March 16th, 2010

The 8th book in the Alex Rider series is as captivating as the first one. Alex Rider is a 14 year old teen who is a cross between James Bond and MacGyver. An orphan Alex is devastated by the death of his uncle who was raising him. Investigating the “accidental death” Alex finds out he was a spy. And so the adventure begins as Alex is recruited by the British MI6 to “help” them with certain cases. This time, Alex is intrigued by his host at a Scottish castle while on vacation with his girlfriends’ family. Alex senses that Desmond McCain, a philanthropist who helps people when disaster strikes, is not all that he seems. Leaving the castle they are almost killed in a car accident. Back home an ordinary school field trip to a genetic laboratory is almost the death of him from their genetically altered plants in the “Poison Dome.” How Alex perseveres and saves the world time and again makes Crocodile Tears an exciting book.
Tags: Anthony Horowitz, Crocodile Tears
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March 8th, 2010
John Green (Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska) and David Levithan (Boy Meets Boy, Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist) team up to write the story of Will Grayson …and Will Grayson. Both Wills live in different suburbs of Chicago and lead completely different lives. One lives in a posh neighborhood, the other doesn’t. One is gay, the other isn’t. One is indie, and the other is, well, wrinkled. By a weird twist of fate, the two Will Graysons meet in downtown Chicago while chasing different schemes of love. Check out the newest book of our Pass the Book author, John Green, when it comes out in April.

Are you a fan of John Green? Be sure to come to the Central Library on Monday March 15th. John will be speaking about the vlogs he does with his brother Hank. The program starts at 7pm and will be in the auditorium. Be sure to bring your copies of John’s books so he can sign them. See you there!
Other books by David Levithan:

Are We There Yet?

Boy Meets Boy

Love Is the Higher Law

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (written with Rachel Cohn)

The Realm of Possibility
Other books by John Green:

Looking for Alaska

An Abundance of Katherines

Paper Towns
Tags: David Levithan, Hank Green, John Green, Pass the Book, vlogging, Will Grayson Will Grayson
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March 1st, 2010
A couple of people have been telling me for months now that I should read Wintergirls. It’s a really good book, they said. “If you don’t like it,” offered one friend, “I’ll buy you a Taco Bell lunch” (my favorite). She doesn’t owe me that meal…because Wintergirls really is a good book. But it covers some pretty harsh topics—anorexia, cutting, mental disorders, a best friends’ death. And it can get very weird inside the main character’s head. Sometimes it’s hard to tell Lia’s reality from “real” reality as she spirals out of control, haunted by the desperate need to lose more pounds. Food is her demon…and her obsession. Throughout the book, any mention of food is followed by a precise calorie count. It made me profoundly sad for Lia—for real girls exactly like her—that she can never, ever just enjoy a normal meal. That Taco Bell lunch, for example: it’s a reasonable amount of food, not in the least excessive, and I eat it without a second thought. Lia wouldn’t—couldn’t—eat a fraction of it. What must that be like? A healthy enjoyment of food is one of the real pleasures of life. No one should be deprived of that…least of all through a self-perception that food is the enemy.
Tags: Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls
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February 22nd, 2010
Okay, you’re either on the inside looking out or you’re on the outside looking in. Fat Cat by Robin Brande tells the story of one Catherine “Cat” Locke, a bright young woman with a self-esteem problem. Oh, yeah, and she’s fat. This story lets you really understand what Cat is feeling and what she does about it. If you are overweight, you really can relate to her feelings and how she deals with her life. If you’re not, this book lets you get inside the head of a “fattie” and really understand how the other half lives.
You know, a good book is like an onion. You keep finding layers and layers to explore. This book has science, romance, love, humor and relationships, something for everyone. Does she really lose the weight? Does she put Matt (her former friend) in his place? And what’s this about a science fair project where she lives and eats like a caveman? (No TV? No soft drinks? *gasp*) Find out more by checking it out today!
Tags: Fat Cat, Robin Brande
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February 15th, 2010
Thomas woke up in a moving room. The only two things he was sure of was his name, and the fact the room was moving upwards, like an elevator. The top of the room opens, and Thomas is pulled into a world stranger than anything he can remember - if only he could remember. He is now in the Glade, a community of teen boys at the heart of a huge, dangerous maze. With the arrival of the Glade’s first female member a day after Thomas, urgency is felt to solve the maze and escape. But there are other questions: Who put the boys there? What lies beyond the maze? Why can’t anyone remember anything before coming to the Glade? And what part does Thomas have in all this? And why, suddenly, have supplies stopped coming? A mystery within an enigma wrapped in a riddle, with plenty of suspense and adventure along the way. The Maze Runner is the first in a planned trilogy.
Tags: James Dashner, The Maze Runner
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