Best Selling Books by Anne Ursu

Three starred reviews A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2019 Anne Ursu, author of the National Book Award nominee The Real Boy, returns with a story of the power of fantasy, the limits of love, and the struggles inherent in growing up. When you’re an identical twin, your story always starts with someone else. For Iris, that means her story starts with Lark. Iris has always been the grounded, capable, and rational one; Lark has been inventive, dreamy, and brilliant—and from their first moments in the world together, they’ve never left each other’s side. Everyone around them realized early on what the two sisters already knew: they had better outcomes when they were together. When fifth grade arrives, however, it''s decided that Iris and Lark should be split into different classrooms, and something breaks in them both. Iris is no longer so confident; Lark retreats into herself as she deals with challenges at school. And at the same time, something strange is happening in the city around them, things both great and small going missing without a trace. As Iris begins to understand that anything can be lost in the blink of an eye, she decides it’s up to her to find a way to keep her sister safe.

After her cousin Zee arrives from England, thirteen-year-old Charlotte and he must set out to save humankind from denizens of the underworld, Nightmares, Death, Pain, and a really nasty guy named Phil.

A stunning modern-day fairy tale from acclaimed author Anne Ursu Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it''s up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen''s "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

National Book Award Longlist * Bank Street Children''s Book Committee Best Book of the Year "Beautifully written and elegantly structured, this fantasy is as real as it gets."—Franny Billingsley, author of Chime The Real Boy, Anne Ursu''s follow-up to her widely acclaimed and beloved middle grade fantasy Breadcrumbs, is a spellbinding tale of the power we all wield, great and small. On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy named Oscar. Oscar is a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the village, and spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master''s shop grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar''s world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it. But now that world is changing. Children in the city are falling ill, and something sinister lurks in the forest. Oscar has long been content to stay in his small room in the cellar, comforted in the knowledge that the magic that flows from the forest will keep his island safe. Now even magic may not be enough to save it.

In the final book of this series, Charlotte and Zee meet an ancient brotherhood trying to protect mankind from the gods. The group has a weapon capable of bringing Zeus to his knees, but the cost of using it is too great.

From the acclaimed author of The Real Boy and The Lost Girl comes a wondrous and provocative fantasy about a kingdom beset by monsters, a mysterious school, and a girl caught in between them. If no one notices Marya Lupu, is likely because of her brother, Luka. And that’s because of what everyone knows: that Luka is destined to become a sorcerer. The Lupus might be from a small village far from the capital city of Illyria, but that doesn’t matter. Every young boy born in in the kingdom holds the potential for the rare ability to wield magic, to protect the country from the terrifying force known only as the Dread. For all the hopes the family has for Luka, no one has any for Marya, who can never seem to do anything right. But even so, no one is prepared for the day that the sorcerers finally arrive to test Luka for magical ability, and Marya makes a terrible mistake. Nor the day after, when the Lupus receive a letter from a place called Dragomir Academy—a mysterious school for wayward young girls. Girls like Marya. Soon she is a hundred miles from home, in a strange and unfamiliar place, surrounded by girls she’s never met. Dragomir Academy promises Marya and her classmates a chance to make something of themselves in service to one of the country’s powerful sorcerers. But as they learn how to fit into a world with no place for them, they begin to discover things about the magic the men of their country wield, as well as the Dread itself—things that threaten the precarious balance upon which Illyria is built.

Thirteen-year-old Charlotte must rescue humankind again when the evil Philonecron captures her cousin Zee, and Poseidon himself sends a sea monster to eat the cruise ship on which Charlotte''s parents are trapped.

Named one of the Best Books of 2024 by the Chicago Public Library, New York Public Library, and NPR! From the award-winning author of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy comes an unforgettable and deeply personal story of the ghosts that surround us—and the ones we carry inside. The house seemed to sit apart from the others on Katydid Street, silent and alone, like it didn’t fit among them. For Violet Hart—whose family is about to move into the house on Katydid Street—very little felt like it fit anymore. Like their old home, suddenly too small since her mother remarried and the new baby arrived. Or Violet’s group of friends, which, since they started middle school, isn’t enough for Violet’s best friend, Paige. Everything seemed to be changing at once. But sometimes, Violet tells herself, change is okay. That is, until Violet sees her new room. The attic bedroom in their new house is shadowy, creaky, and wrapped in old yellow wallpaper covered with a faded tangle of twisting vines and sickly flowers. And then, after moving in, Violet falls ill—and does not get better. As days turn into weeks without any improvement, her family growing more confused and her friends wondering if she’s really sick at all, she finds herself spending more time alone in the room with the yellow wallpaper, the shadows moving in the corners, wrapping themselves around her at night. And soon, Violet starts to suspect that she might not be alone in the room at all.

The Sports Pages, the third volume in Jon Scieszka''s Guys Read Library of Great Reading, features ten short stories guaranteed to put you in the ring, under the basket, and right behind home plate. From fiction to nonfiction, from baseball to mixed martial arts and everything in between, these are a collection of stories about the rush of victory and the crush of defeat on and off the field. Authors include Dustin Brown, James Brown, Joseph Bruchac, Chris Crutcher, Tim Green, Dan Gutman, Gordon Korman, Chris Rylander, Anne Ursu, and Jacqueline Woodson, with illustrations by Dan Santat.

SWASHBUCKLING FANTASY features excerpts from 10 series by bestselling and critically acclaimed authors such as Margaret Petersen Haddix, author of the Shadow Children series, D.J. MacHale, author of the Pendragon series, Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies and Holly Black, author of Valiant. This online sampler also highlights six debut series from rising stars in fantasy, including Kai Meyer, Jane Johnson and Obert Skye. This fantasy sampler is the perfect way to introduce middle grade through teen readers to alternate worlds, distant pasts and fantastic creatures! Don''t miss out on any of our amazing fantasy titles! Please visit www.SimonSaysKids.com or www.SimonSaysTEEN.com for more information.

Maximilian Funk is the new kid in school, and not much of a baseball fan, a deadly combination. He has to figure out a way to impress Molly Kinsman, the best pitcher in the city and the most beautiful girl he''s ever seen. One little lie couldn''t hurt, could it? This short story from the collection Guys Read: The Sports Pages is a winner.

A shy 5-year-old boy who volunteers to take part in a circus clown act disappears in front of the entire audience.

A chemical spill drifts over the town of Clarence. Deletrium is a drug that releases forgotten memories. Soon the town is caught up in memories of good things and bad, hopes and regrets, people''s relationships with their own histories.

Il était une fois... Hazel et Jack aiment rêver et passent leur temps à réinventer le monde. Quand la réalité les ennuie ou leur paraît trop rude, ils se réfugient dans les jeux et les histoires qu’ils inventent, bien plus belles et amusantes que le monde des adultes qu’ils trouvent si triste ! Mais un jour, Jack devient agressif sans raison apparente, puis disparaît brusquement. On explique à Hazel qu''il est parti vivre chez sa tante, mais la fillette n''y croit pas. Pour le retrouver et sauver leur amitié, elle entreprend alors un long et périlleux voyage. La voici seule dans une étrange forêt peuplée de créatures fantastiques, à la recherche du palais de glace de la Reine des neiges qui, selon elle, a enlevé Jack... « Le monde fantastique que doit traverser Hazel emprunte des éléments aux contes d’Andersen pour créer une histoire... magnifiquement écrite et tout à fait originale. » ( The Publisher Weekly ) « D’une authenticité merveilleuse, délicieusement raconté et promis à une longue vie en librairie. » ( The Wall Street Journal)

Como en Los ladrones de sombras, la primera novela de Las Crónicas de Cronos, la autora, Anne Ursu, recrea con gran habilidad e imaginación la mitología griega. Tanto que, además de hacer creíbles a los personajes humanos, hace creíbles a los divinos. Charlotte, nuestra protagonista, madura y se convierte en una verdadera heroína clásica: capaz de resistir el sufrimiento y de hacer “lo que debe” hasta el final. Pero es una heroína humana, con dudas y con miedos, y con un afilado sentido del humor. Las descripciones de este segundo libro son muy sugerentes, se “ve” lo que ocurre. Tiene momentos escalofriantes y terroríficos, y también momentos cómicos. Hay sorpresas y giros inesperados. Y, de principio a fin, apetece seguir leyendo. Aunque no se conozca el primer libro, Los ladrones de sombras, esta novela se entiende perfectamente, ya que la autora cuenta de forma sintetizada y precisa lo que ocurrió en la anterior. Un libro que nos habla de tiempos pasados con un estilo directo, en el que predominan los diálogos con un lenguaje rico y a la vez con expresiones propias de adolescentes. Nos habla de que madurar significa también tener paciencia, no quererlo todo al instante, y hacer frente a las propias responsabilidades sin esperar a que venga alguien, padre humano o divino, a resolverte los problemas. Solo cuando sabemos que podemos perder a alguien querido, nos damos cuenta de lo que significa para nosotros.

“The perfect series for fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians books.” —School Library Journal All three books in the middle grade Cronus Chronicles series, inspired by Greek mythology and perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, available together in one collectible paperback boxed set—now with a new look! Something extraordinary is about to happen to Charlotte Mielswetski. Oh, it’s not the cute kitten that appears out of nowhere. It’s not the sudden arrival of her cousin Zee, who believes he’s the cause of a mysterious sickness that struck his friends in England. And it’s not the men in tuxedos who follow Charlotte everywhere. What’s so extraordinary is not any one of these things. It’s all of them. And when Charlotte’s friends also fall sick, Charlotte and Zee set out on a quest to find a cure that leads them to the Underworld. Once there, they discover that the fate of every person—living and dead—is in their hands. After emerging victorious, Charlotte and Zee attract the attention of more dangerous adversaries, including the god of the sea and an ancient brotherhood. Armed with nothing but their friendship and wit, the cousins fight earthly and mythical threats alike to keep them from destroying the world. This action-packed paperback boxed set includes: The Shadow Thieves The Siren Song The Immortal Fire

Recounts major events from Star Wars: The Clone Wars from the respective viewpoints of different characters, from Darth Maul to Yoda.

Hazel und Jack sind die besten Freunde. Bis Jack eines Tages nicht mehr mit Hazel spricht und mit einer mysteriösen Frau in weiß in den Wald verschwindet. Aber Hazel lässt ihren besten Freund nicht fallen, sondern folgt ihm in das geheimnisvolle Land. Inspiriert von Hans Christian Andersens "Die Schneekönigin" erzählt Anne Ursu von einer Freundschaft, für die es sich zu kämpfen lohnt. Und sie verschweigt nicht, dass man auf dem Weg einiges zurücklassen muss.

Von versuchten Attentaten zu gestohlenen Kopfgeldern, oder zu verlorenen Lieben: Elf Top-Autoren, die selbst große Fans der mit dem Emmy Award ausgezeichneten Zeichentrickserie The Clone Wars sind, erzählen unvergessliche Augenblicke und atemberaubende Abenteuer – und zwar aus Sicht all unserer Lieblingscharaktere.

Charlotte Mielswetzski tiene trece años y es una niña espabilada y muy imaginativa, aunque no demasiado popular y que no lo pasa bien en el colegio, pero sabe salir de cualquier apurillo echándole un poco de inventiva y cuenta unas historias estupendas. Un día encuentra un gatito y ése hallazgo es la señal de partida de que todo lo que constituye su mundo va a cobrar una dimensión radicalmente nueva. Anne Ursu, autora de dos elogiadas novelas para adultos, firma aquí un texto excelente, sombrío y hasta terrorífico en ocasiones, salpicado de un humor seco que hará las delicias de los lectores de más edad. El material de partida, los dioses y mitos de los antiguos griegos, está manejado con inmensa habilidad; en todo momento resulta cercano y creíble.

In this first installment of a new fantasy series, Charlotte and her cousin Zee do battle with harpies, Greek gods, and a really evil guy named Phil to save the world. RA fast-paced action adventure.S--The Horn Book. Illustrations.

Charlotte Mielswetzski tiene trece años y es una niña espabilada y muy imaginativa, aunque no demasiado popular y que no lo pasa bien en el colegio, pero sabe salir de cualquier apurillo echándole un poco de inventiva y cuenta unas historias estupendas. Un día encuentra un gatito y ése hallazgo es la señal de partida de que todo lo que constituye su mundo va a cobrar una dimensión radicalmente nueva. Anne Ursu, autora de dos elogiadas novelas para adultos, firma aquí un texto excelente, sombrío y hasta terrorífico en ocasiones, salpicado de un humor seco que hará las delicias de los lectores de más edad. El material de partida, los dioses y mitos de los antiguos griegos, está manejado con inmensa habilidad; en todo momento resulta cercano y creíble.

Il était une fois... Hazel et Jack aiment rêver et passent leur temps à réinventer le monde. Quand la réalité les ennuie ou leur paraît trop rude, ils se réfugient dans les jeux et les histoires qu’ils inventent, bien plus belles et amusantes que le monde des adultes qu’ils trouvent si triste ! Mais un jour, Jack devient agressif sans raison apparente, puis disparaît brusquement. On explique à Hazel qu''il est parti vivre chez sa tante, mais la fillette n''y croit pas. Pour le retrouver et sauver leur amitié, elle entreprend alors un long et périlleux voyage. La voici seule dans une étrange forêt peuplée de créatures fantastiques, à la recherche du palais de glace de la Reine des neiges qui, selon elle, a enlevé Jack...

Napínavá fantasy o království sužovaném příšerami, tajemné škole a dívce, která se ocitla mezi nimi. Maria to vůbec nemá snadné. Zemi ohrožuje Děs, zabijácký oblak, který se pomalu šíří a pohlcuje vše, co mu přijde do cesty, a její rodiče navíc ve všem upřednostňují jejího bratra Luku. Na ni se dívají jako na prostořekou potížistku. Když pak Maria omylem naruší důležitou návštěvu, a znemožní tak bratrovi připojit se k čarodějům, kteří proti Děsu bojují, její osud je zpečetěn. Musí odjet do Dragomirovy akademie pro problémové dívky, kde se má naučit "slušnému chování". V okamžiku, kdy ale některé dívky z Akademie začnou propadat podivné chorobě, o které vedení školy nechce mluvit, začne mít Maria podezření, že s magií i Děsem je možná vše trochu jinak, než jim jejich učitelé tvrdí. Nakladatelská anotace.