Synopsis: This is historical fantasy at its best. Sixteen-year-old Hild has always been a favorite of her uncle, king of the Shylfings. So when she protects her cousin the crown prince from a murderous traitor, she expects the king to be grateful. Instead, she is unjustly accused of treachery herself.

As punishment, her uncle sends Hild far away to the heir of the enemy king, Beowulf, to try to weave peace between the two kingdoms. She must leave her home and everyone she loves. On the long and perilous journey, Hild soon discovers that fatigue and rough terrain are the least of her worries. Something is following her and her small band of guards—some kind of foul creature that tales say lurks in the fens. Will Hild have to face the monster? Or does it offer her the perfect chance to escape the destiny she never chose?

Rebecca Barnhouse's companion to The Coming of the Dragon is sure to appeal to younger fans of Tamora Pierce, Esther Friesner, and Shannon Hale.

Synopsis: Book #2 in the exciting Amos Daragon series.

Amos survived his first mission as Mask Wearer, but soon after that, an encounter with a mysterious girl brings his life to an end—and sends him on his way to Braha, the City of the Dead, where souls await judgment. To get there, Amos, now a spirit himself, boards a boat, on which he meets Jerik, a decapitated criminal who must carry his head everywhere. Jerik tells Amos that Braha is overcrowded with spirits; the gods have shut the doors that lead to paradise and to hell. A key is said to unlock the doors—but its whereabouts are unknown. Only someone who dies and comes back to life can find it. Will Amos be that someone? Will his ingenuity and intelligence be enough to restore order in Braha? Or will he unknowingly serve those who are using him for their own gain? Most importantly, even if Amos finds the key, will he ever return to the land of the living?

Synopsis: Odd things happen to Archie every day. Some very odd things. On Monday, a piano rolls down the hill and traps his new friend Cyd in her mum's car. And then a truck tips a load of gravel on top of it. But don't worry—she's ok. Actually, Cyd finds it exciting though of course, she doesn't believe that this sort of thing happens to Archie every day—until they find themselves trapped in a house with a sedated lion trainer, and a very awake lion. Poor Archie! But as he soon discovers, if odd things have to happen to him, it's a lot better if they happen when Cyd's around.

Join Archie and Cyd for a whole week's worth of completely surprising and outrageously funny escapades.

Synopsis: Sammy Perez has to make it to the big leagues. After his teammate's career-ending injury, the Roadrunners decided to play in a wood bat tournament to protect their pitchers. And while Sammy used to be a hotheaded, hard-hitting, home-run machine, he's now stuck in the slump of his life. Sammy thinks the wood bats are causing the problem, but his dad suggests that maybe he's not strong enough. Is Sammy willing to break the law and sacrifice his health to get an edge by taking performance-enhancing drugs? Can Sammy break out of his slump in time to get noticed by major-league scouts?

Synopsis: Now batting clean-up—book #4 in a new early chapter book mystery series where each book is set in a different American ballpark!

Houston, we have a problem! Before a game at the Astros' ballpark, Mike and Kate get to meet astronaut commander Nick Rice at the nearby Houston Space Center. He's planning to display a very rare moonrock at an autographing event later. But just before the event, a nefarious outlaw knocks out the commander and steals the moonrock! Can Mike and Kate figure out who did it . . . when their only clue is a broken green feather?

The Astro Outlaw includes a fun act page about the Houston Astros' stadium with trivia about the train on the outfield wall and the homerun gas pump.

Cross Ron Roy's A to Z Mystery series with Matt Christopher's sports books and you get the Ballpark Mysteries: fun, puzzling whodunnits aimed at the younger brothers and sisters of John Feinstein's fans.

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Mark Heffler out-skates, out-rides, and outwits the bullies who pick on him because of his small size. But when Mark and his family move to Tennessee, one hateful boy peppers Mark with verbal and physical abuse beyond anything Mark has experienced. Does Mark have what it takes to stand up to Calvin? To be a hero?

Synopsis: When the Finkle children discovered magical secrets in Uncle Harry’s shop, they vowed to keep them safe. Two years later Jack, Lizzy and Robert realized that the perfect weather wasn’t the only secret waiting to be discovered in the mysterious shop. Things aren’t always what they seem to be! There were people who would stop at nothing to acquire land in Finkleton. Of course, there were also those determined to protect the little village from greedy outsiders. Will selfish desires destroy the village of Finkleton? It was only a matter of time before those who cared about Finkleton and those who cared only for themselves would come into conflict. The result of this outcome would likewise depend on a matter of time. Once again Jack, Lizzy and Robert must learn to work together to protect the magical secrets of Finkleton. Come along to Finkleton. A new, magical adventure is about to begin! Age Range 9-12 Childrens / Middle Grade Fiction Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval - April 13, 2012 Readers Favorite - Five Stars Reviewed by Rita V for Readers Favorite March 11, 2012 - 5 Stars! Return To Finkleton is a wonderful mystery book for children aged 9-12. KC Hilton does it again in this magical adventure book for pre-teens! There are 28 action packed and fast flowing chapters that include everything from the magical valley, mysterious visitors, new magical items to discover, and ghosts. I loved every minute of reading this book as if I were a child again. I can easily see this series made into a movie series on the big screen and would be disppointed if it doesn't.