Croak by Gina Damico

Damico, G. (2012). Croak. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

ISBN: 9780547608327 (paperback)

Price: $8.99; 311 pages

Other Formats: eBook

Recommended for ages 13 and older

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Awards: none

Annotation: Lex thought she was being sent away for the summer to help her Uncle work on his farm, but she never thought that her uncle would have other nefarious plans for her.

Lex Bartleby used to be the perfect daughter, but lately, she does not feel quite like herself. Instead of being outgoing and an excellent student, her usual self, she is now withdrawn, receiving poor grades, and is constantly fighting with the other kids at school. Lex’s twin sister Cordy is not acting any differently, so what is going on with Lex? After Lex is threatened with expulsion from school, her parents decide that she should spend the summer with Uncle Mort. Lex reluctantly agrees to go, but when she discovers that Uncle Mort is actually the Grim Reaper and wants to groom Lex to take over the “family business,” Lex begins to understand the sudden change in her personality, but will her parents and twin sister? 

Visit the Author's Blog here!

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Spotswood, J. (2012). Born wicked. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

ISBN: 9780399257452 (Hardcover)

Price: $17.99; 330 pages

Other Formats: paperback. eBook, audio book, and Playaway

Recommended for ages 14 to 17

Image Courtesy of WorldCat

Awards: none

Annotation: The Cahill sisters are a bit strange, and everyone in the town suspects that they are hiding something, but what could it be?

“Our Mother was a witch, too, but she hid it better”

The Cahill sisters recently lost their mother, and it is up to older sister Cate to look after her two younger sisters Maura and Tess, which is easier said than done. Cate always believed that her mother was extraordinary, and her suspicions are validated when she locates her mother’s hidden diary one day; the diary revels that the Cahill females are actually witches! This revelation is quite dangerous considering the local Brotherhood of priests is on a mission to eliminate those who possess magical abilities. The only thing Cate believes she can do at this point is to pretend to be normal. How long can Cate and her sisters keep up the ruse?

Be sure to check out the Author's Website here!
 

A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth Bunce

Bunce, E. C. (2008). A curse dark as gold. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books.

ISBN: 9780439895767 (Hardcover)

Price: $17.99: 395 pages

Other Formats: paperback, audio book, eBook

Recommended for ages 15 and older

  

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

Reviews & Honors:
*Winner of the William C. Morris Award for a Young Adult Debut
*An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
*A Smithsonian Notable Book
*A Kansas Notable Book
*An Amelia Bloomer Project selection
*Finalist for the Cybils Award
*An Oprah's Book Club Kids' Reading List Teen Selection
*Justine Magazine Spark selection(Retrieved from the Author's Website. )

Annotation: Teenage Charlotte inadvertently made a deal with the devil to save her family’s business. What will happen when she is unable to follow through with her part of the bargain?

What would you sacrifice to secure your family’s legacy? Charlotte Miller’s father just passed away, leaving her and her younger sister Rosie as orphans. Not only is Charlotte now responsible for her sister, but the majority of the town relies on the Miller family for their income as well, since the Millers are the owners of the wool mill- the town’s chief employer. The Millers have owned the mill for generations and is typically handed down from father to son, but since there is not a male heir, Charlotte in now the sole proprietor of the mill and its subsequent debts. When the bank decides it wants payment if full for a loan that Charlotte’s father took out before he died, Charlotte is dumbfounded. How can she possibly pay the loan when the mill is not even making a profit?  One day, a mysterious man arrives and tells Charlotte that he is the answer to all her problems, for he can spin straw into gold. However, what will he demand in return? 

What Teens are Saying: 

“I love steampunk and graphic novels. I like horror books, too. I’ve been reading The Color of Earth by Dong Hwa Kim, and I think it is one of the most beautiful graphic novels. I am also reading Zombies and Unicorns, which contains a bunch of short stories. It’s really fun to read.” (Colleen E., age 19).

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Stiefvater, M. (2009). Shiver. New York: Scholastic Press.

ISBN: 9780545123266 (Hardcover)

Price: $17.99; 392 pages

Other Formats: paperback, eBook, audio book

Recommended for ages 15 and older

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

Awards: 

• Indies Choice Book Award Finalist
• ALA Best Books for Young Adults
• ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
• 2011 ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
• Amazon Top Ten Books for Teens
• Border’s Original Voices Pick & Finalist
• Barnes & Noble 2009 Top Twenty Books for Teens
• CBC Children’s Choice Awards Finalist
• SIBA 2010 Book Award Finalist
• Glamour’s Best Book to Curl Up With
• Winner, 2010 Midwest Booksellers’ Choice Award for Children’s Literature
• Winner of the 2011 Georgia Peach Award
• VOYA: The Perfect Tens
• YALSA Teens’ Top Ten
• Silver Inky Award Winner (Australia)
• CO Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Nominees 2011
• FL Teens Read Award Nominees 2010-2011
• MD Black-Eyed Susan (High School) Book Award Nominees 2010-2011
• NC YA Book Award Booklist (High School) 2010-2011
• NH Flume Teen Reader’s Choice Award Nominees (9-12) 2011
• OR Young Adult Network Book Rave Reading List 2010
• PA Young Reader’s Choice Award Nominees (Young Adult) 2010-2011
• TN Volunteer State Award Nominees Young Adult (7-12) 2011-2012
• 2011 NCSLMA Young Adult Book Award Nominee (North Carolina)
• 2010-2011 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Nominee
• 2010 TAYSHAS Reading List (Texas)
• List retrieved from Author's Website.

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Annotation: Burr…Sam cannot stand to shiver out in the cold much longer. Grace is doing her best to keep Sam warm. What is she afraid will happen?

Teenaged Grace is constantly left to fend for herself, since her parents are preoccupied with their careers and seldom home. As she stares out her window into the woods just beyond her backyard, she is reminded of the time she was attacked by wolves when she was a little girl. She shouldn’t be alive, but one lone gray wolf rescued her from the vicious pack. After all this time, Grace has never forgotten that wolf, and she swears that she sees it in the woods staring back at her from time to time. Sam knows that he is a human, but he cannot remember when he changed last. However, he is keenly aware that his winters are numbered and soon will revert to being a wolf permanently. Still, he wonders why the girl never underwent the change when jealous Shelby attacked her. Why didn’t Grace shift into a wolf, and can she help him to stay human? 

What Other Teens are Saying: 

“I am an avid reader of YA books, but now that I am a freshman in college, I do not have a lot of time for leisure reading, and I miss it a lot. On school breaks, I like to catch up on my reading. My favorite genre is horror, and my favorite author is Holly Black. My dad thinks that since I am now in college, I should only read adult fiction. I can’t help it because books for young adults are just more interesting to me.” (Alexis M. age 18). 

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

 

Hawkins, R. (2010). Hex Hall. New York: Disney/Hyperion Books.

ISBN: 9781423121398 (Paperback)

Price: $8.99; 323 pages

Other Formats: hardcover, audio book, downloadable audio book, Playaway, eBook

Recommended for ages 13 to 16

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

Awards: none

Annotation: No one has the world in the palm of her hand, not even witches. Sure one may think magic is all fun and games, but Sophie Mercer knows differently.

Why is Sophie being punished? After one of Sophie Mercer’s spells goes awry at a school dance, she is sent to Hectate Hall, which is called Hex Hall for short. Hex Hall is basically a reform school for supernatural beings that have misused their magical powers. The Hex Hall student body consists of a number of werewolves, shape shifters, fairies, witches…and one vampire who just so happens to be Sophie’s new roommate. Even though everyone else at Hex Hall is prejudice against vampires, Sophie refuses to turn her back on Jenna - her roommate and new best friend. After a series of bloody attacks take place at Hex Hall, Jenna is quickly accused of being the perpetrator. Will Sophie be able to stand by Jenna’s side and prove that she is innocent? To do so, she may have to ask a familiar presence for guidance. For some reason, Sophie is beginning to think that Hex Hall has quite the shady past. 

What Other Teens are Saying: 

“At the moment I am reading the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I really do not have a favorite genre. I guess I pick books according to the mood I am in at the time.” (Candace H., age 16). 

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick, B. (2009). Hush, hush. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

ISBN: 9781416989417 (Hardcover)

Price: $17.99; 391 pages

Other Formats: paperback, eBook, audio book

Recommended for ages 15 and older 

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

Awards: 

 

  YALSA Teen's Top Ten 2011 Nominee

Nominated for Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award           

 A Publishers Weekly bestseller  

  A USA Today bestseller

Over 50 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List
YALSA's Teens' Top Ten pick    

(Retrieved from  Author's website )

​

Annotation: Nora is literally caught in the battle between good and evil. Which side can she truly trust?

Nora Grey has not quite recovered from her father’s unexpected death.  Because of his passing, Nora’s mother took a job that requires extensive traveling; therefore, Nora is often home by herself. If it were not for her best friend Vee, Nora would be completely alone. Nora enjoys school and is a rather good student. One day, her teacher forces her to become lab partners with the strange new boy named Patch. Nora cannot quite put her finger on it, but she knows that there is something definitely off about this guy. Patch is cocky, brazen, and downright rude to Nora, but for some reason, she tolerates Patch’s advances, even though she tells herself that she is not romantically interested in Patch in the slightest. Why is she thinking about Patch so much? He literally is getting inside her head; Nora just discovered that Patch has telepathic powers. Who is Patch, really, and what is he hiding? 

What Other Teens are Saying: 

 

“I read 3 hours each day. My favorite genres are fantasy and science fiction. Right now, I am reading the Ranger’s Apprentice series, and I actually think it is better than Harry Potter. “ (Jack R., age 13).

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

MacCullough, C. (2009). Once a witch. Boston: Clarion Books.

ISBN: 9780547223995 (Hardcover)

Price: $16.00; 292 pages

Other Formats: paperback, eBook, audio book, downloadable audio book

Recommend for ages 14 to 17

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

Awards: None

Annotation: Tasmin is on a mission to retrieve a missing clock for a patron. However, little does she know that she must travel back in time to do find the clock.

“On the day I was born my grandmother said the I would be one of the most powerful witches…a beacon.”

Most witches receive their powers before their 9^th birthday, but Tasmin Greene is seventeen and still has no power. Does this mean that she is normal? In a family full or remarkable witches, “normal” is the kiss of death. How did her grandmother get is so wrong? Tasmin was destined to be one of the greatest witches in existence. Rowena, Tasmin’s older sister, is the family’s favorite because of her magical flair. Tasmin just wishes that she could be more like Rowena. While working at her grandmother’s occult bookstore one afternoon, a handsome professor from New York University walks through the door seeking assistance from Rowena, because he heard rumors that she had a talent for finding things lost long ago. He needs help locating an old family heirloom – a small, ruby-encrusted clock- that was misplaced generations ago. For some reason, Tasmin lies to the professor and tells him that she is actually Rowena. Tasmin knows that she is over her head, but she does not realize by how much. 

What Other Teens are Saying: 

“I am an avid reader of YA books, but now that I am a freshman in college, I do not have a lot of time for leisure reading, and I miss it a lot. On school breaks, I like to catch up on my reading. My favorite genre is horror, and my favorite author is Holly Black. My dad thinks that since I am now in college, I should only read adult fiction. I can’t help it because books for young adults are just more interesting to me.” (Alexis M. age 18).

Be sure to visit the Once a Witch website!

Supernatural: Bone Key by Keith DeCandido

DeCandido, K. R. A. (2008). Bone key. New York: Harper Entertainment.

ISBN: 9780061435034 (Paperback)

Price: $7.99; 290 pages

Other Formats: eBook

Recommended for ages 15 and over.

Image Courtesy of Goodreads
 

Awards: None

Annotation: Dean and Sam were raised to track down and destroy ghosts, vampires, witches, and demons. They have traveled across America a million times to eradicate inhuman pests. This series is based on the popular television show Supernatural.

Brothers Dean and Sam Winchester are no strangers to paranormal events, because they are well-seasoned demon hunters who traveling around the country to eliminate supernatural presences. When a good friend requests that Dean and Sam travel down to Key West, Florida to investigate a series of otherworldly events, the boys quickly agree to take the case. Upon arrival, the brothers learn that a creepy doll is probably responsible for the death of two innocent tour guides; a dead president has returned to his vacation retreat and had been giving speeches to awestruck tourists; and the ghost of Ernest Hemmingway himself has been scaring away visitors with his legendary temper. Moreover, Dean and Sam discover that an ancient Native American specter is seeking revenge on the decedents of those who slaughtered his tribe. The guys have seen plenty of strange things in their lifetimes, but man, Key West is downright weird.

What Other Teens Have to Say: 

“I read all the time. My mom gets mad at me because I’ll stay up to 2:00 a.m. on a school night reading. I can’t help it because there is nothing else that I’d rather do. As of right now, my favorite book is The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.” (Alexandra S., age 16).

For a sneak peak, visit the Publisher's Website!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

 

Morgenstern, E. (2011). The night circus: A novel. New York: Doubleday.

ISBN: 9780307744432   516 pages (paperback)

Price: $15.00

Other Formats: Hardcover, eBook, large print, and audio book

Recommended for ages 15 and older

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

Awards: 2012 Alex Award

Annotation: Prospero the Enchanter believes that magic is inherited. Secretive Mr. A.H. believes magic can be taught. Proteges Celia and Marco will determine which theory is correct once and for all. 

“Opens at Nightfall. Closes at Dawn.”

Celia and Marco are a pawn in a competition between provoked by 2 old adversaries. Celia is the only daughter of a famous illusionist named Prospero the Enchanter. A mysterious stranger only known as Mr. A.H. adopted Marco long ago. Prospero and A.H. have a long-standing feud that centers on the true origin of magic. As young children, both Celia and Marco are forced to train for a duel of powers, whose purpose is as mysterious to them as the Le Cirque des Reves (The Circus of Dreams). This otherworldly circus only operates at night and is home to an eccentric group of characters. As Celia and Marco grow into young adulthood their magical prowess is beyond what their mentors could have ever dreamed. When it is finally time for this sinister battle to commence, Le Cirque des Reves is the perfect arena.  Who will become the ultimate victor?

Be sure to visit the Author's Website!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Haddon, M. (2003). The curious incident of the dog in the night-time. New York: Doubleday.

226 pages

ISBN: 0385512104 (Hardcover), Price: $22.95

Other Formats: Paperback, eBook, audio book, and downloadable audio book.

Recommended for ages 13 and up

Image Courtesy of WorldCat

Awards: Whitbread Award

Annotation: When autistic teen Christopher Boone is wrongly accused of murdering his neighbor’s dog, he decides to clear his name by finding the actual killer. However, the more he digs into the case, the more secrets he uncovers.

Index Card Trick

·      Christopher is intrigued by puzzles, numbers, and Sherlock Holmes

·      Lives in the United Kingdom with his father

·      Believes his mother died of a heart condition

·      Does not believe in the afterlife

·      Accused of murdering Mrs. Shears’ dog, Wellington, with a pitchfork

·      Attends a special school and considers his teacher Siobhan as a friend

·      Does not like being touched and will become physically violent when he feels threatened

·      Loves the color red and is afraid of yellow

·      Decides investigate Wellington’s death by questioning a few of his neighbors

·      Keeps a written evidence log and plans to write a novel

·      His father, who tells Christopher to cease his investigation, confiscates his notebook.

·      What is his father hiding? 

Please be sure to visit the Author's Website!

The Lindbergh Child by Rick Geary

Geary, R. (2008). The Lindbergh child. New York: NBM Comics Lit.

80 pages

ISBN: 9781561635290 (Hardcover), Price: $15.95

Other Formats: Paperback and eBook

Recommended for ages 12 and up

Image Courtesy of WorldCat

Awards: A Junior Library Guild selection (WordCat)

The Graphic Format

Annotation: The case of the Lindbergh kidnapping is one of the most infamous and tragic events that occurred in the 20^th Century. Author and Illustrator Rick Geary brings the details of this chilling crime to life through the use of black and white line drawings.

It all started back in 1927 when 25-year-old American Aviator Charles Lindbergh made headlines due to crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone by plane (Open book to page 7). Overnight, Mr. Lindbergh becomes a highly recognizable personality and his face is plastered in newspapers around the globe. During the next several years, the aviator settles down and marries Anne Morrow, and within a year, Anne gives birth to their 1^st child, Charles Lindbergh, Jr. (Flip to page 9). Unfortunately, the press and the general public are relentless in its fascination with Mr. Lindbergh and his new family. Because of this obsession, a number of crazed individuals surface in the hope of extorting money from Lindbergh, for they were desperate to make a buck during the Great Depression. While the Lindbergh family is staying in their New Jersey home in 1932, young Charles Jr. vanishes from his crib one evening, never to be found alive again (Open book to drawing of an empty crib). To this day, the events that transpired on that dark night remain a mystery (Hold up front cover of book).

Visit Mr. Geary's website here!