JANUARY NEWSLETTER
DVDs:
Clashing kingdoms. Rival rulers. The enemies of Jesus close in while His followers struggle to keep up, leaving Him to carry the burdens alone. Threatened by the reality of Jesus’ growing influence, religious leaders do the unthinkable – ally within their Roman oppressors. As the seeds of the betrayal are planted and opposition to Jesus’ message turns violent. He’s left with no alternative but to demand His followers RISE UP.
It follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.
Reverend Dave is called to defend a group of Christian homeschooling families. He finds himself taken aback by the interference of the government and believing that their right to educate their children is a freedom worth fighting for. Reverend Dave is called to Washington DC to testify in a landmark congressional hearing that will determine the future of religious freedom in our country for years to come.
Follows multiple families and a special place they inhabit. The story travels through generations, capturing the most relatable of human experiences.
When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah and his friends team up with a retired police detective to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.
Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo is forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
ADULT FICTION
During his years as a wheelman for the Armenian mob in Los Angeles, Shake Bouchon didn’t think of himself as the settling-down type. But now he’s happily married to Gina, the love of his life–and former adversary–in Indiana, of all places. The great thing about Bloomington, for two people with checkered pasts, is that everyone is nice and no one knows them. Until the day a brutal Armenian thug who has always hated Shake shows up in his backyard. He demands that Shake help him find his missing mob boss, the pakhan–the dangerous and beautiful Alexandra “Lexy” Ilandryan, who also happens to be Shake’s ex-girlfriend. Shake’s got a lot of history with Lexy, so he reluctantly agrees to travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where she was last seen. Once there, he finds himself tangled in an underworld of Cambodian gangsters, mob politics, and opportunistic expats, where the stakes aren’t clear and everyone is looking to score. With only the help of a clairvoyant hippie and the Armenian thug, Shake becomes involved in a high-stakes negotiation for Lexy that might cost him his own life. But perhaps most threatening of all is Gina’s wrath when she arrives in Cambodia intent on saving Shake from himself–and from all the people trying to kill him
May Hanover has always been so good. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up. But even good girls have secrets. When May and her longtime friends Lauren and Kelsey plan a reunion getaway in the Hamptons, it’s meant to be a few days of sun and fun. But after a drunken prank goes horribly awry, May finds herself at the center of an urgent police investigation–and begins to wonder whether her closest friends might be keeping some dangerous secrets of their own. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time.
Since time immemorial, the Haddesley family has tended the cranberry bog. In exchange, the bog sustains them. The staunch seasons of their lives are governed by a strict covenant that is renewed each generation with the ritual sacrifice of their patriarch, and in return, the bog produces a “bog-wife.” Brought to life from vegetation, this woman is meant to carry on the family line. But when the bog fails–or refuses–to honor the bargain, the Haddesleys, a group of discordant siblings still grieving themother who mysteriously disappeared years earlier, face an unknown future. Middle child Wenna, summoned back to the dilapidated family manor just as her marriage is collapsing, believes the Haddesleys must abandon their patrimony. Her siblings are not soeasily persuaded. Eldest daughter Eda, de facto head of the household, seeks to salvage the compact by desecrating it. Younger son Percy retreats into the wilderness in a dangerous bid to summon his own bog-wife. And as youngest daughter Nora takes desperate measures to keep her warring siblings together, fledgling patriarch Charlie uncovers a disturbing secret that casts doubt over everything the family has ever believed about itself
Just a year ago, Katrina Berg was at the height of her career with a promising future in a top AI chatbot start-up, a loving husband and plenty of money. Then disaster struck–her husband Jason died in a car crash. Her CEO was indicted, and as the company’s legal counsel, Katrina faced tough questions and was locked out of her office. To top it off, her beloved grandmother passed away. Her solace is a beta prototype chatbot on her phone, loaded with Jason’s data, which she has ‘talked’ to daily for six months. It’s incredibly realistic, mimicking Jason’s syntax and words, and although it hinders her grief recovery, she can’t stop using it. One day, she asks it: ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’ After a pause, it responds: ‘I think I was murdered.’ Shocked, Katrina returns to her Norwegian-flavoured hometown in the northern California redwoods. She enlists the help of Seb Wallace, a local restaurateur and old friend, to uncover the truth. Together, they navigate grief, family dynamics and the implications of technology, while trying to stay alive long enough to solve the mystery.
Traci Beller was thirteen when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. Now, ten years later, Traci is a high-profile influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire the best detective she can find: Elvis Cole. Elvis heads to Rancha, where an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man. But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a gang of vicious criminals, the misisng persons cold case becomes far more sinister. Elvis calls on his friend Joe Pike for help, and they follow Tommy Beller’s trail into the depths of a monstrous, hidden evil. The case flips on its head, victims become predators, predators become prey, and the question becomes: Can Elvis Cole save them all from this nightmare?
CRONIN-EDDIE WINSTON IS LOOKING FOR LOVE
Eddie Winston is 90 years old. He has lived and he has loved, but he has never been kissed. A true gentleman and incurable romantic, Eddie spends his days volunteering at a charity shop, where he sorts through the donations of the living and the dead, preserving letters and tokens of love along the way. And it is here that he meets Bella, a troubled young woman who, at 24 years old, has just lost the love of her life. When Bella learns that Eddie is yet to have his first kiss, she resolves to help Eddie Winston finally find love, sparking an adventure that will take them to unexpected places and, they hope, bring Eddie Winston to the moment he has waited for all his life. A tale of friendship and kindness that reminds us that those we love are never forgotten and it is never too late to try again.
When Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala investigate a mass stranding of aquatic life in the Indian Ocean, they accidentally uncover a much deeper mystery. A strange figure soon steals NUMA’s findings, forcing a high-speed chase — someone really didn’t want them examining those dead whales. But who, and why? A cryptic text through the NUMA satellite network makes things still stranger: These odd phrases and numbers look like NUMA codes. But who could be tantalizing the crew with such specific knowledge of their tech? Are they being helped by an old friend, or lured into a trap by a traitor who knows a little too much about NUMA’s inner workings? Kurt, Joe, and even Max, the agency’s supercomputer, will have to investigate like never before as they decrypt data, infiltrate a cult of cloned men, and prepare for a battle on two very different planes: one physical; one digital. The aquatic stranding was just the beginning of a sinister plan concocted by a mind more brilliant than any they’ve ever faced — the mind of a machine. A new, terrifying world order is being plotted. First marine ecosystems will be devastated, then the entire globe’s … Unless the NUMA crew can stop this code of desolation.
Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same. New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards. Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare–a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant. That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing … and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening. As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past–which may mean leading them both directly into danger.
Lila Culhane’s life is in turmoil. As if coping with the murder of her husband isn’t enough, now the glamorous young widow has Frank’s even younger mistress to contend with. His pregnant mistress. Crystal. But Lila hasn’t got time for more heartache. With everyone grasping to profit from Frank’s death, including fighting for possession of her beloved ranch, she needs leverage for the battle. As it turns out, Crystal may be carrying just the edge Lila requires: an heir. Crystal offers to let Lila adopt Frank’s baby—for a price. Lila is willing to consider it—pending a paternity test. Until then, she’ll focus on her role in the upcoming high-stakes Run for a Million reining competition, and her ranch manager—and lover—Roper McKenna. Rugged, hardworking, and talented, Roper is finally getting his dream to ride in the prized competition. Lila expects he’ll choose the Culhane’s legendary stallion, One in a Million, as his mount. But when he considers other offers, she finds herself questioning his loyalty … Meanwhile, Detective Sam Rafferty’s list of suspects in Frank’s murder is growing. Besides Roper and Lila, Frank’s bitter first wife and his sparring extended family, there are adversarial neighbors, ex-lovers, and perhaps even the woman Sam loves—Frank’s own pampered daughter, Jasmine. And as the surprises multiply, a killer remains free to strike again—if these rivals don’t kill each other first.
To Kaley Arens, a PhD student and expert in folklore, fairy stories have always had a power and an allure beyond mere entertainment. It’s only when Kaley accompanies her lifelong friend Jobi on a visit to his home that she realizes how much she still has to learn. Bellis isn’t the remote island that she believed it to be. It’s another world—a stunningly beautiful and seductive one, with its own royalty, its own rules, and inhabitants who breathe life into the tales she was taught were fiction. Kaley’s presence is no simple holiday. She has a mysterious connection with Jobi and with Bellis, and abilities that may help determine this world’s fate. Tasked with locating a lost prince, Kaley and her companions—the enigmatic Tanek, a member of the Order of Swans, and Sojee, Kaley’s colossal bodyguard—journey through a land both thrilling and terrifying, where the uncanny and the familiar go hand in hand. But in fairy tales, heroes and villains are easy to discern. Here, nothing is quite as it seems. And though Kaley is discovering that she can change the outcome of the fairy tales she knows so well, her own story is unfolding in ways impossible to predict, with a destiny she could never have foretold…
DOOCY-SORCERY AND SMALL MAGICS
Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics. He can summon butterflies with a song or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Though such minor charms don’t earn him much respect, anything more elaborate always blows up in his face, and so Leo vowed long ago never to use powerful magic again. That is, until a mishap with a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime rival, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite-respected, exceptionally talented, and absolutely insufferable. The only thing they can agree on is that revealing the curse between them would mean the end of their respective magical careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To break the curse, they will have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and-much to their horror-work together.
A taut, powerful mom-noir psychological thriller following a mother who must confront a sudden and terrifying change in her daughter after the abrupt death of their babysitter. Charlotte’s daughter Stella is sensitive and brilliant, perhaps even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior has alarmed her parents. Following the sudden death of Stella’s babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. But what’s unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka’s personality, from Blanka’s repetitive phrases to her accent, to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian. Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, and depleted and sick with the pregnancy. She is convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella’s transformation. But how could Blanka, dead, still be entwined in their lives? Has Blanka somehow possessed Stella? Has Stella become Blanka? As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, she is sure that only she can save her daughter. . . even though it’s soon clear that her husband believes this is all in Charlotte’s head. Helena Echlin’s singular, chilling voice holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, and infused with shades of the supernatural, Clever Little Thing is an ode to motherhood and a nuanced critique of the caretaking industry, a page-turner that will haunt readers long afterits epic, surprising finale
FERGUSON-MEET ME IN THE MARGINS
When Savannah Cade quickly stuffs her manuscript for a romance novel in a secret nook at work, she thinks she’s been able to hide what she’s been writing from others at her highbrow publishing company. So when she returns to get the manuscript, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has not only found it, but also written critical notes in the margins. After the book is rejected for publishing, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the mystery editor, who becomes increasingly important to her.
FINDER-THE OLIGARCH’S DAUGHTER
Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a million-dollar bounty on his head. When his security is breached, Paul is forced to flee into the New Hampshire wilderness to evade Russian operatives who seem to be able to predict his every move. Flash to six years earlier, when Paul was a rising star on Wall Street who fell in love with a beautiful photographer named Tatyana – unaware that her father was a Russian oligarch, the object of considerable interest from several US intelligence agencies. In order to save his own life, Paul must unravel a decades-old conspiracy that extends to the highest reaches of the government. The Oligarch’s Daughter is a breakneck thriller and the perfect successor to the great Cold War spy novels, built for the frightening world we live in now.
Piracy costs the movie and music industry billions. No one has been able to stop it. But that won’t stop Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck. His latest client, Imani Nichols, is a Grammy-winning popstar whose career has skyrocketed. Despite her success, she’s the most underpaid superstar on the planet because of an onerous record contract she signed as a teenager with her now ex-husband Shaky Nichols, who has made himself rich off her royalties. Preferring to see thieves profit from her music than let her ex-husband pocket one more dime, Imani takes to social media and tells her millions of fans to “go pirate” and download her music illegally. Her hardball tactic leads to scorched-earth litigation, and now she needs Jack’s help. The case takes a deadly turn when salacious allegations of infidelity send Imani and Shaky down a path of mutual assured destruction, each implicating the other in the unsolved murder of Imani’s extra-marital lover twelve years ago. Tyler McCormick died of asphyxiation, and his body was found in Biscayne Bay, chained to a piling with the words “goodbye girl” impressed on his chest. Despite their fierce denials, Imani and Shakey are both indicted for murder, leading to a sensational trial that exposes shocking secrets about their failed marriage, their cut-throat business partnership, and Imani’s astonishing success. Yet as Jack discovers, uncovering the truth about the killing and the cryptic “goodbye girl” won’t just exonerate or convict his client, her ex, and their music empire. It may shape the future of the entire recording industry.
Jack Swyteck must defend a woman accused of kidnapping her niece while uncovering deadly secrets about the parents as political forces and international law complicate the case in the latest addition to the series following Goodbye Girl.
A singular new novel from Betty Trask Prize-winner Samantha Harvey, Orbital is an eloquent meditation on space and life on our planet through the eyes of six astronauts circling the earth in twenty-four hours. A slender novel of epic power, Orbital deftly snapshots a day in the lives of six women and men hurtling through space–not toward the moon or the vast unknown, but around our planet. Selected for one of the last space station missions of its kind before the program is dismantled, these astronauts and cosmonauts–from America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan–have left their lives behind to travel at warp speed as the earth reels below. We glimpse moments of their earthly lives through brief communications with family, their photos and talismans; we watch them whip up dehydrated meals, float in gravity-free sleep, and exercise in regimented routines to prevent atrophying muscles; we witness them form bonds that will stand between them and utter solitude. Most of all, we are with them as they behold and record their silent blue planet. Their experiences of sixteen sunrises and sunsets and the bright, blinking constellations of the galaxy are at once breathtakingly awesome and surprisingly intimate. So are the marks of civilization far below, encrusted on the planet on which we live. Profound, contemplative, and gorgeous, Orbital is a gift–a moving elegy to our humanity, environment, and planet.
HENDRIX-WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS
They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, to give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened. Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who. Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.
Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a renowned pediatric surgeon, an infamous tragedy survivor, and a national hero. He’s also very dead–thanks to a fall down the stairs. His neighbors angrily point a finger at the newest Ms. Dougherty, Addison. The sudden marriage to the mysterious young woman only lasted ninety-seven days, and he’d had two suspicious “accidents” during that time. Now Addison is a very rich widow. As law enforcement starts to circle in on Addison and people in town become increasingly hostile, sides are chosen with Kathryn, Richmond’s high school sweetheart, wife number one, and the mother of his children, leading the fray. Despite rising tensions, Addison is even more driven to forge ahead on the path she charted years ago… Determined at all costs to unravel Richmond’s legacy, she soon becomes a target–with a shocking note left on her bedroom wall: You will pay. But it will take a lot more than faceless threats to stop Addison. Her plan to marry Richmond then ruin him may have been derailed by his unexpected death, but she’s not done with him yet.
Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he’s teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written-let alone published anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot. Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel, but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that-a story that absolutely needs to be told. In a few short years, all of Evan Parker’s predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says. As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?
Amelia Rivers, a member of the Lost Night Files podcast team, hires private investigator Gideon Wells to catch the stalker who has been watching her. Amelia suspects the stalker may be connected to the shadowy organization responsible for the night that she and her two friends lost to amnesia–a night that upended their lives and left them with paranormal talents. Gideon suspects that Amelia is either paranoid or an outright con artist, but he takes the case despite his skepticism. He is forced to reckon with the truth when he disrupts what was intended to be Amelia’s kidnapping. Now the pair are on the run, desperate to stop a killer and the people who are conducting illegal experiments with a mysterious drug that is designed to enhance psychic abilities.
Six CIA officers. Dear friends and cherished enemies. For a quarter century they have stolen other people’s secrets. Now they must steal each other’s. A Russian arrives in Singapore with a secret to sell. When the Russian is killed and Sam Joseph, the CIA officer dispatched for the meet, goes missing, operational chief Artemis Procter is made a scapegoat for the disaster and run out of the service. Months later, Sam appears at Procter’s doorstep with an explosive secret: there is a Russian mole burrowed deep within the highest ranks of the CIA. As Procter and Sam investigate, they arrive at a shortlist of suspects made up of both Procter’s closest friends and fiercest enemies. The hunt requires Procter to dredge up her checkered past in the service of the CIA, placing the pair in the sights of a savvy Russian spymaster who will protect Moscow’s mole in Langley at all costs. What happens when friendships forged by sweat and blood–from the Farm to Afghanistan and the executive “Seventh Floor” of CIA’s Langley headquarters–are put to the ultimate test? What can we truly know about the people we love the most?
Tegan is eight months pregnant and her world is crashing down around her. The father of her baby wants nothing to do with her and has promised to make her life hell. She’s lost her job at the convenience store. And she has no idea what she’s going to do to take care of her little one. In a last ditch effort to find help and get away from the threats of her ex, Tegan heads out in a storm to drive to her brother’s. But she never arrives. Tegan wakes in a ditch, having skidded off the road. Stranded and terrified, she’s taken in by a couple living in a remote farmhouse. But they may have ulterior motives and Tegan soon realizes she’s stuck in the middle of nowhere at the mercy of strangers. The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.
After being fired and facing yet another novel rejection, aspiring author Zelu writes a futuristic epic about AI and robots, unknowingly setting herself on a path to literary stardom that could change the future of humanity.
REKULAK-THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING
From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line. Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right. He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate–very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever. An edge-of-your-seat thriller that delves deep into the heart of one family, The Last One at the Wedding is a work of brilliant suspense from a true modern master.
It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something. It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you. Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed. But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be? A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. All in all, Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks
RYAN-THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone meets The Goonies in The Treasure Hunters Club-a rollicking murder mystery set in a seaside town filled with pirate lore, family secrets, unforgiveable grudges, secret societies, and of course, a treasure lost to time. Welcome to Maple Bay, Nova Scotia. For nearly a century, people have ventured to the idyllic seaside town of Maple Bay in search of a legendary lost pirate treasure, but locals know there’s more than just gold buried in the sand. As the paths of three strangers converge in Maple Bay, the truth is about to be blown wide open. But not before the bodies start to pile up. Peter Barnett is rapidly approaching forty with little to show for it when a mysterious letter invites him to Maple Bay and the mansion his estranged family has called home for generations. Seventeen-year-old Dandy Feltzen is isolated and adrift following the death of her beloved grandfather, until his final request and a tantalizing clue sets her on a mission to solve the mystery he spent his entire life chasing. Cass Jones has given up on her dream of being a successful author when an unexpected opportunity lands in her lap: a housesitting gig in remote Maple Bay, where she stumbles on the perfect subject matter for her breakout book — and the handsome sailor who might be just the person to help her research it. Peter, Dandy, and Cass have never met, but they’re on a collision course with each other and the mystery that has defined Maple Bay for two centuries, and none of them are prepared for the shocking truths that may or may not still be buried there.
Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place. Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good. In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat.
Oona Kelly Webster has much to be grateful for. A striking woman with red hair and green eyes, she has a loving family and a job she adores. To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she and her husband, Charles, have planned a visit to France. But then Charles drops a bombshell. He has been living a lie–hiding an affair for a year–and he is leaving Oona for a younger male lover. Although devastated, Oona decides to travel to France without Charles. She arrives in a charming village an hour outside of Paris and settles into the house she has rented, called La Belle Florence–named after the king’s mistress for whom it was built. But just as she’s catching her breath, she’s dealt another blow: her company’s merger will eliminate her job. In the space of months, everything she nurtured for decades has slipped through her fingers. The only silver lining is that she can remain in France, where the simple life in beautiful surroundings slowly begins to heal her, as does the little white dog she rescues and her friendly neighbor hailing from Trinidad, who delights her with his openess and warmth. Though she does not recognize him at first, she soon realizes her neighbor is a well-known actor. As their feelings for each other begin to deepen, Oona wrestles with the risks of opening her heart again–especially to a younger, very famous man.
WELLS-ALL SYSTEMS RED: THE MURDERBOT DIARIES
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid–a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams — who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play. All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after — if it weren’t for one hitch in the plan. There’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real. Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco are really falling in love, who are they to argue with science?
Teddy Fay is ready to embark on the European press tour of Peter Barrington’s latest film Storm’s Eye, when he receives an unexpected visit from Lance Cabot, director of the CIA. Several CIA agents have been turning up dead. The commonality? They were all part of a mission Teddy was involved in — Golden Hour. Lance wants Teddy to use his trip as a cover to investigate who is behind these killings. From Venice and Budapest to their last stop at a film festival in Berlin, Teddy must dodge excited fans, enamored women, and a few too many assassins who seem dead set on tracking down Golden Hour agents. And if Teddy doesn’t work fast enough, his identity – and life – might just be the next target in the killer’s ruthless plot for revenge.
Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past? On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets. Hana wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it. Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds. But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back. Step into the captivating and romantic fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an unforgettable adventure.A spell-binding journey into a magical Ghibli-esque world. Endlessly inventive, this haunting and enchanting tale is not to be missed.
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust. Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves–her dragons, her family, her home–and him.
ADULT NON-FIC:
BRYSON-THE WAY OF PLAY: USING LITTLE MOMENTS OF BIG CONNECTION TO RAISE CALM AND CONFIDENT KIDS
Most parents understand that unstructured play time is good for a child’s attention span and creativity, but new science has discovered that specific, deliberate, playful interaction with parents is the key to their healthy emotional development and later resilience as well. As New York Times bestselling author Tina Payne Bryson and nationally recognized play expert Georgie Wisen-Vincent explain, this doesn’t mean getting on all fours and making toy car sounds or enrolling a child in mommy-and-me classes; it’s the daily, little moments together that can make the most impact. In The Way of Play, they detail the eight playful techniques that harness this caregiving magic and take just a few minutes, including: Leaning Into Emotions helps your child let go of anxieties, drama and chaotic behavior; Tuning Into the Body teaches a child to practice the art of surfing sensory waves; Storytelling promotes better problem solving; Thinking Out Loud fosters calmer thinking and stronger communication with you, their siblings, and everyone else.
If you want to understand your finances, you need to understand your taxes. Learn everything you need to know about the US tax system and become more financially independent with Taxes 101. As people become more motivated to be as financially literate as possible, understanding every part of their financial wellness is key. With Taxes 101, you will learn the basics of the US tax system, from the system structure and kinds of taxes to all the tax laws that lead to deductions and credits and the forms associated with filing. This all-in-one financial resource lays the foundation with basic information about the tax system so you can make better choices about your financial wellness.
GRISWOLD-CIRCLE OF HOPE: A RECKONING WITH LOVE, POWER, AND JUSTICE IN AN AMERICAN CHURCH
A Pulitzer Prize winner’s startling, intimate portrait of a church, its radical mission to build community, its heartbreaking crisis, and the future of faith in America.
HOLIDAY-RIGHT THING, RIGHT NOW: GOOD CHARACTER. GOOD DEEDS.
In his New York Times bestselling book, Discipline Is Destiny, Ryan Holiday made the Stoic case for a life of self-discipline. In this much-anticipated third installment in the Stoic Virtues series, he argues for the necessity of doing what’s right – even when it isn’t easy For the ancients, everything worth pursuing in life flowed from a strong sense of justice-or one’s commitment to doing the right thing, no matter how difficult. In order to be courageous, wise, and self-disciplined, one must begin with justice. The influence of the modern world often tells us that acting justly is optional. Holiday argues that that’s simply untrue-and the fact that so few people today have the strength to stand by their convictions explains much about why we’re so unhappy. In Right Thing. Right Now., Holiday draws on fascinating stories of historical figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Florence Nightingale, Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, and Frederick Douglass, whose examples of kindness, honesty, integrity, and loyalty we can emulate as pillars of upright living. Through the lives of these role models, readers learn the transformational power of living by a moral code and, through the cautionary tales of unjust leaders, the consequences of an ill-formed conscience. The Stoics never claimed that living justly was easy, only that it was necessary. And that the alternative-sacrificing our principles for something lesser-was considered only by cowards and fools. Right Thing. Right Now. is a powerful antidote to the moral failures of our modern age, and a manual for living virtuously.
SMITH-OPEN WHEN: A COMPANION FOR LIFE’S TWISTS & TURNS
Dr. Julie teaches her millions of readers and clients how to navigate life’s toughest occurrences while they’re happening, rather than moments or years after the fact. What if we can learn to harness our emotions and stay present so we can process and choose how to respond to a situation? Picking up where Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? leaves off, Dr. Julie shares the research-backed concepts and powerful skills we can use to weather our most vulnerable moments. Learn how to move through any situation with grace.
Whatever level you are – beginner or advanced, and whatever your age, this book is packed with tips, tricks and all the practical know-how you need to develop your manga drawing. Mei Yu shows you how to draw a range of facial expressions, body shapes and much more. Starting with the basics of drawing eyes, faces, and hairstyles, you will go on to learn about proportion, expressions and emotions, and design your own outfits and fantasy characters. Featuring a range of body types and covering a variety of manga genres and styles, included shonen, josei, and chibi, ‘Manga Drawing School’ will give you all the skills you need to create your own works of manga art.
ABKs:
YOUNG ADULT:
Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime. Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win. Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits–physically, mentally, and emotionally–it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.
The Eternity Gate is found, and kings and monsters battle over its legends of treasure. But rumors whisper that someone stole the gate’s ancient key. Seyo, handmaiden to the princess, keeps three secrets. First, she’s gifted in fire, not light, and may as well be cursed. Second, she translates a prophecy warning that the gate does not offer treasure but judgment. Third, Jorai, the scorned prince and Seyo’s confidant, entrusts her with the key and disappears. Surrounded by war, Seyo and her companions embark on a journey to seek help from a faraway empire and find Jorai, unaware of the trap awaiting them. But what should Seyo do with the key? Who can survive judgment, especially someone as flawed as her? Will hiding the key–or destroying it–save her people or ensure their defeat?
CHAMBERS-IDA, IN LOVE AND IN TROUBLE
When sixteen-year-old Mateo and Chela discover each other and their powers during a political battle between neighborhood factions, they set aside their differences to unravel the mystery behind their sunken homeland and to stop a dangerous political operative who is trying to harness their gifts to unleash terror on the world.
Cendrillon de Louvois has more grace, beauty, and charm than anyone else in France. While she was once the darling child of the king’s favorite adviser, her father’s death has turned her into the servant of her stepmother and cruel stepsisters–and at her own chateau, too! Cendrillon–now called Cinder–manages to evade her stepmother and attend the ball, where she catches the eye of the handsome Prince Louis and his younger brother Auguste. Even though Cendrillon has an immediate aversion to Louis, and a connection with Auguste, the only way to escape her stepmother is to compete with the other women at court for the Prince’s hand. Soon, as Cendrillon glows closer to Auguste and dislikes the prince more and more, she will have to decide if she can bear losing the boy she loves in order to leave a life she hates.
When headstrong Blythe Hawthorne finds herself bound to the insufferable deity Fate, she begins to uncover the truth about their connection and her own astonishing powers.
Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand–each–for a single night… Wren insists it’s a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.The hostess is dead, the gates are locked, and a magical curse ensures no one can leave until they solve both her murder and the riddles she left behind–in just three days. Because everyone else at this party is a powerful witch. And if the witches realize Ruby and Wren are imposters? The sisters won’t make it out of Hegemony Manor alive.
IBANEZ-WHERE THE LIBRARY HIDES
Where the Library Hides is Isabel Ibañez’s stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other! Inez Olivera traveled across the world to Egypt, seeking answers into her parents’ recent and mysterious deaths. But all her searching led her down a perilous road, filled with heartache, betrayal, and a dangerous magic that pulled her deep into the past. When Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider. Marriage to Whitford Hayes. Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.
Branwen, Gwydion, and Pryderi, a huntress, a trickster, and a prince, band together in the dangerous tournament, the Wild Hunt, to win a magical wish granted by the Otherking, but unbeknownst to them, winning may cost them more than losing.
OLDER-BALLAD & DAGGER: AN OUTLAW SAINTS NOVEL
When sixteen-year-old Mateo and Chela discover each other and their powers during a political battle between neighborhood factions, they set aside their differences to unravel the mystery behind their sunken homeland and to stop a dangerous political operative who is trying to harness their gifts to unleash terror on the world.
SHEA-I FEED HER TO THE BEAST AND THE BEAST IS ME
Laure has always danced in the cutthroat world of ballet at a disadvantage. Tired of being overlooked, she ventures deep in the Paris Catacombs, where she finds a pulsing blood river that offers her everything she’s dreamed of and worked toward: power and awe. With it, she takes her place above her peers, but soon she cannot distinguish her own lust for more with the primordial presence in her veins. Laure quickly learns she’s not the only monster around, and her vicious desires put a target on her back. As she descends into godhood and the mystifying underworld below, she is faced with the ultimate choice: continue to break herself for a world that doesn’t love her back, or succomb to the darkness that wants her exactly as she is–monstrous heart and all. That is, if the god killer doesn’t catch her first.
SHEA-I AM THE DARK AND THE DARK IS ME
Though Laure has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the feelings she once held for dance since the Palais Garnier incident two months ago, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster. But when Laure stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, she’s forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself.
In a frozen wasteland suffocating beneath a dying sun, Mara is a young phoenix raised by her father to explode at his command. He’s the only one who can help her control her fire, and Mara desperately follows his orders to protect their phoenix family from relentless human hunters. Her sheltered existence is shattered when her family mysteriously vanishes, thrusting Mara into a perilous quest to find them. Along the way, she unravels a devastating truth: her people may not be the innocent victims she’s been taught to believe. When she comes face-to-face with the kindhearted Eli, she begins to wonder if the humans aren’t the monsters she’s always feared. What if the greatest danger doesn’t lie in the icy world outside—but in the truth of who Mara really is?
YOUNG ADULT NON-FIC:
GRAPHIC NOVELS:
ALVARADO-PENCIL & ERASER: WE HAVE A DULL-EMMA!
At the start of a new school year Eraser notices best friend Pencil has a dull point, so they must leave the comfort of their desk and venture out to find a sharpener before Stella and her classmates return from recess.
GREEN-INVESTIGATORS: ALL TIDE UP
When a cruise captain is found drifting at sea and delirious, the search begins for his missing ship and passengers! Did it sink? Was it boat-napped? Are supernatural forces at play? And can the InvestiGators unravel this maritime mystery before a second cruise befalls a similarly unfathomable fate? Seas the day and find out in this new nautical adventure!
Two tweens with opposing views on how to survive middle school — Izzy the iconoclast aspiring fashion designer, and Marcus the go-along-to-get-along soccer player — are paired for a project in PE. When their swing dance routine gets them a failing grade, they face continuing to work together in front of the entire school in order to get extra credit by dancing at the talent show.
OSTERTAG-D&D DUNGEON CLUB: ROLL CALL
Middle school is a dungeon … At least, that’s how Jess sees it. Luckily, she and her best friend Olivia know how to escape into the sprawling worlds of their own imaginations. The two friends have always loved making up stories, first with little kid games of make-believe, and more recently with the fantasy roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons. When they play, Olivia runs the game as Dungeon Master and Jess is the solo party member, playing a take-no-prisoners, lone-wolf fighter of her own design named Sir Corius. But when Olivia wants to add new players to their group, Jess finds herself struggling to share their game–and her best friend. Will their epic campaign withstand all this change, or has their adventure–and their friendship–finally come to an end?
OSTERTAG-THE GIRL FROM THE SEA
Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can’t wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She’s desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends…who don’t understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan’s biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn’t seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they’re each trying to hide will find its way to the surface…whether Morgan is ready or not.
POWELL-LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION
Since its first publication in the 1990s, Lies My Teacher Told Me has become one of the most important and successful—and beloved—history books of our time. As the late Howard Zinn said, “Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book.” Having sold well over 2 million copies, the book also won an American Book Award and numerous other commendations and prizes and was even heralded on the front page of the New York Times long after its first publication. Now, the brilliant and award-winning artist Nate Powell—the first cartoonist ever to win a National Book Award—has adapted Loewen’s classic work into a graphic edition that perfectly captures both Loewen’s text and the irreverent spirit of his work. Eye-popping illustrations bring to life the true history chronicled in Lies My Teacher Told Me, and ample text boxes and callouts ensure nothing is lost in translation. The book is perfect for those making their first foray past the shroud of history textbooks, and it will also be beloved by those who had their worldviews changed by the original.
A boy feels his passion for lion dancing re-igniting after the death of his father, and so he decides to join the local junior team, where his ex-best friend becomes his new rival
TWEEN FICTION:
When thirteen-year-old African American Coal discovers he can turn invisible, he searches for answers about his past with the help of his friends and his new foster family.
Fourteen-year-old Andrea Hernandez-Baldoquin hails from a family of spies working for the Factory, an international organization dedicated to protecting people of color. Andrea has dreamed about getting her first solo mission, but she never imagined that she would have to straighten her hair and go undercover as a white girl to befriend the estranged son of a dangerous white supremacist. In order to gain the boy’s trust, Andrea finds herself doing a deep dive into the world of comic books and fantasy gaming, all while trying to keep her true identity a secret from her target’s adorable Latino best friend. Can Andrea keep her head, her geek cred, and her code-switching on track to trap a terrorist?
KORMAN-THE SUPERTEACHER PROJECT
Oliver and Nathan, determined to get to the bottom of their new homeroom teacher’s fishy behavior, discover Mr. Aidact is actually an AI robot from a secret experimental program.
Christopher discovers the Archipelago, a world where mythological creatures were secreted away by magic long ago, but those creatures are now dying, and it is up to Christopher and Mal, a girl from the Archipelago, to save both of their worlds.
TWEEN NON-FIC:
CHERRIX-VIRUS HUNTERS: HOW SCIENCE PROTECTS PEOPLE WHEN OUTBREAKS AND PANDEMICS STRIKE
A propulsive nonfiction look at the elite squads of scientists, doctors, and infectious disease experts who guard the boundary between public health and pandemics and how they gather data via boots on the ground “shoe-leather epidemiology” in order to save lives.
JARROW-SPIRIT SLEUTHS: HOW MAGICIANS AND DETECTIVES EXPOSED THE GHOST HOAXES
After millions of people died during World War I and from the 1918 influenza pandemic, the popularity of spiritualism soared. Desperate to communicate with their dead loved ones, the bereaved fell prey to extortion by fraudulent mediums and fortune-tellers. But magician Harry Houdini wasn’t fooled. He recognized the scammers’ methods as no more than conjurer tricks. Angered by the way people were exploited, Houdini set out to expose the ghost hoaxes. In his stage show, he revealed the fraudsters’ techniques, and he used a team of undercover investigators to collect proof of séance deceptions. His head secret agent was a young New York private detective and disguise expert, Rose Mackenberg-a woman who continued her ghost-busting career for decades, long after Houdini’s death in 1926
CHILDREN’S EASY CHAPTER:
In Dogtown, a shelter for unwanted canine and robot dogs, an extraordinary bond develops between Chance, a longing three-legged dog, Metalhead, an empathetic robot, and Mouse, their friendly ally, as they strive to find forever homes.
Two years after a tragedy saddles him with viral fame, twelve-year-old Simon O’Keeffe and his family move to Grin And Bear It, Nebraska, where the internet and cell phones are banned so astrophysicists can scan the sky for signs of alien life, and where, with the help of two new friends, a puppy, and a giant radio telescope, Simon plans to restart the narrative of his life.
CHOLDENKO-THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN
When eleven-year-old Hank’s mother does not come home after a week, he and his toddler sister, Boo, seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact, even though it means social workers, a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he has been trying to keep secret.
DAVIS-MINOR MIRACLE: THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF NOAH MINOR
When seventh grade Noah discovers he can manipulate gravity, he is excited to train with Gravitas, a top-secret government agency, but his excitement is tempered by the revelation that his great-uncle Saul is both on the agency’s most-wanted list and holds the key to unlocking Noah’s full potential.
When twelve-year-old Summer visits her family on a reservation in Alberta, Canada, she begins experiencing vivid dreams of running away from a residential school like the one her grandfather attended as a child and learns about unmarked children’s graves, prompting her to seek answers about her community’s painful past.
WALSH-OPERATION HAPPY: A WORLD WAR II STORY OF COURAGE RESILIENCE, AND AN UNBREAKABLE BOND
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1940, young Jody copes with the upheaval of war and the challenges of keeping her family together by completing a bucket list with her dog Happy.
Twelve-year-old Ethan is afraid of everything, but he must overcome his fears to save his town from a cursed videotape turned monster on the loose.
CHILDREN’S EASY CHAPTER NON-FIC:
BOLDEN-BLACK LIVES: GREAT MINDS OF SCIENCE
This fun and accessible graphic novel for middle grade readers brings to light the lives of great but lesser-known Black scientists. Great Minds of Science is a kid-friendly introduction to some of the greatest scientists in history–doctors, engineers, mathematicians, and biologists. Each of them faced challenges as they rose to the top of their professions, but they didn’t back down. They kept experimenting and questioning and learning, and they made significant contributions in each of their scientific fields.
COOK-TALES OF ANCIENT EGYPT: MYTHS & ADVENTURES FROM THE LAND OF THE PYRAMIDS
Slip into a pyramid at night with a band of tomb robbers, meet an assassin queen and witness epic battles featuring elephants! Egyptologist Hugo D. Cook has scoured ancient texts and translated hieroglyphs to bring readers amazing stories of love, betrayal, and royal scandal from one of the most amazing civilizations in history. Combining true tales from the past with rip-roaring Egyptian myths, this book is perfect for kids interested in Ancient Egypt.
GOODWIN-THE LEADERSHIP JOURNEY: HOW FOUR KIDS BECAME PRESIDENT
Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lyndon B. Johnson. They grew up and lived in very different worlds–Lincoln was poor and uneducated, his frontier cabin home deep in the harsh wilderness; Theodore Roosevelt hailed from an elegant home in the heart of New York City and traveled the world with his family; Franklin Roosevelt loved the outdoors surrounding his family’s rural estate where he was the center of attention; and Lyndon Johnson’s modest childhood home had no electricity or running water but provided a window into Texas politics. So how did each of them do it–rise to become President of the United States? What did these four kids have individually–and have in common–that made them the ones to lead the country through some of its most turbulent times?
MOONEY-I WANT TO START A LAWNCARE BUSINESS
Many kids rake and mow their families’ lawns as part of their chores. Some young people have turned the skills they have learned performing these outdoor tasks into profitable part-time businesses. Many homeowners need an extra set of hands to keep up with their landscaping needs. And they are willing to pay responsible individuals for these helpful services. Part of the You’re Hired! series, I Want to Start a Lawncare Business explores the skills and qualifications needed to start a landscaping company, as well as the best ways to find one’s first clients.
SHREEVE-THE ODDBALL BOOK OF ARMADILLOS
Armadillos are a hodgepodge of different animal parts and behaviors rarely seen together–in short they’re oddballs! How did they become the burrowing, swimming, roly-poly, armored creatures we know today? This entertaining and informative picture book explores their behavior, biology, and evolution, pairing modern species like the adorable pink fairy armadillo, the chilling screaming hairy armadillo, and the iconic nine-banded armadillo, with their ancient counterparts, such as the horned armadillo, with its head spikes and chainmail-like skin, and the remarkable glyptodont, which could be as large as a car!
TRACY-THE UNOFFICIAL ALCATRAZ HANDBOOK
Former Alcatraz Island volunteer and seasoned author Kristen Tracy takes young readers on an adventure through the historic prison’s grounds in this dynamically illustrated book packed with interesting facts and important stories. From individual cells in the Main Cellhouse to the ruins of the Warden’s House, readers will get an in-depth tour of the island and its buildings. Tracy also shares important stories about how Alcatraz got its name, famous escape attempts, the gardens and the birds of the island, as well as the Native American groups who once occupied “The Rock.” Award-winning illustrator Anika Orrock highlights the island’s beautiful (and also grim) history with stunning artwork that brings to life this mysterious island. Author Kristen Tracy brings her personality-filled writing to a classic topic sure to be a hit with young readers. Written with a sharp eye for detail and an occasionally comedic voice, this book provides curious kids with a compact yet thorough history of America’s most notorious prison island.
In this zany, inclusive, and vibrantly illustrated guide to all things color, the origins of today’s pigments come alive across continents and history, with oodles of art, tons of science – and extensive interactive backmatter!
CHILDREN’S EASY:
Acorn is the first one off the tree, longing for adventure and new experiences (though maybe not being eaten), but when a squirrel buries Acorn he is forced to stay still in the dark until the exciting changes begin, and he grows into a mighty oak–though at heart he is still a little wild.
It was the first day of school. But even the kindergartners of room 2B could tell something was seriously wrong…Where was the teacher? And who left this sandwich on the desk? The only clue, written neatly on the chalkboard, was the name: Mr. S.
Not all questions have answers. Some have more than one answer. And others have endless answers, unfolding out to the edges of the world. In this spare yet expansive narrative, acclaimed author Mac Barnett poses twenty questions both playful and profound. Some make us giggle. Others challenge our assumptions. The result is a quirky, wandering exploration of where the best questions lead–to stories. Intriguing, richly interactive, and brought to vivid life by Caldecott Honor recipient Christian Robinson’s bright and whimsical illustrations, Twenty Questions is a charming invitation to speculate without limits and know no bounds.
It is pool day in the city and everyone is welcome.
CUSHMAN-FLAMINGOS ARE PRETTY FUNKY: A [NOT SO] SERIOUS GUIDE
An introduction to the amazing and unusual world of flamingos and their habitats.
When Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, a spider scared her away, or so the story goes. But not this Miss Muffet! Not only does she find the spider interesting, she isn’t afraid of a series of other so-called frightening animals. Can the story’s narrator find anything to scare this brave Miss Muffet away?
A sweet and silly buffalo who tries to bluff and fluff his way into being bigger than he really is
PETTY-ELMORE THE CHRISTMAS MOOSE
When Santa needs a reindeer replacement for Christmas Eve, Elmore the moose applies for the job, despite not being able to fly.
SANDERSON-THE MOST BORING BOOK EVER
An ordinary boy’s unremarkable day takes a surprising turn when an adventure unfolds around him.
CHILDREN’S EASY NON-FIC:
ALBEE-THE PAINTER AND THE PRESIDENT: GILBERT STUART’S BRUSH WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON
George Washington and artist Gilbert Stuart didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but both men knew the importance of legacy and the power of art. Though George disliked having his portrait painted – which took days and days to complete – he knew his place in history would require people to know his face. Fortunately, Gilbert Stuart’s unique way of painting didn’t compel his subjects to sit for hours on end – in fact, he encouraged them to move around and even bring friends to chat with. Capturing the soul of each subject, his portraits were unlike any other artists’. And Gilbert Stuart’s one-of-a-kind portrait of Washington stands the test of time – it’s the one that’s used on the one-dollar bill.
COHEN-ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE
Hershey’s milk chocolate is the quintessential American chocolate bar. But in Milton Hershey’s time, chocolate was mostly a special treat for the very wealthy. Milton grew up poor and was no stranger to going hungry. When he got a job washing dishes in an ice cream parlor, he realized how happy sweets made people–and how much he liked making people happy. Over the course of his career, Hershey failed to make many businesses profitable, yet ultimately cracked the formula on milk chocolate. Here was a chocolate that was delicious, didn’t spoil, and could be sold at an affordable price in communities across America and the world. And here was a business that could provide good lives in a welcoming town and an education for those who couldn’t afford it. Perfect for the chocolate lover, inventor, and science-experiment-obsessed childhood reader, this biography shows that perseverance and persistence can lead to sweet success.
A nonfiction picture book about the tiny world of nurse log habitats.
Discover the tiny, fascinating world of underwater habitats on sunken ships that become artificial reefs.
LAVELLE-ODE TO GRAPEFRUIT: HOW JAMES EARL JONES FOUND HIS VOICE
Before there was Mufasa–before there was Darth Vader–there was a young boy names James Earl Jones, who spoke with a stutter and dreaded having to talk in class. Whenever James tried to voice his thoughts, his words got stuck in his throat. But James figured out a solution for his shame: if he didn’t speak, he wouldn’t stutter. And so he was silent–until he wrote his own poem, Ode to Grapefruit, and found a love for poetry. …Text, … art, and … backmatter about stuttering pair together for a … picture book about how a boy who refused to speak for eight years learned to manage his stutter through poetry–and grew up to become an EGOT-winning performer with a voice few could forget.
MEDINA-DAUGHTER OF THE LIGHT-FOOTED PEOPLE
From the copper canyons of Mexico her swift footsteps echo. Clip clap, clip clap. Experience a 60-mile run with indigenous athlete Lorena Ramirez, who captured the world’s attention when she won an ultramarathon in Mexico wearing a skirt and rubber sandals – the traditional clothes of the Rarámuri, ‘the light-footed people
MILLS-WINGS OF AN EAGLE: THE GOLD MEDAL DREAMS OF BILLY MILLS
The autobiographical story of Billy Mills, an Oglala Lakota orphan who achieved his dream of winning a gold medal as a runner in the 1964 Olympics despite racism, poverty, and debilitating health challenges.
ROTH-ALMOST UNDERWEAR: HOW A PIECE OF CLOTH TRAVELED FROM KITTY HAWK TO THE MOON AND MARS
Here is the amazing true story of how a single piece of cloth-originally destined to become underwear-was used in the design of the Wright brothers’ Flyer, traveled to the Moon with Apollo 11, and is currently wandering Mars on Ingenuity.
WILLEMS-LEFTY: A STORY THAT IS NOT ALL RIGHT
A nonfiction narrative book about left-handedness.
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