Adventure

More About Boy: Roald Dahl’s Tales from Childhood

More About Boy is the expanded story of Roald Dahl’s childhood, with his original text augmented by never-before-seen material from behind the scenes, and some of the secrets that were left out.

Starting-point — Papa and Mama — More about Mama — Kindergarten, 1922/3 — A grand time — Llandaff Cathedral School, 1923/5 (age 7/9) — The bicycle and the sweet-shop — The great mouse plot — A life without sweets — Going to Norway — The magic island — A visit to the doctor — The last lap — St. Peter’s, 1925/9 (age 9-13) — First day — Writing home — The matron — Homesickness — A drive in the motor-car — The Maccano chariot — Captain Hardcastle — How I became a writer — Little Ellis and the boil — Goat’s tobacco — Repton and Shell, 1929/36 (age 13/20) — Getting dressed for the big school — Boazers — Painful punishments — The headmaster — Chocolates — Horrid little boys and girls — Corkers — Fagging — That awful cold bath — Games and photography — Goodbye school — P.S — Excerpt from Going solo — A Dahl-tastic quiz.

Crackling Brat

Crackling Brat, a fantastical child who has power over fire, wind, thunder, and lightning, laughingly outwits three ferocious obstacles-Snow Cat, Night Bear, and Hunger Wolf-to save his father from the ravages of Time. The language is fresh, primarily due to the inventive use of metaphor. “Night Bear’s fur was as dark as midnight. His eyes were star-colored and his teeth were sharper than the points of the new moon.”

Perceval: King Arthur’s Knight of the Holy Grail

Retells the Arthurian legend of Perceval, a foolish and impatient boy who realizes his dream of becoming a great knight, but meets with misfortune when he forgets to pray and serve God.

The Pharaoh’s Secret (Amelia’s Notebook Series)

Filled with intrigue and surprises, The Pharaoh’s Secret includes Marissa Moss’s original illustrations throughout. The novel skillfully weaves history with a personal story full of heartache and family tensions that will entice and enthrall readers. When Talibah and her younger brother, Adom, accompany their father, an academic, to his homeland of modern Egypt on his research assignment, they become involved in a mystery surrounding an ancient, lost pharaoh—a rare queen ruler. Someone has tried to wipe her from the record, to make it appear as if she never existed! She needs Talibah to help her and her high priest, Senenmut, reclaim their rightful place in history. Exotic locales, mysterious strangers, and a sinister archaeologist round out an adventure that is full of riddles, old tales, and, most surprisingly of all, a link to Talibah’s and Adom’s mother, who died mysteriously.

Crusades: Kids At The Crossroads

What if kids kept blogs during pivotal moments in world history? The Internet offers modern kids amazing ways to express themselves and learn about the world. Imagine if the same technology had been available to children during dramatic episodes in history. Welcome to the Kids at the Crossroads series. Each book is written as an Internet journal, including illustrated snapshots of the action and “links” to sidebar windows providing facts about and images of the era. This innovative blend of history and high-tech storytelling is sure to capture the attention of web junkies and history buffs alike. Crusades: Kids at the Crossroads logs you on to the blog of 12-year-old Hans, who is destined to march in the 13th-century Children’s Crusade. Restless with his duties in his father’s wheelwright shop, Hans longs to follow his older brother, Otto, who joined a crusade to the Holy Land two years earlier and hasn’t been heard from since. When a mysterious stranger appears in the night and describes new troubles stirring, Hans sees his chance to go after his brother. Soon Hans has joined thousands of young people, led by the charismatic Nicholas, on a march across Europe. But the journey is more perilous than anyone realized. As the dangers rise, morale plummets, and the crusade breaks apart. Hans perseveres to the Holy Land and to a bittersweet reunion with his wounded brother. With its innovative blog style, nail-biting storyline and info-packed sidebars about the actual Children’s Crusade, Crusades: Kids at the Crossroads is historical fiction at its high-tech best.

When I Wore My Sailor Suit

When he puts on his sailor suit, sailor hat, and sailor whistle, the boy in this book is ready for a journey. He imagines himself on a ship, sailing across the sea, in search of treasure. A sailor’s life is dangerous. But a sailor must be brave no matter what happens. In this story about imagination and adventure, told with Uri Shulevitz’s signature playfulness and style, a little boy learns how to be courageous, both on the high seas and at home.

The Siege Of Macindaw

After years as a Ranger’s apprentice, Will is now the protector of his first fief. Not long into his service, everything that can go wrong does: Keren, a renegade knight, has taken over Castle Macindaw, a strategic gateway to the North—poisoning the royal family in the process—and is holding Will’s friend Alyss captive. The situation grows direr when Will uncovers Keren’s secret alliance with the Scotti, who have plans to plunder Araluen. Time is of the essence, and Will must recruit a motley crew to rescue Alyss and reclaim Castle Macindaw—before the Scotti can make it their own.

The Faceless Ones

Valkyrie screamed, sprinting toward Skulduggery. He looked up and reached out to her, but it was too late. If you’ve read the other Skulduggery books by Derek Landy (and you really should have read them by now), you’ve seen it all before: Some bad guy wants to bring about the end of the world, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie fight valiantly to stop it from happening. A few people get hurt, sure, but everything’s all right in the end. Well, not this time.

Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Uranus Georgium Sidus!

A sinister cloud has appeared on the edge of the solar system, and seems to be moving closer. The closest planet, Georgium Sidus, has but two human inhabitants: the missionary Reverand Cruet and his daughter Charity. Their last communication: ‘Great danger—  imperative that—’And then nothing. Art, Myrtle and family decide to investigate whatever monstrous force of darkness was hiding within the cloud. But how could they know what mothy horrors lay in wait!? Because the evil they discover is far beyond anything their imaginations could concoct. Now, with the Empire in dire peril, it’s up to Art (and his family, truth be told) to muster all their cunning and courage to try to Save It (again).

The Last Gold Diggers

In this sequel to “The Last Polar Bears”, Grandfather and his demanding, but delightful, dog Roo journey to Australia in search of Uncle Vincent, last heard of prospecting for gold. Their adventures are told in letters sent back to Grandfather’s grandchild.