Publishers are giving away a handful of noteworthy debut novels:

  • Skinny by Ibi Kaslik (Walker, 2220), a story about battling anorexia.

  • Alabama Moon by Watt Key (FSG, 2204), about a boy who has grown up in the forest and finds himself in an institution in Alabama after his father dies.

  • The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga (Houghton, 3339), about a comic book geek whose life is turned upside down when he meets a "goth" girl.

  • Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (HarperTempest, 2538), a Desperate Housewives combination of suburban murder, scandal and intrigue.

  • The Candy Darlings by Christine Walde (Houghton/Graphia, 3339), in which two candy-addicted friends go up against a powerful clique at school.

Three adult authors try their hands at children's books:

  • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (Random House/Fickling, 1824), from the Irish author of three adult novels.

  • The Lighthouse Land (Book 1 in a trilogy) by Adrian McKinty (Amulet, 3502), a teen fantasy from this adult crime fiction writer.

  • Haters by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez (Little, Brown, 2812), a YA novel from the author of The Dirty Girls Social Club.

New works from popular authors:

  • The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson (Candlewick, 5715), the first of a two-part story.

  • Escape from the Carnivale by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions, 2831), the first in a series of chapter books based on characters from Peter and the Starcatchers.

  • An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Dutton, 2938) the second novel by the author of Looking for Alaska.

  • Part of Me by Kimberly Willis Holt (Holt, 2230), in which linked stories trace four generations of a family.

  • Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (HarperCollins, 2538), a fairy tale loosely based on Snow White.

  • The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado (Tommy Nelson, 5739), about a little acorn that grows up to be a big oak tree.

  • Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica (Philomel, 2938), a holiday story with a basketball theme

  • The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo (Scholastic/Orchard, 5800), first in a trilogy.

  • Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson (Clarion, 2726), about a girl's experiences during the 1912 millworkers' strike.

  • Beka Cooper: Terrier by Tamora Pierce (Random House, 1824), the first in a new Tortall trilogy.

  • The Wish House by Celia Rees (Candlewick, 5715), in which a boy is intrigued by the family that has moved into a deserted house.

And don't miss these sequels:

  • Crispin: At the Edge of the World by Avi (Hyperion, 2831), the companion to Crispin: The Cross of Lead.

  • Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions, 2831), a sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers.

  • Ruler of the Realm by Herbie Brennan (Bloomsbury, 2221), the third novel in the series that began with Faerie Wars.

  • River Secrets by Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury, 2221), featuring the characters from The Goose Girl.

  • Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin (Harcourt, 2528), the follow-up to her Gifts.

  • Dark Reflections: The Stone Light by Kai Meyer (S&S/McElderry, 2838), the follow-up to The Water Mirror.

  • New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown/Tingley, 2812), the sequel to Twilight.

  • Maximum Ride #2: School's Out—Forever by James Patterson (Little, Brown, 2812), sequel to The Angel Experiment.

Some new takes on teen life:

  • A Girl Like Moi: The Fashion-Forward Adventures of Imogene by Lisa Barham (Simon Pulse, 2838), the start of a series about a teenage fashionista.

  • Powers by Deborah Lynn Jacobs (Roaring Brook/Brodie, 2230), a romance between two teens whose psychic powers are unlocked when they are together.

  • Side Effects by Amy Goldman Koss (Roaring Brook/Brodie, 2230), about a teenager dealing with cancer.

  • Loving Will Shakespeare by Carolyn Meyer (Harcourt, 2528), about the boy who became the playwright and the farmer's daughter who became his wife.

  • Good Girls by Laura Ruby (HarperTempest, 2538), about a good girl who can sometimes be bad.

  • Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick (Scholastic, 5800), about a boy who must do community service at a senior center.

  • Cathy's Book by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman (Running Press, 3429), an interactive fantasy.

And for those interested in reference:

  • Pick Me Up (DK, 2950) is a reference book that, according to the publisher, is organized like a miscellany, inspired by the Internet, styled like a video game and informed by pop culture.