Social Life

Based on the rare and until now overlooked journal of a Renaissance-era executioner, the noted historian Joel F. Harrington's The Faithful Executioner takes us deep inside the alien world and thinking of Meister Frantz Schmidt of Nuremberg, who, during 45 years as a professional executioner, personally put to death 394 individuals and tortured, flogged, or disfigured many hundreds more. But the picture that emerges of Schmidt from his personal papers is not that of a monster. Could a man who routinely practiced such cruelty also be insightful?

Aidan is living in the court of King Darrow. He has become best friends with Darrow's son Steren, and he enjoys great favor among the courtiers. But King Darrow's suspicion is growing, and his insecurity causes him to hate the young man who saved his kingdom. Concerned about his king's spiral into ever-darker moods, Aidan asks what he can do to help. Darrow sends him on an impossible adventure to the recesses of Feechiefen Swamp, thinking he is sending Aidan to his death. After all, no Corenwalder has ever returned from Feechiefen alive.

Shade, a young silverwing bat, is the runt of his colony. Determined to show how brave he is, Shade breaks one of the ancient rules that governs the bats. As punishment, owls burn the bats' roost, forcing them to migrate earlier than normal. While on the trip south to the Hibernaculum, Shade becomes separated from his flock during a rain storm. His destination is millions of wing beats away. Now he must find a way to make the journey on his own.

Whether it's a manager who keeps moving the goal posts, an uncooperative colleague, negative friend, or critical family member, some people are just plain hard to get along with. Often, your immediate response is to shrink or sulk, become defensive or attack. But there are smarter moves to make when dealing with difficult people. This book explains how to cope with a range of situations with difficult people and to focus on what you can change.

Fun sound effects and whimsical music help tell the funny story when Montague Morton Meriwether Smith arrives at a new school. What will happen during show and tell when one student’s pet snake gets out of the box? Follow along through each day of the week, and discover how this cool kid makes a special new friend.

My friend Darius has a disability called dyslexia. But that doesn’t matter to us. We make our own comics, help each other with our homework, and volunteer at a nearby animal shelter. I’m glad Marius is my friend!

My friend Zack has a disability called autism. But that doesn’t matter to us. We talk about airplanes, build models, and enjoy hanging out at each other’s house. I’m glad Zack is my friend!

Jason never turns down a dare, which has gotten him in trouble more than once. After he gives some classmates a hard time, they challenge him to a BMX competition. Jason can't say no. But BMX is way harder than he thought. If he can't learn to ride before the competition, this dare will be his last.

Julia just changed schools. Luckily, her best friend, Ava, goes to her new school. Ava’s been on the cheerleading squad for two years, and she promised to help Julia make the team. But if Julia is a better cheerleader than Ava, will they still be able to be best friends?

There are five guys on the Wildcats who always start, and forward Daniel Friedland isn't one of them. But when the star forward goes on vacation, Daniel gets his chance at the spotlight. It's his turn to shine.

Fiona's new school doesn't have an ice hockey team, just field hockey! She decides to try out for field hockey anyway, but the sports have different rules. Will Fiona be able to stay on the team if she doesn't learn the rules?

Ramona loves sand volleyball but has a hard time being a team player. When she learns that the court will be destroyed by a plastic company, she must learn the importance of being part of a team.

Jeff has an anger problem. He doesn't know how to control his temper. One day, when his anger has almost gotten out of hand, he meets Logan, one of the captains of his school's wrestling team. Logan thinks Jeff would be a great wrestler. But can Jeff control his anger long enough to win a match?

Opt out of expectations and live a more intentional life with this refreshing guide from the national bestselling author of The Year of Less. We all follow our own path in life. At least, that's what we're told. In reality, many of us either do what is expected of us, or follow the invisible but...

As the newest member of the BSC, Dawn is eager to prove herself. So when a big job comes along, she jumps at the chance to show everyone what she's made of. The Barretts are even more challenging than Dawn expected. The house is a mess, Mrs. Barrett is unreliable, and the kids are out of control. Dawn knows she's a great baby-sitter, but this is impossible! She only knows one thing for sure - a member of the BSC never gives up!

Mary Anne has never been a leader of the BSC. So when a fight breaks out among the club's four members, Mary Anne feels a little lost, unable to depend on Kristy, Stacey, or Claudia anymore. Sitting by herself in the cafeteria is bad enough; when Mary Anne has to baby-sit a sick child without any help from the club, she knows someone has to take action. It's time for Mary Anne to step in and save the day!

Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.

When a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew. Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. Not the girls targeted by the posts. Not the boy who created the account. Not the group of kids who followed it. Not the adults—educators and parents—whose attempts to fix things too often made them worse.

Everything changes when Joey meets Dr. Charles Mansell and his baby chimpanzee, Sukari. Her new friends use sign language to communicate, and Joey secretly begins learning to sign. Spending time with Charlie and Sukari, Joey has never been happier. She even starts making friends at school for the first time. But as Joey’s world blooms with possibilities, Charlie and Sukari’s choices begin to narrow—until Sukari’s very survival is in doubt.

When 12-year-old Cooper Vega moves for the third time in five years, he receives a state-of-the-art smartphone to help him stay in touch with old friends. He's had phones before, but this one is buggy and unpredictable. When a boy named Roderick Northrop communicates with him through the phone, Cooper realizes that his phone isn't buggy at all; the thing is haunted!