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Book of the Week


THIS WEEK

And Then I Found Out the Truth (cover)And Then I Found Out the Truth
by Jennifer Sturman

Delia Truesdale is back in the sequel to And Then Everything Unraveled (2008). Her internet tycoon mother is still missing, and she's still adjusting to her new life in NYC where she's under the care of funky, hipster Aunt Charlie and uptown Aunt Meg. As if tracking down her mother isn't enough, Delia also has to navigate the turbulent waters at her socially treacherous prep school. Part mystery, part coming-of-age story, and funny throughout, this book will have you racing to the end!

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January | February | March | April | May| June  | July | August

Jan 4-10

Food, Girls and Other Things I Can't Have (cover)Food, Girls and Other Things I Can't Have
by Allen Zadoff

Life used to be so simple for Andrew Zansky–hang with the Model UN guys, avoid gym class, and eat and eat and eat. He’s used to not fitting in: into his family, his sports-crazed school, or his size 48 pants. But not anymore. Andrew just met April, the new girl at school and the instant love of his life! He wants to find a way to win her over, but how? When O. Douglas, the heartthrob quarterback and high-school legend, saves him from getting beaten up by the school bully, Andrew sees his chance to get in with the football squad. Is it possible to reinvent yourself in the middle of high school? Andrew is willing to try. But he’s going to have to make some changes. Fast. Can a funny fat kid be friends with a football superstar? Can he win over the Girl of his Dreams? Can he find a way to get his mom and dad back together? How far should you go to be the person you really want to be? Andrew is about to find out.

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Jan 11-17

The Reformed Vampire Support Group (cover)The Reformed Vampire Support Group
by Catherine Jinks

Twilight fans, this book is not really for you; an unromanticized, irreverent, hilarious look at the blood-sucking life, through the eyes of Nina Harrison, fanged at 15 and still living with her mother. She's stuck in a support group for reformed vamps that has never had anything exciting happen to them...until one of them is murdered. With the help of a priest and Nina's mom soon the whole cast of weak misfit vampires bands together to surprise themselves: saving a werewolf, solving a mystery and keeping the world safe from blood-thirsty unreformed vamps. Through it all, Nina learns to stop fighting fate, accepts that she's a vampire, and realizes she actually kind of does like that cute Dave guy even if he's a vampire.

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Jan 18-24

I Can't Keep my own Secrets: Six Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure  (cover)I Can't Keep my own Secrets: Six Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure
by the editors of Smith Magazine

One life. Six words. What's yours? True tales of love, loss, good friends, and bad hair days filled Not Quite What I Was Planning, the New York Times bestselling first book in the Six-Word Memoir series—and an international phenomenon. Some of the most compelling were by teens, so now SMITH Magazine has compiled a book written entirely by these bold, brash truth-tellers. From cancer to creativity, prom dates to promiscuity, and breaking hearts to breaking laws, the memoirs in this collection reveal that often the youngest writers have the most fascinating stories to tell.

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Jan 25-31

Forest of Hands and Teeth (cover)Forest of Hands and Teeth
by Carrie Ryan

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Un-consecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Un-consecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

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Feb 1-7

The Magicians (cover)The Magicians
by Lev Grossman

Quentin is a gifted, nerdy-but-cool high school student who's just flaked out on his shot at calling Princeton University his alma mater when he is mysteriously transported to another institution of higher learning. Only it isn't the Ivy League, and it isn't life as most of us know it. Quentin has just become the newest co-ed at Brakebills College, a post-secondary school of magic. At Brakebills, Quentin soon learns that magic isn't - well, all that magical. It's actually kind of boring. But he does learn about sex and romance, drugs, and the other highs and lows usually attending a newly minted adult. Feeling increasingly adrift as he sinks further into an unfulfilling life of parties and not much else, Quentin discovers that his beloved Fillory - a magical land from a series of books he grew up obsessed with - is actually real. And not just real but one in need of his magical skills and moral courage.

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Feb 8-14

Design-It-Yourself Clothes : Patternmaking Simplified (cover)Design-It-Yourself Clothes : Patternmaking Simplified
by Cal Patch

If you’ve always wanted to make your own clothes, this book by Cal Patch, a crafting heavyweight and former designer with Urban Outfitters, will help you translate that design in your head into a made-to-fit garment. And with fifteen super-cute styles to choose from, you won’t have trouble finding a project to suit your style.  The designs have a pretty, demure, and naïve quality about them that recalls the effortless, understated cool of A.P.C. and the quirky girlishness of Built By Wendy.  The instructions, while clear and logical, are laid-back and encourage experimentation.  Most importantly, they demystify what often comes across in other sewing books as a really intimidating process.  So, grab a copy of the book and unleash your inner designer.

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Feb 15-21

A Brief History of Montmaray (cover)A Brief History of Montmaray
by Michelle Cooper

It is 1936. Sophia is sixteen, and she is the kind of self-deprecating, gentle person who prefers to stay in the background. At any rate, there is no opportunity for adventure or drama where she lives - on the tiny, rundown island of Montmaray off the coast of France. And, yet, Sophia has the makings of a heroine, with her credentials as a member of the impoverished but royal ruling family of Montmaray. Yes, Sophia is a princess but an unusual one. She lives in a dilapidated castle with no electricity and a leaking roof. She lives with her younger sister Henry (a tomboy) and older cousin Veronica and their housekeeper Rebecca, and they all pitch in to do what they can to get by. It seems as though Sophia will always live out of step and out of touch with the rest of the world until two German soldiers suddenly appear on the island bringing along with them the life-and-death stakes of continental pre-war Europe.

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Feb 22-28

How Beautiful the Ordinary : Twelves Stories of Identity (cover)How Beautiful the Ordinary : Twelves Stories of Identity
byMichael Cart (editor)

Here are 12 phenomenal stories about the LGBT experience from some of teen lit's best writers. This short story collection has real range, detailing the myriad situations, complications, and emotions LGBT youth encounter. Julie Anne Peter's "First Time" describes the excitement and trepidation two girls feel about their first time. Ariel Schrag's "San Francisco Dyke March" is a graphic novel(la) and provides an "as if you were there" look at the parade. William Sleator's "Fingernail" is a raw look at the sex trade of underage boys in Thailand. Emma Donoghue's "Dear Lang" is about a woman, a lesbian, who had her son taken away from her 16 years ago. Jacqueline Woodson's "Trev" is about a transgendered youth whose mother both loves him and remains deeply conflicted about his emerging identity. Good short stories linger after they've been read, like a scent or perfume, and this collection certainly stays with you long after you've closed the cover.

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Mar 1-7

I kissed a zombie, and I liked it (cover)I kissed a zombie, and I liked it
byAdam Selzter

Tired of all of the Vampire/Werewolves Romance novel? If you are looking for the new wave of witty Supernatural Romances, then this book is for you. In a world where Zombies, Werewolves and Vampires are out of the Coffin, Alley (aka the Ice Queen) is the one not only making fun of the girls who are waiting for their "Edward" to show up and sweep them off of their feet, but also of all of the fake goths in her town. Until one night, she's reviewing a bad local band, and they bring up a guest singer, Doug, who grabs Alley's attention. Doug can't really talk for that long, he wears the same suit over and over again, and he's kind of smells. Alley comes to realizes that she's in love with a zombie and he is taking her to prom, and the vampires don't like it very it much.

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Mar 8-14

Boy Toy (cover)Boy Toy
byBarry Lyga

Not for the faint of heart, Barry Lyga's second novel explores how sexual abuse affects a teenage boy. Everyone in the community knows what happened to Josh when he was 13, although no one talks about it. Now with graduates weeks away, Josh is trying to make decisions that will affect the rest of his life. Should he choose a school based on the strength of their baseball or their science department? Rachel, a girl he's avoided for the last five years, is back in his life. His parents aren't talking to each other, and to top it all off. Eve, his former history teacher, is back in town. Eve's return forces Josh to face a past that he's run away from for the last five years, and to figure out the truth about what happened to him.

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Mar 15-21

Tyranny (cover)Tyranny
byLesley Fairfield

An emotionally gripping graphic novel about a girl's struggle with eating disorders. You travel along with Anna as she goes from being a healthy girl to an adult that is battling a life threathening disease. The pictures are sketch like and will tug at the heart strings. This graphic novel gives a frightening realistic tale of the mind of someone who suffers from an eating disorder.

RAMP's Life Stuff section has more information on eating disorders.

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Mar 22-28

Invisible I (cover)Invisible I : The Amanda Project
byMelissa Kantor writing as Stella Lennon

A mystery novel like none I've ever read. Popular girl, Callie, secretly befriends Amanda Valentino, a girl who is known to have a few tricks up her sleeves. One night, Amanda paints the Vice Principle's car and the act bring together three students who would normally never been caught dead with each other. Hal, the nerdy artist; Nia - the anti snob snob who hates anything popular, and Callie. The VP is holding these three in detention until they fess up about the whereabouts of Amanda, however, they don't know where Amanda is either.

The book also encourages you all to be part of the story by helping the main characters with their search for Amanda at www.theamandaproject.com

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Mar 29-April 4

Through the Wire (cover)Through the wire
byKanye West

Before Kanye paired up with Taylor, he partnered up with Academy award nominee cartoonist Bill Plympton. Bill Plympton was the cartoonish behind Kanye's "Heard 'Em Say" video, and in this novel, Plympton illustrates Kanye's lyrics with his own style. Reminiscent of someone's lyric sketchbook, each song is prefaced with comments from critics, other artists and Mr. West himself about the individual song.

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April 5-11

Earthgirl (cover)Earthgirl
byJennifer Cowan

Toronto teen Sabine's life perspective changed after she was hit in the face by an idling minivan driver's disgusting garbage. She changed from a wasteful upper middle-class teen to an eco-conscious warrior and blogger (alias-earthgirl). As she battled her family and friends' reluctance to accept her new way of living, Sabine gathered momentum and support virtually. Earthgirl would not stop until the Earth is saved!

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April 12-18

The Gryphon Project (cover)The Gryphon Project
byCarrie Mac

Shortlisted for the 2010 CLA Young Adult Book Award, Mac describes a place where death no longer exists as long as you still have a recon left. Some citizens get more recons than others based on their statuses. But reconning can only take place if the death is deemed an accident and approved by the governing body, Chrysalids. When Phoenix's popular daredevil brother, Gryphon dies in a horrifying incident that is deemed a suicide, she must find a way to secure his recon.

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April 19-25

Our Choice: A Plan to Solve Climate Crisis (cover)Our Choice: A Plan to Solve Climate Crisis
byAl Gore

Celebrate Earth Day by making the choice to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. Be educated about the causes and consequences of global warming. Find out how you can be part of the solution which is underway!

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April 26-May 2

Drawing Manga: Animals, Chibis, and other Adorable Creatures (cover)Drawing Manga: Animals, Chibis, and other Adorable Creatures
byJ.C. Amberlyn

Create the cutest manga characters with the old pen-and-ink or with computer software! This book provides detailed instructions on completing a manga page!

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May 3-9

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts (cover)A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A collection of deliciously frightening tales
byYing Chang Compestine

Sink your teeth into these horrifying ghost stories. This collection of stories is arranged like a traditional eight course Chinese Banquet, each one a satisfying dish served up about those who died unfairly. Lots of factual details about China, both historical and modern, plus mouthwatering recipes for you to try yourself make this an appetizing book!

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May 10-16

Darklight (cover)Darklight
byLesley Livingston

In this sequel to the award winning urban fantasy book Wondrous Strange, Kelley Winslow, newly discovered Faerie princess, is stuck in New York City rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing her true love Sonny, a mysterious Janus guard who protects the gate between the Otherworld and Mortal Realm. Sonny was forced back to the Otherworld after saving New York City from Queen Mabh and the Wild Hunt when the gate was torn open on Samhain. When a terrifying event forces Kelley back into the Otherworld herself, she is reunited with Sonny, but a powerful new enemy threatens to tear them and their kingdom apart.

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May 17-23

Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs (cover)Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs
byRozanne Gold

Junk food got you down? Try some fabulous, fresh food recipes from this teen friendly cookbook. Every recipe was tested by teen chefs and features super easy instructions. Try some Spicy Sesame Noodles with Crunchy Snow Peas followed by Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberries. Mmmmmm. This book is packed with fun, healthy and easy to make recipes for you to try right now!

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May 24-30

Remember (cover)Remember
byBenjamin

The brilliant artwork by Benjamin (Bin Zhang) is the real reason to pick up this manhua, chronicling the angst of a young artist struggling to make it in modern day China.

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May 31-June 6

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd (cover)Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
edited byHolly Black and Cecil Castellucci

If you love Star Wars and Star Trek, attend every sci-fi convention and comic-con, watch Buffy religiously, or have ever taken part in a midnight screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, this book is for you. Embrace your inner Geek and grab hold of these awesome stories from some of the top young adult writers around: Garth Nix, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, and David Levithan to name just a few. Geektastic also includes hilarious illustrations by graphic novelists Bryan Lee O’Malley and Hope Larson.

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June 7-13

Going Bovine (cover)Going Bovine
by Libba Bray

All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school-and life in general-with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before he's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure-if he's willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

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June 14-20

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (cover)Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
by Seth Graham-Smith & Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead.

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June 21-27

After (cover)After
by Amy Efaw

In honour of the FIFA World Cup, a book about a soccer player seemed in order, albeit with a darker twist. Straight A student and star soccer player, Devon Daventport, is in unwilling to accept the fact that she is pregnant, so much so that she leaves her baby to die outside. The baby is found, and Devon is arrested for attempted murder. For those of us who like Law & Order and other courtroom plotlines, this book does not disappoint.

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June 28-July 4

Whip It (cover)Whip It
by Shauna Cross

Bliss Cavendar's Texan mom is obssesed with her competing in beauty pagents, but she had other plans. Instead of donning a tiara, Bliss puts on some roller skates and begins to learn how to play Roller Derby. The film Whip It is based on this novel.

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July 5-11

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe. Vol 5 (cover)Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe. Vol 5
by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim just turned 24, and things couldn't possibly be better! This means things are about to get infinitely worse! Suddenly, TWO of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends are in town, and they're playing dirty. His band is in turmoil, and his own exes aren't making things any easier. And what's up with Ramona, anyway? She's been acting kinda weird ever since they moved in together! Scott's precious little life is coming back around to bite him in the butt, and it may not be pretty! Make sure to see the major motion picture based on the series!

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July 12-18

Piece by Piece (cover)Piece by Piece
edited by Teresa Toten

This anthology features stories written by well-known Canadian teen fiction writers who migrated to a new country and share their experiences of trying to belong as teens. The authors also explore the meaning of becoming Canadian. Contributing authors include: Linda Granfield, Eva Wiseman, Richard Polak, Marina Nemat and more.

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July 19-25

The Hunchback Assignments (cover)The Hunchback Assignments
by Arthur Slade

Modo is a hunchback who has the ability to transform his appearance. He has been raised as a secret agent by Mr. Socrates, his benefactor. Modo has not been to the outside world until he turns 14, when Mr. Socrates leaves him at a corner of the busy London town one afternoon. In order to survive, Modo applies his learnt skills and somehow finds himself involved in uncovering a monstrous plan like no other.

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July 26 - August 1

Mercury (cover)Mercury
by Hope Larson

Set in two different time periods, Mercury is a story about two storylines connected by a farm, a family and some dark secrets. Part romance, part magical realism, and part historical fiction, this graphic novel seamlessly weaves these two stories together about people who are bounded by blood and are worlds apart.

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August 2-8

Patsy Walker: Hellcat (cover)Patsy Walker: Hellcat
by Kathryn Immonen

In this collected issues 1-5 of the popular comic, we meet the ever stylish, newly registered super-hero Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat. Patsy is thrilled when she learns she must venture into the frozen north, chilly Alaska, to become their local super hero and protect the residents from all sorts of evil.

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August 9-15

She's Shameless (cover)She's Shameless
by Stacey May Fowles & Megan Griffith-Greene (editors)

An anthology of fearless and funny non-fiction about strong, smart and shameless young women. With wit and honesty, the writers share stories of their teen experiences (both positive and negative) on everything from pop culture to high school principals. The book is founded on Shameless magazine's tradition of smart, sassy, honest and inclusive writing, and reaches out to young female readers who are often ignored by mainstream: freethinkers, queer youth, young women of colour, punk rockers, feminists, intellectuals, artists, and activists.

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August 16-22

Laid (cover)Laid: young people's experiences with sex in an easy-access culture
by Shannon T. Boodram

Laid sets out to be an honest representation of youths’ perspectives about sex; from first times, pregnancies, and discovering one’s sexual identity. This book is not just for guy or girls; rather Boodram gives space for all possible points of view.

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August 23-29

Shiver (cover)Shiver
by Maggie Stiefvater

Every winter, Grace is fascinated by the wolves that live in the woods beyond her house, especially one with piercing yellow eyes that seems to know her. Now it is summer and Grace falls hard for a boy, Sam, with the same yellow eyes—he has to be her wolf. With the summer heat, Sam transforms into human form and is destined to return to wolf form in the frosty winter months. As autumn, and the cold weather approaches, Sam must transform again, perhaps for good this time. Can Sam and Grace find a way to be together for always?

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