Notes from a Spinning Planet--Mexico

Notes from a Spinning Planet--Mexico
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2009-01-16
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0307499294

Madison Chase’s holiday break is drawing to a close and she’s eager to leave the gray Washington winter and join her Aunt Sid on a warm vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Maddie is pleasantly surprised when her good friend Ryan McIntire shows up to enjoy the trip with them, and she looks forward to spending time with him. But when Ryan runs into his high school crush, the beautiful Shelby Wagner, Maddie’s jealousy threatens to spoil their sun-drenched days. Unsure of her relationship with Ryan, Maddie distracts herself by befriending a local girl, Francesca Tarrago, who is both intelligent and hardworking but lives in deep poverty. As Maddie does what she can to help Francesca, she discovers a secret that Shelby has been keeping from all of them. Can Maddie put aside her conflicted feelings and love Shelby enough to help her? This third book in the Notes from a Spinning Planet series invites young women to the romantic beaches of Mexico to explore a love deeper than simple affection and the meaning of true sacrifice.

Notes from a Spinning Planet--Papua New Guinea

Notes from a Spinning Planet--Papua New Guinea
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2008-12-24
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0307499529

I have to wonder–if the AIDS crisis in Papua New Guinea is so hopeless, what difference will it make whether Aunt Sid writes a good story about it or not? What difference will it make that I’m here with her? I ask God to do something miraculous for both of us in this third world country. I ask God to use me… After her life-changing journey to Ireland, twenty-year-old Maddie Chase feels ready for whatever she and her Aunt Sid will find on their trip to Papua New Guinea. But when she sets foot on the beautiful South Pacific island, she can’t help but notice the sense of hopelessness around her. Through their investigative reporting, Maddie and Aunt Sid learn that this developing country is literally dying of AIDS. As Maddie delves deeper into the culture and history of the land–and develops relationships with nationals who are eager to share their lives–she finds a tangled past that could help to explain the current health crisis. Will Maddie be able to see past the darkness to offer light to these gracious island people? Join Maddie on her latest international adventure as she learns that maybe it is possible for one person to change history.

Dear Mom

Dear Mom
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2009
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1400074916

Carlson helps you cut through the uncharted waters so you can hear what your teenage daughter's really trying to tell you through her anger, silence, and mixed messages.

Bad Connection

Bad Connection
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Multnomah
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2009-02-19
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0307562360

Meet Samantha McGregor She seems like your average teen, but Samantha is unusually gifted. God gives her visions and dreams that offer unconventional glimpses into other people’s lives and problems. It’s a powerful gift with a lot of responsibility… Bad Connection: Book One Kayla Henderson lives on the edge. She likes to break the rules, considers partying an extracurricular activity, and can’t stand her parents. So, most people aren’t surprised when she goes missing. Like everyone else, Samantha McGregor assumes Kayla has run away. But then she has a vision where Kayla is tied up with duct tape over her mouth. Freaked by the image, Samantha wonders, Is Kayla alive or dead? Was the vision real or just a silly dream? Most important, can Kayla be found before it’s too late? Reaader's Guide Included! Story Behind the Book “The secular world has become very interested in ‘supernatural’ gifts. Take, for example, shows like Joan of Arcadia , The Medium, Monk, and Dead Zone . Yet it’s God who gives every good and perfect gift. My guess is that we humans barely tap into the vast variety of gifts that He has to offer. Not only that, but our fast-paced, high-tech culture rarely relies on those good ‘old-fashioned’ character traits like insight, intuition, wisdom, and foresight. My hope is that this series will provide a fun way for teens to explore deeper levels of spirituality and creativity while inspiring them to a greater love for God.” — Melody Carlson

Notes from a Spinning Planet-- Mexico

Notes from a Spinning Planet-- Mexico
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2007
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1400071461

When Maddie joins her journalist aunt on vacation in Mexico, she finds a rival for Ryan's affection, a friend who has a drinking problem, and most important, a new trust in God. Original.

A Not-So-Simple Life

A Not-So-Simple Life
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Multnomah
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2010-06-02
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0307498980

Fifteen-year-old Maya Stark seems to have it all–fame, fortune, a Beverly Hills lifestyle, and an eighties pop star dad who’s making a comeback. But looks can be deceiving, and on the inside, Maya is miserable. Her parents are divorced, her dad is away on tour, and being biracial, she struggles with her identity. Then, to make matters worse, her mother has returned to using drugs and is quickly depleting their finances. In a plan to become emancipated from her messed-up mom, Maya takes a job on Rodeo Drive. Selling designer clothes compromises Maya’s earth-friendly “green girl” values, but she is desperate. Just when Maya thinks she’s got it all worked out, her life caves in. Her mom “embezzles” Maya’s savings and is later arrested on DUI and cocaine possession charges and is facing jail time. With nowhere to live, Maya is sent to spend the summer with her relatives. In the collision of two very different worlds, Maya must figure out where she fits in–or does she fit in at all?

Payback

Payback
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Multnomah
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2010-04-14
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0307561534

If your vision asked you to risk your life to save others, would you have the courage? When Samantha McGregor tells her friend Detective Ebony Hamilton of her disturbing visions of a brutal murder at a high school, Ebony asks her to go undercover to help identify the shooter before it’s too late. The stakes are raised when Ebony discovers that the potential crime may be connected to a larger terrorism threat! Meanwhile, Samantha realizes that her mother’s new boyfriend is a little too good to be true. Her unsettling visions, combined with Ebony’s investigation of Steven’s past, reveal him to be more interested in her mother’s money than her heart. To make matters worse, Samantha has been having visions of an unknown boy who is mercilessly being bullied by his peers. Who is this teen? Can she help him? This fourth and final installment in The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor series brings Samantha her biggest challenges yet, as she works against the clock to stop a mass murder, help a troubled youth, and save her mother from making a terrible mistake!

It's a Green Thing

It's a Green Thing
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Multnomah
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2009-02-17
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1601421184

For the first time that she can remember, Maya Stark is beginning to feel like a “normal” teenager. Even with her mother in jail for drug possession and her pop-star father away on his comeback tour, Maya’s new life with her uncle Allen and cousin Kim is coming together. Summer vacation’s just beginning, and with a new job, a new boyfriend, and a new car (hybrid, of course), things are finally starting to look up. But that doesn’t mean life is about to get any easier. Maya’s still devoted to living Green, and her uncle offers her a Green column in his newspaper. With the opportunity to make a difference in the town’s attitude toward the environment, Maya wonders how this fits with her newfound commitment to Christ. And if she can really consider herself a Christian when her feelings toward a fellow youth group member are anything but loving…

What Matters Most

What Matters Most
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Multnomah
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2009
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1601421192

Sixteen-year-old Maya's commitment to live her life for God wavers after she joins a Christian rock band.