"It all starts when Shani runs into May. Like, literally, with her mom's Subaru. Attempted vehicular manslaughter was not part of Shani's plan. She was supposed to be focusing on her monthlong paleoichthyology internship. She was going to spend all her time thinking about dead fish and not at all about how she was unceremoniously dumped days before winter break. It could be going better. But when a dog-walking gig puts her back in May's path, the...

"Barely thirty, Lynette is exhausted. Saddled with bad credit and juggling multiple jobs, some illegally, she's been diligently working to buy the house she lives in with her mother and developmentally disabled brother Kenny. Portland's housing prices have nearly quadrupled in fifteen years, and the owner is giving them a good deal. Lynette knows it's their last best chance to own their own home - and obtain the security the've never had. While she...

"An epic, gripping novel about murder, truth, artistic obsession, and the dangers of storytelling"-- "Gage Chandler is descended from kings. That's what his mother always told him when he was a child. Years later, he is a true crime writer, with one grisly success--and a movie adaptation--to his name, along with a series of subsequent less notable efforts. But now he is being offered the chance for the big break: to move into the house where a pair...

"The panic unleashed by a mysterious contagion threatens the bonds of family and community in a seemingly idyllic suburban community. The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hocky star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak...

Grit. Sticktuitiveness. Perseverance. Diligence. Whatever you call it, kids in today's uncertain world need it more that ever to overcome the inevitable challenges that life will throw their way. Introducing Grit: A Kid's Anthology! This bold, inspiring collection of stories introduces kids to real people who faced real problems and who pushed their way through. From inventors like Thomas Edison, who tried over 2,000 combinations to perfect the light...

"The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks - A greedy lord captures a drake to enjoy its beautiful plumage, separating a pair of Mandarin ducks that had always stayed together. A compassionate couple reunites the pair of ducks, but when the lord discovers the missing drake, he banishes them both, deciding they must be executed. In the end the couple is saved - but by whom?"--Container. "The Stonecutter - Tasaku is a lowly cutter of stone who works diligently...