They might not know what the future holds,but they know they hold it in their hands.Mirany, the newly appointed attendant to the Speaker, is untested, in fear for her life, and keeper of the god's secrets. Seth, an ambitious scribe toiling in the shadow of the pyramid, has discovered the secret labyrinths and underground passages to the tombs.Hermia, the Speaker, interprets the words of the god and twists his wishes to suit her treachery.General Argelin, the cunning leader in league with the Speaker, intends to dictate the choosing of the new ruler Alexos, the quiet boy, is fated to rule the land -- unless his enemies succeed in their plot.Oblek, the foolish musician, may be the only person who can keep Alexos alive.The Jackal, the black-market tomb raider, will strike like a scorpion if anyone interferes with his scheme to rob the sacred catacombs

Part My Side of the Mountain and part The Red Badge of Courage, a gripping journey of survival across a country at warFrom Arthur Dorros, author of many highly-acclaimed picture books, comes this thrilling first novel. Thirteen-year-old Ehmet, separated from his parents by the violence in his native Bosnia, travels alone across the country to a place he's heard rumors of, a village of children living in peace. Along the way, Ehmet uses all his skills, remembered and read, to find food, shelter, direction, and a new life for himself. This important and timely book, based on extensive travel and research, shows readers the cost of war and the importance of young people in building peace. Praise for Under the Sun"With vivid description and telling detail that speaks of the extensive research, Dorros pulls the reader into a fictional story that has the chilling ring of truth."--The Oregonian"A story that transcends setting to chronicle the adaptability and creativity of young adults everywhere."--Pages Magazine"The facts are astonishing, and the contemporary war docunovel will grab readers."--Booklist

From the Children's Laureate of England, a stunning novel of the First World War, a boy who is on its front lines, and a childhood remembered."They've gone now, and I'm alone at last. I have the whole night ahead of me, and I won't waste a single moment of it . . . I want tonight to be long, as long as my life . . ." For young Private Peaceful, looking back over his childhood while he is on night watch in the battlefields of the First World War, his memories are full of family life deep in the countryside: his mother, Charlie, Big Joe, and Molly -- the love of his life. Too young to be enlisted, Thomas has followed his brother to war and now, every moment he spends thinking about his life, means another moment closer to danger.

A thrilling novel of a young boy's devastation when his father uproots him and moves their family to Russia, where a society of Finnish-Socialists attempt to found a workers' paradise.Jake's life is turned upside down when his father gets caught up in the Socialist fervor washing over their Finnish mining community in Minnesota. His father decides to move their family to a new, Finnish state inside the Soviet Union, a change that fills Jake with dread. Where his father dreams of creating a worker's paradise, Jake and his family find disappointment and hardship. The story culminates with a thrilling escape--on skis--from Russia to Finland.