New Releases by Cecil Castellucci

"From writer Cecil Castellucci and artist Marley Zarcone, SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL VOL. 1: EARTH GIRL MADE EASY„a bold new reimagining of one of comicsÍ maddest and most memorable characters and part of the DCÍs Young Animal imprint led by rock-star Gerard Way. Loma Shade may be from another planet, but sheÍs still like every other twenty something who feels that their life is going nowhere fast. Bored out of her mind, her solution is to drop out of school, dump her boyfriend and leave her homeworld of Meta behind„courtesy of the infamous ñmadness coatî of renegade poet Rac Shade, which is not so much a garment as it is a multidimensional gateway. After stealing the coat and astrally projecting herself across space, Loma ends up in the body of Megan Boyer, an Earth girl who seems to have it all: youth, beauty and a conveniently damaged brain. Following her ñmiraculousî recovery, however, Loma finds thereÍs just one problem with being Megan: Everyone hates her. She was a bully who terrorized her enemies and her friends alike, and now LomaÍs stuck with the consequences. To make matters worse, back on Meta there are dark forces that want RacÍs dangerously valuable coat for their own nefarious purposes, and theyÍre closing in on LomaÍs vulnerable physical body. At the same time, the primal madness that the coat channels is slowly, irresistibly eroding LomaÍs equally vulnerable soul. With two new lives to live, can this Changing Girl survive either one without losing her mind? Find out in SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL VOL. 1: EARTH GIRL MADE EASY. Collects issues #1-6."

Following her encounters in Gotham City, Shade decides to head out west and check out Los Alamos, New Mexico, the one-time location of nuclear test sites, and also the setting of her favorite TV show, ÒLife with Honey.Ó But itÕs been half a century since those bombs went offÑand since ÒHoneyÓ went off the air. So what kind of ghostly memories await Shade in the desert? Plus, a brand new ÒLife with HoneyÓ backup story.

Part two of ShadeÕs visit to Gotham City, the first stop on her tour of America. What will happen when she uses madness to get reality to line up with her American dreams? And now that her enemies on Meta have tracked Shade and the madness coat to Earth, she no longer has to worry about how sheÕs going to get back to her home planetÑbecause ShadeÕs home planet is coming to her! All this and a new ÒLife With HoneyÓ tale illustrated by guest artist Brittney Williams (Goldie Vance).

Shade hits the road! After her high school friends made it clear they didn’t want her around, Shade realized she doesn’t want to be there anyway. Map in hand, she decides to explore America. First stop: Gotham City. The city’s population may have seen its fair share of madness, but never like this. The only thing Shade didn’t factor in is that embracing her powers ends up signaling her home planet as to her whereabouts, and Meta police are going to come looking for her stolen coat.

In this stand-alone issue, Shade begins to ponder whatÕs next for her on Earth. As the winter dance approaches, she reminisces about high school on Meta, and starts to wonder why sheÕs putting herself through that kind of hell again. Will she find the perfect dress, or will the dance be a perfect disaster? Plus, an all-new episode of ÒLife with Honey.Ó

When Shade took over MeganÕs body, Megan had to go somewhereÑand that she did. The displaced Earthling flew across the galaxy and back, and now that sheÕs home, Megan is pissed! ItÕs alien invader versus teenage bully in the climactic conclusion of our first arc!

Which is more powerful? These new human emotions or the madness that brought Shade to Earth? Balancing both is difficult, as the divide between where she is now and where she comes from grows deeper. ItÕs all about duality as the future and the past are racing to catch up with Shade. She sees strange visions of a possible tomorrow while Megan, the girl whose body she stole, is racing across galaxies to take her life back. Plus, an all-new backup feature: ShadeÕs favorite TV show, Life With Honey, comes to comics!

Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Star Trek: Voyager return to comics! In Castellucci’s, “Mother’s Walk,” major Kira confronts how she can perform a mandatory, ancient Bajoran pilgrimage when so many family members, needed for the rite, are dead. Who can she turn to? And in Scott’s “The Wildman Maneuver,” an unlikely member of the Voyager crew “saves” the ship!

As Megan, the soul that Shade displaced, gets farther and farther away from Earth, Shade is starting to find things about her new planet and her new body that she really likes. For instance, thereÕs music. And also boys. Not to mention would-be friends and her new parents. This feeling of peace keeps the madness in check-but only temporarily. There is still the matter of that terrible night that put Megan in a coma to begin with.

Earth girl made easy. On the planet Meta, young Loma steals the madness coat that once belonged to Rac Shade and makes a break across galaxies to take up residence in a new body: Earth girl Megan Boyer. Only now Loma learns that Megan was a bully whom everyone hated, and Loma has to survive high school with the ever-growing and uncontrollable madness at her side--not to mention there are people back on her homeworld who might just want Shade''s coat back.

Trying to settle into her new life as an Earth girl, Shade finds the body she has taken over doesnÕt have the same skills as it did when its previous inhabitant was in charge. ItÕs bad enough that her swim team hates her, but now she canÕt perform in the water at all. Can Shade find anyone she can trust to give her guidance before the madness takes over and exposes her as an alien to the entire school?

Shade has settled into her adopted human body, but the rest of her high school isnÕt sure how to deal with this strange new behavior from the girl they once knew. The more Shade learns about MeganÕs former life, the more she realizes everyone hates her. ItÕs one of many fresh sensations Shade is getting to know. Being a human is galaxies different than being from Meta, and itÕs not going to be easy balancing all of that with the madness that brought her here.

ThereÕs no such thing as a little bit of madness. Far away on the planet Meta, LomaÕs going nowhere fast. SheÕs dropped out of school, dumped her boyfriend, and is bored out of her mind. She longs to feel things. ThatÕs where her idol, the lunatic poet Rac Shade, and his infamous madness coat come it. Loma steals the garment and makes a break across galaxies to take up residence in a new body: Earth girl Megan Boyer. Surely everything will be better on this passionate primitive planet with a dash of madness on her side and this human girlÕs easy life. Only now that sheÕs here, Loma discovers being a teenaged Earth girl comes with its own challenges and Earth may not be everything she thought itÕd be. Megan Boyer was a bully whom everyone was glad was almost dead, and now Loma has to survive High School and navigate the consequences of the life she didnÕt live with the ever-growing and uncontrollable madness at her side. Not to mention that there are people back on her homeworld who might just want ShadeÕs coat back. Written by Cecil Castellucci (THE PLAIN JANES, Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure), drawn by Marley Zarcone (EFFIGY) and overseen by Gerard Way, SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL starts a whole new chapter in the story of one of comicsÕ most unique series.

Princess Leia returns for an all-new adventure in this thrilling upper middle grade novel. Set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi, the story follows the warrior princess as she leads a ragtag group of rebels on a dangerous mission against the evil Galactic Empire. Hidden in the story are also hints and clues about the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, making this a must-read for fans old and new!

Princess Leia returns for an all-new adventure in this thrilling upper middle grade novel. Set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi, the story follows the warrior princess as she leads a ragtag group of rebels on a dangerous mission against the evil Galactic Empire. Hidden in the story are also hints and clues about the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, making this a must-read for fans old and new!

"In this follow-up to TIN STAR, the desolate planet below the Yertina Feray space station is discovered to have overwhelming amounts of an invaluable resource, which suddenly makes the station a major player in intergalactic politics"--

In this prequel to Tin Star, we meet Heckleck, the Hort alien who befriends Tula Bane on the space station Yertina Feray in her fight for survival. In his modest beginnings, Heckleck is raised to understand that breeding and propagating his own kind is the sole reason for living. When he is called upon to settle on a new planet, he meets the daughter of a politician, Goglu, with whom he falls helplessly in love, and is determined to win over. But nothing is easy in love and space exploration, and when his plans become thwarted, he must find a new way of life. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download the first five chapters of TIN STAR by Cecil Castellucci. On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist''s leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station. When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula''s desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

Theodora the duck sets a good example for her friend Chad, but who is the odd duck?

Nina, one of the few descendants of human colony on Mars that was abandoned by Earth, is surprised to discover that she can breathe the toxic atmosphere of the Martian surface. The crew, thinking that their attempts at terraforming and breeding for Martian adaptability have finally payed off, rejoice at the prospect of a brighter future. But Nina''s about to unlock the mystery of the disaster that stranded them on Mars... and nothing will ever be the same. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The Interceptor needs repairs, so the crew visits a junk depot! But the asteroid''s inhabitants aren''t happy about these visitors.... And things get even worse when more ships arrive!

Romance is in the air in the DCU with special romance tales featuring Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Batman, Catwoman, Superman, Aquaman, Apollo, Midnighter, Nightwing and more! Plus, perforated Valentine''s Day cards!

"Albert Camus meets Mariah Fredericks in this smart, edgy take on one adolescent’s search for identity and meaning in life." — Kirkus Reviews On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. But on the inside, Libby is dying -- of boredom. In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo, much to the dismay of her friends, who’d prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and making fun of everyone else. Oddly, Libby realizes that she actually enjoys her new job and that she may even like the two "nerds" she works with. Will the Queen of Cool be forced to give up her crown?

A retelling of the Prince Lindwurm fairy tale, Brother Prince Snake is a story of love, sibling rivalry, and how a monster became King. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

"Castellucci mixes details of the L.A. punk scene with memorable characters and witty dialogue. . . . Consider this pure Nirvana." -- BOOKLIST Exiled from Canada to Los Angeles, Katy can''t believe she is spending the summer with her father--punk name: the Rat--a recovered addict and drummer for the band Suck. Even though Katy feels abandoned by her mom, even though the Rat''s place is a mess and he''s not like anything she''d call a father, Kathy won''t make a fuss. After all, she is a girl who is quiet and polite, a girl who smiles, a girl who is, well, beige. Or is she? From the author of BOY PROOF and THE QUEEN OF COOL comes an edgy L.A. novel full of humor, heart, and music.

Alternating chapters of prose and comics (illustrated by Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist Nate Powell) are interwoven in Cecil Castelucci''s extraordinary YA novel about jealousy and grief, and how they cut us off from the ones we love. Every summer the trucks roll in, bringing the carnival and its infinite possibilities to town. This year Tessa and her younger sister Lulu are un-chaperoned and want to be first in line to experience the rides, the food . . . and the boys. Except this summer, jealousy will invade their relationship for the first time, setting in motion a course of events that can only end in tragedy, putting everyone''s love and friendship to the test. Castellucci''s deft shifting between straight prose and graphic novel visualize how Tessa processes the events of the summer, seeing herself and her friends as freaks personified by characters from Greek mythology.

A startling, wonderful novel about the true meaning of being an alien in an equally alien world."We are specks. Pieces of dust in this universe. Big nothings.""I know what I am."Mal lives on the fringes of high school. Angry. Misunderstood. Yet loving the world -- or, at least, an idea of the world. Then he meets Hooper. Who says he''s from another planet. And may be going home very soon.

A Time Magazine 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time Selection "This novel''s funny first-person narrative will grab teens (and not just sci-fi fans) with its romance and the screwball special effects."– Booklist Meet Egg. Her real name is Victoria Jurgen, but she''s renamed herself after the kick-ass heroine of her favorite sci-fi movie, Terminal Earth. Like her namesake, Egg dresses all in white, colors her eyebrows, and shaves her head. She always knows the right answers, she''s always in control, and she''s far too busy — taking photos for the school paper, meeting with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, and hanging out at the "creature shop" with her dad, the special-effects makeup wizard — to be bothered with friends, much less members of the opposite sex. As far as Egg is concerned, she''s boy proof, and she likes it that way. But then Egg meets a boy named Max, a boy who''s smart and funny and creative and cool . . . and happens to like Egg. Could this be the end of the world — at least as Egg knows it?

Partly based on the author''s own experiences at the famous Manhattan high school for the performing arts, this novel explores friendship, freedom, and the art of challenging convention.Set in New York in the 1980s, this story of two ballet dancers (one American, one Russian) recounts the unforgettable night they spend in the city, and celebrates the friendship they form despite their cultural and political differences.

When her grandmother, a devoted gardener, dies, a little girl inherits her gardening gloves and feels closer to her memory.