YOUNG ADULT NOVELLAS
Ages 13 and up
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Miranda and her best friend, Zoey get to spend senior year of high school studying at Colegial Internacional de Barcelona in Spain.
Zoey's father arranges a spring break trip for them to Paris. Miranda would be more excited if Zoey wasn't planning on hooking up with Nick in Paris.
When Zoey goes off to meet Nick, Miranda explores the city by herself—yet something strange begins to happen. She keeps running into people who she's quite certain are . . . dead?
People like relatives, friends, and . . . Frank Sinatra?
Amina and Tomas. Tomas and Amina. True love, Amina thinks.
But her madre's new American husband gets yanked home, due to unrest in Caracas.
Amina does not want to leave her home in Guanta. She does not want to leave her Tomas.
Arriving in Houston is like arriving on another planet. Amina is shocked by the size of the city, the number of cars on the road, and the way shops are open all day and all night.
How will she survive? In Guanta, the rain is warm, always warm. In Houston, the rain is cold.
And there is no Tomas . . . .
Originally published by Candlewick in: First Crossing.
But her madre's new American husband gets yanked home, due to unrest in Caracas.
Amina does not want to leave her home in Guanta. She does not want to leave her Tomas.
Arriving in Houston is like arriving on another planet. Amina is shocked by the size of the city, the number of cars on the road, and the way shops are open all day and all night.
How will she survive? In Guanta, the rain is warm, always warm. In Houston, the rain is cold.
And there is no Tomas . . . .
Originally published by Candlewick in: First Crossing.
Stelcy Waylon cocks her head, listening for the faint rumble of the Trailways bus, making its weekly stop in Cotton Creek, Texas.
Next Sunday, I’ll be on that bus.
She fidgets, barely able to sit still while the pastor rambles on. Just dreaming about being on that bus makes her smile.
One more week. My seventeenth birthday.
Then:
Goodbye, Podunk town.
Hello, new, exciting life.
Mellisa's big brother, Andy, is brilliant: Captain of the debate team. Unrivaled orator of his class.
Tonight, he's receiving the prestigious Tabor Award. Mellisa is so proud of him. She could never get up on stage and talk. He makes it look easy.
As the school auditorium fills, Mellisa begins to panic. Where is Andy? Why hasn't he shown up for the award presentation?
Andy's friend, Jackson, grabs her, and they rush out to search for him.
What Mellisa finds at home—and what Andy expects his sister to do—is simply . . . beyond words.
Originally published in 1998 by Viking in: Dirty Laundry.
Tonight, he's receiving the prestigious Tabor Award. Mellisa is so proud of him. She could never get up on stage and talk. He makes it look easy.
As the school auditorium fills, Mellisa begins to panic. Where is Andy? Why hasn't he shown up for the award presentation?
Andy's friend, Jackson, grabs her, and they rush out to search for him.
What Mellisa finds at home—and what Andy expects his sister to do—is simply . . . beyond words.
Originally published in 1998 by Viking in: Dirty Laundry.
Ben is a fish out of water at his new school in Venezuela, thanks to his dad's transfer to South America. A girl immediately catches his eye. He names her Diosa. Goddess.
To his shock, Diosa invites him to go to church—deep in the mountains above the city, totally confusing Ben.
What happens in the mountains is the stuff of nightmares. Ben has clearly gotten in over his head. How will he be able to save himself—and Diosa—when the powers against him are not of this world?
Originally published by Simon & Schuster in:
Soul Searching.
Cora is mourning the sudden loss of her grandmother—her only connection to someone who shares the strange condition she was born with—synesthesia.
When Cora listens to music, she sees colors and shapes. She learned early on that other kids do not share her unique experience, so it's best not to speak of it to anyone—except her grandmother, who now is gone.
Then a boy named Jesse shows up, distraught over the loss of Cora's grandmother. Who is this boy? And how does he know her grandmother?
Originally published by Knopf/Random House in: What a Song Can Do.
When Cora listens to music, she sees colors and shapes. She learned early on that other kids do not share her unique experience, so it's best not to speak of it to anyone—except her grandmother, who now is gone.
Then a boy named Jesse shows up, distraught over the loss of Cora's grandmother. Who is this boy? And how does he know her grandmother?
Originally published by Knopf/Random House in: What a Song Can Do.
The dreams begin the night Mandy takes the tapestry home. She and Jeb find it in an ancient shop and snatch it up for the senior class production of Camelot.
In Mandy's dream, the scene in the tapestry plays out—night after night: a young maiden—and a handsome king—gazing at her. Yet angry guards stand ready to drag the maiden away. What is happening? What has the maiden done?
The dreams become more intense—until the night Mandy finds *her 21st century self* inside the Tapestry scene and SHE is the one who the king's guards are planning to drag off to the dungeon.
Originally published in Scholastic Scope Magazine.
Raven lives a simple life in the cottage—her cottage, now that her mother has died. It's a hard life, mending and sewing for villagers. And now mice have infiltrated her tiny home.
But Kene, a local boy, has promised her a kitten. There are 3 orange and white ones—and another, separate from the others. He is black and already capable of hissing—although not at Raven.
In spite of Kene's warning about the odd kit being a witch's cat, Raven is drawn to it. He is the one she chooses. She names him Crow.
The slow realization that Kene was right about Crow being bewitched terrifies Raven. She must act—to protect herself, Kene, and the unsuspecting villagers.
But what if it's too late?
But Kene, a local boy, has promised her a kitten. There are 3 orange and white ones—and another, separate from the others. He is black and already capable of hissing—although not at Raven.
In spite of Kene's warning about the odd kit being a witch's cat, Raven is drawn to it. He is the one she chooses. She names him Crow.
The slow realization that Kene was right about Crow being bewitched terrifies Raven. She must act—to protect herself, Kene, and the unsuspecting villagers.
But what if it's too late?
Zach's dad has moved the family into an apartment in Caracas, then gone off to his job in Punta Fijo—right before some dude decides to violently overthrow the government.
Great timing.
Nothing like this ever happened back home in Denver. Dang, Zach misses Denver.
In spite of the warnings to stay inside, Zach is swayed by a few fellow students at Collegio Internacional de Venezuela to venture out for food.
Big mistake. Big, BIG mistake.
Originally published by Knopf/Random House in: Shattered: Stories of Children and War.
Beware, maidens who have pricked me with envy, you will pay. I am Mullag. I will help myself to that which gives you vanity and pride.
Two beautiful maidens—twin sisters-—fall under a witch's curse—centuries earlier. Now they are trapped in their cottage, watching the world outside change year after year while the witch, Mullag, feeds off them.
She is ancient, yet her skin is as dewy as Rini's and her flowing auburn hair as lush and silky as Kylla's.
But now a boy has caught Rini's eye. What will happen if Rini defies the witch--for love?
Two beautiful maidens—twin sisters-—fall under a witch's curse—centuries earlier. Now they are trapped in their cottage, watching the world outside change year after year while the witch, Mullag, feeds off them.
She is ancient, yet her skin is as dewy as Rini's and her flowing auburn hair as lush and silky as Kylla's.
But now a boy has caught Rini's eye. What will happen if Rini defies the witch--for love?
Callie snatches up a kitten she finds hiding beneath a prickly-thorned rose bush.
Instantly she falls in love—and names him Thorn.
Thorn inexplicably hates her sister's husband, Tony. Callie’s feelings begin to mimic Thorn's.
As her hatred for Tony grows, she fears she might harm him. What is going on?
And why did she wake up in the middle of the night with a butcher knife in her hand? contempt for Tony?
Tim and his twin sister, Kelly, fly to Telluride for a fun weekend skiing with their dad, who teaches at a nearby college.
What they don't anticipate is learning that their dad is dating one of the grad students, not much older than his kids. Awkward!
Romance is in the air for both twins, but things don't always turn out as planned. Yet, in the midst of celebrating New Year's Eve, Tim succeeds in making that first resolution come true: Be More Daring.
Orignally published by Avon/Macmillan in: New Year, New Love