4 BOOKS FRee! - Junior Library Guild

MIDDle & HIGH sCHool TITles
*NEW* The Amaranth Enchantment
by Julie Berry
FM GROUP (GRADES 7–11)
Reviews: BCCB, BL, H, K, PWH, SLJ, V
56 www.juniorlibraryguild.com
Lucinda’s life takes a perilous turn when her uncle’s
goldsmith shop receives a series of unusual visitors.
First the Amaranth Witch brings in a priceless gem
for a new setting. Later the Crown Prince stops by,
seeking a present for his betrothed. That night a
street ruffian fleeing a pursuer slips through Lucinda’s
window. The next day Lucinda is homeless and
friendless, with nowhere to turn but to the Amaranth
Witch. That’s when she notices that the witch’s gem
is missing. To make things right, Lucinda will have to
befriend a thief, betray the man she loves, and relieve
the suffering of a repentant murderer.
Isbn: 9781599903347 • Dewey: f • 5 1/16" x 7 3/4" • 320 pp
aR level: 4.7 • aR Points: 9 • sRC level: 4.4 • sRC Points: 16 • lexile: Hl610l
JLG: $13.25 • bloomsbury: $16.99 • JlG Month: aPR 2009
Antsy Does Time u
by Neal Shusterman
C GROUP (GRADES 6–9)
Reviews: BLH, H, HG, KH, KL, SLJH, V
When Antsy learns that his friend Gunnar Ümlaut
has only six months to live, he donates a month of
his life to Gunnar as a goodwill gesture. “I tore the
page out of the notebook, held it up, and read it
aloud. ‘I hereby give one month of my life to Gunnar
Ümlaut. Signed, Anthony Bonano.’ I handed it to
him. ‘There. Now you’ve got borrowed time.’” As
word of Antsy’s good deed spreads, donations of time
for Gunnar pour in. But Gunnar’s family doesn’t
seem too concerned about his illness, and Antsy starts
to wonder whether Gunnar is really dying—or just
dying for attention.
Isbn: 9780525478256 • Dewey: f • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" • 256 pp
aR level: 5.8 • aR Points: 10 • sRC level: 5.7 • sRC Points: 16 • lexile: 890l
JLG: $9.00 • Dutton: $16.99 • JlG Month: DeC 2008
*NEW* Anything but Typical
by Nora Raleigh Baskin
C GROUP (GRADES 6–9)
Reviews: BCCB, BLH, H, KH, PW, SLJ, WC
“When I write, I can be heard. And known. . . . But
nobody has to see me at all.” Jason Blake is a sixth
grader with an autistic spectrum disorder. This is
his first year in school without a one-on-one aide
to help him, and each attempt to fit in with his
“neurotypical” classmates seems to go worse than the
last. Jason finds an outlet for his frustration in the
Storyboard Web site where he posts his fiction. There
he finds an online friend who reviews his writing. But
would she still like Jason if they met face to face?
Isbn: 9781416976752 • Dewey: f • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" • 208 pp
sRC level: 4.7 • sRC Points: 11 • lexile: Hl640l
JLG: $13.25 • simon & schuster: $15.99 • JlG Month: JUn 2009
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing,
Traitor to the Nation: Volume I, The Pox Party u
by M. T. Anderson
YM GROUP (GRADES 11 & UP)
Reviews: BCCB, BLH, H, HGs, KH, PW, SLJH, V
Octavian has spent his childhood in colonial Boston
receiving a classical education from a house full of
scientists. Aside from Greek, Latin, math, and music,
the scholars train him “to be precise in notation,
acute in investigation, and rational in inference.” It’s
the only life he’s known, and he has never thought
it out of the ordinary. As he grows older, however,
Octavian wonders: How is he related to these men?
Why are they interested in his development? And
what lies inside the room he’s forbidden to enter?
Author’s note. Winner of the 2006 National Book
Award. Winner of the 2007 Boston Globe–Horn
Book Award. A 2007 Michael L. Printz Honor Book.
Isbn: 9780763624026 • Dewey: f • 6 1/2" x 9" • 368 pp
aR level: 8.0 • aR Points: 13 • sRC level: 8.3 • sRC Points: 18 • lexile: 1090l
JLG: $9.00 • Candlewick: $17.99 • JlG Month: DeC 2006
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to
the Nation: Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves u
by M. T. Anderson
HH GROUP (GRADES 10 & UP)
Reviews: BCCB, BLH, CL, HGs, K, KLH, PWH, SLJH, V
When Octavian hears that Lord Dunmore, governor
of Virginia, will free all slaves who join his “Ethiopian
Regiment,” the recent runaway gladly signs up. Upon
enlisting, Octavian is reunited with his friend Pro
Bono. The two comrades, who once shared a master,
are thrilled to meet again, but their joy quickly
subsides. For weeks on end, Dunmore’s regiment
sees little to no action. They’re starving and stuck
offshore in boats where many are horribly ill.
Worse yet, it seems Dunmore may not emancipate
the “Ethiopians” after all. Includes a summary of
Volume I. Author’s note. A 2009 Printz Honor Book
and a 2009 Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book.
Isbn: 9780763629502 • Dewey: f • 6 1/2" x 9" • 592 pp
aR level: 8.1 • aR Points: 22 • sRC level: 10.2 • sRC Points: 26 • lexile: 1060l
JLG: $9.00 • Candlewick: $22.99 • JlG Month: DeC 2008
The Attack on Pearl Harbor:
An Interactive History Adventure
by Allison Lassieur
B GROUP (GRADES 5–7)
The United States avoided fighting in World War II
until December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor. In this interactive adventure, with more
than fifty choices and nineteen different endings
based on historical fact, three Pearl Harbor storylines
unfold. Readers control their fates—as a Japanese
fighter pilot, a U.S. Navy sailor, or an American
military nurse. An introduction and conclusion
provide context and additional information. Time
line. Glossary. Bibliography. Further reading and
Internet sites. Index. Illustrated with black-and-white
and color photographs.
Isbn: 9781429620109 • Dewey: 910.54/26693 • 5 1/4" x 7 1/2" • 112 pp
lexile: 640l
JLG: $9.00 • Capstone: $20.95 • JlG Month: DeC 2008