THE LIVING CURSE Conrad Edison is cursed. His foster parents die in horrible ways around his birthday, and he ends up back at the orphanage where he and the other children are treated like indentured servants. Forced to work the farm and other menial chores, Conrad holds no hope for a better life. When a man with the ability to mind-control animals inexplicably tries to kill Conrad, the harrowing scrape with death gives him a new perspective on life. He discovers the man had a flying carpet and a talking phone and that the orphanage is only the front for an insidious slave ring. Determined to elude his cursed fate, Conrad decides to escape the orphanage once and for all. The phone leads him to a magical place called Queens Gate and for the first time in his life, he dares to hope for a better life. But unless he can free himself from the curse, the terrible secret it guards could destroy him. THE ANCHORED WORLD When Conrad meets a strange girl while practicing for the Arcane University entrance exam, she takes him through a crack in the world and into a mysterious realm called the Glimmer. Conrad's parents are seeking help from the Glimmer Queen so they can once again rule the Overworld. THE BROKEN RELIC When Conrad learns of an ancient artifact that might be able to reverse death, he dares to hope it might return Cora from the grave. The Broken Relic, however, is highly sought after by collectors though nobody knows exactly what it is. After being kidnapped, chased, and nearly killed, Conrad realized he and his friends will be lucky to survive the preparations for the quest, much less the quest itself.

THE LIVING CURSE Conrad Edison is cursed. His foster parents die in horrible ways around his birthday, and he ends up back at the orphanage where he and the other children are treated like indentured servants. Forced to work the farm and other menial chores, Conrad holds no hope for a better life. When a man with the ability to mind-control animals inexplicably tries to kill Conrad, the harrowing scrape with death gives him a new perspective on life. He discovers the man had a flying carpet and a talking phone and that the orphanage is only the front for an insidious slave ring. Determined to elude his cursed fate, Conrad decides to escape the orphanage once and for all. The phone leads him to a magical place called Queens Gate and for the first time in his life, he dares to hope for a better life. But unless he can free himself from the curse, the terrible secret it guards could destroy him. THE ANCHORED WORLD When Conrad meets a strange girl while practicing for the Arcane University entrance exam, she takes him through a crack in the world and into a mysterious realm called the Glimmer. Conrad's parents are seeking help from the Glimmer Queen so they can once again rule the Overworld. THE BROKEN RELIC When Conrad learns of an ancient artifact that might be able to reverse death, he dares to hope it might return Cora from the grave. The Broken Relic, however, is highly sought after by collectors though nobody knows exactly what it is. After being kidnapped, chased, and nearly killed, Conrad realized he and his friends will be lucky to survive the preparations for the quest, much less the quest itself.

If you like the popular?Teaching Science Through Trade Books? columns in NSTA?s journal Science and Children, or if you?ve become enamored of the award-winning Picture-Perfect Science Lessons series, you?ll love this new collection. It?s based on the same time-saving concept: By using children?s books to pique students? interest, you can combine science teaching with reading instruction in an engaging and effective way.