Book picks similar to
Hank Hudson by Clark Chamberlain
fantasy
historical-fiction
giveaways-entered
middle-grade
Beyond the Door
Maureen Doyle McQuerry - 2014
But one night, while his parents and sister are away, the door opens, and mythical creatures appear in his own living room! Soon, a mystery of unparalleled proportions begins to unfold, revealing an age-old battle of Light against Dark, and Timothy must embark on a quest to prevent the Dark from controlling the future and changing the past. But he can’t complete the quest alone. Timothy has to team up with his sister and the school bully, Jessica, to face an ancient evil, and in the process, this unlikely trio discover they are each more than meets the eye.
The Land without Color
Benjamin Ellefson - 2016
The trees, the flowers, the dirt, the sky, the animals, and even the people are all missing their color. Confronted with the mystery of the missing color, Alvin teams up with some unexpected friends to battle man-eating plants, outsmart the bumbling Crimson Guards, cross the Sugar Desert, overcome the two-headed dragon, and find the color-stealing goblins to restore color to the kingdom.
The Reform Artists: A Legal Thriller (First Book in The Reform Artists Spy Novel Series)
Jon Reisfeld - 2010
An enjoyable read!" -- Readers' Favorite"Kramer vs. Kramer" Meets "Mission Impossible" in this Legal Suspense / Spy Thriller about the Perils of Modern-Day Divorce.If You Like Complex, Contemporary Legal Thrillers with Courtroom Drama, Real-World Scenarios, Emotional Insights, and Techno-Thriller Intrigue, You'll Love The Reform Artists.First book in the Reform Artists Legal Thriller / Spy Novel Series.Readers Praise Jon Reisfeld and The Reform Artists:“Grabs you by the collar and sweeps you along on a nightmarish journey through the legal system." -- Jamie Bruno“So well-written, it kept me hooked!” -- Helen Deakin“An exciting and thoroughly suspenseful read! -- Roger Corea“A page turner. Sharply drawn characters. Illuminating, imaginative and enjoyable.” -- Mary (Amazon customer)"A brilliantly-crafted legal thriller full of suspense, wit and a hint of science fiction." -- Amanda HeadleeBook Description:Who are the Reform Artists?That's the question plaguing Martin Silkwood, successful CPA and devoted dad, as his life spirals out of control. Martin has one week in which to prove he's innocent of the domestic violence charges his estranged wife, Katie, has brought against him. If he fails, he could lose everything.Martin can either play by the rules and trust a legal system that presumes he's guilty, or he can accept help from a covert reform group that will go to extremes to achieve its ends. Either way, his life will never be the same.Follow the action as the clock ticks down to the final, courtroom trial -- and stunning conclusion -- to this page-turning, legal thriller / spy novel.
Eden at the Edge of Midnight
John Kerry - 2012
A paradise that became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.Now the realm exists in darkness and its people need a champion, a chosen one to save them from the poison that cloaks the land and threatens to smother its inhabitants.That's what they needed. They got sixteen-year-old Sammy Ellis instead. Her only responsibility was to help the "chosen one" open a gateway into the realm. But, not only has she entered the land in their place, she's also locked them out in the process.Sammy finds herself lost in a twilight land of giant mushrooms and pursued by dark forces. Can she find a way home so the true chosen one can return or has the realm been doomed by her actions?
The Lost Heir
E.G. Foley - 2012
Foley presents The Gryphon Chronicles, a new series of historical fantasy adventures that's as much fun for grownups as it is for kids!Strange new talents...Jake is a scrappy orphaned pickpocket living by his wits on the streets of Victorian London. Lately he's started seeing ghosts, and discovers he can move solid objects with his mind! He has no idea why. Next thing he knows, a Sinister Gentleman and his minions come hunting him. On the run for his life, Jake is plunged headlong into a mysterious world full of magic and deadly peril. A world that holds the secret to who he really is: the long-lost heir of an aristocratic family-with magical powers!But with treacherous enemies closing in, it will take all of his wily street instincts and the help of his friends-both human and magical-to solve the mystery of what happened to his parents, and defeat the foes who never wanted the Lost Heir of Griffon to be found..."A wonderful novel in the same vein as Harry Potter, full of nonstop action, magical creatures, and the reality that was Queen Victoria's England." The Reading CafeOptioned For A Movie!The Complete Gryphon Chronicles Series: Book 1 - THE LOST HEIRBook 2 - JAKE & THE GIANTBook 3 - THE DARK PORTALBook 3.5 - JAKE & THE GINGERBREAD WARSBook 4 - RISE OF ALLIESBook 5 - SECRETS OF THE DEEPBook 6 - THE BLACK FORTRESS
The Candle Room
Daniel K. Gentile - 2016
His first client was a transient who just learned that he was the sole beneficiary of his estranged brother’s multi-million dollar estate. His brother was brutally murdered and the alleged killer was on trial in what appeared to be an open and shut case. Zach observed the riveting courtroom drama as the case unfolded and in the process, discovered a dark, deadly secret left by the murder victim. He soon learned that he was way over his head in his new practice and that his first case could cost him not only his career but his life.
Making Payments: An American Indian, the Vietnam War, Laos, and the Hmong
John Oventile - 2012
But this wasn’t science fiction; this was a journey of harsh reality, pain, hunger, danger, and death. George Downwind, an American Indian, an Ojibwa, grew up in the isolation of a twentieth-century reservation. But instead of succumbing to the alcoholism and hopelessness around him, his outlook was shaped by the myths and legends of an earlier time. From countless stories told by old men around campfires, he thought he knew what life had been like for his people in the time before the white man. In his imagination he lived this life, passed the tests of manhood and tasted battle. When the end came he experienced the depression of watching his people be defeated and disintegrate as a culture. To the west of the battlefields in Vietnam during the 1960’s and early ‘70’s, across the border in the neutral country of Laos, another war raged. This war was seldom mentioned in the news and when it was, it was referred to as the “Secret War.” Few people heard of it and fewer still knew who was doing the fighting. It was the Hmong, a minority ethnic group who had survived for a thousand years in their mountain sanctuaries through slash and burn agriculture, and a resolute adherence to their culture. They valued freedom, family, and wanted nothing more than to be left alone. They were a primitive people without a written language living in a primitive land. And, just as with the American Indian tribes, each of the Hmong clans had their own approach to survival. Some fought, some forged alliances, and other just tried to say out of the way. Grievously injured in the chaos of battle in Vietnam in the early days of that war, George Downwind, a private in the U.S. Army, was rescued from certain death and nursed back to heath by one of these clans. During his time with them he experienced the full brutality of the life they lived—the same life that had been the fate of his ancestors. When it came time for him to leave Laos and the Hmong, he had a debt to repay. He owed his life to the Hmong and vowed to make the payments.
Rebel Genius
Michael Dante DiMartino - 2016
Every artist possesses a Genius, a birdlike creature that is the living embodiment of an artist's creative spirit. Those caught with one face a punishment akin to death, so when Giacomo discovers he has a Genius, he knows he's in serious trouble.Luckily, he finds safety in a secret studio where young artists and their Geniuses train in sacred geometry to channel their creative energies as weapons. But when a murderous artist goes after the three Sacred Tools--objects that would allow him to destroy the world and everyone in his path--Giacomo and his friends must risk their lives to stop him.
Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead.
Chris Pauls - 2012
. . with the walking dead. This fast-paced thriller reimagines the historical events of the fateful Titanic voyage through the lens of zombie mayhem. Captain Edward Smith and his inner circle desperately try to contain a weaponized zombie virus smuggled on board with the 2,200 passengers sailing to New York. Faced with an exploding population of lumbering, flesh-hungry undead, Smith's team is forced into bloody hand-to-hand combat down the narrow halls of the huge steamer. In its few short days at sea, the majestic Titanic turns into a Victorian bloodbath, steaming at top speed toward a cold, blue iceberg. A creepy, tense page-turner, Deck Z will thrill zombie fans and Titanic buffs alike.
The Time Hunters
Carl Ashmore - 2010
She likes Facebook, gossiping and plenty of sleep. So when she and her brother, Joe, are invited to stay with their 'loony' Uncle Percy at his stately home, she thinks it’ll be the worst summer ever. What she doesn't realise is that Bowen Hall is also home to a baby Triceratops, two Sabre-tooth tigers and the mythic hero, Will Scarlet... 'The Time Hunters' is a thrilling adventure that takes Becky, Joe, Uncle Percy and Will on a quest through time to find the legendary Golden Fleece. The Clock is ticking....
Under Their Skin
Margaret Peterson Haddix - 2016
Well, yes, they will have to move. And they will have a new stepfather, stepbrother, and stepsister. But Mom tells them not to worry. They won't ever have to meet their stepsiblings.This news puzzles Nick and Eryn, so the twins set out on a mission to find out who these kids are - and why they're being kept hidden.
Secrets of the Magic Ring
Karen McQuestion - 2011
Once that’s done, he’s shocked by the sudden arrival of a strange boy named Henry who demands Paul hand over his newfound treasure. Luckily, Paul’s dog scares off the intruder, leaving Paul to discover the contents of the box: a ring with directions for making wishes. When the ring ends up in the hands of his Aunt Vicky, her greatest wish quickly comes true. Could this ring be magical? Do wishes really come true? Paul is about to find out.This vibrant, imaginative tale reminds us that like eating too much ice cream, sometimes the things that start off as fun can lead to big trouble.
Ms. Rapscott's Girls
Elise Primavera - 2015
. . and the importance of birthday cake.Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery.Bestselling author Elise Primavera has created an irresistible, richly illustrated story about finding your way.
When Farts Had Colors
Mark Lawton Thomas - 2011
When Farts Had Colors is the story of 4th grader Lance Chance who hates Mondays. This particular Monday Lance's mom coaxes Lance to school with his favorite sandwiches and a 'wish-kiss'. On his way to school Lance is tormented by "the biggest, meanest 4th grader ever to stalk the halls of Alfonso Orr Elementary School. Merry Maddox. Bully Extraordinaire…”A legend" and her posse of mayhem, the Crazy M&Ms. If having to hand over his sandwiches and perform a certain humiliating act wasn't enough, Lance gets blamed by Merry Maddox for letting out a fart so horrible it forces the entire school to evacuate. Lance runs away from school and wishes that farts had colors. "Then everyone would have known it was Merry Maddox who sent out those heat seeking missiles of doom and destruction," thinks Lance. And just like that, Lance's wish comes true. Will Lance come up with a plan to expose Merry Maddox and reveal her true colors?
If My Name Was Amanda
Curtis Edmonds - 2017
"If my name was Amanda I'd live in Atlanta, and I'd wave hello to a shark..."A little girl with a big imagination dreams of the adventures she might have, if she was somebody else instead of herself - from befriending sharks in Atlanta to playing jazz in New Orleans to riding her bike in Zanesville.The possibilities are endless, but her favorite person to be is still herself, at home with her family.With playful, rhyming text and colorful, engaging illustrations, this whirlwind introduction to the richness and variety of life in the USA is a story that children will delight in reading over and over, and using as a springboard for their own imaginative adventures.