Hauge's debut sketches a gray, cruel dystopian future where the trappings of 21st-century life (a tin of Altoids, glossy magazines) become mysteries, temptations, and symbols. On the isolated, female-only island of Foundland, Keller and her fellow Novices live a harsh subsistence life of iron-fisted regulations (no friendships, no secrets, no physical affection) and violent punishment for transgressions while training to protect their land against the feared invasion of men. When fellow Novice Laing finds a stash of forbidden objects from the Time Before, the girls can't help becoming enraptured with the clothes, makeup, and mirrors. Though the writing style is flat and unemotional, reflecting Keller's colorless world, Hauge offers a gripping study of nature versus nurture through Keller's innate desire for a friend and her struggle to reconcile her upbringing with her inclinations. There's a permeating chill in Keller's barren life that seeps out of the book and into the reader's bones: "The rare, easy weather arrives and disappears without warning, just the same way happiness can, descending, then dissolving, then gone." Ages 12–up. (July)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Hemphill (Your Own, Sylvia) plumbs the psychological underpinnings of the Salem witch trials in blank verse monologues from three of the main accusers. Two girls, eight and 12, fall violently ill, having seizures and singling out neighbors as witches. Seeing the weight the girls' accusations are given ("All that Betty and Abigail say in fit/ is listened to like it comes from the town council"), Ann, Mercy, and Margaret snatch the opportunity to join in and move to positions of influence as well, targeting those who have harmed them or their families. Neighbors are jailed and even executed based on the girls' testimony, and even as wiser heads question their credibility, the girls turn on each other, fueled by jealousy, peer pressure, blackmail, and the desire to dominate the group. Even those familiar with the historical events will savor the exploration of the underlying motivations, as Hemphill breathes life into those long dead and holds a mirror up to contemporary society. The expressive writing, masterful tension, and parallels to modern group dynamics create a powerful and relevant page-turner. Ages 12–up. (July)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Loosely based on the Book of Esther, Meyerhoff's (Third Grade Baby) poignant coming-of-age story chronicles the challenges that 15-year-old Essie, a newly minted cheerleader, faces as she seeks to understand her personal and religious identity in the context of a suburban Michigan public school community. Orphaned as a toddler and raised by her grandparents in a secular household, where topics related to her parents' deaths remain off-limits and each step she takes toward independence inspires her grandmother's fear, Essie learns to avoid questions and keep secrets. When her cousin Micah and his parents return to town after a decade's unexplained absence, their reappearance unsettles Essie's home and school life. While intrigued by her introduction to Shabbat and other Jewish holidays, Essie's uncertainty about how her football-player boyfriend might respond to knowing that the new observant Jews in town are her relatives leads to more complicated deceptions. Eventually, a wrenching dilemma proves to be a test of character. Compelling characters, dramatic tension, and thoughtful exploration of how teenagers create their own identity amid familial and cultural influences should give this story wide appeal. Ages 12–up. (July)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

The sneering heroine of Kade's debut novel, the aptly named Alona, rules her high school's social scene with an iron fist. Alona has secrets, but before readers can discover them, she gets killed ("God, buses are so ugly when you see them that close up"). While Alona is learning to cope with the fact that a ghost can't be the center of attention (and that her friends aren't as genuine as she believed them to be), her narration alternates with that of one of her former classmates, Will, a social outcast fighting a diagnosis of mental illness. Will, in fact, can see and speak with the dead, who overwhelm him with their demands to take care of last requests. Alona is part of the clamoring crowd at first, and by the time she learns to work with Will, it might be too late for him to avoid the mental hospital and make it to graduation. Bumpy initially, the story becomes steadily more engrossing as Kade finds her feet stylistically and her characters' voices and identities develop. Ages 12–up. (July)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

In an uproarious novel that slots somewhere between Charmed and The Powerpuff Girls in terms of sibling dynamics, three sisters cope with their parents' divorce, a new school—and sudden magical powers that allow overserious April to see the future, surly May to disappear, and bubbly June to read minds. April urges them "to use these things for good, not evil," but their lives and relationships grow complicated when June uses her ability to gain popularity, and April, after a vague vision, convinces May to spy on June's first party. Benway (Audrey, Wait!) proves that her own extraordinary ability is her sense of humor; if secondary characters feel contrived to move the plot along, Benway otherwise executes her premise with panache, such as the way the sisters' powers pair with their personalities ("[N]ow that I could read minds? I'd be able to get an honest opinion about my entire wardrobe," thinks June). The sisters take turns narrating, and their distinct personalities and extremely funny, often barbed dialogue will keep readers laughing as each sibling learns to trust another amazing power: the strength of sisterhood. Ages 12–up. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 08/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

"Dirt, rags, and shabby short hair—it seemed it would always be that way for me." Fourteen-year old Adrianne Keynn-man has suffered on her island home since her father's death two years ago, the family's savings long since depleted. But scant meals, backbreaking work, and even the oppressive presence of her cruel aunt pale in comparison to the eerie call of the Windwaithe Mermaid, a legend that becomes terrifyingly real the night Adrianne's nine-year-old sister, Cecily, runs away and is nearly taken by the beautiful, malevolent creature. While rescuing Cecily, Adrianne is marked by the mermaid, a visible curse that causes the islanders to gradually turn against her. Only Denn, son of the fleet captain, stands by her—and Denn doesn't believe in mermaids. In framing Adrianne's stark choices, debut novelist Nielsen weaves together fairy tale elements with a strong first-person narrative voice. Reliance on certain stereotypes, like the cowardly bully and the malicious pretty girl, weakens the emotional impact of some events, but Adrianne stands out as a realistic and courageous heroine. Ages 10–up. (July)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 07/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Wisnewski's (Little Red Riding Hood) intricate, woodblock-like portraits of Irish monastery life are this book's principal charm. She portrays with loving attention the plants and flowers young monk Theophane uses to create colored inks, and frames the text with illuminations of her own. Through Theophane, Millen (Blue Bowl Down) speculates about the origin of the inks used in illuminated Irish manuscripts like the Book of Kells ("Heavenly hues/ now covered their pages/ and filled their bright books/ with colorful phrases"). But Millen is also beguiled by the marginalia included by monks in those manuscripts, and includes several, attributing them to Theophane: "I render thanks for what is given—/ my claw is tired from all this scribbling!" Mostly pleasant hymns to nature, these verses don't move the story forward. The sound-rhymed verse ("He sliced and he slivered,/ he grated and chopped,/ preparing the plants/ to be boiled in pots") lacks crispness, and so does the story as a whole; the message about how distractible people (Theophane is rather scatterbrained) are open to new discoveries is lost amid the too-varied content. Ages 6–9. (July)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 07/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

In a perfect pick-me-up for both older siblings and bleary-eyed new parents, Frazee (All the World) hilariously parses their new status. The brilliant baby-as-boss metaphor drives the book from the start, as a baby strides in from his taxi, outfitted with a suit (complete with rear-end flap and pj-style "footies"), briefcase, and a permanent scowl. Caldecott Honoree Frazee milks this comparison for every possible laugh ("The funky thing was, he never, ever said a single word that made any sense at all"), and the baby's job perks include "the spa" (a bubble bath), "the executive gym" (he attempts a pull-up on a baby gym), and "drinks made to order, 24/7" (the baby sits at a red-checked table littered with bottles, demanding service with his finger in the air). Cartoon vignettes in pencil-streaked gouache hum with a funky, retro style seen in sleek furnishings and the '50s fashions of the accommodating but increasingly exhausted parents. Finally, when the baby's tantrums can't rouse them, he discovers a more effective management technique––"Ma-ma? Da-da?" Clever and empathetic, this book is an especially apropos choice for the baby shower circuit. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 08/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Sofia's Italian family says she's "too little" to help out in their restaurant— "Bambina, sei troppo piccola!" her Papa tells her, after she pushes the blender button and tomatoes splatter everywhere—but when she comes up with a new dessert, the whole clan is impressed. Sofia often repeats her grandmother's praise for the family members' specialties—"Nonna says that a queen would curtsey for a bite of your bread, Mama," Sofia tells her mother (before adding too much yeast to the dough)—so when Nonna tells her, "Angels would sing for one of your Fig Tree Sundaes, Sofia!" it's the ultimate compliment. Hartnung's (Dear Juno) watercolors look a little like jigsaw puzzles; they're evenly lit, with interlocking forms, muted colors, and figures that look like cotton dolls, all of which work to soften the impact of Sofia's accidents in the kitchen (though her family's love is evident, being repeatedly told she's too little clearly and realistically upsets her). Newcomer Akin's prose tends toward the frilly ("Scrumptious smells tickled Sofia's nose..."), but builds steadily to a pleasing conclusion. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 08/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Howe (Bunnicula) pens a humorous and inspiring tale about a big dinosaur with a big dream: "[I]n my heart," Brontorina says, "I am a ballerina." Thoughtful, white-haired instructor Madame Lucille is willing to give it a try. A rocky transition period (the studio's ceiling takes a lot of punishment) is at last resolved when Madame Lucille moves her classes outdoors, with the promise that Brontorina's struggle will open up the world of ballet to still more candidates—the studio's new sign reads, "Madame Lucille's Outdoor Dance Academy for Girls and Boys and Dinosaurs and Cows." The final page shows a triceratops holding Brontorina high, a silent retort to Madame Lucille's earlier despairing wail: "And how in the world will a male dancer ever lift you over his head?" Cecil (Gator) contributes oil paintings whose simple forms are balanced by sophisticated textures and restrained colors, while he has fun punching up the contrast between the massive Brontorina and her tiny classmates. Meanwhile, asides from the kids provide a string of giggles. It's a satisfying story that adheres closely to its central message about overcoming obstacles. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 08/01/2010 | Details & Permalink