All Books
Synopsis: Tales From Gundarland, won a medal in a recent Readers Favorite competition in the scifi/fantasy category. Laughter is contagious. Enjoy some by reading this book It's filled with delightful entertainment. Without commercial interruption! Gundarland is populated by humans, dwarfs, elves and other races; it's the backdrop for unique adventures, brilliant heroes and cunning villains. You'll meet some of Shakespeare's most famous characters, a warrior-cook, vigilantes and beautiful, lusty princesses to mention just a few of the memorable characters in the stories. Here is a list of the stories and a brief synopsis of each. Romeo and Juliet: Romeo, a dwarf miner, and Juliet, the elfin daughter of a rich gem merchant, have a rocky courtship because Juliet's brothers are avowed enemies of Romeo's family. Chasing Dreams: This novella tells the story of twin yuk brothers on their journey from strong-armed thugs to highway robbers to bawdy house owners to politicians. The brothers are plagued and harassed by vigilantes. Boggerts Blue: A warrior-cook seeks to rescue a kidnapped princess. She refuses to be rescued by someone who isn't noble-born. The Big Bang: A wizard has to eliminate a dragon and his minions. On the way to complete his mission, he is tested by a shape-changer and a pair of trolls. The Queen's Hero: This novella is about a young tinker-warrior as he struggles to save his Queen from a pirate admiral trying to overthrow her and become king. The Queen's three beautiful daughters have their own plans for the young hero. Merchant of Venison: A dwarf butcher borrows money to help his best friend and soon regrets it. The dwelf money lender has bloody ideas about the default payments. Inter-Racial Musical Playoffs: A few greedy wizards attempt to fix a musical competition. Tactical Surprise: A general develops unusual tactics to defeat a rebel army.
Publication Date: 06/25/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: Not your everyday coming-of-age novel
This story was supposed to be about Eviehow she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herselfbut it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changesand Evie's life is never the same again.
This story was supposed to be about Eviehow she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herselfbut it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changesand Evie's life is never the same again.
Publication Date: 06/23/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Mystery
Synopsis: no description
Publication Date: 06/22/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Fadi never imagined he'd start middle school in Fremont, California, thousands of miles away from home in Kabul. But, here he was, half a world apart from his missing six year old sister who'd been lost because of him, as they'd fled Afghanistan. Adjusting to life in the United States isn't easy for Fadi's family and as the events of September 11th unfold, the prospects of locating Mariam in a war torn Afghanistan seem slim -- impossible. Desperate, Fadi tries every hare-brained scheme he can think of to find her. When a photography competition with a grand prize trip to India is announced, Fadi sees his chance to return to Afghanistan and find his sister. But can one photo really bring Mariam home?
Based in part on Ms. Senzai's husband's experience fleeing Soviet controlled Afghanistan in 1979, Shooting Kabul is a powerful story of hope, love, and perseverance.
Based in part on Ms. Senzai's husband's experience fleeing Soviet controlled Afghanistan in 1979, Shooting Kabul is a powerful story of hope, love, and perseverance.
Publication Date: 06/22/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
Everything about Jessie Gillmansen's life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she's about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent―he's a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie's small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can't avoid…
Publication Date: 06/22/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Pamela Ferguson's debut children's novel is a treat to read, a light-hearted tale of magical realism that moves between joy and sorrow to find meaning in the roller-coaster experiences of life.
PJ Picklelime lives in a village very close to you. Meadows are knee-deep in wildflowers in early springtime. Summers are hot and dreamy when golden peaches the size of melons hang from the trees. Snow drifts like powdered sugar down the mountainside in winter.
Life in PJ Picklelime's village is always a little out of the ordinary . . . just like PJ herself. There's the day Lemon Pie, a yellow warbler, came to live in her bushy crop of black hair and the morning when PJ cut her hair to help mop up an oil spill. There's the afternoon she made sweet, memory-filled lemonade that drew people from blocks away, and the night she chatted with owls in a barn full of honey. But PJ's spring is not all roses and rainbows, and after Lemon Pie flies away, PJ's parents split up, and a friend dies unexpectedly, PJ turns to her neighbors, with their philosophies from all over the world, for help in understanding. Can PJ find a way to recover her sunshine?
PJ Picklelime lives in a village very close to you. Meadows are knee-deep in wildflowers in early springtime. Summers are hot and dreamy when golden peaches the size of melons hang from the trees. Snow drifts like powdered sugar down the mountainside in winter.
Life in PJ Picklelime's village is always a little out of the ordinary . . . just like PJ herself. There's the day Lemon Pie, a yellow warbler, came to live in her bushy crop of black hair and the morning when PJ cut her hair to help mop up an oil spill. There's the afternoon she made sweet, memory-filled lemonade that drew people from blocks away, and the night she chatted with owls in a barn full of honey. But PJ's spring is not all roses and rainbows, and after Lemon Pie flies away, PJ's parents split up, and a friend dies unexpectedly, PJ turns to her neighbors, with their philosophies from all over the world, for help in understanding. Can PJ find a way to recover her sunshine?
Publication Date: 06/22/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks. The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte€”a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself€”the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles€”told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives€”has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that
Publication Date: 06/22/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Destiny has big plans for 16-year-old Jenny Martinson. Or maybe it's all a mythtake. Like any typical teen, Jenny has questions about life, fate and destiny. Such as: Why are hideous creatures trying to kill her? Is her father actually a c-list god? Is she really the ruler of a mythical realm - and the prophesied destroyer of its enemies? And finally, how will all of this impact her love life? From the honky tonk shores of Lake George, NY to a fortress at the edge of an alternate universe, Jenny and her two best friends will face the terrors of fantastic creatures, dark magyks, hovering mothers and a clueless guidance counselor. Humor. Adventure. Fantasy. Sarcasm. Welcome to the The War On Destiny: Book One. A young adult novel recommended for ages 13 and up, and fans of humor and fantasy.
Publication Date: 06/19/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: When Stephen Dukes, high school football hero and golden boy of his hometown, defies his reverend father and joins the marines instead of attending seminary, he is thrust into the heart of war in Iraq. Surrounded by the hardships of the war, Stephen who has lost his faith in God must overcome crushing doubts about his decision to reject the life that was planned for him. Along the way, he befriends Ryan Sturgeon, a man struggling to cast aside the shadow of his former criminal life and gain the heart of the woman he loves. Ryan has found solace in the church, and his attempts to help Stephen back onto the path of God are wound through their story as they endeavor to reconcile their places in the war, and ultimately, to survive. Moving, timely, and spiritual, this story of young soldiers will touch the heart and imagination of any reader.
Publication Date: 06/15/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: In The Merchant of Venice, the path to marriage is hazardous. To win Portia, Bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her father’s will, choosing correctly among three caskets or chests. If he fails, he may never marry at all.
Bassanio and Portia also face a magnificent villain, the moneylender Shylock. In creating Shylock, Shakespeare seems to have shared in a widespread prejudice against Jews. Shylock would have been regarded as a villain because he was a Jew. Yet he gives such powerful expression to his alienation due to the hatred around him that, in many productions, he emerges as the hero.
Portia is most remembered for her disguise as a lawyer, Balthazar, especially the speech in which she urges Shylock to show mercy that “droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.”
The authoritative edition of The Merchant of Venice from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes:
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play
-Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books
-An up-to-date annotated guide to further reading
Essay by Alexander Leggatt
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.
Bassanio and Portia also face a magnificent villain, the moneylender Shylock. In creating Shylock, Shakespeare seems to have shared in a widespread prejudice against Jews. Shylock would have been regarded as a villain because he was a Jew. Yet he gives such powerful expression to his alienation due to the hatred around him that, in many productions, he emerges as the hero.
Portia is most remembered for her disguise as a lawyer, Balthazar, especially the speech in which she urges Shylock to show mercy that “droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.”
The authoritative edition of The Merchant of Venice from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes:
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play
-Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books
-An up-to-date annotated guide to further reading
Essay by Alexander Leggatt
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.
Publication Date: 06/15/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Mia's entire summer is ruined! First, she learns that her mom is sick. Then, she and her younger brother Jack are whisked away to their grandparents' home on a remote island in the Caribbean. Mia is furious until she meets Neisha, an island girl, who tells her about "the tea that cures everything." Will Mia be able to find the tea? Will it cure her mom? And will it prove to be her plane ticket back home? Join Mia on an incredible adventure, where she sails the high seas, meets wild donkeys, explores uninhabited islands, and searches for a magical tea.
Publication Date: 06/15/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: "A deathbed shouldn't be the peacemaker in this family." Fifteen-year-old Renee Steele never understood what PaPa's words meant, until she's caught in the middle of a growing battle between her two older cousins. Their clashing attitudes regarding skin tone, trigger a sensitive nerve in their Grandma Bell.
As tension mounts between the three girls, Grandma Bell detects trouble returning from the grave. She's determined to stop it, and takes the girls on a quest back in time to do it.
Her narrative begins with her secret courtship and eloping with Pa-Pa, "Buck Steele", because their fathers are archenemies. Due to a lack of money, the newlyweds are forced to live with Buck's parents, Silas and Emma. Grandma Bell's newlywed dreams turn into her worst nightmare, as she begins her married life as the despised dark-skinned daughter-in-law. Her presence does more than anger her in-laws...it haunts them!
As tension mounts between the three girls, Grandma Bell detects trouble returning from the grave. She's determined to stop it, and takes the girls on a quest back in time to do it.
Her narrative begins with her secret courtship and eloping with Pa-Pa, "Buck Steele", because their fathers are archenemies. Due to a lack of money, the newlyweds are forced to live with Buck's parents, Silas and Emma. Grandma Bell's newlywed dreams turn into her worst nightmare, as she begins her married life as the despised dark-skinned daughter-in-law. Her presence does more than anger her in-laws...it haunts them!
Publication Date: 06/15/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Set in the mystical village of Sky Mountain and the city of Cyane, SOUJON'S JOURNEY is the tale of a young girl growing up and discovering life. Finding her gifts and the inner strength that allows her to stand up to adversity and overcome obstacles in her life.In the mystical city there are four basic laws--(1) if harm it does none, do as you will, (2) be kind in spirit, (3) be in harmony with your surroundings, (4) be clean in body, mind and spirit. Soujon embraces the new world around her and finds joy in life beyond her wildest dreams. This is a magical growing up, coming of age tale that will grab the reader from the very beginning.
Publication Date: 06/15/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: For months, Cass has heard her best friend, Julia, whisper about a secret project. When Julia dies in a car accident, her drama friends decide to bring the project?a musical called Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad?to fruition. But Cass isn't a drama person. She can?t take a summer of painting sets, and she won?t spend long hours with Heather, the girl who made her miserable all through middle school and has somehow landed the leading role. So Cass takes off. In alternating chapters, she spends the first part of summer on a cross-country bike trip and the rest swallowing her pride, making props, and?of all things?falling for Heather.
This is a story of the breadth of love. Of the depth of friendship. And of the most hilarious musical one quiet suburb has ever seen.
Publication Date: 06/10/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: Still haunted by nightmares of her mother's death, fifteen-year-old Sienna Jones reluctantly travels to Indonesia with her father's relief team to help tsunami orphans with their post traumatic stress disorder--something Sienna knows a lot about. Since her mother's plane went missing over the Indian Ocean three years before, Sienna doesn't do anything if it involves the ocean or planes, so this trip is a big step forward.
But the last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a brooding Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage, and just so happens to be HOT. When Deni hears a rumor that his father may be alive, Sienna doesn't think twice about running away with him to the epicenter of the disaster. Unfortunately, what they find there could break both their hearts.
A compelling summer romance, Sea marks the arrival of a stunning new voice in YA.
Publication Date: 06/10/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
What happens when your sister becomes your biggest rival?
If there were a way to pick your family, fourteen-year old Franny might not pick her own. Her father is a hipster boutique owner who's constantly "friending" her on Facebook, her mother is off in Kenya jumpstarting her stalled anthropology career, and her sister Zooey, eleven months older and eight inches taller, is a precocious, prima ballerina. Lately, Zooey's so absorbed with her burgeoning ballet career that she barely seems to notice Franny. And since Zooey attends a top ballet conservatory, Franny's on her own navigating the brutal halls of her Manhattan prep school, a first-year trying to get noticed on the school paper (and by its soulful, long-lashed editor-in-chief).
But everything changes when Zooey breaks her leg and her dancing comes to grinding halt. Her ballet dreams shattered, Zooey begins to hone in on Franny's "normal" life and friends. Franny feels terrible for Zooey, but when her encroachment starts to extend to Franny's long-time crush, Franny begins to wonder if her sister might just be her worst competition...
Publication Date: 06/08/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction