The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner -- Stephenie Meyer

The story begins with a known conclusion: Bree Tanner will die in the end.

Stephenie Meyer brings to life the character of Bree Tanner, who was first introduced in Eclipse as one of the newborn vampires. Told from the perspective of Bree, the reader becomes acquainted with Bree's story: her "creation" as a vampire, her fears, her experiences. Though "friends" are not plentiful in the vampire coven into which Bree has been inducted, she soon finds a kindred spirit in Diego, a vampire a bit older than herself. Together they discover things about their new selves... thing their leader never bothered to tell them. As they learn more and more, they become suspicious as to why they were created, and why Riley, their leader, is keeping them in the dark. As the days pass and the reason for their existence begins to take shape, Bree finds herself on a collision course with fate as she tries to rescue Diego so they can begin their vampire lives away from Riley and his newborns.

But it turns out nothing they'd been told was ever true. And Bree's second life ends prematurely.

Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? It all depends on perspective.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

On the day Harry turns 17 and becomes a legal adult in the Wizarding world, the protective spells his mother placed over his safe-haven will break and he will be vulnerable to the onslaught of the Death Eaters. So on the eve of his 17th birthday, the Order of the Phoenix arrives to sneak Harry out and to safety in an unknown -- at least to Voldemort and his followers -- location. But the Death Eaters were tipped off and prepared for Harry's escape, causing a mad scramble as he is whisked away to safety.

Thus begins what should have been Harry's final year at Hogwarts. The year that Harry does not return to Hogwarts, and neither do Ron and Hermoine. The three leave the safety of The Burrow to fulfill Dumbledore's final charge: destroy the remaining Horcruxes or Voldemort will never die.

Join Harry and his friends as they experience the most dangerous magic of their lives, and as Harry faces his destiny. Because neither can live while the other survives.

Ellen Foster -- Kaye Gibbons

At times witty, at times amusing, at times heart-breaking, ELLEN FOSTER is the story of a young girl grappling with an abusive father, a mother who dies while Ellen is asleep beside her, a loveless grandmother, and equally hateful aunts. Ellen's only real friend is Starletta, the "colored girl" who is her closest neighbor.

As Ellen strives to deal with abuse, confusion, hurt, and a desire for parents who love her, she realizes that true familial love and friendship extends beyond what society claims is acceptable and is not determined by race or birth.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- John Berendt

In the heart of the Deep South, in Savannah, Georgia, a murder has occurred. A rich antiques dealer, Jim Williams, has just shot Danny Hansford, a young man with a deeply troubled and violent past. Jim Williams claims it was an act of self-defense, but the evidence leaves many questioning the truthfulness of his claim. Thus begins an almost decade-long investigation and mulitple trials as Jim Williams appeals his guilty verdict again and again.

Set amid the backdrop of Savannah -- a city where everyone knows everyone else, where gossip spreads wildly, and where superstitions fuel many fires -- this story unfolds with shocking detail, humorous characters, and witty stories of interesting Savannah.

The Dead and the Gone -- Susan Beth Pfeffer

In this second novel in the Last Survivors series, we experience New York City through the eyes of 17 year old Alex Morales during the aftermath of the moon being hit closer in orbit to the Earth. On the night of the occurrence, Alex does not witness the closeness of the moon, because the sky is overcast. The only thing out of the ordinary for Alex is that the power has gone out in his neighborhood. With is father gone to Puerto Rico for a funeral, his mother at work at the hospital in Queens, and his older brother stationed elsewhere with the Marines, Alex takes charge of his two younger sisters Bri and Julie, and they turn in for the evening, completely assured that power will be reinstated the following morning.

And Alex is right: power is back on the next day. And with the power come the startling reports about the moon and the tragedies it has caused world-wide. Fear immediately strikes the three siblings, but they feel confident their parents are fine, that their mother will return soon from work, and so they go about their regular routine and go to school. But things don't return to normal, and before long, his uncle recruits Alex and his youngest sister to help carry the merchandise out of the family's store and then his uncle and aunt leave with their family. Feeling their parents and brother won't be able to find them if they leave, Alex, Bri, and Julie remain in their basement apartment for as long as possible, and find various ways to survive and barter for food.

When Bri becomes sick, Alex moves himself and his siblings to another apartment in the building for a time, leaving a note for his parents in case they ever return, though the chances are slim they ever will... they are just gone. As the weather changes, as more people die, and most of his friends and their families leave New York City, Alex begins to realize the only way to survive is to take himself and his sisters to a refugee camp off the island. But with weakness, sickness, and other things beyond his control, will Alex and his sisters be able to stay alive until they can find a way out of New York City and find refuge?

An American Summer -- Frank Deford

It is the summer of 1954 and fourteen year old Christopher "Christy" Bannister has just moved from Indiana to Baltimore, Maryland where his father has just been made president of a porcelain company. While out trying to sell the "lower-class" newspaper on his second day in town (and his first day of the new job his dad got him), Christy happens to meet Kathryn Slade, a beautiful 23-year-old woman who had caught polio 6 years before and was now confined to an iron lung. Kathryn becomes Christy's first friend in Baltimore, and as the Summer progresses, they become the best of friends.

That summer marks a time of many changes in Christy's life. He comes of age quickly as he sees glimpses into the world of adulthood where promises are sometimes broken, where those who may be idolized fall from grace, and where sometimes principles collide. But amidst those hard-earned lessons of life come sweet lessons as well as Christy learns about love and the sacrifice some are willing to make because of it; and he learns just what it means to make another person happy.

Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians -- Brian Sanderson

Alcatraz Smedry is a foster child with a knack for breaking things. And he has just turned 13. On his 13th birthday, he received a gift from the father he never knew: a bag of sand. With the bag of sand (though a day late...) comes Alcatraz's grandfather who reveals to Alcatraz that the bag of sand was no ordinary bag of sand, but was rather sands that could be turned into powerful Oculators' lenses. Unfortuneately, but the time this new reaches Alcatraz, the sands have already been stolen from him by the Evil Librarians. Now it is up to Alcatraz, his grandfather, two cousins Alcatraz just met, and a Knight of Crystallia to retrieve the sands and thwart the Librarians' plans to keep everyone from knowing the truth! And through this adventure, Alcatraz will realize that some of the very things he thought were weaknesses are actually strengths.