As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.

Overweight, somewhat timid Mitch reluctantly agrees to be the sports reporter for the Lincoln High newspaper because he is determined to be a writer, but he senses a real story in Angel, a talented football player who refuses to stand out on the field--or to discuss his past.

Max is a cute kitten who dreams of becoming a brave mouse-catcher. So he sets off in search of a mouse, and discovers that bravery perhaps is not so important after all.

From the assassination that triggers World War I in 1914 to Armistice Day in 1918, the story follows the fates of five young people on both sides of the conflict--each facing their portion of the war with courage, until the end of the war brings them together. Includes information on the history of the war.

"Each member of Erik Sheepflattener's modern-day Viking-heritage family has a motto to live by. Erik is developing a motto he can truly believe in : AVOID STUFF. But when he and his older sister Brunhilde spend the summer with their rough-and-tumble cousins in Minnesota, axe-wielding Bru gets the idea to name and conquer all of Erik's fears."

In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

"Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. "Looks easy, " says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board. In a sweetly...

When her sister, star-athlete Jakarta, finally joins them, Dakar feels much safer and happier in Cottonwood, Minnesota, where she and their parents are living for a year, but she still longs for their home in Africa.

"Little Bear is getting older, and that means he is ready for new adventures. With the help of Daddy Bear, will he be brave enough to try them? This heartwarming book will help show little ones that its okay to be afraid - and that sometimes, love is all you need to be brave."--Amazon.com

When her parents and the other quiet, shy wombats of the Northern Forest are captured by the traitorous, carnivorous Tassie devils, Lola Budge, a talkative, adventure-seeking young wombat, embarks on a rescue mission, joined by a swamp water rat and a baby penguin.