Juvenile/Young Adult

September 3, 2010

Francis, Dick. COMEBACK. Berkley Books. April '10. $7.99. "When globe-hopping British First Secretary Peter Darwin returns to his childhood home for a visit, he is sorry. Waiting for him were long-hidden memories, a string of racehorse deaths and homicide. As Darwin begins to realize that the key to all of it involves his own past, he wishes he'd never come back, because he just might never leave again - alive...."

Francis, Dick & Felix. DRIVING FORCE. Berkley Books. February '10. $7.99. "Jockey Freddie Croft discovers a high-stakes conspiracy that exposes the seedy underside of horse-racing - and faces deadlier odds of survival than in any steeplechase run."

Marsh, Carole. THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST COLONY. Gallopade International. September '10. $7.99. Reading level: Ages 9-12. "A dramatic mystery set on America's Outer Banks, where our first colonists - The Lost Colonists - disappeared. Entwined in the plot: the Civil War, hang-gliding, Old Christmas lore & much, much more."

Parker, Robert B. CHASING THE BEAR: A Young Spenser Novel. Speak. April '10. $$8.99. Reading level: Young Adult. "For almost forty years, Robert B. Parker's inimitable private investigator Spenser has been solving cases and selling millions of books worldwide. Now, for the first time, see how it all began as the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master sheds light on Spenser's formative years spent with his father and two uncles out West. This is an event book for every fan of Spenser, and a revelation for teens about to discover an American icon.

Staub, Wendy Corsi. LILY DALE: CONNECTING. Walker Books. November '09. $6.99. Reading level: Young Adult. "Now that Calla has accepted her ability to communicate with the Other Side, she's desperate to connect with the one spirit whose energy she can't seem to feel anywhere: her late mother. As ominous supernatural signs imply that the devastating loss might not have been an accident, Calla sets out to uncover the truth, convinced that a shadowy stranger may hold the key. But she gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles across a shocking secret about her mom's past - one that will change Calla's own future forever."

Staub, Wendy Corsi. LILY DALE: DISCOVERING. Walker Books for Young Readers. November '09. $16.99. Reading level: Young Adult. "After finally learning who was behind her mother's death, Calla still doesn't understand why it happened. Somewhere out there, someone seems to share the powerful psychic abilities that allow Calla to see not only into the past, but to the Other Side - someone who apparently doesn't want to be found. Will Calla's journey lead to the closure she's been searching for, or will it force her to accept yet another loss and forever wonder what might have been? As new mysteries unfold and old ones are solved, this spine-tingling series continues. With an eye-catching new look, Wendy Corsi Staub's fans will not be disappointed." Available in paperback. December '11. $7.99.

van Heugten, Antoinette. SAVING MAX. Mira Books pbo. October '10. $14.95. "Single mother Danielle Parkman is stretched thin and she knows it. A successful attorney, Danielle works grueling hours for her clients and still miraculously finds time to devote to her teenage son Max, who has Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. But lately her son's violent outbursts have tested the limits of her parenting abilities, forcing her to seek outside help. Desperate for guidance, Danielle brings Max to a psychiatric hospital for a full-assessment in hopes of finding a solution that will put an end to his volatile behavior. However, Max's treatment is thrown off-course when Danielle finds him unconscious and covered in blood with a murdered patient by his side. Max quickly becomes the prime suspect and Danielle must find the killer to absolve her son. But the search brings unexpected pressures, and as Danielle begins to examine her choices as a mother, she soon realizes Max's problems may be greater than anyone could have imagined."

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