New Fiction

	Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe  Living with a con-man dad, Maya’s spent half her life on the run. But when her dad ends up in prison and foster care fails, Maya grasps at her last possible hope of a home: a long-lost aunt, who may not even exist. So Maya formulates a plan, and with her wits, two unlikely allies, and twenty dollars in her pocket, she sets off in search of this aunt, navigating the unpredictable four hundred miles from Reno to Boise. Life on the streets, though, becomes a struggle for survival. And with each passing day, Maya’s definitions of right and wrong are turned upside down when she’s confronted with the realities and dangers of life as a runaway. She can’t help but wonder if trying to find her aunt—and some semblance of stability—is worth the harrowing journey or if she should compromise and find a way to survive on her own.
	Freak Magnet by Andrew Auseon  Charlie is the freak. Gloria is the freak magnet. They’re pretty much destined to meet. And when they do, sparks fly…for Charlie. Gloria, well, she just thinks he’s like every other freak who feels compelled to talk to her, although a little better-looking than most. While Charlie has his head in the clouds, Gloria’s got hers in a book: her Freak Folio—a record of every weirdo who’s talked to her in the last year (it’s a big book). But never before has she felt the pull to get to know one of them better. Until now.
	Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler  KJ Carson lives an outdoor lover’s dream. The only daughter of a fishing and wildlife guide, KJ can hold her own on the water or in the mountains near her hometown outside Yellowstone National Park. But when she meets the shaggy-haired, intensely appealing Virgil, KJ loses all self-possession. And she’s not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that they’re assigned to work together on a school newspaper article about the famous wolves of Yellowstone. As KJ spends time with Virgil, she also spends more time getting to know a part of her world that she always took for granted…and she begins to see herself and her town in a whole new light.
	Carter’s Big Break by Brent Crawford  After somehow surviving his freshman year, Will Carter is unexpectedly cast in an independent film opposite the world’s biggest tween sensation, Hilary Idaho, who’s looking to give her image a makeover. With Hollywood knocking on his door, Carter gets a taste of the good life. Suddenly, his small town, boring friends, and embarrassing family don’t seem as great as they used to. As is prone to happen when Carter is around, the film spirals out of control, and he begins to fear that he’s not the “somebody” he thinks he is and more of the “nobody” he’s pretty sure he always has been. But maybe, with the help of a few friends, he’ll learn to see things in a whole new light. Sequel to Carter Finally Gets It.
	Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings  In many ways, Natalie O’Reilly is a typical fourteen-year-old. But a routine visit to the eye doctor produces devastating news: Natalie will lose her sight within a few months. Suddenly her world is turned upside down. Natalie is sent to a school for the blind to learn skills such as Braille and how to use a cane. Outwardly, she does as she’s told; inwardly, she hopes for a miracle that will free her from a dreaded life of blindness. But the miracle does not come, and Natalie ultimately must confront every blind person’s dilemma. Will she go home to live scared? Or will she embrace the skills she needs to make it in a world without sight?
	The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin  Lianna is an aspiring planetary scientist…and also a kissing expert, with maybe too much experience.  So this summer she decides to conduct an experiment: She’s going to give up the kissing part.  It shouldn’t be too hard for her–after all, none of her kissing partners so far have been worth the lip time. That is, until Hank comes along. Hank has never been kissed.  He’s smart and funny—sometimes without intending to be—and a little socially challenged. Hank’s got Asperger’s syndrome. This means he knows every track that Kirsty Maccoll has ever appeared on, but not when to shut up about it. He also doesn’t know when to say the things he should. Things like, I don’t have a father. I want to hold your hand.  I want to kiss you. It would appear that Hank and Liana are in for an interesting summer—if the planets align correctly.
	Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick  Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom’s boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber’s optimism–and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope?