confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, their daughter Tandy knows just three things: 1) She was one

of the last people to see her parents alive. 2) The suspect list only includes Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't

trust anyone--maybe not even herself. As Tandy sets out to clear the family name, she begins to recall flashes of

experiences long buried in her vulnerable psyche. These memories shed light on her family's dark secrets, and

digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs proves to be a disturbing and dangerous game. Who knows what

any of the Angels are truly capable of?

Keeper by Mal Peet

When Paul Faustino of LA NACION flips on his tape recorder for an exclusive interview with El Gato — the

phenomenal goalkeeper who single-handedly brought his team the World Cup — the seasoned reporter quickly

learns that this will be no ordinary story. Instead, the legendary El Gato narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in

the South American rainforest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach a poor, gawky

boy the most thrilling secrets of the game. A seamless blend of magic realism and exhilarating soccer action, this

evocative novel will haunt readers long after the story ends.

Center Field by Robert Lipsyte

Mike has his junior year well under control. He's got a solid group of friends. He's dating Lori, one of the hottest girls

in school. And Coach Cody has all but given him the starting spot as the Ridgedale Rangers' varsity center fielder.

And then Oscar Ramirez shows up. Oscar is an amazing ballplayer, as talented at the plate as he is in center field,

and it's not long before Mike loses control. He's on the bench, he's getting into fights, and he finds himself in

weekend detention with Katherine Herold, the most mysterious, abrasive, alluring girl in school. Mike is lost,

confused, and looking to Coach Cody to help him get back on track. But the coach has his own set of rules for Mike

to play by, and the decisions Mike makes are going to impact more than just the starting lineup.

Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a

bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they

believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead. To unravel

the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back

alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack.

But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that

both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but

between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Marcus, a.k.a "w1n5t0n," is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works-and

how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his

high school's intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems. But his whole world changes when he and his friends find

themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong

time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret

prison where they're mercilessly interrogated for days.

Slated by Teri Terry

Kyla’s memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost for ever. She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by

their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who

can she trust in her search for the truth?

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She’s not comforted by the news that she’ll be

able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?

As she struggles to cope, Jessica feels that she’s both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don’t know what to

say act like she’s not there. Jessica’s embarrassed to realize that she’s done the same to a girl with CP named Rosa.

A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she’s missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her…

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer High school sophomore Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer

to Earth, like "one marble hits another." The result is catastrophic. How can her family prepare for the future when

worldwide tsunamis are wiping out the coasts, earthquakes are rocking the continents, and volcanic ash is blocking

out the sun? As August turns dark and wintery in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their

mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited

water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers.

The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to

rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy

group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating

them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's

father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an

object, but an experience.

If You’re Reading This by Trent Reedy

Mike was seven when his father was killed in mysterious circumstances in Afghanistan. Eight years later, the family

still hasn't recovered: Mike's mom is overworked and overprotective; his younger sister Mary feels no connection to

the father she barely remembers; and in his quest to be "the man of the family," Mike knows he's missing out on

everyday high school life. Then, out of the blue, Mike receives a letter from his father -- the first of a series Dad

wrote in Afghanistan, just in case he didn't come home, meant to share some wisdom with his son on the eve of

Mike's 16th birthday. As the letters come in, Mike revels in spending time with his dad again, and takes his

encouragement to try new things -- to go out for the football team, and ask out the beautiful Isma. But who's been

keeping the letters all these years? And how did Dad actually die? As the answers to these mysteries are revealed,

Mike and his family find a way to heal and move forward at last.

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

As twelve-year-old Marlee starts middle school in 1958 Little Rock, it feels like her whole world is falling apart. Until

she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is everything Marlee wishes she could be: she's brave, brash and always

knows the right thing to say. But when Liz leaves school without even a good-bye, the rumor is that Liz was caught

passing for white. Marlee decides that doesn't matter. She just wants her friend back. And to stay friends, Marlee

and Liz are even willing to take on segregation and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families.

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the

Marianas Trench. Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd

behavior. Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images. Caden

Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his

head. Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny. Caden Bosch is torn.

Challenger Deep is a deeply powerful and personal novel from one of today's most admired writers for teens. Laurie

Halse Anderson, award-winning author of Speak, calls Challenger Deep "a brilliant journey across the dark sea of the

mind; frightening, sensitive, and powerful. Simply extraordinary."

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the

world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start

spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a

lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves

and the kind of people they want to be.

Compound by S.A. Bodeen

Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they've

become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy. No amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of

living in the same place, with only his two sisters, only his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day

aEer day. As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary―and their

sanity―Eli can't help but wonder if he'd rather take his chances outside. Eli's father built the Compound to keep

them safe. But are they safe―really?

The Bridge from me to you by lisa schroeder

Lauren's unstable mother has sent her to a tiny Oregon town to live with her aunt, uncle, and three young cousins.

Sensitive Colby is the local football hero, who secretly longs to confront his overbearing dad and give up the game

all together. When these two high school seniors meet, they feel an undeniable connection. Getting to know each

other by sharing their fascinations with birds and bridges, snack foods, and second chances, they begin to navigate a

new relationship by supporting each other while tackling their own struggles and secrets. This romantic story, set in

a modern-day football-obsessed town, starts out feeling very familiar, especially when Colby's best friend Benny is

critically injured and the team must get to the state playoffs. However, the alternating chapters of Lauren's poetry

and Colby's conversational prose are well written and help reveal the characters refreshingly unique perspectives,

as well as their growth in positive ways. The secondary characters are also thoughtfully developed and cleverly

incorporated. Although the general plotline is nothing new and the drama at the end is shifted and then tidied up a

bit too quickly, this light, fast-paced story will delight romance fans looking for a fun, hopeful read.—Whitney

LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY

The BlindSide by Michael Lewis

When we first meet Michael Oher is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his

real name, his father, his birthday, or how to read or write. He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white,

Evangelical family plucks him from the streets. Then two great forces alter Oher: the family's love and the evolution

of professional football itself into a game in which the quarterback must be protected at any cost. Our protagonist

becomes the priceless package of size, speed, and agility necessary to guard the quarterback's greatest

vulnerability: his blind side.

Starflight by Melissa Landers

Solara Brooks needs a fresh start, someplace where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails

or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. The outer realm may be lawless, but it's not like the law has ever been on

her side. Still, off-world travel doesn't come cheap; Solara is left with no choice but to indenture herself in exchange

for passage to the outer realm. She just wishes it could have been to anyone besides Doran Spaulding, the rich,

pretty-boy quarterback who made her life miserable in school. The tables suddenly turn when Doran is framed for

conspiracy on Earth, and Solara cons him into playing the role of her servant on board the Banshee, a ship manned

by an eccentric crew with their own secrets. Given the price on both Doran and Solara's heads, it may just be the

safest place in the universe. It's been a long time since Solara has believed in anyone, and Doran is the last person

she expected to trust. But when the Banshee's dangerous enemies catch up with them, Solara and Doran must

come together to protect the ship that has become their home-and the eccentric crew that feels like family.

Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickman, Jr.

With the grace of a natural storyteller, NASA engineer Homer Hickam paints a warm, vivid portrait of the harsh

West Virginia mining town of his youth, evoking a time of innocence and promise, when anything was possible, even

in a company town that swallowed its men alive. A story of romance and loss, of growing up and getting out, Homer

Hickam's lush, lyrical memoir is a chronicle of triumph—at once exquisitely written and marvelously entertaining.

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Emily Bell believes in destiny. To her, being forced to sing a solo in the church choir--despite her average voice--is

fate: because it's while she's singing that she first sees Sam. At first sight, they are connected.

Sam Border wishes he could escape, but there's nowhere for him to run. He and his little brother, Riddle, have spent

their entire lives constantly uprooted by their unstable father. That is, until Sam sees Emily. That's when everything

changes. As Sam and Riddle are welcomed into the Bells' lives, they witness the warmth and protection of a family

for the first time. But when tragedy strikes, they're left fighting for survival in the desolate wilderness, and

wondering if they'll ever find a place where they can belong.

Chew On This by Eric Schlosser & Charles Wilson

Kids love fast food. And the fast food industry definitely loves kids. It couldn’t survive without them. Did you

know that the biggest toy company in the world is McDonald’s? It’s true. In fact, one out of every three toys

given to a child in the United States each year is from a fast food restaurant. Not only has fast food reached

into the toy industry, it’s moving into our schools. One out of every five public schools in the United States now

serves brand name fast food. But do kids know what they’re eating? Where do fast food hamburgers come

from? And what makes those fries taste so good?