Rebelling against the order that forbids her to use her special powers, which enable her to make her thoughts real, Princess Lenora runs away from an unwanted marriage and falls prey to the fierce tyrant Hevak.
Of Two Minds
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
Escape Under the Forever Sky
Loosely based on real-life events this suspenseful story is also funny and touching. Lucy’s mother is the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia so Lucy’s life must be one big adventure right? Wrong. Lucy’s worrywart mother keeps her locked up inside the ambassador’s residence. All Lucy can do is read about the exciting world that lies beyond the compound walls and imagine what it would be like to be a part of it. That is until one day Lucy decides she has had enough and she and a friend sneak off for some fun. But to their horror Lucy gets kidnapped! With only herself to rely upon, Lucy must use her knowledge of African animals, inventiveness, will, and courage to escape and in the process embarks on an adventure beyond her wildest imagination.
Wild Stories
Sid the mosquito isn’t the only one exploring the delights of house Number Fourteen and its overgrown garden. Derek the rat is sniffing out old socks for supper. Ethel the chicken is busy trying to persuade the world she is not an orange, while Arnold the mouse is spending more time in the trap than out of it. Frank the ant has a terrible headache and just wants to be left alone, and Joey the budgie is having a bath in the dog’s bowl. Colin’s acclaimed stories about the inhabitants of one particular garden are now collected in this newly illustrated special edition.
The Princess Plot
Jenna has just won the starring role in a film about a princess. In the wink of an eye, she’s whisked off to a remote, romantic kingdom for the “shoot.” But something’s amiss: First, she finds out she bears an uncanny resemblance to the real princess, who has run away following the death of her father, the king. Then she learns that the conniving regent plans to use her to take control of the country, now being fought over by rebels. As the plot twists and turns, Jenna discovers just what she’s made of–and just why she resembles the missing princess so much.
Surtsey: The Newest Place on Earth
This story describes the formation, naming, and colonization of the twenty-seven-year-old volcanic island Surtsey and how the first animals and plants became established there.
Tales from Outer Suburbia
These are the odd details of everyday suburban life that might forever go unnoticed, were they not finally brought to light by Shaun Tan. An exchange student who’s really an alien, a secret room that becomes the perfect place for a quick escape, a typical tale of grandfatherly exaggeration that is actually even more bizarre than he says… These are the odd details of everyday life that grow and take on an incredible life of their own in tales and illustrations.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 2
Basilisk
This evocative story of greed, power, and deception sweeps from the underground cave network of the Combers, living like spiders among the endless tunnels and ropes, to the beautiful city inhabited by Abovers. When a young man named Rej discovers the body of a murdered Abover in the combes, their worlds begin to draw closer. He swears vengeance for the murdered man and takes a great risk in going above. There he is placed in the care of Donna, a beautiful young woman trapped in her life as a worker. Food and clothing are rationed, while slaves and workers are forced to live in meager barracks. But Rej and Donna have more in common than a miserable existence; they have weirdly identical dreams of dragons flying in a clear blue sky. They are even more surprised to learn that the city’s cruel leader, the Arkel, is determined to find a way to bring just such dreams to life in order to literally scare the population to death. The connection Rej and Donna make leads them on a dramatic adventure to save their loved ones from the Arkel’s terrifying plans. N. M. Browne has created an unforgettable world in this richly layered narrative.
The White Witch
Accused of witchcraft, threatened by the Plague. The Great Plague has come to England, and no one is safe, least of all Gwendoline Riston. With fair skin and hair and a way with plants and animals, the villagers are calling her a witch and blaming her for the disease. A story of survival and self-discovery, this is historical fiction with a bit of suspense and even romance mixed in and is sure to captivate today’s reader.
Street Child
A fictional account of the experiences of Jim Jarvis, a young orphan who escapes the workhouse in 1860’s London and survives brutal treatment and desparate circumstances until he is taken in by Dr. Barnardo, founder of a school for the city’s “ragged” children.
Solomon Snow and the Stolen Jewel
Solomon Snow and his stalwart friends return in a second mock-Victorian extravaganza!
In their second adventure, the intrepid trio becomes ensnared in a plot to steal a priceless ruby. But what do a stubborn donkey, a shady dwarf, and Mr. Skippy the rabbit have to do with it all? While trying to rescue Prudence’s father from prison, Solomon, Prudence, the Infant Prodigy, and Mr. Skippy the rabbit find themselves caught up in the mad plans of the villainous Dr. Calimari to steal a fabulous and cursed ruby.