Today, let's talk about March's offerings in chapter books and YA books. Lots of titles here, so I'll make it brief.



Out of My Mind

So excited about this one, since I admire Sharon Draper's work very much. This one sounds exceptional. Melody is quite brilliant, but due to her severe cerebral palsy, she is unable to communicate and is thought to be mentally challenged. When she finds out about an assistive communication device, she may be able to finally express herself. I've heard lots of buzz about this one.



Falling In

A new book from Frances O'Roark Dowell is always a treat. Isabelle falls into a parallel universe, where she is thought to be a witch sent to eat the children. Yay fun!



Northward to the Moon

I adore Polly Horvath! I loved My One Hundred Adventures and was so excited when I heard about this sequel. Jane's stepfather has lost his job and the family heads to Nevada. It's getting strong notices, unsurpisingly.



To Come and Go Like Magic

I have this checked out and will read ASAP. Young girl seeks the world outside her rural Kentucky home but learns to recognize the true beauty and worth of her home. Yes, the "there's no place like home" premise is not new, but I've heard good things about it, and I like Appalachian stories.



The Night Fairy

The Night Fairy! Oh, you have to read this! It's enchanting and lovely.



The Death-Defying Pepper Roux

I'm reading this ASAP for Capitol Choices. Pepper believes that he will die before his 14th birthday, so he runs away in order to change his identity and outrun death. Yeah, BIZARRE. But a really intriguing concept.



The Wonder Book

I put this in the March order as soon as I read about it, and I received an advance reader copy a few days ago. Just in time for National Poetry Month assignments! These are some really funny, wacky, and original poems. Lots of fun.



Meanwhile: Pick Any Path

Ooooh, I'm so looking forward to getting feedback on this book. This is a "choose your own adventure" graphic novel with over three thousand different story possibilities. And it all starts with one question, "Chocolate or vanilla?" I know one (adult) reader got confused with the story elements, but I think this might be one of those generational gap books. I'm thinking that this will go over like gangbusters.



Sit In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down

It's been 50 years since the lunch counter sit in protests, and the Pinkneys are marking the occasion with this nonfiction picture book. I've never been disappointed with a Pinkney book.



Forget-Her-Nots

Don't know much about this book (YA), but it's set in Charlottesville, at a boarding school, and a motherless girl who shares her dead mother's connection with flowers. Apparently, they have magical connotations. I think it will go over well.



Katy's New World

For those interested in the ins and outs of the publishing industry, the changes in Christian fiction publishing has been very intriguing to watch, particularly since many houses have started a YA division. "Bonnet fiction," as Amish/Mennonite Christian fiction is described, remains hugely popular within Christian fiction (although that's not the totality of Christian fiction), and as more Christian publishing houses and imprints publish more YA Christian fiction (which really hasn't featured Amish/Mennonite stories; most stories feature contemporary issues of modern teen life), we're likely to see this trickle into YA Christian fiction. Katy's New World features the typical connection with the outside world story line found in Amish/Mennonite fiction; this is the start of a new series, so we'll see how popular this will be!



Borderline

To be honest, I wasn't sure about Borderline. Then, it started to get good reviews, with its depiction of Muslim life being noted in several reviews. Although Muslim characters are not really new to YA fiction, the ones that I can think of off the top of my head feature first-generation girls who have one foot in their traditional Muslim world and the other foot in their Westernized secular world (not unlike the premise of the previous book!). Sami's father is implicated in a terrorist plot, and he is determined to find out the truth. I'm getting excited about this one as I hear more good things about it.



A Small Free Kiss in the Dark

Awww, cool cover. The story sounds neat too; an eleven year old runaway meets up with misfits in a war-torn Australia when he escapes to a seaside amusement park. Good notices as well.



The Awakening

Vampire Diaries fans, we have the first book in the series (more to come, as they used to say on The Tonight Show bumpers).



Tagged

Another great cover! Katie's high school is "tagged" by grafitti artists, which of course sets off a huge commotion in the community. Kate tries to figure out the culprit, but she also secretly admires the artwork. There's also romance involved, of course. Sounds like a fun read.



The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

The author of Marcelo in the Real World's latest book sounds fantastic. Sounds like a serious read-cancer, orphans, etc-but if it's anything like Marcelo, definitely a worthwhile read.



Under a Red Sky

I'm on pins and needles for this one! Imagine finding out at the age of eight that you are Jewish. Now, imagine that you're the only adored child in a household full of eccentric Holocaust survivors. Now, imagine that you're living in the police state of Communist Romania. While we're waiting for our copies, check out Haya Leah Molnar's website here and see a trailer for Under a Red Sky.

Oh, my goodness, sooooo many great books coming to the library this month. And that's just March! WAIT until you see what we're getting in April!