by Kelly Link

Link, who has two breathlessly received books of strange, surrealistic tales for adults under her belt, makes the leap into the YA fold with this collection of short stories (most previously published in separate anthologies) that tug at the seams of reality, sometimes gently, sometimes violently. In nearly every one of these startlingly, sometimes confoundingly original stories, Link defies expectations with such terrific turnarounds that you are left precipitously wondering not only “What’s going to happen now?” but also “Wait, what just happened?”

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fnnikin of the Rock

by Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

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'Twilight' brings supernatural fiction to life, boosts genre

Twilight series author Stephenie Meyer, shown at her home in Cave Creek, Ariz., has opened the door for other teen novels about the paranormal.
Stephenie Meyer may be the reigning queen of teen vampire novels (and USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list), but there are plenty of authors ready to take a bite out of her kingdom.

Meyer's best-selling Twilight series has been the biggest story in publishing for months. But with no new Meyer title on the horizon, young fans are quenching their thirst for paranormal fiction by turning to other authors — and publishers are eager to benefit from the Twilight bump.

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Many teachers and librarians still don’t recognize the power of graphic novels in learning—and three librarians from the Buffalo-Erie County Public Library in New York are hoping to change that.

Meg Cheman, Britt White, and Peggy Shotnicki are the incredible minds behind Get Graphic: The World in Words and Pictures, a Web site designed to introduce teens, parents, librarians, and teachers to the wonderful world of graphic literature. more » » » 

 

franticFrantic                                                                                 Winner: Best Crime Novel -

by Katherine Howell                                                          Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards

In one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips' life is torn apart - her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is stolen from his bed. The police suspect Chris is involved with a number of armed hold-ups and that the attack is revenge for his desire to distance himself from the robberies, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal - and the perpetrator far more dangerous... While Chris is in hospital and the police, led by Detective Ella Marconi, are moving heaven and earth to find their colleague's child, Sophie's desperation to make amends compels her to search for Lachlan herself. She enlists her husband's partner, Angus Arendson, in her hunt for her son, but will the history they share prove harmful to Sophie's ability to complete her mission?

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by Chris Grabenstein

"Have you ever seen a face hidden in the bark of a tree and known that the man trapped inside wanted to hurt you?" It's the perfect opening for Chris Grabenstein's ghost story, The Crossroads.
Ghosts vengeful and benevolent, evil possession and dark secrets from the past all figure in this suspenseful page turner destined to grab reluctant readers, especially boys, and R.L. Stine fans.

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Two books about witches and dancing bears have been awarded the inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize, which was announced today by Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen.

For children aged six and under, the winning book was The Witch’s Children Go to School by Ursula Jones, illustrated by Russell Ayto (Orchard Books). For children aged seven to 14, the winning book was Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton, illustrated by David Tazzyman (Egmont Press).   

See the complete shortlists here