Publisher: Bloomsbury
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/21/2012
ISBN-13: 9781599908731
ISBN-10: 1599908735

Fantasy. In this highly anticipated sequel to The Princess Academy, Miri and her friends set off for the capital city to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding, and Miri gets a chance to study at the Queen's university. But the contrast between the opulence of the palace and the hardscrabble daily life of the kingdom's people doesn't escape Miri's notice, and as revolutionary fervor stirs around her, she becomes dangerously involved. Readers who enjoy being swept up in a fairy-tale fantasy with descriptive, lyrical writing and brave, quick-witted heroines -- like Tamora Pierce's Trickster's Choice -- will be mesmerized.

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/21/2012
ISBN-13: 9780061742668
ISBN-10: 006174266X

Fiction. Expecting to be expelled after his latest prank goes spectacularly (and very expensively) wrong, eighth-grade troublemaker Donovan Curtis is instead admitted -- by mistake -- to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special school for gifted and talented students. But Donovan isn't telling anyone about the administrative error; he's just going to keep his head down and hide out among the brainy kids. Or at least, that's the plan... Donovan's experience as a sort of stowaway at ASD is one that fans of funny, character-driven, feel-good stories will love reading about.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/07/2012
ISBN-13: 9780547315843
ISBN-10: 0547315848

Nonfiction. It's only been within the past 100 years that scientists have begun to unravel the mysteries of the most important fluid in our bodies -- blood -- but people have been fascinated with, horrified by, and philosophical about it since ancient times. In this comprehensive yet easily understandable and highly entertaining book, author H.P. Newquist covers everything from cultural and literary connections (such as blood sacrifices, medieval medical practices, and vampire legends) to scientific topics like the chemical makeup of blood and how the circulatory system works. The Book of Blood is a great read for fans of gross-out science books as well as anyone who wants to understand the amazing power and properties of what's pumping through your veins right now.

Table of Contents  

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/11/2012
ISBN-13: 9780763650803
ISBN-10: 0763650803

Nonfiction. Fans of riveting, real-life adventure stories will not want to miss this dramatic account of the 1897 rescue of nearly 300 sailors whose whaling ships were frozen fast in the ice off the northern coast of Alaska. Illustrated with a wealth of photos taken during the ordeal and salted with intriguing sidebars (one explains that the three rescuers were members of an organization that would become the U.S. Coast Guard), this breathtaking tale of survival and perseverance in extreme conditions should thrill fans of the TV show Deadliest Catch. For a similar story, check out Jennifer Armstrong's Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World.

Publisher: Harcourt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/10/2012
ISBN-13: 9780547738505
ISBN-10: 0547738501

Science Fiction. Grace Pizzelli feels woefully average compared to her brilliant older sister, Emily, who is an intern at the Rasmussem Corporation, a cutting-edge virtual-reality gaming company. But when Emily refuses to emerge from a hacked game that -- despite its seemingly harmless, pink-and-girly design -- might kill her if she doesn't unplug, Grace enters the game to rescue her. Smart and suspenseful but with enough humorous moments to relieve some of the tension, this 3rd Rasmussem Corporation novel (after User Unfriendly and Heir Apparent) is a fun and exciting read.

First Chapter  

There are lots of reasons to love Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series of graphic-novel fantasy adventures. First off, there's the masterful, cinematic artwork -- it's richly colored, dramatically designed, and really pulls readers into the story's dark, often scary imaginary world. Then there's the story, with its adventure, humor, edge-of-your-seat battle scenes, mix of science-fiction and fantasy elements, and heroic sister-and-brother team (plus their robot buddies). If you're in a long list of folks waiting to check out volume 5, which just published last month, try one of the books below to keep you entertained in the meantime.

Publisher: Graphic Universe
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9780761344599
ISBN-10: 0761344594

Graphic Novel. Rebecca's adoptive grandfather has died, and she and her friends Max, Theo, and Noah are sorting through his effects when they stumble upon a portal to a strange and dangerous world. Bec and Max find themselves stuck in this deadly dimension on the wrong side of the Shadow Door while Theo and Noah try desperately to bring them back. This exciting 1st volume of the suspenseful, fun, and scary Elsewhere Chronicles fantasy trilogy is sure to enthrall fans of Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series, which begins with The Stonekeeper.

Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/27/2011
ISBN-13: 9780765324603
ISBN-10: 0765324601

Graphic Novel. Twenty-five years ago, a mysterious alien race came to Earth and gave humankind amazing technology: they built huge ladders into space and topped them with stations that provide power for everything on Earth. Only kids are small and lightweight enough to work on the Laddertop space stations, and 11-year-old BFFs Robbi and Azure are both new recruits at the Laddertop Academy. The girls soon realize that there's a lot of mystery surrounding what the Ladders are really for...and that they may be in grave danger. Amulet fans who like that series' science-fiction flavor, its manga-esque art, and Emily, its strong, smart heroine, will be thrilled by this science-fiction adventure and eager for its next installment.

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/13/2009
ISBN-13: 9780375939228
ISBN-10: 0375939229

Graphic Novel. When Stone Rabbit moves a loose tile in his bathroom, he is sucked down a "time portal of doom" and transported back to the prehistoric era. After escaping from a bunch of dinosaurs, he discovers a village of stone-age bunnies who think he's a god. Then, when the entire bunny village is kidnapped, Stone Rabbit must rescue them -- and keep his bottle of barbecue sauce from becoming the key ingredient in a madman's plot for world domination. The goofy, whiz-bang action in this super-fun comic (the 1st in the Stone Rabbit series) is sure to tickle fans of TV cartoons -- and Amulet fans who are fondest of that series' humor and adventure.

Publisher: Amulet Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9780810984226
ISBN-10: 0810984229

Graphic Novel. In this hilarious and impassioned tale of adventure, family, tradition, heroism, and...knitting, smart and spunky 11-year-old Mirka Herschberg longs to slay dragons. But to earn her sword, she'll first have to do battle with the school bullies, an enormous pig (a pig in the Orthodox Jewish community of Hereville? Oy vey!), and a rather supercilious and very creepy troll. Hereville's fabulous artwork, distinct characters, droll humor, and insight into Jewish tradition will pull you into Mirka's world and make you wish the story didn't end so quickly. The story, a mix of realism and fantasy, will be a change of pace for Amulet fans -- but if it's really high-quality art that most interests you, don't miss it.

Publisher: Scholastic
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9780545210270
ISBN-10: 0545210275

Graphic Novel. Young Garth Hale is understandably obsessed with death; he's been diagnosed with an incurable disease. But Garth never expected his trip to the afterlife to happen so suddenly...and with him still very much alive. World-weary Supernatural Immigration agent Frank Gallows -- whose job it is to send wayward ghosts back to the land of the dead -- has accidentally zapped Garth to the other side along with Gallows' intended bounty, a skeleton horse. Surrounded by terrifying creatures and pursued by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, Garth teams up with his grandfather's ghost and the horse, Skinny, to find a way home. With artwork that fairly pulsates with energy and a plot packed with surprising twists, this creepy, grim-yet-hilarious adventure (like the Amulet books) is a real page-turner.