Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

On an ordinary day, in an ordinary town, an ordinary girl is about to make an extraordinary acquaintance----. She turned. When his hat had come off, his hair had come off too. In the confusion, all she had see was a chalk white scalp, so she turned expecting to see a bald albino - maybe? But, no. With his sunglasses gone and his scarf hanging down, there was no denying the fact that he had no flesh, he had no skin, he had no eyes, and he had no face. All he had was a skull for a head.

When Stephanie inherits her eccentric uncle's estate, little does she know that she's inheriting something along with it ; a life-or-death battle between good and evil. Fortunately for Stephanie, she also inherits a friend and ally that might help her make it out of this alive - Skulduggery Pleasant. With his dashing fashion sense, snappy wit, and fire-throwing abilities, Skulduggery is just the fellow to have along in a fight. So who cares if underneath the designer clothes he's just a skeleton?

This is book one is the series, it is followed by Playing with Fire and then by The Faceles Ones and coming soon Dark Days.

100 Cupboards

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson Book 1

Twelve-year old Henry York wakes up one night to find bits of plaster in his hair. Two nobs have broken through the wall above his bed and one of them is slowly turning ... Henry scrapes the plaster off the wall and discovers cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he can hear the sound of falling rain. Through another he sees a glowing room - with a man pacing back and forth. Henry soon understands that these are not just cupboards, but portals to other worlds.

100 cupboards is the first book in the trilogy, it is followed by Dandelion Fire (Book 2) and The Chesnut King (Book 3).

Here's the book trailer.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole

For fans of the Guardians of Ga' Hoole series you'll be happy to hear that they've taken this great series and have now made it into a movie (you know it's popular when....) Coming to theatres September 24 2010.

Don't forget the book is always better ;-)
So here is a look at the trailer.

31 Ways

31 Ways to Change the World by We Are What We Do

'We Are What We Do' are a movement whose aim is to inspire people - in this case children- to use their everyday actions to change the world. Their motto is - small actions x a lot of people = big change. It's not rocket science, but it works! The actions in the book - including one brand new knitting action - are fun and easy to do but add up to making a big difference. It gives kids the responsibility for changing the world, one bit at a time.

David Lubar

True Talents by David Lubar

Here's one more of my favourites by David Lubar.

It's been over a year since 14 year old Eddie "Trash" Thalmeyer and his friends from Edgeview Alternative School found out about their special "hidden talents". Trash can move things with his mind, Torchie is a fire-starter, Cheater reads minds, Lucky finds lost objects, Flinch can predict the future and Martin can see into people's souls. Now back home with their families, all the boys want to do is get back to their normal lives, start attending high school, and keep in touch with their friends from Edgeview.

When Trash tests his power in a bank and accidentally steals a fistful of cash - the real story of this group of friends and their hidden talents will come to light.

Here's an interivew with the author.

David Lubar

New titles from one of my favourite authors David Lubar.
First up: Invasion of the Road Weenies
Welcome to the weird and wacky world of award-winning storyteller and master of the macabre, David Lubar. These thirty-five tales ranging from the silly and offbeat to flat-out horrifying are just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark.

Second- Flip
Did you ever wish you could be anybody else but who you are? Twins Ryan and Taylor do all the time. They hate who they are. Now they have their chance. They've discovered mysterious alien disks that allow them to "flip"... to become legendary heroes from the past.
But being a hero may not be as much fan as they think.

This author is one of my favourites cause he can always make me laugh.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favourite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jerimiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?

Sarah Dessen fans will now have another author to look forward to.

Here's the book trailer.

Incarceron

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron - a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the decendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It's a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torchture chamber, chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has alway been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her form of a prison. A futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a devise - a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so a plan for Finn's escape is born...

Book trailer.

Dream House Kings Series

Dream House Kings Series by Robert Libarulo

As you can see these are the first three titles in the series. Here's a little write-up.

Dream house... or bad dream?

When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films ... but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into - as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading to far-off places - in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true ... or his worst nightmare.

Here's an interview with the author.

The Last Song

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Always, always, always! Read the book first.

Here's the write up.

Seventeen-year-old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside down when her parents divorced and her father moved to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains alienated from her parents, particularly her father ... until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she and her brother spent the summer with him. Resentful and rebellious, Ronnie rejects her father's attempts to reach out to her and threatens to return to New York before the summer's end. But soon Ronnie meets Will, the last person she thought she'd ever be attracted to, and finds herself falling for him, opening herself up to the greatest happiness - and pain- that she has ever known.

Here's the trailer for the movie.

The Schwa Was Here

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman

I love this book and think it's hilarious. It's crying out to be made into a mini-film book trailer, especially the scene in the boys' bathroom, with the florescent orange sombraro.

The summary:

A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the "Schwa" an invisiblish boy who is tired of blending in with his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyong.

Here's the book trailer:

My Invisible Boyfriend

My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day

Heidi has the perfect solution to her popularity problems - a fake boyfriend. She's even made him an internet profile that makes him look like a motorcycle riding, poetry reading badboy, "swoon" Heidi's friends are so impressed that they start emailing Heidi's fake boyfriend with their problems ... including their problems with Heidi.

As if that weren't bad enough, a delicious and possibly single person called "A Real Boy" emails Heidi to say he knows the truth. Can Heidi escape from her worldwide web of lies? Or will her chance at romance disappear faster than you can type gtg.

If you liked Louise Rennison's - Georgia Nicholson series, Angus Thongs and Full-frontal snogging then you might enjoy this too.

Read On

City of Bones

City of Bones (Book One in The Mortal Instruments Series) by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder comitted by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.
Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.
But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

And now the book trailer.

The Recruit

The Recruit (book 1 in the Cherub series) by Robert Muchamore

Cherub agents are highly trained, extremely talented -- and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist. They are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists, hack into crucial documents, and gather intel on global threats - all without gadgets or weapons. It is an exceptionally dangerous job, but these agents have one major advantage: adults never suspect teens are spying on them.

James is the newest Cherub recruit. He's a bit of a troublemaker, but he's also brilliant. And Cherub needs him. James has no idea of what to expect, but he's out of options. Before he can start in the field he must first survive one hundred grueling days of basic training, where even the toughest recruits don't make it to the end...

Here's an interview with the author Robert Muchamore.

Hush Hush

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside he, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her best friends. She can't seem to decide whether to fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen -- and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

The book trailer.

The Amanda Project

Invisible I by Stella Lennon

When enigmatic high school student Amanda Valentino goes missing, her closest friends vow to find her. The search begins in Invisible I the first title in the eight book series. But once the teens follow clues that might lead to Amanda, they realize that everything they thought they knew about her was false and find themselves with more questions than answers. As they begin to compare notes on their missing friend, the mystery of where - and who - Amanda is deepens.

Sound good !

Here's the book trailer.

Once a witch

Once a Witch by Caroly Mac Cullough

Tasmin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was susposed to be one of the most talented among them. But Tasmin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tasmin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very talented sister, Tasmin agrees to help find a lost family heirloom for him. The search and the stranger will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tasmin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all.

Here's the book trailer.

Coffeehouse Angel

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. The adorable "vagrant" is actually a real guardian angel on a break between missions, and he simply won't go away until he can reward Katrina's selflessness...

This one has already been optioned for a movie, so don't waste any time pick it up before you have to pay money to see it in the theatres.

Read On

Also Known As Harper

Also Known As Harper by Ann Haywood Leal

from page 91. -
Lately I've been wondering what it would be like

To keep all my words inside.

I wonder if they'd come out another way.

Through my pen maybe

Or through a piece of chalk on the sidewalk.

It could actually be safer that way.

The words couldn't hurt anyone.

You could take back all the wrong ones.

You'd just crumple up the paper or

Wait for the rain.

That was a random page opening, I hope the rest will be as terrific. Here's the book summary:

Harper is an aspiring poet, which isn't surprising, seeing as how she's named after her mama's favourite writer, Harper Lee. And life is giving her a lot to write about just now. Daddy up and walked out, leaving them with too many bills and too little money. Then Harper's family gets evicted and has to move into the Knotty Pine Deluxe Motor Hotel, which is not nearly as nice as it sounds.

With Mama scrambling to make ends meet, Harper has to stay home from school to take care of her little brother, Hemingway. Their whole world has been turned upside down, which Harper could just about handle - if it wasn't for the poetry contest at school. More than anything, she wants to get up on that stage and read her poems out loud...

If you liked How to Steal a Dog you might also like Also Known As Harper.

The Dead Man in Indian Creek

The Dead Man in Indian Creek by Mary Dwoning Hahn

While camping near indian Creek, Matt and his best friend, Parker, get up early to see if they can spot a blue heron. Instead, they find the body of a dead man floating in the clear water.

Parker is sure that George Evans, the smooth-talking antiques dealer who is dating his mother, must somehow be connected to the dead man. Matt isn't so sure - but then, on Halloween night, while snooping around Evan's antiques shop, the boys make another shocking discovery that puts their own lives in danger.

There are murderous grownups that would do anything to keep what the boys found in the shop a secret, and now they're after Parker and Matt. Are the boys clever enough to get away? Or will they, too, end up like the dead man in Indian Creek?

Roar

Roar by Emma Clayton

Listen. Can you hear it?

Mika lives in future London, behind The Wall, safe from The Animal Plague beyond. Or so he's been told. But ever since Ellie vanished a year ago, he suspected his world may be built on secrets - and lies. When a mysterious organization starts recruiting mutant kids to compete in violent virtual reality games, Mika takes his chance to search for his twin sister - and the truth.

Here's what they're saying - "...exciting, thought-provoking and very hard to put down." The New York Times Book Review

"flies along like a laser beam from a blaster." Eoin Colfer

And here's the book trailer:

The garden of Eve

The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going
Evie doesn't believe in magic anymore. After all, if magic were real, her Mom would still be alive.
But when Evie moves to Beaumont, New York, where her father has bought a withered apple orchard that the townspeople whisper is cursed, she learns about a lost girl, recieves a mysterious seed, and meets a boy who claims to be dead.
Before long, Evie finds herself in the middle of a fairy tale. And this one is real.

Here's the book trailer:

New Series

Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord

This is a new series to the library, there will be 12 in the series, one for every month of the year.
Here's the summary:
On New Year's Eve Cal is chased down the street by a straggering, sick man with a deadly warning... "They killed your father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days!"
Hurled into a life on the run, with a price on his head, the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret. Who can he turn to, who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead?
The clock is ticking. Any second could be his last.

Here's the book trailer: