Creating Motivated Readers, One Video at a Time
Picture Perfect by Elaine Marie Alphin Ian Slater’s best friend has vanished. Ian and Teddy were supposed to spend the afternoon photographing the redwoods, but Teddy never showed up. People might go missing in a big city like San Francisco, but not a little town like Sawville. Has Teddy gone in search of the father he’s never met? Or has something terrible happened to him? What is the truth behind the picture perfect image? Ian doe...
The Queen of Second Place by Laura Peyton Roberts Cassie Howard believes everyone has a talent. Unfortunately, hers is taking second place. No matter how hard she tries, she’s always second best . . . in school, in life, and especially in love. When Cassie discovers new-boy-in-town Kevin Matthews she wants him on sight. But so does conniving Sterling Carter, a ridiculously beautiful preppy princess and Cassie’s enemy since f...
Priceless-A Novel on the Edge of the World by Tom Davis Photojournalist Stuart Daniels has found purpose in life. After suffering the fallout of a tragic assignment, Daniels rediscovered his faith while helping a young African orphan. Now his photo work carries a greater mission: To educate people about social injustice happening around the world. Daniels next assignment carries him back overseas and into the heart of Russia. Once there...
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ranson Riggs As a kid, Jacob formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man’s unexpected death. Then Jacob is given a mysterious letter that propels him on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, he finds the children from the photogr...
Sabriel by Garth Nix The novel is set in two neighboring fictional countries: To the south lies Ancelstierre, which has a technology level and society similar to that of early-20th century England, and to the north lies the Old Kingdom, where magic works and dangerous spirits roam the land – a fact officially denied by the government of Ancelstierre and disbelieved by most of Ancelstierre’s inhabitants. (Those who live near the bord...
Runner by Carl Deuker When his alcoholic Gulf War veteran father is fired from the first steady job he has held in years, Chance Taylor is understandably glum. He has no idea where they’ll get the money to pay the moorage fees for the run-down sailboat they call home. Since his parents’ divorce, Chance has tried to keep a low profile in school, and his only pleasure is running by himself along the Seattle waterfront. [spoiler title=...
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys A fictionalized World War II story based on a true tragedy. Four different teens grapple with the bitter cold, the ever-present danger of falling bombs, and their own dark secrets. There’s Joana, a pretty and empathetic Lithuanian nurse who harbors a heavy guilt; Florian, a mysterious young man struggling to hide his true identity; Amelia, a pregnant Polish girl; and Alfred, a sociopathic Nazi sailo...
I Will Save You by Matt De la Pena After running away from a group home, 17-year-old Kidd Ellison sets up camp at a beach, where he is put to work by Mr. Red, an aging surfer who runs a maintenance shop. Hardworking and handsome, if somewhat slow, Kidd begins to make friends with some of the camp’s teens, especially Olivia, a blond beauty who wears a ski cap that covers part of her face regardless of the weather. Then Devon, Kidd’s ...
Shadow of the Blackbirds by Cat Winters In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has neve...
Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi Set on the American Gulf Coast, Nailer works light crew. His dirty, dangerous job is to crawl deep into the wrecks of the ancient oil tankers that line the beach, scavenging copper wire and turning it over to his crew boss. After a brutal hurricane passes over, Nailer and his friend, Pima, stumble upon the wreck of a luxurious clipper ship. It’s filled with valuable goods –a “Lucky Strike” that co...
