Ask Me No Questions

by Marina Budhos

"Nadira and her family are illegal aliens, fleeing to the Canadian border - running from the country they thought would one day be their home. For years, they have lived on expired visas in New York City, hoping they can realize their dream of becoming legal citizens of the United States. But after 9/11, everything changes. Suddenly, being Muslim means being dangerous. A suspected terrorist. And when Nadira's father is arrested and detained at the border, she and her sister, Aisha are sent back to Queens, and told to carry on, as if everything is the same.

But of course nothing is the same. Nadira and Aisha live in fear they'll have to return to a Bangladesh they hardly know. Aisha, once the academic star, falls apart. Now it's up to Nadira to find a way out.

Ask Me No Questions is a searing portrait of modern America in the days of terrorism, orange alerts, and the Patriot Act. It is a story of two sisters, one of whom must find strength to save her family. "

From the author's website

Jimi & Me

by Jaime Adoff

"Barely a month has passed, and Keith is being forced to move from big-city Brooklyn, New York, to small-town Hollow Falls, Ohio. Keith enters the eighth grade at his new school, not surprised to find he’s the only one with an Afro, a wardrobe straight out of the ’60s, and a zealous appreciation of Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitarist who ever lived. Struggling to start over, Keith finds comfort in Jimi’s music, wisdom in his lyrics, and a connection to the man himself—Jimi was a left-hander who loved to write music and poetry, just like Keith. Through the storm of his tragic loss, Keith begins to see the few rays of happiness in this tiny new town--especially when the beautiful Veronica, long blond hair falling everywhere, looks his way.

Soon, however, Keith discovers there may be a journey even more painful than coming to peace with his father’s death—coming to peace with his father’s life. As powerful secrets from his dad’s past come to light, the man Keith once worshipped suddenly becomes the man he hardly knew. Everything is going to be different now."

From the author's website

Bad Kitty

by Michele Jaffe

"Meet Jasmine, forensic supersleuth and unwitting victim of a naughty feline.

All Jasmine really wants is to enjoy her family vacation in Las Vegas. And avoid her evil cousin Alyson and Alyson's best fiend, Veronique. And show her suspicious dad that she can be a Model Daughter. And maybe meet the hot guy she's been eyeing from across the pool. It that too much to ask?

Apparently, yes. One moment she's an innocent bylounger, the next the central figure in a Las Vegas-sized mystery. Fortunately, Jasmine is both a forensics enthusiast and possessed of some very, well, special friends. Polly, Tom, and Roxy crash the vacation, BeDazzle Jasmine's wardrobe, and find themselves key players in the most outrageous adventure in a town known for outrageous adventures.

All because of a very bad kitty."

From the Author's Web Site

An Abundance of Katherines

by John Green

"My second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, is the story of recent high-school graduate Colin Singleton. Colin is a former child prodigy--he's fluent in eleven languages and has an outlandishly good memory. Also, he has been dumped by 19 girls, all of whom were named Katherine. After being dumped by K-19, Colin sets out on a road trip with his best friend, and this book is the tale of that trip. "

From the author's web page

Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports

by Alden R. Carter

"On 'Jersey Day' the artsy academic girl wonders suspiciously which football player could have possibly put his invitational jersey on her desk. In 'The Briefcase' the new kid reaps the consequences when his parents force him to carry an expensive briefcase with him to school. In 'Elvis' a brainy girl with this unfortunate nickname receives social aid from an unlikely benefactor--the school's football star. In these laugh-out-loud pieces, Alden R. Carter tells the stories of students from one end of the social spectrum to the other. Jock to loner, academic snob to outcast, Carter explores and shatters the stereotypes behind the relationships, friendships, rumors, peer pressure, sports, bullies, and other assorted forms of mental anguish that come with high school."

From Amazon.com

The Secrets of Peaches

by Jodi Lynn Anderson

"Last summer, three very different girls—wild Murphy, perfect Leeda, and shy Birdie—etched their initials on a Magnolia tree at Darlington Peach Orchard to symbolize that they're friendship will last forever. But can it survive the less-than-peachy year ahead?

Murphy, more in love with Rex than ever, is torn between her big-city dreams and following her heart . . . all the way across the railroad tracks and into Rex's arms.

Leeda, nominated to be Bridgewater's Pecan Queen, basks in the rose-scented glow of her Ice Queen mother's sudden affection—until her sister, the princess, returns.

Birdie, happy for the first time, wants nothing more than to make time stand still. Too bad everything is changing, whether she likes it or not.

The sweet trio of Georgia girls that made Peaches a national bestseller returns in this delicious and satisfying sequel. This year, Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie discover that bitter endings can lead to sweet new beginnings . . . and that the orchard that brought them together will always be a part of them—even if they leave it behind. "

From the publisher's website

Peaches

by Jodi Lynn Anderson

"Murphy McGowen has bright green eyes, a reputation as the wildest girl in Bridgewater, and a way of getting out of all the trouble she gets into. But when she's caught stealing from the Darlington Orchard, she's forced to repay her debt picking peaches in the hot Georgia sun.

Leeda Cawley-Smith has professionally whitened teeth and the softest skin her boyfriend has ever touched. Unfortunately, Leeda's parents aren't too keen on her being touched anymore. Now Leeda's country-club summer is out the window -- she'll be getting a serious sock tan working at her uncle's peach orchard instead.

Birdie Darlington used to dance around her family's orchard picking peaches for fun. But now that her parents are getting divorced, Birdie would rather spend the summer in the A/C eating Thin Mints than pick another peach -- too bad she doesn't have a choice.

Thrown together at Darlington Orchard, Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie discover what it means to find a real soul mate, and that sometimes cute boys know a lot about peach cider. And, of course, they learn the trick to picking a perfect peach. One thing's for sure -- it's going to be a juicy summer. "

From the publisher's website

Defining Dulcie

by Paul Acampora

"Following the accidental death of her father, Dulcie Morrigan Jones is taken to California by a mom who decides that she and her daughter should move away from Connecticut to reinvent themselves. But Dulcie doesn’t think she needs reinventing. Dulcie's solution? She steals her dead dad’s Chevy pickup truck and heads back home to Connecticut. There, under the supervision of a larger than life grandfather, she meets Roxanne Soule, a girl whose scary home life makes Dulcie realize that her own situation might not be so bad. And luckily for Roxanne, Dulcie Morrigan Jones is a girl with a storehouse of strength and generosity of spirit that stretches on for miles.

Defining Dulcie is about the connections we make, the resilience of the human spirit, and the absurdities that keep life interesting."

From the author's website