Milton is swept up in a quest for friends and excitement in Jess Redman’s thrilling middle grade novel, The Adventure is Now. Sometimes it's hard to be Milton P. Greene. He says all the wrong things, his family is falling apart, and everyone at school avoids him because of the very embarrassing Bird Brain Incident. But when Milton plays his video game Isle of Wild, he becomes someone else – Sea Hawk, the brave and brilliant naturalist explorer who conquers danger at every turn. Then Milton’s parents ship him off to the remote Lone Island for the summer. The island is chock-full of spectaculous species, and Milton realizes this is his chance to become the brave and brilliant naturalist he’s always wanted to be – and even meet some fellow explorers! But as it turns out, the future of the Lone Island is in some pretty serious peril, and the only thing that can save it is a field guide full of cryptic clues. So Milton and his unexpected new friends embark on a wild and wondrous adventure all of their own.

Sometimes it's hard to be Milton P. Greene. He says all the wrong things. He has a very sensitive stomach. His family life is falling apart, and his friends will barely speak to him after the embarrassing Bird Brain Incident. But when Milton plays his video game Isle of Wild, he becomes Sea Hawk, the brave and brilliant naturalist explorer who conquers danger at every turn. In Isle of Wild, Milton isn't having the most Heinously Rotten Year of All Time; he's having an adventure. When his parents ship him off to the remote Lone Island for the summer, where his uncle is a naturalist, Milton finds an adventure waiting for him there. It's up to him to protect the secrets of the Lone Island - and along the way, he'll learn his worth, make new friends, and turn real life into an adventure all its own.

Under star-filled winter skies, with homes and trees aglow, with candles lit and hearts so full, our love will shine and grow. From paper snowflakes to silver bells, reindeer to wise men, Christmas is a season of faith and song, giving and serving, loved ones and light that can last the whole year through.