Simply Divine

Simply Divine by Jacquelin Thomas

Bestselling author Jacquelin Thomas offers an unforgettable novel about a Hollywood teen who, after being sent to live with her religious relatives in Georgia, discovers the true meaning of family and the power of faith.

Nothing but Drama

Nothing but Drama by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Four teenage girls from different backgrounds find faith and friendship after joining Good Girlz, an afterschool church youth group.

Would I Lie to You:  A Gossip Girl Novel

Would I Lie to You:  A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar

The girls head out to the Hamptons for the summer. If you can't be there, read this tenth entry in the Gossip Girl series.

Specials

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

In this final book of Westerfeld's trilogy, Tally has been transformed from a repellent ugly to supermodel pretty. Her mission is to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

This installment of the Uglies series finds 16-year-old Tally fully programmed to be an elite governmental fighting machine. But when she is ordered to destroy a New Smoke rebel settlement, Tally is caught between a remnant of her humanity and her mission as a Special. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Pichi pichi pitch:  Mermaid Melody.  Vol. 2

Pichi pichi pitch:  Mermaid Melody.  Vol. 2 by Pinku Hanamori

This graphic novel presents the further adventures of a mermaid princess who falls inlove with the human boy she rescues.

Death Note:  Confluence .  Vol. 2

Death Note:  Confluence .  Vol. 2 by Tsugumi Ohba

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god.

Series: Shonen Jump advanced graphic novel

La Linea

La Linea by Ann Jaramillo

When 15-year-old Miguel's time finally comes to leave his poor Mexican village, cross the border illegally, and join his parents in California, his younger sister's determination to join him soon imperils them both.

The Black Canary

The Black Canary by Jane Louise Curry

As the child of two musicians, twelve-year-old James has no interest in music until he discovers a portal to seventeenth-century London in his uncle's basement, and finds himself in a situation where his beautiful voice and the fact that he is biracial might serve him well.

7 Days at the Hot Corner

7 Days at the Hot Corner by Terry Trueman

Varsity baseball player Scott Latimer struggles with his own prejudices and those of others when his best friend reveals that he is gay.

With a compelling twist on a coming-out story, Trueman's (Stuck in Neutral) novel stars 18-year-old Scott Latimer, a baseball fanatic who plays third base (the "hot corner" of the title) for his high school's team. Scott's world is thrown into disarray when his best friend, Travis, reveals that he's gay during the citywide baseball tournament. Now, in addition to worrying about playing well in the seven-day tournament, Scott anxiously awaits the results of an HIV test that he gets in secret: he fears he may have contracted AIDS after a batting cage incident, in which he wound up with Travis's blood on his hands. When Travis's parents kick their son out of the house, thinking he may influence his younger brother, Travis moves in with Scott's family, causing additional tension between the two best friends. An article in the high school newspaper anonymously relates Travis's struggles as a gay high school senior, and Scott fears that his classmates might think he's gay as well if they discover the article is about Travis. Scott wrestles with gripping fear about potentially having contracted AIDS, anger that his best friend kept his sexuality a secret from him for so many years, confusion about his own and his fellow classmates' prejudices, and concern for Travis's safety. Readers will likely be affected by this emotional journey of a kid who would have been happy to limit his concerns to catching blazing line drives and working toward a shot at the major leagues. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The Real Question

The Real Question by Adrian Fogelin

After he panics on a chemistry exam, stressed-out over-achiever Fisher Brown takes off on a weekend trip while his dad's away on business.

Fogelin (The Big Nothing) delivers another smart tale about nerdy Tallahassee teenagers. Narrator Fisher Brown, 16, has aced school since sixth grade. Indeed, a week before the SATs, Fisher is painfully aware that his academic excellence substitutes for a relationship with Dad: "As long as I'm the A man, we're okay. In his mind we've survived Mom's desertion. Faulty logic, but it's a prime reason why I work so hard. It seems like the least I can do for him." Cracks appear in the fa?ade, however. Fisher panics during a chemistry exam. Desiree, his unlovely, loyal friend, wants more than a platonic relationship. And Lonny, a drifter temporarily ensconced in Fisher's neighborhood, dares Fisher to challenge the status quo. With Dad off to Miami for a week to move Nana into new housing, Fisher accepts Lonny's offer of adventure: a weekend bus trip to Chiefland, Fla., to reroof his ex-girlfriend's house. The ensuing events-combination vocabulary learning curve and comedy of errors-engender a bond between Fisher and Lonny's hardworking ex and sweet young son. A few twists and Lonny's fecklessness strand the pair with no cash. Desperate after three consecutive unexcused absences, Fisher finds aid from the best kind of youth services librarian and dear Dez, who trundles down in an unreliable Crown Vic. Fisher's delightfully telegraphed epiphanies, the funny, harrowing road trip, and a satisfying showdown with Dad yield a novel that may well appeal to teens of both sexes. Ages 12-16. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved