Publisher: Little, Brown
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/18/2012
ISBN-13: 9780316126113
ISBN-10: 031612611X

Historical Fantasy. After humiliating her parents with her unrestrained behavior at a party, privileged young Evie O'Neill is sent to live with her eccentric uncle in New York City -- a "punishment" that utterly delights Evie, who can't wait to mix with Ziegfield girls and sneak into some big-city speakeasies (it's the Roaring Twenties). But when her Uncle Will, curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, is called on to help solve a rash of bizarre, other-worldly murders, Evie is drawn in to the investigations because of a special ability she's tried to keep secret. Full of vivid period detail and intriguing characters and shot through with shiver-inducing menace, this sprawling opener of a new series by literary chameleon Libba Bray will thrill readers of supernatural mysteries and historical novels alike.

Publisher: Tor Teen
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/02/2012
ISBN-13: 9780765329080
ISBN-10: 0765329085

Science Fiction. Like a DJ who works with movie footage instead of music, 16-year-old Trent McCauley re-mixes bits of existing films to make art that is wholly new -- but the authorities don't see it that way. As punishment for his theft of intellectual property, Trent's whole family is denied Internet access, which seriously impacts their lives in this frighteningly imaginable near-future England. After running away to London, Trent meets Jem Dodger, who teaches him about life as a squatter...and introduces him to the street kids who will ultimately join Trent in an underground revolt against the system. Complex, political, and packed with both geek-speak and British slang, Pirate Cinema will thrill fans of the author's previous teen SF as well as those who liked Brian Falkner's Brainjack.

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Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/11/2012
ISBN-13: 9781442423763
ISBN-10: 1442423765

Fantasy. Liyana has been trained since birth as a vessel, a chosen one whose body will be taken over by the goddess Bayla so that the rains will come and sustain her people. When the ceremony to call Bayla fails, Liyana's tribe considers her unworthy and abandons her to die in the desert...but a trickster-god, inhabiting the body of a boy named Korbyn, finds her and reveals that his kindred have been kidnapped, and Liyana must help him rescue them. With its vividly imagined setting that's sure to fascinate fans of great world-building, Vessel is a stirring and thought-provoking read full of myth and magic.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/28/2012
ISBN-13: 9781442423664
ISBN-10: 1442423668

Science Fiction. This long-awaited sequel to the suspenseful, gruesome Unwind finds Connor, Lev, and Risa's fates are inextricably bound with that of Cam, a sort of futuristic Frankenstein's monster who was built entirely from the parts of other teens, as the morality of the practice of "unwinding" is finally called into question. (In this bleak future, trouble-making teens can legally be sedated and kept only technically alive while their organs are harvested for transplants.) Tense, disturbing, and full of twists that will make you desperate for the next volume, UnWholly is just the thing for fans of provocative dystopian novels -- but be sure to read Unwind first!

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Publisher: Dafina Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/31/2012
ISBN-13: 9780758241931
ISBN-10: 0758241933

Realistic Fiction. Sixteen-year-old Gem and her little brother, Malik, are moving in with a new foster family -- their third one for the year and "umpteenth this lifetime" -- and Gem isn't the least bit sure it's going to work out. Her bad impression might have something to do with meeting crazy-acting Cousin Shake first, but as fans of author Ni-Ni Simone's earlier books know, he's a good man despite being a bit bizarre. Gem and Malik have landed with a solid, loving family, and Gem begins to think beyond just survival...especially after she meets a guy who makes her knees buckle. This fast-paced, contemporary novel, while full of drama, is ultimately a feel-good read.

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Publisher: Amulet Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2011
ISBN-13: 9780810997219
ISBN-10: 0810997215

Fiction. When introspective Paige Turner and her family move to New York City from rural Virginia, Paige pours her doubts, worries, and her wishes to be a bit bolder into the drawings that fill her sketchbook. This chronicle of a young artist coming into her own -- and meanwhile dealing with family, making new friends, and finding love -- is genuine, funny, and overflowing with emotion. If you like realistic fiction, especially stories of finding one's place in the world, you'll love Page by Paige whether or not you're a fan of graphic novels.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/20/2012
ISBN-13: 9780547252698
ISBN-10: 0547252692

Fiction. Alternating between a Japanese spirit-world and realistic present-day settings, this strikingly illustrated graphic novel follows the adventures of Ichiro, the Brooklyn-born son of a fallen American soldier, as he makes an extended trip with his mother to her ancestral home in Japan. There, Ichiro gets to know his Japanese grandfather, who tells tales of shape-shifters, gods, and demons and takes Ichiro on day trips to sites of cultural import. But Ichiro still feels disconnected from his heritage...until he stumbles into the spirit world and takes an enlightening -- if somewhat terrifying -- supernatural journey. Mysterious, compelling, and deep, this fantastical coming-of-age story ponders big questions of human nature and war; it's decidedly entertaining but will also make you think.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/03/2012
ISBN-13: 9780618945191
ISBN-10: 0618945199

Fiction. Illustrated in a clean, minimalist style, Tina's Mouth tells the story of Indian-American Tina M.'s sophomore year at a California private school. As her semester project on existentialism for her honors English class, Tina keeps a diary (addressed to Jean-Paul Sartre, the Father of Existential Thought) that ranges in topic from her "square" older brother's doomed online search for love to her best friend's betrayal to crushes, normal high-school drama, and Tina's own explorations of who she is -- and what that means. If you like this honest, often droll, nonchalantly soul-searching read, you might also enjoy Mariko Tamaki's graphic novels Skim and Emiko Superstar.

Publisher: First Second
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/30/2011
ISBN-13: 9781596432598
ISBN-10: 1596432594

Nonfiction. Nobel Prize-winning American physicist Richard Feynman played a role in the creation of the atomic bomb and was one of the pioneers of quantum electrodynamics. He was also an enthusiastic percussionist and a talented safecracker. This biography in graphic novel form casts Feynman as the narrator of his own story, interweaving episodes from his personal life with scenes from his work on everything from the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico to the Rogers Commission, which investigated the Challenger disaster. For more about Feynman, in his own words, check out "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" Adventures of a Curious Character.

Publisher: First Second
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/19/2012
ISBN-13: 9781596436800
ISBN-10: 1596436808

Fiction. Inspired by historical accounts of the foot-messenger whose epic feats of endurance gave us the name for the punishing race, this graphic novel set in 490 B.C. traces events leading up to and during the battle of Marathon. As a boy, slave Eucles bests King Hippias' son in a race and becomes an Athenian citizen -- and although the king executes his parents, Eucles serves as a runner for his court. After Hippias is exiled and later wages war against Athens, Eucles runs all the way to Sparta to call in reinforcements...and that's only the beginning. With action described by Booklist as "grueling," "bloody," and "breathless" and illustrations full of drama and energy, Marathon will make the hearts of ancient-history buffs pound.