Europe

Materials from Europe

I Don’t Believe It, Archie!

Odd things happen to Archie every day.  Some very odd things…

On Monday, when Archie is on his way to mail a letter, a piano rolls down the hill and traps his new friend, Cyd, in her mum’s car.  And then a truck tips a load of gravel on top of it.  Cyd finds it exciting.  Though she doesn’t believe that this sort of thing happens to Archie every day.  Until Tuesday, when Archie finds a small dog in his pocket–a dig that doesn’t seem to be very alive.  It certainly isn’t Archie’s fault, but will anyone else believe him?

Join Archie and Cyd for a while week’s worth of utterly surprising and outragously funny escapades!

Pandemonium

Acclaimed author Chris Wooding’s first graphic novel — fun fantasy-adventure with a macabre twist! Seifer’s life is about to become a royal pain. . . . As captain of the local skullball team, Seifer Tombchewer is the envy of his peers. He’s fast, he’s strong, and he flies circles around the competition. But Seifer’s always dreamed of more–of leaving his tiny, remote village for a new life beyond the mountains. He just never dreamed it would happen like this. Knocked unconscious and abducted, Seifer awakens in the royal palace to learn that Prince Talon Pandemonium has gone missing. And since Seifer is a ringer for Talon, it’s his duty to replace the missing royal in his roles of diplomat, warrior, and Lord Defender of the Realm. He might fool Talon’s sisters. He might fool Talon’s army. But Seifer has little hope of fooling Talon’s enemies. . . .Chris Wooding and debut artist Cassandra Diaz team for a classic tale of mistaken identity set against the breathtakingly original backdrop of the Darkling Realm.

Pegasus: The Flame of Olympus

Reborn as the Flame, thirteen-year-old Emily has saved Olympus from destruction but when the gruesome Nirads begin a new invasion, Emily and her friends become entangled in the conflict as old grudges are unearthed and new enemies are discovered.

Renegade Magic

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?

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.