Monday, June 30, 2014

New Release Round-Up: June 30-July 6, 2014

Young Adult


On the Fence
by Kasie West

Release date: July 1, 2014
Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Suggested tags: young adult, romance, contemporary



From Goodreads:
"She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door...

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing,
On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect."


The Vanishing Season
by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Release date: July 1, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 256
Publisher: HarperTeen
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, mystery



From Goodreads:
"Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter's come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I've watched the danger swell.

The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I'm the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I'm tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

I'm tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don't know why. I think it's because death is coming for one of them, or both.

All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig.I am looking for the things that are buried.

From bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a friendship story bound in snow and starlight, a haunting mystery of love, betrayal, redemption, and the moments that we leave behind.
"

Other YA new releases for this week:



Middle Grade


Copper Magic
by Julia Mary Gibson

Release date: July 1, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 336
Publisher: Starscape
Suggested tags: middle grade, historical fiction



From Goodreads:
"Can an unearthed talisman found on the shores of Lake Michigan save 12-year-old Violet’s fractured family? Exploring themes of Native American culture, ecology, and conservation, this historical fiction novel comes brilliantly to life.

The year is 1906, and twelve-year-old Violet Blake unearths an ancient talisman—a copper hand—beside the stream where her mother used to harvest medicine. Violet’s touch warms the copper hand and it begins to reveal glimpses of another time. Violet is certain that the copper hand is magic—and if anyone is in need of its powers, it’s Violet. Her mother and adored baby brother are gone, perhaps never to return. Her heartbroken father can’t seem to sustain the failing farm on the outskirts of Pigeon Harbor, on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Surely the magic of the copper hand can make things right for Violet and restore her fractured family. Violet makes a wish. But her ignorant carelessness unleashes formidable powers—and her attempts to control them jeopardizes not only herself, but the entire town of Pigeon Harbor.

In
Copper Magic, land and waters are alive with memories, intentions, and impulses. Magic alters Violet and brings her gifts—but not always the kind she thinks she needs. First-time author Julia Mary Gibson brings Violet and her community to life in this impressive and assured debut."


A Horse Called Hero
by Sam Angus

Release date: July 1, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 304
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Suggested tags: middle grade, historical fiction



From Goodreads:
"On the brink of World War II, a family forced out of their London home flees to the country. Wolfie and his older sister Dodo are devastated to leave behind everything they’ve ever known, but they begin settling into their new life.

One day, they come across an orphaned fowl, which they raise as Hero, a strong and beautiful horse who lives up to his name when he saves the children from a fire.

Wolfie and Dodo find comfort in their new life, but the war is escalating quickly and horses are needed for combat. One night, Hero is stolen, and the children are shattered. Years then pass without any indication Hero will return. It’s only when Wolfie becomes a stable hand that he discovers Hero has ended up working in the mines under terrible conditions. Then and there, Wolfie resolves to save Hero, a plan that places both of their lives in jeopardy. Together again, can they will survive?
"

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week:

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

New Release Round-Up: June 23-29, 2014

Young Adult


Complicit
by Stephanie Kuehn

Release date: June 24, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 256
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, thriller



From Goodreads:
"Two years ago, sixteen-year-old Jamie Henry breathed a sigh of relief when a judge sentenced his older sister to juvenile detention for burning down their neighbor’s fancy horse barn. The whole town did. Because Crazy Cate Henry used to be a nice girl. Until she did a lot of bad things. Like drinking. And stealing. And lying. Like playing weird mind games in the woods with other children. Like making sure she always got her way. Or else.

But today Cate got out. And now she’s coming back for Jamie.

Because more than anything, Cate Henry needs her little brother to know the truth about their past. A truth she’s kept hidden for years. A truth she’s not supposed to tell.

Trust nothing and no one as you race toward the explosive conclusion of this gripping psychological thriller from the William C. Morris Award-winning author of
Charm & Strange."


The Things You Kiss Goodbye
by Leslie Connor

Release date: June 24, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 368
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Suggested tags: young adult, romance, contemporary



From Goodreads:
"Bettina Vasilis can hardly believe it when basketball star Brady Cullen asks her out, and she just about faints when her strict father actually approves of him.

But when school starts up again, Brady changes. What happened to the sweet boy she fell in love with? Then she meets a smoldering guy in his twenties, and this “cowboy” is everything Brady is not—gentle, caring, and interested in getting to know the real Bettina.

Bettina knows that breaking up with Brady would mean giving up her freedom—and that it would be inappropriate for anything to happen between her and Cowboy. Still, she can’t help that she longs for the scent of his auto shop whenever she’s anywhere else.

When tragedy strikes, Bettina must tell her family the truth—and kiss goodbye the things she thought she knew about herself and the men in her life.

Leslie Connor has written a lyrical, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about family, romance, and the immense power of love.
"

Other YA new releases for this week:



Middle Grade


Loot
by Jude Watson

Release date: June 24, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 272
Publisher: Scholastic
Suggested tags: middle grade, adventure



From Goodreads:
"Hijinks, heists, and high-octane fun abounds in a new adventure from bestselling author Jude Watson.

On a foggy night in Amsterdam, a man falls from a rooftop to the wet pavement below. It's Alfie McQuinn, the notorious cat burglar, and he's dying. As sirens wail in the distance, Alfie manages to get out two last words to his young son, March: "Find jewels."

But March learns that his father is not talking about a stash of loot. He's talking about Jules, the twin sister March never knew he had. No sooner than the two find each other, they're picked up by the police and sent to the world's worst orphanage. It's not prison, but it feels like it.

March and Jules have no intention of staying put. They know their father's business inside and out, and they're tired of being pushed around. Just one good heist, and they'll live the life of riches and freedom most kids only dream about.

Watch out! There are wild kids on the loose and a crime spree coming . . .
"


Manhunt
by Kate Messner

Release date: June 24, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 240
Publisher: Scholastic
Suggested tags: middle grade, mystery



From Goodreads:
"When the world's greatest masterpieces are stolen, it's up to three kids to track down the culprits!

Henry, Anna, and Jose head from Boston to Paris for their most dangerous mission yet: to solve the mystery of an international art heist! Shortly after they arrive, they learn that a member of the Silver Jaguar Society is working as a double agent, passing information to the criminal gang the Serpentine Princes -- but who could it be? When the senior members of the Society go missing, it's up to Henry, Anna, Jose, and their smug new comrade, Hem, to mount a rescue while staying hot on the trail of a missing masterpiece. Running around -- and below -- a foreign city filled with doppelgangers, decoys, and deceit, the three sleuths discover they're the only hope for the Society's survival!
"

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week: