New Book Roundup

MASSIVE(539.7)What makes things heavy? Scientists don't know for sure! Mysterious & possibly fictional particle called Higgs boson is the key.

ARGUABLY: essays by Christopher Hitchins. Don't be intimidated by its size! Open anywhere and you will be enthralled, angered, amused.

GO FOR THE GOAL: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life(B Ham)/Mia Hamm. nuf said. Chapter 1 is :"There's no me in Mia!"

Australian teens form an unlikely friendship when they cover up a murder until they can prove who is responsible. JASPER JONES (F Silvey)

Tess never wanted to lose the "magic" even if it cost her her life. WITHOUT TESS (F Pix)

Deeply personal look at the commercial sex trade in GIRLS LIKE US (362.88 Llo)

Check out http://paulgriffinstories.net/ Griffin works with at-risk youth and also trains dogs. He combined his interests in STAY WITH ME (F Gri).

HOW I KILLED PLUTO AND WHY IT HAD IT COMING (523.9) CalTech astronomer and planet murderer Mike Brown explains. Funny and informative


1/2 of our brain is dedicated to processing visual input....Pure text and numbers cannot convey info [as well as] VISUAL STORYTELLING(741.6)

Read what you like!

Like pigs? Try SWINE NOT(F Buf) as Ellie tries to hide her pet pig from landlord/boss or GOOD GOOD PIG (B HOGWOOD) true tale of runt piglet.

Like horses? Try WAR HORSE (F Mor) as a farm horse goes to war OR SEABISCUIT (798.4 Hil) as an undersized horse becomes a racing champion.

Love dogs? Try these 2 new books: ROAM(F Laz)tells a lost dog story (with music) and RIN TIN TIN(636.737 ORL) was a war orphan and superstar

Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Molly's mother has just died. Her final wish is that Molly go to live with a father she didn't know she had-movie star Brick Berlin. So Molly leaves Indiana, her best friend and her boyfriend and heads for La-La Land. Her half sister Brooke is none to happy to be upstaged at her own Sweet Sixteen party and declares war on her new sister. Can Molly survive the craziness that is her father, her sister and Hollywood? Part silly, part serious and a fun read.

Sequins, Secrets and Silver Linings by Sophia Bennett

Three friends in London have high aspirations. Jenny wants to be a star and has recently finished her first film. Nonie, who tells this story, wants to do something in fashion. Edie wants to go to Harvard and save the world. The friends' lives are changed forever when they meet Crow, a 12 year old Ugandan refugee and a genius dress designer. Friendships are strained and grow deeper, fashion competes with the tragic story of Uganda's "Invisible Children," and Edie begins to make sense of her past and her future. A fun read with a serious side. This book was published in England under the title "Threads" which is a much better title! Sequel is coming.

The Devil Colony by James Rollins

If you love the few books Dan Brown has written, take a look at the more talented and prolific Mr. Rollins. His Sigma Force novels mingle history, current events, science and folklore into fascinating stories with strong characters. While Devil Colony is part of this series, it's easy to read as a stand-alone!

Hundreds of mummies have been discovered in a cave in the American Southwest. As an archaeologist removes an interesting artifact, she bursts into flames and dies. Sigma Force enters the investigation and the story unfolds as various operatives try to connect the dots before a world wide geological crisis destroys life on earth. How is a supervolcano in Yellowstone connected to Thomas Jefferson? What does the Lewis & Clarke expedition have to do with nanotechnology? Are the mummies somehow connected to the old legend that the founding fathers intended to include a 14th colony? This is a lickety-split thriller by a true master of the genre.

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Alex is a teen boy enjoying the freedom of being home alone while the rest of the family visits relatives. He really likes the feeling until his house explodes while he is sleeping. He crawls out from under the rubble and discovers that a "super volcano" has erupted in Yellowstone. The ash cloud from the volcano has filled the air, blocking out the sun and forcing everyone indoors to escape the effects. Kind neighbors rescue him but as violence escalates with the population's desperation, Alex decides to do the unthinkable: hike hundreds of miles through the lawless and increasingly nightmarish landscape to find his family. A great adventure awaits as he uses his wits to complete his journey. This is a "can't put down" thriller which surprises you at every turn. I'd have liked to know more about the volcano but, hey, it looks like there might be a sequel!

Can magic save the world?

Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell

In this world of the future, fears of terrorism fuel restrictions on how people may live their lives. Each state in the United States has its own border crossing. You are monitored at all times and must always have appropriate ID. In this paranoid new culture, it's hard to connect with nature. And nature itself is under attack: rainforests are dying of disease and the disease is spreading. A world without trees and growing plants is unsustainable but all government effort is placed on keeping citizens safe.

Kelsa is mourning the loss of her beloved father and harboring ill will against her mother for sending him to hospice for his last days, instead of bringing him home to die. She does not realize she is being watched by an unusual young man. A young man full of magic, who has realized that Kelsa, too, possesses magic. He recruits her to use their combined magic to heal the world.

This is an exciting fantasy adventure, steeped in Native American folklore. By setting this story in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, and by using Kelsa's growing understanding of her own grief and resentment as a theme, the story feels realistic and would appeal to lots of teens. The fantasy elements are subtle and quite beautiful. The contrast between the passionate human, Kelsa, and the dispassionate trickster, Raven, makes for a fine dynamic. I highly recommend this!