Julie survived a horrific car accident, but she has no memory of the event or the boyfriend who was with her in the car. He disappeared, and she is diagnosed with PTSD. Her doctor recommends a therapy animal, and Julie chooses to get a horse. Julie's experience with horses is limited, but it's empowering to finally be involved in life again, and her symptoms abate. However, she has a lot to learn, and when the riding coach gives confusing lessons, Julie is thrown off balance, both emotionally and in the saddle. The improvement she'd begun to experience with PTSD symptoms is lost, and her nightmares return. Can Julie and the horse recover and heal their broken spirits?
Through gentle rhymes and colorful photographs of adorable children, Pride Colors is a celebration of the deep unconditional love of a parent or caregiver for a young child. The profound message of this delightful board book is you are free to be whoever you choose to be; you'll always be loved. Celebrated author Robin Stevenson ends her purposeful prose by explaining the meaning behind each color in the Pride flag: red = life, orange = healing, yellow = sunlight, green = nature, blue = peace and harmony, and violet = spirit.
Prince Conn will never be king. And that's just fine with him. He's ninth in line for the pirate throne and is quite happy to sail the skies in his airship with his crew of cheery misfits, plundering as they go. But one by one his siblings are being murdered, in tragic fires, violent cannon attacks or mysterious poisonings. Soon all fingers are pointing toward Conn as the mastermind. To prove his innocence, Conn must make his way to Skull Island, navigating his airship through a gauntlet of villains, explosions and betrayals. Can he reach his father's kingdom before it's too late? Or will he suffer the same fate as the rest of his family?
On his way to baseball practice, Zeke lines up for Vancouver's newest thrill ride: Death Drop, an elevator that falls faster than gravity. The theme of the ride is based on the story of Persephone, who tumbled into the underworld. Zeke tumbles into a frightening situation himself after he discovers a little girl who is lost. He takes her to the Death Drop manager's office. But later, when he tries to find out what happened with her, the ride's staff say they never saw her! To find the missing girl, Zeke must navigate a devilish plot that includes Dante Gabriel Rossetti's famous painting Proserpine, a fiery drop into flames, and an angry coach.
Fifteen-year-old Aiden is a minor cast member on a long-running high school "dramedy" with a low budget and a loyal following. Aiden and his friends are excited that they're being promoted to lead roles for the upcoming tenth season of Pop Quiz. But then they learn the show is being canceled. According to the producers, no one even watches TV anymore, with kids preferring the antics of YouTube stars. With the help of some former cast members and a group of hardcore fans, Aiden and his friends attempt to create a movie special to wrap up the storylines and give the series the send-off it deserves.
While struggling with the death of her beloved adoptive mother, sixteen-year-old Brenna reconnects with members of her biological family, hoping to discover why her biological mother broke off contact many years earlier. At the same time, she is falling in love with Ryan, who provides support while she grieves but has to leave her when she needs him most. Despite powerful feelings of abandonment, Brenna realizes that getting strong physically and focusing on the needs of others might just help her move beyond her crippling grief, find peace and plan a future for herself. Dancing in the Rain continues the story that began in Shelley Hrdlitschka’s bestselling Dancing Naked.
Fourteen-year-old Skye Richardson had to leave her home, school and friends when she and her mom moved across the country to a small town on the East Coast. She’s not happy about it. Then she gets a part-time job at a local coffee shop and meets Digby Jones. Digby lives in a group home. He loves Ping-Pong and watching his favorite TV shows. He likes things done in a certain way. One day, Digby tells Skye he has the winning million-dollar lottery ticket everyone in town has been talking about. At first, all Skye can think about is how she’d love to have that money to buy her old life back. Soon, however, she begins to worry that people are going to take advantage of her new friend.
Jay doesn't believe in Bigfoot. His dad loves hunting for Bigfoot, but searching for a mythical creature in the dark isn't Jay's idea of fun. Especially because he always gets stuck looking out for his little sister while his dad plays with the cool gear, like night-vision goggles. But while out on a camping trip, a large creature starts hunting them, and then Jay’s father goes missing. Jay is forced to start tracking the creature himself while still keeping his sister safe. It turns out that not only is Bigfoot real, but it isn't the only threat in the woods. There’s a different kind of monster out here, one who is armed with a gun. Jay must act fast to save his father before it’s too late. And he needs Bigfoot’s help to do it.
Teen astronaut Houston Williams is finally headed into outer space. Houston Williams was thrilled to win a scholarship to attend a space program at NASA. What he didn’t realize was that organizers were recruiting people for a cutting-edge research project aimed at studying how space travel affects people of different ages. Now, after months of intense training, Houston is blasting off into space! He and his new friend and former rival, Ashley, are on their way to the International Space Station (ISS) where, along with veteran astronaut Colonel Sanderson, they will be subjected to a variety of experiments. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the politics of space travel are getting complicated. Many feel the money being spent on Mars exploration should be redirected to address issues such as access to clean water and global warming. A planned mission to Mars may be accelerated before funding is canceled, and there is talk of repurposing the ISS crew. Houston doesn't dare say out loud what he's thinking: Is there a chance he could actually be going to Mars? This is the second book in the Teen Astronauts series, following Houston, Is There A Problem?
Jason is sure his sister, Becca, was murdered, but he’s the only one who thinks so. After finding a photograph Becca kept hidden, he decides to infiltrate a boxing gym to prove that she didn’t die accidentally. As a transgender kid, Jason’s been fighting for as long as he can remember, and those skills are going to come in handy as he investigates. Quickly invited into the inner circle, Jason must balance newfound friendships with the burning hate that drives him. Jason soon feels torn between two worlds, determined to discover what happened to his sister but struggling with the fact that this is the first time he’s ever felt like he belonged somewhere.
Country handyman Cedric O’Toole finds his life turned upside down when a stranger named Steve shows up at his farm, claiming to be his brother. Steve believes they have the same father, and he is on a quest to find him, as Cedric’s unwed mother took the secret of their father’s identity to her grave. Together Steve and Cedric embark on a hunt for answers. At every turn, people seem to have secrets: the police officer who investigated a suspicious death years ago and who is now the chief near retirement, Cedric’s aunt Penny, who knows all the gossip in the town but claims to know nothing about the death and, most alarming of all, Cedric’s own grandparents and uncle, who insist no good will come of his questions. What are they all hiding? And does Cedric really want to know the answers?
Camp Clearwater is home to best friends Nate, Owen and Mercy. They practically grew up on the Starling River. But the summer they turn sixteen an incident forces the camp to close its doors. Mike Elliot, the river guide who taught the teens everything they know, is lost to the rapids. A tragic accident, everyone agrees. Except for Nate. Mike was the best kayaker he’d ever met. The smartest. The safest. He respected and loved the river, and as far as Nate is concerned, the river loved Mike back. If his instructor was pulled under by the Starling, then Nate is sure foul play was involved. To find the truth, Nate must face his greatest fears as he retraces Mike’s final run through the Black Hole, the most treacherous waters on the Starling.
Josh, Mark, Angela and their friends have been waiting for years to go on the class trip to Drumheller, Alberta. Now they are finally the oldest kids at Pleasant Valley grade school and can get excited about the overnight outing. But first, they have a lot of learn about what they'll see in the dinosaur capital of the world. And they have to raise money for all the pizza they are going to eat on the trip! Once they finally get going, a frightening encounter with a slithery serpent leads to an amazing discovery. One that might be even better than all-you-can-eat deep dish!
Steve thinks he made the right choice turning down a snowy week with his cousins at a cabin in northern Ontario in favor of a relaxing (and perhaps romantic) time under the Spanish sun with his friend, Laia. But when an email from his brother DJ arrives, implicating their grandfather in some shadowy international plots involving nuclear bombs, Steve and Laia immediately put aside all thoughts of a lazy, sun-drenched vacation. In a desperate attempt to find out if Steve’s grandfather was a Cold War-era spy, they crack mysterious codes, confront violent Russian mobsters, dodge spies, unearth a bomb and avoid nudists. But the more they uncover, the more Steve wonders: whose side was Grandpa really on? Broken Arrow is the sequel to both The Missing Skull, part of The Seven Prequels and Lost Cause, part of Seven (The Series).
Billy Stuart is a young raccoon who aspires to be just like his grandfather, a globe-trotting adventurer who knows no fear. When he learns that his grandfather has found a way to travel through time and is leaving on another great voyage, he sets out to see him off (and maybe sneak along). Billy Stuart follows his grandfather's puzzling clues through a maze of caves and caverns to find him before he leaves, trailed by his Scout pack, the Zintrepids. What Billy doesn't know is that once they go down the fateful path his grandfather has taken, there will be no turning back. Brightly illustrated and enhanced with games and puzzles throughout, Billy Stuart and the Zintrepids is Billy's first adventure and is sure to amuse readers of all ages.
All aboard! The Bernsteins are heading off on a cruise, and Aunt Sharon offers to take care of the family pets, Lox (the fish), Creamcheese (the cat) and Bagels, an energetic puppy with a talent for escaping. Trouble is, Bagels is up to his usual disappearing act. When he turns up unexpectedly on the cruise ship, Josh and his little sister, Becky, must keep Bagels hidden. But when an onboard mystery begins to unfold involving two potential spies and a mysterious woman with a secret envelope, Bagels just might be able to help crack the case! Bagels on Board is the third book in the series about Bagels Bernstein, following Bagels Come Home and Bagels the Brave.
Psycho. Sick. Dangerous. Réal Dufresne's reputation precedes him. When the mangled body of his best friend, Shaun, turns up in a field just east of town, tough-as-hell Réal blames himself. But except for the nightmares, all Ré remembers is beating the living crap out of Shaun the night of his death. Shaun's girlfriend, sixteen-year-old Evie Hawley, keeps her feelings locked up tight. But now she's pregnant, and the father of her baby is dead. And when Réal looks to her to atone for his sins, everything goes sideways. Fast. The tighter Evie and Réal get, the faster things seem to fall apart. And falling in love might just be the card that knocks the whole house down.
Sam and Annabel are visiting Sam's mom in Drumheller, Alberta. The farm she is living on is hosting a dinosaur dig. Annabel is thrilled to have access to paleontologists and spends as much time as she can near the dig, much to Sam’s dismay. But when they learn the dig has uncovered scientifically important bones, even Sam is curious. In fact, the whole town is talking about the discovery. When Sam and Annabel learn that Humphrey Battleford, a famous collector of stolen goods, is in the area, they realize they need to do their part to keep the ancient bones safe.
The world grows restful, but don’t sleep yet, wait until the grassy meadow is quiet and the forest creatures are hidden away. Until the farm animals are snug in the barn and the toys are tidied in their proper spots. Until the bath warms your toes and the blanket tucks you in tightly. Only when we finish our story and the stars are in the sky is it time to sleep.
A lively, loving serenade full of animals and rhyme that celebrates the joy of playing together. Humans become chickens and roosters, frogs and dogs, snails, whales and many more animals under the sun as children explore their creativity and uniqueness and caregivers play alongside. With messages of inclusiveness and unconditional acceptance, the rollicking, rhyming couplets depicting a day filled with dress-up and make-believe are a humorous and satisfying reminder to children of just how much their caregivers love them, no matter what.
Une histoire inspirante sur les hauts et les bas dans les familles. Dylan, quatorze ans, doit aller vivre avec son grand-père qu’il connaît peu, Angus. Les deux, qui sont pratiquement des étrangers, s’évitent le plus possible. Un jour, Dylan découvre un jeune épaulard (ou orque) échoué sur une plage rocheuse. Il court prévenir son grand-père qui lui dit qu’il n’y a rien à faire. Le soleil chauffe de plus en plus et l’orque risque de mourir de chaleur. Mais Dylan doit essayer de sauver l’orque. Il prend des draps et des serviettes pour couvrir la peau délicate de l’animal et se met à transporter des seaux d’eau de mer pour le garder hydraté. C’est une tâche épuisante et il faudra des heures avant que la marée remonte et que l’eau soit assez haute pour que l’orque se dégage des rochers et se libère. Angus est ému par la détermination de son petit-fils et l’aide du mieux qu’il peut. Ensemble, ils espèrent que l’orque puisse aller rejoindre sa famille qui l’appelle au loin.
In the small village of Seuño Bay, famous for its mysterious crystals and legendary moon creatures, friends Kay, Ollie, Jenna and Sleeves try to help a lost moon creature at the lighthouse of Candle Point. When a wild winter storm rolls in and all the power goes out, Kay stays with her reclusive aunt, Gayle, the lighthouse keeper of Candle Point. On the long trek through the blustery snowstorm, Kay stumbles upon an injured moon creature. Kay smuggles her new friend into her aunt's lighthouse to take shelter from the cold. While exploring the lighthouse she discovers a network of tunnels and a colony of moon creatures. Kay tries to reunite the abandoned creature with its family but she can't do it alone.
A remote bay in the Pacific Northwest has held a secret for thousands of years…and that secret just woke up. Kai is angry when he’s forced to join his new stepfather, Rick, on a research trip to Blind Bay. On a floating lab in the middle of nowhere. Rick, a marine biologist, is using sound waves to explore deep underwater caves. But they discover that the sound pulses have awakened something. Something that is now hunting them—an ancient predator from the depths of the caves. Soon the tide will turn, unleashing the creature out into the open ocean…and upon the world. Kai and his stepdad need to find a way to work together to stop the creature before the tide turns.
Tanya is a huge fan of horror author Joel Southland...AND he's coming to visit her school! Even though she is his biggest fan, she barely gets a chance to say hello. But he does give her a signed bookmark: For Tanya. Stay Scared! Reading later that night, she figures it's just her eyes playing tricks on her when she sees the ink on the bookmark move a little. But when the ink slithers toward her, it's too late... As Tanya tries to get to the bottom of Southland's nefarious schemes, the book is broken up by nine other creepy tales, including one about middle-school horror movie fans who track down the scariest horror movie of all time, another about a kid whose "baby eye" is beginning to fall out, and yet another about a vampire suffering due to a virus that is keeping people indoors. A mix of squirmy, funny and downright terrifying, these tales will leave readers thinking twice about the things that go bump in the night.
Transgender teen Ichiro enters a drag contest in hopes of earning enough money to live off the grid. Ichiro is a transgender youth in his final year of high school. He has a job as a dishwasher to earn money to help support his single mother. But it's not enough. Ichiro dreams of buying a camper van for the two of them so they can escape and live off the grid and not have to worry about money anymore. A budding drag queen, he takes a second job performing drag at a local club and learns of an upcoming contest where the prize money would be enough to pay for a camper van. But nobody knows he does drag. So when some of his friends find out what he’s really doing in the evenings, Ichiro is worried about what they will think of him. Will they still accept him?
