Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in Teen & Young Adult

Since first grade, Christopher Creed has been everyone's favorite freak and weirdo whipping boy. But when he disappears without a trace, leaving behind only a strange e-mail message that might be a suicide note, his quiet town becomes consumed with speculation and finger-pointing. And the longer he remains missing, the more clear it becomes that for most people, finding out what happened to Christopher is much less important than finding someone besides themselves to blame.

A heartbreaking novel that offers no easy answers, Give a Boy a Gun addresses the growing problem of school violence. Although it is a work of fiction, it could tragically be the leading nightly news story in any community. After a high school shooting at her alma mater, a college journalism student returns home to interview students, teachers, parents, and friends of the suspects. Intermingled with her interviews are journal entries written by the two troubled boys responsible for the shooting.

From Chelsea House’s Black Americans of Achievement series comes this biography of the legendary anti-slavery activist.

In a plain meetinghouse a woman stands before her judges. The accused is a poor, unpopular woman who had her first child before she was married. As the trial proceeds the girls begin to wail, tear their clothing, and scream that the woman is hurting them. Are they acting or are they really tormented by an unseen evil? Whatever the cause, the nightmare has begun. The witch trials will eventually claim 25 lives, shatter the community, and forever shape the American social conscience

To get away from his chaotic, often violent parents, 17-year-old Jesse has moved into an apartment with his brother. They are both taking community college courses in Fresno. But to pay for them, they must take whatever jobs they can find, even backbreaking field work. The path to a good education isn't going to be an easy one for these two young Mexican-Americans. As Jesse absorbs information in his classes, he learns harsher lessons from the people around him.

Peg Toland and her father think they’ve found the perfect vacation spot: a beautiful, uninhabited Mexican island in the sparkling Sea of Cortez. Unfortunately, the locals who live on the coast do not agree. “That is no place to go,” they tell the Tolands with alarm. They will not explain why. Peg and her father should have listened to these mysterious warnings. Shortly after they arrive on the island and set up camp, the untamed landscape and isolation turn into a terrifying and deadly trap.

They call him the Weirdo. No one knows much about the 17-year-old bear tracker with the horribly scarred face - except that he lives in the eerie swamp where Samantha Sanders found a dead body. But one night Samantha wanders into the dark swamp and meets the Weirdo. She listens to his shocking story, looks into his gentle soul, and becomes his friend. And when she stumbles across another body, Samantha knows that the Weirdo is the only one who can help her.

This book informs about the effects of alcohol - critical information considering more than 20% of kids ages 12-17 currently use alcohol, according to the 1997 National Survey on Drug Abuse.

With Caught, award-winning author Margaret Peterson Haddix delivers the fifth thrilling installment of her Missing series. Time-traveling siblings Jonah and Katherine are shocked when time in the 21st century comes to a standstill. Back in 1903, the siblings discover the time-freeze was caused by a botched job involving Albert Einstein's secret daughter Lieserl. Somehow, they've got to set things right - but that won't be easy with Lieserl's mother standing guard.

Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Zindel delights even the most reluctant listeners with his thrilling P.C. Hawke Mysteries. Everyone is upset when P.C.'s junior class trip ends with classmate Timmy Warner plunging to his death over a 300-foot waterfall. So when Timmy's mom exhibits some strange behavior at the funeral, P.C. and his friend Mackenzie just have to investigate. What they don't expect is that the trail of clues will lead them to Los Angeles-and to a surfer who's a dead ringer for their dead classmate!

With a Book Sense Pick to her credit, author Bonnie Dobkin offers a suspenseful adventure story for young adult readers. In Neptune's Children, the world is suddenly thrown into turmoil by a biological attack that leaves no adult alive. The children who were enjoying a day at the Isles of Wonder amusement park, however, are prepared to build a new life for themselves.

Thirteen-year-old Stacy is sunbathing in the backyard when she hears a strange noise from inside the house. Turning to look, she sees a man with a gun burst through the door; then everything goes black. She wakes up in a hospital bed to learn that she has spent the last four years in a catatonic state. Suddenly 17, she finds herself struggling to adjust and fighting to remember what happened to her. She is the only witness to the shooting that injured her and killed her mother.

Sixteen-year-old Travis is looking for a good time. A vacation in Mexico with his mother and two siblings might cramp his style, but he’s willing to take that risk for a chance to cruise the beaches. Some things keep gnawing at him, though, like leaving Dad crying at the airport, and watching Mom disappear with a mysterious ‘headache’ every afternoon that they’re in Mexico.

Healey’s second novel The Shattering stars Keri, a 17-year-old trying to come to terms with her brother Jake’s death. Although authorities believe Jake committed suicide, Keri cannot accept that her brother would take his own life. And when she’s approached by her classmate Janna, whose brother also committed suicide years earlier, the two team up in search of answers. Soon the girls come to a grim realization—that their brothers weren’t the first in town to die under mysterious circumstances.

Growing up Mexican-American in Fresno, California in the 1950’s and 60’s might not have been easy, but it was certainly never boring for young Gary Soto, his brother Rick and sister Debra. As this compilation of 21 short stories and articles illustrates, there is no limit to the amount of fun a child can have, or how much he can terrorize siblings and neighbors if his imagination is active.

When a small pod of killer whales surfaces just offshore of Lumber Landing - a small British Columbia fishing community - it’s more than just the fish who don’t know what to do. The whales’ arrival coincides with a fishing magazine ad offering $100,000 for a killer whale in good condition for an American theme park. Jamie Tidd, a 14-year-old boy, and his father, Perry, thought it would be nearly impossible to capture a whale. However, it’s after they easily trap one on Wilwilli Cove that difficulties arise.

Popular author Tara Altebrando’s Dreamland Social Club is a magical novel about one vagabond family finding a home. Still pained by the loss of her mother years earlier, Jane has been all over the world with her brother and father. Once they plant stakes in New York’s Coney Island, Jane begins to feel settled. And the mermaids, dwarves, bearded girls, contortionists, and tattooed boys certainly keep things interesting.

One of the most critically acclaimed books of 2001, Lord of the Deep is a vivid fishing adventure that takes place off of the great blue island of Hawaii. Since Bill married Mikey’s mom, Mikey’s life has become truly incredible. At age 13, Mikey is the youngest deckhand on the whole island, working hard on Bill’s deep-sea charter fishing boat. It’s his second week out on the boat, and he’s busy trying to prove himself to both Bill and the disrespectful charter guests. But after making a mistake at a crucial moment, Mikey begins to feel more and more alone.

High-school senior Patrick Sheridan has the job of his dreams. He’s left his small Texas town for Los Angeles, where he’s a television reporter on Classroom Direct. As his face is beamed into schools across the country, Patrick becomes a celebrity. The pay is great, his wardrobe is lavish, and soon Patrick’s mailbox overflows with fan mail.

Maleeka Madison is a dark skinned African-American girl. She feels uncomfortable and wishes she had lighter skin. When her teacher, Miss Saunders, who suffers from a rare skin condition, shows that there is more to people than the color of their skin, Maleeka learns to appreciate and accept who she truly is.