Welcome to a new school year!

Welcome back middle schoolers! I hope you had a fun summer! I read 25 books over the summer--can anyone beat my record? I am excited to see you and show you the many new books in the library. Here are a few you can look forward to:

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex (Book 7 in the series) by Eoin Colfer

Artemis rushes to save a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafia: his own father.


_________________________________________________________
Big Nate: In a class by himself by Lincoln Peirce

Supremely confident middle school student Nate Wright manages to make getting detention from every one of his teachers in the same day seem like an achievement.
*(a great followup series for those who like Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

_________________________________________________________
The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye by Nancy Springer (Book 6 in the series)

After fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes seeks the missing Duquessa Del Campo in the seedy underbelly of nineteenth-century London, she finally reaches an understanding with her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft.

_________________________________________________________

Three new books have been released in the Conspiracy 365 series: June, July, and August. Here's the plot of the series.

On New Year's Eve, 15-year-old Callum Ormond is chased down the street by a staggering, 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 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. 12 books, 12 months.
_________________________________________________________

Framed by Gordon Korman (Book 3 in the series)

Griffin Bing is in big trouble when a Super Bowl ring disappears from his middle school's display case, replaced by Griffin's retainer, and the more he and his friends investigate, the worse his situation becomes.

_________________________________________________________

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (the much anticipated 3rd Book in the Hunger Games series)

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol wants revenge ... and President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe!
_________________________________________________________

The Necromancer by Michael Scott (Book 4 in the series)

Back in London, fifteen-year-old twins Sophie and Josh Newman must determine whom they can and cannot trust as they search for both Scatty and an immortal who can teach Josh the magic of fire, while Doctor Dee and Machiavelli continue to seek power.
_________________________________________________________

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter (Book 4 in the series)

When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent, Cammie Morgan no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers, or even her own heart.

_________________________________________________________

Payback Time by Carl Deuker

Overweight, somewhat timid Mitch reluctantly agrees to be the sports reporter for the Lincoln High newspaper because he is determined to be a writer, but he senses a real story in Angel, a talented football player who refuses to stand out on the field--or to discuss his past.
_________________________________________________________
Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (a new series based on Egyptian gods)

After their father's research experiment at the British Museum unleashes the Egyptian god Set, Carter and Sadie Kane embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest which brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.
_________________________________________________________
Sabotaged by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Book 3 in the series)

Time-travelers Jonah and Katherine are summoned to help another missing child from history, this time Virginia Dare from the Roanoke Colony, but their journey is sabotaged and goes dangerously awry, leaving them in the wrong time period. Includes author's note about the history of Roanoke Colony and Virginia Dare.
_________________________________________________________

Theodore Boone, kid lawyer by John Grisham

With two attorneys for parents, thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone knows more about the law than most lawyers do. But when a high profile murder trial comes to his small town and Theo gets pulled into it, it's up to this amateur attorney to save the day.

Rating: ***** (a great mystery!)
_________________________________________________________

Great titles for the summer

Summer is soon on it's way! How about trying one of the longer books that you just never had time to read? Here are some I would suggest...


Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill (a 3 book series)

Princess Thirrin, a teenager, becomes the queen of Icemark after her father is killed and must take over the country's defense against the Polypontian Empire, relying on help from Oskan, a witch's son, in order to save her people.

______________________________________________________________

Eragon by Christopher Paolini (a 3 book series, also a movie)

In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.

______________________________________________________________

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (a five book series, great for kids who liked the Lightning Thief series)

When Kendra and Seth go to stay at their grandparents' estate, they discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures and that a battle between good and evil is looming.

Rating: ****
______________________________________________________________

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (a three book series, also a movie!)

Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Rating: ****
______________________________________________________________

Magyk by Angie Sage (a 5 book series, very Harry Potter-like)

After learning that she is the Princess, Jenna is whisked from her home and carried toward safety by the Extraordinary Wizard, those she always believed were her father and brother, and a young guard known only as Boy 412--pursued by agents of those who killed her mother ten years earlier.

Rating: ****
______________________________________________________________

Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale (a 10 book series)

Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world. ...Before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.

Rating: *****
______________________________________________________________

Mister Monday by Garth Nix (a 7 book series named after each day of the week)

Arthur's life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock, but bizarre creatures from another realm are determined to take the key even if it means killing him.

Rating: ****
______________________________________________________________

Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer (a 3 book series)

After Jack becomes apprenticed to a Druid bard, he and his little sister Lucy are captured by Viking Berserkers and taken to the home of King Ivar the Boneless and his half-troll queen, leading Jack to undertake a vital quest to Jotunheim, home of the trolls.
______________________________________________________________

Tunnels by Roderick Gordon (a 3 book series)

When Will Burrows and his friend Chester embark on a quest to find Will's archaeologist father, who has inexplicably disappeared, they are led to a labyrinthine world underneath London, full of sinister inhabitants with evil intentions toward "Topsoilers" like Will and his father.

Rating: ****
______________________________________________________________

If you liked the Lightning Thief, you might like...

Have you recently seen the new Percy Jackson movie? Did you know that it is based on the book "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan? If you enjoyed reading the Lightning Thief series, here are some other books you may enjoy...


Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface.

________________________________________________________________

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (A six book series, Book 7 soon to be released)

When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.

Rating: *****!

_________________________________________________________________

The Awakening by Michael Carroll (A three book series)

Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans--both heroes and villains--thirteen-year-olds Danny and Colin begin to develop super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention.


_________________________________________________________________


Fire Thief by Terry Deary (A three book series)

A retelling of the Greek myth in which Prometheus, having endured two hundred years of punishment for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humans, escapes and travels through time to the factory town of Eden City in 1858 where he falls in with a young thief and his uncle.
_________________________________________________________________

Jason and the Gorgon's Blood by Jane Yolen

Jason, who will grow up to become the head of the Argonauts, leads five other boys on a dangerous quest to save the kingdom of Iolcus, learning along the way what it means to be in command.

_______________________________________________________________

Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (A three book series)

When she is cast out of Wonderland by her evil aunt Redd, young Alyss Heart finds herself living in Victorian Oxford as Alice Liddell and struggles to keep memories of her kingdom intact until she can return and claim her rightful throne.

_______________________________________________________________

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (A five book series)

After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "birdkids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.

Rating: ****
________________________________________________________________


Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry (A four book series)

Peter, an orphan boy, and his friend Molly fight off thieves and pirates in order to keep the secret safe away from the diabolical Black Stache and his evil associate Mister Grin.

Rating: ****

_______________________________________________________________

If you liked reading Hunger Games, you might like...

Several new series have come out that will be the perfect choice for fans of the Hunger Games series. (P.S. The 3rd book of Hunger Games comes out in August!) Ask a library staff person where to find the following books:


Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

In Massachusetts, eighteen-year-old Lyn, who has grown up in the public eye as the daughter of seven gladiators, wants nothing less than to follow her mother's path, but her only way of avoiding marriage to the warrior who killed her last stepfather may be to face him in the arena.
_____________________________________________________


Gone by Michael Grant (Currently two books in the series)

In a small town on the coast of California, everyone over the age of fourteen suddenly disappears, setting up a battle between the remaining town residents and the students from a local private school, as well as those who have "The Power" and are able to perform supernatural feats and those who do not.

___________________________________________________________

Maze Runner by James Dashner

Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.


___________________________________________________________

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (A four book series)

Just before their sixteenth birthdays, when they will will be transformed into beauties whose only job is to have a great time, Tally's best friend runs away and Tally must find her and turn her in, or never become pretty at all.

Rating: *****

If you like reading Twilight, try reading ...

Bite me! by Melissa Francis

AJ, a teenage vampire, hides her identity from her new stepfamily--among which is her ex-boyfriend--and investigates the secrets of her heritage.

_____________________________________________________

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz (a four book series)

Select teenagers from some of New York City's wealthiest and most socially prominent families learn a startling secret about their bloodlines.

Rating: **** 4 stars _____________________________________________________
Chronicles of Vladimir Tod--Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer (a four book series) *Book 4 to be released late January

For thirteen years, Vlad, aided by his aunt and best friend, has kept secret that he is half-vampire, but when his missing teacher is replaced by a sinister substitute, he learns that there is more to being a vampire, and to his parents' deaths, than he could have guessed.

Rating: **** 4 stars
________________________________________________________

Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan (A twelve book series)

In order to save his friend Steve from a Cirque du Freak vampire named Mr. Crepsley and his deadly spider, Darren must agree to become the monster's assistant. *Now a major motion picture
______________________________________________________
Darkangel by Meredith Pierce

The servant girl Aeriel must choose between destroying her vampire master for his evil deeds or saving him for the sake of his beauty and the spark of goodness she has seen in him.

______________________________________________________

Evernight by Claudia Gray (A three book series)

Sixteen-year-old Bianca, a new girl at the sinister Evernight boarding school, finds herself drawn to another outsider, Jared, but dark forces threaten to tear them apart and destroy Bianca's entire world.

______________________________________________________

Suck it up by Brian Meehl

After graduating from the International Vampire League, a scrawny, teenaged vampire named Morning is given the chance to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a superhero when he embarks on a League mission to become the first vampire to reveal his identity to humans and to demonstrate how peacefully-evolved, blood-substitute-drinking vampires can use their powers to help humanity.
______________________________________________________

Vamped by

After being turned into a vampire, Gina realizes that she, along with many other students from her high school, have become pawns in an uprising within the vampire world.
__________________________________________________

Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith (A four book series) *Now a tv series!

Presents the first two volumes in the Vampire Diaries series, in which popular and beautiful high school senior Elena finds herself torn between two vampire brothers, the dark and brooding Stefan who wants to protect her from the horrors of his past and the dangerously attractive Damon, who is determined to use her to get revenge on his brother.
__________________________________________________________
Vampire High by Douglas Rees

When his family moves from California to New Sodom, Massachusetts and Cody enters Vlad Dracul Magnet School, many things seem strange, from the dark-haired, pale-skinned, supernaturally strong students to Charon, the wolf who guides him around campus on the first day.
___________________________________________________

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

Sixteen-year-old Raven, an outcast who always wears black and hopes to become a vampire some day, falls in love with the mysterious new boy in town, eager to find out if he can make her dreams come true.