Fiction: Sara's Face

Seventeen-year-old Sara wants to be spectacular. Not just pretty, not just popular, but spectacularly famous. She is a borderline anorexic, purposely hurts herself, often adopts different personalities, and sees ghosts, among other things. When pop idol Jonathon Heat takes her under his wing, she crosses into a world of lunacy and cosmetic surgery to reach her goals.

An eerie Michael Jackson-esque figure, Heat lives on a wacky estate with a private plastic surgery theater and has undergone so many facial reconstructions that he's forced to cover his pieced-together face with a mask. After Sara moves into his compound, readers are led to believe that she will meet the same fate, or worse. Known for edgy, raw teen novels that pull no punches, Burgess certainly delivers his trademark sexual frankness, folding in the mature issues of body image, self-mutilation, and personality disorder.

Fiction

Grade 9 and up

Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Fiction: H.I.V.E.

H.I.V.E. is operated on a volcanic island in a distant ocean by G.L.O.V.E., a shadowy organization of worldwide wickedness. And, as 13-year-old master of mischief Otto Malpense soon discovers, here the slickest of young tricksters, thieves, and hackers have been brought against their will to be trained as the next generation of supervillains.

Otto and his friends refuse to be held prisoner at the institution and develop a scheme to escape from the island, but they must defeat the all-seeing computer system, a seemingly undefeatable assassin in black, and a giant carnivorous plant to succeed. Warner's first novel is a real page-turner; those who love superhero stories will eat it up and not want to put it down.

Science Fiction
Grades 5-8
Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Fiction: Treasure at the Heart of Tanglewood

This original and atmospheric fantasy by the author of the Darkangel and Firebringer trilogies introduces Hannah, who lives by the fearsome Tanglewood with a few talkative companion animals. Hannah doesn't age, and she has no memory of anything but this life of isolation. Once a month she plucks the flowers that grow from her head and brews them into a tea for the wizard who lives deep in the woods.

Hannah is an unusually compelling character: lost but self-assured, brave but deeply na‹ve. When she falls in love with one of the many knights who search for the treasure of the title, she begins to question the wizard's motives, eventually escaping his manipulative power and undertaking a quest to heal the knight, whom the wizard has transformed into a fox. The book loses momentum somewhat as Hannah begins her travels, largely because readers will be quicker than Hannah at piecing together the story elements. As the flowers in her hair grow unplucked, spring descends upon the land (which has been lost in an epic winter) yet she never guesses that, among other identities, she is the legendary Spring Maid of whom townspeople talk, the treasure all those knights were seeking.

Fiction

Grades 9 and up

Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Fiction: Horowitz Horror

Bathtubs dripping with blood, a monkey's ear instead of a monkey's paw, a cannibalistic chef looking for new ingredients, and a camera that kills the subject of its photographs are some of the elements in these selections. While the stories probably won't make most readers want to sleep with the lights on, they have their own brand of creepiness. Readers Beware!

Fiction

Grades 7-10

Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Graphic Novel: 300

From a master graphic novellist, the 300 is the historically based tale of the battle between the Spartans and the Persians at Thermopylae. King Leonidas is a true Spartan; he and his 300 dedicated warriors head off to certain death when they take a stand against the God King Xerxes' persian army of millions. This tragic tale is the story of their bravery and sacrifice, told in Frank Miller's trademark no-holds-barred style. This incredible book is kept in the adult graphic novel section because of the high violence and gore content; it's an amazing read, and is definitely my favourite graphic novel of the year.

Graphic Novel
Grade 10 to adult
Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue.

Fiction: Silverhorse

In the country of Breda men are forbidden a home to call their own. They live as nomads, resting only at the mercy of the ruling women. Kats mother, Tess, the Maestra of Crowfoot Inn, is one of these powerful women and Kat has always known it is her destiny to follow in Tesss footsteps. But then one rain-swept night a scarred woman comes to Crowfoot riding an extraordinary silver horse and Kats world is turned upside down. From that moment on it is her burning ambition to become a Bredanaria keeper of the peace and rider of these magnificent creatures. But it isnt easy for a girl from the Vales to fit in at the Bredanari training academy in the big city. Worse still, Kat knows something which has put her life in danger. She has accidentally discovered the whereabouts of a dangerous outlaw known as Ermine. Now there are ruthless people who will do anything to keep her from revealing this secret, including leaving her unconscious on Hellhorse Mountain, where the beautiful but deadly stallions run wild.

Fiction
Grades 8-12
Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Fiction: The Goblin Wood

In this complex story, it's not always easy to tell the difference between good and evil. 12 year old Makenna's mother is a hedgewitch, and when the Hierarch announces that witchcraft is evil, her friends and neighbours murder her. Consumed with fear and a desire for revenge, Makenna flees the village and befriends a tribe of goblins. The goblins are feared and hunted, for they are magical by nature; Makenna uses her wits and growing witchcraft to lead them as they fight for their survival. A thought provoking read, and an exciting adventure for fantasy readers.

Fiction
Grades 6-10
Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Fiction: Does My Head Look Big in This?

Australian 11th-grader Amal is smart, funny, outspoken, a good student, and a loyal friend. She is also a devout Muslim who decides to wear the hijab, or head covering, full-time. The story tells of her emotional and spiritual journey as she copes with a mad crush on a boy, befriends an elderly Greek neighbor, and tries to help a friend who aspires to be a lawyer but whose well-intentioned mother is trying to force her to leave school and get married.

Amal is also battling the misconceptions of non-Muslims about her religion and culture. While the novel deals with a number of serious issues, it is extremely funny and entertaining, and never preachy or forced. The details of Amal's family and social life are spot-on, and the book is wonderful at showing the diversity within Muslim communities and in explaining why so many women choose to wear the hijab.

Fiction

Grade 9-12

Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Fiction: Ysabel

Guy Gavriel Kay is a master of fantasy, and fans won't be disappointed with his newest novel, Ysabel. Ned Marriner is 16, and he should be elated to be on location with his famous photographer father. After all, he could be home in the States writing exams! Instead, Ned finds himself caught up in a series of increasingly bizarre events, starting with a weird encounter in the ancient cathedral at Aix-en-Provence, France. In the shadowy interior of the church, a very old story is beginning again. Ned and his new friend Kate are drawn into a conflict from long ago, where centuries-dead Roman legions and Celtic tribes cross the boundary from death back into life. The best part of this book is how the author weaves modern technology into the well researched and complex history of Roman times.

Fiction

Grades 11-adult

Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!

Graphic Novel: Beowulf

This classic norse epic gets an update in Gareth Hinds' compellingly dark graphic novel. Lavish full colour illustrations draw the reader into Beowulf's grisly battle with the monster Grendel, and the angular perspectives and rich, dark colour palette lend an air of foreboding to the book. Beowulf's further battles agains Grendel's horrible, lake dwelling mother is incredibly menacing, and the book's third and final chapter ends with the mournful tale of Beowulf's death at the hands of an enormous dragon.

This beautiful book is a must-read for fans of classic graphic novels, and will appeal to anyone who ever enjoyed tales of heroes and monsters. Not bad for a story that's over a thousand years old!

Graphic Novel

Grades 8-12

To check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue, click here!