No Way Out: And Other Scary Short Stories


M.J. Ware - 2011
    So, it's no wonder he's doesn't hear Mr. Fitches' warnings about a local homicidal hobgoblin-too bad for him.Praise for the Author:"...master of mid-grade horror, M.J.A. Ware's tales are told in a pleasantly chatty first-person style, the voice convincingly that of a young teen put-upon by sisters, brothers, parents, friends and the rest of the world... until the rest of the world jumps in with scares aplenty." -Sheila Deeth, Author, blogger, and reviewer."Writing for (a) younger audience can be tricky, but Michael Ware knows the tricks." - Author, Laura Lund

Secondhand Secrets


Angela C. Castillo - 2017
    Darcy’s have been locked up inside her since that last summer when she left Wimber, Texas, and the boy she loved, for a glitzy life in Los Angeles. Seven years later, her gran’s passed away. Darcy’s been named as the sole owner of the Tangled in Time antique store. Darcy can’t wait to get back to the place where she’s always felt she belonged. But owning a business isn’t as easy as it seems. And sometimes the past is better left alone. But Darcy is determined to push forward, despite the obstacles that cross her path. And maybe even have another chance to be with the man who stayed behind.

Hide in Plain Sight


Marta Perry - 2007
    At the same time, she is able to accept help and love from a handsome mystery boarder.

Hugo The Happy Starfish: The Secret to Happiness


Suzy Liebermann - 2011
    He finds his life dull. Tired of feeling sad, one day he sets off to find happiness. After much searching, he discovers something that makes his heart do a somersault! Sharing with others is the only thing that makes him truly happy.Adults strive to teach children to share with their communities. Encouraging children to give teaches them empathy, as well as a sense of social responsibility. Children can feel empowered by giving and sharing with others.This book is a great way to teach EMPATHY and the CALENDAR.Meet HUGO – a little starfish with a BIG HEART. His passion is to make others happy but he still has a lot to learn. Luckily he does not only have a big heart but also a CURIOUS MIND.Through his adventures, Hugo learns many valuable lessons of character, life skills, and ecological alertness – all amid the backdrop of a magical underwater world and mystical islands.In Hugo, children, parents, and educators will discover a lovable and engaging role model with whom they can identify.Suzy Liebermann has written this charming series of children’s books to help educate children about their feelings, their attitude, their choices, and the consequences that follow.Each book offers a themed vocabulary to introduce the Spanish language to the reader. Each book also comes with a number of worksheets which are downloadable at no cost on our website. We are sure you’ll agree that life skills and character traits are two of the most important lessons to teach the young. Age-appropriate children’s books are crucial to child development and well-written books that contain a message can expand not only a child’s cognitive abilities, but also their emotional, moral, and spiritual capacities. The key theme behind the HUGO THE HAPPY STARFISH series is that building character based on a positive attitude leads to a happy, self-confident and successful human being. We believe this distinctive way of sharing a “message” through the medium of an exciting narrative is what has given the books their charm. The stories support the different learner profiles and attitudes of the IB PYP curriculum.

Michal


Jill Eileen Smith - 2009
    When Michal falls for young David, the harpist who plays to calm her father, she has no idea what romance, adventures, and heartache await her. As listeners enter the colorful and unpredictable worlds of King Saul and King David, they will be swept up in this exciting and romantic story. Against the backdrop of opulent palace life, raging war, and desert escapes, Jill Eileen Smith takes her fans on an emotional roller-coaster ride as Michal deals with love, loss, and personal transformation as one of the wives of David. A sweeping tale of passion and drama, listeners will love this amazing story.

Prime of Life


P.D. Bekendam - 2012
    But who asked him? He’s just the janitor, after all. Of course, his inept boss, the cantankerous residents, and even his attractive podiatrist friend don’t know one important thing about him: he was recently a cardiothoracic surgeon, not a broom-pushing custodian. Ben is in search of a stress-free life with a little freedom from the past thrown in. But will it be that simple to escape who he used to be—and all he used to fear?An award-winning novel, Prime of Life delivers an entertaining and satisfying read.

Attracted to Fire


DiAnn Mills - 2011
    Only one assignment stands in her way. After the vice president's rebellious daughter is threatened, Meghan is assigned to her protective detail on a secluded ranch in West Texas. Unfortunately, working with Special Agent in Charge Ash Zinders may be as tough as controlling her charge. Ash has a reputation for being critical and exacting, and he's also after the same promotion as Meghan. But when the threats escalate and security on the ranch is breached, it becomes clear this isn't the work of a single suspect--it's part of a sophisticated plan that reaches deeper and higher than anyone imagined. And only Ash and Meghan can put the pieces together before it's too late.

The Summer Before


Ann M. Martin - 2010
    As they start the summer before seventh grade (also before they start the BSC), each of them is on the cusp of a big change.

At the End of the Matinee


Keiichirō Hirano - 2016
    Their bond forms instantly.Upon their first meeting, after Makino’s concert in Tokyo, they begin a conversation that will go on for years, with long spells of silence broken by powerful moments of connection. She’s drawn by Makino’s tender music and his sensitivity, and he is intrigued by Yoko’s refinement and intellect. But neither knows enough about love to see it blooming nor has the confidence to make the first move. Will their connection endure, weaving them back together like instruments in a symphony, or will fate lead them apart?Blending the harmonies of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes and the sensuality of Ian McEwan’s Enduring Love, At the End of the Matinee is an enchanting and thought-provoking love story.

Blast Off to the Moon! (Dr. Wonderful and Her Dog)


Lauren Gunderson - 2017
    Wonderful loves asking big questions…and using science to answer them. She and her dog, Newton, want to know why the moon changes shape in the sky every night. But how can they study the moon when it’s so far away? By blasting off into space, of course! On their amazing journey, this detective duo gathers clues to solve their lunar mystery using the powers of science, curiosity, and teamwork.

Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee


Tonya Duncan Ellis - 2018
    She's earned straight 100s on all her spelling tests to prove it. Her parents want her to compete in the Xavier Academy spelling bee, but Sophie wishes they would buzz off. Her life in the Houston suburbs is full of adventures, and she doesn't want to slow down the action. Where else can you chase wild hogs out of your yard, ride a bucking sheep, or spy an eight-foot-long alligator during a bike ride through the neighborhood? Studying spelling words seems as fun as getting stung by a hornet, in comparison. That's until her irritating classmate, Nathan Jones, challenges her. There's no way she can let Mr. Know-It-All win. Studying is hard when you have a pesky younger brother and a busy social calendar. Can Sophie ignore the distractions and become Queen of the Bee?

Let Them Eat Cake


Sandra Byrd - 2007
    She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends. When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be!So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed– she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future–très bon!This book is written from a lightly, organically, Christian world view.

Prisoner of Ice and Snow


Ruth Lauren - 2017
    Demidova’s prison for criminal children is exactly where she wants to be. Valor’s sister Sasha is already serving a life sentence for stealing from the royal family and Valor is going to help her escape . . . from the inside.Never mind that no one has escaped in three hundred years. Valor has a plan and resources most could only dream about. But she didn't count on having to outsmart both the guards and her fellow prisoners. If Valor’s plan is to succeed, she’ll need to make unlikely allies. And if the plan fails, she and Sasha could end up with fates worse than prison.

The Secrets of Lost Stones


Melissa Payne - 2019
    Haunted by memories and grief, Jess packs what’s left and heads for the small mountain town of Pine Lake, where she takes a position as caregiver to an eccentric old woman.A rumored clairvoyant, Lucy is strange but welcoming and immediately intuits Jess as a “loose end” in need of closure. But Jess isn’t the only guest in Lucy’s large Victorian home. There’s also Star, a teenage runaway with a secret too painful to share. And the little boy with heart-shaped stones, who comes with a hope for reconciliation—and a warning.Soon Jess learns that she’s not the only lost soul running from the ghosts of the past. She and Star have been brought together for a reason: to be saved by the very thing that destroyed them.

Bless This Mouse


Lois Lowry - 2011
    It falls to her to keep all the church mice safe and out of sight.But when a few parishioners report mouse sightings, Hildegarde and the rest of the church mice must face a most dreadful consequence: the Great X. To complicate things, a ceremony called the Blessing of the Animals is fast approaching. Saint Bartholemew’s will soon be filled with pets . . . including cats!Oh, dear. Within the stately stone walls of the church, life is not as serene or safe as one might think. It will take the courage and patience of a—well, of a saint—to keep this scampering, squeaking tribe of Hildegarde’s intact