Book picks similar to
Toyetica Vol. 1 by Marty LeGrow


young-adult
alternate-history
comics-graphic-manga
comics-manga

Transformers


Bob Budiansky - 1985
    The Autobots are reformatted by the Ark to resemble cars and trucks; the Decepticons take the form of jets, weapons or in the case of Soundwave, a cassette deck with tapes.The Decepticons wreak havoc, steal energy and build a fortress. The Autobots, seen here as very weak underdogs, unsuited for war, fight valiantly to stop their foes.Ultimately, it's the humans that the Autobots befriend that save the day. Buster Witwicky's dad, captured by the Decepticons to formulate a fuel for them, secretly poisons his captors.In the final battle, five Autobots take on the entire Decepticon army. On the cusp of defeat, the tainted fuel concocted by Mr. Witwicky kicks in and the Decepticons fall.The Autobots don't even have time to celebrate, however, as the 4-part mini-series ends with Shockwave making an appearance, blowing the remaining Autobots to pieces. This cliffhanger led directly into the monthly Marvel run, which began 3 months after the miniseries ended. (Issue #4 had a cover date of Mar. 1985; issue #5 had a date of June.)Starting with issue 5, The Transformers had more drastic changes. Before reaching its 30th issue, both Optimus Prime and Megatron had been killed off to make way for newer characters.Starting in issue 35 (cover-dated December, 1987), the events became less Earth-centric, as the Transformers repaired their spacecraft and were able to revisit their homeworld Cybertron and other planets. This aspect was particularly prominent in the Matrix Quest sub-plot.In issue 75 (cover-dated February, 1991), the Autobots and Decepticons had united under one banner after Autobot commander Optimus Prime surrendered to Scorponok, in order to end their civil war. United, they finally faced their ancient nemesis: Unicron. The Transformers won, but with heavy losses, including the deaths of Scorponok and Optimus Prime (again). Peace between the two Transformers factions was shortlived after Unicron's death. Bludgeon, the new Decepticon leader, tried to strand the Autobots on Cybertron, which was apparently destroying itself. His plan failed and the final confrontation between the two factions played out, with the Autobots lead again by Grimlock. Optimus Prime is united with Hi-Q (his Powermaster) and given life by The Last Autobot. He returns to battle to save the Autobots and then exiles the Decepticons forever (until Transformers: Generation 2). After the battle with Unicron, the comic ran for only five issues before being cancelled. The final issue had the mini series banner above the title; "#80 IN A FOUR ISSUE LIMITED SERIES".Most of the issues of Transformers Marvel US were written by two writers. Although the first four issues were written by Jim Salicrup, editor Bob Budiansky was the one who contributed the most to the story, writing the character bios and backgrounds for the Transformers, even giving names to some of them. After the mini-series became an ongoing comic, Budiansky was promoted to constant writer. Except for issue #16 (Plight of the Bumblebee, written by Len Kaminski), issue #43 (The big broadcast of 2006, a Transformers cartoon episode adaptation by Ralph Macchio) and the two-part story Man of Iron (imported from Transformers Marvel UK), Bob wrote all the Transformers comics until issue #55.Most famous story arcs and issues are Warrior's school featuring the introduction of the Dinobots and the first clash between Autobot medic Ratchet and Megatron; Prime Time! when Optimus Prime is finally freed from captivity and battles current Decepticon commander Shockwave; Smelting Pool and The Bridge to Nowhere brought the story back to Cybertron where only a handful of Autobots fight an underground war against Straxus's Decepticons, also introducing Blaster, Budiansky's most-used character who was radically different from his cartoon and Marvel UK version. Afterdeath and Gone but not forgotten saw the deaths (for a while, anyway) of Optimus Prime and Megatron, after which Grimlock took control of the Autobot forces in King of the Hill. Starting at issue #28, Blaster and Goldbug (a rebuilt Bumblebee) defected from the Autobots due to Grimlock tyrannical leadership, which ended with Grimlock and Blaster having a duel in Totaled. The next issue, People Power saw the return of Optimus Prime, as a Powermaster. The "Underbase saga" began in issue #47 and ended in issue #50, Dark Star, where Starscream, absorbing the power of the Underbase, kills most of the active Transformers of the time. (Budiansky admitted in an interview that Hasbro was forcing him to introduce new characters so quickly, he had to do an epic to "make room" for them.) Budiansky's last 5 stories were very mediocre, he himself said that he lost the interest in Transformers, and asked Hasbro to hand over the comics to a new writer.From issue #56, the by then well-known writer of Transformers Marvel UK, Simon Furman took over the reins, having been asked by Marvel US. Furman used the characterisation he used at Marvel UK for the Transformers, and introduced many characters to the US comic who have already appeared in the UK comic. He wrote all the issues until the comic's cancellation at issue #80.Furmnan's most famous story arcs include Back from the Dead, the return of Megatron who kidnaps Ratchet to help him in his revenge against both Autobots and Decepticons; Primal Scream! which introduced Primus and re-told the origin of the Transformer race to the US readers too; the "Matrix Quest" which features the Autobots sending numerous teams to locate the Matrix that was lost when Optimus "died" and his body was shot into space; and the Unicron story arc from #67 to #75, featuring the Transformers' ultimate battle against the Chaos Bringer.Sadly the comic was cancelled shortly after issue #75, so Furman had to "wrap up" the ending. According to some interviews with him, he planned to feature the Neo-Knights and the "demons" inhabiting Cybertron's underground more in the never-written issues

Saving Dr. Warren


Jeffery McKenna - 2020
    ✯ The American Revolution ✯ WWII ✯ 9-11 What About Today?How do we share Patriotism with America's Future?The novel Saving Dr. Warren...A True Patriot answers that question through the eyes of a 14 year old boy.Steve O'Dell loves to write and does it well. But as an eighth-grade student at Needham Middle School, his talent sometimes seems more an embarassment than a blessing.Then, on Veterans Day 2001, Steve's award-winning essay propels him into an adventure twisting through Revolutionary battles and bloodshed. Thanks to the bizarre bequest of a manuscript and a musket ball from a long-lost family war hero, Steve's journey with the Revolutionary War hero Dr. Joseph Warren begins.A time-traveling talisman missing from the archives of one of Boston's oldest historical societies takes Steve through portals of history, where he walks side by side with a real Boston patriot. He makes house calls with Dr. Warren on March 5, 1770 and stumbles onto the bloodstained streets of the Boston Massacre. From the killings of March 5, to boarding tea ships in 1773, Steve's history book explodes to life as he helps Dr. Warren and forges a friendship with Boston's True Patriot. Steve watches Dr. Warren launch Paul Revere on his midnight ride, and he helps Dr. Warren dodge British musket balls in the first battles of the War for Independence. With each adventure, Steve tastes the light that ignites The Revolution.Steve will eventually convince others that the Revolutionary relic he was given really does open portals through time, but he faces his most difficult quest alone-saving Dr. Warren from the onslaught at Bunker Hill. Can he do it? And if he fails, will he ever return to this century?Saving Dr. Warren...A True Patriot rips through the pages of history. From the Revolutionary War to the vanishing veterans of World War II, to the ashes of September 11, 2001, Saving Dr. Warren demonstrates to both old and young that patriotism, standing like an old oak tree on a grandfather's farm, has and will endure.★ ☆ ★ ☆Author's NoteI love Historical fiction; it is a wonderful tool for learning. Saving Dr. Warren...A True Patriot is a historical fiction novel written for younger readers and middle school teachers. Within these pages are resources that junior high school teachers can use to help their class explore the impact of September 11th, World War II and the beginnings of the American Revolution.Through historical fiction, the author is able to provide young readers a perspective on what it would be like to experience 9-11 and the War on Terror as a middle school student, allowing history to come alive.Combat stories as told by a United States Marine and Medal of Honor recipient give middle school teachers the opportunity to share with students the Battle of Okinawa and impress upon them the sacrifices made for freedom. The importance of Veterans Day is also impressed upon Steve, the teenage protagonist, as he learns about his great uncle's experience as a World War II Marine.Finally, Steve's experiences with Dr. Joseph Warren will propel middle school readers into the beginnings of the American Revolution. All Americans have heard of Paul Revere, but how many know that it was Dr. Warren who sent his best friend out on the famous midnight ride? Junior high school students and teachers can experience the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the battles of Lexington, Concord and Menotomy, as well as the Battle of Bunker Hill, through the lens of Dr. Joseph Warren, America's forgotten hero.Saving Dr. Warren...A True Patriot was written to help teachers connect with these important historical events, while providing a fun adventure through history for teenage readers.

Maniac Magee By Jerry Spinelli A Novel Teaching Pack


Margaret Whisnant - 2007
    Also suitable for home school programs and independent study. Reproductible. 85 Pages

The Mage Chronicles: The Complete Series


Lisa Cassidy - 2018
    Some will not accept it. Some will fight back... Alyx Egalion. Wealthy, popular, the daughter of Rionn’s most powerful lord. Yet soon after her sixteenth birthday, her world is shattered when she is sent away to DarkSkull Hall to learn her magic. Surviving DarkSkull is no easy task, and unable to access her magic, Alyx has nothing but her growing friendship with a handful of DarkSkull’s other misfits and her own wits to rely on for protection. The longer she spends at DarkSkull, the more she discovers about the terrible secrets that hide her true past—secrets that challenge everything she’s ever believed in. Outside DarkSkull Hall, the Taliath—ancient guardians of the mage order—have vanished inexplicably. Powerful mages are disappearing one by one. A fragile peace that stood for decades is threatening to crumble. An old enemy is on the hunt… As this sweeping YA fantasy saga draws to a close, Alyx and her friends must find a way to defeat the most dangerous mage alive before he destroys everything they hold dear. How far will she go to save those she loves?

Unofficial Series List - J.R. Ward - In Order: The Black Dagger Brotherhood, The Fallen Angels, and Jessica Bird books


This Fangirl - 2015
    The list includes books written as Jessica Bird and clears up the books re-released with new titles. Most of this information is available on the author's website, jrward.com. If, like me, you'd like to have the list on your kindle where you can pop it open just like your other kindle books instead of logging on to your laptop or PC, you will find this list handy. Hopefully you have the Kindle Unlimited subscription and can download it for free. If not, you'll have to decide if the convenience is worth a buck. This is a title list only. In reading order. No portions of the books mentioned have been reproduced here. No copyright infringement is intended. Just to avoid any misunderstandings about copyright, according to the United States Copyright Office, “Copyright law does not protect names, titles, or short phrases or expressions.” (copyright.gov, circular 34). I hope you find this made-for-kindle list helpful in deciding which of Ms. Ward's books to purchase and enjoy next.

Adventure of Sinbad: Prototype


Shinobu Ohtaka - 2013
    It was released with the first DVD & Blu-ray, on January 30, 2013, and tells the story of Sinbad's conquest of the first Dungeon, Baal.

Breathing Water


Tanya Bird - 2020
    An ancient secret. A bond that will change them forever.Failed ballerina Ella Lewis has just landed a job in an industry she knows nothing about. The goal is simple: build a normal life and keep her father happy. So when construction worker Dax Coburn enters the scene, six-foot-three of pure complication, she knows she should steer clear. The mystery shadowing him sets alarm bells ringing, yet she’s drawn to him in a way that makes no sense. As Ella gets to know the cryptic man, she discovers a secret that threatens to unravel her tidy life.Dax knows getting involved with a human is a bad idea. So why can’t he leave her alone? Gifted, funny, and alluring as hell, Ella Lewis is beautifully packaged trouble. As if he doesn’t have enough reasons to stay away, she’s just landed a job at the very company he’s vowed to destroy. Now his secret’s out, his pod exposed, and he must figure out if Ella is the mate he’s been waiting for or his path of ruin.If you love a paranormal bad boy, soul mates, and sharp dialogue, then this high-emotion romance is for you.Breathing Water is a standalone paranormal romance containing language and themes intended for mature readers.

The Pom Pom Fortress


Alecia Snowfall - 2015
    Young Kyle struggles to make it through the school day without being noticed, but others intend to make him the center of attention.

Hindustaan: An Epic Adventure of the Mughal Empire


Mainak Dhar - 2011
    That superpower was what we know today as India under the Mughal Empire. Years of internal strife, attacks by Afghan raiders and finally conquest by the British led to the decline and destruction of this mighty empire.But what if India had never been conquered by the British? What if it remained a mighty and prosperous nation under the rule of the Mughal Empire?A nation known as Hindustaan.Dilli, 1857. The Mughal Empire is at the peak of its power and is gearing up to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of its victory over the British, an occasion where the popular Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is widely expected to announce his successor. The Empire is thrown into sudden chaos when the Emperor is assassinated and a new regime seizes power in a bloody coup. In this maelstrom, three unlikely companions find themselves thrown together by fate. Ranveer, a young officer in the elite Mughal cavalry, who is now hunted by the very Empire he served; Theo, a rakish English traveller with a mysterious past and Maya, a beautiful and spirited Princess they rescue. Together, they embark on a series of dramatic adventures across Hindustaan. A journey that takes them from bloody skirmishes with Afghan raiders, rescue missions in remote forts, joining a coalition of rulers who band together against the new despotic regime to protect their independence, and finally back into the heart of Dilli for a dramatic mission.The stage is set for a monumental struggle that will decide not just their fate, but that of the whole of Hindustaan.

Darkest Days


N.W. Harris - 2017
    Composed of pure energy, this superior race has attacked the Anunnaki home world and is now setting a course for Earth.The energy-based aliens believe in a system of trial by battle. They seek to push Shane and his friends into the arena with the ones who killed their parents. The results will determine if humans deserve to live, or if they should be made extinct as well. It's up to Shane to keep his friends--and an army of kids who look up to him--alive. They'll be fighting not just for their own lives, but for the fate of the entire human race. Can the enemy of Shane's enemy be his friend, or is this just another species determined to exploit and destroy them?

Giant Days #1 (Giant Days, #1)


John Allison - 2015
    His story of three friends at university lightly flavored with the occult features some of the best dialogue in comics, and we couldn't help but think it's like Monty Python goes to college. Sign us up! WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: John Allison's daily webcomics are hilarious, the kind of strips where every panel makes you laugh out loud. As a result, John has earned a large, loyal following of readers that have followed his work daily for the past 12 years. This is a series fans of things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scott Pilgrim, or Gunnerkrigg Court will not want to miss. WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends because their dorm rooms were next to each other. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, "personal experimentation," influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of "academia," they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive.

Camp Half-Blood - The Heroes of Olympus Characters: The Lost Hero Characters, the Son of Neptune Characters, etc.


Source Wikipedia - 2011
    Pages: 148. Chapters: The Lost Hero characters, The Son of Neptune characters, Ella, Enceladus, Hazel Levesque, Lupa, Polybotes, Aeolus, Annabeth Chase, Aphrodite, Argus, Big Three, Boreas, Butch, Calais, Chiron, Clarisse La Rue, Clovis, Drew, Dylan, Enceladus, Esperanza Valdez, Festus, Gaea, Gegeines, Giant, Gleeson Hedge, Harley, Hecate, Hephaestus, Hera, Iris, Isabel, Jake Mason, Jane, Jason Grace, Khione, Krios, Lacy, Leo Valdez, Lityerses, Lou Ellen, Lupa, Lycanthrope, Lycaon, Ma Gasket, Medea, Mellie, Midas, Miranda Gardiner, Mitchell, Ms. Grace, Naiad, Nyssa, Phoebe, Piper McLean, Porphyrion, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Seymour, Sump, Tempest, Thalia Grace, The Gigantes, The Oracle, Torque, Travis Stoll, Tristan McLean, Ventus, Water Nymph, Will Solace, Wind Gods, Wind Nymph, Zethes, Zeus, Zoe, Alcyoneus, Amazons, Ares, Argentium, Arion, Auguries, Aurum, Basilisk, Bobby, Dakota, Don the Faun, Doris, Ella, Emily Zhang, Euryale, Festus, Fleecy, Frank Zhang, Gaea, Gegeines, Grandma Zhang, Gray, Gwendolyn, Hades, Hannibal, Hazel Levesque, Hellhound, Hera, Hylla, Iris, Julia, Karpoi, Kinzie, Laistrygonian Giant, Lares, Larry, Leo Valdez, Lulu, Lupa, Ma Gasket, Mrs. O'Leary, Nico di Angelo, Octavian, Otrera, Percy Jackson, Phineas, Polybotes, Reyna, Sammy Valdez, Scipio, Stheno, Terminus, Thanatos, The Gorgons, Tyson. Excerpt: Ella is a Harpy that appears in The Son of Neptune. Ella is an ally of Percy, Frank and Hazel who holds a number of secrets. She was originally with Phineas and the other harpies, cursed to only eat from Phineas' table. Phineas said Ella was the most annoying harpy, and that she was more persistant than the rest. She was harrassed by the other harpies, whenever she got food, the others would steal it and leave her with nothing. Ella lived on a makeshift cardboard shelter on top of the Multnomah County Library, surrounded by books. After the trio defeated Phineas, Ella said...

Aeson: Blue


Vera Nazarian - 2021
    Intelligent, well-educated, perfectly isolated in his lofty rank, responsibilities, and privilege of the divine Imperial Dynasty. He's the most powerful boy on Atlantis and he's going into the real world for the very first time. . . .Now just another student in Fleet Cadet School, Aeson must learn everything normal people take for granted—including the basics of how to look after himself, how to interact with others his age, how to laugh, and how to make friends.As if that wasn't enough to boggle the mind of a confident but shy boy who's never had a real conversation with anyone but his mother, Aeson has one more lesson ahead . . . what it's like to fall in love.Get inside Aeson's mind and learn his story from the inside out as he forms the bonds that will change him forever—with Elikara, Xelio, Oalla, Keruvat, Erita, and other favorite Atlantean characters, long before they took to the stars as astra daimon! AESON: BLUE is the first in The Atlantis Grail Novella Series.

Gaia's Secret: The Complete Pandoran Series Quartet


Barbara Kloss - 2019
    TWO WORLDS. ONE LOVE. Eighteen-year old Daria Jones feels trapped in the cow-strewn suburbs of Fresno, California. And with a father so overprotective he's installed video and thermal surveillance down the street, she doesn't get out much. Until the night he disappears. Following the trail of notes he's left behind, Daria gathers three things: a dark force is hunting her, her father's fled to another world on a cryptic mission, and the only one left to trust is her ex-best friend, Alexander Anderson. The more she learns about her father's absence, the more she realizes she must go to this other world to find him. And Alexander is the only one who knows how to get there. Amidst a world of diabolical creatures, ancient magic, and bizarrely intuitive vegetation, Daria must find her father before the dark force finds her. But the truth of who she really is could be her greatest enemy of all. [First Edition published February 2, 2015] Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Falling Kingdoms, and the Lunar Chronicles. The Complete Pandoran Series Includes: Gaia's Secret The Keeper's Flame Breath of Dragons Heir of Pendel