Books in Real Tales Series series

From Publishers Weekly McCaffrey continues to develop her future world in which psionic Talents, once feared and despised, are by now necessary to the comfort and conduct of society. Following the events in To Ride, Pegasus and set a generation or so before The Rowan , this era finds mankind not yet having settled planets outside the solar system. Even with officially mandated birth control, the world teems with too many people. Essential to the construction of a space station being built to serve as springboard to the stars are the services of the Talents--particularly the telekinetics, who can move objects by mental power. Telepath Rhyssa Owen, a top official of the Center for Parapsychic Talents, must contend with the station's construction manager, who treats Talents brutally and otherwise discourages them from working for her. Meanwhile two youngsters are found to be unusually Talented: Peter Reidinger overcomes paralysis to develop the first gestalt with electrical generators (this becomes the basis for future space travel), while Tirlap, an illegal child from the vertical slums, facilitates communication among a wide variety of cultures. Meanwhile, kidnappers prey on children for pederastic pursuits and for spare parts. McCaffrey's world of the Talented is as vivid as that of Pern and its dragons.

Dive into Wendy Lawton's newest teen fiction series, Real TV, based on the reality television craze. In Dating Do-Over, Bailey is sweet seventeen and never been kissed,okay, she's never even been out with a guy. When the producers of the television show, Dating Do-Over, contact her, she's delighted. As the image consultants begin to work their magic, the young production grip intern, Luke, quietly models the beauty of authenticity.

In Flip Flop, best friends, Chickie and Brianna know everything about each other - or so Chickie thinks. When they win a spot on the reality TV show, they are ecstatic. The girls change bedrooms, and along with a team of designers, get ready to do a room makeover. Brianna seems strangely quiet, and when the production team tells her they want 'drama,' she bursts into tears. Eventually Chickie finds out that all is not what it seems at Brianna's house and the 'drama' Brianna fears is not the made-for-television variety. More than the makeover of their bedrooms, both girls learn a lesson as to what will truly make over their homes and not-so-perfect families.