Materials from Europe
A playful nighttime story for animal loversBubble and Pearl are going to sleep in a tent outdoors all night. How exciting! They each have a sleeping bag and a pillow, and Bubble has brought his flashlight. Good thing, too, as it’s getting dark. But what are those strange noises? Who is padding around outside the tent? Does someone want to come in?
14-year-old Will Burrows has little in common with his strange, dysfunctional family. In fact, the only bond he shares with his eccentric father is a passion for archaeological excavation. So when his dad mysteriously vanishes, Will is compelled to dig up the truth behind his disappearance. He unearths the unbelievable: a subterranean society that time forgot. “The Colony” has existed unchanged for a century, but it’s no benign time capsule of a bygone era. Because the Colony is ruled by a merciless overclass, the Styx. Will must free his father–is he also about to ignite a revolution?
KIDS DIG TUNNELS!
“My eyes were my gray metal shovel and my dark unexpected tunnel was the book. I kept digging my way deeper into the plot to find out what was going to happen next.”–Alexa, age 12
“…a unique mix of fantasy and adventure that keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next….the vivid descriptions will transport you to a whole new world.”–Matt, age 14
“…I was on the edge of my seat until the last page. It was intricately mystifying. Full praise to TUNNELS–I want more!”–Garrett, age 12
After World War I calls her brother to the front lines, a young woman sets out to make a difference in this powerful historical novel.”I don’t know much about wars except soldiers and sailors get killed and Jack might get killed with them. But grown-up people say . . . they’re a chance for young men to go off to foreign parts and be brave and come home heroes.”England, 1914. The piercing tone of the bugle changes a sleepy British village and Ellen Wilkins forever. It is the call to enlist — a chance Ellen’s brother, Jack, won’t miss. The call also spurs Ellen to leave the safety of home and begin a journey of self-discovery, one that takes her close to the front lines to pursue her calling as a nurse. In this gritty and insightful novel, Dennis Hamley deftly portrays the everyday realities of life in wartime, along with harrowing accounts of war’s lifelong effects on the young people caught in its path.
When rogue gypsy boy Freedom Smith runs into trouble with the law, he strikes a deal with the police: Instead of going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he’ll go undercover — and underground — using his incredible strength and boxing skills to infiltrate a nefarious, high-tech fight club known as The Bear Pit. His mission: to save other street children from the terrible fate the Pit has in store for them. Freedom thinks he can trust Java, his newfound friend, with his secret life. If only he knew that this high-spirited, upper-class girl has a secret of her own….
When Toni V, a construction worker on a futuristic colony, finds the diary of a teenage girl whose life has been turned upside-down by Holocaust-like events, he begins to question his own beliefs.
Franny and her friends are going on an outing. They find a cozy little place under a tree for a picnic. After a delicious snack, it’s time for an expedition. But Franny has so many friends to keep track of. And suddenly Itty Bitty Kitty and Little Heddy are gone. But no worries, they can’t have wandered too far off. And when the group searches together, it isn’t long before the missing friends are located.
When 12-year-old Stephanie inherits her weird uncle’s estate, she must join forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton mage, to save the world from the Faceless Ones.
Otto and Lisa are special friends. Otto may be old, but he can still spit cherry pits, make slingshots and grow delicious raspberries. He and Lisa share a fascination with numbers, tell stories, and gaze at the stars. But when Otto gets ill and dies, Lisa struggles to understand. Her rage, confusion and mourning are reflected in the heartwarming illustrations, as she slowly comes to understand that while people die, memories last forever.
Life for the little hippos is always the same: diving and swimming to their hearts’ content. Except the hippos think that it would be more fun if their diving board could be higher, as high as Tall Cliff. But they’re not allowed to go to Tall Cliff because it’s too dangerous. Each day they ask if they can, and each day they are told no. Finally, one day they are allowed to go there to bathe – cheers and jubilation. They are happy and hungry when they are swimming home, and they completely forget to watch out for trouble.