A tale of acceptance from the bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Barnaby Brocket is an ordinary eight-year-old boy in most ways, but he was born different in one important way: he floats. Unlike everyone else, Barnaby does not obey the law of gravity. His parents, who have a fear of being noticed, want desperately for Barnaby to be normal, but he can't help who he is. And when the unthinkable happens, Barnaby finds himself on a journey that takes him all over the world. Drifting from Brazil to New York, from Canada to Ireland, and even to space, the floating boy meets all sorts of different people--and discovers who he really is along the way. This whimsical novel will delight middle-graders, while readers of all ages will find themselves questioning what it means to be "normal." Views: 44
Award-winning author Jane Yolen transports readers to new realms of dragons, sprites, and rogues in twenty-seven magical stories and poemsThat's what dragons are for, after all, to call forth heroes. Jane Yolen enchants and enthralls with an exquisite collection of short fiction and poetry brimming with sympathetic monsters, unlikely heroes, and all manner of magical amazements. Exploring the depths of human love, pain, and folly in these unforgettable tales, Yolen gives life to a cast of unforgettable characters: a selfless young woman whose sadness brings forth beautiful gifts, a deluded musician whose song spectacularly fails to soothe a savage beast, and an alien salvage crew mining gems from the mind of a dying poet. Here be dragons, outlaws, kings, mermen, and dream weavers, sprung from the unparalleled imagination of one of the world's foremost fantasists. This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author's personal collection, as... Views: 44
As a teenager growing up in the 1980s, all Jerry Mahoney wanted was a nice, normal sham marriage: 2.5 kids and a frustrated, dissatisfied wife living in denial of her husband's sexuality. Hey, why not? It seemed much more attainable and fulfilling than the alternative—coming out of the closet and making peace with the fact that he'd never have a family at all. Twenty years later, Jerry is living with his long-term boyfriend, Drew, and they're ready to take the plunge into parenthood. But how? Adoption? Foster parenting? Kidnapping? What they want most of all is a great story to tell their future kid about where he or she came from. Their search leads them to gestational surrogacy, a road less traveled where they'll be borrowing a stranger's ladyparts for nine months. Thus begins Jerry and Drew's hilarious and unexpected journey to daddyhood. From then on, they're in uncharted waters. They're forced to face down homophobic baby store clerks, a hospital that doesn't know what... Views: 44
After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war between the Greek gods, Percy Jackson's seventh grade school year seems unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson — a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any «normal» friends. But things don't stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name... The Bermuda Triangle. Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family — one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke. Views: 44
A brand new series from Jen Calonita, author of the award-winning Fairy Tale Reform School series!
In Enchantasia, becoming a legendary prince or princess doesn't happen overnight. Enter Royal Academy, the training ground for the fairy tale leaders of tomorrow!
But Devin has major reservations about her new school and her royal future. How can she be a princess and the best creature caretaker Enchantasia has ever seen? It doesn't help that there's something seriously weird about RA's headmistress. Olivina seems obsessed with preparing students for possible attacks from villains ("A royal can't rule when they're stuck in a tower!") Devin gets that being Snow White and Rapunzel's fairy godmother has probably made Olivina pretty paranoid, but anytime someone steps a toe out of line, Olivina becomes more of a fairy nightmare than a fairy godmother.
Something isn't right with this lady, and Devin is determind to find out what. But what Devin discovers could change the fairy tale world forever... Views: 44
Class 5B has a substitute teacher — and he's the worst! Fuzzy might just be 5B's pet guinea pig, but he will not stand by while his kids suffer. With the help of the Class Pets Club, Fuzzy is going to drive the terrible sub out of town ... or lose his whiskers trying! Views: 44
They hid among us, until she exposed them.
They'll destroy everything to be hidden again.
Pax is discovering that the smallest mistakes can have the deadliest impact. To protect her city, she's uncovered monstrous truths and involved terrible people. The consequences are coming for her.
The Sunken City is unstable. The Fae are armed for war.
Can Pax stop the coming disaster?
In this closing chapter of the Sunken City trilogy, Williams weaves the complex strands of Pax's misadventure into a truly thrilling conclusion. Views: 43
From Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes the second installment in the New York Times bestselling series that defies what you think you know about the worlds of good and evil. Callum Hunt's summer break isn't like other kids'. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren't heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall. It's not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc. Call escapes to the Magisterium — but things only intensify there. The Alkahest — a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic — has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes — and get closer to an even more dangerous truth. As the mysteries of the Magisterium... Views: 43
Sherlock Sam and the Supper Club are off to Penang for a holiday! Of course, Sherlock Sam can't go anywhere without bumping into a mystery. An antique tin robot vanishes from a toy museum without a trace! Did it walk off on its own? Was it teleported away? Will Singapore's Greatest Kid Detective be able to resist all the local delicacies and focus on his most dangerous case yet? Views: 43
Beloved for his fanciful and engrossing children's literature, controversial for his enthusiasm for British imperialism, Rudyard Kipling remains one of the most widely read writers of Victorian and modern English literature. In addition to writing more than two dozen works of fiction, including Kim and The Jungle Book, Kipling was a prolific poet, composing verse in every classical form from the epigram to the ode. Kipling's most distinctive gift was for ballads and narrative poems in which he drew vivid characters in universal situations, articulating profound truths in plain language. Yet he was also a subtle, affecting anatomist of the human heart, and his deep feeling for the natural world was exquisitely expressed in his verse. He was shattered by World War I, in which he lost his only son, and his work darkened in later years but never lost its extraordinary vitality. All of these aspects of Kipling's poetry are represented in this selection, which ranges... Views: 43
A top Hollywood producer thinks Ivy and Olivia are The Next Big Thing and swears them to secrecy. But a wooden stake would be better at acting than Ivy. And Olivia's finding it tough keeping quiet about her real-life role, as superstar Jackson's girlfriend. But a jealous vampire actress might be about to blow the coffin lid off both secrets . . . Views: 43
Set in New York in the Depression, this is the story of Jim Braddock, who takes up boxing to make money to feed his family, and eventually goes up against champ Max Baer, notorious for having killed two men in the ring. James J. Braddock, born in New York City, was known locally for his thunderous right hand and successful amateur boxing career. After turning professional, he defeated foe after foe, and his rapid rise from obscurity earnt him the nickname, the Cinderella Man. He was given a shot at the world light heavyweight title against champion Tommy Loughran in 1929, but lost in a 15 — round decision. Following that defeat and the stock market crash of 1929, Jim Braddock struggled to win fights and provide for his young family. Eventually Jim's luck turned. In 1934 he had upset wins against Corn Griffin and John Henry Lewis. With these two wins, Braddock set himself up for another shot at the world title — against heavyweight champion, Max Baer. On 13 June 1935... Views: 43
The Star Elite are back with a vengeance when they are called upon to investigate a gang of pick-pockets running rife across London. Their connections to London’s most notorious gang master make the investigation tricky though, especially when one of London’s aristocracy is found murdered, and is discovered by a rather mysterious lady who appears to have quite a lot to hide.Poppy Cleghorne is horrified by the downward spiral of her life she cannot stop being ruined further by her father’s selfishness. Determined to do one last deed for him before she leaves him to his own devices, she is left terrified when a series of unfortunate events leave her alone, in a park, with a corpse on her hands.Challenged by a stranger who is rather too handsome for his own good, she runs for her life, but not before she implicates herself in a murder she didn’t commit. It isn’t too long before Luke finds the curious beauty again, but he struggles to get her to confide in him about the danger that surrounds her.Unfortunately, matters are swiftly taken out of his hands when someone disappears, and several rather serious incidents happen which all point to Poppy being embroiled in one of London’s worst scandals. Before he can unravel the web of mysteries that surround her, he finds himself in a race for his life while trying to protect her from someone who wants her dead.Will his desire for her be strong enough to withstand the very sinister challenges that threaten to tear them apart? Or will trusting her bring about his downfall? Views: 43