fiction

"On the eve of China's Cultural Revolution and her sixteenth birthday, Mei dreams of becoming a model revolutionary. When the Communist Party recruits girls for a mysterious duty in the capital, she seizes the opportunity to escape her impoverished village. It is only when Mei arrives at the Chairman's opulent residence--a forbidden city unto itself--that she learns that the girls' job is to dance with the Party elites. Ambitious and whip-smart, Mei makes a beeline toward the Chairman. Mei gradually separates from the other recruits to become the Chairman's confidante--and paramour. As he fends off political rivals, Mei faces down schemers from the dance troupe who will stop at nothing to take her place, as well as the Chairman's imperious wife, who has schemes of her own. When the Chairman finally gives Mei a political mission, she seizes it with fervor, but the brutality of this latest stage of the revolution makes her begin to doubt all the certainties she has held so dear. Forbidden City is an epic yet intimate portrayal of one of the world's most powerful and least understood leaders during the most turbulent period of modern Chinese history"--Provided by publisher.

"The year is 1087, and a pox is sweeping through the Italian port city of Bari. When a lowly monk is visited by Saint Nicholas in his dreams, he interprets the vision as a call to action. But his superiors, and the power brokers they serve, have different plans for the tender-hearted Brother Nicephorus. Enter Tyun, a charismatic treasure hunter renowned for "liberating" holy relics from their tombs. The six-hundred-year-old bones of Saint Nicholas rest in distant Myra, Tyun explains, and they're rumored to weep a mysterious liquid that can heal the sick. For the humble price of a small fortune, Tyun will steal the bones and deliver them to Bari, curing the plague and restoring glory to the fallen city. And Nicephorus, the "dreamer," will be his guide. What follows is a heist for the ages, as Nicephorus is swept away on strange tides-and alongside even stranger bedfellows-to commit an act of sacrilege. Based on real historical accounts, Nicked is a wildly imaginative, genre-defying, and delightfully queer adventure, full of romance, intrigue, and wide-eyed wonder at the world that awaits beyond our own borders"--.

". . . discover the origin of [the] characters from the 'Dog Man' series as they join forces to stop the Space Cuties from destroying the city"--Amazon.

"When her teacher Mr. Todd makes Monday special by celebrating Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, Judy Moody's frown is turned upside down, prompting her to come up with the perfect idea to make this the best week ever"--OCLC.

"Nancy investigates a string of incidents at a sailing resort"--Provided by publisher.

Uncle Murray takes Puppy on a walk on a day that Bad Kitty is being unusually difficult, but has several unpleasant encounters with a police officer and one mean dog along the way. Text is interspersed with information about dog behavior, pet care, and more.

"In 30 BCE, Cleopatra and her husband, Marc Antony, lost their war against Octavian for control of the Egyptian Empire. However, Cleopatra knew Octavian was really after the mysterious item that was the source of all her wealth and influence, so she hid it before committing suicide. She left a series of devious clues behind for her children to find it, but they were lost to history--until now. . . . Charlie must fight for her life against ruthless enemies, match wits with Cleopatra, and solve the two-thousand-year-old mystery to prevent the most powerful treasure of the ancient world from falling into the wrong hands"--Provided by publisher.

"Charlie Thorne must search for Charles Darwin's hidden treasure in South America--with plenty of enemies hot on her trail"--Provided by publisher.

Uniting with Jason, Piper, and Leo after their dangerous quest, Percy, Hazel, and Frank wonder who will be chosen to fulfill the Prophecy of Seven, completing their group's number, and sail with them to an ancient land to find the mysterious Doors of Death.

"The Strong family is having a reunion in New Orleans, and twelve-year-old Tristan is supposed to be keeping an eye on his younger cousin Terrance when several things happen at once: he sees his archenemy, King Cotton, and a mysterious girl grabs his magic cellphone--her name is Seraphine, and she seems to know everything about Tristan and the god Anansi (currently inhabiting the cellphone), and she has a mission for Tristan, one that is going lead to a final confrontation with haint King Cotton"--OCLC.