The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

Elizabeth, the unloved stepchild and new kid in school, has no friends and not much fun in her life until she takes a job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository--a lending library for significant objects rather than books. Down in the basement are items collected by the Brothers Grimm as part of their fairy tale research: magic carpets, talking mirrors, dancing slippers, silk purses made from sow ears, and more. But something is wrong with the magic in the items...and Elizabeth's coworkers are the main suspects.

A light mystery in a delightful setting that will charm the socks off of library staff and library lovers. Note that many of the illustrations are correctly cataloged!

No sex or cussing or bloodshed. A little bit of romance and a few kisses, and some magic. Recommended! Readers ages 14 to adult.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Dash is scanning the shelves of his favorite bookstore. There, nestled between familiar book spines sits a red notebook. Inside the notebook is a challenge from Lily to find clues in the pages of books.

Over the course of ten days in December, Christmas-loving Lily and Christmas-hating Dash exchange dares and challenges that take them into the nooks and crannies of New York City: into familiar parks and obscure music clubs, outwitting her overprotective family and his indifferent one. Will it all end in romance? Or in a locked closet full of books? Or...possibly...both?

Sweet, fun, philosopical and mostly harmless. No cussing, no sex. A little nakedness, a few kisses, and some underage partying may keep this book out of school libraries, but I hope not.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.