Not for the squeamish!

Oooh, something kinda gross, just in time for Halloween!  If you have a weak stomach, you may want to stay away from The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins by H. P. Newquist.  No, it's not completely disgusting, but you will see a bit of the red stuff as the author discusses everything from what blood is made up of to the amazing things that blood does for your body, and from old-time medical treatment (leeches! blood-letting!) to creatures both real and imagined that want to drink your blood.  There's even some cool information about unusual blood that other animals have.  Did you know that the blood from an icefish is clear?  And blood from a horseshoe crab is blue??  Check this out...if you dare...and learn what rare disease can turn a person's blood...green.

For German shepherd fans!

There are a lot of different, interesting aspects to How I, Nicky Flynn, Finally Get a Life (and a Dog) by Art Corriveau.  Nicky's parents have divorced; he and his mom have moved to a not-real-great (or big) apartment.  Nicky's mom surprises him by bringing home Reggie, a German shepherd and former guide dog for the blind.  Initially kind of mad, Nicky ends up bonding with Reggie and trying to figure out why the dog was returned to the pound.  At the same time he's learning about guide dogs in general and Reggie in particular, Nicky is dealing with school bullies, a girl who's trying to be his friend, a mom who isn't dealing well with the divorce, and a dad who's ignoring him.  Told in Nicky's voice, the story is authentic; parts are a little funny, but when characters mess up...it still seems real.

Powerful and haunting

Wow.  I don't usually get drawn into stories that are sad, but A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness was absolutely riveting.  Conor is 13, and as long as his mom has been battling cancer, he's been having the same awful nightmare.  One night he's visited by an enormous monster formed by a nearby yew tree.  Over time, and as Conor's mom tries more and more treatments that don't work, the monster tells Conor three confusing stories and then demands that Conor tell him a fourth one - the truth, the story of his nightmare.  Conor's feelings of helplessness, grief, and anger are laid bare; the monster - frightening, caring, maddeningly logical - is one of the most creatively written characters I've come across in a long time.  Black and white artwork adds an extraordinary, eerie quality.  I couldn't put this book down....