Monday (more like Mid-Week): Books in the Mail

Things were just to hectic around here for me to deal with this on Monday but I don't want my new books to become the leaning tower of Pisa either. So I have to get to it before next Monday comes around. Some fabulous books flowed through my mailbox last week. To keep this from taking me all day to write I'm foregoing pictures again but will include descriptions. Next week I should be back into full glory with pics & descripts!

From Candlewick Press:

Greek Myths retold by Marcia Williams - The Greek myths are among the greatest, most exciting stories ever told and feature some of the world's best loved heroes and heroines. In this book, you'll find the stories of Theseus, conqueror of the dreaded Minotaur; the mighty Heracles and his twelve tasks; the tragic lovers Orpheus and Eurydice; Perseus, the Gorgon-slayer; the musician Arion and his rescue by the dolphins; Pandora and her little box of horrors; the feather-clad fliers Daedalus and Icarus; and the weaving contest between Arachne and the goddess Athene. Each of these tales has been retold with lively text and dramatic cartoon style, making them accessible and fun for young children.

Greek Myths retold by Ann Turnbull - A gorgeous collection of classic Greek myths welcomes readers of all ages into a legendary world of beauty, tragedy, and miracle.

Enter a world where anything is possible. A god might be a mountain or a shower of gold. A nymph may be a stream or an echo in the wind. The myths of ancient Greece are full of such wonders, as well as a host of courageous heroes, cunning heroines, and terrible monsters. Ann Turnbull’s compelling prose enlivens sixteen of the most celebrated myths, from the sadness of Persephone to the ill-fated love of Orpheus and Eurydice, from Pandora’s unlucky curiosity to the greed of King Midas to many more age-old tales filled with drama and romance. In vivid, expressive detail, Sarah Young’s fine-art illustrations bring this golden world to life, capturing creatures from Cerberus, the threeheaded dog, to the sinister snake-haired Medusa.

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley - Award-winning author Alan Bradley returns with another beguiling novel starring the insidiously clever and unflappable eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce. The precocious chemist with a passion for poisons uncovers a fresh slew of misdeeds in the hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey—mysteries involving a missing tot, a fortune-teller, and a corpse in Flavia’s own backyard.

Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse—that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce’s drawing room.

Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession—a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia?

As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.

From Capstone Press:

DC Super Pets! series - Introducing the pets of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes. They, too, are working night and day to fight crime and evil in the DC Universe. These early chapter books are sure to engage and amuse younger readers. Unleash the power of Super-Pets!

• Royal Rodent Rescue (Supergirl's pet)
• The Fastest Pet on Earth (Wonder Woman's pet)
• Heroes of the High Seas (Aquaman's pet)
• Pooches of Power (Batman's pet)
• Midway Monkey Business (Superman's pet)
• Super Hero Splash Down (Green Lantern's pet)

From Simon & Schuster Canada:

Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christine Meldrum - In the stirring tradition of The Secret Life of Bees and The Poisonwood Bible, Amaryllis in Blueberry explores the complexity of human relationships set against an unforgettable backdrop. Told through the haunting voices of Dick and Seena Slepy and their four daughters, Christina Meldrum's soulful novel weaves together the past and the present of a family harmed--and healed--by buried secrets.

"Maybe, unlike hope, truth couldn't be contained in a jar..."

Meet the Slepys: Dick, the stern doctor, the naive husband, a man devoted to both facts and faith; Seena, the storyteller, the restless wife, a mother of four, a lover of myth. And their children, the Marys: Mary Grace, the devastating beauty; Mary Tessa, the insistent inquisitor; Mary Catherine, the saintly, lost soul; and finally, Amaryllis, Seena's unspoken favorite, born with the mystifying ability to sense the future, touch the past and distinguish the truth tellers from the most convincing liar of all.

When Dick insists his family move from Michigan to the unfamiliar world of Africa for missionary work, he can't possibly foresee how this new land and its people will entrance and change his daughters--and himself--forever.

Nor can he predict how Africa will spur his wife Seena toward an old but unforgotten obsession. In fact, Seena may be falling into a trance of her own. . . .

MAOH: Juvenile Remix Vol. 4 by Megumi Osuga -

"As crazy as your ideas might be, as long as you believe in yourself and tackle the issue head-on, you can even change the world." Ando is a high school student who has the power to make others say out loud what he's thinking. Inukai is the mysterious leader of a vigilante group called Grasshopper, which is at odds with the city's redevelopment plan. In this chaotic city, these two will come together to weave a story of courage, determination and confrontation.

As Inukai reveals his dark ambitions for the city, Ando is more determined than ever to fight back in any way he can. But when he discovers that his power comes with a painful side effect, how will he respond?

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann - The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross—and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.