This fable-like novella about a homeless boy’s quest to make it to the beach offers “a darkly poetic, masterfully crafted view of life on the streets” (Publishers Weekly). From the celebrated author of The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity comes a tale of adventure, suspense, and friendship. Cosmos and Niner have adapted to being homeless, but they decide to set out on a journey to the beach where they can enjoy the summer weather year-round. Their plan has one hitch: they need money to make the trip. When a potential patron asks what the pair might be willing to sell, Niner and Cosmos offer their only item of value—Niner’s guardian angel. Once they’ve set out, Niner takes a turn for the worse, and Cosmos realizes he needs that guardian angel back to save his friend. An arresting tale for readers young and old, Beyond the Station Lies the Sea is a terrific addition to Jutta Richter’s beloved body of work. “Weaving together the spare symbolism of fable and the magical high stakes of fairy tale, this skillfully written novella by an award-winning German author offers much food for reflection. While the subject matter is difficult, the story is universal; not tied to place or culture, it remains open to broad interpretation. A good choice for discussion.” —Kirkus Reviews

Twelve-year-old Donovan's summer with his aunt and uncle on Puget Sound becomes a test of his own convictions when he suspects his uncle's involvement in a local racist group.

Many children at some point wonder whether they are adopted. In The Ocean Within, Elizabeth knows she is adopted and feels she cannot trust the welcome offered by her new family, the Sheridans. As she and her new siblings and cousins head to the beach for a vacation at Grandma's house, Elizabeth is secretly thrilled at the chance to finally see the ocean. On the other hand, she feels the Sheridans are just too much - too prone to hugging, too loud, too enthusiastic. And there are so many of them Beautifully re-creating the dynamics of a large family and revealing the heart of a young girl, The Ocean Within tracks the storm brewing within the usually sunny Sheridan summer home, as Elizabeth and the matriarch she calls the Iron Woman test wills - one resisting with all her strength the love and structure offered by the other.

WINNER OF THE MILKWEED PRIZE FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE Eleven-year-old Sebby has found the perfect escape from his crummy house and bickering family—a secret cave he calls “The Hole in the Wall.” It’s all the more beautiful for being in the midst of a devastated mining area behind his home. But soon after Sebby finds the hideaway, his world starts falling apart: his family’s chickens disappear, he falls ill with the mother of all stomachaches, and he finds a special pair of eyeglasses that show him a world where colors come alive and fly through the air. When Sebby sets out to solve these mysteries, he and his twin sister, Barbie, get caught in a wild chase through the tunnels around The Hole in the Wall—all leading them to the mining activities of astrophysicist Stanley Odum, who has been buying up all the land behind Sebby’s home. Exactly what is Mr. Odum mining in his secret facility, and does it have anything to do with these mysterious developments? The answers to these questions take the twins to places they never could have imagined.

Growing up in the 1920s, sixteen-year-old Garnet Richardson watches the birds outside her window, admiring their freedom and beauty. Her mother, on the other hand, does not approve of Garnet climbing trees to peer into nests. She has Garnet’s life all planned out: after finishing high school, she’ll marry and tend to the home. When Garnet is sent away for the summer to stay with relatives in the lakeside resort town of Excelsior, Minnesota, she discovers a chance to spread her wings. There she finds herself under the supervision of oppressive guardians and her father’s wealthy cousin. But an amusement park and roaring dance hall beckon, and her explorations land her where she least expects—enthralled with a beautiful and daring flapper, Isabella. Caught between her family’s expectations and her own newfound passions, Garnet must decide whose dreams to follow. Tender and moving, Silhouette of a Sparrow is the tale of a young woman’s discovery of the science of risk, the art of rebellion, and, of course, the power of unexpected love.

Fleeing bullies and life with his stepfamily, Henry Bunks finds a secret hideaway that becomes his observation point for activities in the Florida Everglades, legal and otherwise.

It's 1935 and from a child's eye view, the hard times of the Depression era are becoming more and more real. Each day, coming home from school, there is something else missing. First the sow pig, then the cow, then the truck. On one wrenching day the beloved hunting dog is sold. Finally the whole family packs up in the car and leaves--the children wonder where, but their parents are silent. Suddenly, the car stops at the edge of the road and Mother leans into the back seat, giving Mary Jake a handkerchief with something tied inside and the instructions to walk down the path into the forest, take the LEFT fork into town, and present the handkerchief at the stone house. So begins the adventure of a girl who chooses her own in path (neither left fork nor right), dyes herself in a stump full of walnut-colored water and disguises herself as a boy. "Jake" Smith soon meets Miz Bennett and hires on to help with her garden and animals. In this rags-to-riches story, rich with descriptions of Alabama during the Depression a strong female character copes with abandonment with courage and resilience.

"A strange plague called the 'Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget--small things at first, like where they left their keys, then the not-so-small things like how to drive or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily. There is no cure. But far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a universal healer hailed as 'ambrosia' has been discovered. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab has been built eight miles under the sea's surface. When the station goes incommunicado, a brave few descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths...and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine"--Page [4] of cover.

In the world of thirteen-year-old girls, everything’s fine—at least on the surface. Isabelle Lee is a typical, wisecracking, middle-of-the-pack girl who just happens to be dealing with some big issues. Her father has died and no one—especially her mother—wants to talk about it. Meanwhile, Isabelle’s sister, who “used to be nine and charming,” has messed everything up by ratting Isabelle out to their mom about her eating disorder. At school, there’s Mr. Minx, the self-important (but really not bad) English teacher; Ashley Barnum, the prettiest girl around; and the lunchroom, where tables are turf in an all-eyes-open battle for social status. Isabelle has measured the distance to being cool and she thinks it’s long shiny hair, a toothpaste smile, and perfectly broken-in size-zero jeans. Perfect is the story of one girl’s attempt to cope with loss, define true friendship, and figure out the difference between appearances and reality.

It is 1942. Korinna, a thirteen-year-old girl in Germany, is an active member of the local Jungmadel, a Nazi youth group, along with many of her friends. She believes that Hitler is helping Germany by dealing with what he calls the “Jewish problem,” a campaign that she witnesses as her Jewish neighbors are attacked and taken from their homes. When Korinna discovers that her parents—who are secretly members of an underground resistance group—are sheltering a family of Jewish refugees behind her bedroom wall, she is shocked. As she comes to know the family her sympathies begin to turn, and when someone tips off the Gestapo, Korinna’s loyalties are put to the test. She must decide what she really believes and whom she really trusts. An exciting novel for middle-grade readers, Behind the Bedroom Wall teaches tolerance and understanding while exploring why Nazism held so many in its deadly thrall.