Miami-Dade Public Library System

Tales from Outer Suburbia
by Shaun Tan
Take a strange and fascinating journey through surreal worlds full of bizarre characters with these 15 short stories. An odd little foreign exchange student leaves a magical gift for his host family. A gruff water buffalo predicts the future from a vacant lot. A family discovers a hidden courtyard in the middle of their run-down house. Although the stories are not connected, each one revolves around strange and magical events, some funny, some menacing, and some downright sad. Each tale is accompanied by illustrations that range from simple pencil drawings to incredible word collages that spill over the page. Deirdra G.

The Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
Todd Hewitt lives in Prentisstown, a depressing and decaying village that is ruled by a mad preacher. The town has been infected by a terrible germ that allows everyone to hear each other's thoughts. This means that there is no privacy, no peace and few secrets. But there is one terrible secret that Todd is about to discover. And that secret forces Todd to flee the town and everything he has ever known. But will Todd survive his escape when his enemies can hear his every thought? Eleanor G.

Luxe
by Anna Godbersen
Luxe is the great first book in a historical fiction series for teens. Set in Manhattan, it follows five young adults from different social classes who do what they want despite what their parents and society expect from them. Elizabeth Holland, a proper young lady, needs to marry into money and is set to be engaged to the wealthy playboy, Henry Schoonmaker. Penelope Hayes has her eye on handsome Henry, though he falls head over heels for Elizabeth's younger sister. Elizabeth is actually in love with the household help, which won't help her family's financial woes. Will this tangled web of love, betrayal and secrets be unwoven? Those who enjoyed "A Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray will likely enjoy this book as well. Sky K.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella
by Stephenie Meyer
Remember the army of newborn vampires who tried to attack Bella and the Cullen family in Eclipse? Well, this novella features three-month old vampire, Bree Tanner, who was part of that army. In this work, we learn how hard Bree's life was as a human, and how hard her life is now that she has to live with over 20 other newborns that are, for the most part, brutal, bloodthirsty, reckless, and out-of-control. Things get a little better for Bree, though, when she makes friends with a vampire named Diego who, unlike the others she has to live with, is disciplined and sensible. Together, the two of them embark upon a quest to discover why Riley and their maker, Victoria, are creating so many vampires in the first place and what their true plans for them are. If you've read Eclipse, you know what happens to Bree in the end. But guess what? That knowledge only makes this novella even more exciting! Kimberly C.

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Recent Arrivals – Young Adult Books
National Book Awards Young People's Literature