At this fall's regionals, attendees can nab galleys that range from everyday teen life to the unexpected—Norse myths, the laws of physics and even tooth fairies all get their due.
Some Don't-Miss DebutsAlex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress (Miramax/Weinstein). An orphan goes on a quest to rescue her teacher.Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith (Little, Brown), about the strange and intertwined lives of three teenagers.The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins (Feiwel & Friends). A boy with a dark past assists a pawnbroker who trades in secrets.Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell (Feiwel & Friends), about a teen whose Life Plan is interrupted by a trip through Southeast Asia.A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban (Harcourt). A budding pianist with an oddball family dreams of fame.Hero by Perry Moore (Hyperion). A superhero comes to terms with his superpowers and his sexuality.The Luxe by Anna Godbersen (HarperTeen), clique lit dialed back a century to 1899 Manhattan.Simon Bloom, the Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman (Dutton). A boy uses the laws of physics to perform superhuman feats.The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch (Little, Brown). Two youngsters embark on a journey riddled with riddles.Sequels of Note
The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles (Harcourt), the third novel set in the author's fictitious Mississippi County.
Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse), fourth in the SF series that began with Uglies.
Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand by Gail Carson Levine, illus. by David Christiana (Disney Press), sequel to Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg.
Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler (Candlewick). V embarks on a cross-country road trip in this follow-up to Vegan Virgin Valentine.
Judy Moody and Stink: The Holly Joliday by Megan McDonald, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds (Candlewick). Judy and Stink get equal billing for the first time.
The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer (Atheneum/Jackson), sequel to The Sea of Trolls.
Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White (Feiwel & Friends), fourth in the series that began withThe President's Daughter.
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions), the conclusion to the authors' Starcatchers series.
The Time Thief by Linda Buckley-Archer (S&S), second in the Gideon Trilogy.
New from Favorite Authors
Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman (Delacorte). A girl's tarot card readings become strangely accurate.
Candyfloss by Jacqueline Wilson (Roaring Brook/Brodie). A British girl must adapt to her parents' separation.
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech, illus. by David Diaz (HarperCollins/Cotler). Two medieval peasant children journey to the castle above their village.
Edward's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan (Atheneum). A boy recounts his relationship with an exceptional younger sibling.
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (Scholastic Press) follows 11-year-old Elijah, a first-generation freeborn child in 1860.
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko (Harcourt), examines race relations and friendship in a California middle school.
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke (Scholastic/Chicken House), about a young princess who dreams of being a knight.
The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World by E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum/Seo). While cleaning out a neighbor's house, two boys become unlikely friends.
Paint the Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Scholastic Press), about a girl who discovers a love of horses and newfound freedom.
Piper Reed, Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt, illus. by Christine Davenier (Holt). Nine-year-old Piper and her family relocate to Pensacola after her father is reassigned.
What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire (Candlewick), reveals a world of warring tooth fairies.
Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonneblick (Scholastic Press). At a new school, a boy gains popularity by claiming to be Buddhist.
Adult Authors Turn to YA
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Little, Brown). An aspiring cartoonist leaves the school on his Spokane Indian reservation for public school.
Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine (Holt). A girl recounts the difficulties of life during China's Cultural Revolution.
Runemarks by Joanne Harris (Knopf). Centuries after the End of the World, a girl's birthmark links her to ancient Norse legends; from the author of Chocolat.
