Mimi lives with her parents above her father’s herbalist shop. She hates being Chinese and being teased at school. More than anything she loves to draw, so when her art teacher gives her a box of pastels Mimi is thrilled. These are no ordinary pastels for the inscription on the box warns that they are “A treasure for some, a curse for others”. Mimi is able to draw amazing scenes on the footpath outside her father’s shop and the pastels breathe life into the pictures for those able to see it. When Gemma, her tormentor at school, steals the pastels, Mimi knows she must get them back – not only to keep them safe and their magic intact, but to save Gemma from the pastel’s curse.
Fantasy
Fantasy genre
Me in the Middle
When ten-year-old Bel finds a photograph of her great-grandmother Beatrice, or Bisa Bea, she convinces her mother to let her borrow it. When the picture inexplicably vanishes, Bisa Bea’s voice suddenly emerges inside Bel, telling stories of the old days and counseling her on proper behavior by young girls. Then another voice emerges that tells her to be strong; this one belongs to her future granddaughter, and the key to how these voices came to live inside her lies in the lost photo of her great-grandmother. This whimsical, witty novel shows how knowledge of the past can strengthen the wisdom of future generations.
Rosa Raposa
A willy fox outwits Jaguar in three trickster tales set in the jungles of South America.
Perfect Crane
A lonely Japanese magician gains friends through the paper crane that he brings to life but then must set free.
Kojuro and the Bears
A bear hunter finds his destiny in the hills of Mt. Nametoko.
Dracula
Enter the realm of Count Dracula! Bram Stoker’s masterpiece is adapted for a younger audience with all the sinister intrigue of the original novel. English solicitor Jonathan Harker is on a journey to see a new client–the enigmatic Count Dracula. But when the unfortunate Harker finds himself held prisoner in the count’s remote castle, he must use all his faculties to escape. With the help of Professor Van Helsing, can he prevent the evil that has been unleashed from destroying his world? Illuminated in all its gothic majesty through the vivid artwork of Anne Yvonne Gilbert, this new edition is adapted for younger readers but retains the mystery and shocking twists of Bram Stoker’s classic.
Cindy Ella
Prom fever has infected LA especially Cindys two annoying stepsisters, and her overly Botoxed stepmother. Cindy seems to be the only one immune to it all. But her anti-prom letter in the school newspaper does more to turn Cindy into Queen of the Freaks than close the gap between the popular kids and the rest of the students. Everyone thinks shes committed social suicide, except for her two best friends, the yoga goddess India and John Hughes worshipping Malcolm, and shockingly, the most popular senior at Castle Heights High and Cindys crush, Adam Silver. Suddenly Cindy starts to think that maybe her social life could have a happily ever after. But there’s still the rest of the school to deal with. With a little bit of help from an unexpected source and a fabulous pair of heels, Cindy realizes that she still has a chance at a happily ever after.
Rip Van Winkle’s Return
Rip Van Winkle is an idler who would rather starve for a penny than work for a pound, and his wife is constantly nagging him. In search of peace, Rip heads off to the woods one day with his faithful dog, Wolf. High up in the Catskill Mountains, Rip meets an unusual group of little men. He drinks their strong beverage and falls into a deep sleep. When he awakens, he finds that twenty years have passed – the world has changed and so has he. With vibrant paintings by Leonard Everett Fisher, Eric A. Kimmel’s adaptation of Washington Irving’s classic “Rip Van Winkle” introduces a Rip who reforms as a result of his experience.
Wish Riders
Fifteen-year-old Dusty, a ward of the state, is forced to work in a logging camp during the Depression. Despite the bleakness of her life, spirited Dusty dreams of escape.
The Thief and the Beanstalk: A Further Tales Adventure
Everyone knows the story of Jack and the beanstalk. Everyone also knows that Jack’s little adventure made him a very rich man. But what they don’t know is what happened a long time after Jack…. That’s where Nick comes in. Orphaned and desperate, Nick joins a rugged band of thieves in hopes of a warm meal and a little protection. In exchange Nick must help them break into the lavish white castle rumored to belong to an old man named Jack. Legend says it’s full of riches from Jack’s quest up a magical beanstalk decades ago. When Nick’s dangerous mission leads him straight to Jack, he sees a chance to climb the famed beanstalk himself. But what Nick doesn’t know is that things are different from when Jack made his climb. There are new foes at the top now. Ones with cruel weapons and foul plans — plans that could destroy the world as Nick knows it. Will Nick come down the beanstalk a hero? Will he come down at all?