Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit! He turned long-held notions about the universe topsy turvy with his support of a sun-centric solar system. Patricia Brennan Demuth offers a sympathetic portrait of a brilliant man who lived in a time when speaking scientific truth to those in power was still a dangerous proposition.

    The Rudomin family has been arrested by the Russians. They are "capitalists' enemies of the people." Forced from their home and friends in Vilna, Poland, they are herded into crowded cattle cars. Their destination: the endless steppe of Siberia.For five years, Esther and her family live in exile, weeding potato fields and working in the mines, struggling for enough food and clothing to stay alive. Only the strength of family sustains them and gives them hope for the future.

    As a family of dragon slayers, the Quenches of Ashby have always been burning successes...until the evil Black Count invades, and the family's fortunes go into a downward spiral.  Then a dragon unexpectedly arrives and Lily, the last of the Quenches, is called upon to fight it.  Soon she finds herself on a desperate, magical quest to save Ashby from destruction-and restore the lost heir to his throne...