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Bridge and Tunnel Boys: Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and the Metropolitan Sound of the American Century
by Jim CullenBorn four months apart, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel both released their debut albums in the early 1970s, quickly becoming two of the most successful rock stars of their generation. While their critical receptions have been very different, surprising parallels emerge when we look at the arcs of their careers and the musical influences that have inspired them. Bridge and Tunnel Boys compares the life and work of Long Islander Joel and Asbury Park, New Jersey, native Springsteen, considering how each man forged a distinctive sound that derived from his unique position on the periphery of the Big Apple. Locating their music within a longer tradition of the New York metropolitan sound, dating back to the early 1900s, cultural historian Jim Cullen explores how each man drew from the city’s diverse racial and ethnic influences. His study explains how, despite frequently releasing songs that questioned the American dream, Springsteen and Joel were able to appeal to wide audiences during both the national uncertainty of the 1970s and the triumphalism of the Reagan era. By placing these two New York–area icons in a new context, Bridge and Tunnel Boys allows us to hear their most beloved songs with new appreciation.
Bridge to Bat City
by Ernest ClineFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Ernest Cline comes a mostly true tall tale about an unexpected friendship between a young girl and a music-loving colony of bats. After losing her mother, thirteen-year-old Opal moves in with her uncle Roscoe on the family farm. There, Opal bonds with Uncle Roscoe over music and befriends a group of orphaned, music-loving bats. But just as the farm is starting to feel like home, the bats&’ cave is destroyed by a big mining company with its sights set on the farmland next. If Opal and the bats can fit in anywhere, it&’s the nearby city of Austin, home to their favorite music and a host of wonderfully eccentric characters. But with people afraid of the bats and determined to get rid of them, it&’ll take a whole lot of courage to prove that this is where the bats—and Opal—belong.
Bright Red Fruit
by Safia ElhilloAn unflinching, honest novel in verse about a teenager's journey into the slam poetry scene and the dangerous new relationship that could threaten all her dreams. From the award-winning poet and author of HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY.Bad girl. No matter how hard Samira tries, she can&’t shake her reputation. She&’s never gotten the benefit of the doubt—not from her mother or the aunties who watch her like a hawk.Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet—until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. But soon she&’s keeping a bigger secret than ever before—one that that could prove her reputation and jeopardize her place in her community.In this gripping coming-of-age novel from the critically acclaimed author Safia Elhillo, a young woman searches to find the balance between honoring her family, her artistry, and her authentic self.
The Brodsky Center at Rutgers University: Three Decades, 1986-2017
by Ferris OlinThe Brodsky Center at Rutgers: Three Decades, 1986-2017, chronicles the history and artists involved with an internationally acclaimed print and papermaking studio at Rutgers University. Judith K. Brodsky conceived, founded, and directed the atelier, which, from its onset, provided state-of-the-arts technology and expertise for under-represented contemporary artists — women, Indigenous, and from diasporas of the African, Eastern European, Latin and Asian communities — to make innovative works on paper. These artistic creations presented new narratives to American and global visual arts from voices previously not heard or seen. Some of the artists featured in the book include Faith Ringgold, Elizabeth Catlett, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Miriam Schapiro, Pepón Osorio, Kiki Smith, and Richard Tuttle, among many other talented and influential printmakers and artists. Published in partnership with the Zimmerli Museum.
Building Literacy with Multilingual Learners: Insights from Linguistics
by Kristin Lems Tenena M. Soro Gareth CharlesNow in a revised and expanded third edition, this established course text and teacher guide explores the processes involved in second-language acquisition and translates the research into practical instructional strategies for PreK–12. Engaging classroom vignettes and personal reflections from the authors and other seasoned educators bring the teaching methods and linguistic concepts to life. Highlighting ways to draw on emergent bilingual and multilingual students' strengths, the book presents innovative learning activities, lesson-planning ideas, technology applications, downloadable reproducible forms, and other resources. Second edition title: Building Literacy with English Language Learners. New to This Edition *Chapter on visual literacy. *Extensive updated coverage of literacy in the digital age, including gamification and video games, digital reading, and uses of ChatGPT in the classroom. *Increased attention to multimodal projects and activities. *New or expanded discussions of translanguaging, dual-language instruction, English as a lingua franca as well as an academic language, and other timely topics. Pedagogical Features *"How Does This Look in the Classroom?" sections. *Study and discussion questions in every chapter. *Chapter-opening "Key Vocabulary" boxes. *End-of-book glossary.
Cancelled
by Farrah PennWith its clever snark and searing perspective, Cancelled is a funny, fearless novel about the realistic pitfalls and unforgettable moments high school has to offer, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Emma Lord.Not to brag, but Brynn Whittaker is basically killing her senior year. She's got the looks, the grades, and a thriving "flirt coach" business that will help pay for her ultimate dream school: Stanford University. But when a highly incriminating video goes viral after the first rager of the year, Brynn finds herself at the center of a school-wide scandal of catastrophic proportions. She knows she's not the girl in the video hooking up with her former best friend's boyfriend (While wearing a banana costume, no less. Hey, points for style), but adding that to her reputation of being a serial dater, she quickly starts losing friends and customers. On top of that, the scorn she receives exposes the culture of misogyny that is rampant at her school . . . and Brynn and her three best friends are determined to take down all the haters. But as she gets closer to identifying the person in the video that got her cancelled, Brynn must decide—is exposing the girl worth losing everything she's worked so hard for?This witty, unapologetic novel by Farrah Penn boldly tackles the problematic double standards that seek to bring girls down, and shines a light on the loving, uplifting friendships that can help them make it through those brutal four years.
The Caravaggio Syndrome: A Novel (Other Voices of Italy)
by Alessandro GiardinoLeyla is a headstrong Brooklyn-born art historian at a prestigious upstate New York college. When she meets feckless young computer technician Pablo at a party, she quickly becomes pregnant with his child. There’s only one problem: she can’t stand him. And one more problem: her student Michael wants Pablo for himself. Amid this love triangle, the objects of Leyla and Michael’s study take on a life of their own. Trying to learn more about Caravaggio’s masterpiece The Seven Works of Mercy, they pore over the journal and prison writings of maverick 17th-century utopian philosopher Tommaso Campanella, which, as if by enchantment, transport them back four centuries to Naples. And while the past and present miraculously converge, Leyla, Michael, and Tommaso embark on a voyage of self-discovery in search of a new life. In this fusion of historical, queer, and speculative fiction, Alessandro Giardino combines the intellectual playfulness of Umberto Eco with the psychological finesse of Michael Cunningham.
Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society (Charlie Thorne)
by Stuart GibbsIn the fourth installment of the New York Times bestselling Charlie Thorne series—which #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Grabenstein called &“a real page-burner&”—Charlie searches for Isaac Newton's secret treasure across Europe and Australia.Charlie Thorne is a genius. Charlie Thorne is fearless. Charlie Thorne may have finally met her match. Charlie Thorne is used to being on the run. Ever since she was recruited by the CIA to track down Einstein&’s most dangerous equation, Charlie—and former CIA agents Dante Garcia and Milana Moon—have traveled around the world to prevent history&’s greatest discoveries from falling into the wrong hands. But after beating others to the secrets hidden by Einstein, Darwin, and Cleopatra, they find they are not the only ones searching for an immensely powerful discovery of Isaac Newton&’s. From a chase over the rooftops of Cambridge University to scaling the Sydney Harbour Bridge to skirting a volcanic eruption, Charlie will need to think one step ahead of her opponents to follow Newton&’s trail of devious clues and keep herself out of the hands of the many enemies who are hot on her tail.
Christianity and Comics: Stories We Tell about Heaven and Hell
by Blair DavisThe Bible has inspired Western art and literature for centuries, so it is no surprise that Christian iconography, characters, and stories have also appeared in many comic books. Yet the sheer stylistic range of these comics is stunning. They include books from Christian publishers, as well as underground comix with religious themes and a vast array of DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse titles, from Hellboy to Preacher. Christianity and Comics presents an 80-year history of the various ways that the comics industry has drawn from biblical source material. It explores how some publishers specifically targeted Christian audiences with titles like Catholic Comics, books featuring heroic versions of Oral Roberts and Billy Graham, and special religious-themed editions of Archie. But it also considers how popular mainstream comics like Daredevil, The Sandman, Ghost Rider, and Batman are infused with Christian themes and imagery. Comics scholar Blair Davis pays special attention to how the medium’s unique use of panels, word balloons, captions, and serialized storytelling have provided vehicles for telling familiar biblical tales in new ways. Spanning the Golden Age of comics to the present day, this book charts how comics have both reflected and influenced Americans’ changing attitudes towards religion.
Chronically Dolores
by Maya Van WagenenMaya Van Wagenen, bestselling author of Popular, tells Dolores&’s story with humor, heartache, and an occasional bit of telenovela flair.&“A striking fiction debut.&” —Publishers Weekly, starred review&“An insightful, funny, and realistic coming-of-age story.&” —KirkusDolores Mendoza is not thriving. She was recently diagnosed with a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. The painful disease isn&’t life threatening, but it is threatening to ruin her life.Just when things seem hopeless, Dolores meets someone poised to change her fate. Terpsichore Berkenbosch-Jones is glamorous, autistic, and homeschooled against her will by her overprotective mother. After a rocky start, the girls form a tentative partnership. Beautiful, talented Terpsichore will help Dolores win back her ex-best friend, Shae. And Dolores will convince Terpsichore&’s mom that her daughter has the social skills to survive public school. It seems like a foolproof plan, but Dolores isn&’t always a reliable narrator, and her choices may put her in danger of committing an unforgivable betrayal.
Clarion Call (The Ravensong Series)
by Cayla FayNeve faces her vengeful cousin, the leader of the legions of hell, forcing her to decide where her loyalties truly lie in this thrilling sequel to Ravensong that&’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Celtic mythology.Neve and her sisters failed in protecting the mortal world against the legions of hell when the Veil they had spent their lives guarding split and the vengeful cousin they forgot ever existed, Aodh, managed to slip through. Dangerous and bitter, Aodh is on a mission to free the rest of their family still trapped behind the veil and set them loose on the mortal world. Still injured from her last battle, Neve is not only working to track Aodh, but also trying to navigate painful memories that keep rising to the surface. Memories of her past lifetimes protecting the Gate…and of her first life, before she and her sisters scrubbed it from their minds. More questions arise when a new family member reveals themself, someone Neve and her sisters have been missing. Someone who might just be able to save them all. Neve must face the sins of her past while navigating the dangers of the present. The more she remembers, the more it seems like everything she was raised to believe was a lie, and the fallout might decimate everything she has worked so hard to build in the present, including her relationship with Alexandria. Caught between humanity and divinity, the past and the present, Neve must try to strike a balance between the warring forces both within and without, because if she doesn&’t, it might not just be her relationship at stake, but the whole world.
Clever Creatures of the Night
by Samantha MabryIn this gripping literary horror, Case&’s best friend Drea goes missing, forcing her into a bizarre, cultlike—and possibly murderous world—perfect for fans of The Honeys and Mexican Gothic. Something bad happened here. When Case arrives at a run-down, ivy-covered house tucked deep in the West Texas woods, an ashy haze lingers in the air and the sky is tissue-paper pink. Her best friend Drea has been living here with a few classmates Case has never met, and Drea asked her to visit in a letter dated two weeks ago. But now Drea is nowhere to be found. Drea&’s roommates can&’t—or won&’t—answer questions, leaving Case to search alone. She finds bits of Drea&’s journal hidden in the tiles of the bathroom wall, in a beat-up cooler by the muddy river, wedged into the frame of her closet door. As Case pieces together Drea&’s life in this strange house, the roommates&’ behavior puts her increasingly on edge—and she&’s not the only one. The animals nearby are lashing out, attacking each other, threatening the humans. Something bad happened in this house. Something that must be connected to Drea&’s disappearance. And if she gets too close to the truth, Case just might be next.
CNC Programmer's Guide
by Rick CalverleyCNC Programmer’s Guide is a comprehensive and contemporary resource that provides a solid foundation in the principles of CNC programming, ideal for students pursuing a CNC machining career. Written by an educator and practitioner with over 35 years of field experience, this textbook provides flexibility for a variety of courses in CNC machining. Organized in three sections, it offers complete, introductory coverage on CNC mill programming, lathe programming, and subprogramming. Practical, easy-to-understand examples teach students the essential skills needed to prepare programs for CNC mills and lathes. This textbook explains programming for mats for different controller types where appropriate and uses a building-block approach to develop a broad understanding of CNC programming techniques and machining operations.
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee
by Ellen OhWhen a Korean American teenage artist gets sucked into the world of her own web comic, she must find a way out with the help of a cute boy all while facing off against a villainous corporation. Inspired by the A-ha's "Take on Me" music video, this entertaining YA novel is a grounded speculative fiction adventure from a founding member of We Need Diverse Books."Sincere, smart, and meta…this stirring high-concept novel… stands out from the rest."-Soman Chainani, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL series"A lighthearted story with touches of romance and fantasy, told with K-drama flair." —Kirkus ReviewsMina has become the hero of her own story. Literally.When Mina Lee woke up on Saturday morning for SAT prep, she did NOT expect to: 1. Nearly be fried by a superhero who turned out to be a supervillain. 2. Come face to face with Jin, the handsome boy of her dreams. 3. Discover a conspiracy involving the evil corporation Merco that she created.And it&’s all happening in her fictional world. Mina is trapped in the story she created. Now it&’s up to her to save everyone. Even if it means losing Jin forever.From the award-winning author of Finding Junie Kim and co-founder of We Need Diverse Books, Ellen Oh. In the speculative fiction adventure The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee, a teenage artist grapples with her first love, grief, and learning how to take charge of her own life.
Conditions of a Heart
by Bethany MangleFor fans of Talia Hibbert and Lynn Painter comes a funny and unflinchingly honest story about a teen who must come to terms with her disability and what it means for her identity, her love life, and her future.Brynn Kwan is desperate for her high school persona to be real. That Brynn is head of the yearbook committee, the favorite for prom queen, and definitely not crumbling from a secret disability that&’s rapidly wearing her down. If no one knows the truth about her condition, Brynn doesn&’t have to worry about the pitying looks or accusations of being a faker that already destroyed her childhood friendships. She&’s even willing to let go of her four-year relationship with her first love, Oliver, rather than reveal that a necessary surgery was the reason she ignored his existence for the entire summer. But after Brynn tries to break up a fight at a pep rally and winds up barred from all her clubs and senior prom, she has nothing left to prop up her illusion of being just like everyone else. During a week-long suspension from school, she realizes that she doesn&’t quite recognize the face in the mirror—and it&’s not because of her black eye from the fight. With a healthy sister who simply doesn&’t understand and a confused ex-boyfriend who won&’t just take a hint and go away like a normal human being, Brynn begins to wonder if it&’s possible to reinvent her world by being the person she thought no one wanted: herself.
Courtesy of Cupid
by Nashae JonesIn this middle grade rom-com sprinkled with a dash of magic, a girl uses her newfound ability to make people fall in love to sabotage her rival.Erin Johnson&’s thirteenth birthday unfolds like any other day, from her mom&’s quirky and embarrassing choice of outfit to racing her nemesis, Trevor Jin, to the best seat in class—front row, center. But her gifts this year include something very out of the ordinary: magical powers. Erin discovers her mysterious father is actually the love god Cupid and she&’s inherited his knack for romance. It&’s not the most useful ability for an overachiever with lofty academic and extracurricular goals…or is it? Erin desperately wants to be elected president of the Multicultural Leadership Club, and as usual, Trevor is her fiercest competition. He&’s never backed down from a challenge before, but if Erin makes him fall in love with her, maybe he'd drop out of the race and let her win. With her magical pedigree, wrapping Trevor around her finger is a snap, and having him around all the time is a small price to pay for victory. But without their cutthroat rivalry bringing out the worst in each other, Erin realizes Trevor may not be as bad as she thought, and suddenly her first foray into love gets a lot more complicated…
Cracking the Code: A Practical Guide To The NEC
by Rob ZachariasonCracking the Code is an approachable, effective text that teaches students the structure and organization of the National Electrical Code® (NEC), based on the 2023 NEC. Because the NEC is a constantly evolving standard and far too vast to memorize, author Rob Zachariason took a unique approach to develop a book that focuses on teaching students how to navigate the structure of the NEC, rather than replicating the information found in the Code. The book is divided into two parts: the first half focuses on teaching students where information is located and how to use the NEC, while the second half focuses on specific Code-related design and calculation applications. Pro Tips provide real-world examples of the chapter content and help to tie in other Code requirements. Examples show relevant, Code-based applications and calculations being solved with step-by-step explanations.
Creating the Hudson River Park: Environmental and Community Activism, Politics, and Greed
by Tom FoxThe 4-mile-long, 550-acre Hudson River Park is nearing completion and is the largest park built in Manhattan since Central Park opened more than 150 years ago. It has transformed a derelict waterfront, protected the Hudson River estuary, preserved commercial maritime activities, created new recreational opportunities for millions of New Yorkers, enhanced tourism, stimulated redevelopment in adjacent neighborhoods, and set a precedent for waterfront redevelopment. The Park attracts seventeen million visitors annually. Creating the Hudson River Park is a first-person story of how this park came to be. Working together over three decades, community groups, civic and environmental organizations, labor, the real estate and business community, government agencies, and elected officials won a historic victory for environmental preservation, the use and enjoyment of the Hudson River, and urban redevelopment. However, the park is also the embodiment of a troubling trend toward the commercialization of America’s public parks. After the defeat of the $2.4 billion Westway plan to fill 234 acres of the Hudson in 1985, the stage was set for the revitalization of Manhattan’s West Side waterfront. Between 1986 and 1998 the process focused on the basics like designing an appropriate roadway, removing noncompliant municipal and commercial activities from the waterfront, implementing temporary improvements, developing the Park’s first revenue-producing commercial area at Chelsea Piers, completing the public planning and environmental review processes, and negotiating the 1998 Hudson River Park Act that officially created the Park. From 1999 to 2009 planning and construction were funded with public money and focused on creating active and passive recreation opportunities on the Tribeca, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen waterfronts. However, initial recommendations to secure long term financial support for the Park from the increase in adjacent real estate values that resulted from the Park’s creation were ignored. City and state politicians had other priorities and public funding for the Park dwindled. The recent phase of the project, from 2010 to 2021, focused on “development” both in and adjacent to the Park. Changes in leadership, and new challenges provide an opportunity to return to a transparent public planning process and complete the redevelopment of the waterfront for the remainder of the 21st-century. Fox’s first-person perspective helps to document the history of the Hudson River Park, recognizes those who made it happen and those who made it difficult, and provides lessons that may help private citizens and public servants expand and protect the public parks and natural systems that are so critical to urban well-being.
Culinary Colonialism, Caribbean Cookbooks, and Recipes for National Independence (Critical Caribbean Studies)
by Keja L. ValensWomen across the Caribbean have been writing, reading, and exchanging cookbooks since at least the turn of the nineteenth century. These cookbooks are about much more than cooking. Through cookbooks, Caribbean women, and a few men, have shaped, embedded, and contested colonial and domestic orders, delineated the contours of independent national cultures, and transformed tastes for independence into flavors of domestic autonomy. Culinary Colonialism, Caribbean Cookbooks, and Recipes for National Independence integrates new documents into the Caribbean archive and presents them in a rare pan-Caribbean perspective. The first book-length consideration of Caribbean cookbooks, Culinary Colonialism joins a growing body of work in Caribbean studies and food studies that considers the intersections of food writing, race, class, gender, and nationality. A selection of recipes, culled from the archive that Culinary Colonialism assembles, allows readers to savor the confluence of culinary traditions and local specifications that connect and distinguish national cuisines in the Caribbean.
The Curie Society: Eris Eternal (The Curie Society Series #2)
by Heather Einhorn Adam Staffaroni Anne TooleThe plucky young scientist heroes of The Curie Society go toe-to-toe with a powerful and sinister threat in a globe-spanning scientific adventure on the cutting edge of advanced biotech.Our heroic teen science prodigies are back for a new mission with the Curie Society, an elite secret organization where brilliant women can pursue the furthest reaches of their intellect, and this time they face a threat more serious and more sinister than anything they&’ve encountered before!Maya, Taj, and Simone are supposed to be spending their summer broadening their horizons, but their plans take a strange and puzzling turn when the Curie Society&’s original chapter, at the Sorbonne in Paris, calls on them for help. Daksha, a Society alumna, is promoting cutting-edge science and technology startups at a showcase event, but someone has threatened to stop her and the proceedings. When Daksha is poisoned, the team swings into action to investigate.Along with new friends from the Paris chapter of the Curie Society, the team is thrown into a globe-spanning quest and a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a shadowy villain intent on controlling the world&’s wealth through advanced biotech. The Curie Society will need all their specialized science skills to stop this scheme before it&’s too late!
Cursed Cruise: A Horror Hotel Novel
by Victoria Fulton Faith McClarenFrom the authors of Horror Hotel, called "fast-paced and freaky" by #1 NYT bestselling author Kendare Blake, comes another addictive YA horror about a group of teen ghost hunters who are invited to travel onboard a haunted historic cruise ship.All aboard...After their fateful stay at the Hearst Hotel, the Ghost Gang is back with more spooks and more subscribers. They&’ve been invited to record onboard the RMS Queen Anne, a transatlantic luxury ocean liner with a colorful past of violent deaths of hundreds of passengers—souls that bought a one-way ticket to the afterlife (and never disembarked).When Chrissy, Chase, Kiki, and Emma board the ship, they have a funny feeling they&’ve been sucked into a ghostly time warp—a theory that takes a frightening turn when Chrissy goes missing on the first night.Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Chrissy has been sucked into another time by a passenger who wants the Ghost Gang to know her untimely death was not an accident and the perpetrator is still alive—and on board this ship.
The Cursed Rose (The Bone Spindle #3)
by Leslie VedderThe fate of a cursed kingdom rests on ancient secrets, broken promises, and fierce friendships in this gasp-worthy final book of the bestselling twisted fairytale Bone Spindle series.**Perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson, Holly Black, and Marissa Meyer**Not all curses should be broken. Not all fairytales end happily ever after.Fi is a prisoner. Briar, a monster. Shane's a warrior. And Red is a traitor. What was once a formidable group of four fighting to reawaken the kingdom is now ruptured, torn apart by the wicked Spindle Witch. Confined to a tower with the monstrous Briar Rose, Fi is caught in the Spindle Witch&’s ever-tightening web. With the Spindle Witch on the verge of finding the Siphoning Spells and crushing Andar—with Fi&’s help, no less—Fi&’s only hope lies in decoding the ancient riddle of the Rose Witches before she loses Briar forever. Shane is desperate to save Andar—and her partner. She&’s on the hunt for a weapon left by the mysterious Lord of the Butterflies, which holds the key to the Spindle Witch&’s demise. Her love for Red has only fortified. But Red&’s betrayal puts her in danger from a new enemy—the Spindle Witch&’s executioner, the Wraith, a witch as powerful as he is cruel.The future of Andar lies in the secrets of its past. Fi and Shane must take on the greatest lost ruin of them all—the Tomb of Queen Aurora. Filled with vicious bone monsters, new alliances, and surprises at every turn, prepare to be swept away by this taut, clever, and heart-filled series conclusion.
The Dare
by Natasha Preston Natasha Green#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Preston is back with another pulse-pounding, twisty read!Would you accept the dare?In Marley&’s town, seniors are given a prank as a rite of passage…a dare, if you will. The dares start out simple…egging houses, balloons filled with glitter, chickens running loose in the halls.But this is no child&’s play.Accepting a dare means you could be expelled, arrested, or worse. No one wants to back down from a dare. But saying yes has consequences, too…
Dark Parts of the Universe
by Samuel MillerOuter Banks meets Bone Gap in New York Times bestselling author Samuel Miller’s propulsive and genre-bending YA mystery, following a group of teenagers who discover a dead body while playing an app-based adventure game that sends players to “random” locations, unlocking a much deeper mystery about their small town. In Calico Springs, Willie’s life has been defined by two powerful forces: God and the river. The “miracle boy” died for five minutes as a young child, and ever since, Willie is certain he survived for a reason, but that purpose didn’t become clear until he found the Game.The Game is called Manifest Atlas, and the concept is simple: enter an intention and the Game provides a target—a blinking blue dot on the map. Willie’s second time playing Manifest Atlas, his intention takes him to an ominous target: three empty graves. Willie is sure the Game is telling him he’s going to die.Willie’s older brother, Bones, doesn’t believe him, but their friends are intrigued. Sarai, a girl from across the river, sets the next intention: something bloody. The group follows the Game’s coordinates and they discover something even more unsettling than the graves: a dead body. Sarai’s stepfather’s body. The Game is suddenly personal.Willie is dedicated to proving the Game works while Sarai is set on finding out what happened to her stepdad. Bones just wants to enjoy his last summer before real life begins. As the group digs deeper into Manifest Atlas, stranger and wilder things begin to appear, unlocking a much deeper mystery running like an undercurrent through the small town.
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (Song of the Last Kingdom #2)
by Amélie Wen ZhaoThe epic sequel to the book Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is a fast-paced, riveting YA fantasy inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China. <p><p> The Demon Gods have risen. Skies’ End has fallen to the colonizers. And Lan and Zen have chosen sides. <p><p> But they will not fight together. <p><p> Though Lan inherited the power of the Silver Dragon, she understands the path she must take. She believes the Demon Gods to be the cause of war, conflict, and turmoil, and that the future of the Last Kingdom depends on their being eliminated forever. Worse, she knows that if the Elantians manage to bind one of the legendary beings, their army will be unstoppable. To save her kingdom and her people, Lan will need to find the only mythical weapon capable of destroying the Demon Gods: the Godslayer. <p><p> Zen is sure that the only way to free the Last Kingdom is to use the power of the Demon Gods. When he bound the Black Tortoise, he paid the ultimate price: to inherit its strength, he will forfeit his body, his mind, and his soul. Yet one Demon God is not enough against the might of the colonizers. In the ruins of the northern Mansorian lands slumbers a magical army of demonic practitioners capable of facing off against the Elantians—but Zen must find the Seal to awaken them to fight by his side. <p><p> At the center of both Lan’s and Zen’s journeys is one city: Shaklahira, a former stronghold of the Imperial Court that vanished without a trace when the Elantians invaded. Its location is a mystery, and both are sure that it holds the answers they need, but the past it hides might be more dangerous than anything they’ve faced yet. <p><p> The battle for the Last Kingdom rages on. But to win the war, Lan will have to decide: Can she face the boy she loves again? And when she does, can she kill him to free her people? <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>