Kat Stephenson may have inherited her mother’s magical talents, but not everyone in the Order of the Guardians is ready to accept her. When she is tricked into losing her temper in front of the most powerful Guardian in England, she finds herself expelled without a single magic lesson. After a devastating accusation shatters her sister Angeline’s romance, their stepmama whisks the family away to the fashionable city of Bath and orders Angeline to find a new fiance. But as Angline plays a dangerous game with a scandalous rake, their brother, Charles, tumbles headlong into danger…and Bath’s wild magic gets rady to explode. With more than one life at stake, will Kat’s untrained magic be enough to reunite Angeline with her true love, conquer the danger at bath, and prove she truly has what it takes to be a Guardian?
Europe
Materials from Europe
The Adventures Of Sir Balin The Ill-Fated
Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur brought justice to England with the help of his gallant knights of the roundtable. While most of King Arthur’s knights freely chose a life of duty, for Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, destiny was foretold in a prophecy. And seriously, “ill-fated” is right there in his title, so Balin’s not surprised when things go sour. Still, no matter how dire the task, a loyal and gallant knight never refuses adventure! Will Sir Balin finally discover his true destiny? And which ill-fated path will he have to choose? Join Balin on this, the noblest quest of all. With black-and-white drawings from acclaimed artist Aaron Renier throughout.
Alek
A very small boy called Doup once came with the Crow-girl to make his home in Crow Cave, a tine community nestled by the sea. Now he has grown and is ready to leave behind childish things: he reclaims his birth name, Alek, and travels away from Crow Cove to the fishing village of Last Harbor to visit his older brother. One night, Alek awakens from a deep sleep to see two points of light at the end of the beach, where all should be dark. When he investigates, he witnesses a terrible crime: shipwreckers have lured a boat to crash upon the rocky shore and are in the process of killing all the survivors. He is not the only witness. A beautiful girl has escaped…at least for now. Alek must keep her safe while waiting for the chance to bring the murders to justice. Dramatic, poignant, and moving, this is the final book in the much-acclaimed Children of Crow Cove series.
Dragon Castle
Young Prince Rashko is frustrated with his familyÑno one does any thinking but him! The kingdom and castle seem to be in the hands of fools. So when Rashko’s parents mysteriously disappear and the evil Baron Temny parks his army outside the castle walls, it is up to the young prince to save the day. But there is more to this castle and its history than meets the eye, and Rashko will have to embrace his ancestry, harness a dragon, and use his sword-fighting skills to stop the baron and save the kingdom. Along the way, he realizes that his family is not quite as stupid as he always thought. Master storyteller Joseph Bruchac, known for his smart, gripping Native American books, here combines his signature action and adventure with a large dose of humor, which just brings this story to a whole new level.
Let’s Go See Papa!
The little girl in this story likes Sundays best of all — it’s the day her father calls. She hasn’t seen him for over a year because he works far away across the ocean in the United States. She writes in her notebook every day, keeping a record of everything that happens to share with him when she finally sees him again. And she thinks about the fun they used to have when he was home — taking their dog Kika to the park and buying freshly baked bread together. Then one Sunday her father asks if she and her mother would like to join him, and she’s surprised by her mixed feelings. It means leaving her grandmother, her friends . . . and Kika behind.
This is a powerful story from a young child’s perspective about what it’s like to have an absent parent and to have to leave your home, country and those you love for a new life.
Galileo’s Journal 1609-1610
This fictional journal is from the year in which Galileo constructed his own telescope and began to record his astronomical discoveries. Includes additional nonfiction biographical information.
Megan’s Year
Ten-year-old Megan Brady tells of her family’s lifestyle, spending summers traveling in a caravan through the Irish countryside getting work where they can, and winters in Dublin so the children can attend school.
Boy Vs. Girl
Farhana swallowed and reached for the hijab. But then she saw with absolute clarity the weird looks from the other girls at school, and the smirks from the guys. Did she dare? And then there was Malik… What should she do about him? Faraz was thinking about Skrooz and the lads. Soon he would finally have the respect of the other kids at school. But at what price? He heard Skrooz’s voice, sharp as a switchblade: “This thing is powerful, blud. But you have to earn it, see? Just a few more errands for me…” They’re twins, born 6 minutes apart. Both are in turmooil and both have life-changing choices to make, against the peaceful backdrop of Ramadan. Do Farhana and Faraz have enough courage to do the right thing? And can they help each other – or will one of them draw the other towards catastrophe? This powerful novel explores the idea of honour and what it means to different generations of Muslim families.
Mother Number Zero
Fay was adopted when he was a baby and lives in the Netherlands. He knows only that his birth mother escaped the war in Bosnia and that he arrived in his adopted home with nothing more than a squeaky toy and a few clothes. His older sister Bing was adopted too, from China, where she was found abandoned on the street. While drawing birds at the aviary in the park, his favorite passtime, Fay meets Maud the new girl in town. Maud who urges him to search for his birth mother. With mixed feelings, Fay, along with his parents, pursues the search, but this creates mayhem at home, since there is no possibility of Bing ever being able to find her birth mother. Fay’s complicated feelings about searching for his mother and his ambivalent feelings for Maud unfold in this compelling story of finding your true identity.
Ruby Red
Sixteen-year-old Gwyneth discovers that she, rather than her well-prepared cousin, carries a time-travel gene, and soon she is journeying with Gideon, who shares the gift, through historical London trying to discover whom they can trust.