Adventure
The Mark of Zorro
Johnston, D. McCulley
This exciting adventure story has achieved immortal fame thanks to the blockbuster film of the same name, starring Douglas Fairbanks-a cinematic triumph that inspired author Johnston McCulley to dedicate it to Fairbanks. It has since seen numerous film and other adaptations, including a full-cast audio drama featuring the voice talents of Val Kilmer, Ruth Livier, Elizabeth Peña, Armin Shimmerman, and Meshach Taylor. Set in Mexican California during the 1820s, the tale follows the career of Don Diego Vega, by all appearances just a timid and aristocratic dandy. But apearances can be deceiving, and this is nothing more than a mask to conceal his hidden side as a California Robin Hood known as Zorro, whose swift blade strikes down those who exploit the poor and oppressed. The Mark of Zorro remains a paradigm of swashbuckling adventure and a popular novel to this day.
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Sky Jumpers
Escape one danger. Jump into another. . . . Twelve-year-old Hope has always felt a little different from everyone else who lives in White Rock. She tries hard, but she doesn’t always think before she acts. She takes big risks. Sometimes her risks pay off, but sometimes they fail. Sometimes she fails. Hope knows that the most dangerous thing about living in White Rock is that it’s so close to the deadly Bomb’s Breath—the invisible, fifteen-foot-thick band of compressed air that’s hovered over the earth since the Green Bombs of World War III. The citizens of White Rock live in fear of the Bomb’s Breath. Only Hope has figured out a way to go through it—and lived to tell the tale. But when a massive tremor rips across the earth, the Bomb’s Breath begins to lower over White Rock. It’s up to Hope and her friends Brock and Aaren to make the dangerous journey far from home, across the bandit-ridden Forbidden Flats to the wilds of the Rocky Mountains, and obtain the one thing that may be able to stop it—before the Bomb’s Breath sinks too far and destroys them all. This time, Hope can’t fail.
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Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye
Wendelin Van Draanen
The final mystery starring Sammy Keyes: “the most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)” —Midwest Children’s Book Review Sammy doesn’t go looking for trouble, but she seems to find it everywhere. She’s forever sniffing out clues and chasing down bad guys—and driving her friends a little nuts. She’s gone up against thieves and counterfeiters and gangsters and blackmailers and murderers, and always stayed one step ahead. Until now. Last night, one of the bad guys caught up. Last night, someone followed Sammy up the fire escape and pushed her from the third story. Now she’s in the hospital, out cold. And her friends are left with the questions Sammy’s always been so good at answering: Why? How? But most of all . . . WHO? In this emotional conclusion to her beloved long-running series, Wendelin Van Draanen shows just how many lives one nosy girl can touch and pays tribute to a life well sleuthed. Praise for Sammy Keyes: “If Kinsey Millhone ever hires a junior partner, Sammy Keyes will be the first candidate on the list. She’s feisty, fearless, and funny. A top-notch investigator!” —Sue Grafton “Sammy’s brave, resourceful, observant and a loyal friend, but this girl sleuth is no well-mannered Nancy Drew. She’s endearingly hot-tempered, nosy, and not always obedient—in short, she’s someone I want to read about again.” —Margaret Maron
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Ranger's Apprentice - The Socerer of the North
John Flanagan
The international bestselling series with over 5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone!Time has passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, led the Araluens to victory against invaders, and Will is now a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy–boring, even–until the king is poisoned. Joined by his friend Alyss, Will is thrown headfirst into an extraordinary adventure propelled by fears of sorcery, and must determine who is trustworthy to the king and who is trying to take his throne.Will and Alyss must battle growing hysteria, traitors, and most of all, time. The king is fading, but when Alyss is taken hostage, Will is forced to make a desperate choice between loyalty to his mission and loyalty to his friend.Adventure abounds in this absorbing installment of the New York Times bestselling series.Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series.
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Thrones & Bones: Frostborn
Fantasy fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series will embrace this first novel in an adventure-filled, Viking-inspired series by a debut author. Meet Karn. He is destined to take over the family farm in Norrøngard. His only problem? He’d rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones. Enter Thianna. Half human, half frost giantess. She’s too tall to blend in with other humans but too short to be taken seriously as a giant. When family intrigues force Karn and Thianna to flee into the wilderness, they have to keep their sense of humor and their wits about them. But survival can be challenging when you’re being chased by a 1,500-year-old dragon, Helltoppr the undead warrior and his undead minions, an evil uncle, wyverns, and an assortment of trolls and giants. Readers will embark on a sweeping epic fantasy as they join Karn and Thianna on a voyage of discovery. Antics and hair-raising escapades abound in this fantasy adventure as the two forge a friendship and journey to unknown territory. Their plan: to save their families from harm. Debut novelist Lou Anders has created a rich world of over twenty-five countries inhabited by Karn, Thianna, and an array of fantastical creatures, as well as the Thrones and Bones board game. Praise for Frostborn:"Future fans of Tolkien and George R.R. Martin can happily cut their serial-fantasy teeth on this first book of an eventual series." -Kirkus Reviews"A fun, fast-paced, and highly enjoyable tale." -Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Abhorsen trilogy*"...a powerful, fast-paced tale... The setting is rich, the characters well-defined, and the danger ever-paramount." -Publishers Weekly, starred"...an excellent choice for readers new to the genre. The themes of staying true to oneself, teamwork, and individuality will resonate with readers." -School Library Journal"...this accessible fantasy brings together two very different children bound by common goals." -Booklist"The most delightful fantasy I have read in ages. . . . Put me on the waiting list for book 2!" -Amy Plum, international bestselling author of the Die For Me series
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Anybody Shining
Frances O'Roark Dowell
Can one mistake destroy the chance of a lifetime? A girl discovers there are many ways of being true in this magnificent ode to handwritten letters and the shining power of friendship from the author of Dovey Coe, set in the Appalachian mountains of 1920s North Carolina.One true friend. Someone shining. That’s all twelve-year-old Arie Mae wants. But shining true friends are hard to come by deep in the mountains of western North Carolina, so she sets her sights on a cousin unseen, someone who lives all the way away in the big city of Baltimore, Maryland. Three unanswered letters later, Arie Mae learns that a group of kids from Baltimore are coming to spend a summer on the mountain. Arie Mae loves her smudge of a town—she knows there’s nothing finer than Pa’s fiddling and Mama’s apple cake, but she also knows Big City folk might feel differently. How else to explain the song catcher ladies who have descended upon the village in search of “traditional tunes” and their intention to help “save” the townspeople? But when the group from Baltimore arrives, it seems there just might be a gem among them, one shining boy who doesn’t seem to notice Arie Mae wears the same dress every day and prefers to go barefoot. So what if he has a bit of a limp and a rumored heart problem—he also is keen about everything Arie Mae is keen about, and has all the makings of a true friend. And so what if the boy’s mother warns him not to exert himself? He and Arie Mae have adventures to go on! In between writing letters to her cousin, Arie Mae leads her one shining friend on ghost hunts and bear chases. But it turns out those warnings were for a reason…
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Space Case
It’s a murder mystery on the moon in this humorous and suspenseful space adventure from the author of Belly Up and Spy School.Like his fellow lunarnauts—otherwise known as Moonies—living on Moon Base Alpha, twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson is famous the world over for being one of the first humans to live on the moon.And he’s bored out of his mind. Kids aren’t allowed on the lunar surface, meaning they’re trapped inside the tiny moon base with next to nothing to occupy their time—and the only other kid Dash’s age spends all his time hooked into virtual reality games.Then Moon Base Alpha’s top scientist turns up dead. Dash senses there’s foul play afoot, but no one believes him. Everyone agrees Dr. Holtz went onto the lunar surface without his helmet properly affixed, simple as that. But Dr. Holtz was on the verge of an important new discovery, Dash finds out, and it’s a secret that could change everything for the Moonies—a secret someone just might kill to keep...
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Captive
Aimée Carter
The truth can set her free For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, in a hostile meritocracy on the verge of revolution, Kitty sees her frustration grow as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoat rebels she is secretly supporting keep her in the dark more than ever. But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?
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Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot
Adventure, mystery, and monsters converge in this fast-paced middle grade series perfect for fans of Goosebumps, Cirque du Freak, the Cooper Kids, and the Hardy Boys. "I'm one of those people who believe in Bigfoot and this Bigfoot book was AWESOME!" -- Amazon ReviewIs the legendary Bigfoot real?Twelve-year-old Alec Kerley finds out, in an adventure he'll never forget!Alec's mom died six months ago, and his world is upside down. Now, it's just Alec and his dad, alone, together but apart.Making matters worse, Alec has discovered that his dad works for a secret government agency that investigates monsters -- real, living, breathing monsters!When Alec joined his dad and the Gonzalezes, longtime family friends of the Kerleys, on what he thought was a short getaway to the Branson, Missouri area, he and his best friend Ken Gonzalez -- along with Ken's sister Sarah and her pretty friend Emily -- expected to stay in cabins with a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi. What they got instead was a close encounter with a wiggly kid named Ethan Elvis Edgar, who breaks wind whenever he gets scared, and a terrifying attack by a group of the fabled Bigfoots, who are not happy the vacationers are there.And what Alec learns through his experience is that faith and hope and healing can be found in the most unexpected places -- even in the midst of the Terror of Bigfoot.****Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot is a middle grade inspirational monster novel filled with adventure. It is a legitimately scary story and a great read for all ages -- middle graders, teens, and adults. Parental guidance is suggested. 50,000 words, 22 chapters.Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot is the first in a series. The other titles are Alec Kerley and the Wrath of the Vampire (Book Two) and Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur (Book Three).
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Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur
Adventure, mystery, and monsters converge in this fast-paced middle-grade series perfect for fans of Goosebumps, Cirque du Freak, the Cooper Kids, and the Hardy Boys. If you enjoyed Journey to the Center of the Earth and Jurassic World, you'll love Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur!* DELUXE EDITION, with 19 illustrations! *They're alive!When the floor of a cave collapses, taking 12-year-old Alec Kerley and his friends with it, the outside world thinks they are as good as dead. But what those on the surface don't know is that they are alive and exploring a fantastical underground world never before seen.Following a subterranean river through a series of caverns in their search for a way back home, Alec and his friends discover a gigantic cave filled with prehistoric life -- dinosaurs! In their desperate struggle for survival, can they find their way out before becoming the meal for a Tyrannosaurus rex? And what other malevolence lurks deep underground, watching, waiting?Join Alec Kerley and the Monster Hunters as they enter a land filled with the Roar of the Dinosaur!****Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is a middle grade inspirational monster novel filled with adventure. It is a legitimately scary story, and a great read for all ages -- middle graders, teens, and adults. Parental guidance is suggested. 27 chapters, 60,000 words.Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is the third book in a series. The other titles are Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot (Book One) and Alec Kerley and the Wrath of the Vampire (Book Two).
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