city and town life

In Port Sabine, the air is thick with oil, superstition reigns, and dreams hang on making a winning play. All eyes are on Mercy Louis, the star of the championship girls??? basketball team. Mercy seems destined for greatness, but the road out of town is riddled with obstacles. There is her grandmother, Evelia, a strict evangelical who has visions of an imminent Rapture and sees herself as the keeper of Mercy???s virtue. There are the cryptic letters from Charmaine, the mother who abandoned Mercy at birth. And then there???s Travis, the boy who shakes the foundation of her faith. At the periphery of Mercy???s world floats team manager Illa Stark, a lonely wallflower whose days are spent caring for a depressed mother crippled in a refinery accident. Like the rest of the town, Illa is spellbound by Mercy???s beauty and talent, but a note discovered in Mercy???s gym locker reveals that her life may not be as perfect as it appears. The last day of school brings the disturbing discovery, and as summer unfolds and the police investigate, every girl becomes a suspect. When Mercy collapses on the opening night of the season, Evelia prophesies that she is only the first to fall, and soon, other girls are afflicted by the mysterious condition, sending the town into a tailspin, and bringing Illa and Mercy together in an unexpected way.

During the summer of 1971 in a small Texas town, thirteen-year-old Toby and his best friend Cal meet the star of a sideshow act, 600-pound Zachary, the fattest boy in the world.

When eleven-year-old Sam gets into trouble and is forced to work for his reclusive neighbor Mr. Wells, he soon finds out that his mysterious new acquaintance hides many secrets of his own--including one that will change Sam's life forever.

Explores life in ancient Roman cities such as Rome, Ostia, and Pompeii. Describes the dangers and pleasures of living in Rome including crime, disease, gardens, baths, and banquets. Discusses entertainment in Rome such as chariot racing, gladiator battles, and theater. Contrasts life in Rome with life in smaller cities. Includes guides to Roman names, the calendar, clothing, and construction techniques.

Presents information on what cities are, where they are located, how and why they form, and the features they have in common. Includes color photographs, a quiz, a glossary, and a list of additional resources.

"New to the city of Cobble, a doll named Orio (and her companion Bauble) must depend on help wherever she can find it, but Bauble has other interests. And as the two explore the walls of their city, they find that they are not the only new arrivals"--OCLC.

For Concepcion "Chon" Gonzales, the year that high school athletic stars John Robison and John Mijias left for college and never made it was the beginning of a new life in his small town and the first time he understood about love.

When Daisy the dog and her brother Digger go to the big city, Daisy shops and insists Digger stay beside her or he will get lost, but she will not go into the store that interests him the most.

In this update of the classic fable, City Mouse and his cousin, Country Mouse, exchange visits and, although they find many things to like in each other's homes, they quickly learn that each prefers his own.