West Bend Community Memorial Library

A Dark and Stormy Night

The Day my Sister went Missing -

Desert Crossing by Elise Broach -

As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway - It is said that Anna (Anastasia) Cayne was born in a thunderstorm. A slightly spooky and complicated high school girl with a penchant for riddles, shortwave radios, Houdini tricks, and ghost stories, Anna spends much of her time writing obituaries for every living person in town. She is unlike anyone the narrator has ever been with, and they make an unlikely, though happy, pair. A week before Valentine's Day, Anna disappears, leaving behind only a dress placed neatly near a hole in the frozen river, and a string of unanswered questions. Desperate to find her, or at least to comprehend what happened and why, the narrator begins to reconstruct the past five months. And soon the fragments of curious events, intimate conversations, suspicious secrets, and peculiar letters (and the anonymous messages that continue to arrive) coalesce into haunting and surprising revelations that may implicate friends, relatives - or even Anna herself.

Killing Britney by Sean Olin - Winter in Madison, WI, can be chilling enough without a serial killer on the loose. Now the La Follette Rabid Raccoons have one more thing to turn their blood cold. Britney Johnson is the ugly duckling turned swan who has reinvented herself with dramatic results. She's slim, blonde, and beautiful and begins dating the captain of the school's ice hockey team. What's not to envy? But it looks like someone is taking envy to another level by killing off her friends and family.

Fake ID by Walter Sorrells - After a lifetime of moving and assuming new identities, sixteen-year-old Chass begins to piece together the disturbing past that haunts her and her mother and which involves a mysterious tape, a deceased popular singer, and the secrets of several people in a small Alabama town.

A Thief in the House of Memory by Tim Wynne-Jones - Six years ago, when Declan Steeple was 10 and his sister was just a baby, his mother, Lindy, disappeared, searching for something better than the dusty family estate with its generations of clutter and memory. Now the Steeples live in a modern split-level down the hill from the Big House, but the mansion is still there, filled with a past that hides secrets. When a local man is found dead in the house, memories of Lindy and her unhappiness living there suddenly become a pressing weight on Dec, compounded by the fact that he and his sister were the ones to discover the body.

Turn to Stone by Philip Gross - Nick, a sixteen-year-old runaway, is selected for training at a secluded mansion to become one of the elite of living statues, actors who can live a life of ease if they are willing to train hard enough and please their mysterious benefactor, but who may be destroyed if they do not measure up.

Acceleration by Graham Mcnamee - Seventeen-year-old Duncan is haunted by the fact that he was unable to save a drowning girl a few yards away one fateful afternoon the previous September. This summer he has a job working underground at the Toronto subway lost and found where he uncovers, amid the piles of forgotten junk, an opportunity to exorcise his own guilty demons. When business is slow, Duncan spends his time rummaging through dusty shelves and boxes of unclaimed items. During one of these sessions, he uncovers a strange, leather-bound book that turns out to be the diary of a would-be serial killer. Unable to tear himself from the gory descriptions of tortured animals and arson, he discovers that the writer has started to stalk women on the subway. When the police seem disinterested, the teen takes matters into his own hands, and with the aid of his two best friends, tries to track and trap the murderer before he can strike.

Deep by Susanna Vance - Two totally dissimilar girls meet under extreme circumstances. Birdie, 13, is the coddled only child of highly educated professionals living in a small town in Oregon. Morgan, 16, is the only surviving child of a couple who dropped out of life in Norway to sail the seven seas in a small clipper. Both teens become the prey of a handsome, charismatic psychopath based on a small private island in the Caribbean and must team up to save their lives.

The Rag & Bone Shop by Robert Cormier - A 12-year-old boy accused of a brutal murder faces an interrogator determined to get a confession in this gripping psychological thriller.

Wolf Rider by Avi - On an ordinary evening... 15-year-old Andy... receives a phone call from a stranger that changes his life. The caller, Zeke, confesses to the murder of a young woman named Nina.... An exciting tale of the terror lurking beneath everyday surroundings and behind ordinary events

The Man Who Was Poe by Avi - In Providence, R.I., in 1848, Edgar Allan Poe reluctantly investigates the problems of eleven-year-old Edmund, whose family has mysteriously disappeared and whose story suggests a new Poe tale with a ghastly final twist.

Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks - Meet Martyn Pig... a boy with a terrible name, trapped in a terrible life. His mother has left him. His father is a belligerent, abusive alcoholic. It seems like his life can't get any worse.And then it does. Faced with the sudden, accidental death of his father, Martyn realizes that for the first time ever, he has a choice. He can tell the police what happened -- and be suspected of murder -- or he can get rid of the body and go on with the rest of his life. Deciding on the latter, Martyn and his sharp-witted and undeniably pretty new neighbor come up with a seemingly foolproof plan. Then, just as Martyn begins to think his life is finally under control, a twisted turn of events leaves him stunned beyond belief. Kevin Brooks masterfully captures the humor and heart of this compelling character with his chilling, unforgettable story.

Lucas by Kevin Brooks - From the acclaimed author of "Martyn Pig" comes this gripping novel that shows how storytelling has the power to heal and transform. Lucas enters Caitlin's life, and she's deeply drawn to him. When Lucas is accused of a crime he didn't commit, Caitlin knows she must make a choice.

Kissing the Rain by Kevin Brooks - Michael "Moo" Nelson is an uncouth, overweight, working-class 15-year-old who escapes the daily harassment, the "rain" as he calls it, he faces at school by riding his bike to a bridge, climbing to a familiar vantage point, and losing himself in the Zen of watching the endless flow of traffic. His life is changed when he witnesses a murder from the bridge. The alleged killer is a notoriously ruthless organized-crime figure and Michael is the only one who knows that the man is innocent of this particular crime, but is being framed by the police, who are eager to see him behind bars.

The Presence by Eve Bunting - After her best friend dies in an accident, 17-year-old Catherine is approached by a stranger who tells her he can put her in touch with her friend. Wary, Catherine is soon warned about other girls who have disappeared.

Ostrich Eye by Beth Cooley - Is the man Ginger meets in the park really her long-lost father, or is he her family's worst nightmare? Cooley's cautionary tale of family relationships, identity, and the disastrous results of miscommunication is a gripping novel with an unsettling premise.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly - Set in 1906 against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy, " this coming-of-age novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and wholly original.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke - Welcome to the magical world of Venice, Italy, where hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets.

Dead Girls Don't Write Letters by Gail Giles - Fourteen-year-old Sunny is stunned when a total stranger shows up at her house posing as her older sister Jazz, who supposedly died out of town in a fire months earlier.

Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? by Mel Glenn - When popular Tower High English teacher Mr. Chippendale is fatally shot, everyone's a suspect. The killer could be anyone -- one of his students, a colleague, or even an ex-flame. Told in a series of interlocking poems, this suspenseful story will keep readers guessing who the killer is right up until the last page.

Dead Man in Indian Creek by Mary Downing Hahn - When Matt and Parker learn the body they found in Indian Creek is a drug-related death, they fear Parker's mother may be involved.

The Trouble with Lemons by Daniel Hayes - Tyler and his best friend, Lymie, go to the local quarry for a forbidden late night dip, but quickly find themselves swimming with a dead body. Beating a swift retreat, they report their discovery to the sheriff anonymously and suspect that the man, a maintenance worker from school, was murdered. Meanwhile, Tyler has other problems to deal with; he feels like a total failure, certain that he is a magnet for trouble. His father is dead; his mother and brother are movie stars who are away for long periods. But Tyler proves to be resilient if unsure of himself. A popular girl befriends him; with Lymie, they try to puzzle out the mystery of the dead man.

The Creek by Jennifer Holm - When infamous juvenile delinquent Caleb Devlin returns to Mockingbird Lane, in a manicured suburb of Philadelphia, rumors of his past plus a string of gory events convince 12-year-old Penny and her crew of male friends that he's targeting them.

The She by Carol Plum-Ucci - It's been eight years since Evan's parents disappeared at sea. Searching for answers, Evan wonders if they were swallowed up by The She, the she-devil of legend that devours ships off the New Jersey coast.

Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci - Chris Creed grew up as the class freak--the bullies' punching bag. After he vanished, the weirdness that had once surrounded him began spreading. It was as if a darkness reached out of his void to grab at the most normal, happy people--like some twisted joke or demented form of justice. It tore the town apart. Sixteen-year-old Torey Adams's search for answers opens his eyes to the lies, the pain, and the need to blame when tragedy strikes, and his once-safe world comes crashing down around him.

What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci - Lani Garver is the new kid on Hackett Island--and a mystery to the close-knit residents. Where does Lani come come from? How old is Lani? Is Lani a boy or a girl? Claire McKenzie isn't up to teasing Lani with the rest of the high school elite, and befriends the outcast. But days later tragedy strikes, and Claire questions herself, her friendships, and the possibility angels may exist on earth.

Westing Game by Eileen Rankin - The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.

Twisted Summer by Willo Davis Roberts - Every summer Cici and her family join other family and friends at Crystal Lake. This year she learns that Brodie, her friend Jack's older brother, has been convicted of murder. Cici doesn't believe Brodie did it and decides to investigate, making for a complicated and difficult summer.

The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin - Recently acquitted of murder, 17-year-old David has moved to Massachusetts where he finds a new residence with his aunt and uncle. But his attic apartment doesn't feel like shelter and the behavior of his cousin, Lily, keeps getting more threatening. The more he learns about Lily, the harder it is to avoid thinking about his past.

Double Helix by Nancy Werlin - Eighteen-year-old Eli Samuels, whose once-vibrant mother is losing her long battle with the ravages of Huntington's disease, is hired at the Wyatt Transgenics Lab. Eli's father is dead set against the job because of a secret he harbors concerning the lab's owner, Dr. Quincy Wyatt, and Eli's mother. Shortly after starting work, the teen meets Kayla Matheson, a beautiful girl who eerily reminds him of a photo of his mother when she was young. Slowly, Eli uncovers one layer after another of the shocking truth about Dr. Wyatt's genetic-engineering experiments and their connection to his parents, Kayla, and himself.

Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin - Eloquent, engrossing suspense by the author of the Edgar Award-winning novel "The Killer's Cousin". Now that her brother has committed suicide, Frances wonders if she hadn't been so caught up in her own pain, maybe she would have noticed his. But soon she's caught in the middle of a puzzle too ominous to ignore, and the memory of her brother is at stake.

Shooting Monarchs by John Halliday - Macy grew up unwanted, unloved, and alone. Danny grew up physically disabled, raised by his grandmother, and a loner. Leah, the most beautiful girl in school, unwittingly causes these two very different boys to meet in a first and final terrifying encounter.

Popular YA Mystery Authors
Caroline B Cooney
Lois Duncan
Joan Lowery Nixon
Phillip Pullman
Jay Bennett

~Young Adult Librarian ~
Kristin Lade
klade@west-bendlibrary.org
262.335.5151 x128

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Updated October 25, 2006

"Organized education gives us information, but there are things we have to learn ourselves" ~ Lauryn Hill