Ghostgirl

Hurley, Tonya. Ghostgirl.  Boston : Little, Brown and Co., 2008. $17.99.  ISBN:  9780316113571 
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ.)

Are you dying to be popular?  Would you do just about anything to have the boy you've been crushing on to notice your existence and be completely devoted to you?   That's the approach Charlotte Usher had towards her latest year at Hawthorne High.  All Charlotte wants is to be accepted as the ever popular Petula Kensington and to be noticed by Damen Dylan, the handsomest guy in the entire school.  Although Charlotte comes to school with a new plan to change her social status among her peers, what she doesn't foresee is her death the first day of high school--on the girls' bathroom floor, choking on a gummi bear.

Charlotte's story doesn't end with her death.  In fact, that's when her story truly begins.  She finds herself still enrolled Hawthorne, but on the other side where she can't be seen by the living.  Amongst other dead students Charlotte discovers that she must learn some rather tough lessons before she can move on.  She must give up her feelings for Damen and her quest to be popular. Charlotte doesn't take the news easily, and when she discovers that Petula's sister Scarlett can see her, she finds a new way to contact Damen.  Will Charlotte ever see beyond her crush, or will she be forever trapped within her one-sided-lack-of-a-relationship with Damen?  You will have to read Ghostgirl to find out?

--On a side note, I thought the layout of this book was quite creative, although, physically, it wasn't the easiest book to hold on to.  I found the quotes at the beginning of each chapter really supported and enriched the point Hurley was trying to make.  She also used a broad spectrum of quotes at the start of each chapter, each of which emphasized where the story was going or how Charlotte was feeling.  This was a creative, fun book to read.  Not only did it depict how desperate Charlotte was in her quest to become popular, it also illustrated how far one may be willing to take his or her feelings or sacrifice their own needs, in order to see a bigger purpose outside of themselves.

Check out Hurley's second Ghostgirl book, Ghostgirl:  Homecoming. 

Blankets

Blankets.  Craig Thompson. Marietta, Ga. : Top Shelf, 2003.  $29.95
ISBN: 9781891830433.

Hands down, this is one of the best books I have read in quite a while.  It describes the tangled heartache that encompasses the transitions that mar growing up.  Craig Thompson reflects on his upbringing and how his family and faith have shaped his current life.  He pays particular attention to his relationship with his younger brother, as well as his first love.  He also describes his swirling doubts about his Christian faith.  

The work uses prose that reflect Craig's ideas and feelings; however, the artistic element of the work as a graphic novel, develops the author's ideas and feelings far more vividly than printed text. The illustrations allow an added element of expression to fill the pages of Blankets, allowing the reader to visualize the author's memories and perspectives.  This is truly one of the best works I have read in quite a while, and I feel that is saying quite a bit, since I tend to read a good amount of books as often as possible.

Blankets has won the following awards:
Winner of the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Awards for Best Graphic Novel and Best Cartoonist.

Craig Thompson has won the following awards:
Harvey Award (Best New Talent, 2000)
Eisner Award (Best Graphic Album-New, 2004)
Eisner Award (Best Writer/Artist, 2004)
Harvey Award (Best Artist, 2004)
Harvey Award (Best Cartoonist, 2004)

You can also follow-up on Craig Thompson at his blog, http://www.dootdootgarden.com/.

The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars.  Frank Beddor. New York:  Speak, 2007. $8.99
ISBN: 9780142409411

The tale of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is only a fraction of the truth.  It only tells part of the tale.  Wonderland is a real place, where a violent war is waging.  Alice Liddell, a.k.a. Alyss Heart, is the long lost princess and rightful heir to the Wonderland Kingdom.  She was forced to flee the magical world when her parents were murdered by her cunning and ruthless aunt, Redd.  Now Redd is queen and ready to unleash her rage and vengeful army, led by the lethal Catt, on anyone who challenges her reign. 

However, there is hope.  A secret, fragmented group of Alyssians, those dedicated to reinstating Alyss' reign, are gathering in the undercurrents of Wonderland.  Yet, will Alice's lengthy time on Earth her make her a disbeliever of Wonderland's existence, or will she be able to remain true her heritage and return to Wonderland in order to reclaim her birthright and free her people from being systematically slaughtered by Redd, the Evil Queen of Hearts?

Frank Beddor was also penned:
Hatter M:  The Looking Glass Wars, Vol. 1
Hatter M 2: Mad with Wonder
ArchEnemy
Seeing Redd

Frank Beddor is a New York Times bestseller and as been reviewed in Booklist.

--Melissa the Librarian

The Treasure Map of Boys

The Treasure Map of Boys.  E. Lockhart. New York:  Delcort Press. 2009. $18.99
ISBN: 978-0-385-90437-7
Ruby Oliver has just made it through one her hardest years at Tate Prep High School, but her junior year isn't looking any more promising.  She really likes Noel, but Nora, one of only two friends she has left, has had a long-standing crush on him--essentially leaving him untouchable.  Her ex-boyfriend, Jackson, is still dating her ex-friend Kim. She is also trying to escape her undeserved reputation as a slut. As if romance problems weren't enough, Roo is also being pestered to run the high school Bake Sale. 

As for the rest of Roo's life--the easiest way to put it is it's just not that easy.  She is conflicted at best.  She wants to be a good friend, but she can't help who she likes.  Her therapist thinks Roo needs to make a treasure map of her friendships, but she ends up creating an illustrated picture of her potential love life.  So Roo knows that she needs to make some tough decisions.  She needs to decide if the boy she really likes is worth losing one of the last friendships she has left.  She could also choose to remain in limbo--an area of hell known to Roo as NoBoyfriendland. Either way, Roo knows she could end up hurting the people closest to her, as well as herself.

Check out other books about Ruby Oliver and her friends written by E. Lockhart, as well as E. Lockahrt's Blog (http://www.theboyfriendlist.com/):

  The Boyfriend List (15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs, and me, Ruby Oliver)

The Boy Book: a study of habits and behaviors, plus techniques for taming them.





--Melissa Brisbin the Librarian

Emily the Strange

Emily the StrangeCosmic Debris.  Emily the Strange.  San Francisco:  Chronicle Books, 2001.
$12.95
ISBN 0811831477


Emily doesn't care what other think.  She does what she wants, when she wants too.  Emily the Strange is an emo tale of a girl who lives an unapologetic existence, completely void of any of the normal pleasantries that mainstream teenagers tend to enjoy--friends, sports, or shopping. She would rather be with her black cats, causing havoc, and living in the dark. Yet, Emily is who she is, and she is defiantly not looking to conform or censure herself.  Emily the Strange is a tale full of vivid imagery against a background that looks eerily like a White Stripes video--I'm thinking specifically of Seven Nation Army.



If you like Emily the Strange also try:
Emily the Strange: The Lost Days
Emily the Strange: Vol. 1: Lost, Dark, & Bored


You can also visit Emily the Strange's blog/website at  http://www.emilystrange.com/

New posts to come soon:

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley
The Treasure Map for Boys by E. Lockhart
Emily the Strange by Cosmic Debris

The Awakening

The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book Two)

Kelley Armstrong. The Awakening. New York : Harper Collins Publishers, 2009.
$17.99
ISBN: 9780061662768
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Chloe is fifteen and a necromancer--someone who can conjure up the dead and see ghosts. She is one the run from the Edison Group, an organization that wants to control her supernatural powers.

Book Talk:
Being a teenager is hard enough: school, boys, friends, parents, and bullies. But, Chloe is also a necromancer, someone who can see ghosts and conjure up the dead. She is one the run with some of friends who also have supernatural powers, as they all try to escape the Edison Group: a scientific organization that has used the teens for experiments. As Chloe runs, she also tries to control her powers. Will she be able to stay ahead of the Edison Group, or will she and her friends be captured and terminated? As Chloe looks for help, she is awakened to the forces that surround her and seek her out.

Awards:
The Awakening has been reviewed in Booklist.

You may also want to read, The Summoning, the first book in the Dark Powers series.
It has won: Notable Books- Texas Tayshas Reading Lists, Notable Books-- 2009

A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time. Madeleine L'Engle. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1962.
$17.99
ISBN: 0374386137
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Meg's father disappeared while working on a secret government mission. Along with her brother and friend, Meg travels throughout space and time in order to find her father, and maybe help save the universe.

Book Talk:
Meg Murry feels like she doesn't fit in at school or at home. Her parents are scientists, her brothers are smart, and she is barely passing her classes. Meg's youngest brother, Charles Wallace, has always had the ability to know what she and others are thinking. What she soon discovers is, not only does Charles Wallace have physic abilities, he has also made friends with witches. They know all about Meg and her family, and seem to also know something about her father's disappearance. When Meg, Charles Wallace, and a friend travel with the 3 mysterious women they move throughout time and the universe. Will they be able to find Mr. Murry? Or will they succumb to the darkness that threatens to overtake the universe?

Awards:
Newbury Award Winner--1963.
ALA notable Children's Book
Flicker Tale Children's Book Award
Sequoyah Book Award

Blood and Chocolate

Blood and Chocolate

Annette Curtis Klause. Blood and Chocolate. New York : Delacorte Press, 1997.
$8.99
ISBN: 0385323050
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Vivian is a teen who is stunning beautiful. She's also a werewolf. When she falls for a boy named Aiden, she is forced to chose between her love for him and her family.

Book Talk:
Vivian is a teenage werewolf. She has recently moved to a new town with her pack to escape a violent past. With each moon cycle the werewolves change their form. She is part of a very close famiy, who has deep-rooted feelings about how werewolves should always stay together and only associate with humans when they have too. Then, Vivian meets Aiden, a intriguing high-school boy . As their relationship progresses, Vivian has to constantly hide who she really is, while her pack puts pressure on her to stop seeing Aiden and find a werewolf mate instead. As the past comes back to haunt the pack, Vivian is forced to make a decision--give into her nature as a werefolf where kisses taste like blood, or try and make Aiden understand who she is and keep the kisses that taste like chocolate.

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults-1998
Black-Eyed Susan Award
Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
Garden State Teen Book Award
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina)
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Voluteer State Book Award

The Last Days

The Last Days

Scott Westerfeld. The Last Days. New York : Razorbill, 2006.
$8.99
ISBN: 159514062X
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
In the sequel to Westerfeld's Peeps, Moz and Pearl meet on the streets of New York and end up forming a band that has supernatural powers.

Book Talk:
Pearl and Moz have a mutual love for rock music and saving a 1975 Fender Stratocaster with gold pickups and hardware from falling into the streets of New York City, as a crazed woman throws all her personal belongings out a window. What Pearl and moz don't realize is that the band they create will have supernatural powers that may ultimately save human kind. As humans conduct life above the streets of the city, there is a growing dark and powerful force emerging from the dark hollows New York's underground tunnels. Citizens and friends of the city are also disappearing and exhibiting strange, vampire characteristics. Will this group of teens have the power to stop what growing under the streets, or are they living out their last days as the world is slowly comsumed by a dark plague?

Awards:
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers--2007
2007 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
This book was also reviewed in Kirkus (Starred,) Booklist, School Library Journal, and Kliatt.


Read Peeps, the prequel to The Last Days.

Bonechiller

Bonechiller

McNamee, Graham. Bonechiller. New York : Wendy Lamb Books, 2008.
$15.99
ISBN: 9780385746588
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ.)

Annotation:
Danny lives Harvest Cove, Canada with his dad. It's a popular resort town in summer, and a ghost town in the snowy winter. One night walking alone, Danny is chased by something he can't even describe, but it's huge, with large claws and very sharp teeth.

Book Talk:
"Not human, but some twisted freak-show nightmare. The face is deformed, like a reflection in a warped mirror, with the nose pinched tight with two long slits, and the mouth stretched so wide its edges touch the flattened bony curves of the ears . . . and the eyes. Nowhere near human" (Graham, pg. 26)

The winters in Harvest Cove are filled with bitter, cold air and endless amounts of snow. Walking home alone one night Danny encounters a creature unlike anything he has ever seen. He survives, but he may be living on borrowed time. With the assistance of his friends, Danny discovers that teens have been disappearing from Harvest Cove since the beginning, and maybe even before, the founding of the town. Danny knows from his dreams that it's only a matter of time before the Bonechiller revisits him. Will he be able to hide from the beast, or become another one of its meals?

Awards:
YALSA Best Books for Yound Adults--2009

Graham McNamee has also won awards for the following books:

Acceleration
Bluegrass Award
Edgar Allen Poe Awards
Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
Garden STate Teen Book Award
Young Reader's Choice Award

Hate You
ALA Best Book for Young Adult

Sparks
Georgia Peach Award, Young Adult Category
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship

The House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York : Vintage Books, 1991.
$10.95
ISBN: 0679734775
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Esperanza tells the story of her family, friends, and neighbors who live on Chicago's Mango Street.

Book Talk:
Esperanza dreams of having a house all her own, away from her disappointing inner city life. However, she currently lives on Mango Street, in Chicago's Latino section. She is surrounded by many different characters that influence her views and outlooks, and along with shaping her hopes and disappointments. Esperanza struggles to grow up past the misery that surrounds her, she begins to see hope beyond the house on Mango street.

Awards:
YALSA Outstanding Books for the College Bound--1999
Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award--1985
It also part of many reading lists for middle and high schools, as well as colleges and universities.

Rapunzel's Revenge

Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon, and Dean Hale. Rapunzel's Revenge. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008.
$18.99
ISBN: 9781599900704
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Rapunzel escapes from her tower and begins her search to find her birth mother, and also distribute a little revenge.

Book Talk:
This is not your typical fairytale. Rapunzel grew up in a lush, magical villa surrounded by a towering wall. However, she is desperate to know what takes place in the world beyond it. When she takes a peek, it looks like Rapunzel may have sealed her fate. She is confined to a tower by her evil stepmother. This is where the fairy tale ends, and her adventure begins. Rapunzel is not rescued by a prince, she saves herself. Armed with her long hair, Rapunzel fights her way back across a desolate land in order to try and find her birth mother. Will she be able to stop her evil stepmother from destroying the lives of all the people in the land? Her will and her hair cause Rapunzel to be an almost unstoppable force, but she will be to contend with the strong powers of an evil witch?

Awards:
Rapunzel's Revenge has been reviewed in the following publications:

• An ALA 2009 Notable Children's Book
• A YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens
• A Kid's Indie Next for fall '08 (formerly known as Booksense Picks)
• A Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection
• Nominee for the Texas Lone Star reading list
• A Best Book of the year from kidsread.com and teenreads.com
• A Cybil Award winner
• On the Dorothy Canfield Fisher ChildrenÕs Book Award Master List (Vermont)

Sharon Hale has previously won the Newbery Honor for Princess Academy.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York : Delacorte Press, 2001.
$8.95
ISBN: 0385729332
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Four friends decided to share a pair of magical jeans during their first summer apart.

Book Talk:
Would you be able to share a pair of magical jeans with your closest friends? What if they made you look great no matter what type of shape and size you have? When four best friends discover a magical pair of jeans in a thrift store, they decided to share them over their first summer apart. They will mail each other the magical pants. Bridget will be off to soccer camp, Lena will be in Greece, Carmen will be with her dad in South Carolina, and Tibby will be left home without her friends. The girls will not only learn what a summer will be like with the sisterhood being seperated, they will also discover that their experiences, loyalites, and friendship will be able to endure, despite the fact that they aren't able to see each other.

Awards:
WINNER 2002 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults
WINNER 2004 - Indiana Young Hoosier Award
WINNER 2003 - Iowa Children's Choice Award
WINNER 2002 - Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
WINNER 2003 - Missouri Gateway Readers Award
WINNER 2004 - New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award
WINNER 2002 - Rhode Island Children's Book Award
WINNER 2003 - Tennessee Volunteer State Book Master List
WINNER 2002 - Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
WINNER 2003 - Washington Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
WINNER 2004 - Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was also nominated for:
Arizona Young Readers Award
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

Masquerade: a Blue Bloods Novel

Masquerade: a Blue Bloods Novel

De la Cruz, Melissa. Masquerade: a Blue Bloods Novel. New York: Hyperion, 2007, 2008.
$8.99
ISBN: 9781423101277
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Skylar Van Alen is a Blue Blood teenage vampire trying to uncover who is hiding a Silver Blood--the sect of vampires attacking and killing her friends and other Blue Bloods.

Book Talk:
Although, Skylar Van Alen is a teenager who goes to high school with the rich and privileged of New York City's upper class, she doesn't have the bank account that will help her fit in--not that she wants too. Besides being wealthy isn't what all that the students have in common: they are also Blue Blood vampires, a group of families with a long and decorative vampire past. Skylar Van Alen is forced to travel to Venice in search for her grandfather. He is the only person who has enough knowledge about the Silver Bloods, a group of ruthless vampires that have been linked to the recent murders of Blue Bloods. As Skylar tries to uncover the truth she discovers that Blue Blood family lineage and alliances are a masquerade for where individuals' true intentions lie. She only needs to discover the truth before more Blue Bloods die.

Awards:
Masquerade is a:
ALA Quick Pick and a New York Public Library Book for the Teenage

The Blue Blood Series is recognized as:
ALA Top Ten Quick Pick
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
TAYSHAS pick
Alabama Public Library “Best Fang” nominee
Cybils nominee

If you are interested in reading other books in the Blue Blood series,
they are listed here, in order:
Blue Bloods
Masquerade
Revelations

Upstate

Upstate
Buckhanon, Kalisha. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005.
$12.95
ISBN: 0312332688
(Image Credit: MacMillian: St. Martin Press,
http://us.macmillan.com/QuickSearchResults.aspx?search=upstate&ctl00%24ucAdvSearch%24imgGo.x=3&ctl00%24ucAdvSearch%24imgGo.y=11.)

Annotation:
1990 and New York City. Natasha and Antonio are forced to communicate through letters when he is sent to prison for the murder of his father.

Book Talk:
What would you do if you could only speak to your first love through letters? This is the situation sixteen-year-old Natasha and her seventeen-year-old boyfriend, Antonio, are forced to face when he is sent to prison for the murder of his father. Antonio will not reveal to Natasha the exact events that occurred that night; he only asks for her to believe in him and stay by his side. Will Natasha and Antonio's love be able to survive his prison sentence, or will the harshness of reality drive them apart? When Antonio is sent upstate, Natasha is left to face life without him, except for the letters he writes. Their letters reveal how Antonio's life within the walls of a prison is contained to changing very little, while Natasha is forced to grow up in New York City.

Awards:
ALA Alex Awards Winner (Adult for Young Adults) 2006
Notable Books--YALSA Best Books for Young Adults--2006

Pretty Monsters

Pretty Monsters

Link, Kelly. Pretty Monsters. New York : Viking, 2008.
$19.99
ISBN: 9780670010905
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Nine short stories that range from the fantastical to the macabre.

Book Talk:
What types of tales get your imagination running wild? Digging up a dead girlfriend? Wizards that live in tall towers and enslave children. A place called the the World-Tree Library? A dog-skin purse with an entire faery world inside of it? The Specialist's Hat made with human teeth. Aliens and seen by surfers? Monsters, murder, and magical fruit? Werewolves and ghosts that need to drink blood?

Kelly Link has created nine short stories that are magical, macabre, strange, scary, weird, and grotesque. She weaves all of these themes into her tales about friendship, love, family, the desire to be something (or something more), along with the awkwardness that sometimes accompanies adolescence. Her stories will leave you wanting more long after you have closed this book.

Awards:
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2009
Booklist Editors' Choice--Books for Youth: Older Readers Category 2008

This book has also received praise from such notable publications as Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library School Journal and Booklist. You can read these reviews about the book on Penguin.com, or click the following link:
http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781440613111,00.html?sym=REV.

One Evil Summer

One Evil Summer
Stine, R.L. One Evil Summer, Fear Street Series. New York: Pocket Books, 1994.
$3.99
ISBN: 0671785966
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Amanda soon discovers that the family baby-sitter, Chrissy, isn't who she says she is--She's pure evil.

Book Talk:
Amanda Conklin had a great life--but that was before she murdered the family babysitter, Chrissy. Now Amanda can look forward to spending a long time in an cold, dark, and damp insane asylum. Amanda had thought she would be spending a wonderful summer with her family in the seaside village of Seahaven. When Chrissy shows up answering a family ad for a babysitter, she is picture perfect. Soon, things start to go wrong in the Conklin household--pets die, phones melt, and friends are hurt or killed. Amanda soon realizes that Chrissy isn't who she says she is, and that her past is full of death. Fill Amanda be able to convince her family that Chrissy has special powers that can easliy kill all those around her and save them? Or will she be able to take matters into her own hands and save her family, but never get away with it?

Awards:

The Guiness Book of World Records has R.L. Stine listed as the Best-Selling Children's Author--so far. His books have been New York Times Best Sellers. He has won several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, as well as being one of the authors selected for the National Education Associations' Read Across America. He is also known for writing the Goosebumps series.

Geography Club

Geography Club
Hartinger, Brent. Geography Club. New York: HarperTempest, 2003.
ISBN: 0060012218
9780060012212
0060012226
9780060012229
$8.99

(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
A group of high-school teenagers form the “Geography Club,” in order not to draw attention to their social and support gatherings.

Book Talk:
Have you ever felt like you are the only person in the world who feels the way you do? Do you know you might be a little bit, or a lot, different then all the other kids in school? In the Geography Club, a group of students are asking themselves the same questions. Some know they are gay or bisexual, but aren’t sure if there are other students like them. When they discover that they are not alone, seven students form the Geography Club, for a chance to get together and talk, without drawing a lot of attention to themselves. This realistic story examines, friendship, heartbreak, tolerance, prejudice, self-acceptance, and coming out. It’s about learning that you aren’t the only person who is different; it’s about discovering how many people are like you.

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
Book Sense Pick

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. New York : Delacorte Press, 2009.
$16.99
ISBN: 9780385906319
9780385736817
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Mary is a orphan left on her own in a village that is surrounded by a forest that is filled with the Unconsecrated, the undead who constantly crave human flesh.

Book Talk:
When the walls of her isolated town are breached by the Fast One, an Unconsecrated that is faster, stronger, and more relentless than any other of its kind, Mary is forced to flee her village with a small group of friends and family. They do not know where to go, but are guided by Mary and the stories her mother told her of the ocean and other human civilizations. Constantly on the run, Mary learns about life, love, sacrifice and death. Will she ever discover if the stories about the ocean are true? Or, will her dreams endanger the lives of the people around her, including her true love?

Check out a video from Carrie Ryan's website, http://www.carrieryan.com/books.php, about the book!

Awards:
WINNER 2009 - Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"
A Junior Library Guild Selection

Seer of Shadows

Seer of Shadows

Avi. Seer of Shadows. New York, NY : HarperCollins Publishers, 2008.
$16.99
ISBN: 0060000163
9780060000158
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Soon after Horace becomes an apprentice to a photographer, he soon realizes that the pictures he takes capture more than just people, they also reveal ghosts.

Book Talk:
It's 1872, in New York City. Horace has recently become an apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, a photographer who aspires to take the pictures of the city's elite. When the very rich Mrs. Von Macht strolls into their studio one day and asks Middleditch to take her picture, Horace believes that he may finally end up working for a successful photographer. Yet, Mrs. Von Macht's request for a picture is unique: She wants the picture for her dead daughter. It isn't until Horace befriends Pegg, the Von Machts' servent girl, when the circumstances around begin to change. Each photo Horace takes in the Von Macht house seems to bring the ghost of their dead daughter Eleanora back to life. Horace also soon realizes that her death may not have been the result of a sickness, and that her ghost may be out for revenge.

Awards:
School Library Journal Best Book-2008
Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice
Parents' Choice Awards-Fiction-2008

The Chocolate War

Chocolate War

By Robert Cormier

New York : Knopf : Random House, 2004, c1974.
0375829873

9780375829871

$7.50

(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation: Jerry Renault becomes involved in a face-off against the Vigils, when he refuses to sell chocolates for Trinity High School.

Book Talk:

Trinity High School has been run by The Vigils, a gang of students, for years. They control everything and everyone in the school through their intimidation, including all students and the staff. It isn't until a freshman, Jerry Renault, who challenges The Vigils, does their power come into question. Jerry refuses to sell the Trinity's fund-raising chocolates. Jerry's decision challenges faculty memebers, such as Brother Leon's quest to become Trinity's Headmaster, as well as the power of The Vigils. How much will Jerry's stance cost him, as well as those around him? Is being opposed to the powers of the school worth the price he has to pay in the end? Jerry has been inspired by the quote that decorates the back of his locker, "Do I dare disturb the universe?" How true will the quote describe the events occuring in Jerry's life?

Awards:

New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year

Kirkus Reviews Choice

ALA Best Books for Young Adults

School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

By: Gary D. Schmidt
New York : Clarion Books, c2004.
ISBN: 0618439293
$15.00
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation: Based on the true events of 19132, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminister Boy, describes the disgraceful events that caused the destruction of Malaga Island, and many of its inhabitants, as well as the interracial friendship between Turner and Lizzie.


Book Talk:
When Turner Buckminster is forced to move to Maine, he realizes that he doesn't fit in within the first six hours. He doesn't understand the other boys in town. He seems to find trouble everywhere he goes. On top of everything else, he definitely doesn't comprehend why so many people in town have a problem with him becoming friends with Lizzie Bright Griffin, the girl who inhabits Malaga Island. She the only person in town who seems to truly like Turner, but their friendship seems to offend everyone around them. In order to try and understand everything that is happening to Turner, he must remember the moment when he stared into the eyes of a whale. Only then can he begin to understand the world around him and why his friendship with Lizzie is so important.

Awards:

2007 Volunteer State (TN) Book Award Master Reading List
2005 ALA Notable Book for Children
2005 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2005 Newbery Honor Book
2005 Michael L. Printz Honor Book
2005 Capitol Choices Selection
2005 Kansas State Reading Circle Recommendation
2005 New York Times Bestseller
2005 Thumbs Up! (MI) Honor Book
2004 School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
2004 New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
2004 Kirkus Editors’ Choice
2004 Booklinks Lasting Connections Selection
2004 VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List
2004 Lupine (ME) Honor Book

I am Scout

I Am Scout by Charles J. Shields.

Shields, Charles. I Am Scout. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2008.

ISBN-10: 0805083340

ISBN-13: 978-0805083347

$18.95

(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

I Am Scout chronicles the life of Harper Lee, the author who penned the Pulitzer Prize winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird. The book describes how she was heavily influenced by the people and places in her childhood, and how she used them for the backdrop to her famous novel. Harper, whose real name was Nelle, was also a childhood friend of Truman Capote, another famous, and troubled, author. She was his “assistant” for most of his research about the Cutter family, who was brutally murdered in Kansas in 1959.

I Am Scout also explores many of the relationships Harper Lee had throughout her lifetime. Much of the book illustrates the Lee’s family dynamics, and how those relationships are found in To Kill a Mockingbird. The book also depicts how the book was later made into a movie in 1962, which won three Academy Awards.

Awards:

American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults

Best Books for Young Adults-2009

Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance for Best Nonfiction--2007