In a series of letters to her parents back home, Fiona describes her life in America, how she searches for family members there, and her experiences in making a new friend.

    

    But adventure strikes when she surprises the security guard raiding her father's computer. She is kidnapped and starts plotting her escape.

    Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the "ultimate sacrifice" for a "noble destiny." If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn't tough enough, Nathaniel's master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy's only saving grace is the master's wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him.Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine.

    His quest--the greatest of Maya ruins--the lost Jaguar City. Hope for the survival of the charismatic explorer is eventually abandoned. Only his daughter, Liz, tormented by a recurring nightmare, steadfastly believes that her father is alive.On a snowy Thanksgiving in her grandparents' New England farmhouse, Liz is entranced by a portrait of her ancestor--a breathtakingly beautiful teen-age girl. The haunting picture, painted in 1803, seems to glow with an indefinable magic. Flames dance wildly in the old stone fireplace... heatwaves shimmer... definition is obscurred... then---Holly Hobbie. Is this intelligent, graceful young girl in colonial dress another of Liz's dreams? Or the portrait come to life?The author takes us along with Holly and Liz on a fascinating odyssey triggered by scattered clues--the snarling jaguar pendant, Dutton's last jungle diaries, cryptic Maya inscriptions--all crucial in linking their destiny with that of Mel Dutton.--Excerpt of book jacket description.

    But on one thing the four of them agree: they are determined to find the mysterious china cat and learn its sinister secret

    Whilst frightened for his life, he inexplicably changes into a fox. Before long, both a government agent and an ambitious young journalist are on his tail.

    Salrich.Make reading better with… Wicked Charms: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel by Janet Evanovich - Reviewed When Janet Evanovich first wrote about "Lizzy and Diesel" millions of fans around the world fell in love. You could say that she created an instant “Classic” series that has continued with the third book... "Wicked Charms". When you read this companion guide you will get a deeper understanding of the characters and plot found in Wicked Charms : A Lizzy and Diesel Novel, as well as the themes included in the novel. You also get a detailed chapter by chapter breakdown and analysis of the events as they unfold along with a glossary of the important characters and terms used in the original book. Just in case that’s not enough for you I’ve also included a list of possible study questions (book club discussions topics) and quotes from the book that I found interesting. Wrapping it all up is a discussion of the critical reviews for "Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich" as well as my overall opinion of the book. Plus much more! This review/summary fills the gap, making you understand more while enhancing your reading experience of the original book. Whether you’re reading this for a book club, school report, or just want to find out what happens before diving into the full length book, you can use this book review and study guide to get most out of your experience reading Wicked Charms: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel by Janet Evanovich.

    It is not a prison, not a hospital; it has no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Nothing but endless flights of stairs leading nowhere, except back to a strange red machine. The five must learn to love the machine and let it rule their lives. But will they let it kill their souls?

    Follow young Thomas Warvold and his brother as they journey through Elyon, discovering new mysteries, new challenges, and new magical creatures that will change the course of their fate...and the fate of their land. From a humble and unexplained childhood in a very strange orphanage to a series of fearless escapes to a quest full of riddles and exploration, Thomas and Roland find that their identity--and the mysterious tattoos on their knees--are linked to a much greater history than they ever would have guessed. One brother, Thomas, is destined for adventure on land, while the other brother, Roland, is destined for adventure on sea. But before this happens, they must journey into the mist...and find the truth about both their past and their future.Note: Although this seems like a prequel, it is integrual to the Land of Elyon Series as book #4.[Author notes in a video blog at http://www.patrickcarman.com/wp-conte..., about the series reading order that the books in the original trilogy (The Dark Divide #1, Beyond The Valley of Thorns #2 and The Tenth City #3) should be read in that order and that Stargazer #4 read after the original trilogy. Otherwise is up to reader preference. Into The Mist, is a chronological prequel to the trilogy, but the story is told by characters on the boat where The Tenth City left off; it can be read before or after the original trilogy.]

    These stories are filled with imaginative and moral solutions to each case. In one case, he is called to decide what should be done with a man caught stealing a smell. The stories are creative, the solutions inventive, and the judgements are fair.

    And she's about to become your new best friend. Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there's nothing worse than being twelve. She's too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is sure that there's not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high, where the friends she counts most dear aren't acting so dear anymore -- especially Mark, the boy she's known her whole life through. Life is growing up all around her, and all Shug wants is for things to be like they used to be. How is a person supposed to prepare for what happens tomorrow when there's just no figuring out today?

    Violet never wanted to move to Perfect.Who wants to live in a town where everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind? And who wants to be neat and tidy and perfectly behaved all the time?But Violet quickly discovers there's something weird going on – she keeps hearing noises in the night, her mum is acting strange and her dad has disappeared.When she meets Boy she realizes that her dad is not the only person to have been stolen away...and that the mysterious Watchers are guarding a perfectly creepy secret!

    That means a three-day stagecoach trip with her friend Rhonda! The other travelers, including a charming magician and a beautiful young woman with a sad past, fascinate the girls. But when Caroline's precious package goes missing, she realizes the culprit must be a fellow passenger. Will she unmask the thief in time, or will her promise to Papa be impossible to keep?