sacrifice

Brodie was a good dog, and good dogs go to heaven, except Brodie can't move on. As wonderful as his glimpse of the afterlife is, he can't forget the boy he left behind, who's still in danger.

Young readers will be drawn to all kinds of gory and unsavory topics, including foot binding for young women, the murderous Empress Wu, the deadly search for immortality, and the origins of acupuncture.

"When Susanne leaves her city home to visit her grandmother, she finds a very special tree of her own in the forest. Each time she returns to the tree, she observes something unique about it--from the sheltering protection of its branches to the scratchy surface of its bark"--OCLC.

Sixteen-year-old Lina Kirk sacrifices herself to her sinking island's Witch Queen, Eva, to save her brother and her secret crush, but when she and Eva fall in love, everyone is in danger.

When Lina is caught breaking into the palace, the queen offers her a deal: she will let Tomas go if Lina agrees to take his place. Lina accepts and the two soon learn that neither is what they expected. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other. As water floods Caldella's streets and the dark tide demands its sacrifice, they must choose who to save.

In the magical kingdom of Orkena, a teenaged girl is chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown.

"When her world divides, pitting light against dark, Veda must join a dangerous revolution to save her grandfather and fight against injustice . . . even if it costs her the boy she loves. On the island of Bellona, life is peaceful--as long as the citizens dutifully worship the Sun, which protects them from all harm. Seventeen-year-old Veda knows that keeping the Sun happy will protect her and her grandfather from the Night, the dangerous people who snatch innocent citizens from their beds under the cover of darkness, never to be seen again. As long as Veda follows the rules, she will be safe. But when Veda's grandfather is offered up as the next sacrificial offering to keep the Sun's favor, she starts to see that the safety she's been promised comes at a dangerous price. Maybe there is more to fear above than there is below. With a mysterious young man, Dorian, at her side, Veda has to figure out if the scary bedtime stories she grew up hearing are real--or dangerous lies"--Publisher.

Teased, bullied, and finally humiliated by the girls at school, twelve-year-old Rose Coffin escapes into the mysterious forest where she is immediately captured and taken to the magical world of Eppersett, where she is told that she is special, the one who will save Eppersett from the Abomination with the power of her voice; Rose is thrilled to be wanted--until she finds out that she is wanted not as a singer but as a human sacrifice.

Examines human sacrifice and execution practices from a variety of cultures and countries, including China, Crete, and England.

"Every seven years, the people of Three Graces send a sacrifice to the woods. The death of their 'best boy' ensures seven years free from disease, blight, and pain. But this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early, and three, not one, will run into the forest as a sacrifice"--Provided by publisher.