Monday, March 30, 2015

New Release Round-Up: March 30-April 5, 2015

Young Adult


Solitaire
by Alice Oseman

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:
"In case you're wondering, this is not a love story.

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that's all over now.

Now there's Solitaire. And Michael Holden.

I don't know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don't care about Michael Holden.

I really don't.

This incredible debut novel by outstanding young author Alice Oseman is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and all unflinchingly honest writers.
"


The Start of Me and You
by Emery Lord

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 384
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Suggested tags: young adult, romance, contemporary



From Goodreads:
"Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics
The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?
"

Other YA new releases for this week:



Middle Grade


Anywhere but Paradise
by Anne Bustard

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 288
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Suggested tags: middle grade, historical fiction



From Goodreads:
"Moving from Texas to Hawaii in 1960,12-year-old Peggy Sue faces a difficult transition when she is bulled as one of the few haole (white) students in her school. This lyrical debut novel is perfect for Common Core classroom connections.

It's 1960 and Peggy Sue has just been transplanted from Texas to Hawaii for her father's new job. Her cat, Howdy, is stuck in animal quarantine, and she's baffled by Hawaiian customs and words. Worst of all, eighth grader Kiki Kahana targets Peggy Sue because she is haole--white--warning her that unless she does what Kiki wants, she will be a victim on "kill haole day," the last day of school. Peggy Sue's home ec teacher insists that she help Kiki with her sewing project or risk failing. Life looks bleak until Peggy Sue meets Malina, whose mother gives hula lessons. But when her parents take a trip to Hilo, leaving Peggy Sue at Malina's, life takes an unexpected twist in the form of a tsunami. Peggy Sue is knocked unconscious and wakes to learn that her parents safety and whereabouts are unknown. Peggy Sue has to summon all her courage to have hope that they will return safely.
"


Rutabaga the Adventure Chef
by Eric Colossal

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, paperback
Pages: 128
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Suggested tags: middle grade, graphic novel, fantasy



First in the Adventure Chef series. From Amazon:
"In a world where there are dragons, wyverns, and haunted squash, you’d figure someone would have recipes for them, right?

Rutabaga and his magic cooking pot, Pot, join young adventurers Winnifred, Manny, and Beef on a quest to defeat a dragon, discover new ingredients, find monsters to have for and/or to dinner, and to save the day through cooking. Rutabaga will dare any danger to uncover new tastes, and there’s a whole world full of food to try—from roasted mud leech to spider soup to peanut butter on crackers. His heroic recipes combine real ingredients, fantasy ingredients, and real ingredients that sound fantastical.
Rutabaga the Adventure Chef is the perfect adventure for any kid grossed out when something weird shows up on the dinner table."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week:

Monday, March 16, 2015

New Release Round-Up: March 16-22, 2015

Young Adult


Under a Painted Sky
by Stacey Lee

Release date: March 17, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 384
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, 19th century



From Goodreads:
"A powerful story of friendship and sacrifice, for fans of Code Name Verity

Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.

This beautifully written debut is an exciting adventure and heart-wrenching survival tale. But above all else, it’s a story about perseverance and trust that will restore your faith in the power of friendship.
"


The Wrong Side of Right
by Jenn Marie Thorne

Release date: March 17, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 400
Publisher: Dial Books
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, romance



From Goodreads:
"Fans of Sarah Dessen and Huntley Fitzpatrick will enjoy this smart debut young adult novel, equal parts My Life Next Door and The Princess Diaries—plus a dash of Aaron Sorkin.

Kate Quinn’s mom died last year, leaving Kate parentless and reeling. So when the unexpected shows up in her living room, Kate must confront another reality she never thought possible—or thought of at all. Kate does have a father. He’s a powerful politician. And he’s running for U.S. President. Suddenly, Kate’s moving in with a family she never knew she had, joining a campaign in support of a man she hardly knows, and falling for a rebellious boy who may not have the purest motives. This is Kate’s new life. But who is Kate? When what she truly believes flies in the face of the campaign’s talking points, she must decide. Does she turn to the family she barely knows, the boy she knows but doesn’t necessarily trust, or face a third, even scarier option?

Set against a backdrop of politics, family, and first love, this is a story of personal responsibility, complicated romance, and trying to discover who you are even as everyone tells you who you should be.
"

Other YA new releases for this week:



Middle Grade


Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions
by Sheila Grau & Joe Sutphin

Release date: March 17, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 288
Publisher: Amulet Books
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



First in the Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions series. From Goodreads:
"Welcome to Dr. Critchlore’s School for Minions, the premier trainer of minions for Evil Overlords everywhere. No student is prouder to be at Dr. Critchlore’s than Runt Higgins, a twelve-year-old werewolf. (At least he thinks he’s twelve. He was abandoned at the school as a baby, so he can’t say for sure.) Runt loves everything about Dr. Critchlore’s. He loves his classes—like History of Henchmen and Introduction to Explosives. He loves his friends—like Darthin the gargoyle and Syke the tree nymph. And he loves his foster family, who took him in when his wolf pack couldn’t.

But not everyone loves Dr. Critchlore’s as much as Runt. After a series of disasters, each worse than the next, it’s clear that someone is trying to shut the school down. It’s up to Runt, who knows the place better than anybody, to figure out who’s behind the attacks . . . and to save his home, and Dr. Critchlore himself, from total destruction.
"


If You Find This
by Matthew Baker

Release date: March 17, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Suggested tags: middle grade, adventure



From Goodreads:
"Mixing mystery and adventure in the tradition of Louis Sachar, Avi, and E.L. Konigsburg, If You Find This is the story of unlikely friendships, unexpected bravery and eleven-year-old Nicholas Funes's quest to prove his grandfather's treasure is real.

Nicholas is a math and music genius with no friends and a huge problem: His father has lost his job, and they'll have to sell their house, which holds the only memory Nicholas has of his younger brother. Just in time, Nicholas's senile grandfather arrives, filled with tales of priceless treasure he has hidden somewhere in town--but where?

With the help of misfit classmates, two grandfathers, a ghosthouse, hidden messages, séances, and an uncanny mind for numbers, Nicholas stages a nursing home breakout, tangles with high schoolers in smugglers' tunnels, and gets swept up in a duel with the biggest bullies in the neighborhood. Will it be enough to find the treasure and save his house?
"

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week:

Monday, March 9, 2015

New Release Round-Up: March 9-15, 2015

Young Adult


The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
by Teresa Toten

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 304
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:
"Deep, understated, and wise, this engaging YA novel, winner of the Governor General’s Award in Canada, is about more than the tough issue of teens dealing with obsessive-compulsive order. It also has romance, and a whodunit element that will keep readers guessing. Perfect for readers who love Eleanor & Park!

Adam Spencer Ross is almost fifteen, and he’s got his hands full confronting the problems that come with having divorced parents and new stepsiblings. Add to that his obsessive-compulsive disorder and it’s just about impossible for him to imagine ever falling in love. Adam’s life changes, however, the instant he meets Robyn Plummer: he is hopelessly, desperately drawn to her. But is it possible to have a normal relationship when your life is anything but?

Filled with moments of deep emotion and unexpected humor,
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B explores the complexities of living with OCD and offers the prospect of hope, happiness, and healing."


Vanishing Girls
by Lauren Oliver

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Publisher: HarperCollins
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, thriller



From Goodreads:
"New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.
"

Other YA new releases for this week:



Middle Grade


Ms. Rapscott's Girls
by Elise Primavera

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 272
Publisher: Dial Books
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy, adventure



From Goodreads:
"Fans of Mary Poppins will love this whimsical tale of a boarding school for children of very busy parents, where an extraordinary headmistress teaches them life lessons about courage, adventure, friendship . . . and the importance of birthday cake.

Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery.

Bestselling author Elise Primavera has created an irresistible, richly illustrated story about finding your way.
"


Nightbird
by Alice Hoffman

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 208
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



From Goodreads:
"An enchanting novel from bestselling author Alice Hoffman: a charmed New England village, a family secret, and a friendship destined to defeat a witch.

"Some things could only be found in Sidwell it seemed: pink apples, black owls, and my brother, James."

Twelve-year-old Twig's town in the Berkshires is said to hide a winged beast, the Monster of Sidwell, and the rumors draw as many tourists as the town's famed pink apple orchards. Twig lives in the orchard with her mysterious brother James and her reclusive mother, a baker of irresistible apple pies. Because of a family secret, an ancient curse,Twig has had to isolate herself from other kids. Then a family with two girls, Julia and Agate, moves into the cottage next door. They are descendants of the witch who put the spell on Twig's family. But Julia turns out to be Twig's first true friend, and her ally in trying to undo the curse and smooth the path to true love for Agate and James.
"

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week: