"Holes meets The City of Ember in this imaginative, captivating, and humorous middle grade novel from New York Times bestselling adult author Michael Perry. When the world started to fall apart, the government gave everyone two choices: move into the Bubble Cities...or take their chances outside. Twelve-year-old Maggie and her family chose the latter. They live in the world that was left behind. Deciding it's time to grow up and grow tough, Maggie rechristens herself 'Ford Falcon'-a name taken from the beat-up car she finds at a nearby junkyard. This is where Ford's family goes to scavenge for things they can use and barter with. Thus far, they have been able to survive this brave new world by working together. But when Ford returns one day to discover her home ransacked and her family missing, she must find the strength to survive on her own and rescue her loved ones. This wholly original tween novel combines a page-turning adventure, heartfelt family story, and triumphant journey of self-discovery. With Scavengers, Michael Perry achieves the perfect mix of humor and heart in a world where one person's junk is another person's key to survival."
"Eleven-year-old math prodigy Ada Lovelace, daughter of the famous and infamous poet Lord Byron, is a genius. Isolated, awkward and socially inept—but a genius. Mary Godwin, age 14, daughter of radical philosopher William Godwin and feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, is a romantic. It has been arranged for Mary and Ada to be tutored by the young man who calls himself Percy B. Snagsby, a nervous fellow who may or may not be a spy. Every day, Mary rides to the Byron estate in a carriage accompanied by Charles, a stowaway boy she is supposed to pretend isn't really there and who all the while keeps his nose in a book.
As the two girls become fast friends, their irrepressible curiosity leads to the formation of the secretive Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. Their first case involves a stolen pendant, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects—but these are no match for the deductive powers and bold hearts of Ada and Mary.
Playful historical references and witticisms abound in this comic romp featuring Newgate Prison, a renegade hot-air balloon ride across the rooftops of London, and word-play worthy of the literary characters who inhabit the story. The Case of the Missing Moonstone is funny and fanciful middle-grade fiction that is guaranteed to delight readers of all ages."
"'Mad Men 'meets 'Nashville' in this debut mystery set in 1963, written by Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Cynthia Weil. It's the summer of 1963 and JJ Green is a born songwriter--which is a major problem, considering that her family considers the music business a cesspool of lowlifes and hustlers. Defying them, she takes an internship at the Brill Building, the epicenter of a new sound called rock and roll. JJ is finally living her dream. She even finds herself a writing partner in Luke Silver, a boy with mesmerizing green eyes who seems to connect instantly with her music. Best of all, they'll be cutting their first demo with Dulcie Brown, a legend who's fallen on hard times. Though Dulcie is now a custodian in the Brill Building, JJ is convinced that she can shine again. But Dulcie's past is a tangle of secrets, and when events take a dark turn, JJ must navigate a web of hidden identities and shattered lives--before it snares her, too. Cynthia Weil is a member of the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame, as well as the multi-Grammy winning songwriter of classic songs like 'On Broadway,' 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place,' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling' (the most performed song of the 20th century), and 'Somewhere Out There,' which was a double Grammy winner and Oscar nominee. She has lived in Southern California for many years with her husband and writing partner, Barry Mann. 'I'm Glad I Did' is her first novel."
"It's wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler's inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo's home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook's daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House-and themselves. Longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award for Young People's Literature"
"After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves, even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles … and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts.
In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?"
"Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland comes to life again in this dramatized version of the timeless classic, with stellar performances by Georgia Lee Schultz as Alice, and multi-award-winning Barbara Rosenblat as the Mouse, Duchess, Cheshire Cat, and the Queen. This version features a full cast of characters, music, and sound effects and introduces the original song 'My Garden Back Home.'
Join Alice on her strange and wonderful adventures into the world of the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, and the Hatter."
"Jennie McGrady is anxious to fly to Montana after her uncle, a full-blooded Indian and the owner of Dancing Waters Ranch, is injured by a bomb explosion meant to kill. Jennie is determined to solve the crime, but her instincts tell her she's not in friendly territory.
Her cousin, Heather White Cloud, is a beautiful Indian princess with a less-than-noble attitude. Jennie had hoped to befriend her cousin, but Heather is as cold as ice and determined to escape the home she calls a prison.
Chad Elliot, on the other hand, came to Montana to reclaim the land his grandfather once owned—Dancing Waters Ranch. He's lost his case in court, but has he decided to take the law into his own hands?"
"The Aldens are going to visit a guide dog school - but once they arrive, mysterious things start to happen. Benny sees strange lights in one of the dormitory rooms . . . and late one night, someone breaks into the kennel where the guide dogs are kept. Is someone after one of the dogs? The Boxcar Children are determined to find out!"
"The Aldens are going on a trip to the Arizona desert. There they learn about the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine. Everyone thinks the mine is filled with gold. Can the Boxcar Children find out if the legend is true - and if it is, who will find the gold?"
"When the Aldens hear that Grandfather's friend Mrs. Ashleigh had an ancestor who was a pirate, they decide to hunt for his hidden treasure. But then strange things start to happen, and it looks like someone else wants to find the treasure - and keep it! Can the Boxcar Children stop the thief before the next hurricane hits?"
"Lovely book for children written by teacher and naturalist Clara Dillingham Pierson. This book in the "Among the People" series explores the animal inhabitants of a pond. The beautiful writing brings the pond creatures into being in the reader's imagination and allows them a glimpse of the mysterious lives being carried out above and below the water's surface. (Summary by Jill Engle)"
"Growing up on Forge's streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that's not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she's not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he is persistent-and darkly attractive-and Kyra can't quite resist his pull. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by the Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease. When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival-and vengeance-might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra's past that threatens to reshape both their lives. In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner-and danger is a way of life. Praise for Midnight Thief 'Blackburne's fast-paced fantasy will please fans of Leigh Bardugo and Tamora Pierce.'"
