Rescues

Paco and the Witch

On an errand through the woods on fiesta day, Paco gets into real trouble with a scary witch, and a jovial crab has to help him break the witch’s spell.

Vermonia #1: Quest for the Silver Tiger

On a distant Blue Star, Mel, Jim, Naomi, and Doug — friends obsessed with their garage band — don’t seem that different from any of the other twelve-year-old skateboarders at Union Middle School. But everything changes when Mel is kidnapped and imprisoned in a world called the Turtle Realm. As her friends rush to save her, guided by the magical squelp Satorin, they find a world terrorized by a conquering army, a land whose villagers’ only hope is an ancient prophecy foretelling the arrival of four heroes.

Stuck in the Mud

Early in the morning, down on the farm, a new day was dawning, peaceful and calm . . . until Hen discovers that one of her chicks is stuck in the mud! How many animals will it take to pull Chick out of the mud? A fun-packed farmyard romp with a surprise foldout ending!

Brave Deeds: How One Family Saved Many People from the Nazis

When Holland was under Nazi rule, the Dutch lived extremely harsh lives. Thousands were in hiding, especially Jews who had managed to escape transport to the death camps. Frans Braal and his wife Mies took in anyone in need of help — Jews, children whose parents could no longer look after them, resistance fighters, and people who were starving — providing them with a temporary home. Twice their place was searched by the Nazis, and on both occasions they managed to hide everyone in time. Told through the eyes of a child, this is the story of the Braals, two people who willingly put themselves in great danger in order to save the lives of those less fortunate. Throughout, sidebars provide further information about Dutch resistance workers and traitors, Dutch Jews, bombing missions, false identity cards, the war, and more.

The Walls Of Cartagena

Calepino was blessed with good fortune. After his mother died giving birth to him on a slave ship, he was taken in by a wealthy woman who gave him every advantage. Then on his thirteenth birthday, Father Pedro, a devout priest, asks Calepino to assist him with the slaves coming into Cartagena. Soon he’s fighting seasickness, living in squalor, and cursing every minute. That all begins to change when he meets Mara and Tomi, a mother and son who remind him of his own past.

When Tomi and Mara are sold to a cruel man, Calepino is more determined than ever to find a way to save them. Will this be his chance to change someone else’s fortune, or will he put them all in more peril?

Richly detailed and researched, Julia Durango’s gripping first novel brings to life what it means to be truly free.

Basilisk

This evocative story of greed, power, and deception sweeps from the underground cave network of the Combers, living like spiders among the endless tunnels and ropes, to the beautiful city inhabited by Abovers. When a young man named Rej discovers the body of a murdered Abover in the combes, their worlds begin to draw closer. He swears vengeance for the murdered man and takes a great risk in going above. There he is placed in the care of Donna, a beautiful young woman trapped in her life as a worker. Food and clothing are rationed, while slaves and workers are forced to live in meager barracks. But Rej and Donna have more in common than a miserable existence; they have weirdly identical dreams of dragons flying in a clear blue sky. They are even more surprised to learn that the city’s cruel leader, the Arkel, is determined to find a way to bring just such dreams to life in order to literally scare the population to death. The connection Rej and Donna make leads them on a dramatic adventure to save their loved ones from the Arkel’s terrifying plans. N. M. Browne has created an unforgettable world in this richly layered narrative.

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Rescued Jews during the Holocaust

When the Nazis occupied Paris, no Jew was safe from arrest and deportation. Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet during that perilous time, many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place–the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Not just a place of worship but a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, especially children.

Storm Catchers

The kidnap shocks the whole family. Ella has been snatched away from the house in the middle of a storm. Her brother Fin will never forgive himself for leaving her on her own. And now Sam, their little brother, has gone wandering on the cliff to “catch the storm” as it blows out to sea. As the kidnapper’s plans unfold, all the members of the family are forced to confront their deepest, darkest secrets. Fin comes to realize that Ella is not the only victim and that the real villain may be closer to home than anyone thought. A new storm is breaking on the horizon. And it’s going to change everything….