"I told myself it was impossible that the Lizard Man was there. He had never found us on the first day. Twice my father had heard him prowling around a new house in the first week. And in the first month … Well, that had happened more times than I wanted to think about.
Ever since he was five years old and his father witnessed a terrible crime, Igor and his family have been on the run from the Lizard Man, a foreboding figure bent on revenge. They’ve lived in so many places, with so many identities, that Igor
can’t even remember his real name.
But now he is twelve and longing for a normal life. When the people his dad calls the Protectors find his family yet another new place to live, Igor’s dad sets down the rules establishing how far Igor can go in any direction and where he
can’t go at all. Boxed into the smallest area he has ever been allowed to explore on his own, Igor rebels. Much to his surprise, he’s allowed to start school, and for the first time since kindergarten he begins to make friends.
As the months go by, Igor begins to wonder if the Lizard Man exists only in his father’s frightened mind. No one but his dad has ever seen him. But then Igor’s little sister tells him she thinks she saw the Lizard Man lurking around the house,
and Igor realizes that even if the Lizard Man is real, he would risk everything rather than abandon his friends and go back on the run."
"Kids have been picking on 14-year-old Harold ever since he can remember. They stare at him and call him 'maggot' or 'ghost boy' because he's an albino. Even his mother seems angry and withdrawn when he's around. One day the circus comes to town, and Harold runs away to join it. When Fossil Man and Princess Minikin accept him into their family, he feels that he has at long last come home. As he gains the respect of the circus owner and the beautiful trick horseback rider, Harold suddenly finds himself straddling the line between the normal people and the 'freaks.' If only he could figure out the omniscient Gypsy Magda's warning about the high price of being 'normal.' Iain Lawrence builds an insightful metaphor with this story of a teenager facing his fear of being an outsider. Narrator George Guidall is the perfect guide for readers as they join Harold on his poignant journey toward self-discovery and acceptance."
"Three years after leaving her family behind on the idyllic lighthouse island where she grew up, 17-year-old Elizabeth 'Squid' McCrae returns, full of anger and accusations and eager to confront her father about a family tragedy. But as a ghostly voice from the past sparks her memories, Squid soon realizes that nothing is exactly as she thought it was, and no one-not even herself-is completely free from blame. The award-winning author of The Wreckers presents a keen exploration of the way family works to make us who we are."
"Ten-year-old Johnny's toymaker father has volunteered for service in the British Army of World War I. At first, his spirits are high as he completes basic training, but his tone becomes grim once he reaches the front. To ease his son's worries, Johnny's dad carves him little figurines that reflect his experiences in the war. Comprised of letters from his father, followed by Johhny's feelings, Lord of the Nutcracker Men is a haunting and poignant tale. Author Iain Lawrence has written numerous books for young adults, including Ghost Boy and The Smugglers."
"This thrilling companion to Iain Lawrence's award-winning The Wreckers and The Smugglers plunges listeners into high-sea action and intrigue. After 17-year-old John Spencer sets out on his first voyage to foreign lands, he and his crew are wary when they come across a stranger named Horn rowing a lifeboat in the middle of nowhere. What is the man hiding?"
