Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

Alyss of Wonderland has just regained the thrown from her evil Aunt Redd. Redd and the Cat escaped through the Heart Crystal but are now trapped within the crystal. Hatter Madigan is on a retreat. Homburg Molly, Alyss's bodyguard, is off sulking after a reprimand. Alyss is even managing to find some time to spend with Dodge as she settles into the demands of running her queendom. And then it begins, brutal attacks on Alyss's soldiers by Glass Eyes and phantom sightings have the Wonderlanders wondering, "Is she back?" Seeing Redd is book two of The Looking Glass Wars.

Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney

Mr. Lynch's science research assignment on contagious diseases requires that students use at least four books.
"Books?" questions Mitty Blake. "Nobody uses books anymore. They're useless, especially in science. Facts change too fast." But Mr. Lynch wants students to use books for their report and not rely totally on the Internet. Mitty, a master procrastinator and slacker when in comes to school assignments, finds himself in a jam because he doesn't have any books on smallpox and it's the weekend and he's at his family's vacation home without access to book stores or libraries AND he has to show Mr. Lynch the books he's using tomorrow. So Mitty decides to use some of the antique medical books his mom uses for her interior decorating business. When he opens Principles of Contagious Disease, printed in Boston in 1899, Mitty is skeptical that he will find any useful information. Within the book he finds an envelope and hand-written upon the envelope in fountain pen ink is the label "Scabs--VM epidemic, 1902, Boston". Mitty opens the envelope, handles the some fragile scabs which crumble in his finger tips, and rubs his itchy nose. Has Mitty just infected himself with variola major, an airborn virus? Will he be the new Typhoid Mary of New York City? Code Orange will keep you turning pages to find out what will happen to Mitty, his parents, his friends and classmates and New York City.

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Sixteen-year-old Estrella DeMadrigal writes, "I thought I knew the world. I thought I knew myself. I thought I knew my dearest friend. But I knew nothing at all." Estrella's life is changing. The fervor of the Spanish Inquistion has reached Encaleflora, her beautiful village in Aragon. Estrella witnesses the flames of persecution spark in the Plaza one day, as soldiers burn the books of an old Jewish man, and then beat him. Soon the evil flames are burning out of control; pitting neighbor against neighbor, bringing fear and deception to the once beautiful village. Amid this turmoil, Estrella discovers a dangerous secret.

Cover-up by John Feinstein

Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Robinson, teen journalists, get an opportunity of a life time to cover the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Susan Carol will be covering the event for Kid Sports on USTV while Stevie recently fired by USTV will be covering the Super Bowl for the Washington Herald. This is the duo's third adventure together. In Last Shot, they covered the Final Four and in Vanishing Act they covered the U.S. Open. Trouble seems to follow the pair wherever they go, and it isn't any different at the Super Bowl. Susan Carol soon uncovers some information that will make national news and ruin careers. Information that certain people will do anything to keep out of the papers.

How Rude! by Alex J. Packer

The official title of this humorous but helpful book by Alex J. Packer is How Rude! The Teenager' Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior and Not Grossing People Out. Everything is covered in this book from how to be polite in daily life with your family and at school to how to be a gracious guest in a friend's home. If you have ever had any questions about how to handle different types of situations from hygiene to what to wear to different types of occasions to dating, this book covers all these topics and more in a humorous, fun-to-read style. If you think good manners aren't important any longer, Alex Packard offers a top ten list of "Why Good Manners Are Good for You" with quotes from teens sharing how good manners worked positively for them.

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Jason Somper

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean follows the story of the fourteen-year-old Tempest twins, Connor and Grace, as they make their way in the world. When their father dies, they leave their lighthouse home to get away from their only choices: an orphanage or adoption by an uncaring couple. They steal their father's boat and head out to sea. When a violent storm capsizes their boat, Grace and Connor are separated. Connor is rescued by pirates and Grace is rescued by a mysterious ship with a ghastly crew.

Follow up this adventure with the sequel, Vampirates: Tide of Terror. Connor considers joining the Pirate Academy while Grace struggles with visions of the Vampirate ship and her connection to Lorcan.

If you like The Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you should enjoy the Vampirates series.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass is Book 1 in the His Dark Materials trilogy. This holiday season it will be released as a major motion picture. Now's your chance to read Lyra's story before you see the movie!

Lyra Belacqua runs freely at Jordan College in Oxford, England with her daemon, Pantalaimon. (A daemon is connected to a person much like a soul. As Lyra's story progresses the reader learns that children's daemons may change their animal shape but when one matures his or her daemon settles on one animal shape.) When Lyra's powerful uncle, Lord Asriel, visits the college, Lyra learns of the dust. Dust that is feared by some and others find intriguing. Lyra is pulled into a world of Gobblers who steal children, of witch clans, and armored bears. Her journey takes her to the cold far North and to her destiny.

If you enjoy, The Golden Compass, you will want to follow it up with its sequels The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.