Cambridge High School Library 2024

BY: Simone St. James Location: FIC STJ Genre: Historical Thriller “Sonia envied her, the way she could turn her brain off, think about absolutely nothing. It was a trick Sonia herself had never learned. That was what books did - they turned off your thinking for you, put their thoughts in your head so you wouldn't have your own .” Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall, and local legend says the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears . . . Vermont, 2014. Twenty years ago, journalist Fiona Sheridan's elder sister's body was found in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And although her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of the murder, Fiona can't stop revisiting the events, unable to shake the...

By: Karen Foxlee Location: FIC FOX Genre: Family, health, tissues needed! ”Our mother had a dark heart feeling. It was as big as the sky kept inside a thimble. That’s how dark heart feelings are. They have great volume but can hide in small places. You can swallow them with a blink and carry them inside you so no-one would know. ” Lenny, small and sharp, has a younger brother Davey who won't stop growing - and at seven is as tall as a man. Raised by their single mother, who works two jobs and is made almost entirely out of worries, they have food and a roof over their heads, but not much else.  The bright spot every week is the arrival of the latest issue of Burrell's Build-It-at-Home Encyclopedia. Through the encyclopedia, Lenny and Davey experience the wonders of the world - beetles, birds, quasars, quartz - and dream about a life of freedom and adventure, visiting places like Saskatchewan and Yellowknife, and the gleaming lakes of the Northwest Territories. But as her...

By; Angie Thomas Location: FIC THO Genre: Hip Hop Fictio n I loved The Hate U Give It was a needed voice, it was real, I could hear it. I could feel it and I just loved a family that fought together to stay together to support each other who believed in each other. Angie Thomas nailed that book. Then I had to do a stack of research on Tupac and ended up watching his biopic movie on a long haul flight. The movie should be a hit, it has to be, because it will speak and it will deliver..... I reckon everyone has their one good book in them, the challenge is to back that up and Angoe Thomas has proved that she is a talented writer, in for the long haul. As one reviewer has stated "I think this is a great contemporary. A mix of music, family dynamics, fun dialogue, social media and activism, with a protagonist who is moody and difficult and everything I love to read about. I can't wait to see what Thomas writes next." On the Come Up  is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-...

By: Tahereh Mafi Location: FIC MAF Genre: Contemporary Fiction .. . But I think the greatest takeaway from this book and the lesson that is so central to Shirin's arc is to not let the tangle of fury and grief and despair define your life and your interactions with the world. It's easy sometimes to let the repeated exposure to cruelty parch away the belief that there is goodness in the world still, and this book was a nice reminder of that."- Goodreads It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her ...

By: Roshani Chokshi Location: FIC CHO Genre:  Historical Fiction Fantasy Again... THAT COVER>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER   "If you get in the way of a woman's battle, you'll get in the way of her sword."   From  New York Times  bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes  The Gilded Wolves , a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change—one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires... No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them. It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a tr...

BY: M.T.Anderson  Location: FIC AND Genre: Kind of everything... Fantasy, art, history, adventure, humour Subverting convention, award-winning creators M. T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin pair up for an anarchic, outlandish, and deeply political saga of warring elf and goblin kingdoms. Uptight elfin historian Brangwain Spurge is on a mission: survive being catapulted across the mountains into goblin territory, deliver a priceless peace offering to their mysterious dark lord, and spy on the goblin kingdom — from which no elf has returned alive in more than a hundred years.  Brangwain’s host, the goblin archivist Werfel, is delighted to show Brangwain around. They should be the best of friends, but a series of extraordinary double crosses, blunders, and cultural misunderstandings throws these two bumbling scholars into the middle of an international crisis that may spell death for them — and war for their nations.  Witty mixed media illustrations show Brangwain’s furtiv...

By: Leigh Bardugo Location: FIC BAR Genre:Fantasy Series: Nikolai  Duology #1 THE COVER!!!!!! “Stop punishing yourself for being someone with a heart. You cannot protect yourself from suffering. To live is to grieve. You are not protecting yourself by shutting yourself off from the world. You are limiting yourself.” Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his countr...

Justin D'Ath Location: FIC DAT Genre: Survival So my family are from Nelson, they were evacuated from their home in the bush fires there.. this story is a little more nonfiction for me than it used to be! This story is also based on the real deal and is a  thrilling read that brought together all the fear, confusion, tragedy and uncertainty of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in which 173 people lost their lives Zeelie wonders if they're in danger.  When temperatures soar to 47 degrees one hot summer day, 12-year-old Zeelie hopes the neraby bushfires everyone's talking about aren't heading towards her family's new home. What will they do if the wind changes direction? What about their belongings and their beloved pets? And why hasn't her mum and brother returned from Melbourne?  Nothing can prepare Zeelie for what's to come. A fast-paced and poignant novel of survival for young readers by Justin D'Ath that draws on his own experience of escapin...

By: Guy Martin Location: FIC MAR Genre: Mending and making cool stuff 'I'm wearing everything out... Why? I don't have an answer. Other than I want to break myself. Then what? I believe the body is a fantastic thing and it will repair itself and I'll go again.'  This year Guy Martin is restoring and racing a 1983 Williams F1 car; he's attempting the land speed record in Bolivia; he's going for the fastest ever Channel crossing; he's customizing his Ford Transit for record-breaking circuits around Nurburgring, and he's building a Typhoon. That's exciting - it has to be, otherwise he wouldn't do it. But it's TV stuff. It's not real graft. Real graft is his 70-hour week mending trucks for a local haulage firm. And between 'proper' jobs, over the summer, he was taytie farming on his new John Deere tractor, working in the fields from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. He was thinking of diversifying into muck-spreading, then the truck-fitting j...

By: Laura Wood Location: FIC WOO Genre: Historical Fiction  "A Sky Painted Gold is a beautiful YA debut with the glitz and glamour of the 1920s invading a small Cornish town. Filled with secrets and hidden desire, this book will sweep you up into Lou's world!" Bee from Goodreads .com Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, seventeen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years. And when the owners arrive for the summer - a handsome, dashing brother and sister - Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktail parties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams. But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions... And is there something darker lurking at the heart of the Cardew family? A gorgeously dreamy coming-of-age romance set against a stunning Gatsby-esque backdrop, this is perfect for fans of I Capture the Castle and Eva Ibbotson. "Wit...

By: Rena Rossner Location; FIC ROS Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction For there is no friend like a sister In calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, To fetch one if one goes astray, To lift one if one totters down, To strengthen whilst one stands. -----From Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti Captivating and boldly imaginative, with a tale of sisterhood at its heart, Rena Rossner's debut invites you to enter a world filled with magic, folklore and the dangers of the woods. A magical tale of secrets, family ties and fairy tales weaving through history. Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods. But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan.  Perh...

By: T E Carter Location: FIC CAR Genre: Contemporary Triggers: Rape, Sexual Violence and Murder "I thought I knew what is was like to be invisible. I thought I could disappear, but now, I fight to touch anything real and I vanish." ‘This is a haunting and beautiful novel that explores the urgent issue of sexual violence with depth, empathy and devastating anger. Searingly written, it leaps off the page and grabs you by the throat. A love letter to a generation of women who have been taught that they have no choice but to keep quiet and put up with abuse, its message sings out to survivors everywhere and urges everybody else to start listening.’  Laura Bates, founder of Everyday Sexism "When the world breaks you into pieces, sometimes you find what’s left scattered among other people’s broken parts.” Ellie Frias has never wanted to be popular, she just wants to blend in, to be accepted. But then Caleb Breward, tells her she’s beautiful and makes her believe it. E...

By:  Val Emmich , Justin Paul, Steven Levenson, Benj  Location: FIC EMM Genre: Contemporary Youth Fiction From the show's creators comes the groundbreaking novel inspired by the Broadway smash hit  Dear Evan Hansen .  "If the pain is in you, it's in you. It follows you everywhere. Can't outrun it. Can't erase it. Can't push it away; it only comes back." Dear Evan Hansen,  Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why... When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own,...

By: Nicky Singer Location: FIC SIN Genre: Sci Fi, Dystopia  In a world full of checkpoints and controls, can love and hope defy the borders? A searing, timely story, as arresting as it is beautiful.  Mhairi Anne Bain owns only two things: a gun with no bullets and her identity papers. The world is a shell of what it once was. Now, you must prove yourself worthy of existence at every turn, at every border checkpoint. And if you are going to survive, your instincts will become your most valuable weapon. Mhairi has learnt the importance of living her own story, of speaking to no one. But then she meets a young boy with no voice at all, and finds herself risking everything to take him to safety. And so Mhairi and the silent boy travel the road north. But there are rumours that things in Scotland have changed since she has been away. What Mhairi finds there is shocking and heart-breaking, but might finally re-connect her to her sense of self and to the possibility of love. "Woa...

By: Broken Things Location: FIC OLI Genre:Mystery, Thriller  “That's the problem with lies. They aren't solid. They melt, and seep, and leak into the truth. And sooner or later, everything's just a muddle.” It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.  Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called  The Way into Lovelorn  the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly. The only thing is: they didn’t do it.  On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous "Tense, atmospheric, often a little creepy, Broken Things wa...

By: Julia Walton Location: FIC WAL Genre: Mental Health   Soon to be a major motion picture starring Charlie Plummer, AnnaSophia Robb, and Taylor Russell!   Fans of  More Happy Than Not,  The Perks of Being a Wallflower,  and  It's Kind of a Funny Story  will cheer for Adam in this uplifting and surprisingly funny story of a boy living with schizophrenia. "It's significantly more difficult to make friends when people know you see things you shouldn't be able to see." When you can't trust your mind, trust your heart.  Adam is a pretty regular teen--he's just navigating high school life while living with paranoid schizophrenia. His hallucinations include a cast of characters that range from the good (beautiful Rebecca) to the bad (angry Mob Boss) to the just plain weird (polite naked guy). An experimental drug promises to help him hide his illness from the world. When Adam meets Maya, a fiercely intelligent girl, he desperately w...