This is the first complete collection of Joan Aiken's beloved Armitage stories—and it includes four new, unpublished stories. After Mrs. Armitage makes a wish, the Armitage family has “interesting and unusual” experiences every Monday (and the occasional Tuesday). The Board of Incantation tries to take over their house to use as a school for young wizards; the Furies come to stay; and a cutout from a cereal box leads into a beautiful and tragic palace garden. Charming and magical, the uncommon lives of the Armitage family will thrill and delight readers young and old. Includes Joan Aiken's “Prelude” from Armitage, Armitage, Fly Away Home, as well as introductions from Joan Aiken's daughter, Lizza Aiken, and best-selling author Garth Nix.

Dewey's mother left years ago, and her father recently died, so Dewey lives with her best friend, Suze Gordon, and Suze's parents. They've just moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico, where Mr. Gordon builds V-2 rockets. Soon the girls are exploring their artistic and scientific interests and making new friends. After a year has passed, though, life is tense: Mrs. Gordon wants to go home to Berkeley, California, while Mr. Gordon insists on continuing his work for the space program. What's more, Dewey's unreliable mother reappears to claim her daughter. Author's note includes list and descriptions of research sources.

In the hills of Palestine, Amani learns from her grandfather, Seedo, how to herd sheep. When Seedo dies, Amani struggles to continue his legacy. Her uncle Hani continually sells off sheep to support the family, and Israeli settlers encroaching on the family's land limit where the flock can graze. Amani knows that it's unsafe for anyone, not to mention a young girl, to travel alone in the disputed land, even if she is just herding her sheep. But with the occupation threatening her flock—and her family—what choice does Amani have? Glossary.

"The first time I heard my dead mother's voice, there was a logical explanation," Daze recalls. Her father was watching an old home movie. Months later, though, Daze hears her mother again, talking to Daze's father about how Daze "needs a mom." What is going on? Did Daze's mother fake her own death? Determined to discover her father's secret, Daze sneaks into his office, where she finds her mother's head-replicated in plastic and "talking" via a computer program.

When Josh learns he's moving to Chicago to live with his divorced dad, he figures he'll keep a low profile and try to blend in at his new school. At least, that's the plan before Josh learns his dad has become a hip-gyrating, sideburn-sporting Elvis impersonator. Now, Josh's plan goes more like this: stop his dad from performing at his school's upcoming concert,no matter what the cost . . . or die from embarrassment.

"I know his face, and I can tell that he recognizes me. / We were children, we were enemies. . . . / now he is my patient, / but why should I cure him, / wasting precious medicines / on a spy who must have been sent / to kill me?" During Cuba's fight for independence from Spain, Rosa andher husband, José, hide in caves and use natural remedies to heal anyone in need-even "Lieutenant Death." Author's note. Historical note. Chronology. Selected references.

When Jonah gets a letter reading "YOU ARE ONE OF THE MISSING," he thinks it's a prank from someone who knows he's adopted. Then Jonah's friend Chip receives an identical note, leading Chip to discover that he's adopted, too. To learn more about his background, Chip searches through his parents' files. Attached to his adoption papers is a note with an FBI agent's name and phone number. Then, Chip and Jonah receive new letters: "BEWARE. THEY'RE COMING BACK FOR YOU." Can the boys unravel the secret of their past before it's too late?

When Caroline's maternal grandmother dies and leaves her a Star of David necklace, Caroline begins to wonder about her religious identity. With a Christian dad and a non-religious mom, can Caroline call herself Jewish without feeling like she's lying? And, if she chooses tobecome religious, what will her mother, a science-loving doctor, think? "Would it make her happy or sad? Would she think I was trying to be someone I wasn't?" Includes a glossary of Jewish terms and holidays.

In his journal, a mixture of writing and cartoons, Greg Heffley describes his less-than-ideal family. It includes his put-upon father and his older brother, Rodrick, who subjects the family to the "musical" stylings of his band, Löded Diper. There's also Greg's mother, who insists on joining Greg's game of Magick and Monsters, playing a character named "Mom." And there's Greg's little brother, Manny, who, Greg writes, has "been telling on me ever since he could talk. He's even told on me for stuff I did BEFORE he could talk. " Black-and-white drawings.

Adrift at sea with depleted rations, Tom Tin and his crew-all escaped teenage convicts-are relieved to board an abandoned ship. Though wary, the boys take two marooned men, Mr. Beezley and Mr. Moyle, on board. Beezley and Moyle quickly commandeer the ship, sail to the Caribbean, and try to sell Tom and hismates as slaves. But a deadly confrontation allows Tom and his surviving companions to flee for England. Home provides no comforts, though, as Tom finds himself beset by fearsome enemies and a terrible curse.

Thirteen-year-old Duncan resents it when his parents force him to help his elderly neighbor, Astrid Valentine. She's crabby and demanding, and when her nephew Eddie visits, she becomes paranoid, too. Sure that Eddie is stealing from her, Astrid browbeats Duncaninto hiding some of her possessions, which makes him even more bitter. Though Duncan would never harm Astrid, the police suspect otherwise when someone sets a fire on her property.

"My lady and I are being shut up in a tower for seven years." Dashti has sworn to serve Lady Saren however the Ancestors see fit . . . even if that means imprisonment. Then Lady Saren orders Dashti to do something "worse than sin": Dashti must impersonate her when her lady's betrothed, Khan Tegus, crouches outside the tower for a visit. Worse yet, Dashti falls in love with him.

World War II is over, and Freddie, a veteran, decides not to return to America, but to travel around Europe as a ventriloquist. The problem is no one wants to hire him, as his act is mediocre at best. Then Freddie is visited by the ghost of Avrom Amos, a Jewish child who saved Freddie's life during the war. Avrom offers Freddie a deal: he'll make Freddie a star if Freddie helps track down the Nazi who killed him.

Tired of working for an uncle who belittles him, Carlo decides to seek adventure, following a treasure map he's found. He travels the Road of Golden Dreams, a famed trade route, hoping to unearth the "Royal Treasury," a fortune that may be just a myth. Along the way, Carlo acquires companions-the world's worst camel-puller, a beautiful girl making her way home, and a dreamy, happy-go-lucky old man. It's not until the travelers are attacked by bandits and lost in the desert that Carlo learns his map is utterly useless.

Thirteen-year-old Jackson has just moved to the suburbs with his mother, Valerie, an aspiring singer. They no longer live in a rough part of the city, and Valerie has escaped from her drug-dealing boss. Soon Jackson has a best friend and a potential girlfriend, and Valerie has a decent new job. Though life isn't perfect, it seems nice and normal. However, when Valerie starts receiving creepy phone calls and a mysterious blue Mustang appears in the neighborhood, Jackson wonders if everything is normal after all.

Ten-year-old Milada and her family lead a pleasant life in Czechoslovakia in spite of wartime privations. Then one night, the Nazis come. Within hours, Milada, her mother, grandmother, and sister are separated from her father and brother. Within days, Milada is taken from her female relatives, too. All Milada has now are questions: Why did the Nazis tear her family apart? Why did they send her to an all-girls' school in Poland? And why does every girl in the school have blond hair and blue eyes?

Luli Holcomb, fourteen, hopes that the end of the Civil War means better times ahead for her family and their plantation. Instead, Luli's favorite brother, Gabe, leaves to fight Indians in a border dispute. Union soldiers occupy the plantation's big house, forcing the Holcombs to live in an old shack. And Sis Goose, a slave raised as Luli's beloved sister, is pregnant with Gabe's child. Luli can't imagine things getting any worse-until Sis Goose runs away.

As a young man, he wanted only to impress his accomplished father and older brothers, but at college he didn't care what anyone thought of him. As John F. Kennedy's campaign manager, Bobby Kennedy was sometimes unscrupulous, yet as an attorney, he brought notorious criminals to justice. While RFK publicly supported the civil rights movement, he also unearthed sordid secrets about Martin Luther King, Jr. So who was Robert F. Kennedy, really? Sources and citations. Bibliography.

Weasel was a pickpocket until kindly Justice Holis took him off the streets. As his clerk, Weasel learns that the judge belongs to an underground movement planning to overthrow corrupt Regent Pettibone.Before Justice Holis and his allies can realize their goal, Pettibone arrests the judge for treason. Weasel petitions on the judge's behalf, but only gets himself thrown in jail. Seeing his honest endeavors scorned, Weasel realizes that to restore justice he must return to a life of crime.

Mummies aren't just artfully preserved Egyptian royalty. Explorers and archaeologists have discovered mummies all over the world, from the Andes Mountains to the deserts of China. Mummies may be children or adults, wealthy or poor, revered or reviled members of society, and inadvertently or intentionally preserved. Looking at child mummies from different countries and cultures, Halls asks how these mummies came to exist and why people find them so fascinating. Full-color diagrams and photographs. Interviews with specialists.

Cracker is a German shepherd, "born to be a beloved queen and eat good snacks." Rick is a teenage soldier out to have some adventures and "whip the world." Both are headed for Vietnam, where Rick will have to make Cracker the best bomb-sniffing dog in the Army. If he doesn't, Cracker and Rick might not make it home alive.

Dewey is expecting her father to come from Chicago to pick her up. Instead, a woman in a green army uniform arrives, tells her he's "somewhere in New Mexico," and drops her off at the train station all alone. After a long trip, Dewey finds herself in Los Alamos, a community of scientists that doesn't officially exist. While the adults work day and night on something called "the gadget," the kids have lots of unsupervised time-as long as they don't go past the armed guards and wire fences.

"It was still our moon and it was still just a big dead rock in the sky, but it wasn't benign anymore. It was terrifying, and you could feel the panic swell all around us." When an asteroid collides with the moon and knocks it out of orbit, earth is wracked by tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. The journal entries of Miranda, a Pennsylvania high-school student, document the change as everyday life becomes a struggle just to survive.

"It is not good to be alone in the wild when it is so cold, when even thoughts are sluggish and icy. . . ." Albert Least-Weasel has been hunting and trapping in the Alaskan wilderness for most of his eighty years. This time, however, an uncharacteristically careless mistake leaves him caught in his own trap. As temperatures plunge to forty degrees below zero, Albert's grandson Johnny waits at home, wondering whether to trust his grandfather's experience-or the feeling that something has gone terribly wrong

Rosa is not sure Mamma should go on strike with the other millworkers. According to her teacher, the strikers are a violent, uneducated mob. Jake is on strike, but mostly to spite his abusive father, who doesn't want him associating with the Italian immigrants organizing the walkout. Both are certain of one thing: Either way, they are starving. Here is a story of the 1912 Lawrence mill strike and the Italian granite-working community of Barre, Vermont, that took in some of the strikers' children to help the cause.

Many of the mythical heroes of the Old West were, in reality, little more than outlaws and scoundrels. But one lawman, Bass Reeves, was the real thing. "Working in the Indian Territory, he brought out thousands of fugitives. He was involved in fourteen gunfights that resulted in the deaths of his opponents. True to the mythical code of the West,he never drew first. . . ." Born a slave, Bass Reeves would grow up to become the most successful federal marshal in United States history. Maps.

It is 1949 in California. Francine Green just wants to make it through the year at the All Saints School for Girls without incurring the wrath of Sister Basil the Great. Then her neighbor, Sophie Bowman, transfers to her school. Sophie's everything Francine isn't-outspoken, confrontational, opinionated about everything from communism to prayer to the atomic bomb. When Sophie gets expelled from school and her screenwriter father is swept up in the Hollywood blacklisting scandal, Francine must decide whether to stand up for her friend. Author's note. Suggestions for further reading.

Hundreds of millions of people eat fast food every day, but how much do they really know about all those hamburgers, fries, and shakes? Two investigative journalists look at "where fast food comes from, who makes it, what's in it, and what happens when you eat it." The result is a disturbing portrait of the fast food industry's impact on everything from advertising to agriculture to health to the American landscape. You may never look at-or eat-fast food the same way again. End notes. Index.

"Everyone knew that books were dangerous. Read the wrong book, it was said, and the words crawled around your brain on black legs and drove you mad. . . ." Twelve-year-old Mosca Mye's love of words leads her--and her vicious pet goose--through an imaginary eighteenth-century England, where secret plots are hatched in floating coffeehouses, twin Queens wait in exile, and the Guild of Stationers controls all the printing presses-except for one. Notes about the Fractured Realm. Disclaimer.

Fifteen-year-old Victor Flores is called tortuga, or turtle, because he's so cautious. With crop prices failing, however, he realizes there's only one chance to save his widowed mother and younger siblings from starvation: He must "cross the wire" and sneak into the United States to find work. The journey can be treacherous in the best of circumstances, but with no "coyote money" to pay smugglers, Victor is going to have to somehow make it across on his own. Map of the Arizona borderlands. Author's note.

It's 1861 in London, and sixteen-year-old Meg Moore, the daughter of a bookseller, longs to be a writer. Marriage holds little appeal for her, and when her best friend's brother, Edward, asks to court her before he leaves on a journey, Meg jokes that she'd rather he get captured by pirates so that she could write about it. Then Edward is captured by pirates-and Meg worries that it's her fault.

Book-loving Irene Morse's dream is to one day open a trendy hair salon in L.A., specializing in hairdos of Great Women in Literature. Her real life in New Jersey, however, is decidedly less glamorous. Irene's just been fired from her own mother's beauty parlor, and now she has nothing to look forward to but a boring summer of babysitting. Boring, that is, until she meets beautiful, fiery, blog-crazy Starla-and Starla's enigmatic ex-boyfriend, Drew.

It's Brady's first trip to Europe, and she's been given a strict to-do list by her best friend. One: Write letters home every day. Two: Wear a bikini . . . Three: In public! Number Four is the most difficult assignment of all: "Meet a code-red Euro-hottie." Will shy and self-conscious Brady fulfill her duties? Does she even stand a chance with an itinerary-obsessed mom as a travel companion?

Wrongfully imprisoned on a ship bound for Australia, Tom Tin makes a daring escape with his devoted friend Midgeley, whose memory of an old travel book is their only guide. They plan to reunite with Tom's father, the ship's captain, on a remote island and sail back to London. The waters of the South Pacific prove more treacherous than they could have imagined, however, and the boys are soon face-to-face with cannibals, headhunters, and pirates. Author's note.

Luneta is itching to see the world beyond her parents' farm in boring old Orkney. When her adventure-seeking cousin, Sir Ywain, comes passing through, she joins him on his way to Camelot. They soon meet a witty knight-turned-fool named Rhience, and the three setoff on a series of exciting-and hilarious-escapades in this modern retelling of the medieval love poem The Knight of the Lion.

When Noah's father discovers that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat, is dumping sewage into the ocean, he takes the law into his own hands-and sinks the boat. The shady operator has connections, however, and is soon back in business. With Noah's father giving advice from jail, Noah continues to collect evidence. He comes up with "Operation Royal Flush," a risky plan to show just who's responsible for all that crud.

"Something happened in the music room . . . A teacher did something that we don't feel very good about." When Claire and her two best friends accuse their music teacher of sexual abuse, they don't realize how serious the allegation is, or how many people will be caught up in its wake-including Melody, Mr. Mattero's daughter, who also goes to their school. Chapters alternate between Claire and Melody's points of view as the investigation slowly reveals the truth.

Najmah is a young Afghan girl fleeing her village after her father and older brother are conscripted by the Taliban and her mother and newborn brother are killed in an air raid. Nusrat is an American woman teaching refugee children and awaiting word of her missing doctor husband, Faiz. The two strangers struggle to survive war on their own-until they meet in the Pakistani border town of Peshawar. Author's note. Glossary.

Michael Ortiz learns that playing dead makes him feel alive. Norma Lucero discovers her flute missing from her locker-and is thrilled. Daniel Rubio finds that being passionately kissed can be kind of a bummer. And Adan Islas realizes that he acts like more of a grown-up than his very own father. In ten original stories, teenagers cope with the small reversals of everyday life.

"For all we read and hear about 'unprovoked' shark attacks, I've come to believe that there's no such thing." Peter Benchley, author of the horror classic Jaws, sets the record straight with these recollections of his exhilarating-and occasionally terrifying-real life encounters with sharks. Glossary.

Danger lurks on the streets of London, where fourteen-year-old Tom Tin wanders in search of the man responsible for his family's misfortunes. Tom discovers a treasure and fends off a blind man who tries to steal it, but loses hold of it after a grave robber enlists his help. Tom's fate worsens when a case of mistaken identity leads to his being accused of murder.

Thirteen-year-old Sam Lopez is having a tough summer, what with losing a parent and being shipped across the pond to live with cousins. So accepting a dare seems like a good way to win new friends. When school starts, the other kids are smitten with Sam. Cute and sassy, she's the most popular new girl at Bradbury Hill School. There's just one catch: She's actually a boy.

Ned Begay has been taught by his white teachers that the Navajo language is useless and should be forgotten. Now the U.S. Marines are specifically recruiting Navajos in the war against Japan. Though only sixteen, Ned claims he is old enough to enlist and breezes his way through boot camp. Suddenly, he finds himself sending and receiving top-secret messages in an unbreakable code based on his native language.

Stevie and Susan Carol are the co-winners of a writing contest. The prize is a trip to the Final Four basketball tournament and the chance to file stories alongside famous sportswriters from across the country. As they nose their way around the Superdome to see how far their press passes will get them, they overhear someone threatening Minnesota's star point guard, Chip Graber, that he'd better lose the final game . . . or else.

Though Lady Jane Grey never aspires to be Queen of England, her calculating parents are eager to see her attached to power. Jane is fifteen in 1553 when they conspire with a powerful duke. He arranges her marriage to his son and convinces an ailing King Edward--Jane's cousin--to proclaim her successor to the throne. When news of Edward's death arrives, Jane shivers with fear, but resigned to her fate, she prepares to begin her reign. Author's note. Bibliography.

"Do you know what she said? She said I'm not fun--in other words, I'm boring. She says I've got no bish-bash-bosh." When a high school student gets dumped by his girlfriend, he'll do anything--including getting a haircut, joining the rugby team, and enduring endless public humiliation--to prove that he has enough style, swagger, and self-confidence to win her back.

When the men of Glen Roy see a cross of fire blazing on the Highland hills, they know exactly what it means: They have been summoned to war. The clans of Scotland must band together to restore Bonnie Prince Charlie of the Stuarts to the throne. Thirteen-year-old Duncan MacDonald longs to join his fellow villagers in the revolt, yet he can't help noticing that his father seems secretly skeptical of the cause. Author's note.

It is A.D. 793. Eleven-year-old Jack lives with his mother, father, and little sister, Lucy, in a coastal Saxon village. Jack's father apprentices him to the Bard, a man who is rumored to know how to call up the north wind and talk to crows. Throughout the winter the Bard teaches Jack small magics, but he senses that the berserkers from the North will attack in the spring and interrupt the training. Appendix. Bibliography.

Luther T. Farrell's mother, aka the Sarge, owns real estate throughout Flint, Michigan. With the help of her boyfriend, Darnell Dixon, she strong-arms vulnerable residents out of money. As the Sarge schools fifteen-year-old Luther in her underhanded business practices, Luther struggles to escape her control and follow his dream to become "America's best-known, best-loved, best-paid philosopher."

"Question: How do you rescue your mom from hypertime? Answer: You have to be a superhero." Heck's mother has been evicted by their landlord and now she has disappeared. All of his belongings are locked in the apartment; he is hungry and has a toothache, and, if he asks for help, he is sure to be taken away to foster care. With nowhere to go, Heck wanders the mall performing Good Deeds for strangers, hoping he can set things right on his own.

In an early twentieth-century world in which the airplane has never been invented, fifteen-year-old Matt Cruse is a cabin boy aboard the Aurora, a 900-foot luxury airship. When Matt rescues an old man from a damaged hot air balloon, the stranger tells him about fantastical creatures that fly through the clouds. A year later, headstrong Kate de Vries boards the Aurora, determined to prove the story true. Soon Matt finds himself dodging pirates, wildcats, and Kate's uptight chaperone.

Fifteen-year-old Luke Reid already has a record when he is caught stealing from a parked Jeep and sentenced to four months in a juvenile detention center. Jodie, the daughter of the car's owner, insists on giving Luke a second chance and convinces her parents to intervene on his behalf. After Luke agrees to perform community service, he learns that Jodie is blind and needs him to be her partner in a marathon.

Fourteen-year-old Chu Ju lives in a small village in China where families are allowed only two children and girls are considered inferior. After Chu Ju's ma ma gives birth to a second girl, arrangements are made to put the baby up for adoption. Chu Ju decides to run away and leave her parents with only one daughter. She heads to the river and hides in a fishing boat.

"My mother says / I was running, running, running / inside her before I was even born." In poems, twelve-year-old Annie describes her feelings about a year of many changes-her mother is pregnant with a second child, her grandfather is losing his memory, and her best friend, Max, is always moody. Running helps keep Annie grounded while writing and drawing help her find new ways to see herself and the world around her.

In Arthurian England, Sarah, a thirteen-year-old orphan, is wandering alone through the woods when she meets Queen Guinevere and Sir Kai. She sees a knight kidnap them and rides to Camelot to tell King Arthur. At the king's command, Sir Gawain and his squire embark on a quest to retrieve Guinevere and Kai. For reasons she will not reveal, Sarah insists on joining them.

In the late eighteenth century, fourteen-year-old Mable Riley dreams of having adventures and of becoming a writer. She leaves home with her sister, a teacher, and hopes to encounter romance and adventure. When she finds only a steady and dull routine, Mable writes a serial romance in letters to a friend. Then she meets Mrs. Rattle, a suffragist, and she discovers that life can sometimes be too exciting.

In1935, Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school. But Natalie has autism, and when she’s denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms Moose’s family has used for dealing with her disorder. When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off she’s trouble. But she’s also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents’ expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.

Newbery Medal, Honor Book, 2005

In 1692 a group of girls stood in a Salem, Massachusetts, meetinghouse and claimed that one of the community's unpopular women was forcing them to sign pacts with the devil. Thus began the infamous witch trials, in which dozens of innocent men and women were put to death on groundless accusations of witchcraft. Historical documents, myths, and theories are examined to explain what caused the mass hysteria. Black-and-white illustrations. Time line. Notes.Index. Bibliography.

Malik is taunted because of his cheap sneakers and needs a pair of JC Jumpers. Maggie isn't popular, but her advice column alter-ego, Faustina Intelligentsia, is all the rage. Maia doesn't care about turning thirteen, until the "teen fairy" shows her what a special age it can be. Bruce Coville, Meg Cabot, and Ellen Wittlinger are among the contributors to this collection, which delves into the thrills and aches of becoming a teen. Introduction.

The Aleutian Islands were included in the Alaska Purchase of 1867 and became part of the United States at that time. In June 1942 the Japanese launched an attack on the islands. The American government evacuated the Aleuts to camps in Alaska, ostensibly for their safety. In poems, Vera, a young Aleut girl, relates how she and her family and friends were forced to live without adequate food, housing, or medical care. Author's note.

Kira is hypnotized at a slumber party and recounts fleeing from gunfire in the arms of her "mama." Kira can't make sense of the image--she never calls her mother "Mama;" and the woman in the memory is wearing perfume, something her staid, bookish mom would never do. A few days later, Kira's mother is kidnapped. To save her, Kira must navigate the deepest corridors of her mind, where her strongest weapon is buried.

Mai Yang and her grandmother, Hmong refugees from Laos, have lived in a camp in Thailand since Mai was orphaned at age three. They finally join relatives in the United States when Mai is thirteen. Mai welcomes her new life even as she struggles to adjust, but Grandmother becomes depressed and withdrawn.

Joan Bauer, M.T. Anderson, and Margaret Peterson Haddix are among the authors who contributed to this collection of stories in which books influence the lives of adolescents. Characters include a homeless teenager, a girl who has been brought up on the planet Mars, and an eighth grader who has been diagnosed with a learning disability. Foreword. Author biographies.

"I may look like my mother," Isabel says, "but I am not like her. I don't like to dance or sing. I don't like to pray. . . . I'm still here." Isabel's mother committed suicide almost six months ago, and the family seems stuck. Her sister wets the bed every night. Her brother doesn't tell jokes anymore, and Tata, her father, barely speaks to her. As Isabel struggles to fill her mother's place, she longs to return to her old life. Set in Guam. Author's note.

ALA Notable Children's Books, 2004

Alex knows that Simon is the coolest sixth grade teacher at Forest Alternative. She finds him easy to talk to and thinks of him as a good friend. Then a new girl named Stacy suggests that Alex and Simon's relationship is inappropriate. The more Stacy pesters Alex about it, the more Alex begins to doubt her own interpretation of Simon's behavior. The truth turns out to be more complicated than Alex ever imagined.

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2004

New student Akhil Vyas causes a stir when he refuses to sit on a chair in the classroom. Becky, an overweight sophomore, intends to steer clear of Akhil--she doesn't want to draw attention to herself--but her best friend, Omar, befriends him, and the three become close. When they discover a student's plan to bomb the school, Akhil comes up with an unusual solution to prevent the disaster.

Luka is born with five black moles on the sole of his foot, a sign that he is destined to become Holy Emperor of China. His father, Ghengi, the ruling warlord, considers the child a threat to his sovereignty and wants him dead. Atami, a monk, kidnaps the boy and raises him in isolation. When Luka is ten, he ventures into town on his own for the first time and is falsely accused of a crime and arrested.

Teens navigate the tricky waters of adolescence in these eleven short stories set in southern Texas and Georgia. Rey figures out how to preserve his self-respect while dealing with a friend's arrogant father. Andy is surprised when his best friend, Ruthie, announces that she is going to the prom with someone else. When a classmate is found dead, a teen develops a new appreciation for the safety and comfort of his life.

Oney Judge is four when she becomes one of George and Martha Washington's house slaves. Several years later, Lady Washington chooses Oney to be her personal attendant. Oney holds a special place in the household but can never forget she is a slave. As a young woman, she considers escaping but struggles with feelings of loyalty toward the Washingtons and fears of being on her own. Author's note. Bibliography.

A severe snowstorm unexpectedly strikes Grand Forks, North Dakota, in March 1941. Kate Sterling anxiously waits at home for her father and brother to return from a trip to town, unaware that they are stranded on the road. Zeke Dexter, the man who killed Kate's mother in a drunk driving accident, has gotten an early release from prison and is caught out in the storm. After wandering for hours, he stumbles upon Kate's father's car.

Harmony McClean discovers shortly after her fourteenth birthday that she can move objects with her thoughts and sense a person's destiny just by holding his hand. She's uncomfortable with these new talents and keeps them a secret from the loving couple that adopted her, Felix and Nettie Mae. Then Harmony receives a psychic message from a dying woman who needs to talk to Nettie Mae.

In March 1306, Robert Bruce is crowned King of Scotland and begins to organize a movement for independence from British rule. The king of England discovers the rebellion and captures Robert's only child--eleven-year-old Marjorie--and imprisons her in a cage that hangs in the public square of the town of Lanercost. Marjorie narrates the harrowing story of her twenty days in captivity. Afterword.

In the summer of 1894, Francie Cavanaugh discovers a cryptic note left in the stump of a giant California sequoia by her older sister Carrie, who died six years earlier. Francie is soon involved in a mystery surrounding the largest tree in the forest and determines to save it from logging. To do so, she must reach help by riding the forty mile long, elevated log flume into town.

By 1960, Anita has seen most of her family leave the Dominican Republic for the safety of the United States, sometimes with no advance warning. Her uncle Tío Toni has gone into hiding and the secret police are a constant presence in her family's compound. When her father is arrested for plotting against the country's dictator, Anita must find the strength to risk everything for freedom. Author's note.

Pura Belpre Award, Winner, Author Award, 2004

In the late nineteenth century, twelve-year-old Liliha is diagnosed with leprosy and sent to live on the island of Malietoa in isolation with other Hawaiians who have contracted the disease. She is stunned to discover a lawless environment, where there is no supervision and inadequate food and housing. With only herself to depend on, Liliha must do whatever it takes to survive. Glossary. Historical note.

In July of 1945, Japanese torpedoes sank the USS Indianapolis. No one noticed the ship was missing and the survivors of the attack were stranded in the Pacific ocean for five nights and four days before help arrived. In 1996, eleven-year-old Hunter Scott researched this incident for a history project. Eventually he brought new evidence about a military cover-up to light and helped to clear the name of the ship's captain, who had been court-martialed. Bibliography.

Joseph Bruchac, Marilyn Singer, and Suzanne Fisher Staples are among the authors who contributed to this short story collection that examines how war affects young people in many different ways. Settings include the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the conflicts in the Middle East, World War II, and post-Vietnam-War America. Introduction. Author's notes. Source notes.

Fifteen-year-old Rachel gets along better with animals than people. At the animal shelter where she volunteers, she meets a feral collie she names Grrl. The dog seems to be as angry and alone as Rachel feels. Giving a voice to Grrl in an essay helps Rachel to express her own pain and frustration at being alienated. When Griffin, a new boy at school, admires her writing and offers to help Grrl find a home, Rachel isn't sure she can trust him.

On the last night of an Alaskan sea-kayaking trip, fourteen-year-old Andy Galloway sneaks away from camp to visit the place his father died while searching for an archaeological discovery. A sudden storm strands him on a wild island inhabited only by grizzly bears. As he struggles to survive, Andy unexpectedly encounters a wild dog and its mysterious master, a hermit. Soon, Andy finds himself drawn into the same quest that claimed his father's life. Author's note.

Martin reluctantly leaves the town where he grew up, Winnemucca, Nevada, to move with his mom to Seattle, where her new husband, "Mr. Joe Wonderful," lives. Three days after his mom and stepdad leave for their honeymoon, Martin packs his Jeep and heads back to his hometown, planning to move in with friends. He is almost there when he stops for gas in Red Rock, Idaho, and decides to stay and make it on his own.

Three Greek myths are retold from the points of view of the female main characters. Atalanta enjoys her independence, but must run races to keep it--the man who can beat her will win her hand. Andromeda is in love with Perseus, but her parents arrange an engagement to Fineus for political reasons. Psyche worries about a prophecy that predicts she will never marry a mortal. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, influences the futures of each of these young women. Introduction. End note.

During World War II, Jubal Shoemaker's older brother Bud decides to abide by his family's Quaker beliefs and becomes a conscientious objector. Many people express their disapproval by boycotting the Shoemaker's store. Even as tensions within the family rise, Jubal remains certain he will follow Bud's example. Then he is faced with a situation that tests his belief in nonviolence.

Liv never knew her mother, who died in childbirth. Her father handed her over to her grandmother "like a bundle of laundry." Now Gran has died, and Liv must move from New York City to California to live with her father--a stranger. He spends all day diving for abalone while Samantha, his girlfriend, keeps Liv company. Liv is unhappy and restless, until her father takes her out on the water.

In a small town in England around 1659, Mary's grandmother is hanged as a witch, and Mary has fears about her own fate. A mysterious woman kidnaps Mary and offers her passage to America so that she might flee suspicion. Soon, however, Mary realizes that her unconventional ways are threatening to her new Puritan community. The story is presented as Mary's journal, found centuries later and transcribed for the modern reader.

Pancho illegally crossed the border from Mexico into the U.S. with his family. He is fourteen when he, his older brother, and their mother are deported. After they obtain immigration visas and return to California, Pancho works hard to help his parents and seven siblings stay together. He balances school and various jobs while trying to adapt to American culture. Author's note.

Pura Belpre Award, Honor Book, 2002

At 4:00 A.M. on March 28, 1979, an alarm wailed at the nuclear power plant on Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. Something had gone wrong--the result of human oversight and technical malfunction--and suddenly the remote area was the scene of the worst nuclear power accident in the U.S. Wilborn Hampton, a reporter, covered the story hour by hour. He recounts his experiences here and also discusses Hiroshima and Chernobyl. Maps. Photos. Charts. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

Sean had difficulty adjusting to a move last year and fell in with a crowd of troublemakers. He vows that eighth grade will be different, especially since he wants to make the basketball team. Then David, a new kid who is wheelchair-bound, picks a fight with Sean. The principal blames Sean and assigns him to show David around school. Sean is surprised when he finds out that David is an accomplished basketball player.

In 1937 in Hamburg, Germany, eleven-year-old Rudi and his best friends, Helmuth and Karl, are troubled when they see their peers abuse Jews. But the boys keep quiet to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Then their Sunday school teacher is arrested for denouncing the Nazis and dies soon after being released from prison. Helmuth is motivated to start a resistance movement and asks Rudi and Karl to help. Based on a true story. Author's note.

Through fiction and poetry, writers celebrate the role of sports in girls' lives. A basketball player realizes that in order to succeed, her motivation has to come from within. At summer camp, Abbie has to choose between beating her boyfriend in a tetherball championship or losing him. A poet describes the satisfaction she gets from playing tennis. Virginia Euwer Wolff and Jacqueline Woodson are among the contributors to this original collection. Includes author biographies.

In February of 1704, the settlement of Deerfield, Massachusetts, is attacked by Mohawk Indians. Eleven-year-old Mercy Carter is taken prisoner and adopted by a man named Tannhahorens. He forbids her to speak English and forces her to adopt Mohawk customs. Over time, Mercy grows attached to her captors and their lifestyle. She begins to wonder--if the English government offered ransom for her return, would she leave? Based on true events. Author's note.

In a biting first-person narrative, fourteen-year-old John explains why he feels lonely and misunderstood. He hates "anti-school," where he is forced to take algebra and play the tuba. He has few friends, and his first date with a girl ends in disaster. At home, he lives in fear of his mother's boyfriend, whom he calls "the man who is not my father." John is unable to tell anyone that this man physically abuses him.

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002 Nomination

Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, a goose girl, leads a simple life. Then she feeds a beggar and is rewarded with three gifts that bestow eternal beauty and riches upon her. Now both the Prince of Dorloo and the King of Gilboa want to marry her. After she refuses both offers, they lock her in a tower and demand she choose between them. Alexandria is relieved when her geese show up and rescue her. But her suitors don't give up easily.

This exciting look at the trial of a man accused of kidnapping two Chinese immigrants helps illustrate our complicate d legal process. The strategies of both the prosecution and the defense are examined as is the judge's role in maintaining fairness during the trial. Interviews with the attorneys, the judge, and members of the jury, give readers an insider's perspective on the workings of the courtroom. Glossary. Bibliography.

On March 10, 1888, a New Jersey minister looked at the sky. "It was as if the unholy one himself was riding in those clouds," he said. The storm that followed hit the east coast. In New York City, commuters crossed the frozen East River on foot. Stranded passengers on an Albany train disembarked to tunnel through the snow. First person accounts bring immediacy to this true story. Photos. Drawings. Bibliography. Index.

ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults, 2001
ALA Notable Books for Children, 2001
Most Distinguished Informational Book For Children, 2001
N.Y. Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2000
School Library Journal Best Books, 2000
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002 Nomination

When Robert's father joins the war effort in 1942, Robert moves from Ohio with his sister and mother to live with his grandparents in Rhode Island. For the first time, Robert meets his father's family and is surprised to find out that he has a cousin his own age named Elliot. In the tense atmosphere of Grandpa's house, Robert wonders why no one ever mentions his father.

ALA Notable Books for Children, 2001
N.Y. Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2000
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, Master List, 2001-2002
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002 Nomination

In upstate New York in 1793, Livy Pelton and her cousin Ephraim are orphaned and sold at a pauper's auction to Gideon Gunn, a hideously smelly man. "Smile, you ain't going to your doom," he promises. Livy isn't so sure. When Gideon and his family turn out to be more civilized than she expects, Livy is relieved. But she doesn't understand why he welcomes an Indian named Isaac into his home. Historical note. Glossary.

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2001 Nomination

When Tom Mullen, an unhappy foster child, falls into a recently unearthed mass grave, he is suddenly transported from Liverpool in 1974 to Ireland in 1847, the height of the potato famine. Tom is taken in by the Monaghans after he saves the life of their eldest son, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Tom. Having found a caring family at last, Tom settles in. Then he is unexpectedly catapulted back to Liverpool, 1974.

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002 Nomination

Lyric looks up to her sister, Summer, who has cared for Lyric since their mother's death. Summer has always been a loving and vibrant person, but she has some odd quirks: She won't touch light switches and she refers to dogs as wolves. Soon after the family leaves their small town for Flint, Michigan, Summer's personality changes, and her behavior becomes bizarre. When Summer says, "I'm disappearing," Lyric worries that it may be true.

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2001
N.Y. Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2000
School Library Journal, Best Books, 2000

Celia and her mother join Celia's father, the captain of a whaling vessel, on a voyage. Celia writes to her cousin describing everyday life, whaling, and the ship's officers, including the handsome second mate. She enjoys life on the sea, even though her mother makes her study and sew. After a year,there there is growing tension among the sailors . Celia's father becomes ill, and she wonders if they will make it home.