"Gerald Creeper Jr. is a self-proclaimed pacifist, but he finds himself in the war zone when he starts his first year at Mob Middle School. At his new school, every monster in the Overworld is jockeying for power, and the skeletons seem to have it out for him. Armed with a 30-day plan, Gerald makes it his mission to use his brains--instead of his blasts--to survive the school year"--

The launch of an exciting, hilarious new series narrated by an underdog every Minecrafter can relate to. Gerald Creeper Jr. is a self-proclaimed pacifist (which, by the way, has nothing to do with a pacifier), but he finds himself in the war zone when he starts his first year at Mob Middle School. At his new school, every monster in the Overworld is jockeying for power, and the skeletons seem to have it out for him. Armed with a 30-day plan (he can thank his mom’s self-help obsession for that), Gerald makes it his mission to use his brains—instead of his blasts—to survive the school year. It all starts with: Day 1: Come up with a nickname. (Gerald is not gonna cut it.) Day 2: Keep a low profile. (Not easy when your new best friend is a super bouncy slime!) Day 3: Avoid being target practice for skeletons, and somehow get in with super-popular Eddy Enderman. (Easier said than done.) The first book in this laugh-out-loud funny, heavily illustrated, diary format series for Minecrafters follows the most misunderstood hostile mob in the Overworld. It’s not easy being green . . . or explosive!

A teen is snatched outside her kung fu class and must figure out how to escape—and rescue another kidnapped victim—in The Girl in the White Van, a chilling YA mystery by New York Times bestselling author April Henry. When Savannah disappears soon after arguing with her mom’s boyfriend, everyone assumes she's run away. The truth is much worse. She’s been kidnapped by a man in a white van who locks her in an old trailer home, far from prying eyes. And worse yet, Savannah’s not alone: ten months earlier, Jenny met the same fate and nearly died trying to escape. Now as the two girls wonder if he will hold them captive forever or kill them, they must join forces to break out—even if it means they die trying. Christy Ottaviano Books

“When Mom got out of jail, it was great having her home.” Mondo the Dwarf. Frankie Shots. Jospeh “Little Lolly Pop” Carna. Larry “Big Lolly Pop” Carna. Salvatore “Sally Boy” Marinelli. Johnny Tarzan. Louie Pizza. Sally D, Bobby B, Roy Roy, and Punchy. They were THE PRESIDENT STREET BOYS of Brooklyn, New York. Frank Dimatteo was born into a family of mob hitmen. His father and godfather were shooters and bodyguards for infamous Mafia legends, the Gallo brothers. His uncle was a capo in the Genovese crime family and bodyguard to Frank Costello. Needless to say, DiMatteo saw and heard things that a boy shouldn’t see or hear. He knew everybody in the neighborhood. And they knew him. . .and his family. And does he have some wild stories to tell. . . From the old-school Mafia dons and infamous “five families” who called all the shots, to the new-breed “independents” of the ballsy Gallo gang who didn’t answer to nobody, Dimatteo pulls no punches in describing what it’s really like growing up in the mob. Getting his cheeks pinched by Crazy Joe Gallo until tears came down his face. Dropping out of school and hanging gangster-style with the boys on President Street. Watching the Gallos wage an all-out war against wiseguys with more power, more money, more guns. And finally, revealing the shocking deathbed confessions that will blow the lid off the sordid deeds, stunning betrayals, and all-too-secret history of the American Mafia. Originally self-published as Lion in the Basement Raves For THE PRESIDENT STREET BOYS: Growing Up Mafia “Frankie D was born and raised in this life—and he’s still alive and still free. They don’t come any sharper then Frankie D. A real gangster story. Read this book!” —Nicky “Slick” DiPietro, New York City “I know Frankie D from when i was a kid living in South Brooklyn. It was hard reading about my father, Gennaro “Chitoz” Basciano, but I knew it was the truth. Frankie’s book is dead on the money—I couldn’t put it down.” —Eddie Basciano, somewhere in Florida “It’s been forty years since I’ve been with Frankie D doing our thing on President Street. This book was like a flashback, Frankie D nails it from beginning to the end. Bravo, from one of the President Street Boys.” —Anthony “Goombadiel” DeLuca, Brooklyn, New York “As a neighborhood kid I grew up around President Street and know firsthand the lure of ‘the life’ as a police officer and as a kid that escaped the lure. I can tell you the blind loyalty that the crews had for their bosses—unbounded, limitless, and dangerous. As the Prince of President Street, Frank Dimatteo, is representative of a lost generation of Italian Americans. If any of this crew had been given a fair shot at the beginning they would have been geniuses in their chosen field.” —Joseph "Giggy" Gagliardo, Retired DEA Agent, New York City “The President Street Boys takes me back as if it was a time machine. Its authenticity is compelling reading for those interested in what things were really like in those mob heydays; not some author’s formulation without an inkling of what was going on behind the scenes. I loved the book because I was there, and know for sure readers will love it too.” —Sonny Girard, author of Blood of Our Fathers and Sins of Our Sons

Written for a young audience, this intense memoir explores the harsh realities of life on the streets in contemporary North Korea. Every Falling Star is the memoir of Sungju Lee, who at the age of twelve was forced to live on the streets of North Korea and fend for himself. To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, “his brothers,” to daily be hungry and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution. This riveting memoir allows young readers to learn about other cultures where freedoms they take for granted do not exist.

“It pours out spicy tales of Mob lore to make its management points, an approach most execs couldn’t refuse.” —New York Post Former mobster Louis Ferrante reveals the surprisingly effective management techniques of organized crime and explains how to apply them in any legitimate business. As an associate of the Gambino Family, he was part of some of the biggest heists in mob history. His talent for management led bosses like John Gotti to rely on him. Now he offers time-tested Mafia wisdom based on true stories, such as: • Three can keep a secret (if two are dead): Build trust with your colleagues. • You don’t always need a gun to hit a target: Lead people without force. • It’s never personal: When circumstances demand it, never hesitate to pull the trigger.

A female Goodfellas—the true story of A supermodel turned getaway driver for the mob. All-American beauty Georgia Durante was one of the most photographed models in the country when she married mobster Joe Lamendola. It plunged her into a world she never dreamed of—and one she feared she’d never survive—as a getaway driver for the Mafia and an eyewitness to unspeakable violence, brutality, and murder, as she came to understand the terrifying risk of being married to the Mob.

Now in paperback, after five hardcover printings, Tommy James’s wild and entertaining true story of his career—part rock & roll fairytale, part valentine to a bygone era, and part mob epic—that “reads like a music-industry version of Goodfellas” (The Denver Post). Everyone knows the hits: “Hanky Panky,” “Mony Mony,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion.” All of these songs, which epitomize great pop music of the late 1960s, are now widely used in television and film and have been covered by a diverse group of artists from Billy Idol to Tiffany to R.E.M. Just as compelling as the music itself is the life Tommy James lived while making it. James tells the incredible story, revealing his complex and sometimes terrifying relationship with Roulette Records and Morris Levy, the legendary Godfather of the music business. Me, the Mob, and the Music is a fascinating portrait of this swaggering, wildly creative era of rock ’n’ roll, when the hits kept coming and payola and the strong-arm tactics of the Mob were the norm, and what it was like, for better or worse, to be in the middle of it.

The toughest mobs in the overworld are ready to compete! Spring has sprung, and every mob at Mob Middle School is looking forward to the Overworld Games -- except Gerald Creeper Jr. Other schools are coming to compete from as far away as the Nether! But Gerald's got a problem. He's not big on sprinting, spider riding, or strategic explosions. So which event is this creeper cut out for? Through some creative creeping, Gerald manages to get a few new events on the schedule. Pig riding, anyone? Firework crafting? When Dad gets involved, Gerald wants to make him proud. But, man, that team from the Nether looks awfully tough. This creeper could be in way over his head . . . Gerald's ups and downs at Mob Middle School continue in this fourth book in the laugh-out-loud funny, heavily illustrated, diary-format series for Minecrafters.

Gerald made it through the first few weeks of Mob Middle School in one piece (give or take a limb), even if his quest for popularity hasn’t led to fame and glory yet. When he hears about the school’s upcoming talent show, Gerald sets his sights on a new plan: unveiling his hidden talents as a rapper. He can picture it already—kids will finally know his name. They'll beg for his autograph. Maybe he’ll even impress the super-popular Eddy Enderman! But Gerald’s got some rivals for that top spot, not the least of which is a band of spider jockeys determined to keep a sixth-grader from winning the show. His sister is determined to blow him out of the water with her cannonball trick. Even his best friend steps up the competition with his slime-block trampoline. In the second book of this hilarious, heavily illustrated, diary format series for Minecrafters, Gerald may win fame and glory—but what will he lose along the way?