Dell/Delacorte/Knopf/Random House.

Dell/Delacorte/Knopf/Random House

1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019

www.randomhouse.com/teens

A number of new leisure read choices will attract teens year-round with notable plots and unpredictable moments. Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Spyhole Secrets (0440417-082, $4.99) tells of Hallie, who is having troubles facing her father's sudden death, a move to a strange old mansion, and new school. Her discovery of a forbidden attic 'spy hole' which allows her to peep into another life not only takes her away from a depressing new life; it helps her focus on the needs of others in crisis. Add Snyder's usual touch of supernatural overtones and you have a different, moving story. Jan Mark's science fiction story Useful Idiots (0385750234, $15.95) is set in a futuristic society of 2255 and presents a United Kingdom flooded by slow climate changes. A young graduate student's discovery of a rare human skull relic leads him to an aboriginal tribe's strange experiment. The plot is complex and winding: mature, older teens are recommended readers. Meg Rosoff's How I Live Now (0385746776, $16.95) tells of war which breaks out in the 21st century, affecting a teen whose visit to little- known relatives in England becomes a desperate attempt to build family relationships and survive in a failing world. Absolutely riveting. Christopher Paolini's Eragon (0375826688, $18.95) provides an in-depth adventure story recommended for advanced young adult fans of fantasy. Eragon's discovery of a polished blue stone in the forest brings a dragon hatchling to his life--and a confrontation with a new world of magic and power. Author Paolini himself has long loved science fiction and fantasy stories and was just 15 when he wrote Eragon and self-published it with his family's help: you'd never guess his age from the complex, polished result. Melissa Lion's Swollen (0385746423, $15.95) is also a first novel: this telling of a woman searching for true love. Samantha not only can't seem to find real romance; she simply doesn't fit into the world and has a reputation for being an average, 'easy' girl--until a new boy's attention offers her a chance at a real relationship. Mitali Perkins' Monsoon Summer (038573123X, $15.95) tells of California-born Jasmine, who heads to India during the monsoon season on a family trip. Visiting her mother's native country isn't Jasmine's idea of a great summer vacation, especially since it revolves around her mother's volunteer work--but her growing relationship with an Indian girl changes both her life and her self-centered focus. Nicola Morgan's Fleshmarket (038573154X, $15.95) deftly blends an historical 1822 setting with the story of a boy who witnesses his mother's agonizing death at the hands of a savage surgeon. Mature teens will find this a heart-wrenching historical story of a slum boy who discovers years later the doctor is trafficking in bodies for experiments-- and will find Morgan's exacting story of Edinburgh to be riveting if not wrenching. Bindi Babes by Narinder Dhami (0385731779, $14.95) presents Amber, Jazz and Geena--three sisters with reputations for being the coolest in school, who hide the grief of their mother's death. An aunt from India invites herself into their household at their father's okay and shakes their carefully constructed defenses: if only they can get her out of their home by marrying her off, life can return to normal arm's-length. A funny story of self-defenses in the face of grief. Sue Limb's Girl, 15, Charming But Insane (0385732147, $15.95) takes the form of a personals ad and a funny self-assessment by a teen of her own attributes and penchant for love. Jess Jordan has a tendency to complicate her life: anticipate humor throughout her story.