From the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Windsnap series, Liz Kessler, comes a poignant and harrowing story of three young friends whose fates are intertwined during the devastation of the Holocaust—based on a true story.
Three friends. One memory.
Vienna. 1936.
Three young friends—Leo, Elsa and Max—spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness and that they will soon be cruelly ripped apart from one another. With their lives taking them across Europe—to Germany, England, Prague, and Poland—will they ever find their way back to one another? Will they want to?
Inspired by a true story, When the World Was Ours is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking and that shows how the bonds of love, family and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times.
I took my case to my bedroom and began to pack. Soon it was almost filled with clothes, books, a few toys and some odds and ends. I opened my drawer by my bed and took out the photograph from my ninth birthday. Sitting on the side of my bed, I squinted at the photo. It was hard to believe it was only three years ago. It felt like a lifetime. The carefree smiles on our faces-- I couldn’t imagine smiling so freely like that ever again. The last happy day of my childhood and the day we had met Mr. and Mrs. Stewart. A tickle and a chase and a trip over a lady’s foot. And to make up for it, an extra ride on the Ferris wheel and a piece of Sachertorte. That was what we had given them. And in return they were offering us a whole new life.
When the World was Ours is a novel set in World War II Europe, in the midst of the German invasion of Poland and its surrounding countries. The novel depicts a story a horror, hope and salvation that is written in the perspective of all three main characters: Max, Elsa and Leo. These three best friends begin their adventure in 1936 Vienna, as nine-year-old children living (quite literally) “the best day of their lives.” As the days, month and years unfold throughout the novel, the children’s lives are changed drastically, as life’s circumstances rip them apart and force them through different experiences. These grueling experiences allow readers to obtain a frightening glimpse into Holocaust reality in order to empathize with and understand just some of the alarming moments that society and the people within it had to undergo.
An empowering, engaging young readers’ guide to understanding and battling climate change from the expert and bestselling author of This Changes Everything and On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal.
Warmer temperatures. Fires in the Amazon. Superstorms. These are just some of the effects of climate change that we are already experiencing.
The good news is that we can all do something about it. A movement is already underway to combat not only the environmental effects of climate change but also for climate justice and make a fair and livable future possible for everyone. And young people are not just part of that movement; they are leading the way. They are showing us that this moment of danger is also a moment of great opportunity—an opportunity to change everything.
Full of empowering stories of young leaders all over the world, this information-packed book from award-winning journalist and one of the foremost voices for climate justice, Naomi Klein, offers young readers a comprehensive look at the state of the climate today and how we got here, while also providing the tools they need to join this fight to protect and reshape the planet they will inherit.
From the award-winning author of The Serpent King comes a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love. Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen.
But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he would have to leave behind.
Let’s begin with what this novel is not:high action, mystery, romance. It’s neither humorous nor violent. Nor is it uplifting (except tenuously at the end).
It’s slow, perceptive and often heart-wrenchingly sad as it dissects grief and longing. It’s more about bereavement than anything, although the authentic teen banter often provides comic relief.
A special group of kids must save the world with — what else? — HOCKEY!
There are people out there, nasty mean greedy people, who want to rule the Earth. People such as evil scientist (and former mediocre goalie) Clarence Crosscheck. Only one thing is stopping them . . . hockey.
This hilarious new high-action series from Kevin Sylvester pits six ordinary kids with super hockey skills against the forces of evil — specifically, the nefarious wannabe genius, Clarence Crosscheck.
In The Puck Drops Here, Jenny, Benny, Mo, Starlight, DJ and Karl need to outmaneuver Crosscheck and his army of mammoth mutant ice squids before Crosscheck turns his giant freeze ray on the world. The entire planet is at risk! Get ready for high-stakes ice battles, non-stop hijinks and never-before-seen hockey action (it’s kids vs squids)!
With fast-paced text and illustrations throughout, this series will grip sports fans and funny story lovers alike. Will the kids win the day? You’ll have to read the books to find out.
Will the Hockey Super Six thwart their enemy’s plans for world domination in book two of this action-packed series?.
In the second book pitting six ordinary kids with super hockey skills against the forces of evil, Jenny, Benny, Mo, Starlight, DJ and Karl desperately need to stay out of Crosscheck’s grasp!
Their last run-in revealed to evil scientist (and former mediocre goalie) Clarence Crosscheck the scope of some of their secret powers — powers he can use in his never-ending quest for world domination. Hard at work on a robot army to do his bidding, Crosscheck underestimates how strong the Super Six can be when they work together as a team Get ready for high-stakes ice battles, non-stop hijinks and never-before-seen hockey action (it’s kids vs robots, and some giant lizards too)!
Seventeen-year-old Michael goes to visit his eccentric mad-scientist uncle who, busy working on yet another time-travel experiment in his cluttered lab, barely notices him. He keeps muttering things like "quantum multiverse transporter" and Michael has to entertain himself. Which is how Michael accidentally ends up in an alternate universe. Everything looks remarkably similar to his own world but with a few key differences, like lizard men dressed in gray suits and three-wheeled vehicles. And then there's Emily, a sassy, confident girl who needs Michael's help before he can find his way back to his own dimension.
The whole world seemed to tilt at that moment, like a painting on a wall that gets knocked a little crooked. Everything she had known as real up until now was slightly altered, and she seemed to be standing on the edge of a huge, dark, trembling world that was just a little different than it had been one minute before. Ghosts were real.
Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home -- until they find a secret place, walled off in an unfinished attic bedroom. A portal opens to another reality, Askí, bringing them onto frozen, barren grounds, where they meet Ochek (Fisher). The only hunter supporting his starving community, Misewa, Ochek welcomes the human children, teaching them traditional ways to survive. But as the need for food becomes desperate, they embark on a dangerous mission. Accompanied by Arik, a sassy Squirrel they catch stealing from the trapline, they try to save Misewa before the icy grip of winter freezes everything -- including them.
Ed Warnicki used to play football in the park with his dad and dream of being a great receiver. Now, at fourteen, Ed secretly wishes he could play for his Calgary High Mustangs team. But he worries that he's too tall, too skinny and too insecure -- the exact opposite of star quarterback Tyrone Jackson. Wanting to contribute to the school's football team in some way, Ed accepts the job of waterboy. Tyrone teases Ed about his build, his old bike and his obvious crush on Tyrone's girlfriend and school sports reporter Zara, and one day at practice throws a ball right at Ed's head. Ed's instincts kick in and he makes a decent catch! So when the team's top receiver gets injured, Ed joins the team as back-up receiver. Getting annoyed that Zara seems to prefer Ed's company to his own, Tyrone won't pass to Ed, and even calls a play he knows could get Ed hurt. But the big game against their rival team puts school pride and Ed's confidence on the line. Will Tyrone throw to Ed? Can Ed catch a crucial pass and make his dreams of being a football hero come true?
Dive deep into the world of this everyday insect -- and the science behind its uncertain future. Bumble bees are as familiar to most of us as the flowers these fuzzy insects feed upon. But did you know that the bees in your garden could be escapees from a local greenhouse, or descended from stowaways on a Viking ship?
Bumble bees are a vital part of our lives and Earth’s ecosystems, so much so that we’ve commercialized their breeding and shipped them across states, countries and ecosystems for our benefit. However, all of that human interference has consequences. Bumble bees are pushing out native species and altering ecosystems worldwide. Pesticide use has led to the spread of disease in local colonies. And some species may be disappearing entirely.