Brave Deeds: How One Family Saved Many People from the Nazis

When Holland was under Nazi rule, the Dutch lived extremely harsh lives. Thousands were in hiding, especially Jews who had managed to escape transport to the death camps. Frans Braal and his wife Mies took in anyone in need of help — Jews, children whose parents could no longer look after them, resistance fighters, and people who were starving — providing them with a temporary home. Twice their place was searched by the Nazis, and on both occasions they managed to hide everyone in time. Told through the eyes of a child, this is the story of the Braals, two people who willingly put themselves in great danger in order to save the lives of those less fortunate. Throughout, sidebars provide further information about Dutch resistance workers and traitors, Dutch Jews, bombing missions, false identity cards, the war, and more.

The Walls Of Cartagena

Calepino was blessed with good fortune. After his mother died giving birth to him on a slave ship, he was taken in by a wealthy woman who gave him every advantage. Then on his thirteenth birthday, Father Pedro, a devout priest, asks Calepino to assist him with the slaves coming into Cartagena. Soon he’s fighting seasickness, living in squalor, and cursing every minute. That all begins to change when he meets Mara and Tomi, a mother and son who remind him of his own past.

When Tomi and Mara are sold to a cruel man, Calepino is more determined than ever to find a way to save them. Will this be his chance to change someone else’s fortune, or will he put them all in more peril?

Richly detailed and researched, Julia Durango’s gripping first novel brings to life what it means to be truly free.

Hamlet

The Dane as never seen before — in a daring, dazzling, sexy prose retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy by best-selling author John Marsden.Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, but Hamlet can’t be sure what’s causing the stench. His rage at his mother’s infidelities — together with his greed for the sensual Ophelia and his dead father’s call to revenge a “murder most foul” — have his mind in chaos, and he wants to scatter his traitorous uncle’s insides across the fields. But was it really his father’s ghost that night on the ramparts, or a hell-fiend sent to trick him? “Action is hot,” he tells Ophelia, who lives shut up in a tower with her longings and lust. “Action is courage, and reflection is cowardly. Picking up the knife has the colors of truth. As soon as I hesitate. . . .” In this dark, erotically charged, beautifully crafted novel, John Marsden brings one of Shakespeare’s most riveting characters to full-blooded life in a narrative of intense psychological complexity.

Wild Boars Cook

THE BOARS ARE BACK! But watch out, because this time they’re not only bossy, selfish, and stinky, they’re hungry, too! If you thought Boris, Morris, Horace, and Doris already had bad manners, wait until you see them concoct a Massive Pudding. And if this pudding sounds horrible, the ingredients will leave you speechless! Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall team up again to delightful results in this companion book about the beloved disgusting wild boars. The wild boars have established themselves as forces to be reckoned with, and this second installment will not disappoint—it’s laugh-out-loud funny!

Dog Day

Ben and Ellie have a new teacher. But wait a minute – the new teacher is a dog named Riff! With Riff in charge, reading, writing, and arithmetic are abandoned in favor of lessons in barking, scratching, and digging holes – and Ben, Ellie, and their friends couldn’t be happier. Then Mrs. Pink, the principal, comes to check on the class. What will she think of their dog day? High-energy text and bright, graphic illustrations will make readers want to join the fun in this school-day romp.

Stuck in the Mud

Early in the morning, down on the farm, a new day was dawning, peaceful and calm . . . until Hen discovers that one of her chicks is stuck in the mud! How many animals will it take to pull Chick out of the mud? A fun-packed farmyard romp with a surprise foldout ending!

Keep Your Eye On the Kid: The Early Years Of Buster Keaton

FAMOUS AT FOUR! Four-year-old Buster Keaton became one of the best-known comedians of his age and inches when his father threw him across a vaudeville stage, shouting “Keep your eye on the kid!” The crowd roared as he easily landed on his feet and instantly became a star.  As Buster grew, he set his sights on the budding world of Hollywood and went on to become one of America’s most beloved silent-film stars. Airy detailed illustrations evoke small-town USA in the early 20th century. Told in Buster’s voice, this captivating biography introduces young readers to a boy who became an American icon and changed the face of comedy and the film world forever.

Don’t Kiss The Frog!: Princess Stories With Attitude

See ya later, Cinderella! Keep up, Snow White! There’s a new crop of princesses in town, and these girls don’t wait for a prince to come to the rescue. Whether it’s slaying dragons or having less grace and more good sense, the heroines in these six stories put unexpected spice into traditional fairy-tale conventions. With sassy artwork and typography to match, this book is THE read-aloud or read-alone for any girl who likes her “happily ever after” with a twist.