Showing results by narrator "Ramón de Ocampo" in All Categories

Gideon’s short-lived run as a locally famous boy detective ended when middle school started, and everyone else—including his best friend, Lily—moved on while Gideon kept holding on to his trench coat, fedora, and his treasured film noir collection. Now he’s sixteen and officially retired. That is, until Lily shows up suddenly at Gideon’s door, needing his help. He might be mad at her for cutting him off with no explanation, but Gideon can’t turn down a case.

After their back-to-school night became a frenzied fight for survival in Book 1, seventh grade has finally settled down for Jake, Lucy, and TJ. That all changes when dangerous intruders descend on the historic Chicago hotel Jake calls home. After a daring escape, the three friends find themselves fugitives on the run, chasing a series of cryptic messages that lead to a mysterious plot to steal Civil War codes that hold importance today, a shocking betrayal, and more stunning family secrets.

In the past 50 years, the American short story has changed dramatically. New voices, forms, and mixtures of genres have brought this unique US genre a thrilling burst of energy. This rich anthology celebrates this avalanche of talent. Beginning in 1970, it culls together a half century of powerful American short stories from all genres, including - for the first time in a literary anthology - science fiction, horror, and fantasy.

Alder has always lived in his cozy little house in Southern California. And for as long as he can remember, the old, reliable, comforting walnut tree has stood between his house and the one next door. That is, until a new family - with a particularly annoying girl his age - moves into the neighboring house and, without warning, cuts it down.

From award-winning author Paul Yoon comes a “spellbinding” (The Washington Post) novel about three kids orphaned in 1960s Laos - and how their destinies are entwined across decades.

This is the story Harry Ransom. If you know his name it's most likely as the inventor of the Ransom Process, a stroke of genius that changed the world. Or you may have read about how he lost the battle of Jasper City, or won it, depending on where you stand in matters of politics. Friends called him Hal or Harry, or by one of a half-dozen aliases, of which he had more than any honest man should. He often went by Professor Harry Ransom, and though he never had anything you might call a formal education, he definitely earned it.

Manila provides the ideal, torrid setting for an Akashic Noir series volume. It's where the rich rub shoulders with the poor, where five-star hotels coexist with informal settlements, where religious zeal coexists with superstition, and where politics is often synonymous with celebrity and corruption.

The Middle School Rules of Brian Urlacher features the real-life childhood stories and exploits of young Brian Urlacher and illustrate how they shaped him into the world-class athlete he became. The first of The Middle School Rules series, these books not only entertain, but also inspire greatness in the next generation by highlighting the importance of being your best, overcoming adversity, and reaching your dreams through discipline and hard work.

When Oliver's great-grandfather's pocket watch is confiscated at school, Chase, a budding detective, vows to help him get it back. A self-proclaimed authority on paranormal activities, Chase convinces Oliver and his friends, Eduard and Gio, to go along with investigating the curious happenings at their school. What begins as the simple task of reclaiming Oliver's pocket watch swiftly turns into a full-fledged investigation into the paranormal happenings at Raven Ridge Academy.

Daunted by the hand he has been dealt, 12-year-old Horatio Tuckerman is having a tough time. Two years ago, his dad died of lung cancer. Embittered and anguished, Horatio's life has been a whirlwind of change since losing his best friend. A one-time city kid, Horatio now lives in a small Wisconsin town. His grandfather O.P. (the Old Professor) has moved in and taken over his bedroom. Even worse, his mother Evie, a dentist, is dating a guy nicknamed "Pink Gums Paul."

Ax and the Animorphs have always believed Ax was the only non-infested Andalite on Earth. That he alone survived the terrible battle between his people and the Yeerks. Until now. There were other survivors. Other Andalites. And they're here on Earth. Trying to keep a low profile. Trying to find a way to defeat Visser Three. Trying—like Ax and the Animorphs—to stay alive until help finally comes. If help finally comes....

The Animorphs' latest adventure takes them where no man has ever gone before…into Marco's left nostril. Who else could be responsible for this mess but a crew of miniature egomaniacs? The Helmacrons have returned to demand the morphing cube because they need more power to escape Earth's atmosphere. In the middle of their threats, Rachel tries to destroy their ship, and some of the little warriors bail…right into Marco's body.

When a puggle meets two new poodle friends, there is a question the poodles feel they must ask. What are you? What am I? Yes, what are you? I am a dog. No, what are you? So begins a conversation about family and identity, and about the things we're good at... and why we're good at them. Brimming with warmth and playfulness, What Are You? is an exemplary book for early listeners. Equally funny and thoughtful, the book includes prompts to facilitate important first conversations about stereotypes and bias between child and adult.

Become your best self. Figuring out how to make friends, develop relationships, and be confident is a step-by-step process. Now help is available in Embracing the Awkward, written by the popular teen-advice YouTuber, The Josh Speaks. This isn't another dry instructional book written by a boring adult disconnected from the millennial reality; it's a guide, a workbook, an empowering step towards trying things out, discovering who you are, and becoming your best self.

No one ever thought it would come to this. Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Marco, and Ax know that even if they could have warned people in the beginning, no one would have believed their story. A story about an invasion of parasitic aliens. So for all this time, Jake and the other Animorphs have secretly fought a desperate battle. Secretly held the Yeerks at bay. But those days are over. It's come down to the final battle between the Yeerks and Animorphs. And no one knows who will win, lose, or live.

When Matt Westin opens his eyes, he’s back on Earth—and seven years younger than when he went to sleep. For the last seven years, Matt and his sister, Jen, along with friends Carl and Blake, have been in the fantasy world of Cyraveil, revolutionaries fighting to overthrow a dictatorial empire. Now, they’ve suddenly returned to their quiet Oregon suburb, where they’re expected to go to high school and act like normal American teenagers. But after all this time, and with the memory of war so fresh in their minds, how can they pretend to be kids again?

Outspan Foster presents Book 2 in the Crafter series.

On the morning of Henry Ludd's thirteenth birthday, the power goes out. No phones, no news, and planes are literally falling out of the sky. Henry's father was away from the family farm and he has not returned. Four months later, the electricity still hasn't come back. While Henry's family is protected in their walled compound with wind turbines fueling their electricity, the rest of their area has suffered. Henry's father still hasn’t been found. Determined to find him, Henry ventures out to the zoo where his dad was last seen, traveling alone through the world of the Switch.

Basic life skills go mostly untaught in classrooms, so graduates are on their own to figure out how to live successfully in the world. Without any guidance, where do you start? Adulting 101 is a clever, practical, and timely guide to how to find a job and be wildly successful at work, buy the items you need as an adult (apartment, car, insurance), and more.

Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long-lost half-brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London where he belongs. Then Andi's biggest wish comes true and she's minutes away from becoming someone's little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he'll turn out to be tall and just as crazy as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he's tall all right. Eight feet tall, in fact.