The more Chike saw the ferry-boats the more he wanted to make the trip to Asaba. But where would he get the money? He did not know. Still, he hoped.Eleven-year-old Chike longs to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba, but he doesn’t have the six pence he needs to pay for the ferry ride. With the help of his friend S.M.O.G., he embarks on a series of adventures to help him get there. Along the way, he is exposed to a range of new experiences that are both thrilling and terrifying, from eating his first skewer of suya under the shade of a mango tree, to visiting the village magician who promises to double the money in his pocket. Once he finally makes it across the river, Chike realizes that life on the other side is far different from his expectations, and he must find the courage within him to make it home.
Adventure
Two Crafty Criminals!
Eleven-year-old Benny Kaminsky leads a rag-tag gang of neighborhood children as they use improbable disguises and crazy ruses while investigating such crimes as counterfeiting and stolen silver in 1894 London.
The Plant Hunters
Driven by an all-consuming passion, the plant hunters traveled around the world, facing challenges at every turn: tropical illnesses, extreme terrain, and dangerous animals. They battled piranhas, tigers, and vampire bats. Even the plants themselves could be lethal! But these intrepid eighteenth and nineteenth century explorers were determined to find and collect new and unusual specimens, no matter what the cost. Then they tried to transport the plants- and themselves- home alive. Creating an important legacy in science, medicine, and agriculture, the plant hunters still inspire the scientific and environmental work of contemporary plant enthusiasts.
Working from primary sources–journals, letters and notes from the field– Anita Silvey introduces us to these daring adventures and scientists. She takes readers into the heart of their expeditions to then-uncharted places such as the Amazon basin, China and India. As she brings a colorful cast of characters to life, she shows what motivated these Indiana Jones-type heroes. In The Plant Hunters, science, history, and adventure have been interwoven to tell a largely forgotten- yet fascinating- story.
The Hero Of Little Street
When a boy being chased through present-day London seeks refuge in the National Gallery, a dog escapes from the painting of one Dutch master and together they leap into the painting of another, where their adventures in seventeenth-century Delft are a prelude to returning to London and continuing the chase.
The Crossing
This young, lyrical picture book reveals the adventure and natural wonders that Lewis and Clark encountered on their Western expedition in the early 1800s. Told from the point of view of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the baby on Sacagawea’s back, this story offers a fresh perspective of a young country and gives voice to a character readers will already be familiar with–at least visually (the baby is shown on the golden Sacagawea dollar).
The Whisper
Listen — can you hear it? The explosive sequel to THE ROAR! From a whisper…to a scream! Telepathic twins Mika and Ellie at last are reunited. But if they’re ever to free the brainwashed, microchipped child soldiers, they must pretend to play along with the tyrant Mal Gorman’s maniacal plan, even as they mind-read his every evil thought. Members of an elite squadron of mutants, the brother and sister have specialized skills that will enable them to steal the top-secret formula for an age-reversing drug developed by rebel scientists on the wild side of The Wall. Juiced by these potent pills, the cadaver-like Gorman foresees a future in which he’ll be forever young – released from the machinery that now supports him. Unless, that is, Ellie and Mika have a master plan of their own: to bring the all-powerful Gorman to his knees, and face-to-face with his greatest fear.
Blood Sun
Desperate to uncover the secret of his mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Max Gordon, pursued by enemies, travels from the bleakness of Dartmoor to the rainforest of Central America, where the environmental devastation hides a sinister secret.
Dragon Seeker
In his boundless quest for power, Lord Jezail has unearthed the terrible sword, Dragonslayer, from the depths of Edinburgh Castle, where it has lain buried for centuries. But the sword has its own agenda and, ensnared by its magic, Jezail becomes obsessed with the idea of killing Arthur, the MacArthurs’ wonderful dragon, and attacking the fabled Valley of the Dragons.
His actions so enrage the Lords of the North that they set off after him, as the World of Magic finds itself on the brink of war. Can friends and foes unite to save the world they know and love? What is Count Vassili’s secret? How did Arthur end up with the MacArthurs in the first place?
Witches, wolf people, MacArthurs and magicians join forces with Neil and Clara MacLean in this final dragon-filled adventure.
Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission
On his eleventh birthday, Magnus Fin found out that he was half selkie―part human and part seal. Although he looks like a boy and lives on land, he can breathe underwater.
When Magnus Fin discovers his initials scratched into the rocks by the shore and finds dead seals washed up on the beach, he knows his selkie family needs his help, and he dives down beneath the waves to find out more.
This is the sequel to Magnus Fin and the Ocean Quest.
Alice-Miranda on Vacation
When Alice-Miranda goes home to her family’s lavish estate for the school holidays, along with her best friend Jacinta, their break is not exactly what they expected because of a cranky boy causing mischief, a visiting movie star, a snooping stranger, and a grandmother with a family secret.