I am a pink human, caught in a net of ambition and years of hard work. In a few minutes I will dive into artificially turquoise water waiting at my feet. A minute later I'll either be ecstatic or a failure.'Fifteen-year-old swimming champ Alex Archer has her mind set on one goal-competing in the Olympic Games in Rome. Alex has been training hard for six years--but so has her archrival, Maggie Benton.Maggie isn't the only obstacle Alex must overcome. She's spread herself too thin at school, and at home she's worried about her grandmother's failing health. She needs complete concentration for the competition, but it's becoming harder to give her all. Then, her handsome boyfriend, Andy is in a terrible accident. Even if Alex can deal with all these unforeseen problems, can she beat Maggie to make it to the Olympic Games?"Well-developed, realistic, three-dimensional characters flesh out this novel about competitive swimming and adolescence... Duder's fresh writing style hooks readers from the outset."-- "School Library Journal."

    While vacationing with relatives in Auckland, twins Theo and Rachel discover that they are endowed with special powers to oppose mysterious giant creatures that are determined to destroy the world.

    But then, it is Ma who is the cause of the most troubling question of all, the one Frankie can never bring himself to ask. When a new girl arrives at school — a daring free spirit with unavoidable questions of her own — Frankie’s carefully guarded world begins to unravel, leading him to a painful confrontation with the ultimate 10 p.m. question. Deftly told with humor, poignancy, and an endearing cast of characters, The 10 P.M. Question will touch everyone who has ever felt set apart.

    When Hannah discovers that Shadrach has been sold to a dog food factory, she decides to mount a heroic rescue and enlist the help of her two younger brothers.From the beginning, their plans go seriously wrong. By the time they've argued with the repulsive Wuff Stuff man, hidden Shadrach in a church and in a caravan, and floated him on a mussel barge, they're in desperate need of rescuing themselves.

    But then Alison Ashley shows up, and right from the start, seems to threaten Erica's position. Can these classmates ever see past their difficulties and find friendship?

    Her name is changed to the biblical Esther, and she is forced to follow the severe set of social codes of the order. Soon, Esther begins to lose her own identity.

    That night she has an extraordinary dream. She is transported into her own picture, and as she explores further she soon realises she is not alone. The boy at the window is called Mark, and his every movement is guarded by the menacing stone watchers that surround the solitary house. Together, in their dreams, Marianne and Mark must save themselves...

    She is determined to keep her word—and her pride. No matter what.At first she is sure she can manage. Romey, Ima Dean, and Devola help gather herbs to sell in town; the riches of the mountains will surely keep the family clothed and fed. But when winter comes, fast and furious, Mary Call learns that the land where the lilies bloom can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and it will take more than a promise to keep her family together.This classic coming of age story explores issues of poverty, character, and perseverance. A strong option for classroom, homeschool, or independent reading.

    . . For a long time, fourteen-year-old Joseph has wondered about old Tom Leyton, his reclusive next-door neighbor. Gossip and rumors suggest that something terrible happened to Tom in the past. Then Joseph is asked to draw Tom for a school art project, and that means Joseph has the opportunity to uncover the truth about this man who passes his days tending silkworms and keeping dark secrets. As Joseph learns more and more about Tom's world, he is forced to confront his own fears. Is there some connection between Joseph's dreams and his feelings about his father, who seems to have abandoned the family? And why does he continue to have nightmares about the Running Man--the disheveled figure who wanders aimlessly through town?

    He is challenged in everything he knows and all his abilities - in everything he brings with him from his usual, modern life.Life in Anshur requires courage and strength - but also has a lot to offer: knowledge, friendship and love.

    They have been received by young readers, year after year, with excitement and love. The new Fitzhugh novel shares the vigorous sense of comedy and the unflinching fidelity to the real world that distinguished her earlier books. Many readers will feel, however, that Nobody's Family Is Going to Change is even finer than its predecessors. Willie, seven years old, wants to dance. Emma, his older sister, wants to be a lawyer. Is there something wrong with them? Or is there something wrong with their parents, whose dreams for their children, the ordinary dreams of New York's black middle class, have little to do with what the children want? For Willie won't stop dreaming of the day he will dance with his uncle Dipsey on Broadway, and Emma is determined that someday she will address a courtroom. In this novel, the work of a matchless storyteller , Emma finds an answer for children with families that will not change.

    His new school is a frightening place, World War III might be imminent, and then there's the strange fire eater - a devil called McNulty.

    Before, Anna knew who she was and what she looked like. But now she's a stranger to her family, her friends, and herself. She is no longer the pretty, popular girl who loves karate. Her body now betrays her, and she knows it will never be the same. All the layers that made up the old Anna -- her looks, her friends, her sport -- have been peeled away, leaving her to face the question of who she really is, and who she wants to be.

    Though it looks to most people like a white goat with a bump on its head, young Joe is certain it will make the dreams of his friends and neighbors come true—a reunion with his father in Africa, a steam press for a tailor shop, a ring for a girlfriend. Others may be skeptical of the unicorn’s magic, but with enough effort, Joe believes he can make it all real.

    He tells wonderful stories about all the antiques, and his stories persuade the customers to buy the items he talks about, but everything he says is a pack of lies. Isn't it?The story of Ailsa and MCC is interwoven with the stories MCC tells the customers, which range from romances to adventure stories; from crime dramas to pirate stories; from stories set in modern-day Ireland to stories set in ancient China.