High School English Summer Reading List

New in 2013: Dodger, . (Fiction) 1210L A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's . . . Dodger. Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from 's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl—not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England. From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber to his meetings with the great writer and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery. Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett combines high comedy with deep wisdom in this tale of an unexpected coming-of-age and one remarkable boy's rise in a complex and fascinating world. New in 2013: Caught by the Sea, Gary Paulsen. (Non-fiction) 1210L Gary Paulsen takes readers along on his maiden voyage, proving that ignorance can be bliss - also really stupid and incredibly dangerous. He tells of boats that have owned him—good, bad, and beloved—and how they got him through terrifying storms that he survived by sheer luck. His spare prose conjures up shark surprises and killer waves as well as moonlights on the sea, and makes readers feel what it‘s like to sail under the stars or to lie at anchor in a tropical lagoon where dolphins leap, bathed in silver. Falling in love with the ocean set Gary Paulsen on a lifelong learning curve and readers will understand why his passion has lasted to this day.

New in 2013: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams. (Fiction) 1000L Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together, this dynamic pair began a journey through space aided by a galaxy full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed, ex- hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian (formerly Tricia McMillan), Zaphod‘s girlfriend, whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; and Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he‘s bought over the years. Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? For all the answers, stick your thumb to the stars!

New in 2013: Bomb: The Race to Build– and Steal– the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, Steve Sheinkin. (Nonfiction) 920 L In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.

New in 2013: The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, Stephen Greenblatt. (Non-fiction) 1220L One of the world's most celebrated scholars, Stephen Greenblatt has crafted both an innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it. Nearly six hundred years ago, a genial, cannily alert man in his late thirties took a very old manuscript off a library shelf, saw with excitement what he had discovered, and ordered that it be copied. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient Roman philosophical epic, On the Nature of Things, by Lucretius—a beautiful poem of the most dangerous ideas: that the universe functioned without the aid of gods, that religious fear was damaging to human life, and that matter was made up of very small particles in eternal motion, colliding and swerving in new directions. The copying and translation of this ancient book-the greatest discovery of the greatest book-hunter of his age- fueled the Renaissance, inspiring artists such as Botticelli and thinkers such as Giordano Bruno; shaped the thought of Galileo and Freud, Darwin and Einstein; and had a revolutionary influence on writers such as Montaigne and Shakespeare and even Thomas Jefferson. New in 2013: Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, Stephen Greenblatt. (Nonfiction) 1210L Stephen Greenblatt, the charismatic Harvard professor who "knows more about Shakespeare than Ben Jonson or the Dark Lady did" (John Leonard, Harper's), has written a biography that enables us to see, hear, and feel how an acutely sensitive and talented boy, surrounded by the rich tapestry of Elizabethan life; full of drama and pageantry, and also cruelty and danger; could have become the world's greatest playwright. A young man from the provinces—a man without wealth, connections, or university education—moves to London. In a remarkably short time he becomes the greatest playwright not just of his age but of all time. His works appeal to urban sophisticates and first-time theatergoers; he turns politics into poetry; he recklessly mingles vulgar clowning and philosophical subtlety. How is such an achievement to be explained? Will in the World interweaves a searching account of Elizabethan England with a vivid narrative of the playwright's life. The basic biographical facts of Shakespeare's life have been known for over a century, but now Stephen Greenblatt shows how this particular life history gave rise to the world's greatest writer. Bringing together little-known historical facts and little-noticed elements of Shakespeare's plays, Greenblatt makes inspired connections between the life and the works and deliver "a dazzling and subtle biography" (Richard Lacayo, Time). Readers will experience Shakespeare's vital plays again as if for the first time, but with greater understanding and appreciation of their extraordinary depth and humanity. Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys. (Historical Fiction) 490L In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge violently into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina's father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All is lost. Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in her art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive? From Speak the Penguin Group Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, Nook, audio CD and audio book. Available in print from the Harris County Public Library

The Book Thief, Mark Zusak. (Historical Fiction) 730L Haunting and hopeful, The Book Thief, is not just another Holocaust story. Liesel Meminger's mourning gives birth to newness as she discovers the mysterious worlds captured within books. Ironically, The Grave Digger's Handbook peeks out from the snow, and thus her life as a book thief begins. Liesel learns to read from her accordion-playing foster father. She acquires an insatiable hunger for the richness only words and books can provide. Dauntless, she steals from Nazi book-burnings, the officials‘ libraries, and anyplace books hide waiting to be read. Danger lurks between the pages as a Jew in need of a place to hide comes to live with Liesel's family. From this experience she learns life's greatest lessons and loses the ability to function as a ―book thief.‖ This is an unforgettable story about the power of books to feed the soul. Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, Nook, audio CD and audio book. Available in print from the Harris County Public Library.

Cinder, Marrisa Meyer. (Fiction) 790L Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She‘s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister‘s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world‘s future. Available in hardback, Kindle, Nook. Available in print from the Harris County Public Library.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan. (Fiction) 900L In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated 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 Unconsecrated 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 about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death? Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, Nook, audio CD and audio book. Available in print from the Harris County Public Library.

The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II, Gregory A. Freeman. (Nonfiction) 1380 ―‗Heroes‘ has become an all too common term this day according to Freeman. In The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II, reveals the heroic sacrifice of Draza Mihailovich and the Serbian people. This book is a celebration of human fortitude and integrity. Follow the hundreds of men who were sent on dangerous missions over Europe in an attempt to cripple the oil production that was feeding the Nazi war machine. Freeman has tapped the memories and experiences of the airmen to reveal their survival and the Nazi retaliations. Those who survived had to bail out over foreign territory in order to get a shot at survival. Their desperation landed them in the hills and forests of Serbia. The heroic details of the bombing missions and ‗bailouts‘ over enemy territory and the gret rescue evacuations that followed in 1944 are the ―easy part‖ of this story. Delve into the complicated issues surrounding the silence.‖ Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, Nook, audio CD and audio book. Available in print from the Harris County Public Library.

Ruby Red, Kerstin Gier. (Fiction) 680L Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era! Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon - the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust. Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, Nook, audio CD and audio book. Available in print from the Harris County Public Library.

Virals, Kathy Reichs. (Fiction) 480L Kathy Reichs, creator of the hit television show and mystery series, Bones, brings her bestselling blend of science and suspense to teens with the first in a new series, Virals. Tory is the science-obsessed niece of a famous forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan (star of the Bones program and novels), living on a remote island off the coast of South Carolina. An old military ID tag leads Tory and her best friends, Ben, Hi, and Shelton - all self-proclaimed ―sci-philes‖ - to an illegal research lab, where they are exposed to a mutant strain of canine parvovirus. When the teens begin experiencing preternatural physical changes, their search for answers brings them in contact with cold-blooded killers. Reichs‘ characters are realistically-drawn modern teenagers, and the state-of-the-art forensic details give this thriller an added edge. Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, Nook, audio CD and audio book. Available in print from the Harris County Public Library The Afterlife, Gary Soto. (Fiction) 810L Combing his hair in the dirty bathroom of a club where a dance is being held, 17-year-old Chuy makes the mistake of telling the rodent-faced guy next to him that he likes his shoes. The young man returns the compliment by stabbing Chuy to death. Where any other story would end, this one begins. It follows Chuy for several days after his death, as the teenager recounts what he sees and experiences. His parents grieve, and his mother asks a cousin to kill Chuy's assailant; then he goes to his high school's basketball game and sees the effect his death has had on his friends, realizing their sadness will be fleeting. He saves the life of a homeless man, albeit only temporarily, and improbably, he finds his first girlfriend, Crystal, a specter who died from an overdose. In many ways, this is as much a story about a hardscrabble place as it is about a boy who is murdered. Both pulse with life and will stay in memory. Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, and Kindle formats. Print copies available at Harris County Public Library.

Airman, Eoin Colfer. (Fiction) 800L An adventure novel filled with high action and aerial invention from the bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series. Conor Boekhart is blamed for murdering the king and thrown into prison. While in prison, Conor passes time by scratching designs for flying machines into the walls. After two years, Conor plans and executes a daring escape. But he soon decides he must return to reclaim diamonds he buried there. He builds a glider and becomes the mysterious Airman flying around the prison island. Then Conor's entire family is arrested for his crime and escape. Conor knows that to save them he will have to build the ultimate flying machine of his dreams. Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, audio CD, and mp3 formats. Print and audio CD editions available from Harris County Public Library.

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, Laurie R. King. (Fiction) 1110L In 1915, long since retired from his observations of criminal humanity, Sherlock Holmes is engaged in a reclusive study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. Never did he think to meet an intellect to match his own–until his acquaintance with Miss Mary Russell, a very modern fifteen-year-old whose mental acuity is equaled only by her audacity, tenacity, and penchant for trousers and cloth caps. Under Holmes‘s tutelage, Russell hones her talent for deduction, disguises, and danger. But her ultimate challenge is yet to come. Soon the two sleuths are on the trail of a murderer whose machinations scatter meaningless clues . . . but whose objective is quite unequivocal: to end Russell and Holmes‘s partnership–and their lives. (This is the first in a series; Each could be read as a stand-alone novel.) Available in paperback, Nook, and mp3 formats. Print and audio CD editions available at Harris County Public Library.

Brain Jack, Brian Falkner. (Fiction) HL810L In a dystopian near-future, neuro-headsets have replaced computer keyboards. Just slip on a headset, and it's the Internet at the speed of thought. For teen hacker Sam Wilson, a headset is a must. But as he masters the new technology, he has a terrifying realization. If anything on his computer is vulnerable to an attack, what happens when his mind is linked to the system? Could consciousness itself be hacked? The author delivers an action- packed and thought-provoking sci-fi thriller in which logging on to a computer could mean the difference between life and death. Available in hardcover, Nook, Kindle, and paperback (8/9/2011) editions. Print available from Harris County Public Library. Dangerous Neighbors, Beth Kephart. (Historical Fiction) 930L Set in Philadelphia against the backdrop of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, this atmospheric novel traces the sentiments of grief-stricken Katherine, whose identical twin sister, Anna, died in a tragic accident earlier in the year. As the novel opens, Katherine, who feels responsible for Anna's death, has decided to take her own life. Again and again, she is drawn to the exhibition grounds. Here, futuristic marvels and unexpected events-- including a disastrous fire--detain her from completing her suicidal mission. Losing herself in a throng of strangers, she re-examines her past, recalling the development of her sister's secret romance with a "dangerous neighbor" and the final sequence of events that led to Anna's death. Conjuring sharp, meticulously detailed images of fair exhibitions, Kephart evokes a tantalizing portrait of love, remorse, and redemption. Available in hardcover, Nook, and Kindle editions.

The Doomsday Box, Herbie Brennan. (Fiction) HL780L When the CIA created a program to research time travel in the 1940s, they never imagined it could lead to a global pandemic decades later. But after an undercover agent, code name Cobra, exploits the time-travel operation to send the black plague into the twenty-first century, the supernatural teen spies of the Shadow Project are recruited to go back in time to Cold War-era Russia and prevent this devastating chain of events from occurring. There's just one problem: How do four teenagers deter a seasoned CIA agent from his life-or- death mission? Michael, Danny, Opal, and Fuchsia, a new agent with mysterious abilities, will have to use their powers of astral projection—and persuasion—to convince Cobra that what's at stake could hit closer to home than he can imagine. That is, if they can even manage to survive in Moscow in the early 1960s, where the KGB wants them dead. (Sequel to The Shadow Project).Available in hardcover, Nook, and Kindle editions. Available in print from Harris County Public Library.

The Education of Bet, Lauren Baratz-Logsted. (Historical Fiction/Romance) 1020L Set in 19th-century England, the story follows Bet as she stealthily and comically pretends to be her wealthy but ne'er-do-well childhood friend, Will, at the Betterman Academy, "where parents and guardians stow their charges when no one else in the world will have them." Bet quickly learns that a boy's world is not without difficulties: bullies, compulsory sports, and dances chief among them. But her hardest challenge comes when she falls in love with her serious and slightly odd roommate, James. Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, and Kindle format. Print format available at Harris County Public Library.

Everlasting, Angie Frazier. (Historical/Romance/Supernatural) 790L Part romance, part adventure novel. In 1855, 17-year-old Camille Rowen sets out from San Francisco with her father for one last sea voyage before entering into a passionless but financially advantageous marriage. En route to Australia, the ship goes down in a storm and her father drowns, just after a mysterious letter surfaces from her supposedly dead mother, which involves an enchanted map and stone that holds the power of immortality. Camille finds herself stranded in Melbourne with the first mate, the real love of her life, and they begin the arduous trip to Port Adelaide to meet her mother and search for the magic stone, which may be cursed. Available in hardcover, Nook, and Kindle editions.

Finnikin of the Rock, Melina Marchetta. (Fantasy) 820L Finnikin has been in exile for a decade, after the violent takeover of his birthplace, Lumatere, by a usurper, followed by a curse by a priestess that has effectively shut the kingdom off from the outside world. He meets a mysterious young woman, Evanjalin, who claims that Finnikin's friend Balthazar, heir to the throne, is alive, and sets in motion a complex and stirring series of events that lead Finnikin to confront his destiny. Evanjalin uses her ability to "walk the sleep" of others, as well as her own boldness and sense of purpose, to push events to a climax so that Lumatere can be freed. This novel begins at a slow burn, then suddenly, the action turns white-hot and the intricate plot plays out at a mesmerizing pace. This is fantasy grounded in a kind of realism. A large cast of unforgettable characters inhabits it, from Finnikin and Evanjalin with their absorbing and intensely emotional relationship, to Froi, a young thief, to the small girl who is Evanjalin's companion as she "walks the sleep." A shining story of romance, adventure in all of its gritty realism, and high ideals. Available in hardcover, paperback (8/9/2011), audio CD, MP3, Nook, and Kindle formats. Print and audio CD available at Harris County Public Library.

General Winston’s Daughter, Sharon Shinn. (Fantasy) 800L When eighteen-year-old heiress Averie Winston travels to faraway Chiarrin, she looks forward to the reunion with her father and her handsome fiancé, Morgan. What she finds is entirely different from what she expected. She realizes that Morgan is not the man she thought he was; and she finds herself inexplicably drawn to another. Handsome Lieutenant Ket Du‘kai is like no one Averie has ever met, and she enjoys every moment she spends with him, every delicious flirtation. Averie knows she‘s still engaged to another man, but she can‘t help but think about Lieutenant Du‘kai, and she wonders if he feels the same. Available in paperback, Nook and Kindle formats.

Ghost Soldiers, Hampton Sides. A breathtaking chronicle of one of WW II's most dramatic yet virtually forgotten events. On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected troops from the elite U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty miles in a daring attempt to rescue 513 American and British POWs-- the last survivors of the Bataan death march--who had spent three years in a hellish camp near the city of Cabanatuan. From the resilience of the prisoners who survive through unspeakable horrors to the soldiers who risked their lives to save their fellow Americans, this is a gripping depiction of men at war and a compelling story of redemption. Available in paperback, Nook, and Kindle editions. Print, large print, and audio CD formats available from Harris County Public Library.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon¸ Sarah Addison Allen. (Fiction) 710L Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother‘s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren‘t solved in Mullaby, they‘re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, not only wishing to satisfy the town‘s sweet tooth but also dreaming of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily‘s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in. Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, and MP3 formats. Print, large print, e-book, and audio CD available at Harris County Public Library.

A Good Long Way, Rene Saldana Jr. (Fiction) 780L At 2 a.m., Roelito wakes up to a furious quarrel between his older brother, Beto, 18, and Dad over a broken curfew. When Dad tells Beto to leave, he does, and his best friend, Jessy, helps him find shelter for the night. She knows about running away; she flees the house whenever her drunken father and her mother scream and fight. Can she wait out the two months to graduation and make it to college? Told in the spare, shifting viewpoints of Roelito, Beto, and Jessy, this short novel, set in a Texas border town and peppered with Spanish phrases, is an absorbing narrative of anger, guilt, sorrow, and hope. When they spend the day together, Beto and Dad apologize, and Beto recognizes Dad‘s daily struggle. College-bound Roelito loves his brother but recognizes their differences and focuses on his GPA. With the support of a teacher, Jessy learns to hang on, despite the terror in her violent home. Paperback edition available. Available in print from Harris County Public Library.

A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray. (Fiction) 760L It‘s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma‘s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she‘s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence‘s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, audio CD, and mp3 formats. Print, audio CD, and Mp3 editions available from Harris County Public Library.

Halo, Alexandra Adornetto. HL810L Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces. Is love a great enough power against evil? (This book is by a seventeen-year-old author.)Available in hardcover, Nook, Kimdle, audio CD, and mp3 formats (paperback available 8/2011). Available at Harris County Public Library in print.

A Home for Mr. Easter, Brooke Allen (Graphic Novel) Tesana, an obese, emotionally immature teenager, steals a rabbit from a high school fundraiser because she believes it's the Easter Bunny. In attempting to return it to its home, she ends up being chased by a stage magician, a greedy pet-shop owner, a farmer, cosmetic scientists, and a horde of animal-rights activists. The tone is both comic and raw, with the fantastic elements providing some much-needed escapism from Tesana's miserable existence. This is reinforced by the artwork, which is scratchy and scribbly, but energetic, with a rock-solid understanding of cartooning and kineticism. Thoroughly enjoyable entertainment, with an unusual protagonist and showcasing a quirky new voice in comics. Available in print format.

Hothouse, Chris Lynch (Fiction). 840L If you do it right, it can be a life. The hothouse, the guys, the glory. But just like that, it can all go up in smoke. In the beginning it was strange, ya know, because of all that we had lost. But there was something about it that felt so good and so right, too: "I'm so proud of you, Russ." "We'll always be here for you, man." "Heroes don't pay for nothin' in this town." It was nonstop. The mayor shook my hand. Ladies sent food. I've never eaten so much baked ham in my life. And now? Now the phone won't stop ringing from the crazies ready to blame me. My mom has to cry herself to sleep. They take a firefighter, a man, and they pump him up so big. . . . But once they start taking it away from you, they don't stop until they leave nothing on the bones. First they needed heroes, then they needed blood. Hardcover. Also available at Harris County Public Library.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle. (Fiction) 1090L A deadly curse in the form of a legendary ferocious beast continues to claim its victims from the Baskerville family until Holmes and Watson intervene. Often called the best detective story ever written. (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was both a doctor and a believer in spirits, which may partly explain why his Sherlock Holmes is one of literature's most beloved detectives: Holmes always approaches his cases with the gentility and logic of a scientist, but the stories are suffused with an aura of the supernatural.) Many editions, available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, audio CD, and Mp3. Print, e-book, audio CD, mp3, and graphic novel formats available at Harris County Public Library.

Icecore, Matt Whyman. 890L He's a seventeen-year-old British computer hacker who penetrated the security systems at Fort Knox for a laugh. But the American government was less than amused. Since his prank, gold bars have been landing in the hands of terrorists across the globe. Now, Carl has found himself in a military prison deep in the Arctic and far off the grid. He's been caged alongside the world's most notorious terrorists, with no one to trust and no end in sight. Carl Hobbes may not be a criminal mastermind, but if he wants to escape this subzero prison with his life, he'll have to start thinking like one. Hardcover and paperback formats available.

Isaac’s Storm, Erik Larson. (Non-Fiction) 1020L September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau, failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange deep-sea swells and peculiar winds that greeted the city that morning. Mere hours later, Galveston found itself submerged in a monster hurricane that completely destroyed the town and killed over six thousand people in what remains the greatest natural disaster in American history--and Isaac Cline found himself the victim of a devastating personal tragedy. Using Cline's own telegrams, letters, and reports, the testimony of scores of survivors, and our latest understanding of the science of hurricanes, Erik Larson builds a chronicle of one man's heroic struggle and fatal miscalculation in the face of a storm of unimaginable magnitude. Riveting, powerful, and unbearably suspenseful, Isaac's Storm is the story of what can happen when human arrogance meets the great uncontrollable force of nature. Hardcover, paperback, audio CD, and mp3 formats available. Print and audio CD available from Harris County Public Library.

King of Ithaka, Tracy Bennett. (Fantasy) 830L Odysseus has been gone for nearly all of his son's life. Despite being a prince, Telemachos has grown up with few responsibilities, until the day his neighbors declare that his father must be dead, and his mother must marry one of them so that there would be a king. In response, Telemachos, who has never left the kingdom, says he will travel the world to search for word of his father. Accompanied by Brax, a centaur, and runaway weaver Polydora, the sixteen year old prince discovers that the world is full of dangers, some of them giving the appearance of friendship. He also begins to discover what a good kingship requires by viewing the hurting realms of Pylos and Sparta. This is a strong retelling, particularly in Telemachos's final triumph, where he takes the chariot reins of his life in his own hands. Available in hardcover, Nook, and Kindle formats. Print available at Harris County Public Library.

Nevermore, Kelly Creagh. (Fiction) 840L At once an homage to one of America's greatest writers and a page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, NEVERMORE is the story of Varen — a Poe-fan and goth — and Isobel — a cheerleader and unlikely heroine. When an English class project pairs the two together, Isobel finds herself steadily swept into Varen's world, one that he has created in his notebook and in his mind, one where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel slowly learns that dreams can be much more powerful than she'd ever expected, and that pain and despair come in all sorts of shades. As labels of "goth" and "cheerleader" fade away, she sees more in Varen than a tall, pale outcast, and a consuming romance is braced against the ever-clearer horror that the most terrifying realities are those within our own minds. When Isobel has a single chance to rescue Varen from the shadows of his own nightmares, will she be able to save him — and herself? Available in hardcover, Nook, and Kindle formats. Print available from Harris County Public Library.

A Northern Light, Jennifer Donnelly. (Fiction) 700L Mattie Gokey has a word for everything. She collects words, stores them up as a way of fending off the hard truths of her life, the truths that she can't write down in stories. The fresh pain of her mother's death. The burden of raising her sisters while her father struggles over his brokeback farm. The mad welter of feelings Mattie has for handsome but dull Royal Loomis, who says he wants to marry her. And the secret dreams that keep her going--visions of finishing high school, going to college in New York City, becoming a writer. Yet when the drowned body of a young woman turns up at the hotel where Mattie works, all her words are useless. But in the dead woman's letters, Mattie again finds her voice, and a determination to live her own life. Set in 1906 against the backdrop of a real-life murder, this coming-of-age novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, and real, and wholly original. Hardcover, paperback, audio CD, and mp3 formats available. Print available from Harris County Public Library.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold¸ Steve Sheinkin. (Nonfiction) 990L Emphasizing Arnold‘s reckless, adventurous side, this book makes a good case for why Americans have cause to embrace the general‘s early incarnation as a heroic icon of the Revolution. Without his impetuous personality and willingness to hurl himself into a fray, the war might well have been lost before the French directed their might our way. Arnold‘s fall also becomes understandable, if inexcusable. How much did his wounds, colossal ego, and need for money sway him to become a potential betrayer? Weaving in the story of John André, Arnold‘s British contact, creates an atmosphere of suspense. When will they finally meet? How close will they come to throwing the war? Available in hardcover, Nook, and Kindle formats. Print available from Harris County Public Library.

Payback Time, Carl Deuker. HL750L Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist—a fat high school journalist named Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel. When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past—or at least not one he is willing to discuss. Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel's incredible talent off the field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field. Is he an undercover cop, wonders Mitch? Or an ineligible player? In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this player is and what he's done. In the end, the truth—and what Mitch does with it— surprises everyone. Hardcover, Nook, and Kindle editions available. Print edition available from Harris County Public Library.

Peeling the Onion, Wendy Orr. 790L When an automobile accident leaves Anna with a broken neck and shattered dreams of a black belt in karate, she is forced to come to terms with a life filled with previously unimaginable goals--overcoming debilitating pain, concentrating long enough to complete a simple reading assignment, and sitting and walking without toppling over. She also must sort through questions: Who am I? What will I do with my life? Who will love me? The physical pain Anna feels is palpable, and the fear that the doctors aren't quite on target, insidious. Her struggle to master a body that she formerly controlled with such ease and her complete physical and mental collapse when she sees the man who caused her accident are overwhelmingly vivid, as are her mother's deep grief, her father's anger, her siblings' wide-eyed wonder at her frailty, and even her boyfriend's fear of kissing her. Available in hardcover, paperback, and audio CD editions. Print available from Harris County Public Library.

The Poison Diaries, Maryrose Wood (with the Duchess of Northumberland). (Historical-Romantic) 740L In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . . Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure — or kill. When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined. Available in hardcover, paperback (6/21/11), Nook, Kindle, and MP3 editions. Print format available at Harris County Public Library.

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver. 960L The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse? In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Bible revolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years. Hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, audio CD, and MP3 editions available. Print, large print, and audio CD formats available at Harris County Public Library.

The Prince of Mist, Carlos Ruiz Zafon. (Fiction) 240L It's war time, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they've recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners' son, who died by drowning. With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist--a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden--an adventure that will change their lives forever. Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, audio CD, and mp3 formats. Print and audio CD editions available from Harris County Public Library.

Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly. HL560L BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. And she‘s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights‘ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break. PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn‘t want—and couldn‘t escape. Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine‘s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There‘s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal‘s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine‘s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present. Available in hardcover, paperback (7/26/2011), Nook, Kindle, audio CD, and MP3 editions. Print, e- book, audio CD, and MP3 available from Harris County Public Library.

Riding the Black Cockatoo, John Danalis. (Nonfiction) 1160L All through his growing-up years, John Danalis's family had an Aboriginal skull on the mantelpiece; yet only as an adult after enrolling in an Indigenous Writing course did he ask his family where it came from and whether it should be restored to its rightful owners. This is the compelling story of how the skull of an Aboriginal man, found on the banks of the Murray River more than 40 years ago, came to be returned to his Wamba Wamba descendants. It is a story of awakening, atonement, forgiveness, and friendship. Part history, part detective story, part cultural discovery and emotional journey, this is a book for young and old, showing the transformative and healing power of true reconciliation. Available in paperback.

Runemarks, Joanne Harris. (Fiction) 930L Seven o'clock on a Monday morning, five hundred years after the end of the world, and goblins had been at the cellar again...Not that anyone would admit it was goblins. In Maddy Smith's world, order rules. Chaos, old gods, fairies, goblins, magic, glamours—all of these were supposedly vanquished centuries ago. But Maddy knows that a small bit of magic has survived. The "ruinmark" she was born with on her palm proves it and makes the other villagers fearful that she is a witch (though helpful in dealing with the goblins-in-the-cellar problem). But the mysterious traveler One-Eye sees Maddy's mark not as a defect, but as a destiny. And Maddy will need every scrap of forbidden magic the mysterious wanderer One-Eye can teach her if she is to survive that destiny. Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, audio CD and mp3 formats. Print, audio CD, and Mp3 available from Harris County Public Library.

The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd. (Fiction) 840L South Carolina in 1964 is a place and time of seething racial divides. When violence explodes one summer afternoon, and Rosaleen, a tender, but fierce-hearted black woman who cooks, cleans and acts as her "stand-in mother," is arrested and beaten, Lily Owens is desperate, not only to save Rosaleen, but to flee a life she can no longer endure. Calling upon her colorful wits and uncommon daring, she breaks Rosaleen out of jail and the two of them take off, runaway-fugitives conjoined in an escape that quickly turns into Lily's quest for the truth about her mother's life. Following a trail left ten years earlier, Lily and Rosaleen end up in the home of three bee- keeping sisters. As Lily's life becomes deeply entwined with theirs, she is irrevocably altered. In a mesmerizing world of bees and honey, amid the strength and power of wise women, Lily journeys through painful secrets and shattering betrayals, finding her way to the single thing her heart longs for most. Available in hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, audio CD, and mp3 formats. Print, large print, audio CD, and e-book available from Harris County Public Library.

Something Rotten, Alan Gratz. 790L Denmark, Tennessee, stinks. The smell hits Horatio Wilkes the moment he pulls into town to visit his best friend, Hamilton Prince. And it‘s not just the paper plant and the polluted river that‘s stinking up Denmark: Hamilton‘s father has been poisoned and the killer is still at large. Why? Because nobody believes that Rex Prince was murdered. Nobody except Horatio and Hamilton. Now they need to find the killer, but it won‘t be easy. It seems like everyone in Denmark is a suspect. Motive, means, opportunity— they all have them. But who among them has committed murder most foul? Hardcover, paperback, Nook, Kindle, and MP3 editions available. Print format available at Harris County Public Library.

Steampunk Prime, Mike Ashley, editor (Fiction Anthology). To truly appreciate steampunk, one must go back to the very beginning, back to the time when the technology in the stories wasn't anachronistic, but rather, was visionary. This collection, written around the beginning of the 19th century, includes stories set in the early 1900s as well as those set in a distant future. They all have in common a Victorian sensibility and an idea of the possibilities inherent in technology, whether dangerous or beneficial to mankind. Included among them is the tale of an eerily constructed automaton that longs to be free from his oppressive creator, a nearly deadly train trip through a tunnel across the Strait of Gibraltar, a man frozen and reawakened in a far-distant future where he discovers a love he thought lost, a story of vampire bats that feed on the blood of humans, and the story of our world almost destroyed by a new method of food production. Within this collection, readers will find romance, mystery, adventure, and, of course, the iconic steampunk airship. Paperback. Available at Harris County Public Library.

Sugar Changed the World, Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos (Nonfiction). 1130L This meticulously researched, brutally honest, compelling book offers readers a different way to look at many events over the past 200 years or so. The title says it all. From the slave trade through abolition; from revolutions (American, French, and Haitian) to the Louisiana Purchase; from the decline of honey to the rise of saccharine, these events and many more are directly traced to the cultivation and production of sugar cane around the world. The authors demonstrate how this one crop, with its unique harvesting needs, helped to bring about a particularly brutal incarnation of slavery. What makes this such a captivating read is that the book has a jigsaw-puzzle feel as the authors connect seemingly disparate threads and bring readers to the larger picture by highlighting the smaller details hidden within. Photographs, interview excerpts, and maps are included throughout.Available in hardcover. Print edition available at Harris County Public Library.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley. (Fiction) In this wickedly brilliant novel, the author introduces one of the most singular and engaging heroines in recent fiction: young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950 and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia‘s family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. (The first of three books featuring Flavia de Luce. Each could be read as a stand-alone book.) Available in hardcover, paperback, large print, Nook, Kindle, audio CD and mp3 formats. Print and e-book editions available at Harris County Public Library.

Three Rivers Rising, Jame Richards. HL780L This debut novel in verse uses the 1889 Johnstown flood to explore class divisions and social mores in a moving portrait of four fictional families. Celestia's nouveau riche family would like her to marry well and advance the family's reputation with a pedigreed husband, but she has fallen in love with Peter, a hired hand at the resort hotel. In Johnstown proper lives Maura, a young woman with four small children and a loving husband. On a train to Johnston on the day of the flood is Kate, a widowed nurse who lost her beloved husband and stifles her own emotions by caring for others. The stories intersect in small but beautifully crafted ways. Those who loved the movie Titanic will be drawn to this intensely romantic and polished story. Available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, Nook, audio CD, and MP3 formats. Print format available at Harris County Public Library.

Trickster’s Girl, Hilari Bell (Fiction). 850L In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die. The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying. Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet. Available in hardcover, Nook, and Kindle editions.

The Victorian Internet, Tom Standage. (Non-Fiction) 1140L A lively, short history of the development and rapid growth a century and a half ago of the first electronic network, the telegraph, this book is also a cautionary tale in how new technologies inspire unrealistic hopes for universal understanding and peace, and then are themselves blamed when those hopes are disappointed. This book does a good job sorting through a complicated and often contentious history, showing the dramatic changes the telegraph brought to how business was conducted, news was reported and humanity viewed its world. News of the first transatlantic cable in 1858 led to predictions of world peace and an end to old prejudices and hostilities. Soon enough, however, criminal guile, government misinformation and that old human sport of romance found their way onto the wires. Available in paperback, Nook, and Kindle formats. Print edition available from Harris County Public Library.

The War to End All Wars: World War I, Russell Freedman. (Nonfiction) 1220L Nonfiction master Russell Freedman illuminates for young readers the complex and rarely discussed subject of World War I. The tangled relationships and alliances of many nations, the introduction of modern weaponry, and top-level military decisions that resulted in thousands upon thousands of casualties all contributed to the ―great war,‖ which people hoped and believed would be the only conflict of its kind. In this clear and authoritative account, the author shows the ways in which the seeds of a second world war were sown in the first. Numerous archival photographs give the often disturbing subject matter a moving visual counterpart. Available in hardcover and audio CD editions. Print format available at Harris County Public Library.