DON'T CRAMP MY STYLE: Stories About That Time of the Month
Lisa Rowe Fraustino
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0689858825
Ages 11-up
304 pages
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Acclaimed anthologist Lisa Rowe Fraustino has complied twelve short stories, all about menstruation. Celebrated authors including Han Nolan and David Lubar explore everything from tampon troubles, to heartwrenching pregnancy scares, to boyfriends coping with PMS. This is a must-have collection for all young women.

AN EARTHLY KNIGHT
Janet McNaughton
HarperCollins
ISBN: 006008992X
Ages 12-up
272 pages

The year is 1162. Sixteen-year-old Jenny has always enjoyed her freedom as second daughter of a Norman nobleman in Teviotdale, Scotland. But then her sister Isabel disgraces the family by running away with a dangerous suitor. While Jenny worries about her sister's future, her father begins focusing on finding Jenny a man.

When Jenny is chosen as a potential bride for William de Warenne, brother of the king of Scotland and heir to the crown, redemption of her family's name seems within reach. Amid formal banquets and jousting tournaments, she struggles to impress the aloof Earl William. At the same time, however, she finds herself drawn to Tam Lin, a mysterious young man. Rumored to have been kidnapped by fairies, Tam has a dark secret from his past that threatens everyone close to him --- including Jenny.

ESCAPING TORNADO SEASON: A Story in Poems
Julie Williams
HarperTempest
ISBN: 0060086394
Teen Fiction
272 pages

In her debut novel, Julie Williams tells in verse the story of fourteen-year-old Allie Benton, who moves to northern Minnesota to live with her grandparents. Abandoned by her grief-stricken mother, Allie settles in for a long, cold midwestern winter. But it's difficult adjusting to a new school when her family can't even afford to buy her a pair of blue jeans. And in an ethnically divided community, Allie isn't allowed to choose the friends she wants --- handsome Joey Redfern and Lidia, the beautiful Ojibwe girl who calls Allie my niijikwe ("my friend").

A HEART DIVIDED
Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld
Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0385327498
Ages 12-up
320 pages
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When Kate's family moves from the suburbs of New York City to a small town near Nashville, Kate is not a happy girl. The Confederate flag waves proudly in the sky, the local diner serves grits and sweet tea, and country music rules the airwaves. Then she meets Jackson Redford III, the brilliant and handsome scion of the town, and falls for him.

But a petition to replace the school's Confederate flag symbol is stirring up trouble. Kate immediately becomes embroiled in the controversy, more than willing to attack what she believes is offensive. Getting involved means making enemies. As a result, Kate, Jack and their families soon find themselves pitted against one another --- not just about the flag, but about what it means to be an American.

KISSING THE RAIN
Kevin Brooks
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 043957742X
Ages 12-up
336 pages
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Moo Nelson has a weight problem and is constantly being teased, shoved and called names by other kids. But everything is different on Moo's bridge. High above the traffic, it's the only place where he can watch the world go by and be in peace. That is, until the night Moo witnesses a car chase and a murder!

Suddenly, everyone --- gangsters, policemen and even the school bullies --- wants something from Moo. They're looking for the truth (or some version of it). Now Moo must decide between the truth and lies, loyalty and loneliness, justice and retribution. And he must do it soon.

POP PRINCESS
Rachel Cohn
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0689852053
Ages 13-up
311 pages
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When fifteen-year-old Wonder Blake is given the opportunity to become a teen idol, it seems like a dream come true --- even if it wasn't her dream, but her older sister's. Lucky was on her way to becoming a pop star when she died, and Wonder and her family are still trying to recover from this devastating loss. Offered a recording contract, Wonder jumps at the chance to escape from her dead-end town, fractured family and high school.

Suddenly she has it all: a new look, a huge hit single and a tour as the opening act for singing sensation Kayla. But she soon finds out that perhaps the price of superstardom is more than she's willing to pay.

WORLDS AFIRE: The Hartford Circus Fire of 1944
Paul B. Janeczko
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763622354
Ages 12-up
112 pages

During a summer afternoon in 1944, hundreds of circus lovers assembled under the big top in Hartford, Connecticut and waited for the extravaganza to begin. Minutes later, a fire broke out and spread rapidly through the tent, claiming the lives of 167 people and injuring 500 more. Sixty years later, Paul B. Janeczko pays homage to this tragic event by bringing to life some unforgettable voices --- including circus performers, fans, firefighters, nurses and the girl known as Little Miss 1565, a child whose body was never claimed.

Series Books:

MIDNIGHTERS #1: THE SECRET HOUR
Scott Westerfeld
Eos
ISBN: 0060519517
Ages 12-up
304 pages

For one secret hour each night, the town of Bixby, Oklahoma belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. However, only a small group of people knows about the secret hour. They call themselves Midnighters, and each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another.

This all changes when Jessica Day appears at Bixby High School. Jessica is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way, but it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica --- and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.

Ancient secrets, mystical powers and fast-paced danger are all elements of this thrilling new trilogy by talented author Scott Westerfeld.

APOCALYPSE MEMORIES (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Simon Spotlight
ISBN: 068986700X
Ages 16-up
256 pages

Willow is back in Sunnydale, and she feels something strange happening. The other Scoobies don't seem to notice, since they're dealing with issues of their own. But Willow's instincts are right on. A wolf in sheep's clothing has set off a series of freakish events: rivers running with blood, flash storms and the arrival of an unbelievable supernatural being. The apocalypse has begun. While the world falls to pieces around them, the Scoobies --- including Giles, back from England --- have one last hope: a secret spell with dangerous side effects. Is Willow ready to use her powers?

INHERIT THE WITCH (Charmed)
Laura J. Burns
Simon Spotlight
ISBN: 0689867085
Ages 12-up
224 pages

Juliana O'Farrell is worried. Her daughter Lily has just turned 13, but Lily's powers haven't manifested yet and Juliana is worried that a demon may have stripped her daughter's magic. Who better to help out than the Halliwell sisters? Lily though is too much of a typical teen to welcome witch chaperones. She would much rather sneak out of the house to spend time with her rebellious friend, Drew. Could Drew's bad behavior be related to Lily's missing magic? It's up to the Power of Three to discover the truth.

TERROR (Fearless #32)
Francine Pascal
Simon Pulse
ISBN: 0689867077
Ages 16-up
224 pages

The sight of blood makes my heart race.
The slightest noise makes my palms sweat.
A tiny spider makes my stomach drop.
Everything frightens me.
And I've never been happier.

This is the description that Simon & Schuster has provided for the latest Fearless novel. Apparently, Gaia will remain "normal" --- for now at least.