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A Bad Day for Pretty: A Crime Novel (Stella Hardesty Crime Series #2)
by Sophie LittlefieldA New York Times Notable Book!A Bad Day for Pretty is the thrilling sequel to A Bad Day for Sorry, Sophie Littlefield's award-winning debut featuring Stella Hardesty, one of the most applauded and exciting new heroines in crime fiction today.Stella Hardesty, avenger of wronged women, is getting cozy with Sheriff "Goat" Jones when a tornado blows none other than Goat's scheming ex-wife, Brandy, through the front door. Adding to the chaos, the tornado destroys the snack shack at the demolition derby track, pulling up the concrete foundation and unearthing a woman's body. The main suspect in the woman's murder is Neb Donovan---he laid the foundation, and there's some pretty hard evidence pointing to his guilt. Years ago, Neb's wife asked Stella for help getting him sober. Stella doesn't believe the gentle man could kill anyone, and she promises his frantic wife she'll look into it. Former client Chrissy Shaw is now employed at Stella's sewing shop and she helps with the snooping as Stella negotiates the unpredictable Brandy and the dangerously magnetic sheriff.
A Bad Day for Romance
by Sophie LittlefieldThat's no cupid, it's a bridesmaid with a crossbow. Stella Hardesty is a seamstress with a sideline job in vigilante justice in this entertaining ebook in the Edgar-nominated and award-winning Bad Day series.Two days before her best friend gets married, Stella Hardesty has nothing more pressing on her mind than fitting into her fluffy pink bridesmaid gown, mixing her next cocktail, and enjoying a romantic weekend with her sometimes beau, BJ Brodersen. Just as she's headed to the bridal shower, word comes that BJ and smokin' hot sheriff Goat Jones have gotten into a dustup over Stella's affections. Before Stella can recover from this startling development, more bad news comes along. The minister's niece, the hard-to-love pageant princess Divinity Flycock, has been arrested for the murder of her fiancé. The bride begs Stella to clear Divinity's name so that her minister will be able to perform the nuptials. When Stella starts digging into the case, however, she uncovers a world of jealous nightclub singers, firearms dealers, and the ugly underbelly of reality TV. Hot on the trail of the truth, she's distracted by the arrival of the sheriff, who finally seems ready to make a claim for her affections.
A Bad Day for Romance (Stella Hardesty Crime Novel #5)
by Sophie LittlefieldThat's no cupid, it's a bridesmaid with a crossbow. Stella Hardesty is a seamstress with a sideline job in vigilante justice in this entertaining ebook in the Edgar-nominated and award-winning Bad Day series. Two days before her best friend gets married, Stella Hardesty has nothing more pressing on her mind than fitting into her fluffy pink bridesmaid gown, mixing her next cocktail, and enjoying a romantic weekend with her sometimes beau, BJ Brodersen. Just as she's headed to the bridal shower, word comes that BJ and smokin' hot sheriff Goat Jones have gotten into a dustup over Stella's affections. Before Stella can recover from this startling development, more bad news comes along. The minister's niece, the hard-to-love pageant princess Divinity Flycock, has been arrested for the murder of her fiance. The bride begs Stella to clear Divinity's name so that her minister will be able to perform the nuptials. When Stella starts digging into the case, however, she uncovers a world of jealous nightclub singers, firearms dealers, and the ugly underbelly of reality TV. Hot on the trail of the truth, she's distracted by the arrival of the sheriff, who finally seems ready to make a claim for her affections.
A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel (Stella Hardesty Crime Series #3)
by Sophie LittlefieldA Bad Day for Scandal is the third in Sophie Littlefield's award-winning, critically acclaimed series. Written with passion, humor, and guts, this is a mystery to be savored.When Prosper homegirl turned big-city businesswoman Priss Porter returns to town with a body in her trunk, she calls Stella Hardesty to dispose of it. Her uppity ways don't convince Stella to take the job, and Priss attempts to blackmail her with a snapshot of Stella doing what she does best: curing woman-beaters by the use of force. Stella refuses to cooperate and goes home, only to hear later that Priss and her brother, Liman, have gone missing after calling in a disturbance. Stella is implicated when Sheriff "Goat" Jones discovers the scarf she left behind at the house. He warns her to stay local but Stella and her partner, Chrissy Shaw, go looking for Priss in Kansas City, where they discover that she runs an unusual business. When Priss herself—along with two other bodies—turns up in a pond belonging to one of Stella's ex-clients, Stella must investigate a host of suspects, including a crooked but libidinous female judge, a coterie of jealous male escorts, and a Marxist ex-professor.
A Bad Day for Sorry (Stella Hardesty #1)
by Sophie LittlefieldStella Hardesty dispatched her abusive husband with a wrench shortly before her fiftieth birthday. A few years later, she's so busy delivering home-style justice on her days off, helping other women deal with their own abusive husbands and boyfriends, that she barely has time to run her sewing shop in her rural Missouri hometown. Some men need more convincing than others, but it's usually nothing a little light bondage or old-fashioned whuppin' can't fix. Since Stella works outside of the law, she's free to do whatever it takes to get the job done---as long as she keeps her distance from the handsome devil of a local sheriff, Goat Jones. When young mother Chrissy Shaw asks Stella for help with her no-good husband, Roy Dean, it looks like an easy case. Until Roy Dean disappears with Chrissy's two-year-old son, Tucker. Stella quickly learns that Roy Dean was involved with some very scary men, as she tries to sort out who's hiding information and who's merely trying to kill her. It's going to take a hell of a fight to get the little boy back home to his mama, but if anyone can do it, it's Stella Hardesty. Sophie Littlefield possesses all the verve and confidence of a seasoned pro. This debut novel rings true at every heart-stopping turn, utterly bewitching us with its gutsy, compassionate voice and boasting some of the most captivating, complex characters in crime fiction today.
A Bad Day for Sorry: A Crime Novel (Stella Hardesty Crime Series #1)
by Sophie LittlefieldWinner of the Anthony Award for Best First Novel!Stella Hardesty dispatched her abusive husband with a wrench shortly before her fiftieth birthday. A few years later, she's so busy delivering home-style justice on her days off, helping other women deal with their own abusive husbands and boyfriends, that she barely has time to run her sewing shop in her rural Missouri hometown. Some men need more convincing than others, but it's usually nothing a little light bondage or old-fashioned whuppin' can't fix. Since Stella works outside of the law, she's free to do whatever it takes to get the job done---as long as she keeps her distance from the handsome devil of a local sheriff, Goat Jones.When young mother Chrissy Shaw asks Stella for help with her no-good husband, Roy Dean, it looks like an easy case. Until Roy Dean disappears with Chrissy's two-year-old son, Tucker. Stella quickly learns that Roy Dean was involved with some very scary men, as she tries to sort out who's hiding information and who's merely trying to kill her. It's going to take a hell of a fight to get the little boy back home to his mama, but if anyone can do it, it's Stella Hardesty.Sophie Littlefield's A Bad Day for Sorry won an Anthony Award for Best First Novel and an RT Book Award for Best First Mystery. It was also shortlisted for Edgar, Barry, Crimespree, and Macavity Awards, and it was named to lists of the year's best mystery debuts by the Chicago Sun-Times and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
A Bad Day for Sunshine: 'A great day for the rest of us' Lee Child (Sunshine Vicram)
by Darynda Jones'Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun' Allison Brennan_____________Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt?Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff, expecting nothing more than a quiet ride. But now a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus a kidnapped rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old flame, and Quincy Cooper, a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger.Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorising her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love . . . or worse?'A Bad Day For Sunshine is a great day for the rest of us' Lee Child'From the creative genius who brought you Charley Davidson comes your newest obsession: Sunshine Vicram. Mother. Sheriff. Warden of weird' Susan Donovan
A Bad Day for Sunshine: 'A great day for the rest of us' Lee Child (Sunshine Vicram)
by Darynda Jones'Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun' Allison Brennan_____________Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt?Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff, expecting nothing more than a quiet ride. But now a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus a kidnapped rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old flame, and Quincy Cooper, a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger.Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorising her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love . . . or worse?'A Bad Day For Sunshine is a great day for the rest of us' Lee Child'From the creative genius who brought you Charley Davidson comes your newest obsession: Sunshine Vicram. Mother. Sheriff. Warden of weird' Susan Donovan
A Bad Day for Sunshine: A Novel (Sunshine Vicram Series #1)
by Darynda JonesNew York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the first novel in the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram series—A Bad Day for Sunshine!"Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun."—New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan"A Bad Day For Sunshine is a great day for the rest of us."—New York Times bestselling author Lee Child Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee—and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff—thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her—and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter’s new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny. But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshal. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty—and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown—without falling head over high heels in love...or worse?
A Bad Day’s Work
by Nora McfarlandThe debut in a new series, A Bad Day's Workis a fast-paced and funny mystery starring a wonderfully flawed TV shooter.
A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy (The Salvagers #2)
by Alex WhiteThe greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series.The crew of the legendary Capricious are rich enough to retire in comfort for the rest of their days, but none of it matters if the galaxy is still in danger. Nilah and Boots, the ship's newest crew-members hear the word of a mysterious cult that may have links back to an ancient and all-powerful magic. To find it, hot-headed Nilah will have to go undercover and find the source of their power without revealing her true identity. Meanwhile, Boots is forced to confront the one person she'd hoped never to see again: her old, turn-coat treasure-hunting partner.The SalvagersA Big Ship at the Edge of the UniverseA Bad Deal for the Whole GalaxyThe Worst of All Possible Worlds
A Bad Dream (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, Guided Reading)
by Gideon Kendall Jordan BrownNIMAC-sourced textbook. A Mouthful of Food. Ben is very forgetful. But when Ben forgets to brush his teeth, he dreams of things inside his mouth that he will never forget.
A Bad End
by Peter Bush Fernando Royuela"The burlesque echoes the greatest Spanish classics, from Quevedo to Camilo José Cela."--M. García Posada, El PaísA Bad End is the story of Goyito, a dwarf at the end of his life, who tells us, in a bitter and sarcastic way, the miserable reality of his lonely childhood, his macabre experiences as a circus clown, and his liaisons dangereuses in Madrid's underworld. Mischief, desire, death, ambition, revenge--the life of a rascal told in exuberant, exhilarating language. Winner of the Premio Ojo Crítico.Fernando Royuela is a Spanish lawyer and fiction writer who lives in Madrid, Spain.
A Bad King is a Sad Thing: Book 5 (Rabbit and Bear #1000)
by Julian GoughGorgeously illustrated and with a classic feel, this is a brilliantly funny story of a rabbit and a bear ... and how to defeat an icebear who wants to be king. Ideal for readers moving on from picture books.'A perfect animal double-act.' The Times, Book of the Week Icebear has arrived in Rabbit and Bear's valley, and he wants to be king. He's big and scary, and the more kind and understanding the animals are, the meaner he becomes. Rabbit is confused: Bear has always been able to fix their problems in the past - but maybe this time he needs to ask for help from someone else. Does Wolf have the answer to the bad king's demands ... or will Rabbit and the other animals find the solution within themselves? From novelist and playwright Julian Gough, and the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Jim Field, this is a story of friends, enemies, and how to avoid being pooped on by an icebear.'Rabbit's Bad Habits is a breath of fresh air in children's fiction, a laugh-out-loud story of rabbit and wolf and bear, of avalanches and snowmen. The sort of story that makes you want to send your children to bed early, so you can read it to them.' Neil GaimanRead all the Rabbit and Bear books:1. Rabbit's Bad Habits2. The Pest in the Nest3. Attack of the Snack4. A Bite in the Night5. A Bad King is a Sad Thing
A Bad King is a Sad Thing: Book 5 (Rabbit and Bear #5)
by Julian GoughGorgeously illustrated and with a classic feel, this is a brilliantly funny story of a rabbit and a bear ... and how to defeat an icebear who wants to be king. Ideal for readers moving on from picture books.'A perfect animal double-act.' The Times, Book of the Week Icebear has arrived in Rabbit and Bear's valley, and he wants to be king. He's big and scary, and the more kind and understanding the animals are, the meaner he becomes. Rabbit is confused: Bear has always been able to fix their problems in the past - but maybe this time he needs to ask for help from someone else. Does Wolf have the answer to the bad king's demands ... or will Rabbit and the other animals find the solution within themselves? From novelist and playwright Julian Gough, and the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Jim Field, this is a story of friends, enemies, and how to avoid being pooped on by an icebear.'Rabbit's Bad Habits is a breath of fresh air in children's fiction, a laugh-out-loud story of rabbit and wolf and bear, of avalanches and snowmen. The sort of story that makes you want to send your children to bed early, so you can read it to them.' Neil GaimanRead all the Rabbit and Bear books:1. Rabbit's Bad Habits2. The Pest in the Nest3. Attack of the Snack4. A Bite in the Night5. A Bad King is a Sad Thing
A Bad Man
by Stanley ElkinA black market dealer must reconcile his lifetime of sins as he faces hard time in prisonA born salesman, Leo Feldman can peddle anything from clothing and appliances to prostitutes, guns, and drugs. Although guilty of myriad crimes, Feldman is sentenced to prison as the result of a clerical error that charged him with a crime he did not commit. Now, completely vulnerable to the inmates who surround him—and to the stern Warden Fisher—Feldman must come to terms with what it means to be jailed not for his crimes, but for his character. Wry and insightful, A Bad Man is an engrossing story of an antihero&’s journey through the twisted world of an unforgiving penal system. This ebook features rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s estate and from the Stanley Elkin archives at Washington University in St. Louis.
A Bad Night for Bullies (The Goolz Next Door)
by Gary GhislainIn this humorous, witty ghost story, Harold, who uses a wheelchair, accepts a mysterious artifact from a horror novelist’s daughter and discovers that while it may help him fight bullies, its power can’t be controlled. When writer Frank Goolz and his daughters move in next door, Harold soon learns that Frank’s books are based on real-life paranormal adventures. At the Goolz home, lights flash inexplicably, objects move on their own, and grotesque specters appear in the attic. Ilona, the beautiful older Goolz daughter, and her mischievous little sister, Suzie, defend Harold from bullies who threaten him daily. Then Ilona gives Harold the Stone of the Dead because she can’t trust her father or Suzie not to use it for a chilling purpose. Now Harold’s bullies are vanishing—is the Stone fulfilling his darkest wishes? This book, the first in a series, is sure to deliver for fans of paranormal stories.
A Bad Place to Die (A Tennessee Smith Western #1)
by Easy JacksonIt takes more than a badge to keep the peace in a lawless hellhole like Ring Bit, Texas. It takes guts, grit, gunslinging—and one hell of a woman . . . MEET TENNESSEE SMITH: SHE SHOOTS FROM THE HIP. There aren’t many options for an eighteen-year-old girl in the Old West. Especially an orphan like Tennessee Smith. She can either sell her body in a seedy saloon or take her chances as a mail-order bride. Tennie chooses the latter. Joining a wagonload of women across Indian territory, she arrives in the God-forsaken town of Ring Bit, Texas. Her husband-to-be is surprisingly decent. But after tying the knot in a quickie ceremony, he pops even more surprises on her. First, he introduces Tennie to his three young sons. Then he drops dead on their wedding night . . . Some women would hightail it out of there. Not Tennie. She’ll do whatever it takes to save the ranch and raise those boys. Rusty is thirteen, Lucas is ten, and Badger is six. They need a mother. Tennie needs a job. And the town needs a marshal. Sure, the local gamblers, outlaws, and thieves have no use for the law. Then again, they never met a lawman, or woman, like Tennessee Smith . . .
A Bad Reputation: A Madeline Maclin Mystery (Madeline Maclin Series)
by Jane TeshWhen Wendall Clarke announces plans to open a new art gallery downtown, it's both the talk of Celosia, North Carolina and the envy of its residents. But the news is upstaged when Clarke is found murdered, prompting beauty queen turned private investigator Madeline Maclin to take on the case.Faced with a laundry list of suspects including a furious exwife, a competing business owner, and jealous local artists, Madeline's also struggling to keep her con man husband, Jerry Fairweather, out of handcuffs.If Jerry wasn't enough trouble on his own, enter Honor Perkins, dead set on luring him back into a life of crime. Between foiling Perkins' plans, stabilizing her marriage and possibly being pregnant, Madeline juggles her responsibilities as she races to solve the crime before the killer strikes again—or her life falls apart.
A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch (Worst Witch #3)
by Jill MurphyMildred gets off to a good start in her second year at Miss Cackle’s Academy, but her sworn enemy, Ethel Hallow, is plotting misfortune, setting Mildred up for a very bad spell, indeed. [From the back cover:] "A new term spells disaster for Mildred! Mildred is determined to lose her embarrassing reputation as the worst witch Miss Cackle's Academy has ever seen, but things rapidly get out of hand!" It isn't easy to stay out of trouble when Mildred's arch enemy Ethel promises to make Mildred pay for scaring her little sister. When a spell turns Mildred into an animal she must run for her life. Then she finds another animal who was once human. It going to be risky for Mildred to save herself and her new friend but Mildred's no quitter! Ages 8-12 Pictures are described. Read all seven magical adventures in this series about a witch school for girls in the Bookshare Library. #1. The Worst Witch, #2. The Worst Witch Strikes Again, #4. The Worst Witch at Sea, #5. The Worst Witch Saves the Day, #6. The Worst Witch to the Rescue and #7 The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star.
A Bad and Stupid Girl
by Jean McgarrySiri is a legacy admission, rich and spoiled and destined to flunk out of her freshman year at college. Esther, her roommate, is a scholarship student from humble means, brilliant and driven to succeed. Brought together by chance, the girls soon become partners in a struggle to find their way in a world where neither Esther’s brains nor Siri’s beauty is enough. Never having been forced to work hard at anything, Siri must rely on Esther to teach her to learn and attend class. But as Siri wakes from her dream world to discover the life of the mind, Esther begins shedding her rational bonds to explore the mysteries of the soul. For both, some of the most devastating lessons in the attainment of worldly knowledge come from love. Deadpan funny and bittersweet,A Bad and Stupid Girlis above all else a moving portrait of two friends helping each other to uncover the potential splendor of their lives. Jean McGarry is the author of six previous books of fiction:Airs of Providence,The Very Rich Hours,The Courage of Girls,Home at Last,Gallagher's Travels, andDream Date. She is a professor of fiction at The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. A Bad and Stupid Girlis her third novel. "Jean McGarry's novel is a lovely locket of a book, with the picture inside not at all faded. Focused in close-up, succinct and convincing, it's a story about friendship and maturation, and about how our studies, alone, do not define us. ” -Ann Beattie "Jean McGarry’sA Bad and Stupid Girlis an uncommonly Good and Bright-Indeed Novel, sharply written from start to finish and entertaining as Hell. ” -John Barth "Everything in life is arbitrary yet must be over-determined in literature. Jean McGarry knows how to tell a persuasive tale illuminating these truths. ” -Harold Bloom
A Bait of Dreams
by Jo ClaytonThree unlikely heroes fight to save their planet from a deadly plague in this thrilling space opera set in Jo Clayton&’s beloved Diadem universe. No one on the barbarian planet Jaydugar knows where the hypnotically beautiful Ranga Eye gems came from, but everyone who encounters them pays a terrible price. These magic alien crystals, so smooth and pleasing to the touch, provide the holder with an extraordinary sense of peace and joy, causing them to see and experience wondrous, enchanting things. But the need for the visions the Ranga Eye provides quickly becomes an addiction that eats away at the soul and ultimately leads to a horrible, drawn-out death. An exquisite embroiderer, Gleia has pined for independence and true purpose throughout her life of servitude. She finds both when she manages to buy her freedom and sets out to locate and obliterate the sparkling, druglike scourge that ripped a devastating hole in her personal world. On a quest fraught with peril across a treacherous landscape of slavers, brigands, and mercenary aliens, Gleia&’s path will intertwine with those of the enigmatic, long-lived juggler Shounach—a perplexing, often infuriating rogue born off-world three centuries earlier to intergalactic adventurer Aleytys—and young Deel the Dancer, both of whom have suffered tragic, life-altering loss as a result of the terrible, beautiful jewels. Now the fate of the entire planet depends upon three unlikely champions locating the source of the sparkling plague and destroying the gems forever. But in a world of uncertainty and ever-present danger will they even survive to reach their journey&’s end, and once there, can they resist the irresistible fatal seduction of the deadly Ranga Eyes? Accomplished world-builder Jo Clayton returns to the galaxy she so brilliantly brought to life in her sensational Diadem Saga, once again seamlessly blending science fiction and high fantasy in an epic, thrill-packed quest adventure that confirms her position among C. J. Cherryh, Alan Dean Foster, Andre Norton, and other speculative fiction greats.
A Baker's Guide to Robber Pie
by Caitlin SangsterA clever young girl looking for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles into a nest of robbers in this tale baked with magic, fun, and friendship!Evie Baker is a great story-teller, an avid prankster, and a fantastic baker. And while she loves her parent’s bakery, she has no plans to stay in their small town and become stuffy or static. Evie wants to go on adventures and she knows just what she needs to do it! With her best friend, Cecily, by her side, Evie sets off into the Old Forest to find one of the Fel, a group of crow-like magical creatures who can’t lie. She is sure her family’s irresistible raspberry tart and a carefully crafted deal will get them to take her on a magical adventure—without getting her eaten or worse. But the forest hides many dangers and when they finally find their Fel, they also discover a nest of robbers! Having seen the Robber Lord’s face, Evie is whisked away into hiding for her own protection. But even in the queen’s own city, trouble has a way of finding her…YA novelist Caitlin Sangster makes her middle-grade debut in A Baker's Guide to Robber Pie, a fun fairytale filled with adventure, friendship, baking, and the power of a tale well-told.
A Bakery in Paris: A Novel
by Aimie K. RunyanFrom the author of The School for German Brides, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century and post–World War II Paris follows two fierce women of the same family, generations apart, who find that their futures lie in the four walls of a simple bakery in a tiny corner of Montmartre. 1870: The Prussians are at the city gates, intent to starve Paris into submission. Lisette Vigneau—headstrong, willful, and often ignored by her wealthy parents—awaits the outcome of the war from her parents’ grand home in the Place Royale in the very heart of the city. When an excursion throws her into the path of a revolutionary National Guardsman, Théodore Fournier, her destiny is forever changed. She gives up her life of luxury to join in the fight for a Paris of the People. She opens a small bakery with the hopes of being a vital boon to the impoverished neighborhood in its hour of need. When the city falls into famine, and then rebellion, her resolve to give up the comforts of her past life is sorely tested. 1946: Nineteen-year-old Micheline Chartier is coping with the loss of her father and the disappearance of her mother during the war. In their absence, she is charged with the raising of her two younger sisters. At the hand of a well-meaning neighbor, Micheline finds herself enrolled in a prestigious baking academy with her entire life mapped out for her. Feeling trapped and desperately unequal to the task of raising two young girls, she becomes obsessed with finding her mother. Her classmate at the academy, Laurent Tanet, may be the only one capable of helping Micheline move on from the past and begin creating a future for herself. Both women must grapple with loss, learn to accept love, and face impossible choices armed with little more than their courage and a belief that a bit of flour, yeast, sugar, and love can bring about a revolution of their own.
A Ball for Daisy: (Caldecott Medal Winner)
by Chris RaschkaWinner of the 2012 Randolph Caldecott MedalThis New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Best Illustrated Book relates a story about love and loss as only Chris Rashcka can tell it. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy's anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog. In the tradition of his nearly wordless picture book Yo! Yes?, Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka explores in pictures the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring. Raschka's signature swirling, impressionistic illustrations and his affectionate story will particularly appeal to young dog lovers and teachers and parents who have children dealing with the loss of something special.