THE LOOP

Published in 2013 by Disney-Hyperion Books, now handled by Little, Brown

Time-bending action for tweens through teens--especially reluctant readers.

Ben and Maggie have met, fallen in love, and died together countless times. Over the course of two pivotal day -- both the best and worst of their lives -- they struggle again and again to resist the pull of fate and the force of time itself. With each failure, they return to the beginning of their end, a wild road trip that brings them to the scene of their own murders and into the hands of the man who is destined to kill them.

As time circles back on itself, events become more deeply ingrained, more inescapable for the two kids trapped inside the loop. The closer they come to breaking out, the tighter fate's clutches seem to grip them. They devise a desperate plan to break free and survive the days ahead, but what if Ben and Maggie's only shot at not dying is surviving apart?

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A THOUSAND CHERRY TREES

Dark, best for teens.

It's been three years since James got to spend the summer with his father in Burnham, California, a tiny desert town whose only claim to fame is a neighboring hippie commune called the Dropouts. Back then, James used to spend every summer hanging out with Dayle, one of the only girls in town. But Dayle's letters to him back home in Boston have dried up, and James isn't sure what to expect this summer in Burnham.

Then along comes Sunny--a runaway living in the Dropouts who has a taste for trouble, and her risky pranks are a welcome bit of fun for James. But when one of their stunts goes too far and results in the death of a local boy, another dull summer in Burnham becomes a nightmare. Booklist called Shandy' Lawson's debut novel The Loop an "action-packed read...particularly good for reluctant readers," and once again he presents a mind-bending thriller that artfully plays with truth and consequences. With the eerie desert setting looming large, A Thousand Cherry Trees will keep readers guessing what really did happen until the end.

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AERON

Dystopian Manhattan survival fiction for teens.

The fifty-foot-high wall surrounding Manhattan was built to keep the virus out, but it can't keep Evan, Lauren, and Tyler in.

Knowing there's more to the world than what's within the city wall, the three teens break free and hike the post-virus wilderness on a quest for a civilized outpost, as they encounter their worst fears, fight for their lives, and face the loss of one of their own.

What they find at their journey's end is only a glimpse of the real battle ahead: can two teens save what's left of their home?

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