The Rogue World

      Matthew J. Kirby
     The Rogue World

Perfect for fans of the Percy Jackson and Seven Wonders series, The Rogue World is the third book in an epic, fast-paced middle grade adventure trilogy by acclaimed author Matthew J. Kirby.After the shattering new discoveries they made in Egypt, Eleanor and her mother, Samantha, have been separated: Samantha working with the sinister Dr. Watkins to ensure the survival of only a small number of humans, and Eleanor and her friends uniting in the desperate hope of saving the entire planet. They are preparing for a trek to the icy Himalayas, where they believe they'll find the Master Concentrator and a chance to end the threat of the rogue planet—one way or the other. But that's when something happens that none of them expected: an alien spacecraft crash lands on earth, throwing the globe into crisis and changing everything for Eleanor. She has just begun to understand the mysterious power that sets her apart from everyone else on the planet; now, everything...

Read online

  • 102

    Vicious Deep

      Zoraida Cordova
     Vicious Deep

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth. His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he's heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he's suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea...and now it wants him back.Review"Powerful and unique, The Vicious Deep gripped me with its edgy voice and authentic, compelling characters. Zoraida Córdova has created a fearless new world." - Trisha Wolfe, author of Destiny's Fire "I cannot stress enough how well Zoraida told this story from a REAL guy's POV. It was like being inside a guy's head, no holding back, embarrassing moments and all, and the feelings that guys usually cover with humor or sarcasm are stripped down to their raw truth. It's just awesome on a whole new level. If that was the only reason to read this book, it would be more than enough, but the story has many layers and an amazing plot, too. Original sea creatures, fun side characters that heighten the adventure, and a deep, memorable romance that made me ache-I'm squirming to get my hands on the next book to find out the next part of Tristan's story. He is my new book boyfriend and I will fight for him!Original sea creatures, fun side characters that heighten the adventure, and a deep, memorable romance that made me ache-I'm squirming to get my hands on the next book to find out the next part of Tristan's story. He is my new book boyfriend and I will fight for him!... Zoraida Córdova mastered the written word, and created a fearless new world. This is a must read for every YA lover out there." - YA Bound"HOLLA! T I love that the mermaids in THE VICIOUS DEEP are being described as something much darker and nastier. As much as I adore Ariel and King Trident and their sweet, weepy moment at the end of The Little Mermaid and their generally likable dispositions, I've always LOVED reading about the vindictive, manipulative side of mythological creatures who have little care for humanity. I can't wait to see what happens with Tristan and his battle to be KING OF THE OCEAN. Sounds so epic." - Tripping Books"I so appreciated the quirky, funny voice of this fun and fantastic adventure story about a teenaged Brooklyn merman prince, the sea witch out to get him and the human girl he loves." - Sarvenaz Tash"This mythical tale is a great read told on land and below the sea. These mermaids are not the lovely creatures you know - they may be beautiful but they are also deadly. Córdova gives us a great new ending to The Little Mermaid. Boys and girls will enjoy this book, because while there's a romance here, there's also a good amount of action. 4 Stars." - RT Book Reviews "[A] multilayered debut . . . what she [Córdova] does exceedingly well is capture an authentic 16-year-old male voice and viewpoint . . .the great title, killer jacket, and edgy portrayal of the mythical creatures should cast a wide readership net." - BooklistAbout the AuthorZoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where she learned to speak English by watching Disney's The Little Mermaid and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker on repeat. Her favorite things are sparkly, like merdudes, Christmas, and New York City at night. Visit her at www.zoraidawrites.com

Read online

  • 102

    Haiti Noir_The Classics

      Edwidge Danticat
     Haiti Noir_The Classics

Classic stories by: Danielle Legros Georges, Jacques Roumain, Ida Faubert, Jacques-Stephen Alexis, Jan J. Dominique, Paulette Poujol Oriol, Lyonel Trouillot, Emmelie Prophète, Ben Fountain, Dany Laferrière, Georges Anglade, Edwidge Danticat, Michèle Voltaire Marcelin, Èzili Dantò, Marie-Hélène Laforest, Nick Stone, Marilène Phipps-Kettlewell, Myriam J.A. Chancey, and Roxane Gay. The original best-selling Haiti Noir comprised all-new stories by today's best Haitian authors. This new volume collects the true classics of Haitian literature—both short stories and excerpts from longer works—and will be an integral piece of understanding how Haitian culture has evolved over the past fifty years. Editor Edwidge Danticat, one of the most respected Haitian writers, has a well-deserved sterling reputation, and here she follows on the success of the original first volume. Edwidge Danticat was born in Haiti and moved to the United States when she was twelve. She is the editor of Haiti Noir and author of several books, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner; and the novel-in-stories The Dew Breaker. She lives in Miami, Florida.

Read online

  • 102

    North From Rome

      Helen Macinnes
     North From Rome

A phone call prompts Bill Lammiter, a young American playwright, to follow a former girlfriend to Rome. There Lammiter saves a mysterious Italian girl from a beating and the fat is in the fire. A kidnapping, a battle in a Renaissance villa, a shrewd gamekeeper, a chance snapshot and a touring preppy contribute to the excitement and suspense of this Cold War thriller.Review"A sophisticated thriller. The story builds up to an exciting climax." (TLS)" About the AuthorHelen MacInnes (1907-1985) was the Scottish-born American author of 21 spy novels. Dubbed "the queen of spy writers", her books have sold more than 25 million copies in the United States alone and have been translated into over 22 languages. Several of her books have been adapted into films, such as Above Suspicion (1943), with Joan Crawford, and The Salzburg Connection (1972).

Read online

  • 102

    The Golden Thread

      Suzy McKee Charnas
     The Golden Thread

Magic is nothing unusual to Valentine Marsh. But when she and her friends join hands to make a wish on New Year's Eve, even Val marvels at the ring of energy and light they mysteriously create. Since her magical grandmother is lying near death in a hospital, Val can only assume that this power of the Comet Committee, as they come to call themselves, is her own. When Val is assigned to host foreign exchange student Bosanka Lonat at school, the Comet Committee's purpose becomes clear to her. Bosanka has come to America in search of her estranged relatives, and she believes that the Committee has the power to reunite them. Disturbing things begin to happen, and Val suspects that she's dealing, not with a typical European teenager, but with someone who is capable of great evil. Together with Joel, Barb, and Lennie, Val tests her courage and magical powers to fight against the terrifying tragedy that faces them all. The Valentine Marsh Series: THE BRONZE KING, THE SILVER GLOVE, THE GOLDEN THREADFrom Publishers WeeklyIn this third exciting book of the Sorcery Hall series ( The Bronze King ; The Silver Glove ), apprentice wizard Valentine Marsh's newest adventures in magic begin when her musician friend Joel, who is studying violin in Boston, calls on her. For some reason his hands cramp up when he plays, and he needs Val's help to understand why. But she is distracted by other concerns--her grandmother is dying of a stroke. Magical events at a New Year's Eve party seem to lead to the arrival of Bosanka, a sinister girl who says she is a foreign exchange student. She insists that Val and her friends can help her search for her "people." The problem is getting everyone together to create more magic--the unlikely group of conjurers includes skeptics and wise guys. Bosanka's true identity will be a wonderful surprise for readers; her reunion with her people is poetically depicted and touching. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalGrade 7-9-- With her beloved sorceress grandmother in a coma and hospitalized, 14-year-old Valentine Marsh attends a subdued New Year's gathering on the roof of a New York apartment building. When Val and her friends join hands in an experiment to magically create a star, they seem to fly into the sky until they are struck by a powerful bolt of heat. None of this is too disconcerting to Val; in previous adventures, she and her grandmother have destroyed a monster and an evil witch. Upon returning to school, Val is assigned to assist a strange foreign exchange student, Bosanka, who reveals that she is a powerful, magical ruler of another world and is looking for her people. Then she demands that Val and her friends use their power to find her misplaced subjects. Val fears Bosanka's people may subdue and misuse humankind, yet she dreads to refuse the royal commands. Charnas shows the adventures of a typical high-school girl who just happens to have inherited some degree of white magic talent. In so doing, she touches on a host of contemporary issues, the most important of which is her ecological message that we are one people and must use technology to preserve the earth rather than destroy it. If all this seems a "stretch," it isn't. Charnas neatly ties seemingly disparate pieces together into an exciting, absorbing, contemporary romp.- Cindy Darling Codell, Belmont Junior High School, Winchester, KYCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Read online

  • 102

    The Rain Dragon Rescue

      Suzanne Selfors
     The Rain Dragon Rescue

Someone or something is stealing from the peaceful residents of Buttonville. But is the thief from the real world...or the imaginary one? Ben and Pearl are about to find out. When they report for duty at Dr. Woo's, Mr. Tabby hands them a bucket and a shovel -- for the collection and proper disposal of dragon droppings -- and directs the apprentices to the hospital's roof. Soon, they come face-to-snout with the dragon that lives there and find a pile of proof that it is the thief.Before Ben and Pearl can persuade the dragon to stop stealing, an emergency call comes in from the Imaginary World. The rain dragon has been injured! But with Dr. Woo out of town and Mr. Tabby busy with percolating pixies, time is running out. Will Ben and Pearl finally get a chance to travel to the Imaginary World? Even if it means breaking Dr. Woo's rules? Even if it means they might never come back?Suzanne Selfors delivers an unforgettable journey filled with...

Read online

  • 102

    The Salt Smugglers

      Gerard de Nerval
     The Salt Smugglers

First published as a feuilleton in a left-wing newspaper in 1850, The Salt Smugglers provides a political satire of the waning days of France's short-lived Second Republic. With nods to Diderot and Sterne, this shaggy-dog story deals less with contraband salt smugglers than with the subversive power of fiction to transgress legal and esthetic boundaries. By writing what he claimed was a purely documentary account of his picaresque adventures in search of an elusive book recording the true history of a certain seventeenth-century swashbuckler, Nerval sought to deride the press censors of the day who forbade the serial publication of novels in newspapers -- and in the process he provocatively deconstructed existing distinctions between fact and fiction. Never before translated into English and still unavailable as a separately published volume in French, The Salt Smugglers is a pre-postmodern gem of experimental prose. Richard Sieburth's vibrant translation and illuminating...

Read online

  • 102