No one is shocked by the six-eyed alien strolling around the Universal back lot. The tourists just think he's part of the show. It doesn't take long for Buddy to land a role on a popular TV show, playing (of course) an alien. He becomes an overnight heartthrob and is suddenly faced with legions of adoring fans, rides in glamorous limos, and appearances at "all-the-shrimp-you-can-eat" red carpet parties. But can Buddy maintain his secret identity while in the spotlight?

Alien Superstar is available for preorder now! 

Find more Heny Winkler titles online or at your local Books Inc.!

by FRANK MURPHY

There's more to being a boy than sports, feats of daring, and keeping a stiff upper lip. A Boy Like You encourages every boy to embrace all the things that make him unique, to be brave and ask for help, to tell his own story and listen to the stories of those around him. In an age when boys are expected to fit into a particular mold, this book celebrates all the wonderful ways to be a boy.

Publisher's Weekly - A Boy Like You

Reviewed on 1 July 2019

Excerpt: The story is directed squarely at boys, but Harren’s illustrations show representations of all kinds of kids and families. Being a boy can mean many things, Murphy suggests, but being “a smart boy, a brave boy, a kind boy” are the first important steps toward manhood.

Contributors

Author: Frank Murphy

A graduate of Rutgers University, Frank is currently a second grade teacher in the Council Rock School District in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Frank lives in Holland, Pennsylvania, and has two sons, Griffin and Chase.

Illustrator: Kayla Harren

Kayla Harren is the author and illustrator of Mary Had a Little Lizard, and the illustrator of a number of other projects, including Hannah's Tall Order. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Order your copy of A Boy Like You by Frank Murphy & Kayla Herren now! 

Teen Advisory Board Member Evgenia Reviews A Winter's Promise

by Christelle Dabos

On the Ark of Anima, some objects can have a life of their own. Ophelia knows this better than anyone, considering that she deals with old artifacts daily at the family museum that she manages. Her skills as a reader, gleaning the past of an object through touch, make her perfect for the job. Still, the looming shadow of suitors and marriage remains, hanging over her. Finally, after ages of refusing her family’s attempts at marrying her off, she finds herself engaged to the mysterious, frigid, and rude Mr. Thorn, and spirited away to his distant home at the Pole. There, she finds herself in a nest of vipers, threatened by cutthroat nobles and ruthless in-laws, with Thorn himself offering little comfort or familiarity. And, of course, there’s still the question of why he chose to marry her, of all of the suitable young women on Anima.

I was enveloped by the beautiful worldbuilding and I found myself extremely invested in the lives of the characters. I adored the elegant, old-fashioned style of writing and felt that it was a perfect fit to the tone of the book. Each chapter built more and more of this fantastical world and its colorful characters. This book is filled to the brim with spellbinding images: people stepping through mirrors, scarves with lives of their own, and gigantic arks soaring in the sky. The world created by Dabos is immersive and wondrous, an interesting mix of magic and some elements of steampunk.

This book would be good for fans of “pseudo-Victorian” fantasy who love a long, winding tale of court intrigue and an extremely slow-burning romance.

A Winter's Promise is in stores now! 

Love A Winter's Promise? You're in luck! The second in the series: This Missing of Clairdelune is also available. 

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff is a new YA Sci-Fi adventure and is set in the year 2380, where the graduating class of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. The golden boy Tyler Jones gets stuck with a group of discipline cases and psychopaths that shouldn’t be in the same room together. In it is a diplomat, a sociopathic scientist, a tech whiz, a warrior with anger issues, a tomboy pilot (who’s totally not in love with anyone, especially Ty), and the mystery girl (cough, cough her name is the title) Ty has just rescued from space who has been cryogenically frozen for two centuries. And who could also set off a war a million years in the making. Meaning Ty’s group of dregs could be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing, Random House wants to inspire our kids to LOOK UP! with their new picture book Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon.

They've also put together a list of other titles focusing on space, space exploration, and the people who dared to dream us there.

Find all these books at your local Books Inc. or at Booksinc.net now! Telescopes not included. 

The search is on! Stop by Books Inc. in Campbell to grab your Waldo Passport . . . or click here to download & print yours from home.

Teen Advisory Board Member Evgenia Reviews The Princess and the Fangirl

by Ashley Poston

Imogen, a die-hard fan of a major science fiction franchise, Starfield, has been campaigning to try to prevent the death of her favorite character in the series, Princess Amara. Through the internet, she has garnered lots of support and is hopeful that maybe the princess will be saved after all. Jessica, the actress playing Amara, cannot wait to leave behind the franchise and move on to more serious roles. Her hatred of Starfield is no secret and she will soon be moving onto Oscar-worthy roles, that is, as long as she doesn’t have to sign her contract again. When someone begins leaking pages from the Starfield script, Jessica and Imogen work together, using their similarity to switch places. Imogen must field panels, meet fans, deal with Jessica’s annoyingly attractive assistant, and most importantly, try not to reveal her true identity. On the other side of the convention, Jessica must try to track down whoever is leaking that script while still trying to hide herself from Imogen’s family and trying to deal with developing feelings for Imogen’s friend, Harper.

With a large convention as the setting, and fandom references galore, this book is a fairy tale transposed into a modern geek’s fantasy. Romance and fluff are in abundance, making this book a quick, happy, pleasant read. Unlike many romance books, however, one of the main romantic plots contains lesbian representation. Every aspect of the book is tinged with pop-culture references and just over all geekiness. Poston has created a book that stays mostly true to the major theme, fandom.

A lighthearted, fandom-filled twist on a familiar tale, this book will delight geeks and romance fans alike.

The Princess and the Fangirl is in stores now!