Truly Devious meets Turtles All the Way Down in critically acclaimed author Katie Henry’s YA contemporary comedic mystery, a hilarious send-up of the hardboiled detective genre that spotlights family, friendship and love.
Gideon’s short-lived run as a locally famous boy detective ended when middle school started, and everyone else—including his best friend, Lily—moved on while Gideon kept holding on to his trench coat, fedora and his treasured film noir collection. Now he’s sixteen and officially retired. That is, until Lily shows up suddenly at Gideon’s door, needing his help.
He might be mad at her for cutting him off with no explanation, but Gideon can’t turn down a case. As a cover, Gideon joins Lily on the school paper. Surprisingly, he finds himself warming up to the welcoming, close-knit staff . . . especially Tess, the cute, witty editor-in- chief
But as the case gets bigger than Gideon or Lily could have anticipated, Gideon must balance his black-and-white quest for the truth with the full colors of real life—or risk a permanent fade to black.
From the author of Off Trail comes a hilarious mystery about what happens when a chilling trip leads to a lost fortune.
Nate and Lily knew their mother was different. All it took was a hunch or a bad feeling and the family would be uprooted and moving to a different apartment or even a different town. But when the two are torn out of their life in the ritzy North Bay for the summer and dropped in "the Mississippi of California" on the Sacramento River Delta, Nate Caldwell and his sister Lily see it as one more move in a series of lurching disruptions driven by their mother's suspicion that something or someone is after them.
When they settle into life around their uncle's House of Illusion roadside attraction, Nate meets Mia—who makes all the girls he knew in the North Bay seem shallow and dull—and begins to connect with local teens who couldn't be more different than the privileged classmates he left behind.
It's not until they learn that the story behind the attraction is more than just a tale for the tourists, that Nate begins to figure out what drove his mother's suspicious nature.
Here’s a novel with all the elements of a thriller, from hulking, slow-witted antagonists who believe in conspiracy theories, to an abduction, car chases and a teen dragnet op. There’s also a would-be psychic, a legend of lost treasure and a carnival-style house of mirrors-plus.
Quinn’s illusions are as good as those in any Vegas act—but can he win a spot at a prestigious magic camp despite an upstaging partner, a cute rival and a con-artist mentor?
Fifteen-year-old Quinn Purcell wants only one thing: to win a coveted spot at the Masters of Magic Fantasy Camp. But the competition is stiff, including Dani Darling, an incredibly talented, and incredibly attractive, rival magician who prestidigitates her way into Quinn’s heart—unless that’s just another of her tricks. To make matters worse, Quinn and his best friend, Perry, have always performed their magic as a team, but the judges want solo acts, and a two-man audition might disqualify them. When Quinn meets his idol, the Dazzling Lazlo, at a diner, it seems like a sign. If he can convince Lazlo to spill the secrets to his greatest trick, then the spot at the camp is all but Quinn’s. But is the washed-up magician just using Quinn to run a few scams? When the chips are down, what will Quinn risk—his best friend, his new crush, or his career as a magician? Hilarious and fast-paced, Don Calame’s latest novel is full of complicated magic tricks and equally complicated friendships.
I love the humorous lines in this book, and the main characters: three budding magicians vying against one another to win an audition. (You learn tons about magic tricks.)
The protagonist is Quinn, who has always performed magic shows alongside his best friend Perry. Now it appears the upcoming audition is going to require them to perform separately. Is that good or bad, because not so secretly, Quinn is insanely jealous of his friend, given that Perry is handsome, kind, debonair, etc. And has his pick of girls.
Empower teens to take charge of their digital lives. Without avoiding the dark side of technology, this interactive and comprehensive reference book empowers teens to take charge of their digital life and improve their mental health and well-being. Quizzes and exercises guide readers through the process of evaluating their relationships with their screens, social media and tech in general. With a frank and humorous approach to a timely topic, award-winning author Alex J. Packer, Ph.D., pulls back the curtain on the hidden aspects of the digital world and shares:
It’s a new summer at Camp Avalon―which Mack and his friends still affectionately call Camp Average. After last season’s big baseball victory, camp director Winston wants to continue the winning streak. So he’s launched a competitive program for elite athletes―including a new group of girl campers.
When Winston enters his charges in a high-stakes basketball tournament, Mack opts out in favor of other, less competitive activities. But Mack starts to suspect he’s being played, as one by one, his favorite camp activities all get closed for repairs.
Meanwhile, Winston pits boys against girls in a twisted attempt to win. To undermine Winston’s hypercompetitive scheme once again, Mack creates a plan of his own―but it means he needs to secretly sabotage both the boys’ and girls’ teams. Will Mack match wits with Winston and save the camp from the diabolical director’s clutches once and for all? Or will Mack’s own mischief be exposed-and lose him his summer and his friends? The second Camp Average book is a fast-paced and funny addition to this all-star series.