Joshua Dread

The first book in the series! Middle school is tough already—but when your parents are evil supervillains and you’ve just discovered you have powers of your own, life can be a real challenge. Not only do bullies pick on Joshua, but do you see those supervillains over there trying to flood the world? The ones that everyone, including his best friend Milton, are rooting for Captain Justice to take down? They're the Dread Duo, and they just happen to be his parents. As if trying to hide his identity wasn't hard enough, Joshua has started leaving a trail of exploding pencils and scorched handprints in his wake, and only Sophie, the new girl in town with a mysterious past, seems unsurprised. When a violent attack at the Vile Fair makes it clear someone is abducting supervillains, and that his parents may very well be next, Joshua must enlist both Sophie and Milton's help to save them. “Joshua Dread is funny, action-packed, and a total page-turner. You’ll want to read to the bitter end—unless Joshua’s parents destroy the world first. Which is a distinct possibility.”—Adam Gidwitz, author of A Tale Dark & Grimm "Villainy! Mayhem! Family! From supervillains to killer houseplants, Joshua Dread has it all. I couldn't put it down and I didn't dare, not until I'd devoured every last page!" -C. Alexander London, author of the Accidental Adventure series

Joshua Dread accepts an invitation to Gyfted & Talented, a summer program for children with superpowers. But he and his friends have been chosen to form the greatest superhero team of all time, and their newfound fame could mean big trouble with Joshua's supervillain parents.

In a world ruled by machines, a young robot encounters a girl who needs help in this children’s sci-fi adventure—soon to be a major motion picture! Humans went extinct thirty years ago. And twelve-year-old robot XR_935 is just fine with that. Without humans around, there is no war, crime, or pollution. Everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Until the day XR discovers something impossible: a human girl named Emma. Now, Emma, XR, and two other robots must embark on a dangerous voyage in search of a mysterious point on a map. But how will they survive in a place where rules are never broken and humans aren’t even supposed to exist? Narrated in the first person (first robot?) by XR, The Last Human blends humor and action to tell a story about friendship, technology, and challenging the status quo no matter the consequences. It’s not just about what it means to be a robot. It’s about what it means to be a human./

Meet Captain Justice, the superhero star of A MUTANT NAMED MIZZIE in Lee Bacon's funny original digital story set in the exciting world of his JOSHUA DREAD series for ages 9-12. Who knows what to do with a poor little mutant baby better than Captain Justice?

Welcome to LEGENDTOPIA, where fantasy meets reality in a new series from the author of JOSHUA DREAD! Two kids--Kara, a girl from our world, and Prince Fred, a royal boy from the kingdom of Heldstone--join forces to save Urth. Have you ever been on a school trip that went totally, epically wrong? That’s what happens when Kara visits Legendtopia, a fantasy-theme restaurant with her class. She’s just trying to retrieve her prized necklace when she stumbles through a small wooden door . . . and into a magical world where dragons breathe fire and an evil sorceress is out to get her! Luckily, Prince Fred is ready to be at Kara’s service. He’s desperate for someone in the kingdom of Heldstone to recognize his bravery—and he knows exactly how to handle ogres and elves. But he’s clueless when it comes to Urth, a mystical and thrilling place with cars and cell phones. That’s exactly where he ends up when he follows Kara back through the door. And he’s not the only one after Kara. . . . Magic is spreading. A dark kingdom is rising. And the fate of not one, but two worlds rests in Kara’s and Fred’s hands.

When Alabaster Academy, a school for students with superpowers, comes under attack, Joshua and his friends must stop evil Phineas Vex from finding a mysterious key that will enable complete world domination for whoever possesses it.

The story of a boy and his imaginary friend—told by the imaginary friend Zach should’ve outgrown his imaginary friend by now. He knows this. He’s 11, long past the days when kids are supposed to go on epic make-believe adventures with their invisible friends. But after the death of his father five years ago, all Zach wanted was an escape from the real world. So his imaginary friend, Shovel, hasn’t faded away like the other kids’ have. Their imaginary friendship grew stronger. But now Zach’s in middle school, and things are getting awkward. His best friend ditched him for a cooler crowd. His classmates tease him in the hallways. He still misses his dad. Reality is the worst. Which is why Zach makes regular visits to a fantasy world with Shovel. But is Zach’s overactive imagination helping him deal with loss or just pushing people away? Poignant, humorous, and breathtaking, Imaginary is an inventive story of friendship, loss, and growing up . . . as only an imaginary friend could tell it.

A guide for parents whose adult children have cut off contact that reveals the hidden logic of estrangement, explores its cultural causes, and offers practical advice for parents trying to reestablish contact with their adult children. “Finally, here’s a hopeful, comprehensive, and compassionate guide to navigating one of the most painful experiences for parents and their adult children alike.”—Lori Gottlieb, psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Labeled a silent epidemic by a growing number of therapists and researchers, estrangement is one of the most disorienting and painful experiences of a parent's life. Popular opinion typically tells a one-sided story of parents who got what they deserved or overly entitled adult children who wrongly blame their parents. However, the reasons for estrangement are far more complex and varied. As a result of rising rates of individualism, an increasing cultural emphasis on happiness, growing economic insecurity, and a historically recent perception that parents are obstacles to personal growth, many parents find themselves forever shut out of the lives of their adult children and grandchildren. As a trusted psychologist whose own daughter cut off contact for several years and eventually reconciled, Dr. Joshua Coleman is uniquely qualified to guide parents in navigating these fraught interactions. He helps to alleviate the ongoing feelings of shame, hurt, guilt, and sorrow that commonly attend these dynamics. By placing estrangement into a cultural context, Dr. Coleman helps parents better understand the mindset of their adult children and teaches them how to implement the strategies for reconciliation and healing that he has seen work in his forty years of practice. Rules of Estrangement gives parents the language and the emotional tools to engage in meaningful conversation with their child, the framework to cultivate a healthy relationship moving forward, and the ability to move on if reconciliation is no longer possible. While estrangement is a complex and tender topic, Dr. Coleman's insightful approach is based on empathy and understanding for both the parent and the adult child.