So she has the same name as a girl in a book by a dusty old author. Hero is simply not interested in the connections. But that's just the thing; suddenly connections are cropping up all over, and odd characters and uncertain pasts are exactly what do fascinate Hero. There's a mysterious diamond hidden in her new house, a curious woman next door who seems to know an awful lot about it, and then, well, then there's Shakespeare. Not to mention Danny Cordova, only the most popular boy in school. Is it all in keeping with her namesake's origin-just much ado about nothing? Hero, being Hero, is determined to figure it out. In this fast-paced novel, Elise Broach weaves an intriguing literary mystery full of historical insights and discoveries.A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

    "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned."Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic.As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold — the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.

    Every day on her spy route she "observes" and notes down anything of interest to her:I BET THAT LADY WITH THE CROSS-EYE LOOKS IN THE MIRROR AND JUST FEELS TERRIBLE.PINKY WHITEHEAD WILL NEVER CHANGE. DOES HIS MOTHER HATE HIM? IF I HAD HIM I'D HATE HIM.IF MARION HAWTHORNE DOESN'T WATCH OUT SHE'S GOING TO GROW UP INTO A LADY HITLER.But when Harriet's notebook is found by her schoolmates, their anger and retaliation and Harriet's unexpected responses explode in a hilarious way.

    But Nikki lies in a coma, and Branwell is in a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of a horrible crime and unable to utter the words to tell what really happened. Connor is the only one who might be able to break through Branwell's wall of silence. But how can he prove Branwell didn't commit the unspeakable act of which he's accused — when Branwell can't speak for himself?

    May, 1915. Alfie and his fisherman father find a girl on an uninhabited island in the Scillies - injured, thirsty, lost…and with absolutely no memory of who she is, or how she came to be there. She can say only one word: Lucy. Where has she come from? Is she a mermaid, the victim of a German U-boat, or even - as some islanders suggest - a German spy…? Only one thing is for sure: she loves music and moonlight, and it is when she listens to the gramophone that the glimmers of the girl she once was begin to appear. WW1 is raging, suspicion and fear are growing, and Alfie and Lucy are ever more under threat. But as we begin to see the story of Merry, a girl boarding a great ship for a perilous journey across the ocean, another melody enters the great symphony - and the music begins to resolve…A beautiful tour de force of family, love, war and forgiveness, this is a major new novel from the author of PRIVATE PEACEFUL - in which what was once lost may sometimes be found, washed up again on the shore…

    In fact, everything about Heidi and her mentally disabled mother's past is a mystery. When a strange word in her mother's vocabulary begins to haunt her, Heidi sets out on a cross-country journey in search of the secrets of her past.Far away from home, pieces of her puzzling history come together. But it isn't until she learns to accept not knowing that Heidi truly arrives.

    Theo dreams of belonging to a “real” family, and her dream seems to come true when she is mysteriously adopted by the large, warm Kaldor family. But as time passes, the magic of Theo’s new life begins to fade, and soon she finds herself back with her mother. Were the Kaldors real or just a dream? And who is the shadowy figure who haunts Theo’s thoughts?

    Now things are changing. Bryon's growing up, spending a lot of time with girls, and thinking seriously about who he wants to be. Mark still just lives for the thrill of the moment. The two are growing apart - until Bryon makes a shocking discovery about Mark. Then Bryon faces a terrible decision - one that will change both of their lives forever.

    Old Dan had the brawn. Little Ann had the brains, and Billy had the will to make them into the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure you'll never forget.

    Now Sammy's witnessed a crime at the Heavenly Hotel-a light fingered thief stealing $4,000 from Madame Nashira, the astrologer with the fire-hazard hair-do. Thing is, while she was watching him, he was watching her, too...Fast-paced and funny, packed with menacing suspects and clever clues, the Sammy Keyes mysteries keep you guessing to the last riveting page.

    But when the boys arrive for an overnight visit at Terror Castle -- home of a deceased horror-movie actor -- they soon find out how the place got its name!

    Nothing much has changed in the dollhouse during that time, except for the fact that 45 years ago, Annabelle's Auntie Sarah disappeared from the dollhouse without a trace. After all this time, restless Annabelle is becoming more and more curious about her aunt's fate. And when she discovers Auntie Sarah's old diary, she becomes positively driven. Her cautious family tries to discourage her, but Annabelle won't be stopped, even though she risks Permanent Doll State, in which she could turn into a regular, nonliving doll. And when the "Real Pink Plastic" Funcraft family moves in next door, the Doll family's world is turned upside down--in more ways than one! Fans of The Borrowers and Stuart Little will love this exciting story of adventure and mystery. The relationship between the two doll families, one antique, one modern, is hilariously, wonderfully drawn. The Funcrafts are reckless and raucous, with fearlessness born of their unbreakable plastic parts. The Doll family is reserved and somewhat prim, even though they occasionally break into '60s tunes like "Respect" in their sing-alongs. Annabelle is a heroine with integrity and gumption. Ann Martin (The Babysitters Club series) and Laura Godwin create a witty, intriguing tale, illustrated with humor and a clever eye for detail by Brian Selznick. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter

    They come to love this baby as their own, all the while knowing that eventually Sophie's mother will return one day to take her from them.

    Now, for the first time, you can purchase all sixty-four classic Nancy Drew titles in one complete set!#1: The Secret of the Old Clock#2: The Hidden Staircase #3: The Bungalow Mystery #4: The Mystery at Lilac Inn #5: The Secret of Shadow Ranch #6: The Secret of Red Gate Farm #7: The Clue in the Diary #8: Nancy's Mysterious Letter #9: The Sign of the Twisted Candles #10: Password to Larkspur Lane #11: The Clue of the Broken Locket #12: The Message in the Hollow Oak #13: The Mystery of the Ivory Charm #14: The Whispering Statue #15: The Haunted Bridge #16: The Clue of the Tapping Heels #17: Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk #18: Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion #19: The Quest of the Missing Map #20: The Clue in the Jewel Box #21: The Secret in the Old Attic #22: The Clue in the Crumbling Wall #23: Mystery of the Tolling Bell #24: The Clue in the Old Album #25: The Ghost of Blackwood Hall #26: The Clue of the Leaning Chimney #27: The Secret of the Wooden Lady #28: The Clue of the Black Keys #29: Mystery at the Ski Jump #30: The Clue of the Velvet Mask #31: The Ringmaster's Secret #32: The Scarlet Slipper Mystery #33: The Witch Tree Symbol #34: The Hidden Window Mystery #35: The Haunted Showboat #36: The Secret of the Golden Pavilion #37: The Clue in the Old Stagecoach #38: The Mystery of the Fire Dragon #39: The Clue of the Dancing Puppet #40: The Moonstone Castle Mystery #41: The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes #42: The Phantom of Pine Hill #43: The Mystery of the 99 Steps #44: The Clue in the Crossword Cipher #45: The Spider Sapphire Mystery #46: The Invisible Intruder #47: The Mysterious Mannequin #48: The Crooked Banister #49: The Secret of Mirror Bay #50: The Double Jinx Mystery #51: Mystery of the Glowing Eye #52: The Secret of the Forgotten City #53: The Sky Phantom #54: The Strange Message in the Parchment #55: Mystery of Crocodile Island #56: The Thirteenth Pearl #57: The Triple Hoax #58: The Flying Saucer Mystery #59: The Secret in the Old Lace #60: The Greek Symbol Mystery #61: The Swami's Ring #62: The Kachina Doll Mystery #63: The Twin Dilemma #64: Captive Witness

    NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIESSome boxes should never be opened.For the first time, the complete A Series of Unfortunate Events is available in one awful package!We can't keep you from succumbing to this international bestselling phenomenon, but we can hide all thirteen books in a huge, elaborately illustrated, shrink-wrapped box, perfect for filling an empty shelf or deep hole.From The Bad Beginning to The End, this box set, adorned with Brett Helquist art from front to back, is the only choice for people who simply cannot get enough of a bad thing!