An black Iraq war veteran and an Iraqi-American Muslim teenager form an unlikely friendship through their shared love of John Coltrane. A supreme coming-of-age story of friendship, forgiveness - and jazz. Tariq is is a young Iraqi-American Muslim man, beset by danger on the streets and conflict at home. Music is his only consolation. When he forms a friendship with the volatile but intriguing record-store owner and Iraq war veteran, Jamal, Tariq discovers the world of jazz - and the man he could become. Jamal is exciting, eloquent, and troubled. He suffers from PTSD, is always on edge. Tariq wants to learn from Jamal's knowledge of music, but can he afford to get close to this volatile veteran? When violence that has long threatened finally erupts, things suddenly clarify for Tariq. He takes the ultimate risk - not on behalf of his friend but his enemy - and the disparate worlds of modern America and traditional Islam come together in an unexpected and gripping resolution.

Jack Klements lives in Seattle with his parents and is doing just fine. But when his swaggering Irish cousin Finn turns up, Jack can tell this is not going to be a good summer. Finn is obsessed with a violent computer game, and when he meets a Latino gang in the inner city, he thinks he can have a slice of the action. How can Jack reconcile the demands of his straight-laced parents, the pressure to be loyal to his wayward cousin, and his growing attraction to Carina, who hangs out with the gang? If only Finn would disappear! But then he does just that, and Jack is more torn than ever ...

Tariq is beset by danger on the streets and by conflict at home. Music is his only consolation. When he forms a new friendship with the volatile but intriguing record-store owner, Jamal, Tariq discovers the world of jazz and the man he could become. The violence that has long threatened finally erupts, and things suddenly clarify for Tariq. He takes the ultimate risk - not on behalf of his friend but on behalf of his enemy - and the disparate worlds of modern America and traditional Islam come together in an unexpected and gripping resolution.

In more adventures of these disastrous superheroes, Pucker Power centres on the adventures of Pucker, the Power family's mutt of a pug-dog. After he is dognapped, along with a beautiful French poodle, the Powers must follow the clues through Dublin, Paris and St Petersburg to bring their beloved pup back home. This playful, upbeat new series of adventures from Little Island will be a hit with everyone in the family, from young readers right down to the family pet. Complete with powerful website at www.readthepowers.com with blogs from one of the characters and and animated book trailer and theme song. Special appeal to dog-lovers!

Meet the Powers: the not-so-super superheroes. Despite their amazing talents, the Powers are not very good at controlling them ... Poor Suzie - Dad has set the kitchen on fire again and Mum has turned the rain on indoors to douse the flames. JP has flown straight into a wall, and the dog, Pucker, is a whirlwind of paws and ears and noisy howls. A perfectly-paced adventure story featuring a colourful and genuinely funny family, The Powers will entertain and charm young readers. Sure to appeal to fans of The Incredibles films.

Kansas City, 1935. Emmett Whelan, an idealistic county prosecutor who has left behind his Irish roots and married into the country club set, takes on the city's corrupt political machine when he investigates the brutal murder of a black musician. As Emmett probes the case, he discovers the city's underbelly of racism and criminality. His personal life deteriorates. The closer he gets to the heart of the corruption, the more he sees that it is deeper and closer than he has ever suspected. And when the truth unfolds - about the killings, the machine, Emmett's wife - a surprising and devastating climax reverberates at every level of the city. Reach the Shining River is an urban crime drama about money, race, and class. Tense and full of memorable characters, it has the smell of a big river, the atmosphere of 1930s America, and a soundtrack that is pure jazz and blues.