In 1952, April is seven years old and adores her big sister Annabel. But Annabel is failing her math class and desperately needs help with a tough math problem. April decides to write to Albert Einstein asking him to give a hand. While she waits for his reply, April imagines everything he might be doing instead of working on math. Could he be riding his bike? Or working in his garden? Maybe he's playing his violin. But finally, Einstein sends the girls a clue to solving the puzzle.
Lynne Barasch is the acclaimed authorllustrator of several picture books. Ask Albert Einstein is based on an actual letter the famous scientist received from a young student and his unusual response. This delightful story conveys a teenager's fear of possible failure and the compassion of a younger sibling who ultimately saves the day.
New York Times best-selling author Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's young adult debut is filled with sharp, witty dialogue and colorful characters. Pasquala Rumalda Quintana de Archuleta ("Paski," please!) is happy with her quiet life in Taos, New Mexico. But when her comic book artist father Rudolfo gets a huge break in the film industry, the two of them quickly transplant to glamorous Los Angeles. There, Paski runs afoul of upper crust Jessica Nguyen and her beautiful friends. How will Paski get by in a place filled with nothing but haters?
Can Tom and the team “dampen the spirit”–permanently!–of a fiery phantom, or are they about to get burned?
Boy hero Tom, Hugo the Averagely Spooky Ghost, and famed ghoul hunter Hetty Hyssop have formed an agency dedicated to dealing with difficult apparitions. No spook can defeat them–until their too close encounter with a Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost.
This superheated specter (or “GILIG,” in ghosthunter-speak) has taken over the penthouse suite of a beachfront hotel, where it’s passing its eternal vacation by turning guests into ghosts themselves!
Maybe Hugo’s slime can douse the flaming phantom–or maybe the ghosthunters’ plan is doomed to go up in smoke. . . . Get scared silly!
For Horrible Harry and all the other students in Miss Mackle's third grade class, Halloween is the holiday with the most fun. Everybody wears a costume-even Miss Mackle. And each year, Horrible Harry has the spookiest disguise. So now, when Halloween arrives, the students wonder what Harry will be this year. Join Horrible Harry and the students of Room 3B in five spirited adventures that result from Harry's unusual costume. Chapters including Water, Water Everywhere! and The Case of the Missing Pixie Dust will delight beginning readers and have them looking for more in the popular series. Johnny Heller has earned rave reviews for his performances of the Horrible Harry books. AudioFile calls these audio productions "pure, laugh-aloud entertainment". Look for Horrible Harry and the Green Slime, Horrible Harry's Secret, and the other books in Suzy Kline's irresistible series.
Kathy Nuzum's debut novel, compared favorably to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, follows a set of twins: one bent on rodeo super-stardom and one content to follow behind. Will is sure of what the future holds for him, but he's not so sure what life holds for his twin brother Denny. The two are as different as night and day, but they both hold with them the memory of a small white scar.
New York Times best-selling author of more than 50 books, Alexander McCall Smith delights children with his Akimbo adventures and Harriet Bean mysteries. Something strange is happening to Mr. Fetlock's well-trained racehorses! Suddenly his swiftest steeds are running slowly. Sometimes they just sit down. Nine-year-old Harriet Bean is just the right size to pose as a jockey and unravel this bizarre mystery. But as Harriet sits next to Black Lightning, she has second thoughts about riding such a terrifying beast and exposing the diabolical League of Cheats. ". for young readers and the inner child in all of us."-book jacket
Morgan Taylor was terrified of flying. Shocking visions of fatal falls and explosive crashes shook loose with each thump of the plane. The electrical storm didn't help much, nor did his sister Kelly. The thought of his father waiting at the boarding gate was the only thing pushing back his fear and swelling panic.
Then a horrified scream brought Morgan's worst fears to life.
Morgan and Kelly learn the horrible secret of an unseen war: a war being waged in our very bedrooms while we sleep. Invisible battles fought between dark and sinister visitors grappling to secure the survival of their race . . .
And others who struggle desperately to bring us a grave warning before it's too late.
Be aware . . .
We are not alone.
How could things get worse? First the frantic call from Mom saying that she and Dad would be late getting home, and that the clueless sitter would be over soon to watch us. Then the worst storm in Fairfield history pounds our house, knocking out our power, lights, and phone. And now a hideous man is lurking at our door and won't go away! He is frantically peering in the windows and ringing the doorbell over and over. . .
It's a special, late night delivery for Simon and Sarah White. A deadly delivery. A package of disaster that sends them screaming through the wildest, scariest, most dangerous night of their lives. . .
in their very own house.
At least, it was their house. Then they opened the box, flipped the latches and peeked under the lid. Now it's loose and planning on a little. . . redecorating.
And once it's out, getting it back in is murder.
The young orphan Crispin and his gentle, red-bearded protector Bear continue their adventures in 14th-century England. Crispin and Bear are finally free to live their lives as they choose. But they soon find that they are being hunted by members of a secret society who believe Bear is a spy. When Bear is severely wounded, Crispin must make some tough decisions, such as deciding who else to trust to help them escape their pursuers. The two make a perilous journey to Brittany-surely the edge of the world! And there they must confront death in order to find true freedom. Avi has written several books of historical fiction for which he has been showered with numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal for Crispin: Cross of Lead. He explores the themes of war, religion, and family in this suspenseful adventure. The superb reading from narrator Ron Keith will enthrall listeners.
Now that Pauline Esmeralda Simone-Thierry von Cant has been rescued from Castle Cant by her half-sister and former maidservant Lucy, the real adventure begins. For there are forces throughout the land that want to tear Pauline and Lucy apart. In their land, a war rages over chewing gum. The nobles enjoy it, and the revolutionaries want to destroy it. With bounty hunters all around, the girls must be careful if they want to reach the Outlands in time to stop the corrupt gum trade. But hot on their heels is Lucy's arch nemesis-the dreadful Vladimir Orloff. Popular author K.P. Bath delivers an exciting and hilarious sequel to his critically acclaimed The Secret of Castle Cant (RB# 98239). Listeners will thoroughly enjoy this witty tale of a land torn apart by chewing gum.
A story of school life written in 1909, this novel tells of 13-year-old Patty Hirst who finds out just how horrible her sex can be when she arrives at Morton Priory. Funny, touching and wonderfully 'jolly hockey-sticks'.
Sitting around poppin' pork cracklins and watching the tube, Grampa and Wiley witness to the awesomest TV commercial they've ever seen: Colonel Dracula's Monster Truck Spectacular is in town! Then the local weatherman breaks in with a dire warning: an F5 tornado could blow through at any minute! So what does a responsible guardian like Grampa do? When Gramma isn't looking, he and Wiley sneak out of the house bound for the monster truck extravaganza of course! At the coliseum, Wiley and Grampa are surprised to be selected for the audience participation round. Their task is to outmaneuver Colonel Drac's vampire monster truck-the Mudsucker-and jump a fiery pit full of giant mechanical lobsters while driving a tiny British clown car. Do you think they'll make it? Maniacal laughter will pierce the night as children gleefully listen to this creepy-crawly tale of monster trucks, tornados, and bloodsucking vehicular mayhem.
