Nate Fludd, Beastologist, is back in the camel saddle in hot pursuit of a missing, deadly Basilisk—the King of Serpents. As if saving an entire Dhughani village from the Basilisk's poisonous gaze isn't difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must begin to piece together the mystery of his parents' disappearance and protect the lone copy of the Fludd Book of Beasts from a sinister man who always seem to be one step ahead of them. Pack your goggles, rue, and an extra pair of gloves and join Nate on another unbelievable adventure—there's no rest for the world's youngest beastologist-in-training! Views: 87
Violet's TV-director dad has traded a job in Vancouver for one in Los Angeles, their run-down house for a sleek ranch-style home complete with a pool, and, worst of all, Violet's mother for a trophy wife, a blonde actress named Jennica. Violet's younger sister reacts by bed-wetting, and her mother ping-pongs from one loser to another, searching for love. As for Violet, she gets angry in ways that are by turns infuriating, shocking, and hilarious.When her mother takes up with the unfortunately named Dudley Wiener, Violet and her friend Phoebe decide that they need to take control. If Violet's mom can't pick a decent man herself, they will help her snag George Clooney. In Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom, Susin Nielsen has created a truly original protagonist in Violet and a brilliant new novel that will delight readers into rooting for her, even when she's at her worst.From the Hardcover edition. Views: 87
From the bestselling and award-winning author of Brooklyn and Nora Webster"If there is a more brilliant writer than Toibin working today, I don't know who that would be" Karen Joy Fowler, Irish Times"Tóibín creates suspense out of the simplest emotions: fear, love and, most poignantly, regret" TIMEFrom the thrilling imagination of bestselling, award-winning Colm Tóibín comes this ambitious, violent and modern retelling of one of our oldest and most enduring stories.I HAVE BEEN ACQUAINTED WITH THE SMELL OF DEATH.Judged, despised, cursed by gods she has long since lost faith in, the murderess Clytemnestra tells of the deception of Agamemnon, how he sacrificed her eldest daughter - her beloved Iphigenia - to the Trojan campaign; how Clytemnestra used what power she had, seducing the prisoner Aegisthus, turning the government against its lord; plotting the many long years until... Views: 86
There was no day that dumplings couldn't make better.Pacy is back! The beloved heroine of The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat has returned in a brand new story. This summer, Pacy's family is going to Taiwan for an entire month to visit family and prepare for their grandmother's 60th birthday celebration. Pacy's parents have signed her up for a Chinese painting class, and at first she's excited. This is a new way to explore her art talent! But everything about the trip is harder than she thought it would be--she looks like everyone else but can't speak the language, she has trouble following the art teacher's instructions, and it's difficult to make friends in her class. At least the dumplings are delicious...As the month passes by, Pacy eats chicken feet (by accident!), gets blessed by a fortune teller, searches for her true identity, and grows closer to those who matter most. Views: 85
The moon base commander has gone missing and Dash Gibson is on the case in the second mind-boggling mystery of the Moon Base Alpha series from the New York Times bestselling author of Belly Up and Spy School.There's nowhere to hide on the world's first moon base. After all, it's only the size of a soccer field. So when Nina Stack, the commander of Moon Base Alpha, mysteriously vanishes, the Moonies are at a total loss. Though he may be just twelve years old, Dashiell Gibson is the best detective they've got. But this confusing mystery pushes Dash to his limits. Especially since Dash accidentally made contact with an alien and has to keep it a secret. With the fate of the entire human race hanging in the balance, will Dash be able to solve the mystery of the missing Moonie? Views: 82
(Theodosia #2)
SUMMARY:
Theodosia Throckmorton is in a fix. Allowed to attend a reception given by one of the directors of her parents’ museum, she stumbles across Mr. Tetley of the British Museum—in most unusual circumstances! Since Theo has last seen him in a showdown in an ancient Egyptian tomb, his reappearance could mean only one thing: the Serpents of Chaos are back.Once again Theodosia will have to take on secret societies, evil curses, and dark magic too sinister to imagine, especially if it falls into the wrong hands. Blocked at every turn, Theodosia will have to rely on her own skill and cunning—along with a little help from the most unexpected places. Views: 80
After tangling with the deadly basilisk, Nathaniel Fludd is glad to return to England with his Aunt Phil. But someone has ransacked their home, and their best suspect is the sinister man who's been trying to steal the Book of Beasts.Before Nate and Aunt Phil can find the culprit, they are called to Welsh countryside. The wyverns (giant dragons) are in an uproar. Could the same man who ransacked the Fludd house be behind the rift with the wyverns? And just what does he want with The Book of Beasts? But before Nate can solve that mystery, he must calm the dragons before it's too late. It's just another day at work for the world's youngest beastologist! Views: 80
Mara Valentine is in control. She's a straight-A student, a strict vegan and she's heading to Yale in the fall. So when her hellraising sixteen-year-old niece, V, comes to live with the family, Mara is horrified. Even more so when she starts dreaming about cheese sandwiches every night and realizes she is falling for James, her boss. Unable to ignore these unfamiliar cravings, Mara starts to give into them a little and in doing so discovers her sexuality, redefines her relationship with her over-anxious parents, and realizes that V could in fact be a potential friend and ally. Views: 78
Even a life on the untamed plains of Africa can't prepare Wilhelmina for the wilds of an English boarding school in this lovely and lyrical novel from the author of Rooftoppers, which Booklist called "a glorious adventure."Wilhelmina Silver's world is golden. Living half-wild on an African farm with her horse, her monkey, and her best friend, every day is beautiful. But when her home is sold and Will is sent away to boarding school in England, the world becomes impossibly difficult. Lions and hyenas are nothing compared to packs of vicious schoolgirls. Where can a girl run to in London? And will she have the courage to survive? From the author of the "witty, inventively poetic" Rooftoppers comes an utterly beautiful story that's sure to be treasured. Views: 78
Maybe I'll decide I have a life story, too, and I'll reveal some of it. The good girl, the jock, the beautiful one, and the geek. Tangle them together, and the unexpected happens. Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all in Paradise. When they meet, they have no idea how they will all connect—or that their chance encounters will transform each of their lives. The secrets we keep, the risks we take, and the things we do for love: Four months after it all begins in Paradise, none of them will ever be the same. From School Library JournalGrade 8 Up—Four teenagers, Jena, Skye, Owen, and Dakota, come together and cross paths during a vacation in the Caribbean. A quarter of the book is devoted to each teen's perspective. Jena tells about her feelings of inferiority when around beautiful Skye, the daughter of her mother's best friend. Skye wants to figure out the truth about her father and the suicidal depression that turns her away from auditioning for even one more film. Dakota drinks, is sexually pushy with girls, and deals with his girlfriend's death in a car accident when she was with another guy. Owen, Dakota's younger brother, hides his insecurity behind the safety of his blog and general computer nerdiness. All four lives become "tangled" together while at the resort and after they reach home, and the way the tangles twist and unfold allows these teens to discover their true selves and find personal satisfaction. Mackler expertly creates believable characters, plots, and settings. The teens are good people who have obstacles to overcome and problems to face. Whether realizing it directly or not, they help one another because of their chance relationships. As powerfully depicted as in Emily Wing Smith's The Way He Lived (Flux, 2008), the various viewpoints weave together to create a compelling and cohesive whole. Themes of understanding, respecting others, and the power of good communication are carefully and effectively woven throughout a story that begs for discussion.—Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistMackler, whose previous titles include the Printz Honor Book The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things (2003), introduces another cast of memorable, authentic young characters in her latest heartfelt novel. Four teens share the narration of the cleverly constructed story, which begins at a five-star Caribbean resort, where two mothers have thrown together their very different teen daughters. Jena, a Westchester County high-schooler, is her own worst critic. She worries about her weight, powders her zits until her face resembles “a funnel cake,” and marvels at her companion, Skye, a gorgeous, wealthy young actress in Manhattan. Jena spots lanky computer geek Owen, but she ends up fooling around with his brother, Dakota, a beer-swilling jock who dumps her when Skye shows interest. The often-hilarious story, which takes place over a four-month period, builds in poignant layers as each character narrates in a fresh, frank voice that defies stereotype. Although the teens’ tech-heavy communication is utterly contemporary, their insecurities, desires, and questions about family, self-worth, and first love are timeless. Grades 9-12. --Gillian Engberg Views: 77
Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past.When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical... Views: 75
Printz Honor and New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Mackler brings honesty and charm to this story of a friendship between two girls. Meet Hannah. Her name is a palindrome. Her birthday is on New Year's. She wishes she had a cat. She's medium height and a little awkward. Her life has NOT been fun lately—her dad and stepmom are having a baby and, worst of all, her best friend next door just moved away. Now a new girl is here, taking over her best friend's bedroom...and her own identity. Meet Emme. Her name is a palindrome. Her birthday is on New Year's. She loves her enormous orange cat. She's so short that last week she was mistaken for a kindergartner. She's found moving hard...but at least there's the girl next door, Hannah. Maybe they'll become friends? While Hannah and Emme are alike in so many ways, they're also different in some wrong ways, too. Is this the perfect friendship...or a recipe for disaster? From award-winning writer Carolyn Mackler comes a... Views: 75
