A plucky “titian-haired" sleuth solved her first mystery in 1930. Eighty million books later, Nancy Drew has survived the Depression, World War II, and the sixties (when she was taken up with a vengeance by women's libbers) to enter the pantheon of American girlhood. As beloved by girls today as she was by their grandmothers, Nancy Drew has both inspired and reflected the changes in her readers' lives. Here, in a narrative with all the vivid energy and page-turning pace of Nancy's adventures, Melanie Rehak solves an enduring literary mystery: Who created Nancy Drew? And how did she go from pulp heroine to icon?The brainchild of children's book mogul Edward Stratemeyer, Nancy was brought to life by two women: Mildred Wirt Benson, a pioneering journalist from Iowa, and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, a well-bred wife and mother who took over as CEO after her father died. In this century-spanning story, Rehak traces their roles—and Nancy's—in forging the modern...

A beautiful friendship and coming-of-age story in middle-grade, The Extraordinary Colors of Auden Dare by Zillah Bethell is lightly futuristic, and deeply compelling. Auden Dare is colorblind and lives in a world where water is scarce and families must live on a weekly, allocated supply. When Auden's uncle, the scientist Dr. Bloom, suddenly dies, he leaves a note to Auden and to his classmate Vivi Rookmini. Together, the notes lead them to Paragon—a robot. As Auden, Vivi, and Paragon try to uncover Paragon's purpose and put together the clues Dr. Bloom left behind, they find out that Dr. Bloom's death was anything but innocent, that powerful people are searching for Paragon—and that it's up to Auden and Vivi to stop them.

Melanie' Travis's life is going to the dogs. With school out for the summer, a stint as a camp counselor falling through, and her sometime boyfriend dumping her for a Las Vegas chorus girl, the thirty-something Connecticut teacher and single mother figures that things can't get any worse. She figures wrong... Everyone knew that Melanie's Uncle Max had a weak heart. When Aunt Peg finds him dead on the cold floor of their championship kennel, surrounded by eleven whining, prize-winning Standard poodles, she isn't shocked...and doesn't panic. But Melanie is surprised when, three days after the funeral, Peg shows up seeking her help. One of her prize pooches is missing -- and it's beginning to look like Max's sudden demise is more a matter of... murder. With her four-year-old son Davey happily ensconced in day camp, Melanie manages to maneuver herself into Connecticut's elite canine circles. Posing as a poodle breeder in search of the perfect stud, she mingles with sophisticated exhibitors and professional handlers...and soon starts feeling a little out of her clas. Until she meets Sam Driver. Although the irresistibly attractive breeder is soon wooing her with seductive candle lit dinners, Melanie resolves to be wary. Then the killer strikes again, and Melanie realizes that she has been barking up the wrong tree. As events -- mysterious and romantic -- culminate in the celebrated Westminster Dog Show, she suddenly finds herself on a long leash of intrigue and greed...hot on the scent of a chilling secret to die for. "A dependable author for fans of pooch-oriented mysteries."—Library Journal "A thoroughly enjoyable story. Berenson provides entertaining reading."—I Love a Mystery "Charming."—Publishers Weekly

How do you move on in your life after a horrible tragedy? That's what Hope Kilpatrick must ask after losing her family in a horrible car accident right before Christmas. Unable to deal with the pain, she leaves the haunting memories of her New York home behind and escapes to Texas with an estranged aunt that is her only family. Still reeling from her loss and the culture shock of her new home, she must also deal with a school bully that has set her sights upon her. Hope's only solace is the quiet girl at the vacant lunch table, an eccentric history teacher, and the introverted handsome young man she meets at a Texas parade. Finding Hope in Texas deals with the tragedy of loss, the sardonic struggles of teenage life, and the sanguinity in finding a special someone that will help her discover the strength to live again.

THE SUNSPACERS TRILOGY is a trio of novels of an alternate, earth-based civilization. In SUNSPACER, young and idealistic philosophy student Joe Sorby must come to terms with adulthood while negotiating the gross injustices of interplanetary commerce. In STARS WILL SPEAK, an alien signal is broadcast from the farthest reaches of the known galaxy...but will the scientists of earth decipher its warning in time? In BEHIND THE STARS, young Max Sorby returns to Earth after spending all of his life on a mobile space habitat, fearing that the only home he has ever known will be lost to him forever.

Matthew Trent always knew what was expected of him and that was to become the Perfect Vicar and a Perfect Gentlemen. Grace Cooper has three options for marriage available to her in the small village where she resides. When someone threatens her father and then makes an attempt on her life, it is Vicar Trent who vows to protect her and brings scandal to her doorstep.

In recent years, Ireland has enjoyed a newfound prosperity as Europe's most affluent nation. But tucked away in a far corner of the so-called "Celtic Tiger," that other enduring and authentic country—that small, hidden place of simple magic and romance—still exists. Acclaimed travel writer David Yeadon and his wife, Anne, set out to find it.On the Beara Peninsula of southwest Ireland, the Yeadons discovered their own "little lost world," an enticing Brigadoon of soaring mountain ranges and spectacular coastal scenery, far removed from the touristic hullabaloo of Dublin, Killarney, and the Ring of Kerry. Here is the fabled "Old Ireland," alive and well with music seisuins, hooley dances, and seanachai storytellers—a haven for searchers, healers, artists, and poets hardy enough to have braved the same narrow and winding mountain roads that keep the package-tour coaches out.Bursting with color and life, At the Edge of Ireland is an intrepid wanderer's...

A unique, fun, and compelling anthology of stories all set in the aftermath of a crime. While the crime itself seems to have gone off without a hitch, each story then follows a member of that crew as we find out that their troubles have just begun... Featuring stories from acclaimed writers David Corbett, Zoe Sharp, Joe Clifford, Manuel Ramos, Gar Anthony Haywood, and more.

When two suburban high-school students are found murdered—both boys who were well respected and liked, with solid family lives and no apparent enemies—Detected Paul Turner is assigned the case. However as a gay father with two teenage sons and a new lover in his life, Paul Turner has trouble bringing his full attention to bear on the case. But as details slowly emergy, he begins to suspect that he is investigating something more deadly and horrifying than a pair of senseless killings, something that could threaten the lives of the people he holds most dear.Booklist gives Another Dead Teenager a rave review: "As in Zubro's previous books, readers have both campy humor and an action filled plot to keep them entertained. Highly recommended—this one's a good read in every sense of the term!"