A Crack In The Line

Sixteen-year-old Alaric discovers how to travel to an alternate reality, where his mother is alive and his place in the family is held by a girl named Naia.

This first volume in the stunning new Withern Rise trilogy is a gripping thriller about a boy and a girl who are the same person--but not quite--and who are living the same life . . . but not quite. Includes a sneak peek at Vol. II, "Small Eternities."

When his mother died in a terrible train crash, Alaric Underwood's life began to unravel. Two years on and now sixteen, Alaric still isn't over the loss, and on the anniversary of the tragedy he stumbles into an alternative version of his reality. In this reality his place has been taken by a girl called Naia. Ages 12+.

Praise for A Crack in Everything... "A dazzling debut by a sure-handed and gifted writer." -Mary E. Mitchell author of Love in Complete Sentences Trading financial security at a Boston law firm for sandals and jeans in Waltham, Susan Callisto has reinvented herself as a political consultant. She loves her new life-until her boyfriend dumps her without a goodbye. Not one to mope, Susan uses humor and perpetual motion to keep away the pain. Then biotech high roller Charles Renfrow offers her a huge retainer to advise his political campaign. Susan is wary. Why would a scientist stalking the human genome want to be mayor of a small Massachusetts town? On her way to confront him, Susan finds the body of his beautiful assistant. When suspicions settle on yet another of Susan's clients, she elbows her way into the investigation.... Angela Gerst's interest in political consulting led to this, her first Susan Callisto mystery novel. She and her husband live near Boston.

An enchanting historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Thanhha Lai's Newbery Honor-winning Inside Out and Back Again No one comes to the Second World on purpose. The doorway between worlds opens only when least expected. The Raft King is desperate to change that by finding the doorway that will finally take him and the people of Raftworld back home. To do it, he needs Pip, a young boy with an incredible gift—he can speak to fish; and the Raft King is not above kidnapping to get what he wants. Pip’s sister Kinchen, though, is determined to rescue her brother and foil the Raft King’s plans. This is but the first of three extraordinary stories that collide on the high seas of the Second World. The second story takes us back to the beginning: Venus and Swimmer are twins captured aboard a slave ship bound for Jamaica in 1781. They save themselves and others from a life of enslavement with a risky, magical plan—one that leads them from the shark-infested waters of the first world to the second. Pip and Kinchen will hear all about them before their own story is said and done. So will Thanh and his sister Sang, who we meet in 1978 on a small boat as they try to escape post-war Vietnam. But after a storm and a pirate attack, they’re not sure they’ll ever see shore again. What brings these three sets of siblings together on an adventure of a lifetime is a little magic, helpful sea monsters and that very special portal, A Crack in the Sea.

What does it take to bring the entire Island of Sodor Railway System to a halt? Just a crack in the track. Well, a crack in the track and some hail on rail . . . and a toad in the road, and a fuss on the bus. In fact, one thing leads to another until just about everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Luckily, there’s a breakdown train with a couple of cranes that can fix a big mess (and they don’t mind the rain). From the Hardcover edition.

In a small Southern town in 1944, two girls secretly help a seriously ill army deserter, a decision that changes their perceptions of right and wrong. Issues of moral ambiguity and accepting consequences for actions are thoughtfully considered in this deftly crafted story.

Thirteen-year-old Eli Papadapoulous is worried. Even though he's part of in the most powerful family in the world. Even though his grandfather founded InfiniCorp, the massive corporation that runs everything in the bustling dome-cities. Even though InfiniCorp ads and billboards are plastered everywhere, proclaiming: DON'T WORRY! INFINICORP IS TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING! Recently, Eli noticed there's something wrong with the artificial sky. It keeps shorting out, displaying strange colors and random, pixellated images. And though the Department of Cool and Comfortable Air is working overtime, the dome-city is hotter than it's ever been. Eli has been raised to believe that the dome-cities are safe and comfortable; that the important thing is to keep working, keep consuming; that InfiniCorp knows better than he, and he should leave everything in their hands. But now he begins asking questions.