A heartbreaking novel that offers no easy answers, Give a Boy a Gun addresses the growing problem of school violence. Although it is a work of fiction, it could tragically be the leading nightly news story in any community. After a high school shooting at her alma mater, a college journalism student returns home to interview students, teachers, parents, and friends of the suspects. Intermingled with her interviews are journal entries written by the two troubled boys responsible for the shooting. Their journals chronicle years of systematic abuse at the hands of their classmates and follow the boys' frustration and pain as they turn to rage. Give a Boy a Gun explores every angle and raises tough questions about peer bullying, gun control and accountability. A full cast of narrators' voices add a dramatic reality to this provocative work.
Heaven is the perfect name for the small Ohio town where 14-year-old Marley lives. Or at least she thought so until the fateful day when the mysterious letter arrived. Now her life has been turned upside down. Twelve years ago Momma chose to live in Heaven because she liked the name of the town and the white picket fences and the little schoolhouse by the river. Pops agreed that it was a good place after he made sure it had a Western Union office. Ever since she can remember, Marley's been sent to Western Union to wire money to Uncle Jack. Now that she's learned the significance of those errands, life will never be the same.
This award-winning author introduces a likeable, believable young character. Listeners empathize with her search for identity and are edified by her choice to forgive the family who hid her adoption from her.
Young Persian Prince Orasmyn lives a peaceful life of quiet duty and thoughtful obedience. Tending his fragrance garden gives him much more pleasure than the bloody royal hunts staged by his father. But a single wrong decision sets in motion an ancient curse that changes Orasmyn's fate forever. Told he will be killed by his own father, he is transformed into a lion on the day of a great hunt. The prince has no choice but to flee beloved Persia and his precious family. Balancing his fading human memories with his new beastly impulses, he makes his way to Europe-where his destiny awaits in the person of a French beauty named Belle. Donna Jo Napoli once again weaves the magic she has shown in books like Crazy Jack and Zel, transforming a well-known fairy tale into an unforgettable epic of duty, love, and redemption. Robert Ramirez's narration captures all the anguish and struggle of Orasmyn's quest to regain his humanity.
Ever since Dusty's mom died, life has been rough. Dusty's dad is remote and angry, and a car accident has permanently injured Dusty's back. No matter how much support her classmates in high school offer, nothing can bring back the happy family life she remembers. Now Dusty is facing another loss. Her horse, Tazz, has become crippled and will be put down. But one night, a curiously pale boy appears in the barn and rides away on Tazz. When Dusty learns that a high school boy has been killed recently, she is determined to discover the connection between the boy's death, her father's rage, and the figure who took Tazz away. In Sky Rider, the ALA award-winning author of Toughing It creates a supernatural thriller that will hold the attention of even the most reluctant reader. Narrator Christina Moore's performance captures the conflicting emotions that swirl through Dusty as she searches for the truth.
'As her birthday approaches, [Amber] desperately wants a watch so she can be independent...
Dana Lubotsky's voice has a childlike quality, and she narrates with both the matter-of-factness and urgency of an almost 7-year-old. A moderate pace assures the listener time to follow the storyline and appreciate Tony Ross's illustrations. Perky music provides background.' - AudioFile Magazine
A Live Oak Media audio production.
When Ruby’s grandmother, Miss Eula goes to visit her new grandbaby in Hawaii, Ruby is sure that she will have a lonely, empty, horrible summer without her in boring old Halleluia, Mississippi. What happens instead? She makes a new friend, saves the school play, writes plenty of letters to her favorite (and only) grandmother...and finally learns to stop blaming herself for her grandfather’s death. Not too bad, for a nine-year-old.
Primrose Squarp simply knows her parents did not perish at sea during a terrible storm, despite what the other residents of Coal Harbour believe. For all practical purposes, Primrose is an orphan, and there's no great clamoring of prospective adopters. After realizing the impracticality of continuing to pay Miss Perfidy (a mothball-scented elderly lady) an hourly wage to baby-sit her, the town council places her with Uncle Jack, who reluctantly takes her in. Primrose does warm up to him, but her true sanctuary is a local restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing, where everything--including lasagna--is served on a waffle, and where the proprietor Miss Bowzer offers a willing ear.Through a mixture of eccentric humor and probing philosophy, author Polly Horvath makes Primrose's search for peace and understanding a most memorable one.
Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters’ village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.
When Melanie Ross first meets April Hall, she's not sure what to think. What other sixth grade girl wears her blonde hair piled in a twist and flaunts false eyelashes? But when the two girls discover the storage shed outside the A-Z Antiques and Curio Shop, they discover they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. Soon the friends create the Egypt Game. Dressed up in costumes, they secretly hold ceremonies and dance in the ghostly interior of the shed. As the number of Egyptians begins to grow, so does their fun. Then one day, strange things begin to happen. Soon the players find themselves deep in a dangerous mystery that threatens to end the Egypt Game for good. Zilpha Keatley Snyder writes adventures in which young people learn important lessons about themselves as they unravel a mystery often involving the supernatural. The Egypt Game is one of Snyder's many books that have been honored as Newbery Honor Books and American Library Association Notable Books for Children.
Willful and high-spirited, exerting his independence at every turn, 10-year-old Robert "Robbie" Burns Hewitt plans to live life to the fullest--because the world is going to end at the turn of the century anyway! The year 1900 is fast approaching. Robbie decides that living by The Ten Commandments, which have been drilled into his head by his preacher father, is not meant for him--since he "ain't got the knack for holiness." On his quest to be his own person, he stirs up trouble daily. Before long, he must choose between the truth and a lie while a man's life hangs in the balance. Newbery Award-winning author Katherine Paterson brings to life Robbie's honest emotions of anger, jealousy and fear, leading him to make a number of disturbing choices. Despite the challenges, Robbie emerges as an engaging character with a good heart.
Fourteen-year-old British schoolgirl Georgia Nicolson is now dating the Sex God--also known as Robbie--and things couldn't be any more fab. When they snog, life is marvy and gorgey and all that stuff. But then Georgia gets dumped because she's too young. Robbie admits she's a great kid, but thinks she might be more interested in his mate Dave, who is "a good laugh." To lure the Sex God back, Georgia decides to give Dave a go. She hopes that when Robbie sees her with another bloke, he'll go mad jealous and come running back to her. This is the uproarious sequel to the smash hit Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, a cultural phenomenon. Stina Nielsen delivers a belly laugh a minute with her sparkling portrayal of the hilariously self-obsessed Georgia.
In books like Buried Onions and Boys at Work Gary Soto displays a gift for revealing the tough, heart-breaking life of contemporary urban kids. In Petty Crimes, Soto offers 10 stories about the risky situations and dangerous little scams faced by young people growing up on the harsh streets of the city. Meet Alma, who can accept her mother's death from cancer, but not the loss of her mother's clothes to local charities. Cheer for Rudy, who learns some rude lessons about himself in the boxing ring. And struggle with Norma, whose chance to take care of her classroom's "baby" shows her just how difficult it is to keep someone safe. Through these and seven other sometimes funny, sometimes tragic stories, Soto chronicles inner-city youths as they strive for something more from their lives-and confront the limitations of their futures. Robert Ramirez's energetic narration captures each memorable character and event.
