Synopses & Reviews
Grace Pizzelli is the average sister. Shes nothing like her brilliant older sister, Emily, who works for Rasmussem, creators of the worlds best virtual reality games. They seem so real that you can taste the food and smell the flowers.
The games arent real, though—or at least they werent. Now that Emily has hidden herself inside one , its clear that the technology can only keep her safe for so long. Something must have gone terribly wrong for Emily to retreat into the pink and sparkly Land of the Golden Butterflies, but no one seems to know what.
Grace may consider herself average, but shes the only one who can save Emily. So Grace enters the game, hoping to find her sister and talk her out of virtual suicide. There isnt much time left before sustained exposure to the technology will have dire results. Unless Grace can find her sister soon, Emily will die—for real.
Review
A 2011 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book
"Not to be confused with Cherie Priest's steampunk novel of the same name (though there is just the barest whiff of steampunk here), this historical fantasy uses the classic devil-at-the-crossroads motif as the foundation for an elaborate and intricate gearwork story set in the little town of Arcane, Missouri, in 1913...Both impressive and ambitious, Milford's first novel rarely overreaches as it lays out an eerie and atmospheric vision of early-twentieth-century Americana, electrified by supernatural traces and a generously complex look at good, evil, and the wide swath in between."and#8212;Booklist, starred review
"The tale is shrouded in mystery and explores themes of gaining confidence and recognizing evil, and Milford's detail-rich prose makes it all the more haunting ("In the gaslight and what morning sun that filtered through the heavy curtains, startling shapes began to resolve themselves into familiar objects. Seeing them clearly didn't make her like them any better")."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"This unusual story, with elements of folklore, tall tales and steampunk, has rich details of small-town America in the early 20th century as well as the impact of budding technology. Natalie is a well-drawn protagonist with sturdy supporting characters around her. The tension built into the solidly constructed plot is complemented by themes that explore the literal and metaphorical role of crossroads and that thin line between good and evil."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Consistently entertaining."—
Publishers Weekly"A testament to Vande Velde's storytelling magic."—The Horn Book
"A stylish tale [that] addresses both fantasy gaming and censorship."
—The New York Times Book Review
"Plausible, suspenseful. . . . Hilarious. . . . It's riveting reading for
experienced gamers and tyros alike."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Review
[star] "The most entertaining magical world since Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest . . . Another winner."--
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Vande Velde knows her way around fairy tales and fantasy and has a wicked sense of humor about both."--The Bulletin
"Lighthearted and sly."--Booklist
Review
"A nicely accomplished, entertaining read, with strong potential for reading aloud to younger children."--Booklist"This is a good naughty-boy-makes-good book for reluctant or easy-chapter-book readers. It's clear, uncomplicated, and entertaining."--School Library Journal
Review
[set star] "Features confident storytelling and suprise endings."--School Library Journal. "This collection of ten witchy tales has something to appeal to everyone . . . The tone . . . varies from funny to haunting, rueful to gothic . . . [For] readers who are ready for some sophisticated tales of the supernatural."--The Bulletin
Review
"Sherlock and Amy will have readers cheering for them. The accessible vocabulary, quick-moving plot, and humor make the novel appealing for reluctant readers."--The Horn Book"Rendered with an abundance of charm and wit."--Publishers Weekly
Review
"Slapstick adventure . . . funny."--
The Horn Book"Vande Velde has created an intriguing story, using familiar facts about the Middle Ages and [her usual] sly humor."--Library Talk
Review
[set star] and#147;Filled with engaging characters, witty dialogue, and lots of action, this is an entertaining blend of fantasy, whodunit, and comedy.and#8221;and#151;School Library Journal (starred)and#160;and#147;Universally appealing and difficult to put down.and#8221;and#151;Kirkus Reviews
Review
"
Interview with a Vampire for the learner's permit set."--
The Horn Book "A freshly written thriller, an offbeat love story, an engaging twist on the vampire novel, and an exciting tale of moral complexity. . . . Point [this] book at the Lois Duncan fans as well as Anne Rice followers, and get out of the way."--The Bulletin
Review
"Wicked wit and charm . . . as well as a gutsy heroine and a sexy dragon."--
Booklist"Alys herself is a worthy heroine, with a capricious gift for irony. A thoughtful mainstream fantasy."--Publishers Weekly
"[A] dark, bittersweet romance."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Delightful . . . Vande Velde's sly humor and snappy dialogue make this story a joy to read."--
School Library Journal"[A] charming and funny fantasy . . . The plot playfully wanders all over the map; readers will likely get just as much enjoyment from Wendy's sly and self-deprecating humor as from the whimsical adventure itself."--Publishers Weekly
Review
"It'll make you want to sleep with the lights on."--
Teen People "These spirits are destined to find their audience."--Booklist
"There are no duds here. . . . Vande Velde again chills, charms, moves, and startles with her customary effectiveness."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Vande Velde's takes on this fairy tale are always humorous and often heartwarming." Publishers Weekly, starred review Publishers Weekly, Starred
"An effective and amusing collection, with just the right amount of snappy sarcasm to snag the junior-high set." Kirkus Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (12/00) School Library Journal
Review
"Imaginative and entertaining."--
The Horn Book"Terrific fun."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
and#147;A fast-paced story that mixes scares and history for some canand#8217;t-put-it-down fun.and#8221;and#151;Kirkus Reviewsand#160;and#147;A spooky last-minute plot twist, a bittersweet climax, and a humorous conclusion helps make this an unusually rich and thoughtful supernatural tale.and#8221;and#151;The Bulletin
Synopsis
In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, there are way too many ways to get killed and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Which is a darn shame, because unless she can get the magic ring, locate the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue, charm the army of ghosts, fend off the barbarians, and defeat the man-eating dragon, she'll never win. And she has to, because losing means she'll die for real this time.
Synopsis
In Heir Apparent there are as many ways to win as there are to get killed. A stylish tale that] addresses both fantasy gaming and censorship. (New York Times Book Review)
From Edgar Award-winning author Vivian Vande Velde comes a rollicking story that puts a high-tech twist on the classic medieval fantasy-adventure.
In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, there are way too many ways to get killed--and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Which is a shame, because unless she can get the magic ring, locate the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue, charm the army of ghosts, fend off the barbarians, and defeat the man-eating dragon, she'll never win.
And she has to, because losing means she'll die--for real this time.
Junior Library Guild Selection * New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Synopsis
In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, there are way too many ways to get killed--and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Which is a darn shame, because unless she can get the magic ring, locate the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue, charm the army of ghosts, fend off the barbarians, and defeat the man-eating dragon, she'll never win.
And she has to, because losing means she'll die--for real this time.
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automataandmdash;self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalieandrsquo;s half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right.
Set in 1914, The Boneshaker is a gripping, richly textured novel about family, community, courage, and looking evil directly in the face in order to conquer it.
Synopsis
In
Heir Apparent there are as many ways to win as there are to get killed.
Giannine can testify to how many ways there are to die--it's about all she's been able to do since she started playing. Now all she has to do is get the magic ring, find the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, come up with a poem for the head-chopping statue, cope with the army of ghosts, outmaneuver her half brothers, and defeat the man-eating dragon.
If she can do all of that, why, she just might save her own life!
Synopsis
In this game, dying is easy; it's winning that will kill you.
Synopsis
From Edgar Award-winning author Vivian Vande Velde comes a rollicking story that puts a high-tech twist on the classic medieval fantasy-adventure
Synopsis
Nola's not much of a witch--she can work only a few useless spells, like the one that lets her spy on people. But there's no spell for keeping her crazy mother--who hears voices and is a magnet for witch-hunters--out of trouble. The two flee from town to town until the day Nola magically witnesses a murder. Which is bad enough, but worse is that the murderer may frame Nola and her mother for the crime. And then no amount of magic will save her.
And you think your teenage years are tough. . . .
Synopsis
This well-written . . . fast-paced adventure raises some interesting issues.” School Library Journal
Lisette Beaucaire was angry when her parents sent her away from Paris that September day in 1940. And although she knew that with the Nazis occupying the city shed be safer at her aunt Josephines farm in the Dordogne Valley, Lisette resented her exile.” Shed miss her friends and the excitement of being thirteen and starting a new school. Instead, shed have nothing to do but amuse her little cousin Cecile.
Thats what Lisette thought, but she soon found out that she wasnt the only visitor at the farmhouse. And then she encountered Gerard, a visitor from a long time ago, who proved to be a valiant ally at a crucial moment.
Synopsis
The wizard has big summer plans: to garden, to fish, and to nap. The only thing better would be if he had someone nice to share the days with. But the only people who show up want him to rescue yet another princess, lift the usual vile curse, confront a fearsome ghost, deal with a pack of magical hooligans, harvest a crop of golden cucumbers, and on and on. . . .
A wizard's work is never done!
Synopsis
If Howard had known the old hag was a witch, he never would have taunted her. But he did, and she did what witches do--cursed him--and now he's a goose, which to tell you the truth, is not as serene and peaceful as it might look from the shore. People try to
kill geese, for crying out loud, and the other geese are none too nice to newcomers. Howard is desperate to become a human again so he can show that old witch a thing or two.
But the only way to break the curse is to do three good deeds--and how can you help others when you've got webbed feet, wings for hands, and can't say anything but "Honk"?
Synopsis
A spell that gets you land, money, long golden hair, or a date to the prom cant be a curse, can it? A curse just gets you dead. Or does it?. . . In these ten stunning short stories, boys and girls learn firsthand just what magic spells, enchantments, and curses really can do.
Synopsis
Amy Prochenko is only in fifth grade, but she already has a sixth grader's problems: She is wildly unpopular, she is the target of prissy Kaitlyn Walker's nastiness, and everyone thinks she and the dweebiest boy in class are an item. Then one day Amy meets Sherlock, a dog on the run from a university lab. Sherlock is not like other dogs: He can talk, he's smarter than most of Amy's classmates--and he needs Amy's help. Suddenly Amy's life is full of danger and excitement, and she finds she is becoming, of all things, popular. Best of all, she finds in Sherlock the sort of friend she's always longed for--the sort of friend she must protect no matter what the cost.
Synopsis
It's bad enough that Deanna has to waste her summer in France and her only friend is a mangy black cat, but now she's staring hopelessly into a well, trying to figure out what in the world to wish for.
Before she can make a wish, the cat scratches her, her watch falls into the well, and then . . . so has she! Except that now she's in medieval France, the cat is a handsome young man, and her watch has the power to completely change history.
Maybe a quiet summer would have been nice?
Synopsis
When Selwyn is accused of murdering his rival, Farold, he is sealed in the village burial cave with Faroldand#8217;s moldering corpse to await starvationand#151;or worse. Worse comes along quickly in the form of a witch who raises Farold from the dead. Selwyn thought he disliked Farold when he was alive, but that was nothing compared to working by the dead manand#8217;s side as they search for the real killer.
Synopsis
A boy is trapped in a possessed car that has stalled in the path of an oncoming train. A girl is dragged into a crypt during a field trip to an eighteenth-century cemetery.and#160;A group of friends meet their fate after an unsettling visit with a backwoods psychic. And
that's just the beginning.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Celebratedand#160;author Vivian Vande Velde is at her spine-tingling best in this collection of thirteen scary stories, all of which take place on Halloween night. With tales that range from the disturbing to the downright gruesome, this is one collection that teens will want to read with the lights onand#160;. . . and the doors locked.
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Raquel Falcone is, as one of her classmates puts it, the kind of kid who has a tendency to be invisible. That is until the night she's hit by a car and killed while walking home from the movies. In brief, moving chapters, we hear about Raquel from her classmates, her best friend, her family--and the woman who was driving the car that struck her. The loss of this seemingly invisible girl deeply affects her entire community, proving just how interconnected and similar we all really are.
Synopsis
Kerry's got a tough night ahead of her. What begins as a simple lost-and-found trip to the Laundromat turns into a nightmarish odyssey of murder, vampires, and--quite possibly--true love. Vivian Vande Velde puts a terrifying spin on what should be a typical night in a small town.
Synopsis
Once upon a time there was a very nice but very plain princess named Jennifer, who, following proper fairy-tale protocol, fell for a very handsome but very conceited prince named Alexander. When Alexander offends a powerful witch, it falls to Jennifer to save him. In the course of doing so, she meets a wizard and soon wonders if sheand#8217;s such a proper fairy-tale princess after all--a good little princess would love Alexander, but does she?
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Alys is not a witch. But that doesn't matter--the villagers think she is and have staked her out on a hillside as a sacrifice to the local dragon.
It's late, it's cold, and it's raining, and Alys can think of only one thing--revenge. But first she's got to escape, and even if she does, how can one girl possibly take on an entire town alone?
Then the dragon arrives--a dragon that could quite possibly be the perfect ally. . . .
Synopsis
Wendy isn't as blind as a bat--there are bats that can see better than she can. Which is why, when her new glasses break, she's all too happy to wear the dorky pair of sunglasses she finds on the lawn. They seem to match her prescription, and that's all that matters if she's going to be able to make it through her school day.
But the glasses correct her vision too much. She begins to see things that no one else can see: cheerful corpses, frightening crones disguised as teenyboppers, and portals to other worlds--places where people are all too aware of the magical properties of her new shades . . . and will do anything to get them.
Synopsis
Vivian Vande Velde's spine-tingling collection of ghost stories--now in paperback!
Synopsis
A sixteen-year-old will give anything to be with her true love--even though he died two hundred years ago. . . . A sopping-wet little dead girl stalks a teen who had nothing to do with her death--honest! . . . A heartless man dances with his wife--
after she's passed away.
From the hilarious to the horrific, master storyteller Vivian Vande Velde explores the world of the dead--and the undead--in this surprisingly moving collection of unnerving tales.
Synopsis
Dark forces are taking hold in the kingdom of Camelot: King Arthur struggles to keep his knights in line as they steadily divide themselves into factions; the great Merlin has vanished at the hands of his lover and pupil, Nimue; wizards all over the countryside battle for whatever measures of power they can find. At the center of the maelstrom stands Keira, an innocent girl who possesses the ability to foretell the fate of her world. When Keira is kidnapped from her village home, her mother, Alayna, flees to Camelot and finds Mordred, an enigmatic knight who will ultimately become Keiras greatest champion, Alaynas greatest love, and King Arthurs greatest enemy.
In the long tradition of Arthurian legend, Mordred has been characterized as a buffoon, a false knight, and a bloodthirsty traitor. The Book of Mordred reveals a mysterious man through the eyes of three women who love him.
Synopsis
Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the millers daughter? If you stop and think about it, there are some very peculiar and rather hard-to-explain components to the story.
Vivian Vande Velde has wondered too, and shes come up with these six alternative versions of the old legend. A bevy of millers daughters confront their perilous situation in very different ways sometimes comic, sometimes scary. Most of the time, its the daughter who gets off safely, but sometimes, amazingly, Rumpelstiltskin himself wins the day. And in one tale, it is the king who cleverly escapes a quite unexpected fate.
Synopsis
From Edgar Award-winning author Vivian Vande Velde comes the companion to Heir Apparent and User Unfriendly, in which Grace has to find a way to get her older sister out of a princess-filled virtual reality RPG (role playing game)—before its too late.
Synopsis
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a boy who's been cursed by a witch.
Synopsis
Stormbreaker meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in this hysterically funny, fast-paced novel that follows video game obsessed Pete Watson as heand#160;discovers the only thingand#160;scarier thanand#160;espionage is the girl of his dreams.
Synopsis
andquot;A progressively silly, retro-geeky action story for the YOLO generation.andquot; andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Mega-gamer Pete Watson needs just twenty dollars more to buy the all-new Brawl-A-Thon 3000 XL. So he sells a beat-up CommandRoid 85 arcade game (containing top-secret government intel!) owned by his boring old dad (super-spy trapped inside the CommandRoid!), to an exterminator (evil mastermind bent on global destruction!!!). Peteandrsquo;s gaming skills are put to the test as he fights evil villains, giant mechanical bugs, and a global cyberattack from within the CommandRoid. And tries to impress Callie Midwood with his skills, or whatever.
Synopsis
A human sacrifice teams up with the dragon meant to eat her.
Synopsis
The laugh-out-loud adventures of a wizard on vacation.
Synopsis
Kidnapping. Car theft. Murder. Vampires. Kerry's got a tough night ahead of her.
Synopsis
Ten tales for teens from a master of fantastical storytelling
Synopsis
Aand#160;young girl helps a talking dog escape from a research lab.
Synopsis
Thirteen strange stories from the master of fractured fairy tales
Synopsis
Welcome to the fairy-tale world where Hansel and Gretel are horrible children who deserve to be baked and where Beauty is dismayed when her beloved Beast turns human. In the realm of the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird, when the sky really does fall, Chicken Little becomes the leader of a religious movement, gets her own TV show, collects millions of dollars to build a theme park, and then makes off with the money.
These tongue-in-cheek interpretations of more than a dozen favorite fairy tales will have readers in stitches.
Synopsis
A disgruntled murder victim comes back from the grave to hunt down his killer in this Edgar Awardand#150;winning mystery
Synopsis
It's hard being a teen, especially when you're a witch
Synopsis
Imaginary friend--or ghost?
Synopsis
When Tedand#8217;s five-year-old sister, Vicki, invents an imaginary friend, no one is too concerned . . . except that Vickiand#8217;s friend has the never-popular name of Marella, and unlike most imaginary friends, Marella can move things. Ted might think Marella is a ghost, but why would a ghost haunt Vicki, of all people? And why would she suddenly move into a house Tedand#8217;s family has lived in for ages? And why is Marella terrified of another ghost, a dark figure who seems to be hunting Ted? Hilarious, haunting, and unexpectedly moving,
Thereand#8217;s a Dead Person Following My Sister Around is Vivian Vande Velde at her frightening best.
Synopsis
Thirteen terrifying tales
Synopsis
Vivian Vande Velde's fantastical adventure in medieval France, repackaged!
About the Author
Joe Schreiber is the New York Times bestselling author of adult novels Death Troopers, Chasing the Dead, and Eat the Dark. His other novels for young people include, the critically acclaimed Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick, Perry's Killer Playlist,andnbsp;and Lenny Cyrus, School Virus.andnbsp;He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and children.
Andy Rash was born on a mountain top in Tennessee, educated in the swamps of Georgia and the canyons of New York, and lives with his wife and son in Milwaukee. He has illustrated for
The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal,
Time,
Entertainment Weekly and
The New Yorker. His children's books have received received numerous accolades, including an Amazon Editor's Choice Award and the Brown County Book Award (Indiana). Visit rashworks.com.
Table of Contents
Contents
ONE
Happy Birthday to Me 3
TWO
Off to a Fantastic Start (Not!) 12
THREE
Fun and Games with the Family 22
FOUR
A Heavenly Visitor 32
-Rasmussem interoffice e-mail 41
FIVE
Simple Math 43
SIX
"Do Not Pass Go; Do Not Collect $200" 47
SEVEN
Shuffle and Deal Again 52
EIGHT
Hey, Loser, Start Over Again (Again) 58
NINE
Stop Me If You Think 68
You've Heard This One Before
TEN
Family History 70
ELEVEN
A Poem Can Be a Home 80
to Those Who Roam (Or, Like, Whatever)
-Rasmussem interoffice e-mail 87
TWELVE
One 88
THIRTEEN
Disarming the Troops 98
FOURTEEN
Are We Having Fun Yet? 106
-Rasmussem interoffice e-mail 120
FIFTEEN
Bright Sword, Dim Brother 121
SIXTEEN
Lunch 136
SEVENTEEN
Treasure Hunt 150
EIGHTEEN
Calling in the Reinforcements 164
NINETEEN
Magic Realism (without the Realism) 177
-Rasmussem interoffice e-mail 192
TWENTY
Siege 193
TWENTY-ONE
Back to the Battlements 207
TWENTY-TWO
Did Someone Say Déjà Vu? 217
-Rasmussem interoffice e-mail 219
TWENTY-THREE
Will the Guilty Party Please Step Forward? 220
TWENTY-FOUR
Fast Forward 231
TWENTY-FIVE
Morning Comes Early 240
When There's No Snooze Button
TWENTY-SIX
Keeping Everybody (But Me) Happy 247
TWENTY-SEVEN
Preparations for a Journey 258
TWENTY-EIGHT
Xenos's Dad 267
TWENTY-NINE
A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with 278
a Single Step (and Other Trite Nonsense)
THIRTY
Dead Oxen and Gold 284
THIRTY-ONE
Home Sweet Home (Or Not) 292
THIRTY-TWO
The End 302
THIRTY-THREE
Satisfaction Guaranteed, Or Your Money 309
Cheerfully Refunded