SUMMARY: Julius Caesar's career, recounted by a Roman general awaiting death for treason. The narrator, one of the conspirators who killed Caesar, attempts to justify the murder on grounds that Caesar was a megalomaniac, with ambitions of being a god. By the author of Augustus. Views: 44
After watching one of the few true friends she has fall from the battlements during battle and taken as a prisoner. Eloen along with two of her soldiers go against orders and sneak past the enemy lines in a effort to rescue their companion. along the way they learn that the Ablaians are not so different from themselves putting the decade long war into a different perspective. Views: 44
The day after Liyana got her first real kiss, her life changed forever. Not because of the kiss, but because it was the day her father announced that the family was moving from St. Louis all the way to Palestine. Though her father grew up there, Liyana knows very little about her family's Arab heritage. Her grandmother and the rest of her relatives who live in the West Bank are strangers, and speak a language she can't understand. It isn't until she meets Omer that her homesickness fades. But Omer is Jewish, and their friendship is silently forbidden in this land. How can they make their families understand? And how can Liyana ever learn to call this place home?**From School Library JournalGrade 5-9. An important first novel from a distinguished anthologist and poet. When Liyana's doctor father, a native Palestinian, decides to move his contemporary Arab-American family back to Jerusalem from St. Louis, 14-year-old Liyana is unenthusiastic. Arriving in Jerusalem, the girl and her family are gathered in by their colorful, warmhearted Palestinian relatives and immersed in a culture where only tourists wear shorts and there is a prohibition against boy/girl relationships. When Liyana falls in love with Omer, a Jewish boy, she challenges family, culture, and tradition, but her homesickness fades. Constantly lurking in the background of the novel is violence between Palestinian and Jew. It builds from minor bureaucratic annoyances and humiliations, to the surprisingly shocking destruction of grandmother's bathroom by Israeli soldiers, to a bomb set off in a Jewish marketplace by Palestinians. It exacts a reprisal in which Liyana's friend is shot and her father jailed. Nye introduces readers to unforgettable characters. The setting is both sensory and tangible: from the grandmother's village to a Bedouin camp. Above all, there is Jerusalem itself, where ancient tensions seep out of cracks and Liyana explores the streets practicing her Arabic vocabulary. Though the story begins at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance, and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, "I never lost my peace inside."?Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CTCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus ReviewsLiyana Abboud, 14, and her family make a tremendous adjustment when they move to Jerusalem from St. Louis. All she and her younger brother, Rafik, know of their Palestinian father's culture come from his reminiscences of growing up and the fighting they see on television. In Jerusalem, she is the only outsider'' at an Armenian school; her easygoing father, Poppy, finds himself having to remind her--often against his own common sense--of rules forappropriate'' behavior; and snug shops replace supermarket shopping--the malls of her upbringing are unheard of. Worst of all, Poppy is jailed for getting in the middle of a dispute between Israeli soldiers and a teenage refugee. In her first novel, Nye (with Paul Janeczko, I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You, 1996, etc.) shows all of the charms and flaws of the old city through unique, short-story-like chapters and poetic language. The sights, sounds, and smells of Jerusalem drift through the pages and readers glean a sense of current Palestinian-Israeli relations and the region's troubled history. In the process, some of the passages become quite ponderous while the human story- -Liyana's emotional adjustments in the later chapters and her American mother's reactions overall--fall away from the plot. However, Liyana's romance with an Israeli boy develops warmly, and readers are left with hope for change and peace as Liyana makes the city her very own. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Views: 44
Aleca Zamm, an ordinary ten-year-old with an extraordinary talent, finds a new friend and has to rescue her Aunt Zephyr from a teleportation crisis in this hilarious third novel in the Aleca Zamm chapter book series.Aleca Zamm knows she's not the only Wonder at school with a magical ability. Third grader Ford Kimble is a Wonder as well. Ford is able to see people as they used to be in the past and as they will be in the future. He can time travel! Well, sort of! Aleca starts hanging out with Ford to discuss their magical abilities, which makes Aleca's best friend, Maria, jealous. Aleca even forgot the first meeting of the Secret Pals Club, Maria and Aleca's new idea for a club that performs secret good deeds for bullied kids! Worse, Maria is onto Aleca's secret of being a Wonder. She definitely suspects something, but Aleca has sworn to Aunt Zephyr that she won't tell anyone about her magical ability. Plus, Aunt Zephyr's ability to teleport is starting to... Views: 44
Harlan, Lord Davenham, dashing heir to an earldom, offers a marriage of convenience to a suitable young lady, only to discover she has no intention of being ignored in favor of his friends or his mistress. Sarah, Lady Davenham, leads her husband on a wild chase until one final adventure almost sends their marriage before it's truly begun. Views: 44
A gripping and entertaining spy story with nods to James Bond and Tom Clancy. It is a touching love story of two people who have been forced to live on the edge and have lost loved ones. Finally, it is a rip-roaring and bawdy tale of excitement and adventure sure to keep the reader's nose stuck to the book. Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review. Views: 44
Two best friends take a year off to find themselves... and end up finding each other.Joshua Simpson has just finished four years at Purdue University, but that's not why he's buzzing with excitement. Once they've said goodbye to their families, Josh and his best friend Alex are taking off to discover America in an old but reliable VW van, planning on not seeing snow for an entire year.Josh has always considered himself straight—except for that one time in college—so when he and Alex are living in such close proximity on the road, he's unsure what these new feelings mean. Is it because they're spending 24/7 together, or is it something deeper? And does it really matter since Josh has only ever seen Alex with women?While in Oregon, Josh meets Johnno, a sexy but confusing Aussie surfer. While having an impromptu surfing lesson, Johnno helps Josh realize who he is and what he wants—but Alex's reaction leaves Josh confused.From a Montana ranch to the bright lights and dangerous streets... Views: 44
Billy Sure, twelve-year-old inventor and CEO of Sure Things, Inc., hosts a competition to find the Next Big Thing in the fifth book of a hilarious middle grade series!Everyone is talking about Billy Sure, the twelve-year-old genius and millionaire inventor whose inventions have become instant hits. From the All Ball that turns into any sports ball to the Gross-to-Good Powder that makes even the most disgusting foods taste great, Sure Things, Inc. can do no wrong! But what's next for Billy and his business partner Manny? They're looking for a new challenge, and hosting a televised special to find Sure Thing, Inc.'s Next Big Thing is just the thing! Thousands of kids pile into the studio to present their invention ideas to Billy. Some are wacky, some are wild, and some have the potential to change the world as we know it. And the winner is... Views: 44
