I Am Turtleboy

This is a powerful story of hope and friendship, perfect for fans of Wonder and The Goldfish Boy. Exploring self-image, family and grief, this book will make you laugh and cry. Twelve-year-old Will likes two things: turtles and the local nature reserve. Everything else is a nightmare, because Will has a facial difference that has earned him an unfortunate nickname. But when Will’s Bar Mitzvah community service project introduces him to RJ, a boy who is confined to a hospital room, Will discovers they both have strength to lend the other and that life is too short to live in a shell.

Free speech is a myth. Technically we're allowed to say what we want and won't get arrested for it, but we constantly have to self-censor our speech, including our political opinions, for many reasons. You're allowed to express some opinions, so long as they're the right opinions. But if you lose your ability to pay your bills as a result of your honest and open speech, then you're not really free. A handful of social justice warriors in Silicon Valley are able to decide what we can and cannot talk about, and when we can't openly express controversial opinions in the public square, then we have lost our democracy. I was a high school history teacher for 11 years and during that time I learned the hard way that my opinions were the wrong opinions. After getting an unpaid suspension for starting a blog called AidanFromWorcester.com, which expressed opinions on issues that the school did not approve of, I decided to create an anonymous blog that would act as the voice of the people - Turtleboy Sports. Turtleboy started as a hobby but has grown to a website with millions of monthly followers and is now my business. I hire bloggers who pen under nom de plumes because anonymity gives people the freedom to express opinions that many others agree with, but are afraid to say out loud out for fear of consequences. Turtleboy is popular and has grown so quickly because we say what many other people are thinking. I left teaching in November of 2014 after a blogger from Buffalo wrote a libelous blog about me, alleging that I sexually assaulted a woman in front of 60,000 people at a Patriots-Bills game. The blogger was successfully sued for libel, but so many of my students read it that it became impossible to teach anymore. After the school received hundreds of calls and death threats they offered me a full year's salary to walk away quietly. I took the money and used is to turn Turtleboy from a hobby into a business. Turtleboy has broken major stories that the mainstream media couldn't because we have better sources. We've exposed corruption involving the Massacchusetts State Police and politicians that led to the resignation of the 4 highest-ranking members of the MSP. The blog has helped expose contractors and con-artists, drug dealing state troopers, brought criminals to justice, shut down a death factory of a puppy mill, reformed school districts, and exposed insurance fraud, non-profit fraud, sexual abuse, food stamp fraud, fake hate crimes, and many other stories that the mainstream media would never touch. When I left teaching I felt liberated and free for the first time, but because our bloggers are unapologetic, brutally honest, we get a lot of pushback. We entertain by not only reporting news, but by using language that some might find unsavory. As a result outside forces have used various methods to try to silence the blog. Turtleboy has been the subject of countless boycotts. I've been unsuccessfully sued for libel many times; including by a former advertiser who was upset the blog didn't endorse him for Mayor. I've gotten too many death threats to count, had "fuck you" keyed into the hood of my car, and been angrily confronted in restaurants. I've had a Facebook page with 112,000 followers removed for wishing people a Merry Christmas, and had 32 business pages taken down since. The blog has been blacklisted by Google AdSense, and my house and phone are permanently banned from creating Twitter accounts. All of these things have combined to cost my business hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a couple years. But they will never stop Turtleboy because I refuse to censor and give up the rights that our Founding Fathers sacrificed their lives for because people who disagree with us use fear, intimidation, and economic warfare to silence us. When we self-censor we don't contribute to public discourse in the public square, and in doing so we lose our democracy.This is the story of Turtleboy.

Winner of the Bram Stoker Award, and the first book in the Timmy Quinn series. School is out and summer has begun. For eleven year old Timmy Quinn and his best friend Pete Marshall, the dreary town of Delaware, Ohio becomes a place of magic, hidden treasure and discovery. But on the day they encounter a strange young boy sitting on the bank of Myers Pond a pond playground rumor says may hide turtles the size of Buicks everything changes. For it soon becomes apparent that dark secrets abound in the little community, secrets which come cupped in the hands of the dead, and in a heartbeat, Timmy and Pete's summer of wonder becomes a season of terror, betrayal and murder. (Contains strong language and graphic violence.) This edition includes an excerpt from THE HIDES, the second book in the Timmy Quinn series, and an interview with the author.

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER A boy who has spent his life living inside a shell discovers the importance of taking chance in this "winner" (Booklist, starred review) of a friendship story that's perfect for fans of Wonder. Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he's forced to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. At first, the boys don't get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster; go to a school dance; swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with the turtles he collects. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend's behalf before it's too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will's comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ's guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell. "Everyone deserves a friend like Will Levine." --Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale

The Bram Stoker Award-nominated sequel to THE TURTLE BOY. It's been almost seven years since the events of Myers Pond. Seven years since a child rose from the dead, seeking Timmy Quinn's help in finding a murderer, a search that left more questions than answers in its terrifying wake. But for Timmy, the dead never leave. They're everywhere, reaching out to him, and there is nowhere to hide from their quiet desperation. Following a nightmarish encounter at home, Timmy's search for peace takes him to his grieving grandmother, and a small harbor town on the south coast of Ireland. But no peace can exist in a place whose past is colored by hate, betrayal and murder, and it is not long before Timmy realizes his haven has become a death trap. And in the very foundations of an old crumbling factory, the dead are gathering, uniting... To save his life and the lives of those he loves, Timmy Quinn must step behind the Curtain, into the realm of the dead, and face something far more terrifying than he has ever encountered before.

A romance about a girl who follows a trail of paper hearts from her secret admirer and learns that sometimes love can find you in mysterious ways. Ella’s life was picture perfect. She had a circle of close friends, a jam-packed social life, and an amazing boyfriend. But then something completely unexpected happened: a car accident after a Valentine’s Day dance. When Ella woke up in the hospital, she couldn’t remember the accident . . . or anything about the weeks before it, including the reason she broke up with her boyfriend. Now, a year later, she begins receiving paper hearts from a mysterious admirer who seems to have the answers she craves. Ella is intrigued. The hearts contain clues to help Ella remember her life before . . . and take her on a journey she never imagined. Following the paper hearts is the most spontaneous thing Ella has ever done . . . but will she find love? Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it.

In Jennifer L. Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn't like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle's ever seen before though. It's hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she's spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love. Includes an Author's Note with photographs and further background on the Great Depression, as well as additional resources and websites. Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews: "Sweet, funny and superb." Starred Review, Booklist: "Just the right mixture of knowingness and hope . . . a hilarious blend of family drama seasoned with a dollop of adventure."

Introducing a new series from the demented genius who brought you THE DAY MY BUTT WENT PSYCHO. Finally, the series that made Andy Griffiths an Australian publishing phenomenon is coming to America! Before he introduced the world to butts gone beserk, Andy Griffiths unleashed the JUST books: outlandish collections of silly stories that turned him into a bestselling sensation. Now Andy brings his insane brand of humor to this side of the Pacific -- and American readers won't believe what they've been missing!Ever skipped out on school by pretending you're dead? Ever convinced a friend that they're invisible? Ever been stuck in a gorilla suit and nearly put in a zoo? Andy has. In JUST KIDDING, join this joker as he attempts some of the best -- and worst -- practical jokes in history!