River of Wrath by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor is the sequel to River of Ashes. Leslie is now free from Beau Devereux, but not from his ghost and not from his father. She is also not free from the tragic loss of her dear sister nor from the pallor that her sister's death has cast over her family, especially her mother. Her bond to new friends isn't quite enough to replace the relationship she's lost with her boyfriend. River of Wrath delves deeper into St. Benedict and the history of the town as well as the characters at play.
Girl in a Smart Uniform follows the story of a girl named Gisela as she grows up in a crumbling Germany of the 1930's. Against the backdrop of economical struggles, political tension, and a culture of increased discrimination, Gisela's life also consists of learning to care for Jens (her disabled brother), avoiding her stepfather, and trying to figure out the romantic feelings she has towards other girls. Meanwhile, she works to become a perfect German girl, joining the BDM (German Young Women's group) and quickly becoming a leader for other girls.
Maddy and Grace Fight the Fog is a thirty page picture book that starts out as a simple fishing trip and turns into a scary adventure. Grandma Mei waves farewell to Maddy and Grace as they take the rowboat out on the ocean just like they had many times before, donning life jackets, worms, and rods. The fog surrounds Maddy and Grace unexpectedly, and they can no longer see the shore. The fight for survival is on as they paddle mistakenly farther away from shore lost in the fog.
Bryan Mooney’s Under the Christmas Moon intertwines family, hard work, service, duty, community, charity, veteran life, Christmas cheer, and love in his novel searching for the destinies of Garrett and Megan. Marine Sergeant Garrett Jackson finds himself stranded in the small Vermont town of River Junction on route to Montana, a place he used to call home. Out of concern for the impending across-country winter storm, Megan Maguire and her father search the bus for any unfortunately, stranded strangers.
Eudora loves living on the Athena, an Astro-liner ship in space! Sure, sometimes she gets into trouble, like the time she told the ship robot officer Walter to run on stage and steal the show during her sister's lead part in the school play, but Eudora loves the Athena. Yet, when everyone else is busy, it can get a little boring sometimes for Eudora. One day, Eudora decides that she would like to play the game Woggle, but everyone Eudora asks says that they are busy! Luckily, someone suggests that Eudora ask Walter to play, and Walter is available. However, Eudora forgets one thing!
Leighton is an imaginative eight-year-old who makes forts and goes on pretend adventures. In this picture book, Leighton is taking a bubble bath and begins to think about the time she won a prize at the bottom of a cereal box. Leighton uses her imagination to pretend she swims in cereal to the bottom of the cereal box, which is the bottom of her bathtub. She is careful as she looks for her treasure because she imagines an evil octopus is following her and trying to trick her into losing her prize. Luckily, she is helped along the adventure by her toys, a doll, and a rubber ducky.
Emily Brown is happy with her life in New York City... or at least that's what she tells herself. She has a great job in one of the best libraries in the world and gets to experience the big city during its magical holiday season. But Emily just doesn't quite feel happy. Maybe it's her recent breakup with Dan, the man she thought she would marry, or the strain the break-up has caused on her relationship with her parents. Even though she is surrounded by people in the city, Emily feels lonely.
G.D. Brown's novel, Sinners Plunged Beneath the Flood, is a crime story mixed with some spirituality. This is the story of a high school senior named Jenn who wants to find out what happened to her best friend Ava. She seeks help from another best friend by the name of Matthew, nicknamed Scribbles, who just happens to have his own problems and issues to deal with like his parents leaving him behind. They live in a small town named Branch Creek in Mayes County.
She often wondered what would be beyond the sky if she could cut it open. Connie Castro Jackson was a beloved mentor, an intuitive, a dreamer, and a psychic teacher. She shared her life's wisdom through readings as a psychic and through her vulnerability as she shared her life experiences with others. Connie grew up in a large family that experienced the poverty of working in labor camps in California.
