Nina Lacour has created a haunting, beautiful, and ultimately realistic depiction of what it's like to live through a best friend's suicide. Caitlin is angry, sad, and guilty after her closest friend Ingrid kills herself. Finding Ingrid's journal under her bed gives her a glimpse of what Ingrid was going through, allows her to move past self-blame and, in the end, let go of Ingrid. The Bay Area setting, well-developed supporting characters, and Mia Nolting's illustrations make this a special book. Check out the trailer on Lacour's website . Give it to fans of Garret Freyman-Weyr and John Green. Grade 8+
Patrick Carman has written an action-packed adventure set in Atherton, a world created by mad scientist Dr. Harding, otherwise known as Max. Edgar lives in TableTop, the middle land of the three levels of Atherton, home of the labourer and land of The Grove, The Village of Sheep, and The Village of Rabbits, all of which provide The Highlands with food. The Highlands are run by evil Lord Phineus, who controls the water supply for all of Atherton. When The Highlands begin to sink into TableTop, and TableTop begins to sink into the FlatLands (home of the carnivorous Cleaners), it's up to Edgar and his friend Isabel to save the planet. The cliffhanger ending will leave you wanting more - check out the sequel, Rivers of Fire , and the third book in the series, The Dark Planet. With references to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, Patrick Carmen has written a literary page turner that will appeal to fans of both Christopher Paolini, Cornelia Fun...
A brilliant, beguiling and beautiful book set in Depression-era Seattle in the 1930s, TGOLAD tells the at once heartbreaking and hopeful love story of African American chanteuse Flora Saudade and adopted wealthy white boy Henry Bishop. Forever foes Love and Death are playing a game: Flora and Henry are their unknowing pawns. A pitch-perfect Seattle setting, an indelible ensemble cast of characters, and a hefty dose of high-stakes legerdemain all come together in a mesmerizing cacophony that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I had the distinct pleasure of listening to Ms. Brockenbrough read at the Washington State Book Awards; the notes of her voice floating through the air were every bit as gorgeous as her words on the page. Not to be missed! Click here for a trailer and here for a full review . Grade 8+