed across the galaxy to Uni with a ship full of strangers.

The customs of the Himbas are strange to the people around them, and they are considered to be disgusting outcasts.  Even in the spaceship full of strangers, Binti finds a way to fit in with the people who will soon be her classmates.

But, when the space ship comes under attack from the Meduse, Binti finds herself in the unique position of translator between the Meduse and everyone else.  But, will Binti be able to survive the trials that await her?


Author Web Site: http://www.nnedi.com/#books''

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/976023394

We Say #NeverAgain

We Say #Never Again: Reporting by the Parkland Student Journalists. 2018. Crown Books, a division of Random House, New York, NY.

The student journalists of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have documented their experiences as they traveled the horrific journey from ordinary high school students to journalists documenting the tragedy that would define their entire high school career.  I suspect that for many of these young adults, this event will define the rest of their lives.

The journalists follow the story from the opening of school on Feb. 14 and through the gruesome events of the day.  We follow the journalists as they struggle with losing friends, becoming the story, and then taking control of the story in the hopes that nobody else will ever suffer the same tragedy.

Included are interviews from the students who have become national activists for gun control, and the information that the students have gathered about how to become an activist and have your voice heard.

Image Search: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1089274269

Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist

Sylvia is a distinguished Rocket Scientist, one of the first Latina Women to graduate from Graduate School at Stanford University, an Entrepreneur, a Commissioner on the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and CEO of the Girl Scouts of the United States.  But before all of this, Sylvia was a shy young girl who lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  

Sylvia's mother was an immigrant from Mexico and spoke very little English.  Her father was a College Graduate who had served in the United States Army.  He worked as a Chemist, eventually finding employment at the White Sands Missile Range.  

Sylvia's early life was full of love, but when her parents moved to a new neighborhood with better schools on the other side of town, Sylvia (who looked different than her classmates) had trouble making new friends.  

Then one magical day, a girl from her class invited her to come with her to a Brownie meeting after school.  That association with the Girl Scouts was to change Sylvia's life.  She made friends in her school.  She discovered how to set goals, how to make a plan to meet those goals, and how to carry that plan to fruition.  She sold her first Girl Scout Cookies, and learned how she could earn money to help her make her dreams come true.  

Sylvia traces her journey through Elementary, Middle, and High School with emphasis on how Girl Scouts helped her plan her future, keep her family safe, and realize her dreams.  Her association with the Girl Scouts changed her life -and the life of her mother and sister - for the better.

Image Source: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/path-to-the-stars-my-journey-from-girl-scout-to-rocket-scientist

Mirage

Daud, Somaiya.  Mirage.  2018.  Flatiron Books, New York, NY.


Amani is a young girl who lives in a village on a mostly forgotten moon of Andala.  While the evil Vathek Empire rules with an iron fist, the villagers are left alone, for the most part as long as there are no rebellions and they pay their taxes to the Empire.

Amani loves to laugh, to dream, and to talk with her friends. She is vivacious, and so proud of her heritage.

The night of her majority is to be the night she remembers for the rest of her life.  She will receive her Daan - the markings that tell of her birthright, her family history, and her parent's hope for the future.  These marks will be tattooed proudly upon her face, worn for all to see.

Amani's life changes forever on the night of her ceremony.  Along with the other girls, Amani is celebrating her coming of age when the Droid of the Vathek invade the ceremony, separate the girls from the boys, and take Amani with no explanation given to her or her family.

After a terrifying journey to Andala, Amani discovers that she looks exactly like the Princess Maram.  She is to stand in for the Princess in all functions where the Princess' life would be in danger.  Amani is stripped of her Dann, her family, and everything else that marks her as a member of a beloved family on a small moon.  With the price of failure being death - either for her or her family, Amani quickly learns to adapt to life as the royal double.

But as Amani settles into her double life, she discovers many things.  That the Princess Maram may not be as evil as everyone believes.  That Maram is a scared young woman that nobody trusts but everyone fears.  She discovers there is an active and open rebellion, dedicated to destroying the Vathek once and for all and led by a powerful woman that is impossible to deny.  And she discovers Idris, the young Prince destined to marry Maram.

Will Amani manage to do her job as the body double for the hated princess and stay alive?  Will she be able to keep the princess safe?  Will she be able to keep the people safe without joining the rebellion, or will circumstances force her to join forces with them just to stay alive?

Author's Website:  http://www.somaiyabooks.com/


Cover Image: https://www.worldcat.org/title/mirage/oclc/1048944644&referer=brief_results

Hunting Prince Dracula

Maniscalco, Kerri.  Hunting Prince Dracula.  2017.  Jimmy Patterson Books, Little Brown and Company, New York, NY.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is back!  Fresh off of the challenge of the Jack the Ripper murders, Wadsworth and Creswell are headed off to study forensics at a castle in Romania.  Expecting to be admitted to the program, little do they realize that they are competing with other students for 2 spaces in the program.

As Wadsworth and Creswell settle in, they discover that their school is located in Count Dracula's castle.  While Vlad Dracula's died well over 100 years before, something is afoot in the castle.  Students and villagers are disappearing.  When their bodies are found days later, it is discovered that they have been drained of all their blood.  The villagers whisper that the vampires have returned.

Is it possible?  Could a strigoi be roaming the halls of the castle?  Could one be hunting the villagers?

As the members of the royal family - and heirs of Count Vlad Dracula become the latest victims of the mysterious killer - suspicions and rumors abound.

Can Audrey Rose and Thomas solve the mystery of the vampire killer before they, themselves become the final victims?

image source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/hunting-prince-dracula/oclc/1019604837&referer=brief_results

obsessed: a memoir of my life with OCD

Britz, Allison.  obsessed: a memoir of my life with OCD.  2017.  Simon and Schuster, New York, NY.


Allison Britz was your typical high school student.  A popular athlete with high grades, Allison was on the fast track to get into the college of her dreams.  Her parents were amazingly supportive and supported Allison in everything she did.


Everything suddenly came crashing down when Allison awoke from a vivid dream one night, convinced that she was going to die of Cancer.  She felt that she could only prevent the cancer from killing her or her family was if she performed certain rituals.


As these rituals began to drive her every moment, Allison began to slip further and further away from reality.  Horrified by what they were seeing, her parents and friends attempted to step in again and again in order to help her, but Allison continued to shut them out - trapped by her own compulsions into continuing what she knows is irrational behavior, yet unable to break away from them.


This fascinating read takes you deep into the heart of what it means to live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as we follow Allison from the sudden onset of symptoms to one of harmony with her new normal. 


We tend to think of OCD as a set of symptoms defined by hand washing and sitting things in a certain order.  This over simplification does not even begin to touch upon the horrifying reality of people with OCD live with every day.




Resources for Mental Health:
Taken from the back of the book


The International OCD Foundation
https://iocdf.org/


The National Institute of Mental Health
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
The National Alliance on Mental Illness
https://www.nami.org/


Active Minds
https://www.activeminds.org/

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/obsessed-a-memoir-of-my-life-with-ocd/oclc/1022721996&referer=brief_results

Lost in Outer Space

Disclosure Notice: This page contains affiliate links.

Olson, Todd.  Lost in Outer Space: The Incredible Journey of Apollo 13.  2017.  Scholastic Inc, New York, NY.




"Houston, we've had a problem"




Apollo 13 was supposed to be the Earth's 3rd manned space flight to the moon.  The astronauts on Apollo 13 were scheduled to walk on the surface of the moon just days after blasting out of the Earth's orbit.


56 hours and thousands of miles into the mission, an unexpected and life threatening problem occurred. 


An explosion rocked the space ship.  The oxygen levels began to drop.  Power began to fail.  The question quickly became not "when would the astronauts land on the moon" but "would the astronauts live long enough to make it back to Earth?"


As the three astronauts James Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert struggled to remain calm in the face of death, the ground crew worked around the clock to find an innovative solution that would bring a crippled spaceship running on almost no power and no navigation systems around the moon and safely home, the nation wondered whether or not the three men would survive.


Told with fascinating detail, you can follow the journey of Jim Lovell's family on Earth, the struggle of the ground crew to find an answer that would normally take months in a matter of hours, and the desperation of the astronauts trapped in a space ship hoping to find a way home.  The three stories are dovetailed together with a riveting attention to detail.


This is their story.

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/lost-in-outer-space-the-incredible-journey-of-apollo-13/oclc/952547663&referer=brief_results

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Manisclco, Kerri.  Stalking Jack the Ripper.  2016.  Jimmy Patterson Books, Little Brown and Company, New York, New York.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is the perfect young Victorian Lady.  Raised to be perfect in the womanly arts, and sheltered from all of the awful and ugly things that life can offer, Audrey Rose should be content with her lot in life, and excited about the prospect of marrying someone that she will then be able to take care of to the utmost perfection.

There's just one tiny little problem.

Audrey Rose doesn't want to be the perfect wife.

Audrey Rose wants to learn more about Forensic Science.  She wants to learn the secrets of the dead, and how to help them tell their stories so that others will not fall unwilling victims to a murderer.  She sneaks into her Uncle's university classes, and she is an apprentice in his Forensics Lab.  And - she lives in London - where a brash murderer who has been branded Jack the Ripper is stalking women.

As Audrey Rose, her Uncle and an intriguing young man named Thomas search to find the identity of Jack the Ripper, Audrey begins to suspect that the true identity of the Ripper lies closer to her heart than she ever though possible.

Will the team be able to stop Jack the Ripper before he kills again?

Will the true identity of Jack the Ripper destroy Audrey Rose?

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/stalking-jack-the-ripper/oclc/1090616207&referer=brief_results

The Alters, Volume 1

Look, up in the sky!  It's an Alter - a beautiful female Alter.  And the forces of good and evil have aligned to see who will control this Alter named Chalice.  What is an Alter?  An Alter is a human who suddenly and unexpectedly changes, developing super powers that can alter the reality of the world around them.  Alters are a relatively new human mutation - and the world is struggling to adapt to this strange new reality, while the Alters themselves delineate themselves into two camps - the good ones who are attempting to harness their powers for the good of humanity, and the others - who follow Matter Man and his personal agenda that leads to him dominating the world with humanity as his servants, and the death of any Alter who refuses to follow him.

As we follow Chalice from her stunning debut, we find out about her secret identity.  Chalice lives at home, with 2 brothers, parents, and a stunning secret.  You see, Chalice is a Transgender who lives life as Charlie.  Charlie has not yet told his parents that he is Transgender, even though he is taking hormones.  Top that off with Charlie's struggle to deal with the unexpected reality of the new powers that come with being an Alter, and you have a very confused Super Hero wanna be who is struggling to figure out what her new normal is in the world.

Will she go her own way or align with one of the powers that are out there?  Will she tell her friends and family the deep secret of who she really is?  Can Matter Man be stopped before he destroys the world?  What is the secret of 61?

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/alters-volume-1/oclc/1023138220&referer=brief_results

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, by Eoin Colfer.


It's been a while since I've spent time with Artemis.  I had forgotten just how much fun the series can be.  This is the 7th installment in the series.

In this adventure, Artemis believes he has found a way to reverse global warming and save all life on earth - both human and fairy.  While he plan appears to be a good one, his friend Holly Short begins to worry about his sanity as it becomes apparent that Artemis is suffering from some strange ailment that forces him to constantly fix on the number five as a good number, and the number four as a bad number - a harbinger of death.  Foal and Holly suspect that Artemis is suffering from the Atlantis Complex. 

A very strange thing happened on Artemis' way to save the world.

A LEP Space Probe suddenly appears from nowhere and proceeds to destroy all life - human and fairy that happens to be in the way as it begins a breakneck journey to Atlantis.

Just when the Fairy World needs Artemis the most, Artemis succumbs to the Atlantis Complex.
Holly and Foaly begin a massive chase to Atlantis, attempting to stop what looks like the destruction of the city of Atlantis.

But who is behind this strange takeover of the Probe?  Is it the dreaded Master Criminal, Opal Koboi?  Who else has the talent and power to create such havoc besides Opal?

Can Atlantis be saved?

Can Artemis be cured?

Will the Master Mind behind all of this death and destruction be found in time to stop further chaos?

Find out in The Atlantis Complex.

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/artemis-fowl-the-atlantis-complex/oclc/1003804410&referer=brief_results

Fatal Throne

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

King Henry the VIII is one of the most curious figures in the history of the English court.  The man single handedly shook up the known world, enacting a forced split with the Catholic Church, printing a Bible in English that was readable by those who had the ability, and for his succession of wives.  Six of them who met tragic ends.


Many of us know the rhyme about King Henry VIII's wives:
Divorced, Beheaded, Died
Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.


Do we know that much about the women behind the rhyme?

In Fatal Throne, each of the wives speaks about her life with Henry - how she became his wife, the highlights of her life with Henry, and how her life with Henry ended.

Even Henry is given a voice, speaking about his life with each wife, and the misunderstandings that have led them to their current impasse.

If you are curious about the many wives of Henry VIII, and the many ways in which Henry forever changed the world, this book is a great place to start!

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/fatal-throne-the-wives-of-henry-viii-tell-all/oclc/1088674610&referer=brief_results

The Queen of Attolia

Eugenides is a master thief.  He works for the Queen of Eddis.   His name is legendary far beyond his own kingdom.  When he is caught stealing from the Queen of Attolia, he suffers the most severe consequence a thief could suffer, and is returned to Queen Eddis a broken man.  As Eugenides struggles to recover from his injuries and regain his equilibrium, Eddis turns the world upside down and declares war on Attolia. As Eddis and Attolia battle each other, the surrounding kingdoms send in their own players in an attempt to sway the battle their own way and win favor and additional lands of their own.


Playing a deep game of intrigue and politics, Eddis gives Eugenides the assignment of a lifetime: Steal a Man, Steal a Queen, and Steal Peace.

Can Eugenides, the one handed thief, navigate through the political intrigue of spies, war, danger, and power in order to secure safety for the Kingdom of Eddis and exact revenge for his own devastating injury?


Note- Looking for a book like the Game of Thrones series that is tamer?  You will enjoy this book.  The book is full of political intrigue, with unexpected plot twists and turns that involve multiple kingdoms.  This book is aimed at a younger audience. 

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/queen-of-attolia/oclc/951507544&referer=brief_results

Children of Blood and Bone

We are all children of blood and bone.

All instruments of vengeance and virtue. 

                                                    Children of Blood and Bone, p. 519

In a tiny village in the middle of Africa lives a village of people oppressed by the rulers for who they are.  These are not just any people, but they are the Maji, wondrous magicians who control the natural world around them.  The King has set out to destroy all Maji.  Not only has he destroyed the source of magic in the world, but he has systematically set out to kill all the Maji over the age of 18, and oppressed the remaining population of Maji.



Zelie and her brother Tzain are descended from a powerful Maji.  Their mother was a Reaper who helped souls depart this world and go onto the next.  Since their mother was brutally murdered during The Raid, the children have lived the lives of fishermen with their father in their tiny village.  Zelie has trained with Mama Agba to become a warrior who is able to defend herself in the face of great hatred.  Tzain is a formidable opponent in the Orishan Games. 

A raise in the Diviner's Tax that threatens to send Zelie to the stocks if the family can't come up with the money sends Zelie and Tzain into Lagos to sell an elegant sailfish.  This one simple act sets off an unlikely chain of events that gives Zelie one chance - ONE - to restore magic to the world.  This one chance will lead Zelie and Tzain through a brutal journey across the land just for the single opportunity to restore the balance of power.



Bettina's Note:
You will find yourself swept away by this story of mystery, intrigue, and danger.  Harry Potter and Tolkien fans will enjoy this world that could easily be a part of our own.  The author has effortlessly created a world where magic is normal, and the extraordinary seems ordinary.  Her descriptions answer your questions before you have a chance to ask them.  Wonderful story!  (And when I got to the end, my response was NOOOOO!!!!!  Don't end it here, I want more!!!)

Legacy of Kings

 

Imagine a world where Game of Thrones meets Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  Are you there yet?  No?  Imagine just a little bit more, and here comes the fantastic made for Teens Tale - Legacy of Kings. A world where magic still lurks in the shadows, Gods walk the earth, and people seek to destroy the sorcerers who rule the world from behind the scenes. This work of historical fiction will sweep you off your feet!

Set in Macedonia, this story embraces the life of Alexander the Great as a  young man, just finding his way as a military leader.  His family are the rulers of Macedonia. 


This is also the tale of a young orphaned girl named Katerina, who has a mission to complete before she can settle down and pursue her dreams.  Haunted by the murder of her mother, Katerina is determined to make the guilty party pay.


Jacob will go to any lengths to win the woman of his dreams - Katerina.  He has loved her with a burning passion since they were children.


As the story begins, Jacob is entering the Blood Tournament.  The winner of the tournament will be selected to be a member of the King's Guard, and wealth which will enable him to win the woman of his dreams.

With the start of the blood tournament, the characters lives entwine in unexpected ways that will influence the outcome of history.


Find this book in a library near you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/legacy-of-kings/oclc/1076593298&referer=brief_results

I Am Number Four

There were Seven.  Seven children who escaped the doomed planet of Lorien with their Cepan.  Upon leaving, each child was given a charm that would protect them - as long as they stayed apart.

When they arrived on Earth, each pair - 1 child and 1 Cepan, disappeared.  They remain safe only as long as they remain separate.  They live their lives on the run, hiding from the terror that haunts them.  For they are hunted.  Hunted by the same Mogadorians that destroyed Lorien, the seven that remain must be killed in the order in which they are numbered - only the charm given them upon Lorien protects them on this strange planet.  As each is killed, a brand burns itself around the ankle of each of the survivors.  Each of the children has at least one Legacy - a powerful gift that will allow them to defend themselves.  But the legacies don't develop until the children become teenagers.

We join Number Seven in Florida.  He is enjoying an evening on a boat with others from school when the third brand appears on his ankle.  He and his Cepan, Henri, pack up and take off for yet another random destination.




They settle in Paradise, Ohio.  Number Four decides to go by the name of John when he enrolls in high school.  For the first time, John decides to fight back against the bullies and not just melt into the background.  John also makes friends.  And finds a girlfriend.




 As they search for more information on the Mogadorians, John is shocked to find just how close they are to taking over the Earth - the same way they took over Lorien.  The race to find out more about the Mogadorians, develop John's Legacies, and run before their location is discovered makes this a compelling read that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat!


Find this book in a library near you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/i-am-number-four-the-lost-files-the-legacies/oclc/880767678&referer=brief_results

Company Town

Ashby, Madeline.  Company Town.  2016.  Tor Publishing, New York, NY.

Go-Jung Hwa is a unique person.  She is truly organic.  She has no bio-engineered genetic implants.   As one of the few existing humans without any type of engineering, she is truly unique.  Nobody can use her implants to control her or to steer her to their will.  She is uniquely and completely her own person.

Hwa lives in a town that consists of several inter-connected oil rigs off the coast of Canada.  She is a body guard for the United Sex Workers Union.  Quick, fast, strong, and discreet, she is the body guard of choice for the union.

When Hwa gets in the middle of an attempted disturbance on one of the oil rigs, she becomes involved with the Lynch Company.  The company that owns the town.  After the Lynch family meets Hwa, they hire her to be the bodyguard for Joel, the youngest Lynch and future leader of the company.

As Hwa takes on the job of guarding Joel, her friends begin dying left and right.  As she explores their deaths, she finds a deeper, more sinister plot that goes far deeper then you would think possible.

You will be left on the edge of your seat as the revelations and plot twists play themselves out in the final chapter.



Find this book in a Library near you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/company-town/oclc/957635506&referer=brief_results

Full Cicada Moon

Hilton, Marilyn.  Full Cicada Moon. 2015.  Dial Books for Young Readers.  New York, NY.





The year is 1969, and the Apollo Mission is about to land on the moon.  The world is full of wonder about the new territory about to be explored, and the scientific accomplishments of the NASA Scientists.

12 year old Mimi Oliver dreams of becoming an astronaut on the moon.  Growing up in California, surrounded by family and close friends, anything seems possible.

Mimi's Dad has been given his dream job - as a professor at Hillsborough College in Vermont.  And Mimi and her mother journey across the county to join her father in their new home and her new school - just after New Year's Day.

For Mimi, life is full of the usual complications of moving to a new school in a new place;  finding new friends, a place to fit in, getting to new to her classes and proving to the teachers that she really does belong in the classes that she's been placed into.

But there's one unexpected twist. As a half Japanese, half black young woman who wants to be a NASA Scientist in a mostly white very traditional small town in Vermont, she keeps finding unexpected obstacles and hostility where she least expects.

Mimi's journey to win acceptance and follow her dreams will give you the courage to follow your very own big dreams.

When Dimple Met Rishi

Menon, Sandhya.  When Dimple Met Rishi.  2017.  Simon Pulse, New York, NY

Dimple Shah is an average, ordinary American teenager who loves to code.  Her biggest dream for the summer after she graduates from high school is to get away to a coding camp and program a winning App.  An app so wonderful, so spectacular, that she will get a chance to meet her heroine, Jenny Lindt, a world famous coder.  There's only one problem with this perfect scenario.  Did I mention that she is of Indian descent? Her parents want her to find and marry her I.I.H.  (Ideal Indian Husband)

Rishi Patel is an average, ordinary American teenager who is very connected to his roots and his past.  While his passion is drawing and writing comic books.  Instead of pursuing his passion, he has set his sights on going to MIT to become a computer programmer.  He is a hopeless romantic who loves the unconventional story of how his parents met through an arranged marriage.




The parents of Rishi and Dimple are old friends who grew up in India together.  Between them, they believe that Dimple and Rishi would make an ideal couple, and take the steps to arrange a marriage between them.  While Rishi is well aware of the plans for the two to meet during the summer coding camp, Dimple's parents decide that it is best to keep her in the dark.




Dimple begins their acquaintance with each other by throwing her iced coffee all over this strange kid who knows everything about her and calls her "future wife".  Things take a turn for the worse when the two are assigned to be partners during the six weeks of camp.




But, as Dimple and Rishi begin to work together, they find that underneath their prickly exteriors lie a quiet depth that neither one suspected about the other.




Will they follow through on their parent's wishes and pursue a relationship?  Or are they destined to remain friends?  Find out as you journey with Dimple and Rishi through San Francisco!


Find this book in a library near  you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/when-dimple-met-rishi/oclc/1085230806&referer=brief_results

Youth Media Awards

The time is coming when the BIG awards for youth literature published in 2017 are going to be announced.  As always, there's a lot of speculation about who is going to win the prizes.  Which prizes, you ask?  The Printz Award - for Young Adult Fiction.  The Newberry Award for Children's Fiction, and the Caldecott for Children's Picture Books.

I've read books that I think are big contenders this year.  I know I'm wrong about which book will win, but I'm going to list my personal favorites:

1) You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
Author: Sherman Alexie

The true story of Alexie's life growing up on the Rez.  This bold, stark tale of life with alcoholic parents in the extreme poverty of life on an Indian Reservation is a look at the different ways we love - and express our love for the people in our lives.

2) The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas

In a story ripped from the headlines, a young teen is shot by police during a traffic stop.  The following he said/she said story brings a community to the edge of violence, and the jury verdict pushes the city over the edge.  Insightful commentary brings the story out of the headlines and into your hands, turning what you thought you knew about these stories upside down.

3) That Inevitable Victorian Thing
Author: E.K. Johnston

In this Alternative History, the Victorian Empire has flourished, and rules the entire globe.  Set in modern day Canada, Margaret Anne, the next in line for the British Throne, has her coming out disguised as a relatively unknown noble person named Margaret Sandwich.   Margaret has the summer of a lifetime, free from the strictures of the court until she discovers love - an unconventional love that could turn the empire upside down.


I'd love to see You Don't Have to Say You Love Me win it all, but I wouldn't be surprised if The Hate U Give is the winner.

What about you?  Do you have any predictions for this year?

The Cruel Prince

Black, Holly.  The Cruel Prince.  2018.  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Jude is an ordinary girl growing up in suburbia with her parents and sisters when her world is unexpectedly turned upside down.

A mysterious stranger appears at her parents door one day.  He confronts her mother, and slaughters both of her parents before she has a chance to scream.  He explains that he is from the Faerie Kingdom, and is one of the folk.  Their mother had been his wife, and their oldest sister was his child.  He then takes all three of the children back to Faerie to raise as his own. It turns out that her new father is the General to the High King.

Jude is a mortal who finds herself swept into the strange world of Faerie, with all of the political intrigue and anger that accompany her when The Folk are forced to treat Jude and her sister as equals.



The intrigue deepens when the High King of Faerie is to step down and appoint one of his children as the next High King.  As Jude attempts to remain alive when it seems all about her are trying to kill her, she finds herself swept into the intrigue of the high court.  It turns out that not all is as it seems, and that not everything is as clear cut and straight forward as she thought.  There are plots within plots within plots.



Can Jude survive the transition?  Will she continue to have a place in court?  Who is the mysterious suitor that will be asking for her sister's hand in marriage?  What part does her little brother Oak have to play in this drama?



Plots within plots within plots will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twisty, turny end of the book.


Find this book in a library near you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/cruel-prince/oclc/1039680704&referer=brief_results