Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Just released (U.S.): Oceanology (Ologies book 8)

Oceanology (Ologies book 8) by Ferdinand Zoticus deLessups was just released in the U.S.

Description: What if a sixteen-year-old assistant traveled aboard the storied Nautilus, the narwhal-shaped submarine of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? And what if he were the sole survivor of the ill-fated voyage and went on to relay his adventures to a certain...Jules Verne? Find this brave young man's own account in the lavishly illustrated Oceanology, a tale of an 866 voyage of discovery that investigates diving bells and shipwrecks; coral reefs and ice canyons; sharks, giant octopi, and luminous sea monsters; underwater volcanoes, and even the legendary island of Atlantis.
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Friday, August 21, 2009

Forthcoming book (U.S.): Dr. Sigmundus: The Resurrection Fields (The Promises of Dr. Sigmundus book 3)

Dr. Sigmundus: The Resurrection Fields (The Promises of Dr. Sigmundus book 3) by Brian Keaney will be released on November 10, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Beginning where Book 2, The Cracked Mirror, left off, this finale to the Promises of Dr. Sigmundus trilogy takes readers into bizarre realms with fanciful creatures, continuing its signature exploration of the price of freedom and self-determination. Focusing on the ongoing struggles of its teenaged protagonists, Dante and Bea, it is a journey at once thrilling and thoughtful, with plenty to offer for pure reading enjoyment and book discussion.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): Voices in the Dark (The Last Descendants book 2)

Voices in the Dark (The Last Descendants book 2) by Catherine Banner will be released on September 22, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Asking for the truth can be as painful as telling it... Anselm Andros has clearly defined roles in his family and they are roles he plays very well - he is confidante to his mother, Maria. He is the confessor to his stepfather, Leo, a man haunted by the secrets of his past. And Anselm is also the patient, caring brother to his precocious sister, Jasmine. When the political landscape of Malonia starts to shift, this unassuming family begins to unravel. Even though they've spent the past fifteen years leading a quiet life, Maria and Leo's actions are forever linked to the turbulent history of Malonia and its parallel world, modern-day England. With so much uncertainty at home and in his world, it is more important than ever for Anselm to put all the pieces of the past together. He must listen to his own voice and acknowledge his fears and desires - whatever the cost.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): The Hunchback Assignments

The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade will be released on September 22, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: A gripping new series combines Steampunk, spying, and a fantastic Victorian London. The mysterious Mr. Socrates rescues Modo, a child in a traveling freak show. Modo is a hunchback with an amazing ability to transform his appearance, and Mr. Socrates raises him in isolation as an agent for the Permanent Association, a spy agency behind Brittania's efforts to rule the empire. At 14, Modo is left on the streets of London to fend for himself. When he encounters Octavia Milkweed, another Association agent, the two uncover a plot by the Clockword Guild behind the murders of important men. Furthermore, a mad scientist is turning orphan children into automatons to further the goals of the Guild. Modo and Octavia journey deep into the tunnels under London and discover a terrifying plot against the British government. It's up to them to save their country.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): The Fatal Child

The Fatal Child by John Dickinson will be released on September 8, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: The final novel in this compelling trilogy set in a medieval fantasy world. Atti is the Fatal Child. Beautiful and adored, she is troubled by a recurring nightmare of violence and betrayal. She can love no one and trust no one, and she wakes screaming in the night. Driven by his love for Atti, Ambrose, son of Phaedra, gives up his wandering existence and takes the throne. This is the story of his kingship and his attempts to remove the curse of Beyah, the weeping goddess, from his land. For while Beyah weeps, she poisons hearts, and only when the weeping stops can peace be restored to the kingdom. Seen through the eyes of Padry, close advisor to the king, and of Melissa, maid to the queen, this is a passionate story of love and betrayal, power and sacrifice, hope and loss. Prophecies are fulfilled and story threads are concluded as Ambrose and his mother struggle to come to terms with their destinies.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner will be released on October 13, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade -- a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up -- the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): The Ever Breath

The Ever Breath by Julianna Baggott will be released on December 22, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: In a world where locust fairies flutter and firebreathers burst from snowbanks, two children are having the adventure of their lives. Truman and his twin sister, Camille, have just met their grandmother... and she's a little strange. She whispers a tale about something called the Ever Breath, an amber orb that maintains the balance between our world and a dreamy one of imagination - and evil. Soon Truman and Camille find themselves in the Breath World, a magical place where ogres clash and a mouse holds the key to a mystery. Some creatures want to help them - and some want them D-E-A-D. That's because the Ever Breath has been stolen, and an epic battle is raging to bring it safely back. Can the twins save not only one world - but two?
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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Forthcoming book (U.S.): Century #1: Ring of Fire (Century book 1)

Century #1: Ring of Fire (Century book 1) by P.D. Baccalario will be released on September 22, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: A mix-up with their reservations forces Harvey from New York, Mistral from Paris, and Sheng from Shanghai to share a room with the hotel owner's daughter, Elettra. The four kids discover an amazing coincidence - they all have birthdays on February 29, Leap Day. That night, a strange man gives them a briefcase and asks them to take care of it until he returns. Soon afterward, the man is murdered. The kids open the briefcase. In it they find a series of clues that take them all over Rome, through dusty libraries and dark catacombs, in search of the elusive Ring of Fire, an ancient object so powerful that legend says even a Roman emperor couldn't control it. In the first book of the Century quartet, Italian author P. D. Baccalario begins a mystery that will take four cities and four extraordinary kids to solve.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): The Blue Shoe: A Tale of Thievery, Villainy, Sorcery, and Shoes

The Blue Shoe: A Tale of Thievery, Villainy, Sorcery, and Shoes by Roderick Townley will be released on October 13, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: It was only one shoe. It fit no one. But everyone wanted it. Hap Barlo in a cell, wondering how it had all gone so wrong. The blue shoe was ruined, the girl he'd been trying to help was missing, and he'd been branded a thief - again! He would be banished to the far side of Mount Xexnax in the morning. On the bright side, now he might be able to rescue his father, who had been banished last year. No one has ever returned from Xexnax, so perhaps Hap is a tad optimistic to be dreaming of rescue. Then again, perhaps a dreamer, a doer, and a thief is just the kind of boy who could challenge this mountain - and win!
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): The Fiend and the Forge (The Tapestry book 3)

The Fiend and the Forge (The Tapestry book 3) by Henry H. Neff will be released on September 22, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: It's the day after the end of the world.... With the book of Origins firmly in his possession, the villainous Astaroth now has the power to reshape history at will. Plucking pivotal discoveries from mankind's past, he has reduced the world to a pre-industrial nightmare. But while most humans toil as slaves within four demonic kingdoms, Astaroth allows those at Rowan to thrive in peaceful isolation. Theirs is a land where magic and nature flourish...so long as none dare oppose the new order. That proves too steep a price for Max McDaniels. Unsure of his place at Rowan and reeling from tragedy, Max sets out to explore the shifting landscape of a world that has been changed beyond recognition. In the course of his travels, he will be forced to become many things: Prisoner. Gladiator. Assassin. But can he become the hero that mankind so desperately needs?
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): The Dragon in the Driveway (Dragon Keepers book 2)

The Dragon in the Driveway (Dragon Keepers book 2) by Kate Klimo will be released on September 22, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: It's been raining for days, and dragon keepers Jesse and Daisy have been stuck inside with their dragon, Emmy. As soon as the rain stops, they are out of the house in a flash. First on their list of things to do? To find out what the villainous Dr. St. George - a dragon slayer in disguise - is up to. But Dr. St. George isn't in his office at the college, and all of his stuff is gone! Jesse, Daisy, and Emmy quickly discover St. George's latest evil plan: to take over the forest and find the magic golden ax that is buried there. To make matters worse, he has also enslaved the mythical beings that are returning to Goldmine City. Can the two dragon keepers and their dragon free the hobgoblins and dryads under St. George's power and return the forest to right?
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Just released (U.S.): NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS book 1)

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS book 1) by Michael Buckley was just released in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond-style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): Elf Realm: The High Road (Elf Realm book 2)

Elf Realm: The High Road (Elf Realm book 2) by will be released on October 1, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: In The High Road, Matt and his sister Becky must work with the elves and Tomtar the troll to save the Cord and the human and elf worlds. After forming an uneasy alliance, Matt, the elf Tuava-Li, and Tomtar set off to find the sick and dying tree at the northern pole, whose roots bind the worlds together through the Cords. The trio must restore the tree to bring well-being to the realms. Meanwhile, Becky accompanies Asra to free Becky's parents, held captive in the elfin kingdom of Helfratheim. To their horror, both groups discover that Brahja-Chi has begun kidnapping human children for a mass sacrifice to appease the goddess. Not only do they have to accomplish the tasks they originally set out to perform, but now they must also stop the fiendish Brahja-Chi and her accomplice, Jardaine.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): Dragons of Darkness

Dragons of Darkness by Antonia Michaelis will be released on January 1, 2010 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: In this thrilling modern-day fable, two boys from very different backgrounds are thrown together by magic, mayhem, and a common foe. Jumar, an invisible prince, wants to free his native Nepal from invaders. Christopher, a shy German boy, wants to find his kidnapped brother. Together they embark on a journey through the wilderness of Nepal - a journey that proves to be a dangerous rite of passage. Fighting the beautiful but deadly dragons that beset the country, the two boys learn that in order to change the world, they must first change themselves.
Click here for more information.

Just released (U.S.): NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS book 1)

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS book 1) by Michael Buckley was just released in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond-style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
Click here for more information.

Forthcoming book (U.S.): NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS book 1)

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS book 1) by Michael Buckley will be released on September 1, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond-style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
Click here for more information.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Forthcoming book (U.S.): Farworld: Land Keep (Farworld book 2)

Farworld: Land Keep (Farworld book 2) by J. Scott Savage will be released on September 21, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Four mythical elementals - Water, Land, Air, and Fire - have the power to save two worlds, Earth and Farworld, from a common enemy. In book one, a portal was opened between the two worlds allowing Marcus, from Earth, and Kyja, from Farworld, to combine their unique gifts and begin their epic quest. In book two, Land Keep, Marcus and Kyja travel with Cascade, a water elemental, as they search for the other three elementals, land air and fire. Their adventures take them deep underground, where Cascade's water magic is weak, and Marcus and Kyja's safe return to Earth is uncertain.
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder (Leven Thumps book 5)

Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder (Leven Thumps book 5) by Obert Skye will be released on September 29, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: In the fifth and final volume of the epic saga of Leven Thumps, all of Foo is rushing madly to exit the realm of dreams while Leven is headed in the opposite direction. Fate snatches him to the Island of Alder where he is poised to pass or fail the final test. Meanwhile in Reality, Ezra and Dennis are welcoming those flowing out of Foo, but only so they can selfishly conquer them and gain control of both realms. Phoebe is loose, and it takes Geth getting a hold of her to begin to balance the emotions and passions of all that is crumbling. And Winter? Well, Winter just might hold the answer to all that is happening. Ride with Level and Clover as they travel through the ruins of Alder hoping that Level has what it takes to save all mankind and restore the power of dreams.
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Friday, August 14, 2009

Newly released book (U.S.): The 39 Clues Book 5: The Black Circle (The 39 Clues book 5)

The 39 Clues Book 5: The Black Circle (The 39 Clues book 5) by Patrick Carman was just released in the U.S.

Description: The fifth book of this interactive mystery/game book series is set in Russia!
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Forthcoming book (U.S.): Silver Dragon Codex (The Dragon Codices book 6)

Silver Dragon Codex (The Dragon Codices book 6) by R.D. Henham will be released on September 8, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Each Dragon Codex novel takes one type of dragon and weaves a spellbinding story around it, alternating between good (metallic) and evil (chromatic) dragons. Silver Dragon Codex is the story of Jace, a highwire circus acrobat whose quest to clear a silver dragon's name leads him into danger - and a thrilling ride on dragonback.
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Newly released book (U.S.): A Practical Guide to Vampires

A Practical Guide to Vampires by Lisa Trutkoff Trumbauer was just released in the U.S.

Description: From the publisher: Think you know all about vampires? Think again. Did you know that vampires can hibernate for decades, have stomachs the size of walnuts, and have a predisposition for jobs in real estate? Can you say, "I must feed?? in vampire language? A Practical Guide to Vampires (Mirrorstone) provides the in-depth information we all need to know about these dangerous creatures of the night. This comprehensive book follows the New York Times best-sellers A Practical Guide to Dragons and A Practical Guide to Monsters. All are lavishly-illustrated and fun for all ages. A Practical Guide to Vampires is packed with thrilling, chilling and blood-spilling facts about these compelling monsters. Kids can read about vampire anatomy, intelligence, clothing, habits and habitats, as well as dangerous powers like shapeshifting, hypnotic persuasion, and superhuman strength. The book explores vampire society, language, and communication, animal allies, and magic talismans. Perhaps most importantly, readers learn how to protect themselves from vampires, even when hunting or doing battle with them. The book even delves into vampire legend and describes related bloodthirsty monsters that will send a shiver up the spine of the bravest human being.
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Monday, August 3, 2009

Forthcoming book (U.S.): Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Trilogy book 2)

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Trilogy book 2) by Suzanne Collins will be released on September 1, 2009 in the U.S.

Description: Publisher description: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
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