The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy [***]
The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy [***]

Not since Trenton Lee Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society (and I guess J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter but those books are in a league of their own) has a series captivated me like Christopher Healy’s League of Princes. There’s just a level of maturity and sophistication in these books- and a whole lot of fun! I was impressed how he handled the action scenes- or, more specifically, the consequences of the battles. Great for family read-alouds.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart [*]
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart [*]

We Were Liars is going to be the YA book of the summer. Leading up to its May 13th release date, everyone’s been raving about it saying how shocking it was. To me, it reminded me of a Fear Street Super Chiller– and that can be taken as a good or bad thing. While I’m not a fan of R.L. Stine, I admire his storytelling skills and the way he has gotten so many people to read.

The promotional campaign rubbed me the wrong way. It asked the readers not to tell its secrets. I mean, who does that? Plus, while that made me want to read it, the secret was predictable. But, as a bookseller, I have to find a way to spin it positively without being a liar. Luckily, I know what I’ll say. But I’m keeping it a secret.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier [***]
The Night Gardener
by Jonathan Auxier [***]

If you enjoy a good old-fashioned story full of atmosphere and suspense, The Night Gardener is a great read. This tale about two orphaned kids who end up moving to a house full of secrets is for slightly mature kids (ages 10 and up) because the stakes are high! A definite pageturner! Release date: May 20

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