For as long as Tessa can remember, her country has been at war. When local golden boy Gideon Thrall is awarded a medal for courage, it's a rare bright spot for everyone in Tessa's town - until Gideon refuses the award, claims he was a coward, and runs away. Tessa is bewildered, and can't
March, AD 81
Emperor Titus wants Flavia and her friends to find a precious gem called "Nero's Eye." According to prophecy, whoever possesses the stone will rule Rome: so Titus needs it to maintain his power, especially since it's rumored that Nero is not dead, but still alive.
The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.
Sarah Tracy has spent her entire life under constant supervision, always under the thumb of one older sibling or another. Now, at eighteen it's time for her to get married, so she is sent to dinner parties, plays, teas, soirees, talks, and chaperoned walks - always accompanied, always watched.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task no other
December, AD 80
Ostia is gripped by a case of triple murder. The defendant seems the most unlikely criminal - a tragic and beautiful slave-girl with a haunted past.
For antislavery crusader John Brown, the summer of 1859 is the time to secretly gather his "provisional army" at the Kennedy Farm and prepare for an assault on the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry. For Brown's fifteen-year-old daughter Annie, it is time to make amends with her difficult father and be with the young man she loves.
On board the Robert Peel, Patrick and Maura O'Connell are on their way from hunger and poverty in Ireland to a better life in America with their father. But the voyage over is anything but easy, and anti-immigration prejudice in Boston makes their arrival in America a lot less warmer and safer than the siblings were anticipating. Work is hard to find, and with a certain Jeremiah Jenkins stirring up trouble against the Irish, their struggles are not yet over.
The year is 1926. Dave's beloved father is dead, and his stepmother doesn't want him. Only the HHB will take him in. Hebrew Home for Boys. Hell Hole for Brats. Dave is tough, a troublemaker. He can take care of himself. If he doesn't like the Home, he'll run away and find a better place to stay. Only it's not that simple. . . .
"It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened."
Thus opens this haunting novel in which a boy inhabits a seemingly ideal world: a world without conflict, poverty, unemployment, divorce, injustice, or inequality. It is a time in which family values are paramount, teenage rebellion is unheard of, and even good manners are a way of life.
The Whipping Boy by Sid FleischmanA shout comes echoing up from the stairway. "Fetch the whipping boy!"
A young orphan named Jemmy rouses from his sleep. "Ain't I already been whipped twice today? Gaw! What's the prince done now?" It was forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. Jemmy had been plucked from the streets to serve as whipping boy to the arrogant and spiteful Prince Brat.
The Red Pyramid by Rick RiordanSince his mother's death six years ago, Carter Kane has been living with his father, the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julias Kane. But while Carter's been homeschooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. Sadie has just what Carter wants - school friends and a chance at a "normal" life. But Carter has just what Sadie longs for - time with their father. After six years of living apart, the siblings have almost nothing in common. Until now.
Berlin, 1918
World War I is drawing to a close, and Germany is torn. No one knows this better than sixteen-year-old Moritz, whose family is as divided as the nation. His father died in the war and his brother still risks his life in the trenches. His mother, intent on sweeping away the monarchy, attends subversive socialist meetings.
Alek is a prince without a throne. On the run from his own people, he has only a fighting machine and a small band of men.
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
