All Books
Synopsis: A Thousand Never Evers, a debut novel by Shana Burg, creates a convincing portrait of the South during the Civil Rights Movement. The book follows a year in the life of Addie Ann Pickett, a girl on the verge of her early teens in Kuckapoo, Mississippi in 1963. Addie Ann goes through some of the biggest changes of her young life just as the whole world around her is changing. On the one hand, she's an ordinary girl: she babysits, she enjoys school, and has crushes. On the other hand, everything Addie Ann knows about her world is crashing down as she begins to understand more about what is really going on (in her family and in her town), her place in history as she forms her own opinions and takes personal action. Addie Ann's voice is convincing and compelling, and her story provides an important perspective on the impact of tremendous social changes occurring in the South during the early 1960s.
Author Shana Burg's father was a civil rights attorney, and she grew up hearing stories about Medgar Evers, Emmett Till, and the March on Washington. Mining those stories, as well as conducting a fair amount of research and drawing upon her experiences as a teacher, paid off. Addie Ann is a courageous and memorable character--one with whom younger readers should be able identify. Her experiences can truly give readers a sense of what it might have felt like to live in those historic times. (Ages 9-12) --Heidi Broadhead
Author Shana Burg's father was a civil rights attorney, and she grew up hearing stories about Medgar Evers, Emmett Till, and the March on Washington. Mining those stories, as well as conducting a fair amount of research and drawing upon her experiences as a teacher, paid off. Addie Ann is a courageous and memorable character--one with whom younger readers should be able identify. Her experiences can truly give readers a sense of what it might have felt like to live in those historic times. (Ages 9-12) --Heidi Broadhead
Publication Date: 06/10/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
Kingfisher Knowledge: Sharks by Miranda Smith offers an extensive look at the notorious predators of the deep, providing insights on shark behavior, habitats, and the surprising variety of species that inhabit our oceans. In addition to breathtaking underwater photography, full-action computer-generated artwork brings to life the long-extinct Megalodon as it preys on a prehistoric whale, and captures the moment that a lemon shark gives birth in shallow waters. Through the fascinating text and imagery, readers will learn facts about shark attacks; discover how sharks breathe, swim, communicate, and catch their prey; and find out the latest shark news and research.
Publication Date: 06/10/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Educational
Synopsis: R.D. Henham returns with another Practical Guide to Dragons adventure!
Could a "good" dragon really be evil?
Witness to the kidnapping of her younger siblings' eggs, young bronze dragon Simle has good reason to think that all humans are evil. Tatelyn, whose brother was killed by a dragon who was supposed to be good, also has good reason to distrust even metallic dragons.
But when thrown together on a mission to recover their magical powers, Tatelyn and Simle realize that they have more in common than they ever imagined.
Could a "good" dragon really be evil?
Witness to the kidnapping of her younger siblings' eggs, young bronze dragon Simle has good reason to think that all humans are evil. Tatelyn, whose brother was killed by a dragon who was supposed to be good, also has good reason to distrust even metallic dragons.
But when thrown together on a mission to recover their magical powers, Tatelyn and Simle realize that they have more in common than they ever imagined.
Publication Date: 06/10/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: All of the world is kept in a delicate balance under the supervision of the Wizard Lord. It is his duty to govern lightly and protect his domain…but if he should stray from the way of the just then it is up to the Chosen to intercede. The Chosen are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker, magically infused mortal individuals who for the term of their service have only one function--to remove an errant Wizard Lord.
But the new Wizard Lord has now changed the playing field by neutralizing all magic in his domain (both his own and that of the Chosen) and has successfully killed and/or blocked his adversaries and their challenges to his omnipotence. Sword (now on the run) must work alone to restore order to their fair land and unravel the mystery of the Ninth Talisman--which might be the salvation or downfall of all that is good in their well ordered land.
But the new Wizard Lord has now changed the playing field by neutralizing all magic in his domain (both his own and that of the Chosen) and has successfully killed and/or blocked his adversaries and their challenges to his omnipotence. Sword (now on the run) must work alone to restore order to their fair land and unravel the mystery of the Ninth Talisman--which might be the salvation or downfall of all that is good in their well ordered land.
Publication Date: 06/10/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Unassigned
Synopsis: Arden has a plane ticket to Sardinia to say goodbye to her family’s beloved vacation home after her father’s sudden death and her mother’s deployment to Iraq as an army nurse. Lonely for her father and petrified for her mother’s safety, Arden dreads her trip to the house in Sardinia—the only place that has truly felt like home to her. So when she meets a group of fun, carefree, and careless friends on their summer break, she decides to put off her trip and join them to sample the sights and culinary delights of Europe. Soon they are climbing the Eiffel Tower, taking in the French countryside on a train chugging toward the Alps, and gazing at Michelangelo’s David in Florence, all the while eating gelato and sipping cappuccino. Arden tries to forget about the danger her mom faces every day, to pretend she’s just like the rest of the girls, flirting with cute European guys and worried only about where to party next.
But the house in Sardinia beckons and she has to make a choice. Is Arden ready to jump off the high dive?
But the house in Sardinia beckons and she has to make a choice. Is Arden ready to jump off the high dive?
Publication Date: 06/10/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
Through Time: Beijing traces the rise and fall of great dynasties and the everyday lives of the citizens who prospered or suffered under their rule. Beginning in prehistoric times, an agricultural community slowly evolves. Farming villages then come under the control of a local lord, and by the medieval period an imperial palace is taking shape. This new capital is then overthrown by invading Mongols, who destroy it and build their own city. Later, the Mongols are replaced by the Ming, who create the legendary Forbidden City and rule China for the next five hundred years. The book's fluent narrative text and beautiful illustrations tell the enthralling story of BeijingÑits triumphs, conflicts, and people--right up to the present day.
Publication Date: 06/10/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Educational
Synopsis: PERSEUS, THE GOD-TOUCHED son of Zeus and a mortal princess, takes his easy life on the island of Serifos for granted, but he knows he lives in troubled times. First the gods, now the politicians, send trouble rumbling across land and sea.
When a beautiful stranger, a fugitive from another disaster zone, arrives on the island, Perseus is smitten. But Andromeda isn’t all she seems. She must die to save her people, and a stunning, world-changing discovery will die with her, unless Perseus abandons everything to confront the Medusa quest.
When a beautiful stranger, a fugitive from another disaster zone, arrives on the island, Perseus is smitten. But Andromeda isn’t all she seems. She must die to save her people, and a stunning, world-changing discovery will die with her, unless Perseus abandons everything to confront the Medusa quest.
Publication Date: 06/10/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Uwem Akpan's stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel they've ever encountered Africa so immediately. The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted. Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord.
In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa.
Akpan's voice is a literary miracle, rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent.
In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa.
Akpan's voice is a literary miracle, rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent.
Publication Date: 06/09/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis:
After squelching an evil plot by a rotten fairy, Keelie Heartwood is ready for fun at the upcoming Wildewood Renaissance Faire. Getting to know her elf dad has been great, but camping out in his homemade RV while acting out the 16th century isn't so fab. Keelie prefers hot showers and wearing a watch, thankyouverymuch. And a cool new cell phone would be nice, too.
But with fairies turning up in the oddest places, an unfortunate misunderstanding about a credit card bill, and that nasty, stuck-up elf-girl, Elia, Keelie's plans to have a good time are all but ruined. So far, life as an elf isn't all that enchanting.
And then the unicorn shows up.
Don't miss the first book in the Faire Folk Trilogy, The Tree Shepherd's Daughter:
"One of those remarkable tales in which the reader becomes completely immersed . . . [It] will have readers eagerly anticipating books two and three in this promising trilogy."
―KLIATT
Publication Date: 06/08/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: As the civil war escalates, Sevryn and Rivergrace are separated from each other as Rivergrace battles the warrior queen Lariel's accusations of high treason, with only her Dweller sister and the mysterious Dark Ferryman as her allies, in the sequel to The Four Forges.
Publication Date: 06/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Synopsis: Watch a Windows Media trailer for this book.
Publication Date: 06/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: From the top, you can see everything?except yourself.
When Casey McCloy steps into the elegant Bramford building, she?s overwhelmed. Fresh from the Midwest, she?s moved to New York?s Upper East Side to live with her grandmother and attend the prestigious Meadowlark Academy. Here all that matters is who you know. The girl to know is Madison Macallister: popular, pretty, platinumblond. She?s not just Casey?s new classmate and neighbor; she?s an icon. So Casey aims to get in with Madison and her gorgeous gal-pals from the start. As the reigning queen of coolness, Madison is capable of destroying reputations with one welltimed whisper. Better to be on her good side.
But after a city-haute makeover from her new frenemy Madison, Casey is wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and meeting the right people?including Drew, the boy-about-town who Madison thinks belongs to her and her alone.
When Casey McCloy steps into the elegant Bramford building, she?s overwhelmed. Fresh from the Midwest, she?s moved to New York?s Upper East Side to live with her grandmother and attend the prestigious Meadowlark Academy. Here all that matters is who you know. The girl to know is Madison Macallister: popular, pretty, platinumblond. She?s not just Casey?s new classmate and neighbor; she?s an icon. So Casey aims to get in with Madison and her gorgeous gal-pals from the start. As the reigning queen of coolness, Madison is capable of destroying reputations with one welltimed whisper. Better to be on her good side.
But after a city-haute makeover from her new frenemy Madison, Casey is wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and meeting the right people?including Drew, the boy-about-town who Madison thinks belongs to her and her alone.
Publication Date: 06/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Synopsis: The stories that launched money-making blockbusters? ?almost any of the stories is worth the price of the whole volume.?
The Reel Stuff collects thirteen memorable?and in some cases award-winning?tales from legendary names in science fiction, fantasy, and horror that inspired some of Hollywood?s greatest successes on the silver screen, or found rabid followings as cult classics.
Features the stories that inspired:
Minority Report ? Total Recall ? The Thing ? Johnny Mnemonic ? Re-animator ? Candyman ? Millennium ? Enemy Mine ? Mimic ? Screamers ? Nightflyers ? Amanda and the Alien ? The Outer Limits: Sandkings
The Reel Stuff collects thirteen memorable?and in some cases award-winning?tales from legendary names in science fiction, fantasy, and horror that inspired some of Hollywood?s greatest successes on the silver screen, or found rabid followings as cult classics.
Features the stories that inspired:
Minority Report ? Total Recall ? The Thing ? Johnny Mnemonic ? Re-animator ? Candyman ? Millennium ? Enemy Mine ? Mimic ? Screamers ? Nightflyers ? Amanda and the Alien ? The Outer Limits: Sandkings
Publication Date: 06/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: Predicting the future has long been a cornerstone of science fiction. Now seventeen farseeing authors have taken up the challenge of gazing into the future and seeing where America may be the day after tomorrow. From an America where hsitory has become myth and misinformation amid the ruins of a once-vast land...to a place where the only existence for genetic misfits is as slaves to the "Gawders"...to a company intent on cloning the world's species, both extinct and endangered, back to a balanced ecosystem, here are original stories that will have readers thinking about the future, and about how their own actions now could make a difference tomorrow.
Publication Date: 06/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: Popularity is as easy as a good secret.
Serena just wants to fly under the radar at her new school. But Serena is deaf, and she can read lips really well-even across the busy cafeteria. So when the popular girls discover her talent, there's no turning back.
From skater chick to cookie-cutter prep, Serena's identity has done a 180...almost. She still wants to date Miller, the school rebel, and she's not ready to trade her hoodies for pink tees just yet. But she is rising through the ranks in the school's most exclusive clique.
With each new secret she uncovers, Serena feels pressure to find out more. Reading lips has always been her greatest talent, but now Serena just feels like a gigantic snoop...
Serena just wants to fly under the radar at her new school. But Serena is deaf, and she can read lips really well-even across the busy cafeteria. So when the popular girls discover her talent, there's no turning back.
From skater chick to cookie-cutter prep, Serena's identity has done a 180...almost. She still wants to date Miller, the school rebel, and she's not ready to trade her hoodies for pink tees just yet. But she is rising through the ranks in the school's most exclusive clique.
With each new secret she uncovers, Serena feels pressure to find out more. Reading lips has always been her greatest talent, but now Serena just feels like a gigantic snoop...
Publication Date: 06/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: "My mother had four daughters by four different men."
There's only one way Shelby and her sisters can describe their mother: She's a sexpot. Helen Kimura collects men (and loans, spending money, and gifts of all kinds) from all over the country. Sure, she's not your typical role model, but she's also not just a pretty face and nail polish. She is confident and brave; she lives life on her own terms, and her four daughters simply adore her. These girls have been raised outside the traditional boundaries. They know how to take the back exit. They know how to dodge crazed lovers in highway car chases. They do not, however, know how to function without one another.
Then suddenly they must. A late-night phone call unexpectedly shreds the family apart, catapulting the girls across the country to live with their respective fathers. But these strong-willed sisters are, like their mother, determined to live life on their own terms, and what they do to pull their family back together is nothing short of beautiful.
At turns wickedly funny and insistently thought-provoking, Outside Beauty showcases Cynthia Kadohata's unerring ability to explore the bonds that bind.
There's only one way Shelby and her sisters can describe their mother: She's a sexpot. Helen Kimura collects men (and loans, spending money, and gifts of all kinds) from all over the country. Sure, she's not your typical role model, but she's also not just a pretty face and nail polish. She is confident and brave; she lives life on her own terms, and her four daughters simply adore her. These girls have been raised outside the traditional boundaries. They know how to take the back exit. They know how to dodge crazed lovers in highway car chases. They do not, however, know how to function without one another.
Then suddenly they must. A late-night phone call unexpectedly shreds the family apart, catapulting the girls across the country to live with their respective fathers. But these strong-willed sisters are, like their mother, determined to live life on their own terms, and what they do to pull their family back together is nothing short of beautiful.
At turns wickedly funny and insistently thought-provoking, Outside Beauty showcases Cynthia Kadohata's unerring ability to explore the bonds that bind.
Publication Date: 06/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction