Fiction

Mission Alert: Island X
Kanako and Yuzuru, Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Tom and Zilla need to investigate one of their classmates. His dad is a billionaire who's up to something shady on his private island. But can Tom and Zilla get close enough to uncover the plot? It's up to secret agents Tom and Zilla to save the day.
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Praise for War World“*****FIVE-PLUS STARS to War World - deliciously unpredictable fiction from an expert storyteller - it's a well-written winner.” —Publishers Daily Review“Killer gnomes, wizards, prehistoric monsters— War World grabs readers from the first page and doesn't let go – the action is high-octane, pulling teens and adult readers alike - about as far from H.G. Wells as you can get.”—Midwest Book Review“Spence has created an exciting world, one that sinks its claws into you - this is definitely one Sci-Fi series that I can get behind.”—AbooktropolisOne planet - 6 teenagers - a million light years of terror. School field trips shouldn't be this dangerous.Jeremy Austin never asked to save a planet--it's bad enough being a "B"average student as the son of a world-famous geneticist for crying out loud! He didn't ask to be attacked by Gnome assassins, didn't choose to become food for a prehistoric monster, would never have thought consorting with wizards a wise concept, and he definitely would never, ever sign up to do sword combat against the bloodthirsty Gnome King. Note to self: say NO to portals and wormholes. His father's expedition to a planet 2.4 million light years from Earth has gone missing. Jeremy and five high school friends embark on a rescue mission. Surrounded by an army of mercenaries, they travel through a high-tech portal and discover a nightmare planet on the other side--a violent world of alien races and man-eating monsters--a world in despair; anxiously awaiting the arrival of a savior who will defeat the evil Shadow Lord. For Jeremy, the search for his father becomes lost in a struggle for survival... and escape from those who would put the mantel of planet savior on his shoulders.A doomed expedition. Surrounded by aliens. Running out of time. Note to readers: This young adult, sci fi, fantasy contains a lot of action and adventure (think Jurassic Park meets Lord of the Rings), high school teens with issues (murder, bullying and juvenile pranks gone awry), genetic engineering (the world must have a new super soldier) and survival skills put to the test (monsters, aliens and mercenaries... oh my). So if you like a fast pace, some comic banter and a mysterious, deadly world to explore, this book series is for you! Includes preview of Book 2 of War World: Paladin. Q & A with the Author Q - How would you describe the War World series? A - Survival... in the vein of Crichton's Jurassic Park. Life on planet Genesis was supposed to be controlled, safe. It's anything but... The planet's humanoid races are violent killers. War World sends a group of high school students on a field trip to hell. There is lots of action, adventure, fantasy settings, and magic. There are even nefarious government agents and an army of mercenaries who think they can go through a portal and tame the dangers of the alien planet. Right... Q - Where did the idea for War World come from? What was the inspiration? A - My first big novel to read as a teenager was The Sword of Shannara- that led to reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings novels while recuperating from having four wisdom teeth removed one Christmas. So fantasy became a favorite of mine. Additionally, I've always been a fan of Michael Crichton's novels and his technothriller movies: Westworld, Jurassic Park, Sphere- the idea of technology running amok. War World grew out of a 'what if.'- What if modern weapons interacted with Middle Earth?- What would normal teenage American high school students do if suddenly thrust into a world dominated by Gnomes, Trolls, Elves, Dwarves, knights and wizards?- What if this world was a lot like the television series, Lost? Hidden bunkers, new and old technology and a mysterious expedition gone missing.
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Spirits, Graves and Stones (Book 3 - The Stones Trilogy)
Bruce shrugged. “Beats me. But I don’t think it matters whether you have a bow and arrow or a bazooka. I mean, it helps—that’s for sure—but I think it’s more of a choice thing. The soldiers chose to run away ’cause they were more concerned ’bout saving their own lives. That lady chose not to run ’cause she knew she couldn’t live with herself if she did. I know people say you gotta have guts to do these things, but I don’t think so. I think you just gotta live your life so you don’t have any regrets.” For twenty-three years, Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, abducted more than sixty thousand children, forcing them to be soldiers in his war against the Ugandan government, to kill or be killed. It’s time for this evil to end. But how? Forgiveness or revenge? Peace or hate? Flowers or stones? Healing can’t begin when there’s so much pain. Broken people can’t mend shattered lives. In the last book of the Stones Trilogy, Charlie and Eseza set out to right the wrongs committed against them and their people. In the process, they discover that goodness can come from the most unlikely people, in the most unlikely places, and in the most unlikely times. “Donna White’s latest novel has the ability to change people, much like the magical stones referenced in her title: turning despair into hope; and finding strength even among the most vulnerable. The final revelation that peace is stronger than war is a much needed message for our troubled times, and a fitting conclusion to her compelling trilogy.” Patrick Reed, Director/Producer, Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children
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The Magic of Melwick Orchard
Rebecca Caprara
After more moves than they can count, Isa's family finally puts down roots. People in town are afraid of the abandoned orchard behind their home, but Isa and her sister Junie are happy to have acres of land to explore.But when Junie gets sick, Isa's mom falls into a depression, and medical bills force Isa's dad to work more. No one notices that Isa's clothes are falling apart and her stomach is empty.Out of frustration, Isa buries her out-grown sneakers in the orchard. The next day a sapling sprouts buds that bloom to reveal new shoes. Can Isa use this magical tree to save her family?
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Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery
Mary Amato
When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, she's confused. It's the job of Sam, a young soldier who died in 1865, to teach her the rules of the afterlife and to warn her about Suppression—a punishment worse than death.Lacy desperately wants to leave the cemetery and find out how she died, but every soul is obligated to perform a job. Given the task of providing entertainment, Lacy proposes an open mic, which becomes a chance for the cemetery's residents to express themselves. But Lacy is in for another shock when surprising and long-buried truths begin to emerge.
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Mission Alert: Lab 101
Kanako and Yuzuru, Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Tom and Zilla are on a field trip to a robotics lab—and on a secret mission to uncover its true purpose. But soon the situation gets out of control. If they want to survive, they'll have to face off against an army of robots. Can secret agents find out the lab's sinister purpose and save themselves?
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The Third Mushroom
Jennifer L. Holm
"Believe in the unexpected" with this hilarious, heartwarming, and much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Fourteenth Goldfish!Ellie's grandpa Melvin is a world-renowned scientist . . . in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy. His feet stink, and he eats everything in the refrigerator--and Ellie is so happy to have him around. Grandpa may not exactly fit in at middle school, but he certainly keeps things interesting. When he and Ellie team up for the county science fair, no one realizes just how groundbreaking their experiment will be. The formula for eternal youth may be within their reach! And when Ellie's cat, Jonas Salk, gets sick, the stakes become even higher. But is the key to eternal life really the key to happiness? Sometimes even the most careful experiments yield unexpected--and wonderful--results.
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The Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
The Graphic Novelization of a Classic Tale!Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked to the magical land of Oz where they meet the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Mike Cavallaro transforms L. Frank Baum’s world of Oz into a manga-influenced graphic novel.
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Black Beauty
Anna Sewell
A handsome horse with a glossy black coat and a pretty white star on his forehead, Black Beauty seems to lead a charmed life. Although his mother warns him that there are 'bad, cruel men' in the world, he begins his life in a happy home, with a friendly groom to look after him and plenty to eat. However, when a change of circumstances means that he is sold, he soon discovers the truth of his mother's words. Anna Sewell's moving story is one of the best-loved animal adventures ever written.
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Rabbit & Robot
Told with Andrew Smith’s signature dark humor, Rabbit & Robot tells the story of Cager Messer, a boy who’s stranded on the Tennessee—his father’s lunar-cruise utopia—with insane robots.Cager has been transported to the Tennessee, a giant lunar-cruise ship orbiting the moon that his dad owns, by Billy and Rowan to help him shake his Woz addiction. Meanwhile, Earth, in the midst of thirty simultaneous wars, burns to ash beneath them. And as the robots on board become increasingly insane and cannibalistic, and the Earth becomes a toxic wasteland, the boys have to wonder if they’ll be stranded alone in space forever. In his new novel, Andrew Smith, Printz Honor author of Grasshopper Jungle, will make you laugh, cry, and consider what it really means to be human.