Homicidal Aliens and Other Disappointments

Homicidal Aliens and Other Disappointments
Author: Brian Yansky
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2013
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0763659622

After he kills one of the alien lords and escapes imprisonment, Jesse has to decide whether to accept his destiny before the rest of the aliens arrive and the world is completely destroyed.

Utopia, Iowa

Utopia, Iowa
Author: Brian Yansky
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2015-02-10
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0763674222

Jack Bell has an unusual gift—or curse, depending on your point of view. And he’s not the only one. In Utopia, Iowa, anything can happen. For the most part, aspiring screenwriter Jack Bell is just your typical Midwestern kid. He’s got a crush on his hot best friend, Ash. He’s coping with a sudden frostiness between his once crazy-in-love parents. He’s debating where to go to college next year—or whether to go at all. But then there’s his gift (or curse): Jack can see dead people, just like the kid in The Sixth Sense. Lately, the ghosts are more distracting than usual, demanding that Jack get to the bottom of their mysterious deaths—all while avoiding the straitlaced Detective Bloodsmith, who doesn’t believe in gifts or curses and can’t help wondering why Jack keeps turning up at crime scenes. Is there a happily-ever-after in Jack’s future, or is that only the stuff of movies?

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers
Author: Rob Reid
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2017-03-09
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1442274425

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers features 150 middle-grade books. Each profiled title has the potential to hook the reluctant reader and lure them to read the entire book. To specifically encourage elementary and middle-school-age reluctant children to read, there is first a pitch to get the reader’s attention. That is followed by a short reading passage to “set the hook” and encourage the young person to read the rest of the book on their own. Further, the book contains several hundred additional recommended titles. The books selected for this collection were chosen following the criteria of reluctant reader books created by the Quick Picks committee sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association. While these guidelines were designed for young adult books, they also work well for middle-grade books. The criteria include: clear writing (no convoluted long sentences with sophisticated vocabulary), high interest “hook” in the first few pages, well-defined characters, interesting plot, and familiar themes.

Fantastical Reads: Exclusive Candlewick Press Sampler

Fantastical Reads: Exclusive Candlewick Press Sampler
Author: Alison Croggon
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2015-11-05
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 076369021X

The sampler includes chapters from Alison Croggon’s Black Spring, Deborah Noyes’s Plague in the Mirror, and Brian Yansky’s Homicidal Aliens and Other Disappointments. Black Spring Inspired by the gothic classic Wuthering Heights, this stunning new fantasy from the author ofthe Books of Pellinor is a fiercely romantic tale of betrayal and vengeance. Plague in the Mirror In a sensual paranormal romance, a teen girl’s doppelgänger from 1348 Florence lures her into the past in hopes of exacting a deadly trade. Homicidal Aliens and Other Disappointments The reluctant hero from Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences is back in all his droll glory — and this time the fate of humankind is on the line.

Utopia, Iowa

Utopia, Iowa
Author: Brian Yansky
Publisher: Candlewick
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2015-02-10
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0763665339

Jack Bell has an unusual gift—or curse, depending on your point of view. And he’s not the only one. In Utopia, Iowa, anything can happen. For the most part, aspiring screenwriter Jack Bell is just your typical Midwestern kid. He’s got a crush on his hot best friend, Ash. He’s coping with a sudden frostiness between his once crazy-in-love parents. He’s debating where to go to college next year—or whether to go at all. But then there’s his gift (or curse): Jack can see dead people, just like the kid in The Sixth Sense. Lately, the ghosts are more distracting than usual, demanding that Jack get to the bottom of their mysterious deaths—all while avoiding the straitlaced Detective Bloodsmith, who doesn’t believe in gifts or curses and can’t help wondering why Jack keeps turning up at crime scenes. Is there a happily-ever-after in Jack’s future, or is that only the stuff of movies?

Sometimes I Act Crazy

Sometimes I Act Crazy
Author: Jerold J. Kreisman, M.D.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2006-04-14
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0471792144

A source of hope, expert advice, and guidance for people with borderline personality disorder and those who love them Do you experience frightening, often violent mood swings that make you fear for your sanity? Are you often depressed? Do you engage in self-destructive behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse, anorexia, compulsive eating, self-cutting, and hair pulling? Do you feel empty inside, or as if you don't know who you are? Do you dread being alone and fear abandonment? Do you have trouble finishing projects, keeping a job, or forming lasting relationships? If you or someone you love answered yes to the majority of these questions, there's a good chance that you or that person suffers from borderline personality disorder, a commonly misunderstood and misdiagnosed psychological problem afflicting tens of millions of people. Princess Diana was one of the most well-known BPD sufferers. As a source of hope and practical advice for BPD sufferers and those who love them, this new book by Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus, bestselling authors of I Hate You, Don't Leave Me, offers proven techniques that help you: * Manage mood swings * Develop lasting relationships * Improve your self-esteem * Keep negative thoughts at bay * Control destructive impulses * Understand your treatment options * Find professional help

He's Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You
Author: Greg Behrendt
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2009-01-06
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 141690977X

Based on an episode of "Sex and the City," offers a lighthearted, no-nonsense look at dead-end relationships, providing advice for letting go and moving on.

Black Star Renegades

Black Star Renegades
Author: Michael Moreci
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2018-01-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1250117844

In the tradition of Star Wars, a galaxy-hopping space adventure about a galactic kingdom bent on control and the young misfit who must find the power within before it’s too late. SyFy Wire—January Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Pick Up as soon as Possible The Verge—18 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Read in January Chicago Review of Books—Best New Books of January Cade Sura holds the future of the galaxy in his hands: the ultimate weapon that will bring total peace. He didn’t ask for it, he doesn’t want it, and there’s no worse choice to wield it in all of space, but if he doesn’t, everyone’s totally screwed. The evil Praxis kingdom is on the cusp of having every star system under its control, and if that happens, there’ll be no contesting their cruel reign. Especially if its fanatical overlord, Ga Halle, manages to capture Cade and snag the all-powerful weapon for herself. Cade can’t hide from Praxis, and he can’t run from the destiny that’s been shoved into his hands. So he only has one option: He has to fight. Cade’s not going to let destiny send him on a suicide run, though. With some help from his friends—rebels and scoundrels alike—Cade’s going to use this weapon to chart a new destiny for the galaxy, and for himself. He just has to do so before everyone around him discovers that he’s a complete and total fraud. Blending the space operatics of Star Wars and the swagger of Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Star Renegades is a galaxy-hopping adventure that blasts its way from seedy spacer bars to sacred temples guarded by deadly creatures—all with a cast of misfit characters who have nowhere to go and nothing to lose.

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences
Author: Brian Yansky
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2010-11-09
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0763654205

A polite race of telepathic killer aliens, a ten-second world conquest, and one teenage boy collide in this wry, gutsy adventure. (Ages 14 and up) Jesse is in history class when a formidable, efficient race of aliens quietly takes over the earth in less time than it takes him to brush his teeth. Most humans simply fall asleep and never wake up. In moments, everyone Jesse knows and loves is gone, and he finds that he is now a slave to an inept alien leader. On the bright side, Jesse discovers he’s developing telepathic powers, and he’s not the only one. Soon he’s forging new friendships and feeling unexpectedly hopeful. When a mysterious girl appears in his dreams, talking about escaping, Jesse begins to think the aliens may not be invincible after all. But if Jesse and his friends succeed, is there anywhere left to go? Brian Yansky offers a funny, grim novel packed with everything boys and sci-fi fans love: aliens, humor, action, and a healthy dose of triumph.