Darkwing by
"With Dusk comes the dawn of a new era...
It's 65 million years ago: the last dinosaurs are dying out, and the mammals are beginning to take over the earth. Dusk is a small tree glider - a chiropter - who discovers that unlike the rest of his colony he can flap his wings rather than just use them to glide downwards. The only member of his colony capable of powered flight, Dusk is shunned, and escapes being driven out only because his father is leader. But after his colony is massacred by a prowl of newly-evolved, cat-like carnivores, Dusk's skills may prove to be the salvation of his colony as they embark on a perilous journey to find a new home. Set in a thrilling and dynamic era of earth's history, Darkwing tells the story of the very first bat." -Author's website
Endymion Spring by
"You've stumbled on to something much larger than you can possibly imagine." In the dead of night, a cloaked figure drags a heavy box through snow-covered streets. The chest, covered in images of mythical beasts, can only be opened when the fangs of its serpent's-head clasp taste blood. Centuries later, in an Oxford library, a boy touches a strange book and feels something pierce his finger. The volume is blank, wordless, but its paper has fine veins running through it and seems to quiver, as if it's alive. Words begin to appear on the page--words no one but the boy can see. And so unfolds a timeless secret . . . . From the Hardcover edition.
Gemini Summer by
In the quiet of Hog's Hollow, each member of the River family pursues a dream. Old Man River sets out to build a fallout shelter in case the war in Vietnam "brings the end of everything;" his wife Flo, who collects Gone with the Wind dolls, attempts to pen her own Southern saga; Beau, their older son, suffers from "space fever" and aspires to be an astronaut. As for Danny, the younger River boy, well, he just dreams of having a dog. Then in the spring of 1965 tragedy befalls the Rivers--a tragedy that makes the Old Man wish he'd never started building the shelter, stops Flo from finishing her bestseller, and leaves Beau grounded rather than airborne. But the tragedy does finally bring a dog into Danny's life. And not just any old dog. Danny comes to believe that the mixed-breed stray embodies the spirit of someone he dearly loves. He won't allow anyone to separate him from the dog, not even after it bites the neighborhood bully and the police are sent to take it away. Together Danny and his dog run off, heading toward Cape Caneveral, where the Gemini missions blast off from, and where dreams come true.
Pirate's Passage by
Off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1952, fierce winds force a small boat into port. The boat's pilot, the eccentric Captain Charles Johnson, takes up residence at the small inn run by Jim and his mother. With each day, the captain's presence becomes more valuable to the family as they struggle to keep the inn open for business--and his background becomes more mysterious as Jim discovers how much he knows about the lives and battles of the old-time pirates. Who is this man whose compelling stories bring to life in such detail the day-to-day experience of sailing on a pirate ship? And how can he possibly know so much about how it feels to grow up among the Vikings; about how Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth plotted their victories; about the loves of Grace O'Malley, the pirate queen of Ireland?
Rise of the Golden Cobra by
A young scribe with revenge on his mind. A pharaoh's war for the honor of Egypt. An action-packed tale from ancient history. During a picnic overlooking the Nile, 14-year-old scribe Nebi spots the riders first. Led by the treacherous Count Nimlot, the raiding party slaughters Nebi's master, the region's head of police. Although wounded, Nebi -- knowing that the pharaoh's northern territory is no longer secure -- escapes as the only living witness. Nebi is quickly catapulted into events that will change history. Set in 728 B.C., Rise of the Golden Cobra surrounds the actual reign of Pharaoh Piankhy, the brilliant and compassionate leader whose astonishing campaign united ancient Egypt. Nebi's adventures take him to the court of Piankhy himself, to friendship with feisty Prince Shebitku, and to war. Fierce battles culminate in the siege of Memphis, where Nebi finally confronts Nimlot and his own desire for revenge. Well-served by the pharaoh's honorable example, Nebi finds release in letting Nimlot live. Meanwhile, Piankhy's victory unites North and South Egypt, making him the one true pharaoh entitled to wear the golden cobra crown. Bursting with action and political intrigue, and rich in historical detail and dramatic illustrations, Rise of the Golden Cobra is an epic adventure for the ages.
Safe As Houses by
"On October 15th, 1954, Lizzie Hardy walks the children she babysits - David McBride and his kid sister, Suzie - home from school through the pouring rain to their new house near the Humber River in Weston, Ontario. Soon the children realize this is no ordinary rainstorm: first Lizzie notices the river rolling over its banks and into the back yard, then the McBrides call to say the roads are flooded and they are having trouble getting home. Soon the lights go out, then the phones go dead. In a few short hours, the freezing water has invaded the house - and it's rising fast! Based on the true accounts of that terrifying night when Hurricane Hazel hit southern Ontario." -Author's website
Sarah's Legacy by
"You know how it is when you get a feeling that something big is going to happen? Well, it wasn't like that for me. In fact, that Thursday started out like any other day." With these words, Sarah Gilmore begins the remarkable story of what happened when she and her mother, Maggie, suddenly found themselves recipients of an unusual inheritance. A home of their own sounds too good to be true to the Gilmores, who have been struggling to manage on Maggie's income as a waitress - but the conditions that come with the house are strange indeed. Then Sarah receives a message that she should look for a mysterious bequest in an old chest and her imagination runs to thoughts of jewels and wealth. She is disappointed when the chest seems to yield nothing of value - until she learns the truth about her legacy.
Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen by
At 15, Tamara has survived the foster care system through brains, will, and attitude. Now close to getting out, she dreams of being a model. First, though, there's high school to get through, along with her teacher's latest community project -- volunteering at the local seniors home. Tamara doubts she can endure either the residents or the smells. Then she's assigned to Jean Barclay -- a cranky, wealthy, and extremely frail former schoolteacher. As the two warily size each other up, they realize each is the key to achieving their own very different goals. Miss Barclay wants to attend Wagner's Ring Cycle in Seattle -- a trip doctors insist she's too weak to undertake. Tamara wants to enroll in modeling school in Vancouver -- an expense she can't begin to afford. Daringly, they plan the road trip of a lifetime -- but can these two bossy, manipulative women keep from throttling each other before their goals are realized?
Stolen Away by
Keira, kidnapped from Ireland by Vikings, is a slave living in legendary Vinland. Two native bands, the Beothuck and the Thule, are also fighting over the land, thrusting the Norsemen into war. While the Vikings search for a new home, an accident at sea leaves Keira miraculously saved by a Beothuck warrior. Keira settles into the Beothuck way of life, learning their customs and coming to care for them. But she dreams of risking everything in order to find a way home. Ultimately, she is torn between the cultures in which she has livedher homeland, the Viking world in which she was welcomed, and her new Beothuck family. This is a thrilling adventure and an exciting introduction to the history of Canada.
Where Soldiers Lie by
For 16 year old Jack O'Hara India is an exotic place of wonder and mystery. But within a few days, Jack, and his friends, 1000 soldiers, women and children will be fighting for their lives in an inadequate entrenchment surrounded by the mutinying Indian Army. Who, if any, will survive as the tragedy unfolds?
Safe As Houses by
"On October 15th, 1954, Lizzie Hardy walks the children she babysits - David McBride and his kid sister, Suzie - home from school through the pouring rain to their new house near the Humber River in Weston, Ontario. Soon the children realize this is no ordinary rainstorm: first Lizzie notices the river rolling over its banks and into the back yard, then the McBrides call to say the roads are flooded and they are having trouble getting home. Soon the lights go out, then the phones go dead. In a few short hours, the freezing water has invaded the house - and it's rising fast! Based on the true accounts of that terrifying night when Hurricane Hazel hit southern Ontario." -Author's website