Sixteen-year-old Kat and her mom haven't seen much of each other since Kat's father died last year. Her mom has taken over the family trucking business and has been away a lot. She promised that Kat could join her on her next run, a journey across the frozen Manitoba lake known as the "winter road." But at the last minute she changes her mind. Kat, who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, stows away in the back of the semi instead. By the time her mother discovers her, it's too late to turn back.
There are trees that walk, statues that accuse, and white-faced ticket-takers with gentle names like Dave that send people on very long journeys. These stories are short, creepy, and perfect for reading around a campfire when the sky is full of stars.
Praised by Jack Gantos, author of Dead End in Norvelt, as "a quick read with a kick at the finish," this debut novel sensitively and memorably captures a teen runner's relationship with his autistic older brother. Like most siblings, Leo and Caleb have a complicated relationship. But Caleb's violent outbursts literally send Leo running. When the family is forced to relocate due to Caleb's uncontrollable behavior, Leo tries to settle into a new school, joining the cross-country team and discovering his talent for racing and endurance for distance. Things even begin to look up for Leo when he befriends Curtis, a potential state champion who teaches Leo strategy and introduces him to would-be girlfriend, Mary. But Leo's stability is short-lived as Caleb escalates his attacks on his brother, resentful of his sport successes and new friendships. Leo can't keep running away from his problems. But, with a little help from Curtis and Mary, he can appreciate his worth as a brother and his own capacity for growth, both on and off the field.
A modern-day Romeo and Juliet with a supernatural twist that will appeal to fans of Ally Condie (Matched) and Kiera Cass (The Selection). Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. The daughter of a billionaire investor in Austin, Texas, it looks like Julia has it all. But there's something rotten beneath the surface - dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of highly evolved people who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally jeopardizes the delicate anonymity of her people, she's banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school. Julia's goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him - John Ford. He’s popular, quiet, intense, and strangely compelling. Then Julia discovers she can read his mind and her world expands. Their forbidden love is powerful enough to break the conditioning that has kept Julia in the cold grip of her manipulative father. For the first time, Julia develops a sense of self and questions her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide how she will define herself - and whom she will betray.
Twelve-year-old movie-loving Maisie is in need of a distraction from her current romantic dilemma when her Uncle Walt comes to stay with her family after being hurt on the set of the movie he's filming in Hollywood. Maisie's best friend, Cyrus, has been hanging out a lot with Gary Hackett, whose last-name sounds to Maisie like a cat barfing up a hairball. When it seems as if Hackett might like Maisie romantically, she's none too pleased, and Cyrus is even less impressed. Uncle Walt has a way of pointing Maisie in the right direction, and Maisie's love of movies also keeps her centered. Heading to the local independent theater on Saturdays to see old movies helps Maisie stay grounded as she struggles with growing up, family tensions, a grandma who seems to be losing her memory, and a love triangle she never expected.
An action-packed, contemporary novel about surviving in the wilderness. Thirteen-year-old Karma is desperate to become a certified falconer. At her dad's bird education center, she helps give demonstrations to guests and can fly the birds. But when her favorite rescued falcon, Stark, hurts Karma, her parents insist that they return the bird to its previous owner -- in Canada. On the way to bring Stark back, a car accident in the middle of nowhere leaves Karma's dad trapped, and it's up to Karma to find a way to rescue him and her younger brother. When Karma loses her way trying to get help, she crosses paths with Cooper, a troubled teenaged boy. Lost for three days, the two figure out how to survive, and Karma teaches Stark to hunt like an actual bird of prey. Karma may be closer than she thinks to becoming a real falconer and having a real friend.
An introduction to the ways that authors form distinctive writing styles. Novel and short story excerpts and analysis help to explain the importance of rhythm and tone in writing.
An introduction to the ways that authors create scenes using words. Novel and short story excerpts and analysis help to explain the importance of strong sensory details in writing.
An introduction to the ways that authors develop fictional characters. Novel and short story excerpts and analysis help to explain how to create effective characters and dialogue.
An introduction to the ways that authors present stories. Novel and short story excerpts and analysis help to explain the importance of voice and different narrative points of view.
Mark Twain’s classic American story about a boy with a nose for mischief and a knack for avoiding any sort of work is here presented in vibrant detail, with new illustrations by C. F. Payne.
This perennial Dickensian favorite about a miser’s startling change of heart is illustratedby Italian artist Roberto Innocenti and reissued for the readers of all the Christmases Yet To Come.
You'll be kept in suspense with these four Edgar Allan Poe short stories! The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The Murders in the Rue Morgue.
Riley and Dashawn have been friends since they were three. They got into skateboarding together and have advanced to the point where it's time to create a Sponsor Me tape. They bring a third skater along, Natasha, and try to get some good clips around a new office development. Then the police storm into the lot. The three skaters quickly scatter, trying their best not to get busted. Riley and Natasha arrive at the meet-up spot. They wait and wait, but Dashawn never shows. The next day Riley visits Dashawn, only to discover that the police have given him a beat-down. Nothing like this has ever happened before, and for Riley it is a wake-up call that whether they know it or not, not everyone lives in the same world he does.
One minute Jack's in math class. The next, he's on a dark, cobblestoned, empty street. Empty, that is, except for a skinny girl wrapped in a threadbare shawl. "Matches, mister?" she asks, and just like that, Jack's life collides with one of Hans Christian Andersen's grimmest tales. And just when he has almost convinced himself it was just a weird dream, it happens again. Suddenly, Jack's ideas about what is "real" or "possible" no longer apply. While he and his new girlfriend, Lucy, struggle to understand who or what the Match Girl is, they come to realize they must also find a way to keep Jack away from her. The Match Girl is not just a sad, lonely soul; she's dangerous. And each time Jack is drawn into her gray, solitary world, she becomes stronger, more alive...and more attached to Jack. She wants to keep Jack for her very own, even if that means he will die.
Its a funny thing about time. The proverb, Time heals all wounds, is true to some extent. But Jayson still hurts. Maybe Ronette doesn't want time to heal this wound. It feels better fresh. Jayson thought shed change her mind over break. But Ronette is firm. Shes alone, finally. Except shes not. Hey, Houseman girl. This brother has the warmest, friendliest face Ronette has ever seen. The rest, as they say, is history. Book 4 in the series.
In this sequel to Exposed, Raven is once again fighting for the underdog. When a desperate wave of teen suicides threatens to overwhelm her school, Raven does some digging and learns that all of the victims have one thing in common: issues with anxiety. With help from Team Retribution, Raven links the deaths to an unauthorized drug trial at a shady medical center. To find out more, she goes undercover, but things quickly get out of her control. Soon she's not sure what is real and what is a drug-induced fantasy.
When Alicia, a talented violinist at Riley Donovan's high school, is found bludgeoned to death in a field on the outskirts of town, suspicion immediately falls on Carrie, the teen's musical rival. But Riley isn't convinced of Carrie's guilt, and even though her police-officer aunt tells her to stay out of it, Riley goes searching for the truth. Did Carrie really kill Alicia in a fit of jealous rage, or is there another explanation for Alicia's death?
Showcases the work and achievements of 12 of the world’s most influential authors. Each spread contains fascinating facts about each author and how their accomplishments helped change the world.
Kat and Allie have been friends forever. But when Allie returns from a summer away, everything changes. Allie’s different. Too different. And Kat begins to wonder: who is this girl and what has she done with her best friend?
Harriet Tubman HS - Kevin had been talking about how much he wanted some real money, and that he'd do almost anything to get it. Jaris could sympathize with Kevin wanting to help his grandparents out, but wanting--needing--money that desperately was dangerous. It led to getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. Jaris always thought Cory Yates had drug connections in Los Angeles. He was a two-bit hustler, and he spent way too much time hanging around high schools.
The students of Carter High return for their senior year. These books continue the stories from Carter High Chronicles and introduce new characters. Topics are involving and pertinent to young adult readers: romance, sports, friendships, exams, work, family. In just 48-pages, struggling readers can easily complete each novel. Starting your senior year at a new school is tough. Harder still when you can't hear some of what is said to you. Rick wanted the Carter High students to like him. He thought if they knew he wore a hearing aid, they wouldn't want to be his friends.
A class project opens a girls eyes to the issues surrounding U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War when she meets a military veteran.
A young newsie's perfect summer is marred by a run-in with gangsters in the 1920s.
Filming a sprint car race on the local track, Dylan Clarke captures racer Carlee Martin’s fiery accident. The more Dylan replays the video, the more he believes that there’s something suspicious about the crash. As he investigates, Dylan discovers that some of Carlee’s fellow racers might have wanted to hurt her. And, now, they’re after him too.
