Ducky the Spy, clad in trench coat and trilby hat, is back on the beat, accompanied by the fabulously flatulent Donny Donkey. As the story begins, there’s no particular case to solve, but Ducky and Donny have no problem creating one. Easily irritated farm boss Mr. Pig, against his better judgment, asks the pair to …
The Space Fountain is an intercontinental transportation system with megastructures built in capital cities around the world. These structures contain apartments, like the New York station, where Aria lives. All stations are split into sections organized by wealth; Aria goes to art school in Section 9, because her father, who’s friends with the police commissioner, …
Thirteen-year-old Domingo José Sepulveda Jr. begins his coming-of-age narrative at his father’s funeral in New York City in 1999. The family came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when Domingo was 6, and Papi died of brain cancer before the age of 40. Now Domingo sees Papi in his dreams and as a waking …
Solis closes with descriptions of select poetic forms and an invitation to readers to craft more verses, but his own will be hard to match for seemingly effortless grossness. Young people will find everything from “Booger Search and Rescue” (“‘I’m going in,’ my finger said, / Looking rather brave”) to a tribute to the martial …
“You can do anything!” claims an unseen narrator before quickly amending that statement. After all, “you CAN’T balance ten tacos on top of your head.” “You CAN’T tuna fish, so don’t even try.” The imagined consequences—depicted in the accompanying artwork—are hilarious: tacos toppling from a youngster’s head, a kid strumming a wary-looking fish. The rest …
Contogenis explores themes of family, trauma, and death in these bittersweet poems. In “Giddy Green,” the speaker reflects on the effort to capture fleeting sensations and the ordinariness of daily survival. “In Tandem” explores the changing relationships between mothers and children as they age, while “Drachmas for My Father” depicts a paternal reunion; “Ikaria” and …
In the opening story, “Bazaar Bozorg,” a woman living in Toronto returns to Tehran to help the sister who betrayed her trust. “The Late Bloomer” explores the nuances of sex and power, while “Kafkaesque” shows a father working through the complications that come with divorce. “The Fruit on the Farthest Branch” offers a touching scene …
It’s July of 1862, and Montgomery “Monty” Tolliver, one of the beleaguered president’s most trusted advisers, is sitting in Lincoln’s office. Today, Lincoln wants to hear Monty’s thoughts about how his Proclamation should be structured—should it apply only to the slave states, the border states, or to the whole country? And when should it be …
Poppy and Granddad’s Sunday tradition involves whipping up recipes from scratch. Not only does Granddad cook, he also collects memories and recipes from the whole family, which he documents in a scrapbook. Poppy loves hearing his stories about the rest of the family—and is especially excited to try making Great-Great-Granddad’s famous sweet potato pie. So …
After finding a love that was more than she’d ever hoped for, Claire Sutherland finds herself alone again. A boating accident left her a deeply traumatized orphan. A mysterious neurological ailment took her fiancé. When Elias’ mother invites her to their home for a memorial service, Claire hesitates at first. She’s never met any of …