The World Below The World Below Book One

“A swift-paced survival tale that’s a cool blend of Lord of the Flies and Journey to the Center of the Earth.” —School Library Journal “A sharp meditation on the seemingly universal difficulties of being young, smart, and uncertain.” —BCCB “A multifaceted journey from darkness to light.” —Kirkus Reviews Winner of the Red Maple Fiction Award A class field trips turns into an underground quest for survival in the latest middle grade novel from the author of Edgar Award winner OCDaniel. Mr. Baker’s eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. But when an earthquake hits, their field trip takes a terrifying turn. The students are plunged into an underground lake…and their teacher goes missing. They have no choice but to try and make their way back above ground, even though no one can agree on the best course of action. The darkness brings out everyone’s true self. Supplies dwindle and tensions mount. Pretty and popular Silvia does everything she can to hide her panic attacks, even as she tries to step up and be a leader. But the longer she’s underground, the more frequent and debilitating they become. Meanwhile, Eric has always been a social no one, preferring to sit at the back of the class and spend evenings alone. Now, he finds himself separated from his class, totally by himself underground. That is, until he meets an unexpected stranger. Told from three different points of view, this fast-paced adventure novel explores how group dynamics change under dire circumstances. Do the students of Mr. Baker’s class really know each other at all? Or do they just think they do? It turns out, it’s hard to hide in the dark.

This "New York Times" Notable Book by the bestselling author of "While I Was Gone" is a haunting novel that exposes the nerves that lie hidden in marriages, families, and the lives of two women.

An encyclopedia designed especially to meet the needs of elementary, junior high, and senior high school students.

Have you ever caught yourself wondering if perhaps things around you are not quite what they seem? Practical and pragmatic Pris has never even considered the possibility. That is until someone breaks into her home claiming her parents have been abducted and taken to a magical world. Snake has always known he is a gnome, and that there are all manner of magical creatures living, not only in his home town of London, but in the wider world as well. Now he must convince a very human girl she is actually an elf, and that she must join with him and enter the World Below to save both their parents. Entering The World Below isn't simple as it seems—scattered around England are the magical creatures and riddles that will grant them passage. They only have days to reach them all, and someone is working against them to ensure they never make to the magical realm. Unsure who to trust, can Pris embrace her magical heritage before she loses her parents forever? Snake faces his own dark secrets as he fights his growing attraction for Pris, knowing they can never be together. When everything seems against them, will Pris and Snake make it to The World Below in Time?

From the author of Incredible Space Raiders from Space! comes a brand-new coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder-until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything.

How do we take stock of the state and direction of the world’s environment, and what can we learn from the experience? Among the myriad detailed narratives about the condition of the planet, the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) reports—issued by the United Nations Environment Programme—stand out as the most ambitious. For nearly three decades the GEO project has not only delivered iconic global assessment reports, but through its multitude of contributors has inspired hundreds of similar processes worldwide from the regional to the local level. This book provides an inside account of the evolution of the GEO project from its earliest days. Building on meticulous research, including interviews with former heads of the United Nations Environment Programme, diplomats, leading contributing scientists, and senior leaders of collaborating organizations, the story is told from the perspective of five GEO veterans who all played a pivotal role in shaping the periodic assessments. The GEO’s history provides striking insights and will save valuable time to those who commission, design and conduct, as well as critique and improve, assessments of environmental development in the next decade.

"Young Milo is about to discover a whole world of adventure ... a lot more than he ever even dreamed about! After discovering a strange glowing goldfish in the lake near his house, latchkey kid Milo follows the odd creature deep below the surface to a strange realm full of magic, mystery, and a batch of secrets that will change his life forever!"--Back cover of book 1