New Releases by Chris Lynch

“Lynch is back and better, smarter, and funnier than ever.” —Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award Winner A boy learns how to be a friend from man’s best friend in this “funny, fetching” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about humans being able to change and dogs changing us from acclaimed author Chris Lynch. In a family of strong personalities with very strong points of view, Louis is what his mother lovingly calls “the inactivist,” someone who’d rather kick back than stand out. He only hopes he can stay under the radar when he starts high school in the fall, his first experience with public school after years of homeschooling. But when a favor for a neighbor and his stinky canine companion unexpectedly turns into a bustling dog-walking business, Louis finds himself meeting an unprecedented number of new friends—both human and canine. Agatha, a quippy and cagey girl his age always seems to be telling two truths and a lie. Cyrus, a few years his senior, promises he’s going to show Louis how to be a better person, whether Louis wants him to or not. And then there are the dogs: misbehaving border terriers, the four (possible stolen) sausage dogs, the rest of Louis’s charges, and a mysterious white beast who appears at a certain spot at the edge of the woods. Dogs and human alike all seem to have something they want to teach Louis, including his menacing older brother who keeps turning up everywhere. But is Louis ready to learn the lesson he needs most: how to stop being a lone wolf and be part of a pack?

Somewhere on the coast of England, Neverbury a little quaint seaside town with the kind of problems that a lot of quaint little English seaside towns have these days... demons, serial killers, immortals, thieves, time travellers, ghosts, vampires, haunted houses, witches, an extraordinarily strident village council, and monsters. There are the gods above and the great thing below... praise them all.

"All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -Kirkus Reviews for the World War II series The First Special Service Force is an elite commando unit composed of American and Canadian troops. From the start, the Force is intended to go where other soldiers won't. The call for volunteers specifically singles out lumberjacks, hunters, prospectors, and game wardens as ideal candidates. And their training is anything but "basic," including intense lessons in parachuting, hand-to-hand combat, skiing, rock climbing, and adaptation to cold climates.One tight group of young men have made a point of carrying The Commando Pocket Manual with them everywhere. They build a unified little community around it, a text to guide them through the war.As this team travels through Germany, taking down Nazis as they go, they also carry calling cards to leave behind. The stickers read, in German, "The worst is yet to come."

"All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -- Kirkus Reviews for the World War II series Discover the secret missions behind America's greatest conflicts.Fergus Frew thought he knew what to expect when he signed up with the Navy's demolitions team. But as the Korean War rages on, Fergus and his fellow divers -- AKA "frogmen" -- are tasked with more than just scouting mudflats. Soon they're planting mines. And sabotaging tunnels, bridges... and even fishing nets. Strangest of all, it falls to Fergus to transport a spy into the country -- and that means traveling far from Navy-controlled waters.But frogmen are amphibious. And Fergus may not realize it, but he's in a position to change the way the whole world thinks about combat.National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch continues his explosive fiction series based on the real-life, top-secret history of US black ops and today's heroic Navy SEALs.

The Earth has been devastated, and the remnants of humanity have retreated to automated cities run mostly by tyrants and strongmen. Things look bleak until the overseers appear. They have removed the tyrants and set about fostering a new order. With the world at a transition point, the overseers are what stands between humanity and destruction. But the overseers live a life apart, and they do not seek power. Their only aim is to prevent the resurgence of tyranny throughout the cities of Earth.Kara has been reborn into the community of the overseers. Now after her twentieth birthday, it is finally time for Kara to become an overseer herself. Now everything will change. Not only for her, but for everyone. With little preparation, it will be up to Kara and her partner to lead the way, and ultimately face humanity''s greatest enemy.448 pages

Fergus Frew thought he knew what to expect when he signed up with the Navy''s demolitions team. But as the Korean War rages on, Fergus and his fellow divers -- a.k.a. "frogmen" -- are tasked with more than just scouting mudflats. Soon they''re planting mines. And sabotaging tunnels, bridges... and even fishing nets. Scariest of all, it falls to Fergus to discover where the enemy has placed their mines, a job as painstaking as it is dangerous.

Adventure never stops for Lucy Wilson and her best friend Hobo, not even at Christmas, not even during the holiday season. A collection of five short stories set between Christmas, the New Year and beyond.

The people of the City have lived in fear of an unseen, terrifying enemy for many centuries. An energy field that completely encloses the City is all that protects them. Or maybe not. Maybe it is all a misunderstanding. Now a single man has begun to doubt what he had been taught. The impenetrable shield that surrounds the City has cut it off from the rest of the universe for over 2000 years, and Earth has long ago been forgotten in the mists of time. But what if that shield is not protecting them but imprisoning them? Awakening forces that threaten the survival of the City itself, the search for the truth by a man and his daughter will take them back to the very origins of the City, and make them question the nature of the City and themselves. They are in a race against time as the City begins a gradual collapse, and their pursuit of the truth becomes increasingly perilous. This is a story in which the struggle to know oneself soon becomes a struggle for survival. Will the price of knowledge be death or release?

Danny Manion lands in the Studies and Observation Group, a volunteer task force that focuses on covert action and psychological warfare during the Vietnam War.

Volume of two this award-winning series emerges from the shadows with a fresh crop of extreme horror. This collection of ten stories features authors from all over the globe for an international perspective on fear. Take care as you reach into these dark places, for the things here bite, and you may withdraw a hand short of a few fingers. Toll Road, by Antonio Simon, Jr. —A professional kidnapper gets more than he bargained for when his latest abduction leads to terrifying supernatural encounters on the Florida Turnpike. Boxed, by Bryan Cassiday —A group of strangers trapped in an elevator run short of time and bullets as they attempt to discover who among them is infected with a deadly plague. A Murder of Crows, by Reed W. Huston —Daniel, Rebecca, and their cat Southpaw have just moved into a new home, and the local wildlife is not happy to receive them. It’s more than coincidental that a group of crows is called a murder… We All Ate The White Flesh, by Chris Lynch —In the depths of a harsh winter, a starving family unearths a massive turnip and unexpected horrors. The Lonely Man, by Barnaby King —Thomas’s investigation into an idyllic English village uncovers the tragic story of two young lovers, and the ghastly secret the villagers thought they’d left buried in the past. The Queen Beneath The Earth, by Ken Pelham —Charles Bonham knows better than anyone that grave-robbing is a lucrative business. While in Ireland to ply his trade, he learns that some secrets are better left buried. Dear Sir, by Steven Samuel Stafford —Two field medics on the Western Front race against time to fulfill a soldier’s dying wish and stop an unspeakable horror. Colder Still, by Justin Cawthorne —A relic from John’s past holds a portentous future for his son and the secret to a fatal gypsy curse. Quarry Lake, by Kelson Hargis —Ghosts have beset Whit ever since his kid brother drowned. Whit is determined to plumb the secrets of Quarry Lake, but at what cost? God May Pity All Weak Hearts, by Daniel Russell —Something dreadful lives within the walls of Dr. Crippen’s home. More dreadful still is what it has in common with him.

Keir Sarafian must finally confront his past when tragedy strikes during his first year of what has been an eye-opening first year of college.

“I hit him so hard, the clash of helmets and pads sounded like a gunshot across the field. I crushed him with the hit, held on to him and crushed him again when I slammed him into the ground . . . I had arrived.” Arlo Brodie loves being at the heart of the action on the football field, getting hit hard and hitting back harder. Arlo’s dad cheers him on, but his mother quotes head injury statistics and refuses to watch games. Arlo’s girlfriend tries to make him see how dangerously he’s playing; when that doesn’t work, she calls time out on their relationship.Even Arlo’s coaches begin to track his hit count, ready to pull him off the field when he nears the limit. But for Arlo the winning plays, the cheering crowds, and the adrenaline rush are enough to convince him that everything is OK--in spite of the pain, the pounding, the dizziness, and the confusion. “Powerful.” —The New York Times Book Review “Sharp.” —Sports Illustrated “Heart-pounding.” —Washington Independent Review of Books “A powerful provocative look at the dark side of popular sports and their potential cost.” —Publishers Weekly “This unflinching examination of the price of athletic power with plenty of bone-crunching play-by-play action, is both thought-provoking and formidable.” —The Horn Book Magazine A Booklist 2015 Top Ten Sports Books for Youth A Junior Library Guild Selection

Seventeen-year-old Kevin tries to reinvent himself when he runs away from home and the father he hates, but living with a mysterious uncle and befriending two homeless girls just adds more complications.

Powerful, riveting, and real. Sixteen celebrated authors bring us raw, insightful stories that explore guns and teens in a fiction collection that is thought provoking and emotionally gripping. For fans of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and Give a Boy a Gun, and with an array of YA talent like the late great Walter Dean Myers, the poetic Joyce Carol Oates, the prophetic Elizabeth Wein, and the gritty Chris Crutcher, these are evocative voices that each has a different perspective to give. Capturing the hurt and the healing, victims and perpetrators, these stories get to the heart of the matter. From a boy whose low self-esteem is impacted when a gun comes into his possession to a student recalling a senseless tragedy that befell a favorite teacher, from a realistic look at hunting to a provocative look at a family that defies stereotypes, each emotional story stirs the debate to new levels. The juxtaposition of guns and their consequences offers moving tales, each a reminder of how crucial the question of guns in our society is, and the impact they have on all of us. Other acclaimed contributors are Marc Aronson, Edward Averett, Francesca Lia Block, Alex Flinn, Gregory Galloway, Jenny Hubbard, Peter Johnson, Ron Koertge, Chris Lynch, Eric Shanower, Will Weaver, and Tim Wynne-Jones.

"All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -- Kirkus Reviews Chris Lynch concludes his gritty, thoughtful, and critically acclaimed WWII fiction series -- providing entirely new insight into "The Good War."The US Marines Corps is home to some of the roughest, toughest combatants in World War II. Their courage and daring are legendary. And the best of the best -- the boldest among them -- are joining the Corps' elite new paratrooper combat unit. As Paramarines, they'll be expected to do everything a typical Marine does... and do it while skydiving.Nick Nardini knows that he's destined to become a Paramarine. He also knows that he has to convince his best friend, Zachary Klecko, to sign up too. Nardini and Klecko used to be inseparable, ever since they met in kindergarten, but recently they've been drifting apart. Fighting in the same battalion -- and jumping out of the same planes -- seems to Nardini like a surefire way to restore their bond and come out of the war stronger than ever.The Axis powers, however, may have other ideas...

This issue of Kzine, the kindle only magazine of sf, fantasy, horror and crime, contains nine divergent genre stories. Authors are Mike Driver, Tom Johnstone, C.I.Kemp, Preston Dennett, Fraser Sherman, Don Norum, Tom Barlow, Chris Lynch and Diane Arrelle. Edited by Graeme Hurry and published three times a year.

The author of the acclaimed Vietnam series sets his sights on World War II. "All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -- Kirkus ReviewsTheo has always looked up to his older brother, Hank, but never more so than the day Hank enlisted in the US Navy. Not to be outdone, Theo followed his older brother's lead in joining the war effort -- but preferring the wide open sky to the untamed ocean, Theo chose to serve with the Army Air Force.As a gunner on a B-24 Liberator, Theo is enthusiastic about his crew's mission to save all of Europe from the Nazis. Fearlessness is a requirement for dog fights at 50,000 feet. But when Theo's brother goes missing in the Pacific, fear start creeping in. Can Theo keep his head in the game while he awaits word of his brother's fate?

Despite the fact that his brother is missing in action in the Pacific theater, Theo McCallum, a gunner on a B-24 Liberator, returns to his unit in Europe to continue the war because he feels that the other men in his unit are like family to him—and he cannot believe that his brother is actually dead. Simultaneous eBook.

From National Book Award nominee Chris Lynch, the second action-and-humor-filled futuristic series about talking pets who are tired of being pets ... and the boy who must help them. Zane has made an enemy for life in the evil scientist Dr. Gristle. Not only is Gristle angry about the damage Zane has done to his reputation, he's also extraordinarily jealous of Zane's ability to use technology to talk to animals. The result? He's now working on a new device to control animals' movements and speech - and Zane's dog, Hugo, is one of the first targets.

From National Book Award nominee Chris Lynch, the third action-and-humor-filled futuristic series about talking pets who are tired of being pets ... and the boy who must help them. Zane and his animal comrades have foiled Dr. Gristle's terrible plots twice--he can't talk to animals, and he can't get at the heart of what makes them wild. Zane can talk to them. He can understand them. He almost is one. Almost. Zane keeps getting in Dr. Gristle's way though - and he's being sent as far out of the way as Gristle can get him. In fact, he's being sent right into the middle of a new plot of the bad doctor's--and in his new, utterly foreign surroundings, he's entirely too human.

*From National Book Award nominee Chris Lynch* Zane's wired life is about to be unplugged. . . Zane lives a life of luxury in a completely wired world. He doesn't ever have to leave his building to have exciting (virtual) experiences. His room knows everything he eats and what he needs for school. Even his pet dog is wired. There's only one problem: When Zane gets a device that enables animals to talk to him, he finds out that his world is a lie. The animals don't want to be wired -- they want to rebel. And Zane's going to be a part of their revolution, whether he likes it or not. In the process, he'll have to enter a world he's never confronted before: Nature. Join award-winning author Chris Lynch on a nonstop adventure through a not-so-distant future, where one lone kid has to prove he can be an animal's best friend.

"The best Vietnam War novels yet for this age range." -- Kirkus Reviews Morris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck were best friends. So when one of them was drafted into the Vietnam War, the others signed up, too. They promised to watch out for one another. They pledged to come home together.Now, that pledge has been broken. One of the four has been killed in action. And the remaining three are the only men alive who know the awful truth about their friend's death.Each is left to deal with their secret in his own way. One of them will accompany his friend's body home to Boston. One of them will defy orders in an act of protest. And one of them will decide it's up to him to single-handedly win the war.In the end, Vietnam may claim more than their lives. As the war grinds on, their very souls are at stake. And their shattered friendship will prove either their salvation... or their ruin.

The author of the acclaimed Vietnam series sets his sights on World War II. Critically acclaimed author Chris Lynch provides an action-oriented but thoughtful view of the US Navy's war in the Pacific.Hank and Theo are brothers who share everything, including a sense of duty a love of baseball. They have been inseparable for their entire lives. But when America is drawn into World War II, the young brothers find themselves fighting the same war on opposite sides of the globe.As an airedale in the Navy, Hank now lives aboard an aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown. His job is to assist the pilots who soar off each day to engage Japanese forces in the Pacific Ocean. It is a crucial and terrifying duty in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor.As the days at sea become weeks and months, Hank adapts to life apart from his family. He even adapts to the fear of torpedoes. But in an era of prejudice and segregation, it's Hank's choice of friends that might prove most dangerous of all.

Originally published by HarperCollins, 2001.

Oliver, known as "O," and his suddenly ex-girlfriend Junie are are known for telling little lies, but one of Junie's lies about not winning the lottery could get her into trouble with a local mob boss.

After America is drawn into World War II, Hank McCallum finds himself on the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier in the Pacific, separated from his brother Theo, in constant danger from torpedoes, and just learning about the prejudice and segregation that plague his new friend from Tonga, Bradford.

When the draft board calls on the eve of World War II, Roman leaves behind a career in minor-league baseball to join the army, and finds himself driving a tank in the North African campaign.

DIVEarl doesn’t want to be a bully. It’s not his fault that his body is as big as a football player’s!/divDIV/divDIVThirteen-year-old middle-schooler Earl has the body and facial scruff of a man—and this gets him into trouble. Everyone thinks Earl’s a tough guy, but he’s just trying to get by. Thinking he knows what’s right from wrong—and using his fists to prove his point—earns him a week’s suspension from school. Earl thinks he’ll have a relaxing week, but things soon slip out of his control when his home life starts to fall apart. He may be as big as a grown-up, but Earl will learn that being a man means more than how you look on the outside./divDIV/div

DIVThe move to a lovely seaside cottage unravels the McLuckie family’s tight spool of emotions/divDIV /divDIV/divDIVThe McLuckie family has not been so lucky. After losing two wives, Mr. McLuckie has been left with one child from each love: ten-year-old Walter and fourteen-year-old Sylvia. He decides to move the family to a new home, a ramshackle seaside cottage called the Gravedigger’s Cottage, where they can start anew. But soon Mr. McLuckie starts acting strangely, taking a leave of absence from work and becoming obsessed with fixing leaks, stockpiling canned foods, and chasing a mysterious rat. Then, Sylvia and Walter hear the rumor of the Gravedigger’s Cottage: the house “chooses” its occupants. How will the McLuckies get the fresh start they so desperately need?/divDIV/divDIV/div