Mattie is a ghost, swept away in a flood in 1922. Nate hates being stuck in a small town, away from Boston and all his friends. Mattie must find her body and only has a few days left before she is banished to the Badlands. Nate somehow can see Mattie and she convinces him to help by ripping her face off and other gross things. With the help of a crazy cat lady, a friendly librarian, and a group of of helpful ghosts, the two must avoid Mattie's evil, axe-swinging Pa and find her body. Ages 9 and up. 135 pages.
The Ghost - Mattie died horribly nearly 100 years ago, swept away in a flood while her pa tried to kill her with a huge axe. Now she is stuck in the little town with buckets of water pouring over her all the time. She's not even allowed in the graveyard. She's spunky, pushy and has as much fun as she can - given her situation - being 11 years old forever.
The Boy - Nate was dragged to live in the little, hick town by his mother. All he wants is to get back to his friends and his dad back in Boston. He doesn't have any friends here and doesn't want any.
The Mystery - Mattie can't find her body. She only has eight days to find it or she is banished to the Badlands forever.
The Weird Thing - Nate can see Mattie. He's the first person in a long time who can.
The Others - A crazy, old cat lady, some old lady ghosts, a friendly librarian.
Time is running out and Mattie's Pa is back from the grave, swinging his axe and trying to stop Mattie and Nate.
WARNING: Your parents might get scared and worried that you are reading about gross and sometimes violent things. There ARE some scary and gross and really mean things in this book (but it is a made up story - so tell them not to get too scared).
For millennia, the evil Kroledutz have fed on the essence of humans and clashed in secret with the Adima, the light weavers of the universe. Now, with the balance of power shifting toward darkness, time is running out. Guided by a timeless Native American spirit, four teenagers from a small New Mexico town discover they have one month to awaken their inner power and save the world. Rory, Tima, Billy, and James must solve four ancient challenges by the next full moon to awaken a mystical portal and become Adima. If they fail, the last threads of light will dissolve, and the universe will be lost forever. Can they put aside their fears and discover their true natures before it's too late? BOOK ONE of The Adima Chronices: Adima Rising
New York Times best-selling author Sawyer Bennett has written her most gripping and poignant tale yet. Provocatively heart-breaking, audaciously irreverent and romantically fulfilling, The Hard Truth About Sunshine exposes just how very thin the line is between a full life and an empty existence.
An angry, bitter amputee.
An optimist losing her eyesight.
A dying kid.
A suicidal thief.
Four people with nothing in common but their destination.
Despite having narrowly escaped death's clutches, Christopher Barlow is grateful for nothing. His capacity to love has been crushed. He hates everyone and everything, completely unable to see past the gray stain of misery that coats his perception of the world. It's only after he involuntarily joins a band of depressed misfits who are struggling to overcome their own problems, does Christopher start to re-evaluate his lot in life.
What could they possibly learn from one another? How could they possibly help each other to heal? And the question that Christopher asks himself over and over again...can he learn to love again?
He's about to find out as he embarks upon a cross country trip with a beautiful woman who is going blind, a boy with terminal cancer, and an abuse victim who can't decide whether she wants to live or die.
They will encounter adventure, thrills, loss, and love.
And within their travels they will learn the greatest lesson of all.
The hard truth about sunshine...
Warning: This book deals with some tough issues including suicide and sexual abuse.
