orphans

Lionel Essrog, a victim of Tourette's syndrome, is rescued from the St. Vincent's Home for Boys, along with three other boys, by local tough guy Frank Minna who molds the group into a fly-by-night detective agency, but when Frank is knifed and tossed in a dumpster, Lionel is forced to become a real detective in order to find the killer.

Tess de Sousa leaves Miss Ackerbee's orphanage to live with her new guardian in Roedeer Lodge, taking with her a fondness for scientific experimentation, a pet tarantula named Violet, and a device that allows her to travel to parallel universes.

"In a snow-covered land where monsters rule the icy tundra, only song weavers hold the power to control these vicious giants. But for centuries song weavers have been the subject of suspicion--how can those who hold so much power be trusted? Ever since his parents were lost on a pathfinding expedition, Ash has spent his life as an outcast. As a budding song weaver, his village marked him as a potential threat, even though all he wants to do is protect them. Eager to find his place in the world, he and his cantankerous yeti caretaker seek passage on the Frostheart: a ship-like sleigh whose mission is to explore faraway lands. There he meets a fast-talking, spunky navigator, a walrus captain with a peg leg who runs a tight sleigh, and a mysterious traveler who encourages him to hone his song. But can Ash's song weaving save the Frostheart from the monsters hiding under the ice? Or will his untamed powers put his newfound friends in jeopardy?"--Provided by publisher.

Teens Ky and Fig become unlikely allies in a stolen spaceship, eluding space pirates and more as they try to save Earth.

While Merle, Junipa, and the great flying stone lion accompany an Egyptian high priest to the fortress of the powerful sphinx, Serafin and Eft voyage deep beneath the ocean to ask the help of a sea witch in freeing Venice from the Pharoah and his mummy warriors.

"When his relaxing holiday with Sabine Pleasure and her family is interrupted by a ruthless attack, teenage MI6 agent Alex Rider knows it's no accident. Determined to hunt down the hit man who sent Sabine's father into a coma, Alex plunges headfirst into a world of violence and mystery, uncovering a sinister plan to start a nuclear war. And once the missiles are launched, Alex has just ninety minutes to save the world...."--Amazon.com.

A graphic novelization of Anthony Horowitz's "Scorpia" in which fourteen-year-old Alex Rider goes to Italy after being told that his father was an assassin for a criminal organization, and becomes involved in a plan to kill thousands of English school children.

"The extraordinary orphans Sam, Philippa, Thomas, and Max have just started to recover from their capture and subsequent escape from the evil Nicholas Rattigan. But the childrens' lives don't stay quiet for ling. A slew of bank robberies is terrorizing the city. And when General Farnum, the ringmaster of the museum's now immensely popular flea circus, is charged with murder, the search for the real killer uncovers a plot much bigger than any individual crime, a plot that can only be the work of Nicholas Rattigan"--Provided by publisher.

"Jessie and Henry's robotics team is competing in a big tournament. But when their robot is stolen, the Aldens have a high-tech mystery to decode!"--Back cover.

"The Aldens are helping out at a doughnut shop, but when a rival store opens across town, strange events follow, and the children have a mouthwatering mystery to solve!"--OCLC.