Margaret Peterson Haddix and Shannon Hale are among the big-name stars with recent releases for teens. This month’s titles, selected by the editors at Junior Library Guild, feature stories by some of the most current and popular authors. And as you’d expect, the plots engage readers with the brilliance that made these A-Listers famous in the first place. HADDIX, Margaret Peterson. Full Ride. S & S. 2013. ISBN 9781442442788. JLG Level: Y : Young Adults (Grades 9 & Up). It’s been four years since Becca’s father is sent to prison for embezzling millions of dollars. Keeping her past a secret is hard, but not impossible in her new hometown. All that changes when Becca posts her college application online. With a digital trail that leads back to Ohio, she and her mom are no longer safe and nothing is exactly what it seems. As expected, Haddix’s latest adventure includes twists and turns that keep the pages moving. Fans can check out her website, where teachers will also find lesson plans for previously released titles. Sign up to receive updates on new books at her publisher’s website and follow her on Facebook. HALE, Shannon. Dangerous. Bloomsbury. 2014. ISBN 9781599901688. JLG Level: FH : Fantasy/Science Fiction High (Grades 9–12). How far would you go to save your own life? Maisie Danger Brown has a decision to make. While attending space camp, a trip in a space elevator unexpectedly gives her team super powers. Then she stumbles onto a galactic attack on the planet. With a power-hungry businessman on their trail, and a life-threatening plague in their midst, they may have more than they can handle. How can five kids save the world when they don’t even know who to trust? The bestselling author blogs, posts interviews, gives advice about writing, and even offers a list of books by grade level to encourage the writer’s journey on her website. USA Today released an exclusive book trailer which is sure to heighten a teen’s curiosity. In a book creation that spanned a decade (read her blog post), Hale’s science fiction thriller is the perfect blend of science, heroism, romance, and adventure. It’s absolutely worth the wait. WHALEY, John Corey. Noggin. S & S/Atheneum. 2014. ISBN 9781442458727. JLG Level: Y : Young Adults (Grades 9 & Up). Travis Coates thought his cancer would be the death of him. That is, until he chooses to participate in a cryogenic experiment. How weird would it be to have your own head on someone’s body? In the five years that pass, the rest of the world moves on. When the procedure actually works, the teen wakes up, as if from a nap. Yet he doesn’t fit into the present, and can’t return to the past. He may have returned from the dead, but why is he here? Bringing a whole new twist to the Frankenstein concept, Whaley’s novel could be used in a book group. Kids will want to discuss the ethics and science of the plot. Using social media, readers can follow the author on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. A cinematic book trailer is posted on MTV. WOODING, Chris. Silver. Scholastic. 2014. ISBN 9780545603928. JLG Level: CTH : Current Trends High (Grades 9 & Up). What could be creepier than an English boarding school in a remote location with a huge dog on the loose? Let a kid get bitten by a silver beetle and watch him go stark, raving mad. The headmaster’s dog bite causes silver to course through his body. He’s no longer human. Then take out the phones, the power, and all but one teacher to lead the students in the fight against the Infected. How will they survive? Cue the music. Wooding’s latest horror thriller keeps readers riveted to the page. According to the British SF/Fantasy author, following the lives of four students in a war they fight without guns in a real environment gave him the chance to “make it personal. And they’re not zombies.” Readers can learn more about the author on his website. Wooding’s blog has an RSS feed. Sign up to stay in the loop about future novels. Scholastic has posted a book trailer. Additional Resources In an effort to organize these links, I have created a LiveBinder. All websites will be posted within the LiveBinder, along with the accompanying booktalk. As I write more columns, more books and their resources will be added. Simply go to JLG Booktalks to Go where you will see LiveBinder tabs. Each color-coded main tab is a book title. Under each main tab are gray subtabs with links to media, websites, and other related documents. Everything you need to teach or share brand new, hot-off-the-press books is now all in one place. Please visit JLG’s new LiveBinder, JLG Booktalks to Go. For additional library resources, please visit JLG’s Shelf Life Blog. Junior Library Guild (JLG) is a collection development service that helps school and public libraries acquire the best new children’s and young adult books. Season after season, year after year, Junior Library Guild book selections go on to win awards, collect starred or favorable reviews, and earn industry honors. Visit us at www.JuniorLibraryGuild.com. (NOTE: JLG is owned by Media Source, Inc., SLJ’s parent company.)