|
|
|
BOOKS
 |
Gemini
Summer
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile Fiction | 978-0-385-73089-1
| October 2006| $15.95
Paperback | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile Fiction | 978-0-440-41935-8
| November 2008| $6.50
Click
here to read an excerpt |
In
the quiet of Hog's Hollow, each member of the River family
pursues a dream. Old Man River sets out to build a fallout
shelter in case the war in Vietnam "brings the end
of everything;" his wife Flo, who collects Gone with
the Wind dolls, attempts to pen her own Southern saga;
Beau, their older son, suffers from "space fever" and
aspires to be an astronaut. As for Danny, the younger River
boy, well, he just dreams of having a dog. Then in the
spring of 1965 tragedy befalls the Rivers--a tragedy that
makes the Old Man wish he'd never started building the
shelter, stops Flo from finishing her bestseller, and leaves
Beau grounded rather than airborne. But the tragedy does
finally bring a dog into Danny's life. And not just any
old dog. Danny comes to believe that the mixed-breed stray
embodies the spirit of someone he dearly loves. He won't
allow anyone to separate him from the dog, not even after
it bites the neighborhood bully and the police are sent
to take it away. Together Danny and his dog run off, heading
toward Cape Caneveral, where the Gemini missions blast
off from, and where dreams come true.
Praise for Gemini Summer:
Winner of Canada's Governor General's Literary Award
A College of Education Best Book Award
A Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award Winner
“Lively prose, quirky characters and strong dialogue animate this moving story.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred
“Lawrence creates a poignant family drama that will pull the heartstrings of anyone who has looked up to an older sibling or has fallen in love with a dog.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred
|
 |
The Seance
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile Fiction |
978-0-385-73375-5
| July 2008| $15.99
Click
here to read an excerpt |
Scooter King understands illusions. In the midst of the Roaring Twenties, he performs them behind the scenes at his mother’s séances, giving the impression that Madam King communicates with the dead. Scooter also admires Harry Houdini and can hardly wait to see the famed magician escape from his razzle-dazzle Burmese Torture Tank. But when Scooter stumbles upon a dead body in the visiting Houdini’s tank, it’s no illusion. Who could the murderer be? And did he—or she—kill the right person?
As Scooter sets out to unmask the killer, the mysterious worlds of mediums, séances, and magic are revealed. No one is above suspicion, and appearances are deceiving. If Scooter doesn’t sort out the clues—and fast—he may end up as the next dead body.
|
 |
The
Cannibals
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction | 0-385-73088-8 | November 2005| $15.95
Click
here to read an excerpt |
As
Tom Tin nears Australia, where he’s to serve a lengthy
sentence for a murder he didn’t commit, he and his
fellow convict, Midgely, plot their escape. No matter that
the ship carrying them and the other juvenile criminals
is captained by Tom’s father. Tom knows his father
can’t help him clear his name and regain his freedom–not
as long as Mr. Goodfellow, a man who wants the ruin of the
Tin family, wields power back in London. So Tom and Midgely
decide to go overboard! So do other boys who seize their
chance at liberty–boys who aren’t so innocent,
and who have it in for Tom.
To make things worse, the islands in the Pacific look inviting,
but Tom remembers his father’s warnings: headhunters
and cannibals lurk there! The boys go anyway. And as conflict
among them mounts, as they encounter the very dangers Captain
Tin spoke of, Tom must fight to keep himself and Midgely
alive.
Praise for The Cannibals:
A Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice
"Fire-breathing monsters, headless corpses, gigantic snakes, a mysterious woman, and islands full of cannibals make this high-spirited, old-fashioned adventure tale, complete with cliffhanger chapter endings, a treat."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Offers a Robert Louis Stevenson brand of excitement that will draw fans of exotic adventure tales."
—Publishers Weekly
"Readers in search of swashbuckling adventure, gripping plot twists, and hair-raising encounters will gravitate to this sequel to The Convicts."
—School Library Journal
"Lawrence keeps the reader on edge."
—The Horn Book Magazine
"Excellent writing. . . . The action comes at breakneck speed."
—VOYA
|
 |
The
Convicts
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction | 0-385-73087-6 | April 2004 | $15.95
Click
here to read an excerpt |
After
seeing his father hauled off to debtor’s prison, Tom
Tin sets out to take revenge on Mr. Goodfellow, the man
responsible for his family’s misfortunes. But the
fog-filled London streets are teeming with sinister characters.
Tom encounters a blind man who scavenges the riverbed for
treasure—and wants what Tom digs up; Worms, a body
snatcher who reveals a shocking surprise; and a nasty gang
of young pickpockets who mistake Tom for someone ominously
known as the Smasher. And ultimately, Tom comes up against
the cruel hand of the law.
Accused
of murder, Tom is given a seven-year sentence. He is to
be transported to Van Diemen’s Land with other juvenile
convicts. But Tom can’t abide life on the Hulk, the
old ship where the boys are temporarily held. He decides
to escape. But if he’s to succeed, his luck needs
to turn. . .
Praise for The Convicts:
"Brilliant writing, adventure and a likable character mired int eh claustrophobic dark of a nineteenth-century convict ship will entrance all readers who love an old-fashioned tale well told."
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"One of the dkaret yet most engrossing of Lawrence's advnture novels. [The] action moves at a fast clip. . . [and] draws readers into another time and place."
— Publishers Weekly, Starred
|
 |
B
for Buster
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction | 0-385-73086-1 | June 2004 | $15.95
Click
here for for commentary and photos from Iain Lawrence
about B for Buster. |
|
Nicknamed
after his hometown of Kakabeka, Canada, Kak dreams of flying
with the Allied bombers in World War II. So at 16, underage
and desperate to escape his abusive parents, he enlists
in the Canadian Air Force. Soon he is trained as a wireless
operator and sent to a squadron in England, where he’s
unabashedly gung ho about flying his first op. He thinks
the night ops over Germany will be like the heroic missions
of his favorite comic-book heroes. Good will vanquish evil.
But his first time out, in a plane called B for Buster,
reveals the ops for what they really are—a harrowing
ordeal.
The
bombing raids bring searchlights . . . artillery from below
. . . and night fighters above hunting to take the bombers
down. One hit, Kak knows, and B for Buster, along with him
and his six crewmates, could be destroyed.
Kak
is terrified.
He
can’t confide his feelings to his crew, since he’s
already worried that they’ll find out his age. Besides,
none of them seem afraid. Only in Bert, the slovenly caretaker
of the homing pigeons that go on every op, does Kak find
an unlikely friend. Bert seems to understand what the other
men don’t talk about—the shame, the sense of
duty, and the paralyzing fear. As Kak seeks out Bert’s
company, he somehow finds the strength to face his own uncertain
future.
Praise for B is for Buster:
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Notable Book
"Send this straight to the top of the war-story aficionados' list."
-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred
"This is a lyrical coming-of-age novel and a fascinating bit of aviation history."
—School Library Journal, Starred
"The Story. . . is powerful enough to make audience members reevaluate their concepts of war and courage."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred
"A sure hit for fans of war stories and adventures."
-Kirkus Review, Starred
|
| |
 |
The
Lightkeeper's Daughter
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction - Family| 0-385-72925-1 | September 2002 | $16.95
Readers Circle edition
Click
here for commentary and photos from Iain Lawrence
about The Lightkeeper's Daughter.
|
|
Three
years have passed since Squid McCrae last saw her parents
and the remote island off the coast of British Columbia
where she grew up. She returns now at seventeen, a young
woman with a daughter in tow. The visit, she knows, will
be rough. Lizzie Island-paradise to some, a stifling prison
to others-brings an onslaught of memories. It is the place
of Squid's idyllic childhood, where she and her brother,
Alastair, explored the abundant natural life, and where
they blossomed into precocious adolescents. But Lizzie Island
is also the place where Alastair died.
Squid blames her parents for Alastair's death-especially
her father, the island's lightkeeper, a man anchored to
his isolated surroundings. He couldn't accept that Alastair
wanted to leave. In fact, he didn't allow it. Even Squid's
mother's entreaties on behalf of her son didn't succeed.
And through it all, Squid was both her brother's fiercest
protector and his tormentor.
Now the past collides with the present as Squid's homecoming
unleashes bittersweet recollections, revelations, and accusations.
But nothing is what it appears to be. No one possesses the
complete truth, and no one is without blame.
Praise for The Lightkeeper's Daughter:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
A Children's Book Sense 76 Selection
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
“A beautiful, unsettling story.”
—Booklist
“A beautiful story of light and dark, of magic, ghosts, tempests and shipwrecks, and of sadness and letting go. A must-read for lovers of tales rich in setting, atmosphere, and human understanding.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred
“This lyrical novel is an experience not to be forgotten.”
—School Library Journal, Starred
“With adult characters every bit as memorable as the teen characters, Lawrence’s novel may well attract a wide adult readership.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred
|
| |
 |
Lord
of the Nutcracker Men
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction - History - Military| 0-385-72924-3 | October 2001
| $15.95 |
|
Ten-year-old Johnny eagerly plays at war with the army of
nutcracker soldiers his toymaker father whittles for him.
He demolishes imaginary foes. But in 1914 Germany looms
as the real enemy of Europe, and all too soon Johnny’s father
is swept up in the war to end all wars. He proudly enlists
with his British countrymen to fight at the front in France.
The war, though, is nothing like what any soldier or person
at home expected. The letters that arrive from Johnny’s
dad reveal the ugly realities of combat — and the soldiers
he carves and encloses begin to bear its scars. Still, Johnny
adds these soldiers to his armies of Huns, Tommies, and
Frenchmen, engaging them in furious fights. But when these
games seem to foretell his dad’s real battles, Johnny thinks
he possesses godlike powers over his wooden men. He fears
he controls his father’s fate, the lives of all the soldiers
in no-man’s land, and the outcome of the war itself.
Praise
for Lord of the Nutcracker Men:
A
Publishers Weekly Best Book
A School Library Journal Best Book
"War--idealistic,
brutal, awe-inspring, numbing, jingoistic and ultimately
heartbreaking--is the central theme of this thoughtful and
thought-provoking novel."
--Publishers Weekly, starred
"Big
themes are hauntingly conveyed through gripping personal
story and eerie symbolism."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred
"A
fine introduction to World War I."
--Booklist, starred
|
| |
 |
The
Wreckers
(The High Seas Trilogy, Book One)
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction - Action & Adventure| 0-385-32535-5 | May 1998
| $15.95 |
|
Where
John Spencer's adventures first begin...
There was once a village bred by evil. On the barren coast
of Cornwall, England, lived a community who prayed for shipwrecks,
a community who lured storm-tossed ships to crash upon the
sharp rocks of their shore. They fed and clothed themselves
with the loot salvaged from the wreckage; dead sailors'
tools and trinkets became decorations for their homes. Most
never questioned their murderous way of life.
Then,
upon that pirates' shore crashed the ship The Isle of Skye.
And the youngest of its crew members, 14-year-old John Spencer,
survived the wreck. But would he escape the wreckers? This
is his harrowing tale.
Praise
for The Wreckers:
An
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick
A Geoffrey Bilson Award Winner for Historical Fiction for
Young People
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee for Best Children's Mystery
A Booklist Editors' Choice
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
"Call it a survival story, historical fiction, mystery,
or adventure, this tale will sweep readers along with its
irresistible tide of action and give them haunting scenes
to remember."
--Booklist, starred
"Fast-moving,
mesmerizing."
--The Horn Book Magazine, starred
|
| |
 |
The
Smugglers
(The High Seas Trilogy, Book Two)
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction - Action & Adventure| 0-385-32663-7 | May 1999
| $15.95 |
John
Spencer once again takes to the high seas.
Young
John is charmed by the Dragon, the schooner he is planning
to sail to London and use for the honest wool trade. But
a mysterious gentleman delivers an ominous warning to "steer
clear of that ship," because the ship was "christened
with blood." The ship looks clever and quick, and the
crew seems to know how to man it, but with such a warning
John is left to wonder how well he really knows what lies
ahead. Will he heed the advice given by the mysterious man?
Or will he brave the unknown on his own?
Praise
for The Smugglers:
An
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
"A
second riveting high-sea adventure featuring swashbuckling
characters, salty dialogue and a taut succession of cliffhangers."
--Publishers Weekly, starred
"Readers
who devoured The Wreckers will be eager to dig into
this seafaring sequel ... [filled with] a cast of wildly
colorful characters."
--Booklist, starred
"A
real page-turner."
--School Library Journal
|
| |
 |
The
Buccaneers
(The High Seas Trilogy, Book Three)
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction - Action & Adventure| 0-385-32736-6 | August
2001 | $15.95
|
|
The
page-turning conclusion of John Spencer's adventures.
"There’s pirates in the West Indies. Cannibals.
They cook you alive," says Mr. Spencer to his son.
These words will come to haunt 17-year-old John as he embarks
on his first voyage to foreign lands. Carrying cargo destined
for Jamaica, John and his crew of the Dragon set off for
waters few of them have sailed before. So when they come
upon a lifeboat adrift at sea, some are wary of the sailor
aboard. Something about his story doesn’t quite make
sense. Still, John respects the stranger’s awe-inspiring
seamanship. With Horn on deck, he feels the Dragon is in
the best of hands.
But is Horn to be trusted? The answer becomes muddled as
the Dragon encounters a very real — and very dangerous
— pirate ship. Now John starts to believe his father’s
warnings, especially after he becomes stranded on an island
reputed to have buried treasure. A place teeming with buccaneers!
Praise
for The Buccaneers:
"...Offer[ing]
plenty of full-blooded salty characters, cunning dialogue,
surprises around every corner and a classic battle between
good and evil ... [this novel] will keep readers riveted
from first to last page."
--Publishers Weekly, starred
"The
action on the seas is as constant as the waves."
--KLIATT, starred
|
| |
 |
Ghost
Boy
Iain Lawrence
Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | Juvenile
Fiction - Self-Esteem| 0-385-32739-0 | October 2000 | $15.95 |
|
Harold
Kline is an albino—an outcast. Folks stare and taunt,
calling him Ghost Boy. It’s been that way for all of
his 14 years. So when the circus comes to town, Harold runs
off to join it.
Full
of colorful performers, the circus seems like the answer
to Harold’s loneliness. He’s eager to meet the
Cannibal King, a sideshow attraction who’s an albino,
too. He’s touched that Princess Minikin and the Fossil
Man, two other sideshow curiosities, embrace him like a
son. He’s in love with Flip, the pretty and beguiling
horse trainer, and awed by the all-knowing Gypsy Magda.
Most of all, Harold is proud of training the elephants,
and of earning respect and a sense of normalcy. Even at
the circus, though, two groups exist—the freaks, and
everyone else. Harold straddles both groups. But fitting
in comes at a price, and Harold must recognize the truth
beneath what seems apparent before he can find a place to
call home.
Praise
for Ghost Boy:
An
ALA Notable Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A School Library Journal Best Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
"This
touching novel will speak especially to readers who consider
themselves different, flawed, or misunderstood."
--School Library Journal, starred
"Memorable
in every way."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred
"This
poignant adventure invites readers to look beyond others'
outer appearances and into their souls."
--Publishers Weekly, starred
|
|
|
