In TalkTalk E. L. Konigsburg presents a selection of speeches she has given over a period of 25 years. In her introduction to the first speech, and to the book as a whole, she explains: "While each of my books has been written because I had a story I wanted to tell, these speeches were written because I had something I wanted to say. The audience for the former is children; for the latter, adults.... I recognize -- with a measure of amused detachment -- that some were written as a reaction to trends; others, to fads. I have given these talks in cafetoriums, auditoriums, and the public rooms of Holiday Inns. Even though I have not always been on a stage when addressing an audience, I have tried to set the stage. Between talk and talk, I have written passages connecting the speeches to the time in which they were written and to one another. And that is TalkTalk." Always a thought-provoking speaker, she has chosen nine speeches that capture the essence of... Views: 31
Darren Shan, Vampire Prince and "vampaneze" killer, faces his worst nightmare yet--school. But homework is the least of Darren's problems. Bodies are piling up. Time is running out. And the past is catching up with the hunters fast. Views: 31
A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl’s unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares. Epidemics, floods, droughts—for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she’s rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can’t continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There’s something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her. Views: 31
As Frances Fogarty looks back at her childhood, she reveals the strange circumstances surrounding her older brother Tom's death. Did he really come back to look out for her and her younger brother -- or is her memory playing tricks? This touching tale of loss, love, and endurance is not about endings, but about a new beginning in another place. Allan Ahlberg has once again taken an original perspective on a well-loved genre, unsettling common assumptions of what a ghost story should be. Views: 31
It's Four Times As Evil! Evan Ross can't forget about Monster Blood — the evil green slime that never stops growing. It can turn ordinary pets into ferocious animals and twelve-year-old kids into freakish giants.But now there's a new kind of Monster Blood in town. It comes in a can just like the others. Only difference is this slime is blue instead of green. And instead of just growing, it's multiplying — into terrifying blue creatures with razor-sharp teeth…. Views: 31
Just when you thought the fairies couldn't get any cuter. . . here come the baby animals! Rachel and Kirsty to the rescue! The girls are spending a week of their summer vacation at the Wild Woods Nature Reserve. They're going to volunteer as junior rangers — which means lots of quality time with all the animals who live there! But Jack Frost has taken the Baby Animal Rescue Fairies' magic key chains. Even worse, he's planning to use the fairies' stolen magic to kidnap baby animals for his icy zoo. The goblins are out to snatch Missy the meerkat. Only Rachel and Kirsty can keep her safe! Views: 31
The Aldens have joined a bicycle race! Three days of riding and camping should be fun for everyone. Even Grandfather joined the race. But right from the word "Go!" things go wrong: misleading road signs by day and collapsing tents by night. Henry's first flat tire could be bad luck, but three flat tires point to foul play. But who is playing foul—and why? The Boxcar Children are determined to solve the mystery before they cross the finish line. Views: 31
In the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.From School Library JournalGr 5-8-Thirteen-year-old Georgie Burkhardt can shoot better than anyone in Placid, Wisconsin. She can handle accounts and serve customers in her family's general store. What she can't do is accept that the unrecognizable body wearing her older sister's blue-green gown is Agatha. Determined to discover what happened after Agatha abruptly left town with a group of pigeoners, Georgie sets out to follow her route. In return for the loan of a mule, she reluctantly allows Billy McCabe, one of Agatha's suitors, to accompany her. The journey includes a menacing cougar and ruthless counterfeiters, but Georgie's narration offers more than action-packed adventure. She unravels the tangle of events that led to Agatha's sudden departure and acknowledges her own role. By turns humorous and reflective, Georgie's unique and honest voice includes confusion about her feelings for Billy and doubts about her ability to kill even in desperate circumstances. Timberlake seamlessly integrates information about two significant events that occurred in Wisconsin in 1871: the largest recorded nesting of passenger pigeons in spring and devastating firestorms in fall. Georgie's physical and emotional odyssey that occurs between those two events will linger in readers' minds.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankatoα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. ReviewStarred Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2012:“Georgie's story will capture readers' imaginations with the very first sentences and then hold them hostage until the final page is turned.” Views: 31
