It’s good for 19 all-new tales from the battlefield...
Nineteen all-new tales that look at war from the perspective of everyone from human to alien, pixie to toy. From epic intergalactic struggles for the future of humankind to the microcosm of a single abandoned toy soldier in a boy’s backyard; from a chemical experiment gone horribly wrong to a young recruit who may hold the key to understanding” the enemy; from a half-mortal knight trying to avert a war with the Elfin Host to a Battle of Trenton fought against seven-foot tall Saurians, Front Lines brings together a diverse array of imaginative explorations of the phenomenon of war.
Things don't get any easier when classes start back up at Geek High. Between the dreaded math team competitions, an annoyingly love-struck best friend and a step-mother who seems to delight in making me miserable, it doesn't take a genius to see that the semester ahead is going to be tough.
From three critically acclaimed and bestselling authors comes one story - equal parts charming, hilarious, and emotional - of a road trip that proves that sometimes it doesn't matter where you're going, since getting there is half the fun.
Three girls who couldn't be more different have one goal in mind: to get the heck out of Dodge. Well, Niceville, Florida, actually. But it might as well be called Nowheresville. Vicks is the wild-child fry cook whose boyfriend left for college and isn't returning any of her calls; Mel, the good girl in expensive jeans who just wants everyone to like her; and Jesse, the trailer-dwelling human morality meter who's discovered a life-altering secret -
Each has her own reason for climbing into Jesse's mom's beat-up station wagon and hitting the highway for a weekend trip, whether she knows it or not. Armed only with Vicks's ancient, battered copy of a guidebook called Fantastical Florida, a map Jesse picked up with her dwindling funds, and Mel's mom's credit card, they're Miami bound. Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything. And if they don't kill each other first, Vicks, Mel and Jesse will not only have a road trip to remember, they'll have friends for life.
Hank McCord witnesses the murder of his best friend by two mill supervisors. There's another witness, a stranger. Calvin Yates, a Negro boy about Hank's age, questions Hank's desire to go to the sheriff for help: Didn't you hear em? The sheriff be as big a crook as anybody.
A chase begins that forces the boys to flee to the only person who can help them, the Finder. She is a mysterious, old woman know by many names--conjure woman, witch, finder of lost things -- a seer. Though blind, the old woman has visions and powers that Hank finds almost as terrifying as the murderers on his heels. Tension and distrust between the two boys grow until it threatens to destroy both. They have been framed for the murder of Hank's friend. The law is on the lookout for Hank and the KKK makes a night ride seeking Calvin.
Can Finder's magic save them? Will Hank live to celebrate his twelfth birthday in two weeks? Will the two boys, in spite of their differences, create some magic of their own to solve their problem? Or will one, or both, die trying?
Hildy Biddle dreams of being a journalist. A reporter for her high school newspaper, The Core, she?s just waiting for a chance to prove herself. Not content to just cover school issues, Hildy?s drawn to the town?s big story?the haunted old Ludlow house. On the surface, Banesville, USA, seems like such a happy place, but lately, eerie happenings and ghostly sightings are making Hildy take a deeper look.
Her efforts to find out who is really haunting Banesville isn?t making her popular, and she starts wondering if she?s cut out to be a journalist after all. But she refuses to give up, because, hopefully, the truth will set a few ghosts free.
Peeled is classic Joan Bauer, featuring a strong heroine, and filled with her trademark witty dialogue, and problems and people worth standing up to.
Eleven-year-old Lily has a passion for Nancy Drew stories and a secret she is keeping from those she loves. When summer brings lying, stealing, sneaky Tinny Bridges to town, Lily must be on her guard with this perceptive newcomer, or risk having her secret revealed. But Tinny won’t leave Lily alone. She takes candy from the general store and blames Lily. She tries to steal Lily’s friends and even her father’s affection. Then Tinny goes missing, and only watchful, mystery-loving Lily has any idea what happened to her. But for Lily, finding Tinny means confronting her hidden past.
Funny, poignant, and peopled with memorable characters, this first novel announces a writer of great warmth and talent.
And everything you feared became your only hope?
Still a teen in human years, Kandide is spoiled, vain, and the personification of perfection. She is also heir to the throne of Calabiyau and keeper of The Gift, the key to survival for all Fae. When a tragic accident leaves her less than perfect, her own mother casts her away to a treacherous world where strange beasts roam the dark, lifeless forest and even stranger Fae rule the land. Kandide must battle hideous creatures, as well as her own internal repulsion for the 'Imperfects' she is now like, if she is to survive. But these are just the beginning of her troubles; within Calabiyau, a presence far more deadly emerges. Joined by her prankster brother, Teren, her tomboy sister, Tara, and a group of misfit Imperfects, the Fae Princess must challenge the darkest of creatures to face an evil worse than any she could have imagined if she is to save the very Fae who sent her away. Calabiyau will forever change, or will it?
Praise for Kandide: 'Kandide gives its readers one captivating, enthralling adventure after another.' --S. Earl Statler, critic correspondent, The Los Angeles Newspaper Group
'Kandide is pure magic!' --Lance Burton, internationally acclaimed magician
'Mixing adventure and fantasy with life lessons is making Kandide and the Secret of the Mists a favorite in my class for two years in a row. We were lucky to read it in pre-publication. Now, this year's students are REALLY enjoying Kandide. . .' --Jeff Smith, teacher, Sable Point Elementary School, Florida
'Throughout my career, I've traveled everywhere and I've seen a lot of magic. Kandide's world is without a doubt one of the most magical places I've ever visited, and I can't wait to go back'--Cyril Takayama, International Magic Star and Magic Castle Magician on the Year
For five hundred years, the Forbidden City was the seat of power of China’s emperors. Given rare access to this vast and beautiful complex, Trish Marx and Ellen B. Senisi explore its secrets in full-color photographs and lively, meticulously researched stories. From a grand procession of elephants to the golden nail guards that protected the emperor’s three-inch nails, details large and small bring this fortress to life for young armchair travelers.
With contributions from the Palace Museum (the official museum of the Forbidden City), this is a definitive guide and the only book on the subject available for young readers.
"The clock continued to tick calmly in the hall, out of step with the stormy sea of panic surging inside Connie. She could make no sense of this. How had she ended up on the beach? She felt a hum in her bones as if she had been meeting with some powerful creature. But what beast or being had the power to draw her out of her house without her knowing about it? And what had happened when they were together?"
Thirteen-year-old Connie Lionheart is the only Universal Companion, able to communicate with all the mythical creatures hidden in our world. She is the most important member of a secret society sworn to protect the bonds between humans and creatures. But her power brings great responsibility and great danger.
Divided into social, academic, and practical sections of advice, Been There, Survived That also includes humorous tips on what NOT to do, and funny freshman year horror stories. Sure, cafeteria food is always scary, but high school doesn’t have to be.