All Books
Synopsis: The bestselling and highly acclaimed 100 Cupboards series continues with its action-packed second book, Dandelion Fire. Perfect for readers who love Percy Jackson, the Unwanteds, and Beyonders!
Henry has discovered that the 100 cupboard doors hidden behind his bedroom wall are actually portals to other worlds. Now he must go through the cupboards to find the truth about where he’s from and who his real parents are. Along the way, Henry is suddenly struck with a gift of magic—a magic that burns so brightly it attracts unwanted attention. As he discovers the strength of his new powers, he is chased by wizards and faeren and ultimately forced into battle with Nimiane, the evil witch-queen. And this time, the witch is not alone….
"A must-read series." —The Washington Post
Henry has discovered that the 100 cupboard doors hidden behind his bedroom wall are actually portals to other worlds. Now he must go through the cupboards to find the truth about where he’s from and who his real parents are. Along the way, Henry is suddenly struck with a gift of magic—a magic that burns so brightly it attracts unwanted attention. As he discovers the strength of his new powers, he is chased by wizards and faeren and ultimately forced into battle with Nimiane, the evil witch-queen. And this time, the witch is not alone….
"A must-read series." —The Washington Post
Publication Date: 12/08/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Life Blossoms Like a Rose in Thorns is a work of fiction about Smitha, who cannot help but feel disgusted at the way that women are treated as inferiors in Indian society, particularly when it comes to marriage. Smitha vows to defy this even though her mother says, âWe canât change the customs society had been accustomed to for years. It takes a noble person to speak out against these evils.â Smitha becomes just such a noble person. She marries, and they settle down in Malaysia and have a son named Bhasker and the story begins to follow his life. As the title implies, this story focuses on the beautiful and wonderful aspects of life that occur even in the middle of the dark and painful moments. The characters face many obstacles on their paths to happiness. This could be an uplifting story that might be attractive to people interested in inspirational fiction.
Publication Date: 12/07/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Venture into Spells of the City, where a troll may be your toll collector on the George Washington Bridge…Harry the Book will be happy to place your bets in a spellbinding alternative New York…a gargoyle finds himself left to a lonely rooftop existence when he’s forced to live by his creator’s rules…and leprechauns must become bank robbers to keep up with the demand for their gold.
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: As England tightens its control over the Atlantean colonies, Victor Radcliff and his band of revolutionaries resolve to make the English pay for each and every piece of land they dare to occupy. They will stop at nothing to preserve the liberty of their people as a new nation is born--a nation that will change the face of the world!
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: This year Smith and Kraus has decided to combine its annual best monologues and best scenes anthologies. The scenes included in this book are either for two women or for one man and one woman. The latter are scenes in which the female role is predominant.
Here you will find a rich and varied selection of monologues and scenes from plays that were produced and/or published in the 2008-2009 theatrical season. Most are for younger performers (teens through thirties), but there are also some excellent pieces for women in their forties and fifties, and even a few for older performers. Some are comic (laughs), some are dramatic (generally, no laughs). Some are rather short, some are rather long. All represent the best in contemporary playwriting.
Several of the monologues are by playwrights whose work may be familiar to you, such as Don Nigro, Sam Bobrick, Adam Rapp, Bill Cain, Jose Rivera, Stephen Belber, Keith Reddin, Naomi Iizuka, Michael Weller, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Richard Vetere, and Nicky Silver; others are by exciting up-and-comers like Steven Leigh Morris, Saviana Stanescu, Liz Flahive, Stephanie Allison Walker, Cheri Magid, Jennifer Maisel, Andrew Grosso, David Caudle, Nina Raine, John Kolvenbach, Sylvia Reed, and Lucy Thurber.
The scenes are by master playwrights, such as Rivera, Gina Gionfriddo, Jeffrey Hatcher, A. R. Gurney, and Aguirre-Sacasa, and by exciting new playwrights, such as Vincent Delaney, Stanescu, Lydia Stryk, Grosso, and Larry Kunofsky.
Here you will find a rich and varied selection of monologues and scenes from plays that were produced and/or published in the 2008-2009 theatrical season. Most are for younger performers (teens through thirties), but there are also some excellent pieces for women in their forties and fifties, and even a few for older performers. Some are comic (laughs), some are dramatic (generally, no laughs). Some are rather short, some are rather long. All represent the best in contemporary playwriting.
Several of the monologues are by playwrights whose work may be familiar to you, such as Don Nigro, Sam Bobrick, Adam Rapp, Bill Cain, Jose Rivera, Stephen Belber, Keith Reddin, Naomi Iizuka, Michael Weller, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Richard Vetere, and Nicky Silver; others are by exciting up-and-comers like Steven Leigh Morris, Saviana Stanescu, Liz Flahive, Stephanie Allison Walker, Cheri Magid, Jennifer Maisel, Andrew Grosso, David Caudle, Nina Raine, John Kolvenbach, Sylvia Reed, and Lucy Thurber.
The scenes are by master playwrights, such as Rivera, Gina Gionfriddo, Jeffrey Hatcher, A. R. Gurney, and Aguirre-Sacasa, and by exciting new playwrights, such as Vincent Delaney, Stanescu, Lydia Stryk, Grosso, and Larry Kunofsky.
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: In its 12th volume, the New Playwrights just keep getting better. Lawrence Harbison handpicked the finest plays by new American Playwrights from the 2008-2009 theatrical season. A satisfying collection of comedies and dramas awaits you.
AMERICAN HWANGAP by Lloyd Suh. It's dear old Dad's 60th birthday. Although he deserted his family years ago, they are holding a traditional Korean 60th birthday celebration (a hwangap) anyway. He comes back to the U.S. for his hwangap, and what ensues is funny and often quite poignant. Produced in NYC by Ma-Yi Theatre Co. and The Play Company.
"Suh strikes just the right balance between humor and deeply felt emotion." Theatremania.
ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER by Rajiv Joseph. A comedy from NYC's Second Stage. A high school teacher and Origami enthusiast is a big fan of the work of an origami artist. He asks her to tutor a gifted young student of his, who might just be the Tiger Woods of Origami.
BEACHWOOD DRIVE by Steven Leigh Morris. This compelling drama from NYC's Abingdon Theatre Co. centers on a Ukrainian woman working as a prostitute in Los Angeles and a LAPD detective determined to bust the gangsters with whom she is involved.
"A police case study that is a truly chilling cautionary tale." - Backstage
CROOKED by Catherine Trieschmann. Laney, a teenaged girl with a crooked spine, has moved to a new town with her mother. There, she meets another girl named Maribel, who changes her life.
"The themes -- mother-daughter tensions, adolescence itself and religion as a refuge -- emerge naturally from the fluent, often funny and sometimes fearlessly cruel dialogue." NY Times. Produced in NYC by The Women's Project.
END DAYS by Deborah Zoe Laufer. The Steins are one strange American Family. Dad, Arthur, a World Trade Center survivor, suffers from terminal depression. Their daughter, Rachel, is an alienated goth chick, and Mom, Sylvia, thinks the Rapture is imminent. Neighbor Nelson, who dresses in Elvis' white jumpsuit, is an incorrigible optimist who loves Rachel and physics, and slowly but surely he straightens out the Stein family. Oh, and two of the characters, are none other than Jesus Christ and Stephen Hawking.
"Enormously funny, warm and uplifting." Curtain Up. Original produced by Florida Stage. Premiered in NYC at Ensemble Studio Theatre.
FARRAGUT NORTH by Beau Willimon. This compelling drama is about skullduggery on the campaign trail.
"Beau Willimon's juicy and timely drama is a potent reminder that, like Hollywood, politics is a high-stakes game where one wrong liaison can finish you off. It's a place where friendships and loyalties are only as deep as the next cocktail or quick jump in the sack." NY Daily News. Produced in NYC by Atlantic Theatre Co.
JESUS HATES ME by Wayne Lemon. This hilarious comedy premiered at the Denver Center and has gone on to several other productions around the country. Set in W. Texas, it takes place at a run-down mini-golf track with a religious theme. It's called "Blood of the Lamb" and its trademark is a crucified Christ.
"It disarms the audience with pointed one-liners and thoughtful existential observations. The audience laughs and hoots." Variety
AMERICAN HWANGAP by Lloyd Suh. It's dear old Dad's 60th birthday. Although he deserted his family years ago, they are holding a traditional Korean 60th birthday celebration (a hwangap) anyway. He comes back to the U.S. for his hwangap, and what ensues is funny and often quite poignant. Produced in NYC by Ma-Yi Theatre Co. and The Play Company.
"Suh strikes just the right balance between humor and deeply felt emotion." Theatremania.
ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER by Rajiv Joseph. A comedy from NYC's Second Stage. A high school teacher and Origami enthusiast is a big fan of the work of an origami artist. He asks her to tutor a gifted young student of his, who might just be the Tiger Woods of Origami.
BEACHWOOD DRIVE by Steven Leigh Morris. This compelling drama from NYC's Abingdon Theatre Co. centers on a Ukrainian woman working as a prostitute in Los Angeles and a LAPD detective determined to bust the gangsters with whom she is involved.
"A police case study that is a truly chilling cautionary tale." - Backstage
CROOKED by Catherine Trieschmann. Laney, a teenaged girl with a crooked spine, has moved to a new town with her mother. There, she meets another girl named Maribel, who changes her life.
"The themes -- mother-daughter tensions, adolescence itself and religion as a refuge -- emerge naturally from the fluent, often funny and sometimes fearlessly cruel dialogue." NY Times. Produced in NYC by The Women's Project.
END DAYS by Deborah Zoe Laufer. The Steins are one strange American Family. Dad, Arthur, a World Trade Center survivor, suffers from terminal depression. Their daughter, Rachel, is an alienated goth chick, and Mom, Sylvia, thinks the Rapture is imminent. Neighbor Nelson, who dresses in Elvis' white jumpsuit, is an incorrigible optimist who loves Rachel and physics, and slowly but surely he straightens out the Stein family. Oh, and two of the characters, are none other than Jesus Christ and Stephen Hawking.
"Enormously funny, warm and uplifting." Curtain Up. Original produced by Florida Stage. Premiered in NYC at Ensemble Studio Theatre.
FARRAGUT NORTH by Beau Willimon. This compelling drama is about skullduggery on the campaign trail.
"Beau Willimon's juicy and timely drama is a potent reminder that, like Hollywood, politics is a high-stakes game where one wrong liaison can finish you off. It's a place where friendships and loyalties are only as deep as the next cocktail or quick jump in the sack." NY Daily News. Produced in NYC by Atlantic Theatre Co.
JESUS HATES ME by Wayne Lemon. This hilarious comedy premiered at the Denver Center and has gone on to several other productions around the country. Set in W. Texas, it takes place at a run-down mini-golf track with a religious theme. It's called "Blood of the Lamb" and its trademark is a crucified Christ.
"It disarms the audience with pointed one-liners and thoughtful existential observations. The audience laughs and hoots." Variety
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: This year Smith and Kraus has decided to combine its annual best monologues and best scenes anthologies. The scenes included in this book are either for two men or for one man and one woman. The latter are scenes in which the male role is predominant.
Here you will find a rich and varied selection of monologues and scenes from plays that were produced and/or published in the 2008-2009 theatrical season. Most are for younger performers (teens through thirties), but there are also some excellent pieces for men in their forties and fifties, and even a few for older performers. Some are comic (laughs), some are dramatic (generally, no laughs). Some are rather short, some are rather long. All represent the best in contemporary playwriting.
Several of the monologues are by playwrights whose work may be familiar to you, such as Don Nigro, A. R. Gurney, Sam Bobrick, Terrence McNally, Adam Rapp, Steven Dietz, Itamar Moses, Stephen Belber, Keith Reddin, Naomi Iizuka, Michael Weller, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Richard Vetere, Bruce Graham, Jacquelyn Reingold, Sam Shepard, and Nicky Silver; others are by exciting up-and-comers like Octavio Solis, Lydia Stryk, Michael Vukadinovich, Liz Flahive, John Kolvenbach, Sylvia Reed, Barton Bishop, Padraic Lillis, Michael Golamco, and Lucy Thurber.
The scenes are by master playwrights, such as Itamar Moses, Noah Haidle, Aguirre-Sacasa, and Silver, and by exciting new writers, such as Saviana Stanescu, E. M. Lewis, Jonathan Rand, Kolvenbach, Golamco, Larry Kunofsky, and Susan Bernfield.
Here you will find a rich and varied selection of monologues and scenes from plays that were produced and/or published in the 2008-2009 theatrical season. Most are for younger performers (teens through thirties), but there are also some excellent pieces for men in their forties and fifties, and even a few for older performers. Some are comic (laughs), some are dramatic (generally, no laughs). Some are rather short, some are rather long. All represent the best in contemporary playwriting.
Several of the monologues are by playwrights whose work may be familiar to you, such as Don Nigro, A. R. Gurney, Sam Bobrick, Terrence McNally, Adam Rapp, Steven Dietz, Itamar Moses, Stephen Belber, Keith Reddin, Naomi Iizuka, Michael Weller, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Richard Vetere, Bruce Graham, Jacquelyn Reingold, Sam Shepard, and Nicky Silver; others are by exciting up-and-comers like Octavio Solis, Lydia Stryk, Michael Vukadinovich, Liz Flahive, John Kolvenbach, Sylvia Reed, Barton Bishop, Padraic Lillis, Michael Golamco, and Lucy Thurber.
The scenes are by master playwrights, such as Itamar Moses, Noah Haidle, Aguirre-Sacasa, and Silver, and by exciting new writers, such as Saviana Stanescu, E. M. Lewis, Jonathan Rand, Kolvenbach, Golamco, Larry Kunofsky, and Susan Bernfield.
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Their new island holds a great secret. Josh and Anna have always dreamed of escaping their humdrum life by traveling to a tropical paradise. When a credit card company grants their wish in a contest, the two can't contain their excitement, inviting their friends to join them in creating a resort on their fantastic prize--a small, uninhabited, undeveloped island in the Pacific. But what's in store isn't what they expected. When they arrive on the island, everything seems perfect. They find the perfect spot for housing, a hot spring in a cave that will make a fabulous sauna, and a glorious beach. Soon they're on their way to achieving their dream and living out their retirement in paradise. As they develop the island, though, strange and bewildering incidents begin to occur, causing Josh and Anna to finally question their luck. What's the real story behind the island gift? The new inhabitants find themselves frightened yet excited at the mystery of the unexplainable events unfolding around them. Can they discover the unbelievable secret and solve the mystery to maintain their getaway? Come on an intriguing, exhilarating, suspenseful adventure to Paradise Island in J. L. Manning's newest book.
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Third in the fabulous series that started with Why I Let My Hair Grow Out
Senior year?s coming up fast and Morgan still has no clue about college, or a career?the whole rest of-her-life thing is basically a blank. Maybe it?s because she spent her junior year obsessing about Colin, the hot Irish guy she fell for last summer (that was right around the same time she discovered she?s a half- goddess from the days of Irish lore? you had to be there). She even saved Colin from a nasty enchantment, but he doesn?t know that. Colin doesn?t believe in magic, not even a little.
But then a mysterious message reunites her with Colin, who turns out to be caught up in the biggest faery-made disaster ever. We?re talking the end of reality?not just reality TV. To save the world, she?s going to have to tell Colin the truth about her half-goddess mojo. But if he doesn?t believe in magic, how will he ever believe in her?
Senior year?s coming up fast and Morgan still has no clue about college, or a career?the whole rest of-her-life thing is basically a blank. Maybe it?s because she spent her junior year obsessing about Colin, the hot Irish guy she fell for last summer (that was right around the same time she discovered she?s a half- goddess from the days of Irish lore? you had to be there). She even saved Colin from a nasty enchantment, but he doesn?t know that. Colin doesn?t believe in magic, not even a little.
But then a mysterious message reunites her with Colin, who turns out to be caught up in the biggest faery-made disaster ever. We?re talking the end of reality?not just reality TV. To save the world, she?s going to have to tell Colin the truth about her half-goddess mojo. But if he doesn?t believe in magic, how will he ever believe in her?
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Zach Johnson, the world's last freelance detective, has been man-napped by the beautiful sapphire-haired Amazon Kiana. She's brought him to her home island of Lantis-where the women dominate men with their words-to discover who killed her mother, the Queen. But to save the day this time, Zach and his holographic A.I. sidekick HARV have to tangle with not just one gorgeous superwoman, but four. Each of Kiana's three sisters could have the motive and the means to pull off the crime-and now that you mention it, Kiana could too...
Publication Date: 12/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: BACTERIA TO SCHOOL
Tadayasu is a new, fresh-faced university student hiding a bizarre secret: He can see germs with the naked eye. Between the machinations of an eccentric professor determined to unlock the power of the microbial world and the doomed agricultural experiments of his fellow students, will Tadayasu ever find the cool college atmosphere he so desires?
Tadayasu is a new, fresh-faced university student hiding a bizarre secret: He can see germs with the naked eye. Between the machinations of an eccentric professor determined to unlock the power of the microbial world and the doomed agricultural experiments of his fellow students, will Tadayasu ever find the cool college atmosphere he so desires?
Publication Date: 11/24/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
Stuck. That's how 33-year-old aspiring singer Celeste Duncan feels, with her deadbeat boyfriend and static career. But then Celeste receives a puzzling phone call and a box full of mysterious family heirlooms which just might be the first real clue to the identity of the father she never knew. Impulsively, Celeste flies to Japan to search for a long-lost relative who could be able to explain. She stumbles head first into a weird, wonderful world where nothing is quite as it seems―a land with an inexplicable fascination with foreigners, karaoke boxes, and unbearably perky TV stars.
With little knowledge of Japanese, Celeste finds a friend in her English-speaking homestay brother, Takuya, and comes to depend on him for all variety of translation, travel and investigatory needs. As they cross the country following a trail after Celeste's family, she discovers she's developing "more-than-sisterly" feelings for him. But with a nosy homestay mom scheming to reunite Takuya with his old girlfriend, and her search growing dimmer, Celeste begins to wonder whether she's made a terrible mistake by coming to Japan. Can Celeste find her true self in this strange land, and discover that love can transcend culture?
Publication Date: 11/24/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: The creator of Bring it On, Jessica Bendinger, brings her teen savvy writing to this paranormal romance, The Seven Rays.
You are more than you think you are.
THAT IS THE ANONYMOUS MESSAGE that Beth Michaels receives right before she starts seeing things. Not just a slept-through my-alarm-clock, late-for-homeroom, haven't had-my-caffeine-fix kind of seeing things. It all starts with some dots, annoying pink dots that pop up on and over her mom and her best friend's face. But then things get out of control and Beth is seeing people's pasts, their fears, their secrets, their desires. The images are coming at Beth in hi-def streaming video and she can't stop it. Everyone thinks she's crazy and she's pretty sure she agrees with them. But crazy doesn't explain the gold envelopes that have started arriving, containing seeing keys and mysterious tarot cards. To Beth, it all seems too weird to be true. You are more than you think you are? But here's the thing: What if she is?
Publication Date: 11/24/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Atlanta: it's the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil....
Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?
Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?
Publication Date: 11/24/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
Chamberlain Ski Resort and Spa
Welcome to the 10th Annual Snow Queen competition!
I can't believe I got roped into this.
Snow Princesses must attend all pageant rehearsals, with appropriate outfits.
Well, no matter what it takes, I'm going to wipe that smirk off Layla Chamberlain's face.
Our rehearsal space can be booked to practice your talent.
Um, does "looking dumb in a dress" count as a talent?
See Grayson Chamberlain, the assistant director, with any questions.
If you insist! First question: How can someone so sweet (and hot!) be a Chamberlain?
Good luck! One of you will soon be our new Snow Queen!
Oh joy.
Unless Grayson comes with the tiara . . .
Publication Date: 11/24/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Since Hallie's father died and left behind ten children, money at the Palmer household is tighter than ever. And just when Hallie thought she was graduating from college, it turns out she's four credits short. A professor needs one more student for a project that will take her around the world, only longtime boyfriend Craig has another proposition for Hallie.
Thus begins Hallie's great odyssey, for the first time she ventures outside the safety of Cosgrove County and the sixty-mile radius in which she's functioned for her entire life. But somehow, escaping home doesn't translate into leaving behind all of her problems, and, unfortunately, not all can be solved by putting her superior gambling skills to work.
Eventually, it's time to return home to all the good people who are great at driving each other crazy. Hallie must finally face the biggest decision of her life.
Humorous and heartfelt, Best Bet underscores the importance of friends, family, and a sense of belonging. The characters in this modest, but neighborly, small town prove that an ordinary existence made up of small but genuine moments can satisfy a soul that's hungry for life in all of its glories and disappointments.
Publication Date: 11/23/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction