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Columbus and the Fat Lady
by Matt CohenFirst published in 1972, Columbus and the Fat Lady introduced readers to Governor General’s Literary Award–winning author Matt Cohen’s skewed and hilarious worldview. By turns funny, surreal, wistful, savagely satirical, and brilliantly inventive, the stories in this collection intrigue and surprise the reader with their unexpected language and plots. He conjures up images that are both absurd and perceptive. From Sir Galahad as a schoolteacher to Christopher Columbus as a carnival attraction, these stories feature the improbable with strength and virtuosity. This collection is a foray into the jungles of life on this planet and the tangled but fascinating interiors of the human head.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Bruce BrooksThe Hound of the Baskervilles is one of master mystery writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most accomplished stories. Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson confront one of their most difficult cases ever: is there truly a curse on the old Baskerville estate? Is there truly a ghostly beast lurking on the dark, eerie moors? A masterful concoction of plot and mood, this story is guaranteed to give you the shivers.
Fearless
by Mandy GonzalezBetter Nate than Ever meets Love Sugar Magic in this spooky middle grade novel from Hamilton and Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez about a group of young thespians who must face the ghost haunting their theater.Twelve-year-old Monica Garcia has arrived in NYC with her grandmother and a few suitcases to live her dream on Broadway. She&’s been chosen as understudy to the star of Our Time, the famed Ethel Merman Theater&’s last chance to produce a hit before it shutters its doors for good. Along with her fellow castmates—a.k.a. &“the squad&”—Monica has a big and very personal reason to want this show to succeed. But rumors of a long-running curse plague the theater. And when strange and terrible things start to threaten their hopes for a successful opening night, Monica and the rest of the squad must figure out how to reverse the curse before their big Broadway debuts. With the help of her new friends, her family, and a little magic, can Monica help save the show—and save their dreams? From Broadway and television star Mandy Gonzalez comes a story about what it means to dream, be yourself, and be fearless.
The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett and E. L. KonigsburgOne of the most beloved children's books of all time and the inspiration for a feature film, a television miniseries, and a Broadway musical, The Secret Garden is the best-known work of Frances Hodgson Burnett. In this unforgettable story, three children find healing and friendship in a magical forgotten garden on the haunting Yorkshire moors.
Frankie & Bug
by Gayle Forman&“Joyful, occasionally heartbreaking, deeply moving.&” —R. J. Palacio, bestselling author of Wonder In the debut middle grade novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman comes a poignant and powerful coming-of-age story that follows a young girl and her new friend as they learn about family, friendship, allyship, and finding your way in a complicated world.It&’s the summer of 1987, and all ten-year-old Bug wants to do is go to the beach with her older brother and hang out with the locals on the boardwalk. But Danny wants to be with his own friends, and Bug&’s mom is too busy, so Bug is stuck with their neighbor Philip&’s nephew, Frankie. Bug&’s not too excited about hanging out with a kid she&’s never met, but they soon find some common ground. And as the summer unfolds, they find themselves learning some important lessons about each other, and the world. Like what it means to be your true self and how to be a good ally for others. That family can be the people you&’re related to, but also the people you choose to have around you. And that even though life isn&’t always fair, we can all do our part to make it more just.
Rules for Vampires
by Alex FoulkesThe Nevermoor series meets Hotel Transylvania in this dazzling debut middle grade adventure set in a world of talking spiders, living forests, and haunted castles about a vampire girl who wants to fit in but first must defeat an evil ghost.After one hundred years of being a vampire, it&’s time for Eleonora to have her Birthnight. Since Leo&’s last rite of passage, her Grimwalk, ended with her losing her right leg and a good deal of her confidence, she&’s hoping to redeem herself in the eyes of her mother, the fearsome Lady Sieglinde. All Leo has to do is hunt down and kill her first prey, and she already has the perfect plan. After all, who will miss an orphan from the bleak St. Frieda&’s Home for Unwanted Children? But an accidental fire causes more death and destruction than Leo bargained for. Instead of killing one carefully selected victim, she&’s created several ghosts from the orphanage residents. And one sinister specter, the Orphanmaster, is poised to terrorize the living residents in a nearby town. To stop him and try to undo some of the mess she&’s made, Leo must team up with the orphan ghost Minna. Will Leo have the chance to prove herself as a vampire before her Birthnight is over, or will she discover that there are no winners in the battle of undead versus undead?
As the Falcon Flies
by Franklin W. DixonFrank and Joe circle a new case in the wilds of Alaska in the twenty-fourth book in the thrilling Hardy Boys Adventures series.Frank and Joe Hardy are excited when their parents&’ friends, the Adenshaws, invite them to come visit their home in Alaska. The brothers will have the perfect guide to explore the beautiful landscape the area is known for—their hosts&’ daughter, Kate. During the visit, Kate introduces the Hardys to her beloved peregrine falcon. There&’s a major falconry competition coming up in the United Arab Emirates, and even though Kate can&’t compete, she—like so many others in the falconry world—is eagerly looking forward to the event, which has millions riding on it. One California falconer even offered to buy Kate&’s falcon so he could enter it in the contest. When Kate&’s peregrine goes missing, it looks like the Californian or someone else may have turned criminal in their ruthless desire to win. Kate is devastated, and the Hardy boys have to figure out if her falcon could have flown off…or if it was stolen. Frank and Joe may not know much about birds of prey, but they do know how to solve a mystery. But can they soar to success?
Black Beauty
by Anna Sewell and Carol FennerProbably the most popular horse story of all time, Black Beauty tells the story of one horse's long and varied life. On the one hand, a fully engaging novel and on the other hand, a strong statement against animal maltreatment. Anna Sewell's classic novel has enthralled readers since it was first published in 1877.
Around the World in 80 Days
by Jules VerneIn this classic adventure story, a wealthy gentleman, Phileas Fogg, makes a bet that he can travel around the world in eighty days. Fogg and his servant set off immediately, determined to win this race against time. Little do they know they aren't making the journey alone.... Fogg has been fingered as the culprit in a bank robbery, and a detective in hot pursuit is trailing them as they cross every continent.
Hecate the Witch
by Joan Holub and Suzanne WilliamsGet to know Hecate, a student of witchcraft, in this twenty-seventh Goddess Girls adventure!Eleven-year-old Hecate loves being a student at Hexwitch School but gets nervous about things that could go wrong. To try and stem her anxious feelings, she gathers all the facts about different situations—that way, she will always be prepared if disaster strikes. After stumbling into a pet cemetery, Hecate meets Melinoe, who calls herself a ghost herder. She is in charge of leading the ghosts of pets and other animals to the River Styx in the Underworld. But Melinoe doesn&’t notice when one of her ghost animals follows Hecate home! More and more of the lost ghosts gather with Hecate, and she learns they have unfinished business left on Earth and refuse to enter the Underworld. The deceased pets are counting on Hecate, but Melinoe isn&’t too thrilled with having competition! Can Hecate help the animals without making a new enemy?
Mystery of the Island Jewels
by Joyce A. StengelOn the search for an ancient treasure... On a cruise to the Caribbean, fourteenyearold Cassie Hartt hopes to reconnect with her father, who she hasn't seen since her parents' divorce. But spending time with her new stepmother and stepsister leaves her feeling like an outsider. So she's thrilled when she meets Charles. Not only is he a cute boy her own age, but he's on a mysterious mission. Charles is headed to Martinique to find an ancient silver statue that may be the cause of a curse on his family. Cassie can't resist a good mystery, so she decides to team up with Charles. But they aren't the only ones looking for the statue -- and the other interested parties will stop at nothing to get their hands on it....
The Blue Lady of Coffin Hall
by Carolyn KeeneNed and Nancy track down a ghostly saboteur in the twenty-third book in the Nancy Drew Diaries series, a fresh approach to a classic series.Nancy and Ned are visiting Coffin Hall, an estate turned rare books library, doing research on the library&’s rumored ghost for an episode of the NedTalks podcast when a fire breaks out in the records room. One of the library&’s security guards accuses Ned of arson—after all, he was the only one in the room when the fire started—but Ned swears it wasn&’t him. He was trying to stop the fire. He tells Nancy he saw a lady in blue right before the incident, and thinks it was Henrietta Coffin, the ghost of Coffin Hall! Nancy is confident her boyfriend is innocent, and she&’s determined to identify the real culprit, though she&’s pretty sure it wasn&’t of the paranormal sort. When she investigates further, she learns that the fire was just the latest in a string of recent strange and inexplicable incidents plaguing Coffin Hall. It&’s increasingly apparent that someone has more than a passing interest in shutting down the library. But who—or what—is responsible? And why?
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens and Nancy FarmerCharles Dickens is probably the best-known and, to many people, the greatest English novelist of the nineteenth century. Since its publication in 1843, A Christmas Carol has been adapted for film, television, and the stage, proving that Dickens's characters and themes continue to captivate generation after generation.
The Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen Crane and Jim MurphyWritten by Stephen Crane at the age of twenty-one, The Red Badge of Courage is one of the greatest war novels of all time -- so groundbreaking that critics consider it to be the first work of modern American fiction. Although Crane never witnessed warfare, The Red Badge of Courage is a realistic and terrifying account of the Civil War and the fear that a young soldier must face on the battlefield as well as within himself.
Mystery on the Mayhem Express
by Franklin W. DixonBrother detectives Frank and Joe go full-steam ahead to find the truth in the twenty-third book in the thrilling Hardy Boys Adventures series.The Hardys and some of their friends hop aboard an old train that&’s been restored and turned into a murder mystery experience. A cast of actors will perform an immersive theatrical production while passengers dine in style, assume roles in the game, and ultimately try their hand at solving the case. This should be a cakewalk for Joe and Frank! The production is a mess. The actors are lousy, fumbling their lines and spelling out obvious clues. At least the food is pretty good. But just as the Hardy Boys are trying to make the most of a disappointing situation, one of the cast members goes missing. At first, the audience thinks that the show is taking a turn for the better, but it quickly becomes clear that this is not part of the act. For the Hardys, the mystery has gone from good fun to deadly serious. And trapped on a train full of people who aren&’t who they say they are, everyone is a suspect. Will Frank and Joe be able to figure out how someone can vanish into thin air on a moving train before this case goes completely off the rails?
A Capitol Crime
by Carolyn KeeneNancy, Bess, and George look for Nancy&’s missing father in the twenty-second book in the Nancy Drew Diaries series, a fresh approach to a classic series.While Nancy&’s dad is away at a conference in Washington, DC, she invites Bess and George over for a slumber party. The girls are having a great time until Nancy gets a call from a number she doesn&’t recognize. Her dad never showed up for his panel and he isn&’t in his room. No one&’s seen him since the night before, and he isn&’t answering his phone. Worried, Nancy and the gang hop the next flight to DC to investigate. The girls scour the hotel for clues with little luck until Nancy finds her dad&’s cell phone in the hotel basement. She&’s pretty sure he left her a message on the home screen, if only she could figure out what it means. The hunt takes them across the US capital, retracing Mr. Drew&’s steps to figure out what went wrong or who might be out to do him harm. If they don&’t solve this mystery, it may cost Mr. Drew his life.
The New World
by Matt MykluschFans of Brandon Mull and James Riley will love this thrilling third novel in the action-packed, accessible fantasy adventure series Order of the Majestic, which Booklist called a &“delight!&”Joey Kopecky and his friends Shazad and Leanora have one last chance to defeat the Invisible Hand in this heart-pounding adventure.
Zeb Bolt and the Ember Scroll
by Abi ElphinstoneIn the thrilling finale to bestselling author Abi Elphinstone&’s The Unmapped Chronicles, a young orphan rises up to stop the evil harpy Morg once and for all.Eleven-year-old Zebedee Bolt is on the run. Again. Only this time, it&’s not the police who find him. It&’s an evil harpy called Morg. And when she hauls him into Crackledawn, an Unmapped kingdom that conjures sunlight for our world, Zeb discovers running away only gets you so far. When magic&’s involved, you&’ve got to pick a side. And though Zeb vowed he wouldn&’t trust anyone ever again, he didn&’t expect to stumble aboard The Kerfuffle, an enchanted boat belonging to a girl called Oonie and her talking chameleon, Mrs. Fickletint. Suddenly, Zeb finds himself on a voyage complete with silver whales, fire krakens, and underwater palaces. Can he muster up enough trust in others, and in magic, to summon a dragon, find the Ember Scroll, and defeat Morg once and for all? This is a story about saving the world but it&’s also a story about trusting friends—and chameleons—even when kingdoms are falling apart.
The Blurred Blogger
by Victor AppletonTom and his friends track down a mysterious blogger who pushes pranks too far in this seventh novel in Tom Swift Inventors&’ Academy—perfect for fans of The Hardy Boys or Alex Rider series.A series of videos called &“The Not-so-Swift Academy&” are the talk of Tom Swift&’s tech-focused school. A mysterious host whose face is blurred shows hidden camera footage of different students being pranked—from a rubber tarantula leaping out of one of the terrariums to water flash freezing.Tom and his classmates are on edge, wondering which unlucky student will be the star of the next episode. They&’re on the lookout for hidden cameras and searching for signs of the next prank around every corner and behind every locker door. Tired of the tension, Sam decides to take matters in her own hands. She&’s going to bust the blogger by studying the videos for clues.But as Sam pieces the clues together, she unveils the biggest prank of all—someone&’s trying to frame her for the videos! Can Tom and his friends unmask the blurred blogger and clear Sam&’s name before they become the targets of the prankster&’s increasingly nefarious stunts?
Susan La Flesche Picotte
by Diane BaileyJeter Publishing presents a series that celebrates men and women who altered the course of history but may not be as well-known as their counterparts. In this middle grade biography, learn about Susan LaFlesche Picotte, the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree.Susan LaFlesche Picotte was the first Native American doctor in the United States and served more than 1,300 patients over 450 square miles in the late 1800s. Susan was the daughter of mixed-race (white and Native American) parents, and struggled much of her life with trying to balance the two worlds. As a child, she watched an elderly Omaha Indian woman die on the reservation because no white doctor would come help. When she grew older, Susan attended one of just a handful of medical schools that accepted women, graduating top of her class as the country&’s first Native American physician. Returning to her native Nebraska, Susan dedicated her life to working with Native American populations, battling epidemics from smallpox to tuberculosis that ravaged reservations during the final decades of the 19th century. Blizzards and frigid temperatures were just part of the job for Susan, who took her horse and buggy for house calls no matter what the weather conditions. Before her death in 1915, she also established public health initiatives and even built a hospital.
The Fallen Queen
by Kate O'HearnAstraea, Zephyr, Pegasus, and Tryn turn to an old enemy to save them from a desperate situation in this third book in a new series from bestselling Pegasus author Kate O&’Hearn, who masterfully blends mystery and mythology together.Jake, Nesso, and Emily have been captured by the Mimics. Their friends are determined to rescue them before it&’s too late, though that&’s easier said than done. Driven from their home and facing a constant stream of new attacks, Astraea, Zephyr, Pegasus, and Tryn are struggling just to survive another day against Mimics who can kill with a touch and take the shape of any friend or family member. While Jupiter is focused on returning to Titus, Astraea knows their only shot is to take the fight to the Mimic home world and stop the Mimic queen herself. To do that, they&’ll need to even the odds of seven friends versus an entire planet. So they come up with a plan to capture the one thing more terrifying than their enemy—the giant snake Lergo. Seeking out the serpent that almost killed them seems like a terrible idea. But it will take more than one unlikely ally to save their friends—not to mention the universe—and defeat the Mimics for good.
Dennis Brutus
by Craig EllenportJeter Publishing presents a middle grade series that celebrates men and women who altered the course of history but may not be as well-known as their counterparts. In this biography, meet South African poet and human rights activist Dennis Brutus.Dennis Brutus was a poet and human rights activist whose works centered on his sufferings and those of his fellow blacks in South Africa. For fourteen years, Dennis taught English and Afrikaans in South Africa. As the white minority government increased restrictions on the black population, he became involved in a series of anti-apartheid related activities, including efforts to end discrimination in sports. The government subsequently banned him from teaching, writing, publishing, attending social or political meetings, and pursuing his studies. In 1963, his refusal to abide by the ban resulted in eighteen months of hard labor on Robben Island, alongside Nelson Mandela. Forbidden to write or publish after his release, Brutus left South Africa in 1966 for England and then the United States, and is now recognized as one of the prominent voices in the anti-apartheid movement.
The Midnight Market
by Beth McMullenCity Spies meets Indiana Jones in this &“laugh-out-loud funny&” (Kirkus Reviews) second book of the Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter series that follows Lola and her friends as they compete for a spot in top treasure-hunting society.After saving her father and the world, twelve-year-old Lola Benko and her new best friends, Jin and Hannah, are a true treasure-hunting team. But after botching a huge job, they are looking to redeem themselves.They decide to try their luck at Camp Timberwood, where teams will compete to join the legendary Task Force, a group that gets plumb assignments around the globe. When their former nemesis, Lipstick, shows up unexpectedly, she makes an offer they can&’t refuse: help her find the legendary Helm of Darkness and she will help them come out on top in the competition—and be the first team in line for the Task Force.They just have to go to the mysterious Midnight Market, where the Helm is rumored to be. But Lola, Jin, and Hannah still aren&’t fully back in sync after their recent failure. Can they prove to the Task Force—and themselves—that they still have what it takes?
The Raven and Other Writings
by Edgar Allan Poe and AviAcknowledged as one of the most brilliant American writers, Edgar Allan Poe crafted a fantastic world filled with mystery and horror that has thrilled readers for generations. This edition includes Poe's most famous tales and poems, including "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Purloined Letter," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Raven," "Lenore," and "Annabel Lee."
Money Spells
by Skye AlexanderYou deserve abundance in your life—and Money Spells can help you manifest it.Whether you&’re looking to reframe how you think about money, increase your salary, pay bills, or earn some extra money on the side, magick gives you the power to manifest those goals and create change in your life. With a section introducing basic spellcasting techniques, and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, this collection of 45 spells for wealth and prosperity has everything you need to get started creating more value in your life. Spells include: -Use a Crystal to Invite Abundance -Spark Creative Ideas to Sell -Earn a Raise -Say Goodbye to Debt -Carry a Money Talisman -Manifest Special Indulgences -And more!