Queen of Hearts - Colleen Oakes

Queen of Hearts - Colleen Oakes

This is a different take on Alice in Wonderland.

Dinah, Princess and future Queen of Wonderland, is awaiting her coronation. In the meantime, her time is spent playing crochet, attending tea parties, and trying to avoid her father the King. He is a tyrant and criticizes everything Dinah does. Along comes Duchess Vittiore, Dinah's half-sister that she didn't know existed. Dinah knows she will have an even harder time pleasing her father.

After receiving a message, Dinah and Wardley, her best friend and love of her life, take off for the Black Towers. Events happen on Execution Day that force Dinah to run for her life.

The usual Alice in Wonderland characters are there, but not in the form we are used to seeing them.
Cheshire - The King's Advisor
Rabbit - Dinah's Guardian
Mad Hatter - Dinah's mentally ill brother Charles

Suggested Level: Upper Middle School and High School

Sweet - Emmy Laybourne

Sweet - Emmy Laybourne

A luxurious cruise ship is setting sail for a week long vacation. If you take this trip, you are guaranteed to lose weight. The ship is measured before leaving port and it will weigh less when it returns. The weight loss craze Solu will be on sale soon. This cruise is its launch party.

Laurel isn't sure about accepting her friend's invitation for the cruise, but decides she will. Besides, what could possibly go wrong? Laurel is seasick the first day out and does not take her Solu packets. She begins to see what it is doing to the other guests.

Tom is a former childhood star. He's working on a piece about Solu. He's doing interviews and filming. He never had any intention of taking the packets. He's careful what he puts in his body.

Tom and Laurel notice what is happening to the others on board the ship. They have become addicted to Solu. They will do ANYTHING to get their fix.

Suggested Level: Middle School and High School


The paperback released June 7. It has a different cover. I almost like it better.

Some Kind of Happiness - Claire Legrand

Some Kind of Happiness - Claire Legrand

Things Finley Hart Doesn't Want to Talk About

Her parents, who are having problems.
Being sent to her grandparents' house for the summer.
Never having met said grandparents.
Her blue days- when life feels overwhelming, ant it's hard work to keep her head up.

Up until now, Everwood has only existed in Finley's journal. Now that she's at her grandparents' house, she discovers that it really exists in the woods behind their house.

She realizes that Everwood holds more secrets than she could have imagined. With the help of her cousins, they set out to save Everwood.

Suggested Level: Middle School

The Outliers - Kimberly McCreight

The Outliers - Kimberly McCreight

Please, Wylie, I need your help. 

Wylie hasn't heard from Cassie since their last fight. Wylie has been watching Cassie make one bad decision after another.

Cassie keeps sending Wylie cryptic messages for her to come help. Cassie also sends her boyfriend Jasper to Wylie's house. Together, Jasper and Wylie head out into the woods of Maine to find and help Cassie.

Once they find her, the mystery continues. Someone Wylie knows and trusts is in charge of what's happening.

Suggested Level: Upper Middle School and High School

ARC Received at TLA

The Fall of Butterflies - Andrea Portes

The Fall of Butterflies - Andrea Portes

Willa Parker is headed east to start new. It was her mother's idea for her to attend Pembroke Prep.
Willa has no intentions of staying there long. In fact, she doesn't plan to be around much longer.

The first person she meets is Remy Taft. Remy is the most intriguing girl on campus. Remy decides that she and Willa will be friends. Willa is around to Remy spiral out of control.

All Willa has ever wanted was to fit in. Remy helps her do that. Is there a cost?

Suggest Level: High School

Received an ARC at TLA.


I really like the published cover better than the ARC. What do you think?

Gerald's Journal: The Life of an Everyday Hero - David McElhinny

Gerald's Journal: The Life of an Everyday Hero - David McElhinny

Gerald is different from other students. He has to work harder than other students. 

In reality, Gerald really isn't THAT different for the other boys in his grade. He likes ice cream, pizza, and recess just like the other kids. 

Gerald's differences begin to disappear and his personality begins to shine. 

Suggested Level: Upper Elementary and Middle School

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Readlike

Waiting on Wednesday - Scythe

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine

Scythe - Neal Shusterman

From Goodreads:

In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed ("gleaned") by professional reapers ("sythes"). Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythe's apprentices, and -- despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation -- they must learn the art of killing and come to understand the necessity of what they do.

Only one of them will be chosen as the scythe's apprentice. And when it becomes clear that the winning apprentice's first task will be to glean the loser, Citra and Rowan are pitted against one another in a fight for their lives. 

Release Date: November 22, 2016

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers