When his folks host a Vietnamese family that has come to settle in their town, Harvey enjoys Americanizing twelve-year-old Tuan.

It is 1892, and Jonathan Capewell, a farm boy who dreams of becoming a big-city detective, is sent from home to look after his mysterious grandfather. Grandpa is a traveling photographer, and his independent ways have never included family members -- certainly not his youngest grandchild.After a grueling journey, Jonathan and Grandpa shoot an image of a puzzling struggle on a raging river in the Maine woods. At first they don't suspect it's anything more than a logging accident. But later the scene comes back to haunt them when a stranger shows an uncommon interest in the undeveloped negatives.Who is this over-friendly strangerWhy does he seem so determined to have those picturesThe clues point to something that Jonathan has already begun to suspect: what happened on the rapids that day was no accident....

Leon's back. Having survived the sweatshop methods of Miss Hagmeyer, his needle-wielding fourth grade teacher at the Classical School, Leon braces himself for fifth grade. He arrives armed with a backpack full of pens and pencils, binders and notebooks . . . plus a rag doll that's the spitting image of Henry Lumpkin, the bully who has Leon in his sights. If the doll works the way it's supposed to, Leon (and his buddies P.W. and Lily-Matisse) won't have to worry about Lumpkin the Pumpkin! Better still, Leon has a fabulous new teacher, Mr. Sparks, who conducts science experiments using that most miraculous of research materials -- the potato chip. And a good thing, too. Mr. Sparks's lab work will come in handy when Leon is forced to take on Alphonse "The Chippopotamus" Cipollini at the annual Chipapalooza! Chip-Off. Once you've sunk your teeth into Leon and the Champion Chip, the hilarious sequel to Leon and the Spitting Image, you'll never eat potato chips the same way again!

It's funny. If you're born a certain way, you don't really understand how it is to be any other way.So it has been for Toby Walsgrove—paralyzed since birth, unable to move or talk, with no known family, he has spent his entire life at a Carmelite convent in London. That is, until the day that his cat, Shipley, starts talking to him. Shipley has been watching over Toby his whole life and tells him they must go to Langjoskull, a city of exiles buried deep below the surface of Iceland. Because Toby is no ordinary boy—he's a descendant of the great king Will Wolfkin, and his kingdom needs him. Toby has never wielded a sword that can stop time. He has never shifted into his kin creature. He has never even walked on his own two legs before. Ready or not, though, he has a destiny, a responsibility, even a family—and not all of them are happy to meet him. . . .

Willa does fall in love, but it isn't at all the way she dreamed it would be. And just what is extraordinaryWilla and twin brother Nicky's mother is going to have a baby-how ordinary. Their friend Horace's mother has left to"seek her fortune."That, Willa thinks, is extraordinary. Willa is on the verge of learning something important. And by the end of the long summer, Willa, Nicky, and Horace each do something extraordinary and unforgettable.

Merilee leads a Very Ordered Existence. V.O.E., for short.Her schedule (which must not be altered) includes, among other entries:School (horrendous)Litter patrol (30 minutes daily)Lunch (PB&J and a pickle)Bottle return (Friday only at the Piggly Wiggly)Dame Fiona’s meditation show (Saturday only, 6:00 AM)The V.O.E. is all about precision.Merilee does not have time for Biswick O’Connor. Merilee does not have time for Miss Veraleen Holliday.He with his annoying factoids and runny nose. She with her shining white shoes as big as sailboats. Both of them strangers who, like the hot desert wind that brings only bad news, blow into town and change everything.

Deborah is starting to notice things about her best friend, Willy—like how cute he looks in his Halloween costume and the adorable way his red hair curls just above his collar. He's the coolest boy in sixth grade, and the closest friend she's got . . . that is, until her alien parents tell her she has to eat him for dinner. After all, she's an alien, too—even if she and her family do live in disguise.Should she keep Willy alive and survive on forbidden hamburgers and chocolate . . . or point her tentacles at her best friend and gain approval from alien kind?There are times when everyone feels like they're from outer space. A zany adventure and a close and sympathetic look at middle-school friendships and rivalries, Alethea Eason's wonderfully unique first novel satisfies that craving to fit in.

Back for her second year, Nikki Olivetti feels like she's finally finding her way at Wellington. And she's ready to show someone else the ropes, someone new, someone like Delia Breton, a transfer student from California with a dark past. Though Delia doesn't quite fit in anywhere, she knows how to have a good time everywhere.But when the hunt for fun takes Nikki and Delia off campus, they find themselves in serious trouble. Even if they make it back, they might have forever ruined their chances of graduating to the upper class.

Help!I came to California for the summer to do something adventurous, but I never imagined that I would land three amazing guys at once! I'm having so much fun, but I need to pick one before they find out about each other and my love life goes back to nonexistent. I have no idea who to pick, so you're going to do it for me.Who's it gonna beChoose wisely. This is my heart we're talking about!Love, JennaNicholasTotally gorgeous, completely laid-back, and he's in college. What's not to like?KyleSexy, sweet, and a surfer–the perfect summer fling . . . and maybe more.SeanAdorable, smart, and when he kisses me, my knees turn to mush. How can I resist?

Josh Miller, sixth grader at Demarest Elementary School, has a secret. Everything that happens to Mascot, the superhero sidekick in the Captain Major comic books, also happens to Josh. So when Josh finds out that Mascot is slated to die in the next Captain Major adventure, he knows he has to do something—and fast! A budding comics artist and writer himself, Josh and his new friend, Kelsey (aka Large Lass), take off to find Stan Kirby, the creator of the Captain Major series, so they can save Mascot—and Josh's life.Comic-book legend Peter David teams up with the renowned comics artist Colleen Doran in their first book for young readers.

Be careful what you wish for. . . . When new stepsiblings Milly, Michael, Jason, and Jess move to a town in the middle of nowhere, the last thing they expect is to find a magic book. But then they stumble upon The Genie Handbook, and their lives are changed forever. Each chapter in The Genie Handbook contains one of six stages of training to be mastered, and the kids are thrilled to begin their schooling—especially since once they become genies, they can wish themselves back to London and their old lives. But then some of the wishes go wrong, and the magic starts to seem scarier. And when the kids discover a mysterious couple watching them covertly, they realize there's more to the handbook than they ever could have guessed. If the children's greatest wish of all is finally granted, will their world change for better or for worseMaybe sometimes it takes something even more powerful than a genie to reveal your true heart's desire.

How can a beautiful white elephant be a terrible curse?Run-Run, a young elephant trainer, discovers the answer when he incurs the fury of the prince. The boy's punishmentThe gift of an elephant, white as a cloud. From that moment forward, the curse reveals itself. According to tradition, so rare an elephant cannot be allowed to work for its keep. It is poor Run-Run who must feed the beast the hundreds of pounds of food it eats each day, and scrub it clean, and brush its pom-pom of a tail, and wash behind its ears, and, above all, keep it from doing any work.Oh, if only Run-Run could make the magnificent white elephant disappear! Clever as a magician, he does—but the curse has tricks of its own for Run-Run.

It's the year 1900, the dawn of a new century and a chance for a new beginning for Verna and Carlie, whose mother died two years ago. They are headed to their new home—the grounds of an asylum for the mentally ill. Their father, a doctor, has been hired to treat its patients while the girls are under the strict and watchful eye of their aunt Maude. The towering asylum, the murmuring patients with their tormented pasts, the exquisite locked garden at the center of the grounds—Verna perceives forbidden mystery and enchantment everywhere. Even Aunt Maude's temper will not keep her from striking out on her own exciting adventures. But is Verna ready to confront all the secrets and emotions that have been locked within—even those of her own heart?

At the bazaar, Princess Fatima buys a beautiful bottle that supposedly holds a real genie. But it turns out that Jasper the genie is powerless—and no bigger than a caterpillar! In fact, his only real talent seems to be getting into mischief. Will Jasper ever be able to regain his gigantic size and magical touch?

Sibling rivalry never looked so good.Now that they're officially family, the Sloane sisters are stuck living together in an Upper East Side town house and sharing everything—from cute clothes to even cuter crushes. Is New York City big enough for all four of themCate: The once and future queen bee of Ashton Prep is at war with her ex-besties. Cate's weapon of choice: the hottie next door. Because nothing says social dominance like serious arm candy. Stella: London's former It Girl is tasked to recruit cool friends for her and Cate's new crew. Her mission: Make a nobody into a somebody. But will her protégée measure upOr has Stella created a monsterAndie: The petite beauty has what every girl wants: a crush who likes her back. Too bad he was stepsister Lola's crush first. Um, dibs! Lola: The class klutz is defying her rep by embarking on a high-fashion modeling career. When she becomes the muse of the craziest man in fashion, will Lola end up runway worthy or style roadkill?Style. Sabotage. Sisterhood.

One mystical tree. One dangerous neighbor.Strange and magical things continually occur at the Hall family's home at 40 Walden Street. Now there's a terrible sound throughout the town of Concord—the buzzing of a chain saw. Only one thing is worse for Eddy and Georgie Hall than that noise: the man who causes it, Mortimer Moon. When all the trees in town are falling to his hand and he threatens the mysterious tree sprouting in the Halls' backyard, Georgie and Eddy will do anything to stop him.In the eighth installment of the Hall Family Chronicles, secrets—all caused by the growth of a miraculous tree—will be unlocked.

Twelve-year-old Bree Davies is devastated when her beloved Border Collie, Danny, goes missing after her mom leaves the gate open to their Santa Monica home. In her search to find Danny, Bree is thrust into the world of animals in need. With the help and guidance of animal rescuer Rayleen, Bree's heart is opened to the plight of the dogs in the downtown Vox Street shelter. Before long, her emptiness about her own loss shifts into action – and her quest to find Danny and her newfound mission to save the shelter dogs soon become one. Longtime animal rescuer Linzi Glass has crafted a singular story of finding oneself in the search for finding another, a compelling emotional journey as well as a call-to-action for animal-lovers everywhere.

The Last Oracle and The Doomsday Key by James Rollins has de*ive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

A young boy from the housing estates comes across a copse of old oaks to which he can escape, as to an oasis of calm. Although he may forget about it once he becomes an adult and “puts aside the things of childhood,” it will remain a locus of balance, decades later, for a single mother struggling with the difficulties of raising the child she loves. A husband, on the lip of an ugly divorce, drives across town in the middle of the night to rescue his wife, abandoned by her lover, and then — as she falls asleep in the car — takes the long way home, to prolong a moment such as he has not experienced in years. An elderly doctor, self-diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, makes use of the few precious moments of consciousness granted him each morning to pass on to his grandson what he has learned about life and living responsibly. Loss, and permanence, the ephemeral and the eternal, are common themes of Jan?Balabán’s collection of short stories?Maybe We’re Leaving, presented here in the English translation of Charles S. Kraszewski. With psychological insight that rivals the great novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky, the twenty-one linked narratives that make up the collection present us with everyday people, with everyday problems — and teach us to love and respect the former, and bear the latter. Translation of this book was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

Edited, translated, and introduced by Anatoly Kudryavitsky, this bilingual anthology presents Russian short poems of the last half-century. It showcases thirty poets from Russia, and displays a variety of works by authors who all come from different backgrounds. Some of them are well-known not only locally but also internationally due to festival appearances and translations into European languages; among them are Gennady Aigi, Gennady Alexeyev, Vladimir Aristov, Sergey Biryukov, Konstantin Kedrov, Igor Kholin, Viktor Krivulin, Vsevolod Nekrasov, Genrikh Sapgir, and Sergey Stratanovsky. The next Russian poetic generation also features prominently in the collection. Such poets as Tatyana Grauz, Dmitri Grigoriev, Alexander Makarov-Krotkov, Yuri Milorava, Asya Shneiderman and Alina Vitukhnovskaya are the ones Russians like to read today. This anthology shows Russia looking back at itself, and reveals the post-World-War Russian reality from the perspective of some of the best Russian creative minds. Here we find a poetry of dissent and of quiet observation, of fierce emotions, and of deep inner thoughts.

COMPTE AMB ALL? QUE DESITGES Un misteri paranormal de les bruixes de Westwick La mort d’un multimilionari no és gaire bona per a un negoci! ?s el que diu la tieta Pearl a la Cen quan troben un cadàver a l’hostal familiar a Westwick Corners. Tanmateix, la Cen pensa que no és cosa d’ella. Viu una vida normal apartada de la màgia per alguna cosa. Està promesa amb un noi normal i té una feina normal com a periodista, sense màgia de per mig, i un inconvenient com un assassinat al poble no pertorbarà la seva còmoda existència. Encara que tot el poble acusi la tieta Pearl d’haver assassinat el seu hoste. Encara que el seu promès actu? d’una manera sospitosa i vegi fantasmes on no n’hi ha. Encara que el nou i atractiu xèrif, en Tyler Gates, la tracti com la més sexy de les bruixes. Si t’agraden els misteris lleugers amb una dosi d’humor i un toc sobrenatural, t’encantarà aquesta història de bruixes! Cada llibre de la saga conta una història diferent, i es poden llegir en qualsevol ordre. Sobre la saga Els misteris de les bruixes de Westwick: Registra’t per rebre notificacions a http://www.colleencross.com ?Una captivadora aventura màgica. Si t’agraden els misteris lleugers t’encantaran la Cendrine West i la seva peculiar família de bruixes. Westwick Corners no és el típic poblet. Ni tan sols un poble fantasma normal i corrent. ?s on la gent es perd i on les bruixes entrenen la seva màgia sense cridar massa l’atenció. Aquesta combinació el converteix en un lloc interessant on mesclar els misteris i l’humor, i les bruixes sempre són el centre d’acció. La cuina de la Ruby, les investigacions de la Cendrine i l’escola de màgia de la tieta Pearl sempre cerquen l’ingredient secret que impulsi les bruixes a la fama i la fortuna i torni a fer brillar el poble de Westwick Corners. Les bruixes sempre treballen en noves oportunitats de negoci per l’hostal Westwick Corners, el bar Embruix i, per descomptat, l’Escola d’Encanteri Pearl, on les bruixes van a desentranyar enigmes, conjurar encanteris i crear nous misteris màgics. Llàstima que sempre es distreguin perquè ocorren successos estranys a Westwick Corners, des de petits delictes fins a assassinats. La família West sempre ha estat a Westwick Corners i sempre hi estarà. Descendeixen d’una llarga estirp de bruixes que ha viscut a Westwick Corners des de la seva fundació. Bruixes que desvelen misteris, resolen crims i ajuden qui ho necessita. Són un conjunt de bruixes de tots els estils, perquè embruixar és una de les coses típiques que es fan a un poblet. Tothom ajuda. Fins i tot el fantasma de l’àvia Vi s’entremet i investiga. Però quan totes estiren, no ho fan sempre en la mateixa direcció. Si t’agraden les endevinalles, les rialles i les sagues de misteri, t’encantarà aquesta col·lecció. Disponible en format electrònic i en paper. La següent aventura de la saga ocorre la Nit de Nadal. Mentre hi hagi lectors que gaudeixin amb les meves històries, continuaré escrivint-les. Gràcies per la lectura!