The Ring of Solomon (A Bartimaeus Novel)

Bartimaeus, everyoners”s favorite (wise-cracking) djinni, is back in book four of this best-selling series. As alluded to in the footnotes throughout the series, Bartimaeus has served hundreds of magicians during his 5,010 year career. Now, for the first time, fans will go back in time with the djinni, to Jerusalem and the court of King Solomon in 950s BC. Only in this adventure, it seems the great Bartimaeus has finally met his match. He’ll have to contend with an unpleasant master and his sinister servant, and runs into just a “spot” of trouble with King Solomon’s magic ring.

Thunder Over Kandahar

A powerful novel of enduring friendship set amid the terror and chaos of present-day Afghanistan.Best friends Tamanna and Yasmine cannot believe their good fortune when a school is set up in their Afghan village; however, their dreams for the future are shattered when the Taliban burns down the school and threatens the teacher and students with death.As Tamanna faces an arranged marriage to an older man and the Taliban targets Yasmine’s western-educated family, the girls realize they must flee. Traveling through the heart of Taliban territory, the two unaccompanied young women find themselves in mortal danger. After suffering grave injuries, Tamanna from a fall and Yasmine from a suicide bombing, the girls are left without the one thing that has helped them survive — each other.Reunited years later in England, Tamanna and Yasmine discover that, despite the horrific events of the past, they are both driven to return home by memories of their families and a longing for their country.The book features stunning photographs by award-winning photojournalist Rafal Gerszak (The New York Times, BBC World News) that bring readers an immediate sense of the faces and landscape of Afghanistan.Filled with tension and drama, Thunder Over Kandahar paints a vivid portrait of the perils of contemporary Afghanistan.

No Safe Place

Orphaned and plagued with the grief of losing everyone he loves, 15-year-old Abdul has made a long, fraught journey from his war-torn home in Baghdad, only to end up in The Jungle — a squalid, makeshift migrant community in Calais. Desperate to escape, he takes a spot in a small, overloaded England-bound boat that’s full of other illegal migrants and a secret stash of heroin. A sudden skirmish leaves the boat stalled in the middle of the Channel, the pilot dead, and four young people remaining — Abdul; Rosalia, a Romani girl who has escaped from the white slave trade; Cheslav, gone AWOL from a Russian military school; and Jonah, the boat pilot’s ten-year-old nephew. As they attempt to complete the frantic and hazardous Channel crossing, their individual stories are revealed and their futures become increasingly uncertain.

Where the Streets Had a Name

Thirteen year old Hayaat is on a mission. She believes a handful of soil from her grandmother’s ancestral home in Jerusalem will save her beloved Sitti Zeynab’s life. The only problem is that Hayaat and her family live behind the impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank, and they’re on the wrong side of check points, curfews, and the travel permit system. Plus, Hayaat’s best friend Samy always manages to attract trouble. But luck is on the pair’s side as they undertake the journey to Jerusalem from the Palestinian Territories when Hayaat and Samy have a curfew-free day to travel. But while their journey may only be a few kilometers long, it could take a lifetime to complete. Deals with the Israel-Palestinian conflict with sensitivity and grace.

Tales of Hans Christian Andersen

Candlewick Illustrated Classics are collectible editions that bring treasured stories to life with lavish full-color illustrations and elegant French flaps.This superb collection of thirteen Andersen tales includes “The Princess and the Pea,” “Thumbelina,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling,” and “The Snow Queen.” Naomi Lewis’s translations brilliantly capture Andersen’s irresistible humor and conversational tone, and a whole host of memorable characters are brought to life in Joel Stewart’s fresh and whimsical illustrations.

Henry’s First-Moon Birthday

A young girl helps her grandmother with preparations for the traditional Chinese celebration to welcome her new baby brother.

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition among Snow Leopards in Mongolia

Provides an examination of the elusive snow leopards, who live along the mountain ridges of Mongolia and are seldom seen by humans, through the observations of a scientist and conservation director of the Snow Leopard Trust. Scientists in the Field

Mad at Mommy

Little Bunny is VERY MAD at his mommy. She sleeps too late. She talks too much. She watches her silly shows instead of cartoons. And she gets mad for no reason — just a few little bubbles on the floor. The only thing left to do is run away. But does he really want to leave Mommy behind forever? With the charming illustrations and spot-on understanding of young children’s thinking that distinguished THE SNOW DAY and EMILY’S BALLOON, Komako Sakai brings us a REALLY ANGRY — and ultimately sweet — new story.