Chapter One with HPL

In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

Soraya, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch, has lived eighteen years in the shadows but as her twin brother's wedding approaches, she faces choices with unimaginable consequences. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

"Jack, 12, tells the gripping story of Joseph, 14, who joins his family as a foster child. Damaged in prison, Joseph wants nothing more than to find his baby daughter, Jupiter, whom he has never seen. When Joseph has begun to believe he'll have a future, he is confronted by demons from his past that force a tragic sacrifice"-- Provided by publisher. This title is intended for tweens however it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

After her mother dies, Lina travels to Italy where she discovers her mother's journal and sets off on an adventure to unearth her mother's secrets.- Provided by publisher. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

For most of Tony Gilbert's life, he has thought of his uncle as "Weird Uncle Charlie." That is, until Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his family. Uncle Charlie is still odd, of course--talking about spirits and other supernatural stuff--but he and Tony become fast friends, and Tony ends up having a lot of fun with Uncle Charlie. When Uncle Charlie dies suddenly, Tony is devastated. Then he starts seeing Uncle Charlie everywhere! It doesn't help that Tony switched schools--it was Uncle Charlie's dying wish that Tony attend the Penda School, where Uncle Charlie himself went as a kid. The Penda School is eerie enough without his uncle's ghost making it worse. On top of that, rumors have been circulating about a student who went missing shortly before Tony arrived. Could that somehow be related to Uncle Charlie's ghost? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

Two Exes. One holiday adventure. Merry Ex-Mas? Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa. Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau -- a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

During the summer of 1971 in a small Texas town, thirteen-year-old Toby and his best friend Cal meet the star of a sideshow act, 600-pound Zachary, the fattest boy in the world. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile kingdoms. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire--a dangerous gift for the future queen of a land where magic is forbidden. Now Denna has to learn the ways of her new kingdom while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria's formidable warhorses before her coronation--and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine, sister of her betrothed. When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, they discover there is more to one another than they thought--and soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more. But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms--and each other.

This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

Accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, Liza embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

Seventeen-year-old Ali is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves into tiny, predominantly-white, Plainhart, Indiana. The only Asian person at her school in Plainhart, Indiana, Ali Chu ignores the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers. When Chase Yu's family arrives in town, Ali tries to ignore the 'they belong together' whispers, but they develop a friendship rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face. When Ali's mom forces her to end the friendship, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future. -- adapted from jacket. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.