Assassin nuns. Need I say more? If you're not quite sold, let me add the following: rich historical detail, major butt-kicking, and a deliciously complex heroine.
Rebecca
I grew up on Sesame Street's There's a Monster at the End of this Book! in which Elmo begs you (the reader) not to turn each page, because it gets you closer to the end...where the monster is! Warning: Do Not Open This Book is a worthy successor -- both in that I still had that same small thrill by "rebelling" against the narrator and brazenly turning each page, despite the hand-wringing and head-shaking I imagined to be causing. The tongue-in-cheek message about all the potential danger and chaos books wreak make this book a perfect pick for Banned Book celebrations. But the clever, interactive ending, the ridiculously cute slow loris, and mischievous-looking monkeys make this title stand out. WAY OUT.
Jill
In 1870s London, Sally Lockhart investigates her father's murder. She finds herself part of a bigger mystery involving smuggling and the secrets of the British Empire, and along the way she picks up friends and allies, including a rogue office boy, a pair of hapless photographers, an actress, and a boxer-turned-minister.
Sarah
Blue Sargent’s psychic family believes she will kill her first love with a kiss. Consequently, she has avoided boys of the nearby Aglionby Academy and is not thrilled when four friends begin to appear everywhere in her life. The boys have a unique extracurricular activity that soon lures her: their ringleader Gansey is on a quest for the lost Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend tells that whomever finds him will have the power of one wish. Danger, fast cars, friendships, and romance lie ahead. The first in a series, grab a copy before the second (Dream Thieves) comes out on September 17th!
Stephanie
Although we are all familiar with the Holocaust, Leon Leyson’s personal description of the events from a child’s point of view captures its devastating consequences most dramatically. He is a regular boy playing in his Polish neighborhood, when his world comes apart. Oscar Schindler’s intervention saves him from death, but not from unbelievable trauma. Prepare for an intense, page-turner.
Carol
Summer nights, lost in an imaginary game, remember? This charming book, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, brings all those memories together in this perfect bedtime story.
Robin
You don't have to be a steampunk fan to love this clever and original book. Iwata bridges the ordinary (M is for Microphone) with the fantastical (a Microphone that can translate words!). Fun for children AND adults. Jennifer
