A Sequel to Swiss Family Robinson from the author of Heidi

The work known as the "Swiss Family Robinson" has long enjoyed a well-merited popularity, and has been perused by a multitude of readers, young and old, with profit as well as pleasure. A Swiss clergyman resolved to better his fortune by emigration. He embarked with his wife and four sons -- the latter ranging from eight to fifteen years of age -- for one of the newly-discovered islands in the Pacific Ocean. Along the coast of New Guinea they encountered a violent storm arose, and finally cast it a wreck upon an unknown coast. The present volume is virtually a continuation of this narrative. The careers of the four sons -- Frank, Ernest, Fritz, and Jack -- are taken up where the preceding chronicler left them off. . . .

On a cliff overlooking Lake Ontario, the Genesee River, and the port of Rochester, New York, a lonely lighthouse stood watch. Its windows were boarded up and its roof was leaking. Its face was dirty and its light had long since gone out. Its front door was hidden with brush and its stairs were crumbling. But maybe you wouldn't look so good either if you were 127 years old! From inside the lighthouse tower came the sound of scratching, but no one was there to hear it. That is, no human ears were there to hear it because the lighthouse had been abandoned for eighteen years. Across town, life was very different. Susan B. Anthony School #27 was vibrating with energy. For this class, saving the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse would become more than just a school project, it would become the adventure of a lifetime.

More than anything, young Blaze wants to be a man of his Sinagua tribe. He dreams of being a great hunter and warrior. But his people of the Great Cliff are a peaceful farming tribe and believe that learning the skills of war will anger the gods and worsen the drought that already threatens all the peoples of the desert. And then, on his first great journey, Blazed discovers the great Hohokam people and their game of guayball, a brutal and exciting sport played by both boys and men. Drawn to that culture which respects fighters above all others, Blaze must decide where his true spirit lies. Enjoy the excitement, passion and danger of the final days of America's great cliff dwellings. In a world threatened by drought and war, one boy strives to grow up, and do the right thing for himself and his people.

In the fall of 1357, a Flemish weaver travels around the countryside in England, at the request of the king, seeking apprentices to learn his trade. During this time, however, many Englishmen prefer the easy wealth gained from war and pillaging to learning to work diligently with their hands. Along the way the weaver meets a prosperous wool merchant with two sons-big, strong, sixteen-year-old Roger and small, crippled, thirteen-year-old Tom. The merchant is eager to advance his elder son but the weaver feels drawn to the intelligence of young Tom who is seen only as a burden and a curse. When Roger suddenly disappears one evening, the weaver sees his opportunity to help Tom, but Tom's father is not at all sure he should agree to the weaver's startling plan. Through many unexpected events, Tom must learn how even a crippled boy can serve God and be a true help to his family and his country.

Marcia Brown's powerful retelling of the story of Paka'a and his son Ku-a-Paka'a conveys the beauty and pomp of ancient Hawaii and recreates a life and culture of days now past. In this legend a brave young boy endeavors to restore his exiled father to his position as royal guardian and personal attendant to the king. How the boy's remarkable courage and ingenuity help his father regain his rightful place as "backbone of the king" is an eloquent, exciting narrative. Through the skillful meshing of authentic chants and taut prose, Marcia Brown gives the reader a memorable glimpse into a little-known folklore that can hold its own with the great legends of the world. Backbone of the King is inspired by "The Story of Paka'a and his son Ku-a-Paka'a," a Hawaiian legend that came to Marcia Brown's attention in the autumn of 1962, when she was visiting the islands. An inveterate traveler and storyteller, it was almost inevitable that she receive as a gift a collection of Hawaiian legends. When she returned to the islands the following year, she spent some twelve months painting and studying Hawaiiana. She also inquired into the background of the Paka'a story.

More than anything, Ida Bidson wants to become a teacher. To do that, she must finish eighth grade, then go on to high school. But her dream falters when the one-room school in her remote Colorado town shuts down. Her only hope is to keep the school open without anyone finding out. Yet even a "secret" school needs a teacher. Ida can't be it. . . . Or can she?
In the spirit of "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, " Newbery Medal winner Avi creates an inspiring story of a headstrong girl determined to control her own destiny.

Who can catch a memory thief? ' An unforgettable adventure ' THE TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK. "Starting on All Fools Day, twelve years ago, I remember everything. EVERYTHING. That was a wet Saturday, and that was the day I was born." 12-year-old Piaf has the ability to (and burden of) remembering everything that has happened since the day she was born. When she discovers everyone in Paris has forgotten the entire last year, 1887, including the disappearance of several gifted children, Piaf and her twin brother Luc embark on a dangerous journey that brings them to the depths of Paris's underground twin, the Catacombs, to capture the memory thief and find the lost children.

Lives hang in the balance in this gripping Revolutionary War adventure from a beloved Newbery Medalist.
In 1776, young Sophia Calderwood witnesses the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, which is newly occupied by the British army. Sophia is horrified by the event and resolves to do all she can to help the American cause. Recruited as a spy, she becomes a maid in the home of General Clinton, the supreme commander of the British forces in America. Through her work she becomes aware that someone in the American army might be switching sides, and she uncovers a plot that will grievously damage the Americans if it succeeds. But the identity of the would-be traitor is so shocking that no one believes her, and so Sophia decides to stop the treacherous plot herself, at great personal peril: She s young, she s a girl, and she s running out of time. And if she fails, she s facing an execution of her own.
Master storyteller Avi shows exactly how personal politics can be in this nail-biting thriller (Publishers Weekly) that is rich in historical detail and rife with action.

A historical time-slip adventure for middle grade readers, from the Carnegie Medal-winning author of Apache and Buffalo Soldier. Alfie Wright? Alfie Wrong, more like. Alfie has never really fitted in anywhere - he doesn't have any friends, and even his mum seems embarrassed of him. So when he's evacuated to a farm in rural Devon run by kind old Aunt Bell and her gentle giant of a son, Alfie can't believe his luck. The War seems a long way off, and among the cows and pigs and geese Alfie's happier than he's ever been - especially when he makes friends with one of the local boys, Snidge. But Snidge, for all his friendliness, is not all he appears. And the mystery that surrounds him seems to be connected to the Midwinter Burning, an annual ritual held at the Standing Stones, high up on the cliffs. Aunt Bell says it's all just a bit of harmless superstition, but when Snidge goes missing, Alfie finally discovers who his friend really is - and relives the true horror of the legend...