NASA sends four trained monkeys to space to create a community of chimpanzees. The spacecraft crashes. It plunges into the water, and nobody knows what has happened to the chimps...until one day when a pizza boy is kidnapped. Four days later, another pizza boy is kidnapped. After that, every four days, another is kidnapped. Keah's (one of the pizza boys' friend) parents are away on trip when Keah realizes that someone keeps using their address to order pizzas. Could it be her friend trying to send a hint to where he is and tell her that he's in danger?
I, Claudia is an insightful novel of the ancient world, the story of Claudia Procula, wife of Lucius Pontius Pilate. The narrative begins with a glimpse of Claudia's childhood. The suspense rises as she is about to meet Lucius, her betrothed. As Claudia adjusts to her new role and the politics of the area become impassioned, she wrestles with life, as her husband, Lucius Pontius Pilate, is forced to make difficult decisions.
Suppressed, written by Sue C. Dugan, is a story about a young woman named Annie who is involved in a devastating car crash. It was a crash that took her best friend’s life and left Annie paralyzed from the neck down.
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi is a book that is centered around two main characters, Penny and Sam, who, through unusual circumstances, are thrown together in Austin, TX.Penny is starting her first year of college at the University of Texas while running away from everything she left at home. Sam is taking a break from college and feels stuck in a poor situation of no real home, his job, and being stuck on his ex-girlfriend.
Main character Daniel Hecht is a famous army machine called “Lionheart.” The setting is in Washington, D.C., in 2011, and as the novel progresses, Daniel's true past and origin are revealed: Daniel was mutilated by the Nazis during World War II and made into a powerful war hero able to conquer any mission. However, after being rescued from the Nazis’ grip, he returned to the detainment camp and was instantly transported from 1943 to the future in the year 2008.
Julianne’s Wish is about a young woman named Julianne Carter who has always felt an urge to leave her life in Ocean City and go somewhere else. After the passing of her mother, Julianne follows her heart and moves to Windsor Fields. There, she meets Forest O’Connell, a charming and mysterious coworker. Julianne feels an instant romantic connection to Forest, but she does not understand why she feels so strongly toward a man she's just met.
The Curious Club is a book about a girl who is...well, curious. She sees a boy who is sad, and she is concerned. She goes over to him to ask why he is so sad. She also asks him a variety of other questions—some serious, some silly—but all show that she cares. The boy says she is very curious, and she tells him she likes to learn about everything. She asks the boy if he wants to join her club, and he says yes.
Every Critter Has a Tale is about Bear. One day her grandmother is telling her a story, and Bear falls asleep. She dreams about Salmon, and suddenly she is Salmon, swimming in the stream, jumping up the waterfalls and rapids. She gives thanks for Salmon and his brothers for their will to persevere. She sees Eagle in a tree and flies up to see how all the animals are connected. She thanks Eagle for showing her a new view of the world. Butterfly tells Bear her story of change. Bear gives thanks for the story and for the beauty Butterfly gives to the world.
Author Yasmin Azad recounts her childhood growing up in Ceylon, now modern-day Sri Lanka, and how she and her family wrestle with maintaining traditional customs as the culture around them slowly changes. Most notably, she writes about the advanced education of girls in their Muslim community, and the Christian customs that trickle in and influence their evolving viewpoints.
The Good Thieves is a well-told story of a young girl trying to steal back her family's ancestral home. Years ago, her great-great-great-grandfather shipped it across the sea and rebuilt the home just outside of New York City. Now it has been stolen by a wealthy real estate tycoon, and main character Vita will give anything to get it back. She can't do it on her own so she builds a team of circus performers and pickpockets to help with her endeavor. What ensues is the stuff of legends.
