Can Nancy catch the prankster, or will the campers call it quits?It's summer vacation and Nancy, George, and Bess have signed up for a two-week-long nature day camp on the outskirts of River Heights. The girls can't wait to get out and enjoy nature, and are thrilled to be spending their days making butterfly feeders, planting sunflowers, and taking hikes. But things at Camp Northwoods start going haywire right from the start. The projects the campers work so hard on during the day keep getting ruined at night! Nancy is suspicious -- these don't look like natural disasters. Just who is wrecking all of the campers' hard work? And can camp continue with a culprit on the loose?

Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman. With an exhaustive knowledge of popular culture and an almost effortless ability to spin brilliant prose out of unlikely subject matter, Klosterman attacks the entire spectrum of postmodern America: reality TV, Internet porn, Pamela Anderson, literary Jesus freaks, and the real difference between apples and oranges (of which there is none). And don't even get him started on his love life and the whole Harry-Met-Sally situation. Whether deconstructing Saved by the Bell episodes or the artistic legacy of Billy Joel, the symbolic importance of The Empire Strikes Back or the Celtics/Lakers rivalry, Chuck will make you think, he'll make you laugh, and he'll drive you insane -- usually all at once. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is ostensibly about art, entertainment, infotainment, sports, politics, and kittens, but -- really -- it's about us. All of us. As Klosterman realizes late at night, in the moment before he falls asleep, "In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'" Read to believe.

The city of Berwick, stolen by the English, lies ripe for retaking. With the English King Edward away attempting to conquer France, Archie joins his cousin, the Lord of Douglas, in this perilous venture. But soon, King Edward returns, determined to take back Berwick and conquer Scotland once and for all. Faced with an invasion by a massive army, Archie and his comrades-in-arms must take desperate measures to save their homeland and their freedom.

Nancy Kington, daughter of a rich merchant, suddenly orphaned when her father dies, is sent to live on her family's plantation in Jamaica. Disgusted by the treatment of the slaves and her brother's willingness to marry her off, she and one of the slaves, Minerva, run away and join a band of pirates. For both girls the pirate life is their only chance for freedom in a society where both are treated like property, rather than individuals. Together they go in search of adventure, love, and a new life that breaks all restrictions of gender, race, and position. Told through Nancy's writings, their adventures will appeal to readers across the spectrum and around the world.

From the New York Times bestselling author of *Defending Jacob* Former D.A. William Landay explodes onto the suspense scene with an electrifying novel about the true price of crime and the hidden corners of the criminal justice system. Only an insider could so vividly capture Boston’s gritty underworld of cops and criminals. And only a natural storyteller could weave this mesmerizing tale of murder and memory, a story about the hold of time past over time present–and the story of one unforgettable young policeman who ventures into the most dangerous place of all. By a gleaming lake in the forests of western Maine, outside a sleepy town called Versailles, the body of a man lies sprawled in a deserted cabin. The dead man was an elite D.A. from Boston, and his beat was that city’s toughest neighborhood: Mission Flats. Now, for small-town police chief Ben Truman, investigating the murder will mean leaving his quiet, haunted home and journeying to an alien world of hard streets and hard bargains, where the fierce struggle between police and criminals is fought for the ultimate stakes. Ben joins a manhunt through Mission Flats, where cops are scrambling to find their number-one suspect: Harold Braxton, a ruthless predator targeted for prosecution by the murdered D.A. To the Boston police, Braxton is a marked man. But as Ben watches the shadow dance of cops and suspects, he begins to voice doubts about Braxton’s guilt…especially when he uncovers a secret history of murder and retribution stretching back twenty years…back to a brutal killing now nearly forgotten. As past and present collide and a bloody mystery unfolds, only one thing remains certain: the most powerful revelations are yet to come. Mission Flats is at once a relentless page-turning mystery and a vivid portrait of a cop’ s life. Here are the street corners, courtrooms, and stationhouses; the deal makers, thugs, and quiet heroes. An unforgettable world–and the luminous, boundary-breaking debut of a new voice in suspense fiction–Mission Flats will haunt you long after the final pages.

Before Atalanta became a Greek legend, she encountered a beast . . .Abandoned by her parents and raised by bears until the age of four, Atalanta has led a life of adventure. After her adoptive father is slain by a ferocious beast, the twelve-year-old Atalanta sets off on a journey of revenge, accompanied by the bear she treats as a brother. She discovers that a monster is terrorizing the land of Arcadia and that the king has assembled a party to track it down—led by the legendary huntsman Orion. Atalanta wins a place at Orion’s side, but the hunt for the beast is also a hunt to uncover the secret of her own past. And that may prove to be the greatest danger of all.This ebook features personal histories by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris including rare images from the authors’ personal collections, as well as a timeline of the Heroic Age and a conversation between the two authors about the making of the series.From School Library JournalGrade 4-6-A horrible beast has killed Atalanta's father, and now Atalanta, 12, is completely alone in her woodland home. One day, the bear cub that she was raised with appears, fully grown. They travel together until village hunters catch the animal in a trap. Atalanta's bravery and quick wits as a hunter save both of them, and she joins the village hunters on a search for the beast. When they reach the king's palace, and an official hunt begins, the truth of the creature's origins-and Atalanta's-is made clear. Yolen and Harris have provided another exciting installment in the series with this little-known Greek myth. Atalanta is a strong female hero, and her adventures will thrill readers. The Greek names may be hard for reluctant readers, but the fast-paced story will engage their imaginations. Recommend this book to fans of the series; guide avid readers who want even more of the Atalanta tale to Stephanie Spinner's Quiver (Knopf, 2002), which takes the story to its end.Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, ORCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistGr. 4-6. The third volume in the Young Heroes series sends 12-year-old Atalanta in pursuit of a giant winged lion after it kills the hunter who raised her. Having spent nearly her entire life in the woods, Atalanta is a strong hunter and a nearly feral child; she is far more comfortable with her huge bear companion than with the glory-seeking humans who join her on the trail. The tale sweeps along at a good clip toward a rousing climax, and the authors have buttressed the action with many details and characters from classical mythology--mighty Orion, a vain, but capable, hunter whose rivalry with Atalanta gradually turns into mutual respect; a petulant Artemis; and mischievous, powerful Pan. Although Atalanta turns out to be a child of royal parents, she elects to return to her old, independent life in the end--at least for the present. Children intrigued by the often sketchy tales surrounding Atalanta will enjoy both this fleshed out version of her youthful adventures and the somewhat different take Stephanie Spinner offers in Quiver [BKL Ja 1 & 15 03]; for other books of interest, see the Read-alike, "Grrrls of the Ancient World," also in the January 03 issue. John PetersCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather, and they are about to discover a mystery in a fortune cookie! When the Aldens go to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant, Benny can’t wait for his favorite part of the meal: dessert. He loves breaking open the delicious fortune cookies and reading the messages inside. But when Benny opens his cookie, he is in for a surprise. Instead of a fortune, Benny’s cookie contains a handwritten riddle! One cookie leads to another, and the Aldens soon realize they’ve bitten into another mystery. Who is leaving the Aldens the mysterious cookie clues … and why?

In a dazzlingly original work of nonfiction, the award-winning novelist Colson Whitehead re-creates the exuberance, the chaos, the promise, and the heartbreak of New York. Here is a literary love song that will entrance anyone who has lived in—or spent time—in the greatest of American cities. A masterful evocation of the city that never sleeps, The Colossus of New York captures the city’s inner and outer landscapes in a series of vignettes, meditations, and personal memories. Colson Whitehead conveys with almost uncanny immediacy the feelings and thoughts of longtime residents and of newcomers who dream of making it their home; of those who have conquered its challenges; and of those who struggle against its cruelties. Whitehead’s style is as multilayered and multifarious as New York itself: Switching from third person, to first person, to second person, he weaves individual voices into a jazzy musical composition that perfectly reflects the way we experience the city. There is a funny, knowing riff on what it feels like to arrive in New York for the first time; a lyrical meditation on how the city is transformed by an unexpected rain shower; and a wry look at the ferocious battle that is commuting. The plaintive notes of the lonely and dispossessed resound in one passage, while another captures those magical moments when the city seems to be talking directly to you, inviting you to become one with its rhythms. The Colossus of New York is a remarkable portrait of life in the big city. Ambitious in scope, gemlike in its details, it is at once an unparalleled tribute to New York and the ideal introduction to one of the most exciting writers working today.

A mesmerizing, poignant saga of love and loss firmly grounded in the Midwestern landscape by National Book Award finalist Laird Hunt.On a dark and lovely winter night, Noah Summers sits before a roaring fire, drifting between sleep and recollection, trying to make sense of a lifetime of psychic visions and his family's tumultuous history on an Indiana farmstead. Decades have passed since Noah first fell in love with Opal, a brilliant but unstable young woman whose penchant for flames separated the couple after just forty-two idyllic days of married life. Despite the challenges they each faced, their love never wavered in the long years that followed, sustained by letters, memories, and the bonds of family. Indiana, Indiana establishes the world Laird Hunt returned to in National Book Award finalist Zorrie and introduces the character of Zorrie Underwood for the first time. Written in a masterful elegiac style...

High-stakes wine fraud and murder disguised as a heart attack compel Sunny McCoskey to again toss aside her chef's apron and don the role of sleuth. When the list of suspects includes her new lover, the celebrity chef at a posh Napa Valley eatery, the personal risks of her investigation rise dramatically. With the same eclectic crew of gourmet friends and sassy co-workers who helped her in Sharpshooter, Sunny proves that she has a nose for crime as well as for a good Cabernet Sauvignon.**

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance. When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right. This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.

Settled by a human expedition over 1,000 years ago, the planet Charm is both magical and dangerous. Volcanoes, scattered throughout the vast landscape, erupt with a fantastic array of colors creating Chroma zones and permeating everything and everyone with color magic. The barbarian Havoc became king of this strange land and immediately found himself a target to unknown powerful assassins. Having finally secured a firm grip on governing the planet with the help of the God-like Glamors, Havoc and his companions must now set off in search of seven mysterious ikons in an attempt to learn the secret of the Changelings ... a secret that could answer all of Havoc's questions, or lead him to his doom. Book 2 of the ChroMagic series

World-class forensic anthropologist and New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs explores international endangered species trafficking in this electrifying new thriller that brings Temperance Brennan back to her home base in North Carolina where several sets of bones, both human and animal, lead her on a terrifying hunt for a killer.It’s a summer of sizzling heat in Charlotte where Dr. Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist for the North Carolina medical examiner, looks forward to her first vacation in years. A romantic vacation. She’s almost out the door when the bones start appearing. A newborn’s charred remains turn up in a woodstove. The mother, Tamela Banks, hardly more than a child herself, has disappeared. Did she kill her infant, or is an innocent teenager also about to become a victim? A small plane crashes in a North Carolina cornfield on a sunny afternoon. Both pilot and passenger are burned beyond recognition. Was it pilot error? Something more sinister? And what is the mysterious black substance covering the bodies? Most puzzling of all are the bones discovered at a remote farm outside Charlotte. What has Tempe’s dog, Boyd, unearthed? The remains seem to be of animal origin, but Tempe is shocked when she gets them to her lab. With help from a special detective friend, Tempe must investigate a poignant and terrifying case that comes at the worst possible moment. Is it time for emotional commitment? Will she have the chance to find out? Everything must wait on the bones. What story do they tell? Why are the X-rays and DNA so perplexing? Who is trying to keep Tempe from the answers? Someone is following her. Someone is following Katy. That someone must be stopped before it’s too late. With the riveting authenticity that only world-class forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs can bring to her fiction, Bare Bones asks important questions and thrills us to its pulsating end. Fresh from the success of Grave Secrets, Reichs proves once again that she is the consummate crime-writing star.

Have you ever wondered what happens to us when we die? What if you really HAD to know?When tragedy strikes the family of young Jobran Winter, he is forced to confront these questions directly. Undertaking a feverish "Quest," he explores various branches of Christianity; Judaism; Islam; Hinduism; Buddhism; Sikhism, as well as the religions of China and Japan.His search encompasses the New Age, Reincarnation, Spiritism and Psychical Research. Attending channeling sessions and séances, investigating haunted houses and Near-Death Experiences, he examines spiritual traditions ranging from Swedenborg to Scientology, from Jodo Shinshu to the Jehovah's Witnesses.Finally, the Quest brings him into direct contact with Hospice work; physical disability; child abandonment; abortion; suicide; euthanasia, and even cold-blooded murder.Encounter the doctrines of Purgatory and Predestination, Universalism and Annihilationism, as you journey in a novel that will make you reexamine your ideas about religion, skepticism, love, death and LIFE.

THE ULTIMATE BETRAYALSabrina March's safe little life had one cornerstone—her dad. Then he died in her arms. Sabrina was devastated, but she knew in her heart that someday she would find a man like her father and live happily ever after.So when Sabrina learned her father had lived a double life—complete with another "wife" and family—her trust in men was shattered.Until she met Greg Antonelli—the man of her dreams…or her nightmares. Greg swept her into a secret affair that left her breathless. But how could she bear to be with him? His sister had been Sabrina's father's other woman. Was Sabrina willing to risk everything for Greg and the chance to make her dream come true?