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In: Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Mystery & Suspense, Mystery & Suspense (YA), Supernatural & Horror, Supernatural & Horror (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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Acclaimed British novelist Catherine Fisher (Incarceron – The Times’ Children’s Book of the Year) is back this Fall with a new subtly woven, spooky Faust-inspired, fantasy, Darkwater. In the early twentieth century in a windswept British village on the sea, 16 year old Sarah Trevelyan would give anything to regain the power, prestige, and wealth her family held for generations but lost in the folly of a card game gone wrong.  Reduced to living with her family’s only remaining loyal servant, Sarah’s sickly and broken father sinks deeper into a wasting illness while she is forced to humble herself as a scullery maid at the localRead More →

We're Moving!

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Join us for our Moving & Back-to-School Blowout Sale! Now Extended Through September | Sale Hours: M-F: 10-6, Sat: By Appointment Hardbacks: $5 | Paperbacks: $3 (or less)  In Store Shopping Only | Purchase Orders Accepted | Some exceptions apply, see store for details. Books available on a first come, first served basis. No back-orders (available at promotional prices) if/when titles sell out.Read More →

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Christopher Krovatin’s recent book Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones is designed for readers  who don’t mind horror or creepy concepts like zombies.  Following a plotline similar to that found in R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, this book features three middle-schooler’s perspectives: Ian, a hard-headed athlete who thinks muscle will help him outrun any danger; Kendra, a sharp-minded library resident who relies on her brain to out-think a crisis; and PJ, a nervous camera addict who controls his fears by framing and directing shots. On a field trip designed to “separate the wolves from the poodles,” the trio engages with Homeroom Earth, an education program about survival in theRead More →

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Donovan Curtis is a kid who acts; he just goes with his gut, acts on instinct, and lets the chips fall where they may.  And for most of his 13 years, the chips haven’t really fallen in the best places. He gets in trouble at home and at school – a lot.  His pranks are legendary and his pals love to egg him on and then disappear when its time to pay the piper.  Donovan’s latest, which destroys both his middle school’s mascot statue and the entire school gym, is the worst yet. And he knows there is no escaping the major punishment that isRead More →

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In: Middle Grade Reviews, Sci Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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For a thrilling, fast-paced, and action-packed paranormal adventure, Mark  Frost’s  Book One in The Paladin Prophecy series is a must read.  In a class with books like Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne novels, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Frost’s book explores how disaster wakes up the system. The story features 15-year-old Will West who lives a quiet, contained, and invisible life to ensure he remains mediocre and under the radar of powerful forces who might exploit his true talent.  For him, school is a daily drone, “Novocain for the brain” (4), until Dr. Robbins shows up and offersRead More →

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The August issue of our newsletter is out now! We’re ringing in the new school year with a bang! Check out this month’s newsletter to see everything we are introducing this year- including Library Processing, Featured Fall 2012 Collections, and more!! And, we’ll still be bringing you book industry news, info on new releases and cool websites, book reviews, opportunities to win free books, tech news and much more straight to your inbox! Not signed up for our email mailing list? It’s easy- just find the Join Our Mailing List link on the right sidebar of this blog. (Or, click here) In the meantime, just in case you didn’t getRead More →

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Our Blog is 5 Years Old Today! Lots of reviews later, we’re still having fun sharing our thoughts and opinions about the books we’ve read, keeping you updated on happenings here at PBC, and hopefully providing some interesting and helpful info. Thanks to all our occasional and regular reviewers – I appreciate your time, opinions, and willingness to share your reviews with PBC. Now, for some cake… yum!Read More →

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In: Middle Grade Reviews, Sci Fi & Fantasy
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 Anyone looking for lessons in courage, determination, ingenuity, and selfless giving should read Diane Stanley’s medieval fantasy, The Cup and the Crown, the second in her series featuring Lady Marguerite, aka Molly.  For her brave loyalty and other acts of fealty, a royal decree has transformed Molly from scullery maid to lady.  But this tough, hard, brash, resilient, and joyful girl who can not embroider, sew, or read poetry struggles to match the conventional definition of lady.  A descendant of the great silversmith and magically gifted William Harrows, Molly possesses her own magical gift of visions and other unharnessed powers. To locate one of herRead More →

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In: Middle Grade Reviews, Realistic Fiction, Realistic Fiction (YA), Sports, Sports (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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If there was ever a character about whom you could say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, it would have to be Harrison Johnson in Tim Green‘s latest, Unstoppable.  Harrison is only 13 years old, but in his short life he’s already faced abusive foster parents, beating and intimidation from his fellow foster kids, a system set up to break him down, and the realization that his own mother will never be able to care for him like  a mother should.  When he catches a break and gets away from his most abusive foster family yet and lands in the loving, peaceful home ofRead More →