Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

Brilliantly written, this "novel of Romeo and Juliet" is the story of Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, during the famous Romeo and Juliet tragedy. It starts with a thief in the night, and a chance meeting with the beautiful Rosaline, Romeo's original love. It darkens with the acknowledgement of Mercutio's forbidden love - a hangable offence to be gay in fair Verona. A witch, a curse, lots of blood is shed...


Beautifully written, a compelling read, and a different take on the traditional story.

Websites to look at:
Rachel Caine
Prince of Shadows
Book trailer

Category: Fiction, author intended it as Young Adult Fiction

Publisher: Allison & Busby

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

eBooks are for Everyone!

eBooks are awesome, and they return themselves! If you are just beginning your e-book journey, check out our e-book help  for assistance in getting started or drop in to your local branch. Select, read online or download titles from our ever-growing collection of e-books including fiction and non-fiction, as well as resources for students and kids. Some titles available for loan now include:

Adult non-fiction - Classic Motorcycle Restoration and Maintenance

A complete workshop guide to restoring and maintaining your classic British motorcycle. Covering the principles of restoration and maintenance, and therefore applicable across all post-war classic British marques such as BSA, Matchless, Triumph, Norton, AJS and Royal Enfield, Classic Motorcycle Restoration and Maintenance covers everything from general maintenance procedures to full engine strips and rebuilds. With step-by-step instructions and over 800 images, the book covers, amongst other things, buying guides, legislation, essential tools, workshop advice, safety, stripping and rebuilding the key components for both singles and twins. With general maintenance, advice, recommended sources and additions included, this new book is an essential resource for the classic motorcycle restorer. Superbly illustrated with 735 colour images and 80 CAD diagrams along with step-by-step instructions.

Young Adult fiction - Afterlight by Rebecca Lim

From the acclaimed author of the Mercy series and The Astrologer's Daughter . Since her parents died in a freak motorbike accident, Sophie Teague's life has fallen apart. But she's just enrolled at a new high school, hoping for a fresh start. That's until Eve, a beautiful ghost in black, starts making terrifying nightly appearances, wanting Sophie to be her hands, eyes and go-to girl. There are loose ends that Eve needs Sophie to tie up. But dealing with the dead might just involve the greatest sacrifice of all. Dark, thrilling and unrelentingly eerie, Afterlight will take you deep into the heart of a dangerous love story, revealing the otherworldly--and deadly--pull of past wrongs that only the living can put right.

Adult fiction - The Storm by Neil Broadfoot

After his editor is murdered in front of him, crime reporter Doug McGregor's world falls apart. As prime witness, he's not allowed to investigate the case, and he's left only with questions and a bloody memory seared in his mind. On top of that, Doug's 'friendship' with his police contact, DS Susie Drummond, is in a weird place right now. So he leaps at the chance to take some time out with an old friend on the Isle of Skye. But when another savage killing occurs, Doug realises that the murders may be linked, and that going to Skye was the best and worst move possible. He's in the eye of the Storm - and this one could engulf them all.

Junior fiction - Phreddie and the Purple Pyramid by Jackie French

Join Phredde, a fractious but fun-loving phaery, Bruce, a mosquito-eating frog, and Pru, an everyday-normal school girl (except that she lives in a fairy castle, keeps pet piranhas, has a werewolf for a brother and a vampire for a teacher!), for a spooky and spell-binding adventure.

Junior non-fiction - The Surfing Scientist: 40 Cool Science Tricks by Ruben Meerman

Want to learn how to stick a potato through a straw? How you can make ice stick to a piece of cotton thread? Stick two books together without glue? Pick up a jar of rice with a pencil? Impress your mates? Too easy - the Surfing Scientist can show you how! Using only household ingredients and with nothing tricky for kids to buy, this book is perfect for every budding scientist or surfer! And it′s packed with facts, knowledge and trivia that interests and fascinates kids, and with photographs of each experiment to make the whole process easy but most of all fun. Ages 7-12 years.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

The Wrong Boy by Suzy Zail

If 'The boy in the stripped pyjamas' left you gasping, then 'The wrong boy' will have you in tears.
From the opening sentence ...They came at midnight, splintering the silence with their fists, pounding at the door until Father let them in... you are taken into the world of Hanna and her family. From the Warsaw ghetto to Auschwitz, this is a heartbreaking tale of a young Jewish girl and her family.

But it is also a story with a more unusual twist where Hanna learns that all Germans are not unfeeling Jew haters. These sparks of goodness in the novel save Hanna, and leave the reader pondering the nature of hate.

Deservedly short listed in the CBCA awards.

Highly recommended for 13-16 year olds.

Category: Young Adult Fiction

Publisher: Black Dog Books, 2012

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French

Jackie French's latest offering is heart wrenching. With characters that you just want to meet, there's young English/German Georg, smuggled out of Germany in 1938 and later evacuated with a boat load of other children to Australia. Mr & Mrs Peaslake, Georg's Australian foster parents who provide a glimpse of war resilience in the face of hardship and uncertainty, and Georg's best friend 'Spud' with her fierce desire to succeed now that her brothers are away fighting.

I loved this book. Not only is the story captivating, but it also provides glimpses at a little known part of Australia's wartime effort. Pennies for Hitler is shortlisted in this year's Children's Book Council of Australia awards.

Category: Junior Fiction

Who'll want to read it?  Perfect for 12-15 year olds.

Publisher: Harper Collins 2012

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

"Who Could That Be At This Hour?" by Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket returns to tell another tale in his fantastic new series, All the Wrong Questions, a detective story featuring a 12 year old Snicket, apprentice to a fairly rude and large haired woman, S. Theodora Markson, asking a lot of wrong questions and providing a lot of great giggles along the way...

Who'll want to read it? Anyone who likes mysteries, sarcasm, dictionary-themed humour, strange towns and wrong questions.

Point of no return: 
In the second paragraph of Chapter One "The food at the Hemlock was too awful to eat, particularly the eggs, which are probably the worst eggs in the entire city, including those on exhibit at the Museum of Bad Breakfast, where visitors can learn just how badly eggs can be prepared."

Classic line: "They say in every library there is a single book that can answer the question that burns like a fire in the mind" - quote from Dashiell Qwerty Sub-Librarian of Stain'd-by-the-Sea library

What's it all about?
12 year old Snicket is whisked away on an unexpected adventure -he was expecting a different adventure all together- to the odd town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea to solve a mystery. There is a Bombinating Beast, a Sub-Librarian, a forest of seaweed and a lot of questions.

I have only just begun my adventure with Snicket on his curious apprenticeship, but I feel already we shall be great friends, that we shall ask many wrong questions and may never get answers to any of them and that I simply can't wait for my lunch break so I might emerse myself in his world once more...

Category: Fiction - Detective Story - Wonderful reads. I refuse to simply categorise this as a children's book. It is awesome and doesn't deserve pigeon-holing! So there!

Series: All the Wrong Questions vol. 1

Publisher: Hardie Grant Pub Pty Ltd

Publication Date: 2012

This title is available for download as an eBook through our new Baker & Taylor 'Axis 360' collection here

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.