Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone --- from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud --- threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.Book of the Day: The Lux by Anna Godbersen
Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone --- from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud --- threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.Book of the Day: Omega Place by Graham Marks
Paul Hendry just wants to get away from his mother and annoying stepfather. But when he runs away, he finds that life on the streets is nothing like what he expected. By chance, he falls in with a radical action group called Omega Place, whose members are determined to let people know exactly how closely the government is watching them on closed-circuit TV cameras posted in public places. What are the ramifications of this kind of footage? Paul is about to find out.Book of the Day: The Outcasts by L.S. Matthews
Four of the Outcasts don't really participate in class, and all five could care less about a group activity. So the fact that all of them actually go on the field trip is something of a miracle. When reality splits, and they end up in another dimension, you can imagine how badly they'll all wish they'd stayed home. Five outcasts fall out of reality. How many will make it back to the world as they know it?Book of the Day: A Fate Totally Worse Than Death by Paul Fleischman
In this horror novel parody, three self-centered members of Cliffside High School's ruling clique, who are beginning to age rapidly, become convinced that the beautiful new exchange student is the ghost of the girl whose death they caused the year before.
Book of the Day: A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
When a handsome senior boy enters their mix, friends Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva soon find themselves in questionable situations where each girl must make the right decision before their personal sacrifices become too great.Book of the Day: Books That Bite by Marianne Mancusi
Bitten by a vampire after being mistaken for her Goth twin sister, Rayne, sixteen-year-old Sunny is in a race against time as she tries to prevent herself from becoming a vampire permanently.Book of the Day: Heavy Metal and You by Christopher Krovatin
High schooler Sam begins losing himself when he falls for a preppy girl who wants him to give up getting wasted with his best friends and even his passion for heavy metal music in order to become a better person.Book of the Day: Evil Genius
By Catherine Jinks
With a series of breakneck twists and turns, Jinks's (the Pagan Chronicles) latest novel follows Cadel Piggott, a seven-year-old Australian boy with an incredible mind and a proclivity toward mischief: "He loved systems: phone systems, electrical systems, car engines, complicated traffic intersections." Following a string of disasters, which Cadel engineers (e.g., hacking into the city's power grid), his desperate adoptive parents take him to a psychologist, Dr. Thaddeus Roth. But instead of refocusing Cadel on more positive activities, Dr. Roth encourages the boy to develop increasingly destructive plans, such as orchestrating massive traffic jams and manipulating his classmates' emotions so that they turn on one another. Dr. Roth also stuns Cadel by revealing that he is employed by Cadel's birth father, Dr. Phineas Darkkon, a criminal mastermind serving a life sentence. From prison, Dr. Darkkon established the Axis Institute for the world's genetically talented and criminally inclined. Drs. Roth and Darkkon convince Cadel to join its small freshman class, and Cadel slowly uncovers a conspiracy of lies and betrayals that leave no aspect of his life untouched. Jinks has created an intricate, well-constructed and layered reality in this hefty novel, and as the complex deceptions that have shaped Cadel's life come to light, his emotional unraveling and awakening will likely engross readers
Book of the Day: He's With Me
By Tamara SummersLexie has always had a crush on Jake, her brother Colin's best friend. But she knows Jake thinks of her like a sister, and has never made a move. But when beautiful alpha girl Bree McKennis sets her sights on Jake, he has to come up with a plan to turn her down...without incurring the wrath of the most popular girl in school. That's when Colin comes up with the plan: Lexie can pretend to be Jake's girlfriend. But Lexie has never had a real boyfriend, let alone a pretend one! Can she manage to convince Jake that they're meant to be...and avoid getting killed by Bree McKennis?
Book of the Day: Habibi
By Naomi NyeThe day after Liyana got her first real kiss, her life changed forever. Not because of the kiss, but because it was the day her father announced that the family was moving from St. Louis all the way to Palestine. Though her father grew up there, Liyana knows very little about her family's Arab heritage. Her grandmother and the rest of her relatives who live in the West Bank are strangers, and speak a language she can't understand. It isn't until she meets Omer that her homesickness fades. But Omer is Jewish, and their friendship is silently forbidden in this land. How can they make their families understand? And how can Liyana ever learn to call this place home?
Book of the Day: Walking up a Rainbow
By Theodore TaylorThe year is 1851. Susan Carlisle, a feisty 14-year-old who has recently been orphaned, would be well off if it weren't for G. B. Minzter. He has sued to take all she hashouse and moneyto cover a debt her late father incurred. Susan has one year to pay off the $15,000 she owes. She decides to sell her only possession4000 sheepto raise the money. In order to do so she faces a walk from Iowa to California, where hungry gold miners will pay high prices for the sheep. She lies, coaxes and finally persuades a drover to undertake the cross-country sheep-walk. The tale of their journey is colorful and exciting; details of Gold Rush America are accurate, and the frontier idiom is used consistently throughout. One jarring note is the lengthy section where Clay Carmer, the young drover Susan has set her sights on, takes over the narrationan obvious device to distance the reader from the trauma of an attempted rape that occurs here. But in general, the book's lighthearted, gun-toting tone is sustained at the cost of real character development
Book of the Day: Yellow Star
By Jennifer RoyIn February 1940, four-and-half-year-old Syvia (later Sylvia) Perlmutter, her mother, father and 12-year-old sister, Dora, were among the first of more than 250,000 Jews to be forced into Poland's Lodz Ghetto. When the Russians liberated the ghetto on January 19, 1945, the Perlmutters were among only 800 people left alive; Syvia, "one day shy of ten years old," was one of just 12 children to survive the ordeal. The novel is filled with searing incidents of cruelty and deprivation, love, luck and resilience. But what sets it apart is the lyricism of the narrative, and Syvia's credible childlike voice, maturing with each chapter, as she gains further understanding of the events around her. Roy, who is Syvia's niece, tells her aunt's story in first-person free verse. "February 1940" begins: "I am walking/ into the ghetto./ My sister holds my hand/ so that I don't/ get lost/ or trampled/ by the crowd of people/ wearing yellow stars,/ carrying possessions,/ moving into the ghetto." The rhythms, repetitions and the space around each verse enable readers to take in the experience of an ordinary child caught up in incomprehensible events: "I could be taken away/ on a train,/ .../ and delivered to Germans/ who say that nothing belongs to Jewish people any-/ more./ Not even their own children." Nearly every detail-a pear Syvia bravely plucks from a tree in the ghetto, a rag doll she makes when her family must sell her own beloved doll-underscores the wedded paradox of hope and fear, joy and pain.
Book of the Day: A Court for Owls
By Richard AdicksAdicks's debut novel set during and after the Civil War has all the ingredients of a first-rate historical thriller, yet never rises above a stale and flavorless sketch. Much of the problem stems from Adick's flat journalistic account of the events of the war and his inability to dramatize the story's conflicts. The protagonist, Lewis Powell, was the mysterious young man who assaulted Secretary of State William Seward on the night Lincoln was assassinated, and who was accused of complicity in the latter event. Not long after Lewis joins the Florida Jasper Blues in the heady early days of the Confederacy, he has a fateful encounter with John Wilkes Booth and is drawn into a plot to kidnap Lincoln. As portrayed by Adicks, Booth is so absurd and histrionic that his ability to mesmerize Lewis is scarcely credible. Lewis rides though the South creating havoc among the northern troops, visits a variety of whorehouses, is wounded at Gettysburg and conducts ill-fated romances with local belles. While Booth succeeds in ending Lincoln's life, Lewis bungles the attempt to murder Seward in a scene of unusual dullness. In fizzling succession, Lewis is captured, tried and executed and this lackluster novel mercifully comes to an end. (June)
Book of the Day: Ella Mental
By Amber Deckers
The Elemental Good Sense Guide is made up of basic observations I make about people and life, which I then turn into sayings. Elemental -- that's also my nickname, but it's actually more like "Ella Mental." You see: It changes the meaning entirely. Ella Watson is sensible to a fault. Thanks to the little nuggets of wisdom she collects in her Good Sense Guide, she's the perfect go-to girl for any friend in need. But when Ella has an argument with her best friend, Toby, her faithful guide falls short. Ella has been so focused on her friends that she's missed what's right in front of her face -- now she'll have to trade in sense for sensibility to mend her friendship
Book of the Day: The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie
by Jaclyn MoriartyBindy Mackenzie believes herself to be the smartest, kindest girl at Ashbury High. Unfortunately, she is alone in that belief.
To prove her likeability, Bindy decides to document her life in transcripts, essays, and e-mails. What this reveals is a girl who's funny, passionate, hilariously self-righteous...and in danger.
Someone wants to kill Bindy Mackenzie. The clues are in the documents. The detectives are the very students who hate her most. And time is running out.
Enjoy this wickedly funny follow-up to The Year of Secret Assignments. It's a killer!
Book of the Day: Lulu Dark can see Through Walls
by Bennet MadisonLulu Dark is the anti-Nancy—a chic, tough-talking city girl who never meant to get involved in a mystery. . . .
Author Biography: Bennett Madison lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he enjoys spending time with the many Lulus in his life.
Book of the Day: The Two Princesses of Bamarre
by Gail Carson LevineThe Two Princesses of Bamarre couldn't be more different. Princess Addie is fearful and shy. Her deepest wish is for safety. Princess Meryl is bold and brave. Her deepest wish is to save the kingdom of Bamarre. They are sisters, and they mean the world to each other.
Then disaster strikes, and Addie -- terrified and unprepared -- sets out on a perilous quest. In her path are monsters of Bamarre: ogres, specters, gryphons, and dragons. Addie must battle them, but time is running out, and the sister's lives -- and Barmarre's fate -- hang in the balance.
Gail Carson Levine left her mark on fantasy with her well-loved 1998 Newbery Honor book Ella Enchanted. Now she has created another shimmering and tapestried landscape of fantasy and fairies. Bamarre and the journeys of its two princesses will burn themselves into the minds of readers, and all will relish this moving saga about two sisters groping their way toward heroism
Book of the Day: Plenty Porter
By Brandon NoonanThe daughter of poor share-croppers in rural Illinois, Plenty Porter is the youngest of eleven children. In their cramped, old farmhouse, with thirteen mouths needing to be fed, Plenty feels as though she is "one too many." But when she develops a special friendship with a boy named Ed-the son of a wealthy landowner-together they come to terms with what it means to be on the outside, and how the word "family" is truly defined.A stunning debut by screenwriter Brandon Noonan, PLENTY PORTER is an evocative and poignant coming-of-age novel. Rich in texture, and masterfully crafted, PLENTY PORTER introduces a timeless heroine with an unforgettable voice.
Book of the Day: Bat 6
By Virginia Euwer WolffSet against the backdrop of a softball game played in Oregon in 1949, this novel brilliantly probes issues such as racial prejudice, illegitimacy, and life in a small town. The story revolves around Aki, who has spent several years in a Japanese internment camp, and Shazam, whose father was killed at Pearl Harbor. During the annual baseball competition, Shazam attacks Aki, injuring her severely. The game ends suddenly, and all of the players are left to wonder what share of the responsibility they bear. With honesty and powerful insight, the story is told through the first-person narrations of the 21 girls on the two teams.
Book of the Day: A Sea so Far
By Jean ThesmanApril 18, 1906. San Francisco is shaken by a nightmare earthquake. Its victims include two teenage girls-Kate Keely, an independent orphan, and fragile Jolie Logan, a scarlet fever survivor. Their lives collide when Kate is hired as Jolie's "personal companion"; before they have gotten used to each other, Jolie's father decides to send them to Ireland. Kate is ecstatic, until he entrusts her with the Logan family secret, one she must keep from Jolie. The girls make the exhausting journey by train and boat to Ireland, where they stay with Jolie's aunt, and thrive-in ways Dr. Logan would never have expected.
Book of the Day: Blind Beauty
By K.M. PeytonTessa has major attitude and an impossible dream—not a greatcombination for success. But she believes that fate has delivered the ungainly horse Buffoon to her, and Tessa is determined never to be separated from him. What's more, she intends to one day become a jockey and ride Buffoon in the Grand National. But how can a girl with a violent temper and a “can't do” philosophy gain the physical strength, courage, and money needed to become a jockey—especially when her stepfather would like nothing better than to see her fail? Determination and grit may not be enough—but Tessa's not going to let go without giving it her all.
Book of the Day: Skybreaker
By Kenneth OppelFormer cabin boy Matt Cruse, now a student at the prestigious Airship Academy, is first to identify the Hyperion, the private airship of a reclusive and fabulously wealthy inventor that disappeared forty years ago with its owner. Armed with the Hyperion's coordinates, which only he possesses, Matt, heiress Kate de Vries, and a mysterious young gypsy board the Sagarmatha, an airship fitted with the new skybreaker engines that will allow them to reach the Hyperion, 20,000 feet above the earth's surface. Pursued by others who want the Hyperion and will stop at nothing to get it, and surrounded by dangerous high-altitude life forms, Matt and his companions are soon fighting not only for the Hyperion but for their very lives.
In this thrilling sequel to Airborn, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Kenneth Oppel evokes the classic storytelling of Robert Louis Stevenson and Jules Verne, creating a world in which a new discovery can have unimagined consequences -- on earth and miles above it.
Book of the Day: Sold
By Patricia McCormick
Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut in a mountain village in Nepal. Her life is made up of simple pleasures like going to school and spending time with her loving ama and baby brother. But these happy times are undercut by the desperate poverty that threatens the lives of the villagers.
Then one day, Lakshmi's father brings her to a shopkeeper in town and tells Lakshmi that she is going to go work as a maid in India so that her wages can be sent home. Glad to help support her family, Lakshmi undertakes the long journey and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope. But she soon discovers the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.
An old woman named Mumtaz rules the house with an iron fist. She informs Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt. And of course, crooked Mumtaz will make sure that that never happens.
Lakshmi life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. But gradually, she forms friendships that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Until the day comes that she has to make a decision -- one that will cause her to risk everything to for a chance to reclaim her life.
Written in spare and evocative vignettes, this powerful novel chronicles the story of one girl's struggle to maintain her sense of self against all odds.
Book of the Day: My Life Starring Mum
by Chloe Rayban
Hollywood Bliss Winterman leads a fairly uneventful life at the Convent of the Sisters of the Resurrection boarding school. But everything changes when her mega-famous, rock star mother Khandi yanks Holly out of boarding school, plunks her into a private, secure suite at a posh hotel in London, and promptly forgets that her daughter is even there. With only a mobile phone and pet rabbit to keep her company, Holly’s diary of her life (starring her mum) will resonate with any teenage girl who’s ever been embarrassed by her mother.
Book of the Day: Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon
Natasha, a bright, ambitious Harlem teen who intends to become a lawyer, main-tains a years-long correspondence with her boyfriend Antonio, who is in prison
for involuntary manslaughter.
Book of the Day: Rock Star, Superstar by Blake Nelson
When Pete, a talented bass player, moves from playing in the high school jazz band to playing in a popular rock group, he finds the experience exhilarating even as his new fame jeopardizes his relationship with girlfriend Margaret.Book of the Day: The Meq by Steve Cash
Having learned on his 12th birthday in 1881 that he is not human but an immortal creature known as a Meq, Zianno Zezen embarks on a dual quest to find his soul-mate and to destroy an evil Meq called Fleur-du-Mal.
Book of the Day: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard Luthe and the help of the Blue Sword, wins the birthright due her as the daughter of the Damarian king and a witchwoman of the mysterious, demon-haunted NorthBook of the Day: Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl
Rather than marry a cruel king or a seemingly dim-witted prince, an enchanted goose girl endures imprisonment, capture by several ogresses, and other dangers, before learning exactly who she is.