Beneath a shadowed moon in a cloud-streaked sky, the sacred orb splits and a hatchling is born. It is Nyroc, son of Kludd, fallen leader of the Pure Ones, and his evil mate, Nyra. Born from evil, trained to evil, Nyroc is destined to fulfill his father's terrible plan: the oppression of all owldom under the vicious talons of the Pure Ones.
But doubt grows in Nyroc's heart, fed by strange, forbidden legends of a great tree far away where noble owls live in peace. And a light dawns in Nyroc's gizzard, nourished by friendship. A day is nearing when Nyroc must choose to fulfill his destiny or to defy it. It will be a day of blood and terror.
Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse. But they do -- when Helen comes. "Genuinely scary, complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real ghost." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
In the next thrilling installment in Gordon Korman's nonstop action-adventure trilogy everyone from the FBI to her brother is searching for the kidnapped Meg Falconer.
Balto has a quiet life as a sled dog until tragedy strikes. Dozens of children in Nome become sick with diphtheria. Without antitoxin serum, they will perish and the closest supply is 650 miles away! The only way to get the serum to Nome is by sled, but can the dogs deliver it in time? Heading bravely into a brutal blizzard, Balto leads the race for life. A Kansas City Children's Book Award for Grades 1 3 From the Trade Paperback edition.
It all started when my sister, Thea, discovered an old, mysterious map. In no time at all, my sister dragged me and my cousin Trap into her treasure hunt. It was an adventure I’d never forget.
It was a dream come true–I was off to Egypt to interview a famous archaeologist! I climbed onboard a crabby old camel that would take me across the desert to the Cheese Pyramid.
Recipient of two Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honors, beloved fantasy and children's author Diana Wynne Jones presents this exciting sequel to her novel Howl's Moving Castle), which was transformed into an Academy Award-nominated motion picture. A girl named Charmain must inhabit her ailing great-uncle's time-traveling home full of magical belongings. As Charmain begins a journey of amazing discoveries, she comes to the attention of the powerful sorceress Sophie and an elusive wizard named Howl.
When Charm became Queen of Karisma, the Silversmith made her a precious gift. A bracelet. On it are fastened 13 silver amulets, called 'charms' in honour of the new queen. The bracelet is magic with the power to control the forces of nature and keep everything in balance. As long as Queen Charm, and she alone, has possession of the bracelet all will be well. And so it was until Zorgan, the evil magician, stole the bracelet and scattered the charms far and wide. Then there was chaos!
Meanwhile, in our world (the 'Outworld' to Karismans), Sesame Brown is waiting to go shopping with her best friend Maddy. Little does she know she's about to be whisked away on the adventure of a lifetime. She's about to become a Charmseeker. Ses suddenly finds herself in a strange new land with castles and forests, princesses and magicians, the friendly tunganoras, Hob and Fig, and the less friendly gribblers. The race is on to find the charms and Sesame is determined to win.
Read by Kate O'Sullivan
(P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd
Mrs. Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, was last seen during a field trip to Black Vine Swamp. The school's headmaster and the police seem to have accepted the sketchy, unsigned note explaining that her absence is due to a "family emergency." There's no real evidence of foul play. But still, Nick and Marta don't buy it. Something weird is definitely going on.
Carl Hiaasen is a columnist for the Miami Herald and is the author of many bestselling books, including Sick Puppy, Nature Girl, and The Downhill Lie. He lives in Florida.
Although he is underage, Homer P. Figg's beloved older brother, Harold, is illegally sold into the Union Army by their ruthless guardian. Now Homer must run away from Pine Swamp, Maine, and his wretched home to find his brother and save him from the war, before it's too late.
In a story filled with adventure, humor, and danger, award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick tells of the turbulent, passionate times-from rural Maine to the Battle of Gettysburg--in the Civil War. Here is historical fiction at its most engaging, portraying the 1860s through the observant eyes of a backwoods boy who is both courageous and funny-and always willing to stretch the truth to his own advantage. A master of plot twists and vivid characters, Philbrick sweeps readers into the unpredictable events--both colorful and tragic--of this powerful turning point in American history.
Halli Sveinsson has grown up in the House of Svein, hearing the legends of the heroes as all his forefathers did. Theirs is a peaceful society, where the violence of the past has been outlawed and disputes are settled by the Council.
But young Halli has never quite seemed to fit in with the others. For starters, he is neither handsome nor tall, like his siblings. He's stumpy and swarthy, with a quick mind and an aptitude for getting into trouble. Bored with everyday chores and sheepherding, he can't help playing practical jokes on everyone, from Eyjolf, the old servant, to his brother and sister. But when he plays a trick on Ragnar of the House of Hakon, he goes too far, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever alter his destiny. Because of it, Halli will have to leave home and go on a hero's quest. Along the way, he will encounter highway robbers, terrifying monsters, and a girl who may be as fearless as he is. In the end he will discover the truth about the legends, his family, and himself.
Jonathan Stroud's stunning new novel is a funny and epic saga, as well as a surprising look at the real meaning of heroism.
Nick and Allie don't survive the car accident...but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to go either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It's a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth. When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he's found a home, but Allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting, and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost. In this imaginative novel, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.
