National Network for Equitable Library Service

Marvin Maywood only wants one thing in life-to join the heroes of the Core. But he can't follow his dream because his powers are fed by fear, which is against the Core's standards. So he lives on the streets and watches the elite team of costumed crime fighters from afar. After Marvin performs an illegal act of heroism, he meets Roisin, one of the Core's heroes, and it seems like his chance to join the team has finally come. As she guides him through his tryout, he starts investigating some strange happenings within the Core.

A lifelong climber, seventeen-year-old Jordan spends as much time as he can scaling the crags outside his Washington hometown. His friend A.J., a fellow climber and popular super-jock, keeps the gorilla football players off Jordan's back, and his girlfriend Juana likes the crags as much as he does. All in all, Jordan's got a crimp hold on happiness. But even the tightest grip is useless if a piece of the rock breaks away. For the climber, there are only two absolutes in life: gravity and death. Unfortunately, Jordan can't protect his friends from either.

Cassie wakes up on her sixteenth birthday only to realize she's been floating in her sleep. With her brother's help, Cassie learns how to control her new flying power, but she's afraid people will think differently of her if they find out. She's willing to do anything to keep her secret-practicing in the middle of the night, lying to her parents, even blowing off friends. But when a friend is in danger, Cassie must decide whether or not to help, even if taking action means revealing her secret.

On her sixteenth birthday, Aisha suddenly can't touch anything without breaking it. With the help of a friend, she's able to get a handle on her new super strength. But Aisha is determined to keep her super power a secret at all cost. When an earthquake hits and starts destroying her school, will she be willing to reveal her secret in order to save the day'

Evan has always dreamed of being a superhero, and on his sixteenth birthday he discovers the ability to stretch and bend his body in impossible ways. He decides that's it's time to make the most of his super stretchiness and become a real-life superhero-except he can't find any actual crime to fight. When a video of his superpower goes viral, Evan gets a taste of the fame he has ever hoped for, but he knows he hasn't really done anything besides a few cool tricks.

Natalie has never been a fast runner. She's only on the track team because her sister, a varsity runner, put in a good word with the coach. So Natalie's shocked when her speed suddenly increases on her sixteenth birthday. Soon she can run faster than humanly possible! But the more races she wins, the more arrogant she becomes. With this new attitude taking a toll on her relationship with her best friend on the team as well as her sister, Natalie must decide if the super speed is really worth it.

Tony has preferred to fly under the radar for most of his life. He doesn't even notice he's developed the ability to turn invisible until he walks into school the day after his sixteenth birthday and realizes no one can see him. Soon another student finds out about Tony's superpower, and he uses it to blackmail Tony into stealing and helping him cheat. Can Tony stand up for himself and do the right thing-even if it means exposing his ability to the rest of the school'

On his sixteenth birthday, Parker discovers he's developed the power of telekinesis. He's excited to use his new ability to stop some high school bullies, forming a ragtag crew with his friends. But after almost hurting someone by accident, Parker questions whether or not he wants to use his powers at all. That is, until a bullying prank goes wrong and one of his friends needs his help. Then Parker will have to decide if interfering is a risk he's willing to take.

When a girl wakes up in a virtual reality fantasy video game, she's sure this must be a mistake. She's not a gamer and she doesn't want to be here. Whether she likes it or not, she's now Em3ra1d_with_3nvy, one player in a four-player team whose mission is to defeat a dragon and rescue the realm's princess. In a game where she has no idea how to play, Em3ra1d_with_3nvy will have to learn to use magic in order to help her team win the game-or risk being trapped within it forever.

A11_4_ON3 is a gamer who likes to look out for himself-especially when it comes to winning. When he learns he's part of a four-player team with his former gaming crew, no one is happy to work together again. But their team must win this virtual reality racing game, or they'll be trapped inside the virtual world forever. Can he change his attitude for the sake of his team' Or will his self-centered playing be their downfall'