Read 2003

Sally is sixteen and uncommonly pretty. Her knowledge of English literature, French, history, art and music is non-existent, but she has a thorough grounding in military tactics, can run a business, ride like a Cossack and shoot straight with a pistol. When her dear father is drowned in suspicious circumstances in the South China Sea, Sally is left to fend for herself, an orphan and alone in the smoky fog of Victorian London. Though she doesn't know it, Sally is already in terrible danger. Soon the mystery and the danger will deepen - and at the rotten heart of it all lies the deadly secret of the ruby in the smoke...

The doctors assure Erin Bennett and her parents that they can't find a physical cause for her headaches. But the throbbing, violent pain is so intense that Erin knows she needs help. Even landing the lead in the senior musical opposite David Devlin, the good-looking, popular guy everyone else is wild about, doesn't give Erin much pleasure. In fact, she finds David so annoying that her headaches are getting worse. Erin knows that the headaches started just after the death of her younger sister, Amy, one year ago. She though her grieving was over, but somehow the headaches must be connected to Amy. The therapist Erin starts seeing begins to help her deal with her pain, but what is it about David that triggers Erin's violent reaction?

Evyn, a young Welsh serf, has dreamed all his life of becoming a storyteller. But in a cruel twist of fate, Evyn and his father suffer a brutal attack by a group of murderous ruffians. Evyn's tongue is cut off and his father is killed. Orphaned and unable to speak, Evyn assumes he is destined to a life of slavery. But Evyn is resilient and teaches himself to read and write. He is then appointed the personal companion to Earl Harold of Wessex, who later becomes the King of England. The two travel the countryside together, forming a close father-son bond. Evyn chronicles all of their exciting journeys, which culminate at the Battle of Hastings, where the future of the country is decided.

Adventure and trouble break out when Mandie returns to The Misses Heathwood's School for Girls in Asheville. The Misses Heathwood are trying to sell their school, but Mandie fears the idea of a new headmistress. If she can only convince Grandmother Taft to buy the school-but where is Grandmother? School begins and, starting with a sticky mess in the front hallway, Mandie is blamed for a host of things that go wrong. But who's behind all the trouble? April Snow again? And Snowball doesn't help matters. He gets Mandie into even more trouble every time he runs away. Will Grandmother rescue the school? Can Mandie catch the troublemaker?

"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk..." If a hungry little traveler shows up at your house, you might want to give him a cookie. If you give him a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim... The consequences of giving a cookie to this energetic mouse run the young host ragged, but readers of all ages will come away smiling at the antics that tumble like dominoes through the pages of this delightful picture book. This book is a great first introduction to Mouse, the star of the 'If You Give...' Series, and a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' (1985) is perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to "read it again!" The award-winning If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, one of the most beloved children’s books of all time, is from the #1 Best-Selling team Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. Age: Preschool-2+

Mainly because the here and now is so lame, even if it is the summer. Her best friend, Vicky, is jealous of newcomer Grace, and who knows what's up with Jason, her ex-fling. Her mother doesn't understand her, her father's no good at pivotal moments, and even Prince Purple Flower has deserted her. She may yet turn to a life of petty crime. Doesn't everyone get a happily ever after? Molly is definitely ready for the ever after part to begin.

Hollis Woods is the place where a baby was abandoned is the baby's name is an artist is now a twelve-year-old girl who's been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. When Hollis is sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate, she wants to stay. But Josie is growing more forgetful every day. If Social Services finds out, they'll take Hollis away and move Josie into a home. Well, Hollis Woods won't let anyone separate them. She's escaped the system before; this time, she's taking Josie with her. Still, even as she plans her future with Josie, Hollis dreams of the past summer with the Regans, fixing each special moment of her days with them in pictures she'll never forget. Patricia Reilly Giff captures the yearning for a place to belong in this warmhearted story, which stresses the importance of artistic vision, creativity, and above all, family.

In the summer of 1956, thirteen-year-old Edie Jo Houp, of Half Moon, North Carolina, must come to terms with entrenched prejudices against Native Americans and with the death of a special friend. By the author of The Magic Weaver of Rugs.

At first, Travis couldn't stand the sight of Old Yeller. The stray dog was ugly, and a thieving rascal, too. But he sure was clever, and a smart dog could be a big help on the wild Texas frontier, especially with Papa away on a long cattle drive up to Abilene. Strong and courageous, Old Yeller proved that he could protect Travis' family from any sort of danger. But can Travis do the same for Old Yeller?

Mandie trys to solve a holiday mystery

Jacques Futrelle was among the many famous passengers who boarded the R.M.S. Titanic on April 10, 1912. one of the most celebrated American mystery writers of his time, Futrelle was the creator of an ingenious detective known as the "Thinking Machine" — and was an inspiration to the legendary Agatha Christie. He was also one of over 1,500 people who did not survive the sinking of the Titanic. Were Futrelle's crime-solving talents engaged in an onboard investigation? This intriguing question has now sparked one of the greatest mysteries of the Titanic. Our story begins with two deaths that may have occurred before the great ship went down. Two murders that became the mystery writer's final challenge...

OUIJA BOARDS, amulets, charm pouches... just kid's stuff, right? At least, that's what Rebecca and Scott think when they first move to Crescent Bay. Then they run into the Society—a select group of students who practice occultic rituals using these objects... a group that decides Becka and Scott are a threat to them and their powers. Soon the brother and sister discover the hidden power behind the "games" and the dangerous consequences for those standing in its way. Witness the final showdown, when Scott and Rebecca must trust God's unseen power more than the very real power of darkness before their eyes.

Suzie Green has only dreamed of having a best friend. Someone to vent to and giggle with―and someone to help her face the Select Seven at school every day. Those girls are boy crazy, they talk in codes, and they call Suzie “teacher’s pet.” It’s not easy being a teacher’s kid! And it’s not easy being eleven, going on twelve, without a best friend. Then Co Co Langdon moves in next door. Suzie has never met anyone like Co Co. She’s from France and has traveled all over the world. And she’s never been to school, having been tutored all her life. But now that Co Co is in America, she will go to school for the very first time. And Suzie will finally have a best friend by her side! First published in 1955, Best Friends follows two girls through one unforgettable school year as they take on mean girls, a cranky neighbor, boys, and the search for a missing neighborhood dog. In the end, they’ll find out what it truly means to be best friends.

New York Times bestseller and winner of the Costa Book Award. Composed toward the end of the first millennium, Beowulf is the elegiac narrative of the adventures of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from the seemingly invincible monster Grendel and, later, from Grendel's mother. He then returns to his own country and dies in old age in a vivid fight against a dragon. The poem is about encountering the monstrous, defeating it, and then having to live on in the exhausted aftermath. In the contours of this story, at once remote and uncannily familiar at the beginning of the twenty-first century, Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney finds a resonance that summons power to the poetry from deep beneath its surface. Drawn to what he has called the "four-squareness of the utterance" in Beowulf and its immense emotional credibility, Heaney gives these epic qualities new and convincing reality for the contemporary reader.