The Ever Breath amber orb has been stolen, and the balance between the two worlds is breaking down, evil taking over. Will the mouse and ogre help or hinder the war?

    "Don't go near the lake, little ones -- she waits there, under the water," mothers say. Countless children and adults have mysteriously disappeared, and the legends of the witch's powers have grown. Only one person has ever seen the witch -- Leo's grandfather -- and he was forever changed.It is the sixteenth century, and Leo's small Italian village harbors many great secrets. Some people believe that Leo and his father are evil, blaming them for the strange happenings near the cold, dark lake. Although forbidden to see him, Leo's best friend, Merilee, finds herself accompanying him on a dangerous journey in search of truth and redemption. Only Merilee knows that Leo, like his great grandfather Illuminato, is a wizard.Frustrated by the sinister secrets that surround him, Leo yearns to discover if the witch is real or just a superstition. On a rebellious visit to the lake one day, Leo challenges the witch to show herself, taunting her and calling her names, despite Merilee's desperate pleas. As the water peels back, "like the lips of an ugly wound," Leo knows that he has found his answer. From that moment on, he is locked in a fateful duel with the witch.At the height of Leo's quest, when the witch calls to him at night with a moaning cry, Merilee is taken by her acrid aunt to a refuge of Wise Women far away. With his only friend gone, Leo must now face the witch alone and free the village of her century-old curse. Although he has been honing his magical skills since he was a child, Leo is still young and his powers are untested.In a dramatic final encounter, Leo focuses all his strength, concentrating on the core evil of the witch. As she withers and fades, generations of lost villagers are released from their prison within her.In this gripping novel, Anna Fienberg has created a magical story about challenging fear and finding courage to face the truth.

    And when Alice is expelled and sent away to an isolated boarding-school, she'll do whatever it takes again to get away. But Stormy Loch Academy isn't quite what she expected. With its strange rules and eccentric headmaster and rag-tag mix of students and teachers, it has a way of growing on you. Still, when Barney goes missing (all that not strictly legal business) she knows she has to rescue him. Armed with two new friends, she sets off on an epic quest through the wild Scottish highlands and islands to finally get her heart's desire - but does she know anymore exactly what that is?Both hilarious and heartfelt, this is the classic adventure story brought bang up to date, and told in Natasha's inimitable voice.

    1 bestselling author David Walliams – a timeless adventure illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross.On a volcanic island, in the middle of shark-infested waters, stands The Cruel School. The lessons are appalling, the school dinners are revolting and the teachers are terrifying – especially the mysterious Science teacher Doctor Doktur.When Larker is sent to the school, she quickly realises something very odd is going on… something involving Doctor Doktur, a pair of strange spectacles, and a ‘Monsterfication Machine’. And ultimately she finds herself face to face with a real life Megamonster.There seems to be no escape – but for Larker, nothing is impossible…

    Finkleman is just our boring old music teacher.Or is she? It all starts with a Special Project in Mr. Melville's Social Studies class: Solve a mystery in your own life. For seventh grader Bethesda Fielding, one mystery is too tempting to ignore: Ms. Finkleman.Bethesda is convinced that her mousy Music Fundamentals teacher is hiding a secret life, and she’s determined to find out what it is. But no one is prepared for what she learns. Ms. Finkleman used to be... a rock star? Soon the whole school goes rock crazy, and a giant concert is in the works with none other than timid Ms. Finkleman at the helm!But the case isn’t quite closed, and the questions continue to swirl forBethesda. Could there be even more to the secret life of Ms. Finkleman than she already revealed? With the help of her rock-obsessed classmate Tenny Boyer, Bethesda won’t stop until she solves the real mystery of Ms. Finkleman once and for all!

    When Laura's family is in the midst of financial ruin, she decides to change her identity in order to avenge her father's name. This fiery Lady thought she could do anything to avoid revealing her double life, as a spy and a governess, but is she ready to have her plans turned upside down? How much is she willing to sacrifice to protect her secret?The dashing Callum Burke returns devastated from India to grieve the deaths of his brother and sister-in-law, who've left behind six-year-old twin boys. That's when he meets their seductive governess and desire flickers inside of him. The couple is off to a rough start, as Callum quickly senses that Laura isn't entirely truthful. But when mistrust is not the only emotion growing between them, will his mission to find the truth turn out to be a quest for love?Callum's suspicions burn, as does his lust for her, but will Laura's secrets lead to their ultimate separation? Laura finds herself slowly falling for the wild-eyed and volatile Callum, even if she knows that her emotions might get in the way of her mission. Will she be able to avenge her father οr will she ultimately fail, in the wake of a truly passionate love?"Nothing Like a Ravishing Governess" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

    While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who's known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he's not the person she assumed he would be--and that the lines between good and bad aren't as clear as she once thought. Claudia Mills brings another compelling school story to life with Zero Tolerance.

    She doesn't remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she's technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test — middle school!Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy's life has already been solved. Unless there's been a miscalculation?A celebration of friendship, Stacy McAnulty's smart and thoughtful middle-grade debut reminds us all to get out of our comfort zones and embrace what makes us different.

    Dick is about to leave home for a boarding school which is ruled by the cane wielding headmaster Dr. Grimstone. Bultitude, seeing his son's fear of going to the school, foolishly says that schooldays are the best years of a boy's life, and how he wished that he was the one so doing.At this point, thanks to a handy magic stone brought by an uncle from India which grants the possessor one wish, they are now on even terms. Dick, now holding the stone, is ordered by his father to turn him back into his own body, but Dick refuses, and decides instead to become his father, and so the fun begins. Mr. Bultitude has to begin the new academic term at his son's boarding school, while Dick gets a chance to run his father's business in the City. In the end, they are both restored to their own bodies, with a better understanding of each other.

    But in the course of a turbulent first term, Olivia finds out much more than she bargained for about the theatre, friendship, enemies and herself.

    Frank Baum, following the exploits of the three teenaged nieces of Jane Merrick, a wealthy, elderly, difficult invalid woman who calls them to visit her, so she can decide who will inherit her estate.

    . . .Adi is a fisherman's son, proud to be studying with the greatest of traditional sword makers. Dewi is the daughter of a healer, curious about the world beyond her quiet village.Neither Adi nor Dewi is prepared for the sudden violence that transforms their lives. Both are propelled into an epic battle in which even the mystical spirits of Jayangan are threatened and helpless.Charged with a desperate quest to find the mysterious Snow, Fire, and Sword, Adi and Dewi know only that if they fail, their beloved homeland will fall to an evil shrouded in impenetrable darkness. Can two children of the modern world succeed where the most powerful and ancient spirits cannot?Set against the backdrop of a mythic Indonesia, Sophie Masson's gripping fantasy will leave readers breathless.

    She and her best friend Andrew spend a lot of time playing dress-up. The school hall is their runway. Edie loves the compliments and whispers of admiration, so much so that she begins dressing in increasingly outrageous outfits to get even more attention. No outfit is too bizarre, no costume too flamboyant for Edie. She's so busy coming up with her newest eye-catching ensemble that she doesn't even have time for Andrew anymore ... until one day Edie creates an outfit so weird and so big and bulky that she gets stuck in the doorway. Will anyone notice that this budding fashionista is in trouble?

    Keylanders, the boys are told, must keep within their walls to avoid the filth and disease spread by the Droughtlanders - those who struggle to survive on the parched land between the keys. But when Eli sees their brother helping one of the wretched Droughtlanders, a chain of terrible events begins to unravel the life they've all known and will pit brother against brother in a life-or-death struggle between two lands.The first book in the Triskelia trilogy, The Droughtlanders is a brilliant blend of futuristic fantasy and gritty social realism, with unforgettable characters and a compulsively readable story.

    There, on a quaint cobblestone block of cheerful houses, live seven invisible - except to August - children from another time. Before he knows it, August and his fantastic new friends are off on the adventure of a lifetime!