Search results for ""astra publishing""

How can you turn an empty box into a time machine? This comical story featuring endearing characters with vivid imaginations celebrates creativity and ingenuity. Samantha the anteater simply can’tbelieve it when her friends Grant the aardvark and Antoine the armadillo tell her they plan to build a time machine.Can they really make such a thing from a big old box and a bunch of “hoozie-doozies”? Samantha has her doubts, but is willing to jump in and help her friends fulfill their plan in an unexpected way.

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Dad + lad + red sled = magic! In this warm story, a boy and his father venture outside for a winter night of sledding. Climbing aboard their red sled, they zoom down the hill under a starlit sky before—with spirits lifted high—returning home for a mug of hot chocolate. Patricia Thomas's loving story, affectionately illustrated by Chris L. Demarest, is told with utmost simplicity in rhyming pairs of words.

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Who knew there was a problem with not being scared of monsters? The hero of this story knows it—all too well. Because he's not scared, the monsters think he's one of them. And now, they're way too friendly. They want to share everything! Which is, of course, a disaster. Good thing there's a terrified little brother to come to the rescue. With an understated text and hilarious illustrations, this picture book will have kids laughing away their fears.

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Kids often spot woolly bear caterpillars creeping across the ground in fall, but these furry-looking creatures seem to disappear as quicklyas they pop up. Where do they come from in autumn, and where do theygo? In fact, they live throughout North America all year long. In vividstorytelling style, Laurence Pringle uncovers the secret life of the woollybear caterpillar, following one caterpillar as she feasts, tiny and hidden, inthe tall summer grass; molts and grows; then sets off on the fall journeywhere she's most likely to be seen. Packed with surprising details (did you know that woolly bears can survive freezing temperatures by producinga natural antifreeze?), this book will appeal to every child who's been luck yenough to spy one of these beloved caterpillars—and to anyone who'd like to.

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Seed. Soil. Sun. With these simple ingredients, nature creates our food. Noted author Cris Peterson brings both wonder and clarity to the subject of agriculture, celebrating the cycle of growth, harvest, and renewal in this American Farm Bureau Foundation's Agriculture Book of the Year.

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Perfect for any young reader interested in music, families who love music, and a must-have staple for music classrooms, this funny picture book is an amusing introduction to the instruments in an orchestra, featuring clever rhymes and whimsical illustrations. Meet a shy fellow! He’s hard to notice, but he’s right at the side of the room listening to a duet for cello and viola. But look again -- our shy fellow suddenly has an urge to swallow a HUGE cello, which is precisely what he does. And he doesn't stop there! He also swallows a harp, a saxophone, and a fiddle while trying to satisfy his voracious appetite for musical instruments. But when he swallows a teensy, tiny, little bitty bell, you won’t believe what happens! In this take-off on a classic children’s song, kids will laugh out loud and learn all about musical instruments with this story that’s a melodious mix of fun and frivolity.

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Come to the grand opening of the Face Bug Museum where readers can join an insect crowd to see amazing close-up photographs of bug faces, meet the bugs featured, and participate in interactive museum exhibits. In this innovative book of poetry, drawings, and photographs, J. Patrick Lewis's sly, humorous poems introduce readers to each of fourteen bugs. Kelly Murphy's black-and-white drawings create a funny visual story about two beetle friends gleefully exploring this memorable museum. In addition, awe-inspiring, dramatic (very) close-up photos of bug faces decorate the museum walls. A book of poetry and photographs and a picture-book story rolled into one, Face Bug is a unique collaboration.

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Whales are among the world's most captivating creatures. The humpback whale can grow up to fifty feet in length. The blue whale is a giant that can grow to a length of one hundred feet. Its tongue weighs as much as an elephant! Yet all whales aren't enormous, and there are many kinds, from the beluga, with its white skin, to the narwhal, with its seven-foot-long tusk. Join Laurence Pringle as he introduces a variety of whales and describes efforts to save these magnificent creatures from extinction. With bold, realistic illustrations by Meryl Henderson, this journey to the undersea world unveils the mysterious world of these mammals in the ocean.

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Imagine climbing into an elephant, sitting inside a sombrero, or working inside a basket. These things are possible with mimetic architecture—structures that mimic other objects. From north to south, from east to west, buildings designed to look like beagles, baskets, and binoculars dot the American landscape. In this fascinating nonfiction picture book, discover a variety of eye-catching, head-turning buildings beginning with our nation's oldest functioning example, Lucy the Elephant, to one of our youngest, a beagle named Sweet Willy. Though different in size, shape, and color, these buildings have one thing in common: they all grab your attention.

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Think of a world without cold drinks, ice cream, and frozen foods. Believe it or not, such a world DID exist! Learn all about this fascinating history in this nonfiction book. In the early 1800s, people began to harvest ice, store it in ways that limited melting, and transport it to homes and businesses. Eventually, almost everyone had an icebox, and a huge, vital ice business grew. In this riveting book, acclaimed writer Laurence Pringle describes the key inventions and ideas that helped the ice business flourish. He points to the many sources of ice throughout the East and Midwest and spotlights Rockland Lake, "the icebox of New York City," to offer a close-up look at the ice business in action. Pringle worked closely with experts and relied on primary documents, including archival photographs, postcards, prints, and drawings, to capture the times when everyone waited for the ice man and his wagon to deliver those precious blocks of ice.

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Winner of the Golden Kite Award for NonfictionThe remarkable tale of two young men during the Klondike Gold Rush, told through first-hand diaries, letters, and more—“excellent reading” for middle grade fans of The Call of the Wild and adventure stories (School Library Journal) As thousands head north in search of gold, Marshall Bond and Stanley Pearce join them, booking passage on a steamship bound for the Klondike goldfields. The journey is life threatening, but the two friends make it to Dawson City, in Canada, build a cabin, and meet Jack London—all the while searching for the ultimate reward: gold! A riveting, true, action-packed adventure, with their telegrams, diaries, and letters, as well as newspaper articles and photographs. An author’s note, timeline, bibliography, and further resources encourage readers to dig deeper into the Gold Rush era.

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Here is the story of Molly Williams, an African American cook for New York City's Fire Company 11 who is considered to be the first known female firefighter in U.S. history.New York City’s Fire Company Number 11 is in trouble. A deadly snowstorm is blowing, and many of the volunteers are sick in bed. When the fire alarm sounds, who will answer the call? Who will save the neighborhood? Molly Williams, the company’s cook, for one! Clapping a weathered leather helmet on her head, strapping spatterdashes over her woolen leggings, and pulling on heavy work gloves —it’s Molly, by golly, to the rescue. Young readers will enjoy plucky Molly Williams’s legendary adventure as they learn how fires were fought in the early 1800s.

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Here is the story of a Melissa Parkington, who longs to do something good -- and whose long and beautiful hair leads to the ultimate act of kindness and generosity.“Spectacular!” “Gorgeous!” “Fabulous!” These are some of the words people use to describe Melissa Parkington's hair, which is long, thick, and so shiny that it seems to sparkle. But Melissa Parkington would like to be known for more than her hair. Afterall, her hair isn't really an accomplishment. It just grows out of her head! Melissa wants to do something special, someting spectacular. But everything she tries doesn't seem to work out the way she plans. Then, one day, she discovers she can do something special — with her hair.

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Are kids going to love this book? Is a frog waterproof? The latest title in the popular Strange and Wonderful series delivers the awe-inspiring variety of the world's hoppiest amphibians. The goliath frog is more than a foot long. The tiny gold frog could sit on a dime. Some frogs have camouflage. Others wear bold colors warning their enemies that they are poisonous. Some frogs leap, others hop, one is a runner, and a few glide from tree to tree with their big, webbed hands and feet! Laurence Pringle's knack for choosing and presenting surprising facts and Meryl Henderson's gift for beautiful, realistic nature illustrations come together once again in a celebration of one of nature's most fascinating marvels.

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In pond, river, and ocean, as a solid, liquid, or gas, water is everywhere. But what does it evoke? What emotions are brought forth when we hear the crash of surf, see the rush of a stream, or feel the tickle of soap bubbles on our skin? In thoughtful poems, renowned author Jane Yolen takes a fresh look at water in all its forms, using photographer Jason Stemple's breathtaking pictures as inspiration. Waterfalls, steams, lakes, ocean waves, even bath water take on new meaning as poet and photographer examine these liquid landscapes through careful words and a camera's lens.

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Perfect for any young reader interested in music, families who love music, and a must-have staple for music classrooms, this funny picture book is an amusing introduction to the instruments in an orchestra, featuring clever rhymes and whimsical illustrations. Meet a shy fellow! He’s hard to notice, but he’s right at the side of the room listening to a duet for cello and viola. But look again -- our shy fellow suddenly has an urge to swallow a HUGE cello, which is precisely what he does. And he doesn't stop there! He also swallows a harp, a saxophone, and a fiddle while trying to satisfy his voracious appetite for musical instruments. But when he swallows a teensy, tiny, little bitty bell, you won’t believe what happens! In this take-off on a classic children’s song, kids will laugh out loud and learn all about musical instruments with this story that’s a melodious mix of fun and frivolity.

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Nature comes in many colors. The sun is yellow, an apple is red, a feather is blue. You can find nature's colors in the most unexpected places. Sometimes you have to look closely, but color is always there. Stephen R. Swinburne invites children to have fun seeing the colors around them as they walk down the street or play in the park. A wonderful world of color is waiting for those who open their eyes.

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Discover Math Matters! With over 15 million books sold worldwide, this award-winning series of easy-to-read books will help young readers ages 5–8 approach math with enthusiasm. Great for fans of MathStart or Step into Reading Math. Jamie's been waiting ALL winter to go snowboarding. It's almost spring and still no snow! But when the temperature drops and the snow might come, Jamie's friend Eli begins to panic. What will happen to his newly planted strawberry seedlings?With engaging stories that connect math to kids’ everyday lives, each book in the Teachers’ Choice Award–winning Math Matters series focuses on a single concept and reinforces math vocabulary and skills. Bonus activities in the back of each book feature math and reading comprehension questions, and even more free activities online add to the fun! (Math topic: Temperature Measurement).

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Each read-aloud book in the Mouse Math series focuses on a single, basic math concept and features adorable mice, Albert and Wanda, who live in a People House. Entertaining fiction stories capture kids’ imaginations as the mice learn about numbers, shapes, sizes and more. Over 3 million copies sold worldwide!While the cat's away, the mice will visit the playroom! But when all the toys come tumbling down, can Albert sort them back into the right bins before the People come home? Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math concept: Sorting)

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Each read-aloud book in the Mouse Math series focuses on a single, basic math concept and features adorable mice, Albert and Wanda, who live in a People House. Entertaining fiction stories capture kids’ imaginations as the mice learn about numbers, shapes, sizes and more. Over 3 million copies sold worldwide!Albert is making muffins—but he's missing some ingredients! His friends are happy to share, but when Albert borrows more and more, it's up to his big sister, Wanda, to help him find out what it really means to be "happy to share!" Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math concept: Ordinal Numbers)

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The Milo & Jazz Mysteries stars two kid detectives-in-training who use STEM problem-solving skills as they race to unravel cases and save the day! Perfect for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Nate the Great.A jewelry store is robbed. A diamond necklace mysteriously shows up in Milo’s desk at school. The connection is crystal clear...isn’t it? Detective duo Milo and Jazz tackle their eighth case in this exciting mystery! This ideal series for beginning readers making the transition to chapter books has incredible Super Sleuthing activities in each book, including hidden pictures, puzzles, mini-mysteries, and quizzes—plus free online activities.

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The Milo & Jazz Mysteries stars two kid detectives-in-training who use STEM problem-solving skills as they race to unravel cases and save the day! Perfect for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Nate the Great. How can a pool suddenly turn purple? And who could be behind it? Detective duo Milo and Jazz make a splash as they investigate their most colorful case yet! This ideal series for beginning readers making the transition to chapter books has incredible Super Sleuthing activities in each book, including hidden pictures, puzzles, mini-mysteries, and quizzes—plus free online activities.

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Discover Math Matters! With over 15 million books sold worldwide, this award-winning series of easy-to-read books will help young readers ages 5–8 approach math with enthusiasm. Great for fans of MathStart or Step into Reading Math. Tina's had a growth spurt. Will she get used to being Too-Tall Tina in time to avoid disaster on Sports Day?With engaging stories that connect math to kids’ everyday lives, each book in the Teachers’ Choice Award–winning Math Matters series focuses on a single concept and reinforces math vocabulary and skills. Bonus activities in the back of each book feature math and reading comprehension questions, and even more free activities online add to the fun! (Math topic: Comparing Measurements)

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The popular Social Studies Connects series links history, geography, civics and economics to kids’ daily lives. Featuring stories with diverse characters who face situations young readers can relate to, these books support reading and social studies skills including researching, inferring, comparing, and communication. An activity to stimulate curiosity about the world is included in each book!Pete and Joey are best friends, until they run for class president—and discover that it takes more than speeches and posters and promises to win an election. (Social Studies Topic: Civictions/Elections)

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A perfect picture book to share with children starting school or those riding the school bus for the first time. It’s the first day of school for Tess, and it’s also her very first ride on a school bus. Waiting at the bus stop with her older friend Gus, Tess eagerly asks, “Is this the bus for us, Gus?” as each vehicle passes by. Award-winning author and illustrator Suzanne Bloom introduces young readers to a diverse cast of characters and a variety of vehicles in this charming book that makes a great gift for any child about to start school.

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Abraham Lincoln was the first president of the United States to wear a beard. What gave him the idea to grow whiskers may have been a letter he received from an eleven-year-old girl named Grace Bedell. Charmingly told by Karen B. Winnick and illustrated with rich oil paintings that capture the look and feel of nineteenth-century America, here is the true story of the girl whose letter helped to make Abraham Lincoln's face one of the most famous in American history.

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In these four collections of verse (The Dog Ate My Homework, I Never Said I Wasn't Difficult, Am I Naturally This Crazy? and Which Way to the Dragon!), Sara Holbrook deals honestly with issues facing adolescents: school, divorce, anger, violence, love, friendship, and self-esteem. Through her straight-talk style, Holbrook captures the joys, pains, and attitudes that preteens and teenagers feel and provides a message of understanding that readers will appreciate.

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All the jump-roping, rollerskating, skyscraping excitement of city life is packed into this pulsating collection of poems selected by Jane Yolen. Poems by Langston Hughes, Jane Yolen, Rachel Field, and others capture the rush and rumble, toss and tumble of taxis and trains, pigeons and parks, sidewalks, and street cleaners. Ken Condon's bold illustrations evoke the gritty passion of the urban scene. Young readers will delight in this irresistible anthology that crackles with energy and zest.

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A boy hears the ringing of a hammer in the evening air. He follows the sound to the blacksmith shop where the fiery forge makes it a warm place on a winter's night. The boy watches as his father pounds steel on an anvil. Tonight he is making shoes for Shadow Horse. When the big horse arrives, led by his owner, he stomps and whinnies. Then, after a few pats on his broad back and a sugar-cube treat, Shadow Horse settles down. The father lifts the left hoof and the shoeing begins. The night will be a special one for the boy, when his father helps him shoe his first horse. Linda Oatman High's beautiful story depicts the loving bond between parent and child, while Ted Lewin's luminescent illustrations capture the heat and flickering shadows of a blacksmith shop one cold night in winter.

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Set in the universe of Rory Thorne, the second book in this sci-fi series follows unlikely allies who must discover the secrets of ancient ruins. Iari is good at killing monsters. As a templar in the Aedis, a multi-species religious organization committed to protecting the Confederation, eliminating extra-dimensional horrors is her job. But after she helped stop separatists from sabotaging the entire Confederation, she discovered a new sort of monster: the rogue-arithmancer, political kind. Promoted and sent north to the tundra of Windscar, Iari leads a team of templars to investigate ancient, subterranean ruins, which local legend claims are haunted, and which have mysterious connections to the dangerous arithmancy used by the wichu separatists. Iari isn’t worried about ghosts. She’s worried about surviving separatists and a fresh attempt to upend the Confederation. Included in Iari’s team are Char, a decommissioned battle-mecha and newly-joined templar, and Gaer, ostensible ambassador and talented arithmancer. As they delve into the ruins, they find remnants of long-ago battles, bits of broken armor and mechas—which unexpectedly reanimate and attack. It seems there is still dangerous arithmancy in Windscar—but the source isn’t who Iari expected, and they’re far worse than the separatists....

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Now in paperback--on a generation ship bound for a distant star, one engineer-in-training must discover the secrets at the heart of the voyage in this new sci-fi novel.It's been over a century since three generation ships escaped an Earth dominated by artificial intelligence in pursuit of a life on a distant planet orbiting Tau Ceti. Now, it’s nearly Braking Day, when the ships will begin their long-awaited descent to their new home. Born on the lower decks of the Archimedes, Ravi Macleod is an engineer-in-training, set to be the first of his family to become an officer in the stratified hierarchy aboard the ship. While on a routine inspection, Ravi sees the impossible: a young woman floating, helmetless, out in space. And he’s the only one who can see her. As his visions of the girl grow more frequent, Ravi is faced with a choice: secure his family’s place among the elite members of Archimedes’ crew or risk it all by pursuing the mystery of the floating girl. With the help of his cousin, Boz, and her illegally constructed AI, Ravi must investigate the source of these strange visions and uncovers the truth of the Archimedes’ departure from Earth before Braking Day arrives and changes everything about life as they know it.

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From a Hugo Award-winning author comes the third book in this action-packed sci-fi caper, starring Fergus Ferguson, interstellar repo man and professional finder.Fergus is back on Earth at last, trying to figure out how to live a normal life. However, it seems the universe has other plans for him. When his cousin sends him off to help out a friend, Fergus accidently stumbles across a piece of an ancient alien artifact that some very powerful people seem to think means the entire solar system is in danger. And since he's the one who found it, they’re certain it’s also his problem to deal with. With the help of his newfound sister, friends both old and new, and some enemies, too, Fergus needs to find the rest of the artifact and destroy the pieces before anyone can reassemble the original and open a multidimensional door between Earth and a vast, implacable, alien swarm. Problem is, the pieces could be anywhere on Earth, and he’s not the only one out searching.

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Now in trade paperback, the fourth and final book in the classic, genre-bending cyberpunk Otherland quartet from a master fantasist.A group of adventurers searching for a cure for comatose children find themselves trapped in a sequence of virtual worlds, the only opponents of a conspiracy of the rich to live forever in a dream. Now, they are forced to make an uneasy alliance with their only surviving former enemy against his treacherous sidekick Johnny Wulgaru, a serial killer with a chance to play God forever.Few science fiction sagas have achieved the level of critical acclaim and best-selling popularity as Tad Williams's Otherland novels. A brilliant blend of science fiction, fantasy, and technothriller, it is a rich, multilayered epic of future possibilities.

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Now in paperback, the second book of The Broken Trust continues a deadly battle for power in this sociological sci-fi novel where brother is pitted against brother.To marry into the most powerful family in Varin is to step into a trap. Della has spent thirteen years under the scrutiny of Pelismara's political elites, supporting Tagaret in a dangerous pretense as his brother Nekantor's closest ally. In secret, however, they've planned to escape, and to break down the restrictions of Varin's caste society. When Nekantor offers to send them to Selimna, the city where their caste experiments can be carried out, how can they not accept the opportunity?But ever since Nekantor seized power as the Eminence Herin's Heir, he's wanted to keep power in the family, and that means his eye is on the children--especially their thirteen-year-old brother Adon. In their absence, Nekantor begins to execute his own long-schemed plan, and soon Della realizes they've unwittingly become a part of it. How far does Nekantor's influence spread? How much will he seek to control? And how can she save Adon from falling into his snare?

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The ninth book of this dark urban fantasy series follows necromancer Eric Carter through a world of vengeful gods and goddesses, mysterious murders, and restless ghosts. Eric Carter has a lot on his plate.He's hunting the Oracle of Las Vegas, a literal talking head that manipulates the future to make its prophecies come true. But it has a new trick. It can change the past, too.Now Jazz Age Los Angeles is invading the present. Long gone buildings suddenly restored, decommissioned Red Car trains appearing on paved over tracks, miles of the city changing back to orange groves.Throw in a hundred-year-old doomsday cult, time magic, and a terrifyingly powerful spell to raise the dead and it makes for a busy week. Carter knows the Oracle is behind it all but he can't figure out how. Or why.But he better figure it out soon or he, the city, and everyone he knows might be wiped from existence.Cult Classic is noir urban fantasy at its finest, with a cutting voice, sharp wit, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

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The sixth book in the thrilling Donovan sci-fi series returns to a treacherous alien planet where corporate threats and dangerous creatures imperil the lives of the colonists.Three years after Ashanti spaced for Solar System, Turalon reappears in the Donovanian sky. The Corporation has returned. Donovan’s wealth is a lure for the powerful families who control the Board. Unburdened by morals, they are bringing their battle for supremacy to Port Authority and a showdown that could tear The Corporation apart. Much to her disgust, Falise Taglioni has been chosen to ensure that her family emerges triumphant; she comes with instructions for her brother, Dek. After all, she could always manipulate him to her will. And she will again, even if she has to destroy Talina Perez in the process. And if her war with the Grunnels, Xian Chans, and Radceks destroys Port Authority in the process? Who cares? But nothing on Donovan is static, and in the three years since Ashanti’s departure, life on the planet has hardened Kalico Aguila and the scrappy inhabitants of Port Authority. Life in the bush breeds a different kind of human, genetically altered, tough, and self-reliant. And on Donovan, determining who is predator, and who is prey has never been easy. Meanwhile, for Kylee Simonov and her bonded quetzal, Flute, there will be a final comeuppance. Because on Donovan, blood vendetta needs to be paid. And then she’s going to town. After which, nothing will be the same.

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This new cli-fi epic chronicles a future NYC wracked by climate change and follows the individuals who must make the most of what remains to survive.It's 2110, the Earth's glaciers have melted, and there's no climate fix in sight. As refugees stream inland from the inundated coasts, social structures and national economies are stressed to the point of fracture. Food production falters. Pandemics rage. Rising sea level and devastating superstorms have flooded much of Manhattan and wrecked its infrastructure. Its residents have mostly fled, but a few die-hards have bet their survival on the hope that digging in and staying local is a safer strategy.As the weather worsens, can a damaged population of poor folk, artists, misfits, and loners work out their differences in time to create a sustainable long-term society? In a lawless city, where the well-armed rich have appropriated the high ground, can an ex-priest find a middle road between non-violence and all-out war? The lives of his downtown band of leftovers will depend on it.Sheltering among them, a young girl named Glimmer struggles to regain a past lost to trauma. As her memory returns, she finds she must choose who and how to be, and who and what to believe in, even if it means giving up a love she has only recently found herself able to embrace.

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The third book in the acclaimed Carter Archives noir fantasy series returns to the gritty town of Titanshade, where danger lurks around every corner.Forbidden magic, murder... and disco. Carter's day keeps getting worse.With the return of spring, new life floods into Titanshade. The sun climbs higher and stays longer, the economy is ascendant, and ever more newcomers arrive to be part of the city's rebirth. Even pop culture has taken notice, with a high-profile concert only days away. When a band member's murder threatens to delay the show, the diva star performer demands that the famous Detective Carter work the case. But Carter has secrets of his own, and his investigation unearths more victims and dark secrets, triggering a spiral of deceit, paranoia, and nightmarish magical transformations.As conspiracies are exposed, Carter is sucked even deeper into the machinations of the rich, the powerful, and the venerated. Soon the very foundations of the city threaten to collapse and Carter's own freedom is on the line as he navigates between old enemies and fragile new alliances while racing to learn the true cause of this horrific series of deaths.

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This “claustrophobic and dark” debut science fiction thriller is “full of twisting ship corridors and unreliable characters” as it explores AI ethics and the effects of climate change (Kirkus Reviews). Aboard a ship manned by humans and androids, one doctor must discover the source of her crew’s madness—or risk succumbing to it herself. Misanthropic psychologist Dr. Grace Park is placed on the Deucalion, a survey ship headed to an icy planet in an unexplored galaxy. Her purpose is to observe the thirteen human crew members aboard the ship—all specialists in their own fields—as they assess the colonization potential of the planet, Eos. But frictions develop as Park befriends the androids of the ship, preferring their company over the baffling complexity of humans, while the rest of the crew treats them with suspicion and even outright hostility. Shortly after landing, the crew finds themselves trapped on the ship by a radiation storm, with no means of communication or escape until it passes—and that’s when things begin to fall apart. Park’s patients are falling prey to waking nightmares of helpless, tongueless insanity. The androids are behaving strangely. There are no windows aboard the ship. Paranoia is closing in, and soon Park is forced to confront the fact that nothing—neither her crew, nor their mission, nor the mysterious Eos itself—is as it seems.

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This lauded work of science fiction and New York Times Notable Book of the Year explores a universe where genetic mutations have allowed certain individuals to traverse the stars. It is the second stage of human colonization—the first age, humanity's initial attempt to people the stars, ended in disaster when it was discovered that Earth's original superluminal drive did permanent genetic damage to all who used it—mutating Earth's far-flung colonists in mind and body.Now, one of Earth's first colonies has given humanity back the stars, but at a high price—a monopoly over all human commerce. And when a satellite in Earth's outer orbit is viciously attacked by corporate raiders, an unusual young woman flees to a ship bound for the Up-and-Out. But her narrow escape does not mean safety. For speeding across the galaxy pursued by ruthless, but unknown adversaries, this young woman will discover a secret which is buried deep inside her psyche—a revelation the universe may not be ready to face....

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The fifth book in the thrilling Donovan sci-fi series returns to a treacherous alien planet where corporate threats and dangerous creatures imperil the lives of the colonists.The Maritime Unit had landed in paradise. After a terrifying ten-year transit from Solar System aboard the Ashanti, the small band of oceanographers and marine scientists were finally settled. Perched on a reef five hundred kilometers out from shore, they were about to embark on the first exploration of Donovan's seas. For the twenty-two adults and nine children, everything is new, exciting, and filled with wonder as they discover dazzling sea creatures, stunning plant life, and fascinating organisms.But Donovan is never what it seems; the changes in the children were innocuous--oddities of behavior normal to kids who'd found themselves in a new world. Even then it was too late. An alien intelligence, with its own agenda, now possesses the children, and it will use them in a most insidious way: as the perfect weapons.How can you fight back when the enemy is smarter than you are, and wears the face of your own child?Welcome to Donovan.

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The first book in a new environmental epic fantasy series set in a world where ships kept afloat by magical hearthfires sail an endless grass sea.On the never-ending, miles-high expanse of prairie grasses known as the Forever Sea, Kindred Greyreach, hearthfire keeper and sailor aboard harvesting vessel The Errant, is just beginning to fit in with the crew of her new ship when she receives devastating news. Her grandmother—The Marchess, legendary captain and hearthfire keeper—has stepped from her vessel and disappeared into the sea.But the note she leaves Kindred suggests this was not an act of suicide. Something waits in the depths, and the Marchess has set out to find it.To follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Kindred must embroil herself in conflicts bigger than she could imagine: a water war simmering below the surface of two cultures; the politics of a mythic pirate city floating beyond the edges of safe seas; battles against beasts of the deep, driven to the brink of madness; and the elusive promise of a world below the waves. Kindred finds that she will sacrifice almost everything—ship, crew, and a life sailing in the sun—to discover the truth of the darkness that waits below the Forever Sea.

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This fantasy novel follows a scholar's quest to choose the next ruler of her nation amidst lies, conspiracy, and assassinationWhen the death of Iron Queen Sarelin Brey fractures the realm of Elira, Lysande Prior, the palace scholar and the queen’s closest friend, is appointed Councillor. Publically, Lysande must choose the next monarch from amongst the city-rulers vying for the throne. Privately, she seeks to discover which ruler murdered the queen, suspecting the use of magic. Resourceful, analytical, and quiet, Lysande appears to embody the motto she was raised with: everything in its place. Yet while she hides her drug addiction from her new associates, she cannot hide her growing interest in power. She becomes locked in a game of strategy with the city-rulers – especially the erudite prince Luca Fontaine, who seems to shift between ally and rival. Further from home, an old enemy is stirring: the magic-wielding White Queen is on the move again, and her alliance with a traitor among the royal milieu poses a danger not just to the peace of the realm, but to the survival of everything that Lysande cares about. In a world where the low-born keep their heads down, Lysande must learn to fight an enemy who wears many guises… even as she wages her own battle between ambition and restraint.

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The fifth book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series continues the adventures of Asian-American superheroines Evie Tanaka, Aveda Jupiter, and Bea Tanaka in a demon-infested San Francisco.Over the years, the adventures of superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka have become the stuff of legend--and now they'll be immortalized in their very own TV show!The pair head to LA for filming, but Aveda struggles to get truly excited. Instead, she's preoccupied wondering about the fate of the world and her role in it. You know, the usual. Now that Otherworld activity has been detected outside the Bay Area, Aveda can't help but wonder if the demon threat will ever be eradicated. When the drama on set takes a turn for the supernatural, Evie and Aveda must balance their celebrity commitments with donning their superhero capes again to investigate. And when the evil they battle reveals a larger, more nefarious plot, it's time for the indomitable Aveda Jupiter to rise to the occasion and become the leader she was meant to be on a more global scale--and hopefully keep some semblance of a personal life while doing so.

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The third book in this contemporary fantasy series returns to the life of Tessa Andrews as she balances the magical and mundane worlds.When her father disappeared into limbo years ago, Tessa's world fell apart. It took her discovery of magic for her to begin to put things back together. But she hasn't been able to restore her father from his ghostly half-existence--and he is fading fast.Magic has a price, and Tessa is learning that it is both steep and deadly. The phoenix wizard who could train her has deserted Tessa. She has friends among the Iron dwarves and harpies, even a lesser demon, and the mysterious Malender with his sinister whip of thorns and fire. But she is still faced with a delicate balancing act.Then her mother incurs the wrath of the magical world when she writes a dissertation exposing its reality. That is the final straw, as Magic fights back and an assassin accepts a contract on their lives. Tessa must learn to master her new powers as a sorceress, or everyone and everything she loves is doomed.

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Now in paperback, a biker and a cowboy must fight the coming apocalypse in the second book of the Blood and Bone contemporary western fantasy series.It's the End of Days, and Gabe and Remi--an ex-con biker and a Texas cowboy--have been conscripted to join the heavenly host in a battle against Lucifer's spec ops troops: demons who inhabit characters from fiction, history, myths, legends, and folklore. But Gabe and Remi, still learning their roles, now must deal with one particular demon wearing the body of an infamous murderer: Jack the Ripper. Young women bearing the names of the murder victims killed during the Ripper's time are turning up dead, setting Gabe and Remi on a perilous path to save whoever they can, while also battling members of Lucifer's vanguard bent on killing them. Sinners and Saints is myth and magic, gods and goddesses, angels and agendas.

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