I thought I’d highlight some books I’m highly excited about coming out this month.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

I got the chance to read this waaaaaay back in Jan/Feb and absolutely fell in love with it. Almost anyone I’ve passed it onto since this has felt the same. It’s nice to see more sci-fi YA enter the scene. And why it’ll be a tricky sell for teens, I know if they give it a try they’ll like it. It’s such a great discussion piece as well. If you haven’t read it yet I recommend getting it ASAP

Every You, Every Me by  David Levithan

Okay, admittedly I got this one at ALA Annual without knowing much about it. I had assumed it was David’s typical LGBTQ thing, but boy was I wrong. Not that this is a bad thing mind you. Teens that love mysteries will eat this one up. The mix of story and photos make that book fly by and would be a good choice for reluctant readers. I am hoping that the photos will be in color and maybe a little bit bigger in the final version.

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

This was a big publisher push at ALA Annual. The reps were raving about it! I was sad I couldn’t get an ARC, but I don’t mind waiting! I’ve got this one on hold and can’t wait to delve into it. The premise sounds interesting and the reviews so far have been mostly positive.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Okay, so this one didn’t WOW me like Anna did, but it was still a good fluffy read. Admittedly, I felt it was Anna’s plot retold from the girl’s POV. It took me a while to really like Lola and most of the time I just wanted to shake her. There were also some sterotypes/cliches, but I was able to ignore those for the most part. However. I really like Cricket and it was nice to see how Anna and St. Clair were doing. (Those two are still so cute.)

First Kill by Heather Brewer

I love, love, LOVE the Vlad series and am reading to see what Brewer has in story next. Joss was never my favorite character, but he did grow on me by the end. I hoping the Slayer Chronicles will give us a better insight into his world and what he’s up against. And hopefully, leave me liking him a whole lot more!

Since I’m in NOLA at the moment, I thought I would share my newest booklist on gritty topics such as rape, drug abuse, and pregnancy. I’ll make it downloadable once I’m back at work.

My male students are always asking me for suggestions of new series, but I’ve found much of the time they stray towards these series in my library.

Secrets of Dripping Fang by Dan Greenburg

Nobody wants to adopt the Shluffmuffin twins. Wally’s feet stink something awful, and Cheyenne is allergic to everything. Then why are the Mandible sisters so eager to take them home? And what sort of old maids would choose to live in a place called Dripping Fang Forest, where zombies wander the woods singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and ten-foot-long glowing slugs want to suck the feet right off your ankles?

Would it seem ungrateful of Wally to point out the Mandible sisters’ extra arms? Or to question their all-chocolate, all-the-time menu? Or, um, to venture into the cellar, where the twins have been told to NEVER, EVER, EVER go?

Yeah, perhaps that last bit was a mistake. Now there’s nothing left for the Shluffmuffins to do but run—run for their lives!

Wiley & Grampa’s Creature Feature by Kirk Scroggs

Thrills! Chills! Monster trucks! Hot sauce from hell! Here’s a hoot-aloud, laugh-a-page early chapter book series that will have kids howling for more. After all, who can resist a goofy Grampa-an eight-year-old in an eighty-year-old’s body-who takes his grandson to a monster truckshow in the middle of an R5 tornado? It’s there that Grampa and Wiley meet Colonel Dracula, whose primo vampire truck turns out to feed on some pretty sinister “gas”. With nonstop humor and absurd adventure (did we mention the giant mechanical lobsters?), here’s a treat that will turn reluctant readers into ravenous readers!

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

 

When naughty George and Harold hypnotize their headteacher, they accidentally create the greatest superhero in the history of their school – Captain Underpants! His true identity is so secret that even he doesn’t know who he is…but he’s fighting for truth, justice, and all things pre-shrunk and cottony!! If you’re a naughty villain like the diabolical Dr Diaper, watch out! Captain Underpants has wedgie-power on his side, and he’s coming your way.

 

Ricky Ricotta by Dav Pilkey

Ricky Ricotta may be a small mouse, but he has a VERY big friend—a giant flying Robot! And when an evil, outerspace villain named Mr. Mosquito invades Earth with an army of Mutant Mosquitoes from Mercury, Richy and his Robot know exactly what to do! Young readers will cheer as Ricky’s Robot battles the bad guys. And when Ricky finds a very smart way to play a trick on Mr. Mosquito, it’s plain to see that even a little mouse can be a BIG hero!

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

Just when you thought it was safe….the 25 top-selling titles in the series that revolutionized horror for kids are back w/ a fresh new look. The updated design will make you scream. The original artwork will give you nightmares. And the classic bone-chilling stories from the master of horror will just kill you.

This spine-tingling series sparked a licensing phenomenon & made R.L. the #1 author in the U.S.–and it’s STILL the “must have” collection for true horror fans. Now a whole new generation will discover the thrill of reading …and they’ll never be the same again.

Spaceheadz by Jon Sciesza

Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school. As if that wasn’t hard enough, the kids he seems to have made friends with apparently aren’t kids at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who have invaded our planet in the form of school children and a hamster. They have a mission to complete: to convince 3,140,001 kids to BE SPHDZ. But with a hamster as their leader, “kids” who talk like walking advertisements, and Michael K as their first convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and pull off their assignment?

Funny Families by Jackie French

 

Horace’s dad is not like other dads. He has silver wings and a green and orange tail. But that’s not the worst of Horace’s problems. Nasty Sir Sneazle, the most evil teacher at Horace’s school, has given him the worst homework assignment of all time: Horace has to kill a dragon. Why couldn’t he be told to rescue a damsel? Even writing a hundred pages, like Horace’s friend Bernard has to, would be better. Horace knows there’s no way he can kill a dragon. Especially since his dad is one. How can he get out of this awful mess?

My Weird School by Dan Gutman

Something weird is going on.

Miss Daisy, who teaches second grade, doesn’t know how to add or subtract. Not only that, she doesn’t know how to read or write either. She is the dumbest teacher in the history of the world!

Jimmy Sniffles by Bob Temple

 

Now younger readers can have their own graphic novel adventures in books especially designed for them. Robots, giant bugs, ninja heroes, aliens from outer space and a boy allergic to danger are just a few of the loopy and lively characters that readers will meet in these side-splitting pages. Good-humoured stories with wacky comic book-style artwork will spark the imagination of any reluctant reader.

Buzz Beaker by Scott Nickel

Dracula has kidnapped Buzz Beaker and is holding him hostage to build a machine to allow him to be able to go out in the sun. Dracula misses hanging out at the beach and getting a tan. Well, Buzz Beaker is happy to help – even though he was kidnapped – and ends up helping Dracula fight against his own minions who turned against him!

The Midnight Library by Damien Graves

 

Drop by the Midnight Library for more spine-tingling terror. In this installment, a gamer named Simon blurs the line between reality and virtual reality. Catherine worries how to handle a kooky customer. Juliet gets strange text messages with urgent content. How will these three tales turn out?

What do a lot of these have in common? A combination of hilarious, scary, and gross.

What other books do you think my boy students would enjoy?