Secret Of The Storm

Seekers of the Wild Realm meets My Diary from the Edge of the World in this poignant and “action-packed” (School Library Journal) story of a lonely girl who befriends a kitten that might be much more—the first in a new series from author of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls, Beth McMullen! Twelve-year-old Cassie King’s father always told her the universe was on her side. All she had to do was work hard and things would go her way. But then Cassie’s father died, her mom retreated into herself, and her best friend traded her in for the popular crowd at school. The only thing Cassie still has is the volunteer work she does at the local library, a place where she can leave her troubles behind. Unfortunately, classmate and school outcast Joe Robinson is always there doing the same thing. One day, while Cassie and Joe are leaving the library, a bizarre storm hits, trapping them in a narrow alley. In the storm’s aftermath, Cassie discovers a bedraggled little kitten abandoned in a smelly dumpster. Cassie feels an immediate connection to the kitten and takes him home. But the kitten—who Cassie names Albert—is a little odd, with impossible strength and agility for a creature his size. At one point, Cassie swears she sees plumes of smoke rising from his water bowl, and one afternoon, while Albert is alone in her room, a strange symbol appears on the closet door. With new friend Joe’s help, Cassie figures out the symbol is a map. But a map to what? The friends soon discover that Albert is much more than he appears and is in grave danger. He needs Cassie’s help in ways she never could have imagined. Keeping him safe is the first thing Cassie has believed in for a long time. But is she strong enough to face down a sinister enemy moving ever closer and protect everything she loves?

Seekers of the Wild Realm meets My Diary from the Edge of the World in this poignant and “action-packed” (School Library Journal) story of a lonely girl who befriends a kitten that might be much more—the first in a new series from author of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls, Beth McMullen! Twelve-year-old Cassie King’s father always told her the universe was on her side. All she had to do was work hard and things would go her way. But then Cassie’s father died, her mom retreated into herself, and her best friend traded her in for the popular crowd at school. The only thing Cassie still has is the volunteer work she does at the local library, a place where she can leave her troubles behind. Unfortunately, classmate and school outcast Joe Robinson is always there doing the same thing. One day, while Cassie and Joe are leaving the library, a bizarre storm hits, trapping them in a narrow alley. In the storm’s aftermath, Cassie discovers a bedraggled little kitten abandoned in a smelly dumpster. Cassie feels an immediate connection to the kitten and takes him home. But the kitten—who Cassie names Albert—is a little odd, with impossible strength and agility for a creature his size. At one point, Cassie swears she sees plumes of smoke rising from his water bowl, and one afternoon, while Albert is alone in her room, a strange symbol appears on the closet door. With new friend Joe’s help, Cassie figures out the symbol is a map. But a map to what? The friends soon discover that Albert is much more than he appears and is in grave danger. He needs Cassie’s help in ways she never could have imagined. Keeping him safe is the first thing Cassie has believed in for a long time. But is she strong enough to face down a sinister enemy moving ever closer and protect everything she loves?

Flick journeys to a dangerous new world in this magical third book in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency series that’s a “moving conclusion to a delightful trilogy” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Flick and Jonathan have faced countless dangers as members of the Strangeworlds Society and come out alive on the other side. But what do they really know about the society they are risking their lives for? Why does it exist? Who is Strangeworlds there to protect? And what in the worlds is happening to the multiverse now? With worlds everywhere under threat of collapse and mysteries abounding, it’s up to Flick and Jonathan to discover the answers to these questions. And only if they can uncover the secrets of Strangeworlds, and the secrets of a mysterious new world called The Stormforest, will they have any hope of defending their world—and others—from the threat that is facing them all.

C. Ray Nagin was Mayor of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. He weighs in on the chaotic days leading up to and following the biggest natural and man-made disaster in America's history. He delivers exacting detail on the city's relief effort, and exposes secrets that have been glossed over or spun out.

Cassie King's father has died, her mother has retreated into herself, away from reality, and her best friend has abandoned her for the in crowd, so when she and her sort-of friend, Joe, find a kitten during an intense electrical storm, Cassie is determined to adopt him; but Albert (named for Einstein) is no ordinary kitten: he is incredibly strong, things around him tend to burn, his eyes glow red, and when he gets annoyed the weather turns dangerous--in fact Albert is a dragon, and there is someone searching for him with very unfriendly intentions.

It's the summer of 1962 in the small town of Springdale, Connecticut. Thirteen-year-old Bibi Reilly and her family welcome fun-loving Aunt Addie for a two-week vacation. When Dad loses his license for speeding and Mom breaks her leg, Addie extends her stay to help with Bibi and her twin brothers. But Bibi is confused when she witnesses her aunt's outbursts and mood swings, and she's further confused when adults depend on her to keep their secrets. Aunt Addie isn't the only neighborhood visitor that summer. Handsome and charming Stan Polansky, on a month's leave from the army, is staying just two houses away with his aunt and uncle. Behind his boyish smile and charismatic personality, Stan is hiding a secret of his own--a dangerous secret. And Bibi is about to find out what it is.

In the sequel to the popular novel Tess of the Storm Country, readers find out about the struggle that the star-crossed lovers are forced to face after the first blush of romance wears off. From opposite sides of the socioeconomic tracks, Tess and her beloved Frederick elope in secret and vow to start their life together -- until a downward spiral of unforeseen consequences threatens to overtake them both.