As the daughter of the wildly successful inspirational singer-author Skye - who died in a plane crash when Marnie was young - Marnie Skyedottir stands to inherit great wealth. But until she is old enough, she must survive a dreary life in private boarding school. She endures by escaping into an online role-playing game as much as possible, and steering well clear of the other girls. So when Marnie is kidnapped by someone who also claims to be Skye's daughter, she is terrified. With her reclusive tendencies, will anyone even notice that she's gone? And will her online gaming skills be of any help to her in this real-life drama? "As she did in The Killer's Cousin, Werlin offers a compelling thriller that will have readers turning pages." - Booklist "The pacing is fast and the author successfully explores the layers of the theme to build interest and suspense." - SLJ
Tugs Esther Button was born to a luckless family. Buttons don't presume to be singers or dancers. They aren't athletes or artists, good listeners or model citizens. Until tomboy Tugs befriends the popular Aggie Millhouse, wins a brand-new Brownie camera in the Independence Day raffle, and stumbles into a mystery only she can solve, she looks at her hapless family and sees her own reflection looking back. But it's a summer of change, and it just may be that in the end, being a Button is precisely what one clumsy, funny, spirited, and observant young heroine decides to make of it. Award-winning author Anne Ylvisaker has trained her own observant eye on a small Iowa town in 1929 to craft a riotously endearing portrait of a family like no other.
When Grampa's friend drops off his chicken, Malicia, at the Bed and Biscuit for a well-earned vacation, Ernest the mini-pig is determined to put aside his dislike for chickens and be a good host. But Malicia is no ordinary chicken: she's magic! And she seems determined to use her magic to make the animals miserable. Together with Gabby the mynah bird, Milly the cat, and Sir Walter the Scottish terrier, Ernest must figure out a way to get Grampa to see how awful Malicia really is - before she does something truly terrible!
Everyone's given up. Dad keeps burning pizzas, and he doesn't smile anymore. Sally wears only black now and has a terrible secret. Conor plays the drums all night and keeps the neighbors awake. And the dog, Sparkler, hasn't been walked in months. And that's not even counting how terrible things are at school. But Mimi isn't one to give up. John Newman has crafted a novel both touching and comic - a portrait of loss, compassion, and the power that comes from sticking together.
In a rainy town in the north of England, there are strange goings-on. Dad is building a pair of wings, eating flies, and feathering his nest. Auntie Doreen is getting cross and making dumplings. Mr. Poop is parading the streets, shouting LOUDER and LOUDER, and even Mr. Mint, the headmaster, is getting in a flap. And watching it all is Lizzie, missing her mam and looking after Dad and thinking how beautiful the birds are. What's behind it all? It's the Great Human Bird Competition, of course!
In the case of Savanna and Gracie, friendship isn't based on reason, but on the notion that opposites attract. Savanna is a head-turning, attention-seeking, accessorized one of "Those Girls," while Gracie's love of old movies and commitment to protecting the environment put her into the "everyone else" category. It seems as if nothing could come between them until Savanna's lies and dependence on Gracie as a false alibi start to take a toll on their relationship. When Savanna gets between Gracie and her crush, the line separating best friend from worst friend is crossed.
Fancy Nancy's closet is bulging (that's a fancy way of saying it won't close). Nancy's mom thinks she should give away some of her tutus-but Nancy knows a fancy girl can never have too many tutus! But when Ms. Glass tells her class they will have a fancy swap-and-shop at school, will Nancy bring in some tutus to trade? And what happens when she finds the tutu of her dreams?
Following in the footsteps of all Fancy Nancy I Can Reads, Fancy Nancy: Too Many Tutus will delight beginning readers-and tiny, tutu-wearing fans will agree: There's no such thing as too many tutus!
Annabel Andrews is tired of her mother telling her what to do. She's tired of being told to do her homework, clean up her room, and be nice to her little brother, Ape Face. If she were an adult, she could do anything she wanted, like watch TV all day and eat marshmallows for breakfast.
One Friday morning, Annabel's wish comes true when she wakes up and realizes she's turned into her mother! But after a major washing machine mishap, losing Ape Face, and a terrible teacher conference, Annabel starts to suspect that being an adult is not as much fun as it seems. One thing's for certain-this is one freaky Friday she'll never forget!
A stable of dragons to groom, train, and ride!
That's Dragonsdale, a riding school run by Cara's dad. All Cara's friends are busy people preparing their dragons for the Island Championships-even spoiled Hortense, who dumps her hard work on guess who? But Cara doesn't mind. She loves every minute she can spend with the beautiful beasts. Because ever since her mom's terrible accident, Cara herself is forbidden to ride. Against her father's wishes, she trains the wild dragon Skydancer in secret, and dreams of a day when she, too, can take flight.
And there it was again, the troubling notion that I barely knew the people I loved.
Daddy's girl Rebecca Muir has long known exactly what she wants to do after high school: attend the prestigious architecture program at Columbia University, 3000 miles away from her home. But as the end of school nears, things are no longer so clear cut-she's just fallen in love with the perfect guy, Jackson; her dad has gotten a new job in New York, so her whole family is following her to the east coast; and she's having trouble ignoring her premonition that something terrible is coming.
And it soon becomes clear why: shortly after the move, her father reveals that he's leaving them, and Rebecca is left to pick up the pieces of her former life. When everything can change in an instant, Reb doesn't know what path to follow or whom to trust--and must begin to search for what she really wants to do with her life.
Justina Chen, the acclaimed author of North of Beautiful, has created a moving and powerful story about the struggle that comes from betrayal, the uncertainty of life after high school, and the joy that ultimately comes from discovering what's truly in your heart.
I'm Lucy Rose, and here's the thing about this summer: I am big on fun and big on plans. I am desperate to make a lanyard keychain, and Jonique is feeling the same about potholders. Plus I have to get rid of 78 or more squirrels that are climbing all over Madam and Pop's apricot tree and taking bites out of the puny fruits and flinging them to the ground which is maddening to Madam who wants to make them into jam. The apricots, not the squirrels. Plus I have to figure out what to do about the absolute pest who is named Ashley and is making Parks & Rec not so much fun. And even though I don't want to think about it, I need to come up with a way to stop my parents' separation from turning into a divorce.
Here is the thing about that: All these things are an extremely lot to get done in one summer.
Lucy Rose is back with big plans and big fun in an all-new book about-who else? Her!
Hunky Dory's mother always told her, "You'll be the wickedest witch wherever the four winds blow." And why not? She's at the top of her class in charm school. She can make flowers wilt like wet spaghetti. And she can turn any prince into a frog-but she always changes him back. That's when she knows she has a problem.
Hunky Dory's interest in wishcraft over witchcraft gets her kicked out of charm school. Now she's determined to follow her heart and become a fairy godmother. But how to go about doing it? She gives a woodsman a new mustache, and grants Wolf his strange wish for a grandmother costume. Finally, motivated by jealousy over her friend Rumpelstiltskin's crush on the girl in the roomful of straw, she meets the ticket to realizing her career dream-Cinderella.
This fresh, funny twist on fairy tales is just right for girls who have not quite outgrown the magic of classic stories-and who are open to unconventional happily-ever-afters!
