But when Richard Colman adopts his dead sister's daughter, he has no idea how tough life can be.Richard's girlfriend walks out. His business starts losing clients. And there's something terribly wrong with the little girl.Her name is Bernadette, but Richard calls her "Barney". It's a word his own father used to use... a barney, a row, a terrible racket. And Barney is well-named – she never stops screaming. She hammers her head on the floor and the walls. She's adorable, but she doesn't sleep. She cannot talk. She won't even respond to her name.Richard slowly faces the unbearable truth that his little girl is profoundly autistic. And as he prepares for a battle simply to be allowed to keep his child, he's only beginning to find out how tough life can be. Christopher Stevens, the bestselling author of A REAL BOY, draws on painful and intensely personal experiences of raising his own autistic child, to create this compelling story of a single parent who must come to terms with his beloved little girl's autism.AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a novel. The characters are fictional, though they are very real to me. Many of the events in the story did really happen to my family, following the diagnosis of my younger son with autism. I later wrote a memoir about this intensely emotional and exhausting experience: it was published as A REAL BOY. If you have read this memoir, you might recognise some of the scenes and situations in A GIRL CALLED BARNEY – and if you want to read a strictly factual account, the memoir will better suit your needs. A GIRL CALLED BARNEY is more dramatic, more tragic and less humorous than the later, non-fiction book. I used the novel to express the darker, more frightening emotions that, in real life, we hardly dare admit that we feel.Praise for A REAL BOY, Christopher Stevens's factual account of raising his autistic son:Jane Asher, President of the National Autistic Society"This wonderfully honest book tells us a great deal, not only about autism, but also about the extraordinary tolerance and unselfishness that is borne out of unequivocal love. At the same time, it reveals some uncomfortable truths about the struggle it takes to access the rights of those with disabilities in our so-called civilized society."The Sun, 15 Feb 08"incredibly moving"Daily Mail, February 26, 2008Christopher Stevens writes poignantly about life with his autistic son. It's a moving account of the boy's struggle to cope with a world that confuses him - and the extraordinary leap forward that gave them all hope.Bournemouth Daily Echo, 27th June 08By turns harrowing, humorous and inspirational.About the AuthorChristopher Stevens has been a senior sub-editor at the Observer for fourteen years and is also the author of Born Brilliant, the acclaimed biography of Kenneth Williams; Masters of Sitcom, a celebration of Galton and Simpson; and Thirty Days Has September, the bestselling reference book on Kindle.Born Brilliant was shortlisted for a "Sherry", the Sheridan Morley Theatre Biography Prize. It was adapted and broadcast as a Radio Four Book of the Week.

    The hottest band in the world. Talented. Good looking. And the biggest jerks ever.Yeah, every girl loves a bad boy rockstar. Or three.But what about stuck-on-themselves too-cool-for-school party boys who can’t keep their their pants zipped?Who also happened to make my life a living hell ten years ago?No thanks.But when they needed help with their image, they called me.And now I have to clean up their act before they lose their multi-gazillion dollar record deal and world tour. That’s how far gone they are.Now I’m babysitter to a bunch of party boy rockstars.But they’re paying me a crap ton of money, and for that, I can put up with a little… madness while I clean up their reputation. It’s only a few weeks.And then I’ll be back to my orderly existence.Or so I thought.Her Dirty TeachersWellshire University’s hottest professors. Brainy. Brawny. And forbidden.My Math professor is dexterous with his… equations.My English professor is a champ at caressing my… run-on sentences.And, my French professor is magnifique around penetrating… verb conjugations.I love their classes. I always sit in front. And I raise my hand for every question.Until the day I saw them watching my little show at Club V, where I earn money for school by showing off my… skills.I thought they’d stop coming when they realized I worked there.But now that they’ve seen me, they can’t seem to look away.The dude I’d just given the special dance? He was my English professor.And I’d be seeing him at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.Her Dirty DoctorsHeadlands Hospital’s hottest doctors. Brilliant. Good looking. And terribly off limits.I went to the hospital with an aching… need.And the handsome doctors made me all better with their big… instruments.I want to show them my… gratitude.But first I have make sure they don’t find out my father is their boss.Or that I’m just finishing nursing school—and will start working with them next week.These hot, over-the-top romances include sexy working men with a penchant for pursuing and protecting the women who give them a run for their money. If you love outrageously naughty stories as a way to indulge your not-so-secret bad girl side, this is for you.Her Dirty BodyguardsThe city’s hottest bodyguards. Deadly. Fearless. Gorgeous as hell. And assigned to protect… me.Just go on about your day, they say. Pretend we’re not there.But how could I ignore the three hottest men I’d ever laid eyes on?It’s true, I need them to stay alive.And when I realize they are watching me a little more closely than they have to, it seems like it’s time to have some fun.#1 Her Dirty Rockers#2 Her Dirty Teachers#3 Her Dirty Doctors#4 Her Dirty Bodyguards

    Southern California Novelist Todd Easterling, discovered by New York's Jay Garon-Brooke Agency (of John Grisham fame), weaves a well-written, character-rich story with cinematic potential.With a topic right out of today's headlines, this story follows Tom Lassiter in a fast paced race to separate facts from propaganda, and ends in a heart stopping glimpse of the new world we live in and threats posed by rogue states set on nuclear weapons development.On his journey, Tom finds friendship and loyalty with his sidekick from The Washington Post, and unexpectedly develops a romantic interest while interviewing key players behind the scenes.The book might be compared to an early Tom Clancy type story (such as The Hunt for Red October) or Harrison Ford type thriller movie involving espionage and covert government actions (Air Force One), yet relationships and suspense play a stronger role in The First Witness. Never delving too deep into technical details to avoid a pure military thriller, the story focuses on uncovering clues, determining who is involved and trying to avoid capture before getting the story out. In the end, Tom Lassiter finds himself and the United States in a mission to fix what he admittedly and inadvertently help set in motion.

    With him when he was captured was his 14-year-old ex-girlfriend Caril Fugate. The question soon arose, was Caril a kidnapped victim, or a heartless accomplice?Appointed to her case, attorney John McArthur initially accepted the assignment out of a sense of constitutional duty. But as he delved deeper, he found that the truth was far more complicated than anyone was letting on. Up against incredible odds, and with a strong conviction of her innocence, McArthur remained with Caril and fought for her freedom for 18 years. For this service, he took no pay, accepting the case pro bono.This book follows the long struggle of McArthur, his partner Merril Reller, and John's son James as they took on the Nebraska legal system and a public that had already determined Caril's guilt before ever hearing a word of testimony. The story continues through all it influenced, such as Stephen King, who became a horror writer because of it, Bruce Springsteen, who wrote a whole album about it, Terrence Malick, Oliver Stone, Martin Sheen, and Peter Jackson, who wrote his first major movie based on the Starkweather-Fugate incident.Pro Bono explores aspects of this incredible story that have never been revealed before, and sheds new light on these terrifying and complex events.

    When they sing “the wipers on the bus go swish-swish-swish,” children can move their hands from side to side like windshield wipers! Each character cleverly illustrates how to move hands and arms to simulate the actions throughout the book. What makes this book so much fun is that the children will be singing, learning, and moving with their favorite Baby Genius characters!

    When the Witch Avenue Coven turns their back on Triss, she realizes she’s caught in a world that is ruled by Lonely Souls. But who is controlling them? Recognizing the herbal lore she grew up learning will do little to fight against the underworld, she is relieved when her best friend from childhood, Logan, returns to help her find answers. When they begin uncovering secrets from her family’s past, she learns her mother might not have been the only target. But as Triss falls deeply for Logan, she discovers her family isn’t the only one with secrets and his may be deadly.

    I knew that if I wanted to make it to the end of the week alive, I would have to avoid upsetting Grandpa as much as possible. No singing, no playful nips, no jaunty bell.”Bird and Grandpa stay home in Massachusetts while Mother, Father, Joseph and Maya head south for a winter holiday. When Grandpa determines to set tropical Bird free in freezing February, Bird must use every bit of bird brain power to outsmart him.• Will Bird become a parrot popsicle?• What’s in the creepy second bedroom where no one ever goes?• Do Grandpa and Bird play Dig a Hole to China and Send Birdie on a Trip?In the spirit of Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, and Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, here come Bird and Grandpa in the hilarious first short story in the Grandpa Hates the Bird series!

    If your little boy loves dump trucks, diggers, and building fun, Diggy is sure to be a treat! For fans of "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site," and "Where do Diggers Sleep at Night."

    are there any ghosts here?" HAVE YOU EVER wondered why no one that claims to have seen a ghost ever has any evidence of it? You know – some pictures or a video from their cellphone? It's the same with UFO's. There are all these blurry pictures of weird objects in the sky that could be an alien space ship or it could be a toaster. It's tough to tell. I'm Nathaniel Parker and I think about these things. A lot. I asked my dad once why he thought there wasn't any clear pictures of ghosts. You know what he said? “Maybe ghosts are just blurry, Natty.” My dad said. Then, he cracked up like he'd said the funniest thing ever. That's my dad, a real comedian. My friends call me Nate. I'm 12 years old and I'm kind of a nerd. I mean, I like science and stuff, and I read a lot of comic books. If you read comic books, you know why science is so cool. Most of the superheroes out there got to be super thanks to science. Take Spiderman for instance. He got bit by this genetically altered spider and woke up with spider powers. How cool would that be? Anyway, the point that I was trying to make about ghosts is, that the reason that no one has been able to capture any really good images yet is because the only people who see them are a group of kids going into a haunted house on a dare. They are probably trying to take a picture while they are running away and screaming. That got me thinking about what I would do if I saw a ghost. I’d like to think that I’d walk right up and try to shake its hand but I guess I won't know the answer until I actually see one. But that could be sooner than you think..... Tags: ghost stories, ghost hunters, ghost hunting, ghosts, ghost, ghost mystery, ghost diaries, ghost tales, ghost detectives, paranormal, ghost busters, ghost squad, goonies, ghost hunter, the real ghostbusters, ghost house, abandoned house, junior detectives, junior books, junior novels, detective mysteries, detective novels, mystery, mystery stories, detective stories, detective series, detective fiction, spooky stories, paranormal activity, children;'s books, children's book, kids books, kids books 9-12

    MacLean tells the story of how he came to write his Edgar Award-winning book in his new true crime short, “The Story Behind 'In Broad Daylight.'” MacLean had doors slammed in his face, guns pulled on him, and was bitten by a dog. Eventually, he won over the closed community of Skidmore, Mo. The inhabitants shared with him the reign of terror Ken Rex McElroy inflicted for twenty years in Northwest Missouri, and information about his murder on the main street of Skidmore in 1981. Despite 45 witnesses, the case remains unsolved. MacLean tells the story in his book “In Broad Daylight,” first published in 1988.“The Story Behind 'In Broad Daylight'” brings the book up to date and includes several previously unpublished pictures. It also answers many questions about the killing itself, such as who was involved, and what has become of them. The author discusses the nature of the moral consequences of the killing for the town and those involved in the killing. MacLean describes the breakthrough events when key characters agreed to speak with him, and he realized he would finally get the story.“In Broad Daylight” was a New York Times bestseller for 12 weeks and was made into a movie starring Brian Denehey, Cloris Leachman and Chris Cooper. It was re-released as an e-book on Amazon on July 10, the 31st anniversary of the killing.Praise for Harry N. MacLean’s The Story Behind In Broad Daylight“A riveting behind the scenes look at an author in pursuit of the story about the bully who brought down a town and paid for his sins with his life.”—Diane Fanning, author of “Mommy’s Little Girl”“Honest and intriguing. The riveting backstory of MacLean's true crime classic...a can't miss read!”"— Kathryn Casey, bestselling author of “Deadly Little Secrets”“The Edgar Award winner takes readers right where they want to go—inside the story.”—Gregg Olsen, bestselling author of “”Fear Collector”“To understand and truly experience any story in its absolute wholeness, one must go ‘behind the scenes’ and learn the mechanics of what made it so riveting in the first place. Here, Harry MacLean takes us on a thrill ride into the crazy world beyond one of the most compelling true-crime stories of our time.”— M. William Phelps, star of the hit Investigation Discovery series “Dark Minds" and national bestselling author of 23 books, including “Nathan Hale and his latest, “Kiss of the She-Devil”

    Captain Dak Smith saw in her something special, an opportunity to burn for the far horizon as an independent, free from the gloms that hold known space in thrall – but he had to get her running first.Armed with a standard-issue captain's eyebrow and an infectious grin, Captain Smith and his hand-picked crew embark on an adventure through deep space filled with scoundrels, pirates, and some incredibly unfortunate peace-loving rocks that happened to be at the wrong place, at the worst time.

    

    Stanley is appalled at this assault on his human rights and will do just about anything to avoid the extra work. Stanley thinks up a cunning pl

    By the thirtieth century, humans find themselves co-existing, negotiating, and residing on Earth with these animals as equals.Maya Lawton is a lonely prostitute living in this world. She gives birth to the first halfkinds, creatures who are half animal-kind, and half mankind. Since interspecies breeding is illegal, she is forced into seclusion and raises them alone. Then one day, without warning, she dies, and her death leads to their discovery. Abandoned and lost, this family of halfkinds plan to escape to a terraformed moon. But the law is after them. The order is to kill, sent by the highest authority, the United Species Alliance.For more info, check out the wikia: http://halfkinds.wikia.com

    He does not have any spots, you see! He keeps seeing spots wherever he goes… One spot, two spots, three spots, Four! And many, many, many more. “Where did you get your spots?” he asks. Join Andrew as he discovers how the ladybug, the leopard and the owl came to have spots and discovers that spots often appear when you are least expecting them! This is a wonderful rhyming picture book for children of all ages.