New & Upcoming Titles

I am eagerly waiting for tomorrow when I get to share with you about the book choices you'll have for our final book club of the year.  I always love to see which books everyone wants to read.  I really hope that you'll get your first choice!  I have several other titles to recommend to you today, though, that are purely for fun.

First up, is The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander.  If the cover gives you a clue, this story has everything to do with basketball.  Told from the point of view of Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell, this story captured my attention from the first page.  Josh tells his story in prose...sometimes it rhymes, sometimes it just flows, but we learn about his struggles as a 12-year old prodigy basketball player when things at home don't go the way he wants them to.  His twin brother, Jordan, is growing up and away from him.  His father is denial of aging and the health problems he might be facing.  His mom is the school principal, which just makes everything harder.  If you want a quick-moving story that will pull on your emotions, you'll love The Crossover.  I read my copy through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can also find it on their shelves.  Our Congress library also has a copy.  It might be a good one to pick up before MAP testing in a couple weeks!

If you like fairy tale retellings, you might like the book I just finished earlier today - Neverland, by Shari Arnold.  I have a feeling that this is going to be a book that I'm thinking about for days to come...I loved it that much.  In this story, we meet Livy, who is still trying to deal with the death of her 6-year old sister, Jenna, who had leukemia.  Livy deals with missing Jenna by volunteering at the children's hospital where Jenna had been a patient, reading the sick kids stories every day.  It's there that she meets a mysterious boy named Meyer, who tries to help Livy move beyond her fear and sadness by having adventures.  If you haven't guessed from the title, this is a retelling of Peter Pan, and I don't really want to say much else about it, because I don't want to give all the good stuff away.  I got to read an advanced reader copy thanks to NetGalley, but the good news for you is that this title was just published on April 7th, The bad news is that I don't see it at MCPL, but I'm going to recommend to Mrs. Gehrt that she purchase this title, so hopefully, we can find it in our Congress library really soon!

If you're feeling more like historical fiction, you might enjoy Under a Painted Sky, by Stacey Lee.  This is another story that I absolutely loved about Samantha, a young Chinese girl living in none other than St. Joe, Missouri around the year 1850.  Her father owns a general store and Sammy helps out at the store and gives violin lessons to children around town.  When her father's general store burns to the ground, along with him in it, Sammy is at a loss for what to do.  Her landlord seems like he's going to help her out, but when his sinister plans for her are revealed and he attacks her, she hits him over the head with a scrub brush, and he falls, hitting his head, and dies.  Now, what is a helpless young Chinese girl who has just killed someone to do in a situation like this?  With the help of a young slave girl, Annamae, she takes off on the run out onto the frontier, heading west to California.  Sammy and Annamae disguise themselves as boys, "Sam" & "Andy" and join with a group of young cowboys heading in the same direction.  Can the two outrun the law and manage to find their way to California?  You'll have to read Under a Painted Sky  to find out.  You can find this title at MCPL.

Now, let me tell you about some titles that aren't released yet, but that I was able to preview thanks to NetGalley.  

First up is Fury, by Steven James.  This is the 2nd book in James' Blur Trilogy.  If you don't remember my recommendation of Blur (book #1), you can check it out here.  Fury continues Daniel's story.  It's been a few months since he's experienced his last blur, and Daniel has been seeing a therapist, but decides he's not willing to take his medication.  Not sure whether or not he's really going crazy, or if the blurs are beginning again, Daniel is drawn into two different mysteries - one involving wolves that are being murdered in the area, and another involving the death of another young girl that ties directly into his own history.  Can Daniel use his blurs to solve another mystery, or will his blurs get the best of him?  You'll have to read Fury to find out!  This title will be released on April 28th.  I don't see it on MCPL's site yet, but they do have Blur, so I'm confident they'll be picking Fury up as well.

Another title that is being released on April 28th is The Girl at Midnight, by Melissa Grey.  This is the first book in a new series by Grey, and it is full of magic and adventure.  Echo was an orphan, living in the New York Public Library when she is taken in by the Avicen, an ancient group of magical bird-like people who live underneath New York City.  Echo becomes a thief, who is able to get things for the Avicen.  When she is asked to find the firebird, which will supposedly bring about peace between the Avicen and their enemies, the Drakharin people.  When Echo's best friend is captured by the Drakharin, Echo knows she has to try to save her, but in doing so has to form a dangerous partnership with the Drakharin prince.  Can Echo find the firebird and save the Avicen who saved her?  You'll have to pick up The Girl at Midnight and find out!  MCPL has copies of this title on order, so you can go ahead and put it on hold if you're interested.

Finally, I'll end with Saint Anything, by Sarah Dessen.  I have long been a fan of Ms. Dessen and her books, and Saint Anything did not disappoint.  Sydney feels like she is constantly walking on eggshells in her life.  She lives in the shadow of her older brother, Peyton, who's string of bad choices has recently led to a drunk driving conviction and a jail sentence.  Sydney wants to be the opposite of her brother, and to help out with her family's recent financial struggles, she leaves her private school for the local public school.  As she starts at her new school, Sydney meets the Chatham family and soon has a new best friend and a boy she can't help but be interested in.  But, will Sydney's parents trust her enough to let her make her own choices, and will Sydney choose to step out of her brother's shadow and be her own person?
For a book that is all about friendship, family, and a little romance thrown in, you won't be disappointed by Saint Anything.  This book is being released on May 5th, and I'm sure you'll be able to find a copy of it at MCPL after it's release.  I wouldn't be surprised to find it on our Congress shelves when we return to school in next fall, as well!

Those are all the recommendations I have for now.  It's not too early to start making your list for summer reading...hopefully one or more of these might find their way onto your list!