From the author of the critically-acclaimed novel The Water Castle, this richly-layered mystery featuring the charming and precocious Hazel Kaplansky will be an instant classic.
Mori and her friends Julia, Benji, and Theo have never seen life beyond the walls of their perfect society, Old Harmonie. That changes when their new friend Ilana is threatened by the rules that are supposed to keep them all safe. They escape together, hoping to find help in Boston with Dr. Agatha Varden, one of Old Harmonie's pioneering founders. But the outside world is nothing like they anticipated. As they face challenges they never expected and encounter a group of kids from the outside, Mori and the others begin to understand the complicated reality of their supposedly perfect community. With the help of these new friends, they just might be able to save Ilana . . . but at what cost? This thought-provoking sequel to Megan Frazer Blakemore's stunningly imaginative novel, The Firefly Code, gives readers a chance to see our world in a brand new light.
When her former best friend gets popular and leaves her behind, sixth-grader Ruth prefers to be alone, studying for the school spelling bee, until she finds a riddle in an old book.
Blurring the lines between magic and science, award-winning author Megan Frazer Blakemore invites readers to search for the elusive Fountain of Youth. Ephraim Appledore-Smith is an ordinary boy living an ordinary life. But everything changes when his father has a stroke and his family moves back to their ancestral home, the Water Castle. There Ephraim meets Mallory Green and Will Wylie, whose families are tied to the Water Castle's powerful secrets . . . including the legend that the Fountain of Youth is hidden on the estate grounds. When Ephraim learns of the Fountain, he's sure it can cure his dad. With Mallory and Will's help, he embarks on a quest that will reveal ancient secrets, resurrect old feuds, and leave readers wondering: Do you believe in the unbelievable? Pick up The Water Castle if you are looking for: - Classic adventure stories - Stories that spark wonder - Characters with big questions about the world - Fun science ideas in fiction
Though he thinks of himself as a cowboy, Tommy is really a bully. He's always playing cruel jokes on classmates or stealing from the store. But Tommy has a reason: life at home is tough. His abusive mother isn't well; in fact, she may be mentally ill, and his sister, Mary Lou, is in the hospital badly burned from doing a chore it was really Tommy's turn to do. To make amends, Tommy takes over Mary Lou's paper route. But the paper route also becomes the perfect way for Tommy to investigate his neighbors after stumbling across a copy of The Daily Worker, a communist newspaper. Tommy is shocked to learn that one of his neighbors could be a communist, and soon fear of a communist in this tight-knit community takes hold of everyone when Tommy uses the paper to frame a storeowner, Mr. McKenzie. As Mr. McKenzie's business slowly falls apart and Mary Lou doesn't seem to get any better, Tommy's mother's abuse gets worse causing Tommy's bullying to spiral out of control. Poignantly written, Kristin Levine proves herself a master of gripping and affecting historical fiction.
Frankie Sparks uses her inventing skills to build the best sled ever in this third chapter book in the STEM inspired Frankie Sparks, Third-Grade Inventor series. Frankie Sparks can’t wait to enter the town-wide sled design contest. With the help of a team, she must design and build a sled using only cardboard and duct tape. And there are PRIZES! Each team in the contest will be judged on: 1. Best looking sled. 2. Fastest sled. 3. Most team spirit. Even though Frankie might know a lot about building a sled, it turns out she still has a lot to learn about building a team. With lots of twists, turns, and big bumps along the way, can Frankie and her fellow super-sled designers create a dream machine—and a dream team?
Frankie Sparks uses her inventing skills to trap a leprechaun in this fourth chapter book in the STEM inspired Frankie Sparks, Third-Grade Inventor series. It’s springtime in Ms. Cupid’s class, and the entire class is excited to build their very own leprechaun traps. Maybe, if they catch one, they will all get the gift of good luck! And after a few magical clues, it looks like there might be a leprechaun on the loose in Frankie Sparks’s house! Her best friend, Maya, is convinced the leprechaun exists, but Frankie has her doubts—especially when it feels like every trap she designs fails! Will Frankie and Maya find their lucky charm, or figure out how to create some luck all on their own?
Honest and emotionally charged, Good and Gone is the story of a teenage girl who must find her way back to herself as she grapples with the truth of what her boyfriend did to her. A gripping YA that will appeal to fans of Jandy Nelson and Sara Zarr. When Lexi Green’s older brother, Charlie, starts plotting a road trip to find a famous musician who’s been reported missing, she’s beyond confused. Her brother hasn’t left the couch since his girlfriend broke up with him months ago—but he’ll hop in a car to find some hipster rocker? Concerned at how he seems to be rebounding, Lexi decides to go along for the ride. Besides, Lexi could use the distraction. The anger and bewilderment coursing through her after getting dumped by her pretentious boyfriend Seth has left her on edge. As Lexi, Charlie, and their neighbor Zack hit the road, Lexi recalls bits and pieces of her short-lived romance and sees, for the first time, what it really was: a one-sided, cold-hearted manipulation game. Not only did Seth completely isolate her, but he took something she wasn't ready to give up. The further along in their journey they get, the three uncover much more than empty clues about a reclusive rocker’s whereabouts. Instead, what starts off as a car ride turns into something deeper as each of them faces questions they have been avoiding for too long. Like the real reason Charlie has been so withdrawn lately. What Seth stole from Lexi in the pool house. And if shattered girls can ever put themselves back together again.
A young girl growing up in Chicago watches the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis unfold while struggling to repair a damaged relationship with her brother, stationed in the Gulf.