All Books
Synopsis: Bringing the mythological world into a modern setting and introducing young adult readers to a variety of strange monsters, this fantasy novel follows 12-year-old Joe Copper, as he travels along in his quest to save humankind. When Joe is hired by the eccentric Mrs. Merrynether as an errand boy at her remarkable veterinary practicea hidden refuge for a menagerie of creatures that should only exist in dreams and legendhe soon learns that she has a startling plan for his future: he is destined to command an army of beasts to protect humanity from the Conclavea brutal council of dragons hiding on a distant island. But Joe is plunged into his new role prematurely when the callous tycoon Argoyle Redwar, who has a secret menagerie of his own, tricks Mrs. Merrynether into revealing the location of the island. Overcoming his fears, the school bully, and an escaped creature on the loose in his own village, Joe races to the island to stop Redwar from provoking the dragons to war. He takes the most bizarre team imaginable: Lilly, the surly alcoholic cluricaun; Danariel, the seraph who lives in a lightbulb; Flarp, the giant flying eyeball who can’t control his excitement; Kiyoshi, the narcoleptic kappa with an extraordinary vocabulary; Snappel, the fiery wyvern plagued by hiccups; and Cornelius, the poisoned manticore. Together with newfound allies on the island, the champions are forced into an epic battle against fantastic odds, facing not only the Conclave but Redwar as he seeks total control.
Publication Date: 09/01/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: Egypt's first female pharaoh disappears around 1457 BCE --- was she murdered? Find out how DNA closes the case. The ancient Arabian Peninsula city of Ubar vanishes, seemingly without trace. Find out how old maps and modern space shuttles help solve the mystery. Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to find the Northwest Passage is never heard from again. Find out how spectroscopy points to some probable explanations.
Case Closed? examines these and six other mysteries from ancient and modern times. Accompanied by photos, maps, diagrams and illustrations, this book reveals how modern science sheds new light on people, vessels and entire civilizations throughout history that simply vanished. In some cases, the mystery has been solved. In other cases, readers can examine the latest evidence and decide for themselves.
Case Closed? examines these and six other mysteries from ancient and modern times. Accompanied by photos, maps, diagrams and illustrations, this book reveals how modern science sheds new light on people, vessels and entire civilizations throughout history that simply vanished. In some cases, the mystery has been solved. In other cases, readers can examine the latest evidence and decide for themselves.
Publication Date: 09/01/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Short Story
Synopsis: Join three siblings on an unforgettable journey. March, 1782. Peace has not yet been signed with England, and the Foot siblings are walking up into the Republic of Vermont, driving a stubborn cow. Like other settlers, they'd fled when Tories and Indians raided their home, capturing their Pa, and shocking their mother into silence. Now they are determined to find not only their father, but for 16-year-old Rachel, an elusive fiancé whom her sister Deborah mistrusts. Though the journey is wild, often lonely, and filled with misadventure, there is fun and laughter, too, when the three meet up with exuberant characters like Ethan Allen and a winsome young cobbler named Remember Jones. Told by rebel Deborah, who has a secret she longs to reveal, but cannot, this is also the tale of a girl coming to terms with her conscience, her imperfections, and her budding sexuality. For all three, including Abel, the youngest, it is a search for love and family.
Publication Date: 08/31/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis: Seventeen year-old guitar prodigy Tyler Mills has become lost in the aftermath of his mother's death. Disconnected more and more from his father, he takes refuge from it all in two things: his music and his girlfriend. Everything changes with the chance discovery of his mother's journal-and the long-held family secret within that could alter his life forever. Driving a stolen car with little money and only a GPS for company, Tyler embarks on a road trip in search of the truth and some answers...but the truth looks different from the worn out couch of a had-been rock star's living room. Written with heart and keen observation about the challenges of youth and family dynamics, Steven Luna's Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing is a can't miss read.
Publication Date: 08/31/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: When 16-year-old Oakland teen, Calvin Pierce, makes a bad decision and winds up getting arrested, his mother sends him to spend the summer working for his great uncle in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. A black inner-city teenager stuck in the predominately-white region of agriculture and recreational boating—Calvin’s a fish out of water with a chip on his shoulder. But when severed body parts are discovered floating in a slough, his summer of proving himself takes on new meaning. Something deadly is lurking in the deep murky waterways picking off the locals and tourists alike. Now Calvin and a posse of misfits must band together to contain the living incarnation of a mythical creature before it can escape the confines of the Delta.
Publication Date: 08/29/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: In the conclusion to the bestselling Secret Language of Girls trilogy, Marylin and Kate find that boys can be just as complicated as friendship.
Marylin knows that, as a middle school cheerleader, she has certain obligations. She has to smile as she walks down the hall, be friends with the right people, and keep her manicure in tip-top shape. But Marylin is surprised to learn there are also rules about whom she’s allowed to like—and Benjamin, the student body president, is deemed unnacceptable. But maybe there is a way to convince the cheerleaders that her interest in Benjamin is for their own good—maybe she’ll pretend that she’s using him to get new cheerleading uniforms!
Kate, of course, finds this ludicrous. She is going to like whom she likes, thank you very much. And she just so happens to be spending more time than ever with Matthew Holler. But even a girl who marches to the beat of her own guitar strings can play the wrong notes—and are she and Matthew even playing the same song? She’s just not sure. So when Matthew tells Kate that the school’s Audio Lab needs funding from the student government, she decides to do what she can to help him get it.
But there isn’t enough money to go around, and it soon becomes clear that only one of the two girls can get her way. Ultimately, though, is it even her way? Or are both girls pushing for something they never really wanted in the first place?
Marylin knows that, as a middle school cheerleader, she has certain obligations. She has to smile as she walks down the hall, be friends with the right people, and keep her manicure in tip-top shape. But Marylin is surprised to learn there are also rules about whom she’s allowed to like—and Benjamin, the student body president, is deemed unnacceptable. But maybe there is a way to convince the cheerleaders that her interest in Benjamin is for their own good—maybe she’ll pretend that she’s using him to get new cheerleading uniforms!
Kate, of course, finds this ludicrous. She is going to like whom she likes, thank you very much. And she just so happens to be spending more time than ever with Matthew Holler. But even a girl who marches to the beat of her own guitar strings can play the wrong notes—and are she and Matthew even playing the same song? She’s just not sure. So when Matthew tells Kate that the school’s Audio Lab needs funding from the student government, she decides to do what she can to help him get it.
But there isn’t enough money to go around, and it soon becomes clear that only one of the two girls can get her way. Ultimately, though, is it even her way? Or are both girls pushing for something they never really wanted in the first place?
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.
But where will her conscience, and her heart, lead her?
After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.Keeping up the deadly charade-while pretending to do the king's bidding-will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. Where do the assassin's loyalties lie, and who is she willing to fight for?
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: Inspired by the gothic classic Wuthering Heights, this stunning new fantasy from the author of the Books of Pellinor is a fiercely romantic tale of betrayal and vengeance.
In a savage land sustained by wizardry and ruled by vendetta, Lina is the enchanting but willful daughter of a village lord. She and her childhood companion, Damek, have grown up privileged and spoiled, and they’re devoted to each other to the point of obsession. But Lina’s violet eyes betray her for a witch, and witches are not tolerated in a brutally patriarchal society. Her rank protects her from persecution, but it cannot protect her from tragedy and heartbreak. An innocent visitor stands witness to the devastation that ensues as destructive longing unleashes Lina’s wrath, and with it her forbidden power. Whether drawn by the romantic, the magical, or the gothic, readers will be irresistibly compelled by the passion of this tragic tale.
In a savage land sustained by wizardry and ruled by vendetta, Lina is the enchanting but willful daughter of a village lord. She and her childhood companion, Damek, have grown up privileged and spoiled, and they’re devoted to each other to the point of obsession. But Lina’s violet eyes betray her for a witch, and witches are not tolerated in a brutally patriarchal society. Her rank protects her from persecution, but it cannot protect her from tragedy and heartbreak. An innocent visitor stands witness to the devastation that ensues as destructive longing unleashes Lina’s wrath, and with it her forbidden power. Whether drawn by the romantic, the magical, or the gothic, readers will be irresistibly compelled by the passion of this tragic tale.
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Lush and opulent, romantic and sinister, The Morning Star, Vol. III in the Katerina Trilogy, reimagines the lives of Russia's aristocracy in a fabulously intoxicating and page-turning fantasy.
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890
Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, wants to be known as a doctor, not a necromancer. But Tsar Alexander III forbids women to attend medical school; his interest in Katerina extends only to her ability to raise the dead. Twice now, Katerina has helped him by using her power to thwart the forces of darkness—vampires bent on resurrecting the lich tsar Konstantin Pavlovich so that he can take what he sees as his rightful place on the throne. Katerina thought she had bound Konstantin to the Greylands, the realm of the dead, but he has found a way out. Now he is searching for the Morning Star, a sword that will allow him to command a legion of supernatural warriors.
Katerina must find the sword before Konstantin does—and she must travel to Egypt to do so. Along the way, she puts up with unwanted attention from her former fiancé, the nefarious Prince Danilo, and struggles with her feelings for her true love, George Alexandrovich. But with the looming threat from Konstantin, Katerina's focus remains on the sword. Russia's fate will be determined by whoever wields the Morning Star—and delivers the final blow.
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890
Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, wants to be known as a doctor, not a necromancer. But Tsar Alexander III forbids women to attend medical school; his interest in Katerina extends only to her ability to raise the dead. Twice now, Katerina has helped him by using her power to thwart the forces of darkness—vampires bent on resurrecting the lich tsar Konstantin Pavlovich so that he can take what he sees as his rightful place on the throne. Katerina thought she had bound Konstantin to the Greylands, the realm of the dead, but he has found a way out. Now he is searching for the Morning Star, a sword that will allow him to command a legion of supernatural warriors.
Katerina must find the sword before Konstantin does—and she must travel to Egypt to do so. Along the way, she puts up with unwanted attention from her former fiancé, the nefarious Prince Danilo, and struggles with her feelings for her true love, George Alexandrovich. But with the looming threat from Konstantin, Katerina's focus remains on the sword. Russia's fate will be determined by whoever wields the Morning Star—and delivers the final blow.
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
The New York Times‒best-selling series!
"Carson joins the ranks of writers like Kristin Cashore, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tamora Pierce as one of YA's best writers of high fantasy."—Locus
In the deeply satisfying conclusion to the bestselling Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen Elisa travels into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.
Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion—a champion to those who have hated her most. Riveting, surprising, and achingly romantic, Rae Carson has spun a bold and powerful conclusion to her extraordinary trilogy.
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: A supernatural romance about the powers that lie in the shadows of the mind, perfect for fans of Sarah Rees Brennan, Alyxandra Harvey, and Libba Bray.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.
Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.
Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves.
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: Love drama is on the rise as Amy’s mom prepares for her wedding, Aunt Clover dates a hot musician, and Amy takes on the mystery of her friend’s cheating beau.
There’s love drama going on all around Amy Green. Her mom is getting ready for her bachelorette party and wedding, Aunt Clover is dating a hot singer in a band, and Amy’s best friend, Mills, has fallen head-over-heels for the new guy in school, Bailey. When Bailey cheats on Mills, Amy is determined to get to the bottom of it, but what she finds is more than she bargained for! Factor in a dreamy "Irish Surfing Chef," a painful family secret, and Clover in need of a confidence boost as she ponders starting college after an exciting gap year as an advice columnist. Cue sidekick Amy to the rescue with advice and support!
There’s love drama going on all around Amy Green. Her mom is getting ready for her bachelorette party and wedding, Aunt Clover is dating a hot singer in a band, and Amy’s best friend, Mills, has fallen head-over-heels for the new guy in school, Bailey. When Bailey cheats on Mills, Amy is determined to get to the bottom of it, but what she finds is more than she bargained for! Factor in a dreamy "Irish Surfing Chef," a painful family secret, and Clover in need of a confidence boost as she ponders starting college after an exciting gap year as an advice columnist. Cue sidekick Amy to the rescue with advice and support!
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Chick Lit
Synopsis:
From A. Lee Martinez, the Alex Award-winning author of Gil's All Fright Diner, comes Too Many Curses.
Margle the Horrendous takes special pride in never killing his enemies. Instead, the wizard transforms them into various accursed forms and locks them away in his castle. His halls are filled with his collection of fallen heroes and defeated villains.
It's Nessy's duty to tend this castle. It's a lot of work, but she takes pride in housekeeping talents that keep the castle from collapsing into chaos. But when Margle suddenly dies, everything begins to unravel. Nessy finds herself surrounded by monsters, curses, a door that should never be opened, and one very deadly dark wizardess.
Nessy doesn't have might or magic on her side; she's just a kobold: short, furry, and sensible. It would be smarter to walk away, but taking care of the castle is Nessy's job, and that's just what she intends to do.
If only she could find time to polish the silver while beating back the forces of darkness.
"Fans of Douglas Adams will happily sink their teeth into this combo platter of raunchy laughs and ectoplasmic ecstasy." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review on Gil's All Fright Diner
Publication Date: 08/27/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Humor
Synopsis: Durbin the young mouse saved the forest of Verdancia from a horde of savage rodents. Then he helped Clove find the hidden Elemental's temple where she received the second spell in her quest to become a geomancer. But in the process, the group lost their trusted guide and ally. Durbin must now take the lead, knowing only that their next destination is the vast fields of Korel where the legendary rabbits who protect the critters of the land will help them find the third hidden temple. But when they arrive in Korel it is not the rabbits who are there to greet them, but a giant hawk intent on killing the five forest critters. The group is rescued by a clan of hedge hogs who tell them of the curse that has befallen Korel, where the hawks have defeated the rabbits and enslaved every critter of the land. Together they devise a plan to free the enslaved critters and defeat the hawks. But before them lies a mighty task, as they must climb to the palace at the peak of the giant mountain Talonridge. And many questions remain; Where is the hidden temple that contains the third spell? What secrets do the hawks of Talonridge protect? And what has happened to the brave rabbits who once ruled the land? Talonridge is the second book of the Magefable Saga which follows Durbin and Clove as they journey around the world to gain the powers of a geomancer—a mage with the ability to control the elements. On their journey they must survive terrible tyrants, ferocious predators, and the harsh elements of nature.
Publication Date: 08/26/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: In a war between magic, science, and super-humans, who would win? Ayden, Torril and Jye would do anything to stop that war from happening between their homeworlds – but can they keep from starting their own personal war? In the hopes of finding and stopping the nameless traitors inciting the war, the three young heroes are hand-picked from each of their planets by Dulon, a mysterious stranger, and then flung into a terrifying alien world, where they must either put aside their hatred for each other and weave together their different skills, or be wiped out by a gauntlet of stone giants, monstrous spiders, and deadly elementals - and each other.
Publication Date: 08/25/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: Only months after escaping from Frenchy Duval's band of cut throat pirates (McAlister's Way), Danny McAlister and Angela Holyman are once again thrown into a thrilling, helter-skelter adventure in their tropical, South-Sea paradise. Following only the flimsiest clues they embark on a perilous treasure hunt in a desperate struggle against old enemies in order to save the lives of new friends. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MCALISTER SERIES: "Waiting for the sequel" "McAlister's Spark is a fast paced, action riddled, amazing read you will struggle to put down" "A great action read for teenagers and great graphics......a great literary effort".
Publication Date: 08/19/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction