Children of Exile

      Margaret Peterson Haddix
     Children of Exile

For the past twelve years, adults called “Freds” have raised Rosi, her younger brother Bobo, and the other children of their town, saying it is too dangerous for them to stay with their parents, but now they are all being sent back. Since Rosi is the oldest, all the younger kids are looking to her with questions she doesn’t have the answers to. She’d always trusted the Freds completely, but now she’s not so sure. And their home is nothing like she’d expected, like nothing the Freds had prepared them for. Will Rosi and the other kids be able to adjust to their new reality?

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    The Gates

      John Connolly
     The Gates

Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, are trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before Halloween which is how they come to witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley Road. The Abernathys don't mean any harm by their flirtation with the underworld, but when they unknowingly call forth Satan himself, they create a gap in the universe. A gap in which a pair of enormous gates is visible. The gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out... Can one small boy defeat evil? Can he harness the power of science, faith, and love to save the world as we know it? Bursting with imagination, The Gates is about the pull between good and evil, physics and fantasy. It is about a quirky and eccentric boy who is impossible not to love, and the unlikely cast of characters who give him the strength to stand up to a demonic power. John Connolly manages to re-create the magical and scary world of childhood that we've all left behind but so love to visit. And for those of you who thought you knew everything you could about particle physics and the universe, think again. This novel makes anything seem possible.

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    Toro! Toro!

      Michael Morpurgo
     Toro! Toro!

Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, illustrated by Michael Foreman. TORO,TORO is the story of a young boy growing up in Andalucia, Spain, on a farm rearing bulls for the bull ring. Antonito hand rears a little black calf and they become firm friends, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls – the corrida and death. Later, when he learns of the horrors of the bull fight, he frees Paco, the black bull, and rides with him into the hills.There they witness the bombing of their village (it's the year 1936, and the Spanish Civil War has started) and Antonito cannot go back – his family and the farm are destroyed, and Paco has run off, wild with fright. He decides to stay in the hills, where he meets up with the Resistance fighters. During the War, Antonito hears stories round the campfire of the wonderful black bull, who becomes a symbol of freedom for them all. Could this really be Paco? But no-one has ever seen him. After the war, when Antonito is working as a muleteer in the mountains, he falls asleep and dreams of Paco. In the morning, he wakes to see hoof prints on the ground beside him… A delightful story, full of nostalgia and drama in the author's own inimitable style. Illustrated by Michael Foreman.

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    What Came From the Stars

      Gary D. Schmidt
     What Came From the Stars

The Valorim are about to fall to a dark lord when they send a necklace containing their planet across the cosmos, hurtling past a trillion starsall the way into the lunchbox of Tommy Pepper, sixth grader, of Plymouth, Mass. Mourning his late mother, Tommy doesn't notice much about the chain he found, but soon he is drawing the twin suns and humming the music of a hanorah. As Tommy absorbs the art and language of the Valorim, their enemies target him. When a creature begins ransacking Plymouth in search of the chain, Tommy learns he must protect his family from villains far worse than he's ever imagined.

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    Buried Above Ground

      Leah Cypess
     Buried Above Ground

A short stand-alone digital novella set in the world of Leah Cypess's Nightspell, where ghosts exist alongside humans and nearly every lavish ball is part murder mystery. In the kingdom of Ghostland, every murdered soul comes back as a ghost, and every ghost has only one desire—vengeance. Emilie had everything she'd ever wanted—beautiful dresses, a perfectly decorated room, a party every night, and the eye of a nobleman. But then she's killed. And now she'll stop at nothing to find out who did it. No one in the palace of Ghostland is above suspicion—not even the people closest to her. This haunting fantasy novella is filled with supernatural thrills and surprising plot twists. Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.

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    The Blue Castle

      L. M. Montgomery
     The Blue Castle

Valancy lives a drab life with her overbearing mother and prying aunt. Then a shocking diagnosis from Dr. Trent prompts her to make a fresh start. For the first time, she does and says exactly what she feels. As she expands her limited horizons, Valancy undergoes a transformation, discovering a new world of love and happiness. One of Lucy Maud Montgomery's only novels intended for an adult audience, *The Blue Castle* is filled with humour and romance.

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    Breaktime

      Aidan Chambers
     Breaktime

When Ditto challenges Morgan to prove that literature is crap he triggers off a chain of events to alter his outlook of life forever. Ditto faces a series of charges from Morgan against literature: that all fiction is Done. Finished. Dead; a sham and a pretence. He undertakes faithfully to record a life in the week of Ditto - with all the chaos of reality thrown in - and his literary creation reveals more about himself tha he originally bargained for.

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    Bloody Horowitz

      Anthony Horowitz
     Bloody Horowitz

What's this? A famous children's author stalked and killed? A prominent publisher murdered by an egomaniacal author for being asked to make cuts? A reality TV show pitting teens against grown-ups- with only one survivor? From whose twisted mind can such gruesome stories unfold? Ah, yes. Anthony Horowitz. Young readers will smile in terrified pleasure as they read these harrowing tales by the international #1 bestselling author of the Alex Rider novels. This edition includes; Why Horror Has No Place in Children's Books The Man Who Killed Darren Shan Bet Your Life You Have Arrived The Cobra Robo-Nanny Bad Dream My Bloody French Exchange sheBay Are You Sitting Comfortably? Plugged In Power The X Train Seven Cuts

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    So Much Closer

      Susane Colasanti
     So Much Closer

Another contemporary thought-provoking romance from Susane Colasanti! When Brooke discovers that the love of her life, Scott Abrams, is moving from their New Jersey suburb to New York City for senior year, she decides to follow hime there. Living with her estranged father and adjusting to a whole new school are challenging--and things get even worse when she finds out that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she learns to navigate the big city, she starts to discover a whole new side of herself, and realizes that sometimes love can find you even when you're not looking for it. Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 5/1/2012 Pages: 256 Reading Level: Age 12 and Up

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    Holly in Love: A Cooney Classic Romance

      Caroline B. Cooney
     Holly in Love: A Cooney Classic Romance

A high school senior develops a major crush on a younger guy in Caroline B. Cooney’s tender, funny story about falling in love Seventeen-year-old Holly Carroll hates the cold weather—sometimes she thinks she’s going to die of winter. She lives in New Hampshire, where snow’s a staple and everyone’s gearing up for the annual Ice Sculpture Festival. What Holly wants for Christmas this year is a boyfriend. In Bermuda. Then one day, she notices Jamie Winter. He’s nice, cool, and really good looking. He’s also sixteen—her younger brother’s age. Her friends want to know how Holly can even think about dating a junior. All Holly knows is that she and Jamie have a great time together. He’s not only fun, he’s sensitive. And whip smart. But that doesn’t stop her friends from trying to set her up. Suddenly, dateless Holly has prospects, like the twenty-one-year-old college man who drives a silver Corvette. And there’s handsome, popular Pete Stein, who suddenly seems interested. But no one can compare to Jamie. Is Holly willing to risk the scorn of her classmates—and her whole school—to be with the boy she loves? 

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    The Crown of Dalemark

      Diana Wynne Jones
     The Crown of Dalemark

For centuries, Dalemark has been a land divided by the warning earldoms of the North and South. Now, with the help of the Undying, the mysterious gods of Dalemark, four extraordinary young people -- from the past, present, and future -- must join forced to reunify their beloved land.

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    The Maleficent Seven: From the World of Skulduggery Pleasant

      Derek Landy
     The Maleficent Seven: From the World of Skulduggery Pleasant

A brilliant, hilarious one-off novella in the Skulduggery Pleasant universe, from number-one-bestselling author Derek Landy This time, the bad guys take the stage. Tanith Low, now possessed by a remnant, recruits a gang of villains – many of whom will be familiar from previous Skulduggery adventures – in order to track down and steal the four God-Killer level weapons that could hurt Darquesse when she eventually emerges. Also on the trail of the weapons is a secret group of Sanctuary sorcerers, and doing his best to keep up and keep Tanith alive is one Mister Ghastly Bespoke. When the villains around her are lying and scheming and plotting, Tanith needs to stay two steps ahead of her teammates and her enemies. After all, she's got her own double-crosses to plan – and she’s a villain herself…

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    Between

      Mary Ting
     Between

As the alkins head back to Crossroads, Claudia leads her normal life; but not for long. Having a special soul, Claudia attracts danger, and she soon finds out who Gamma asked to watch over her. The Twelve, known as Divine Elders on Earth, are very much involved when they find out that Aliah, one of the God's first angels, escaped from the Abyss when the gates were opened by Aden. Needing Claudia's soul to escape the only place Aliah can reside-a place between Heaven and Earth-he sends his demons in search of all Claudia Emersons on Earth. Taking her soul will enable him to be released from Between and cross over to Crossroads, which would give him immense power. As more secrets are revealed Claudia learns about the venators-nephilim, demon hunters. Now two opposing forces must work together in order to save Claudia and humanity from the most dangerous angel ever created. But along the way, trust becomes a big issue. Will love be enough to keep Claudia and Michael together? Who will make the ultimate sacrifice? Who will betray them all?

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