One day Freddie Ramos comes home from school and finds a strange box just for him. What's inside? ZAPATO POWER—shoes that change Freddie's life by giving him super speed! But what will Freddie do with his fast new skills? Weird things are happening at the Starwood Park Apartments where he lives, and his friends at school need his help. Is Freddie Ramos ready to be a hero? In this imaginative new story by Jacqueline Jules, an ordinary boy in a city neighborhood learns how to use his newfound powers for good. Illustrations by Miguel Benitez lend just a touch of comic-book style to this chapter book adventure."Designed for early readers, this chapter book includes frequent black-and-white cartoon illustrations featuring kids with outsized round heads. . . . The few Spanish words establish the boy's ethnicity but will be understood in context. . . . An unusually appealing early chapter book." —Kirkus ReviewsJacqueline Jules is the author of numerous... Views: 68
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. At the start of Drake's superlative middle book in his ancient Egypt trilogy (after Nefertiti), Rahotep, the chief detective in the Thebes police force, visits a horrific crime scene. Someone has mutilated a young man and removed his eyes—and possibly pacified him with narcotics during the assault. When the killer strikes again, Rahotep wonders if the murders may be connected with efforts to destabilize the regime of the young Tutankhamun. The ruler's foes include Ay, the regent who effectively runs the country, and Horemheb, commander of the country's armies. Rahotep must tread carefully to identify the parties behind both the killings and the threats to Tutankhamun without jeopardizing his life and the lives of his family members. Drake seamlessly introduces a serial killer plot line into his vivid evocation of the past. Admirers of such great historical novelists as Robert Graves and Mary Renault will hope that he continues working in the field after concluding this series. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistThis fine historical mystery follows up Nefertiti (2007), which introduced the ancient Egyptian detective Rahotep. Tutankhamun, the young pharoah, has achieved adulthood and is poised to assume control of the vast empire of Egypt. But a series of savage murders, not to mention ominously veiled threats, points to a plot aimed at ending the new pharoah's reign rather sooner than he intended. It's up to Rahotep to defuse the plot before it destroys the pharoah and the empire. There are other mystery series set in ancient Egypt—those by Lynda Robinson, Lauren Haney, and P. C. Doherty, for starters—but there's always room for one more, at least if it's as colorfully written as this one is. This is the second volume of a projected trilogy, but readers may find themselves hoping Drake will keep turning out Rahotep novels long after he finishes number three. --David Pitt Views: 68
Ghosts lurk in the bamboo forest outside the tiny northern Japanese town where Satomi lives with her elusive mother, Atsuko. A preternaturally gifted pianist, Satomi wrestles with inner demons. Her fall from grace is echoed in the life of her daughter, Rumi, who unleashes a ghost she must chase from foggy San Francisco to a Buddhist temple atop Japan's icy Mount Doom. In sharp, lush prose, Picking Bones from Ash - by Marie Mutsuki Mockett - examines the power and limitations of female talent in our globalized world. Views: 68
More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA Views: 68
From School Library JournalGr 9 Up–Aden Stone's story begins just where it left off in Intertwined (Harlequin Teen, 2009). Aden has become the new ruler of the vampires, and he's not quite sure he's up to the task. But first and foremost, he has to find the location of the witches' meeting in order to break the death curse on him and his friends. Then he can deal with the challenges that come with being a king. He also has to mind the three souls still living inside his head, one of which has predicted his imminent death, while trying to be a normal teen. Meanwhile, his friend Mary Ann Gray has troubles of her own. While she's learned that she mutes the abilities of others, she also discovers that it may not be her only gift. As supernatural creatures begin acting stranger and stranger around her, she starts to wonder what she really is. At times the plot becomes a bit convoluted because of the many subplots. Each character seems to have specific abilities tailor-made to help them out of perilous situations. Regardless, the story remains action-packed and hard to put down. Despite the characters' supernatural abilities, teens will find themselves identifying with one or more of them as they all struggle with bravery, relationships, self-esteem, and a sense of belonging.–Kimberly Castle, Medina County District Library, OHα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From BooklistSixteen-year-old Aden, last seen in Intertwined (2009), finds himself in Crossroads, Oklahoma, where he feels he is off to a promising start even though, we’re informed, this particular slice of Oklahoma is home to legions of mythical creatures. Aden navigates the dangerous world of high school while trying to keep his own inner demons (literally—a crew of immortals use his body to further their own goals) at bay. This effort from Showalter (author of the Lords of Darkness series) is pretty messy, confusing, and derivative, but teen readers will probably devour it; it’s so over-the-top that it might be fun. Grades 8-10. --Connie Fletcher Views: 68
SUMMARY: Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual libraryA- a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. ThatA's where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow WhiteA's stepmotherA's sinister mirror that talks in riddles. When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crimeA-or captured by the thief. Polly Shulman has created a contemporary fantasy with a fascinating setting and premise, starring an ordinary girl whose after-school job is far from ordinaryA- and leads to a world of excitement, romance and magical intrigue. Views: 68
Hemingway expert David Barnes claims to have recovered the infamous stories and poems that Hemingway's first wife lost while on a train to Switzerland in 1922. The womanizing academic plans to auction them off for millions, but controversy rages. Are they truly the lost Hemingway works or just forgeries? Amid the speculation, Barnes is found murdered. Insurance investigator DD McGil's quest to prove the manuscripts genuine puts her on the trail of the murderer. The hunter quickly becomes the hunted when someone tries to stop her - dead. Views: 68
SUMMARY:The Beginning of an Epic Adventure One night in the city of Hearne, a young thief named Jute is instructed to break into a wizard's house and steal an old wooden box. It sounds like a straightforward job. Climb down the chimney, creep through the house, find the thing and get out fast. Unbeknownst to the boy, however, the box contains the knife that killed the Wind. Overcome with curiosity, Jute opens the box and sets off a chain of events that soon has him on the run from the wizard, his old masters in the Thieves Guild, and their client, who happens to be the Lord of Darkness himself. On his odyssey of escape, Jute is aided by an unlikely assortment of friends, including a guilt-ridden assassin, a reluctant wizard, and a hawk who just might be able to teach him how to fly. But the Darkness will do anything to find Jute, even if it means plunging the whole land into war.The Hawk And His Boy is the first book of The Tormay Trilogy. The trilogy continues with The Shadow At The Gate, and concludes with The Wicked Day. Views: 68
