Books with author Christopher Lynch

From National Book Award nominee Chris Lynch, an action-and-humor-filled futuristic series about talking pets who are tired of being pets ... and the boy who must help them.The premise: It’s the future. Zane lives in a completely wired world, with completely wired parents. Technology has progressed so that every pet has a microchip in it that allows the pet to talk. Zane's happy about that. Until one day a strictly contraband wild animal -- a mole -- comes into his life. He smuggles it into his apartment -- and learns that the pets aren’t actually saying what the chip is translating. In fact, they aren’t happy that all animals have been domesticated. So they enlist Zane to help them fight back and ensure their freedom.

A boy triumphs over his abusive environment in this raw and gripping story from National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch.Davey’s had to grow up fast in order to get away—away from his beautiful mother, who loves him but can’t take care of him; away from his charismatic but reckless father, who loves him too, but can’t commit; and away from the people who look at him strangely because he’s not like them. The only constant in his life has been his sister, Joanne. She’s fed him, protected him, and taken care of him ever since she was seven and he was two. Now Jo, still a teenager, has a baby herself, and it’s Davey’s turn to take care of someone, to offer love like he’s never known before. National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch “describes in unflinching detail a squalid, urban scene” in this “meticulously crafted” novel with “evocative and lyrical prose” (Publishers Weekly).

After taking refuge in the Sullivan home, Mick crosses over into the dangerous world of dogfighting Something is tearing away at Mick. Despite finding some stability in the comfort of the Sullivan family, and his friendships with Toy, Sully, and Evelyn, he can’t seem to escape his roots. Remembering too clearly the bigotry of his old neighborhood and alcoholic older brother, Terry, Mick decides to seek revenge. And what better way to make Terry pay than in a winner-takes-all game of Terry’s favorite illegal sport: dogfighting. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author’s personal collection.

Of all his friends, Ivan is the only one looking forward to war. That's because Ivan has never backed down from a fight--especially when it comes to fighting for what's right. He has protected his friends from bullies for years. And now, as war erupts in Vietnam, Ivan wants nothing more than to fight for his country, just as his father did in World War II. Enlisting in the United States Army, Ivan is trained to be a sniper. And he's good at it. Very good. But Vietnam is not the war he was expecting. Somehow the glory and heroism of his father's war stories do not come so easily in the jungle. Now, for the first time, Ivan is forced to question what he's really fighting for... and whether it's a fight he can hope to win.

Morris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck are best friends for life. So when one of the teens is drafted into the Vietnam War, the others sign up, too. Although they each serve in a different branch, they are fighting the war together -- and they promise to do all they can to come home together. Of the four, it's Beck that has the most to lose. He's the smart one of the bunch, and he could be -- SHOULD be -- going to college. His parents certainly think so. But he has a pact to honor, and so Beck enlists in the US Air Force. As their tours of duty near completion and the war itself spirals further out of control, the four best friends are at last on a collision course. Will they all survive long enough to be reunited?

The accused date rapist from the “finely crafted and thought-provoking” (School Library Journal) National Book Award Finalist, Inexcusable, must confront the kind of person he really is and come to terms with his past actions, in this stunning sequel from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch.Keir Sarafian insists he did nothing wrong. But no one will believe that he’s the good guy he knows he is—no one except his father, Ray. And Ray is just the person Keir has to leave in order to have the fresh start he deserves. Now at Carnegie College, Keir’s life isn’t what he thought it would be. Two soccer players are poised to take his spot as kicker. Ray keeps calling, and Joyce, his guiding light on campus, seems to be avoiding him. When tragedy strikes, will Keir finally be able to confront his past actions and realize his potential?

Whether it's the corporate boardroom or the preschool playground, today's world has become a competitive, cutthroat place. Help give your little one the philosophical leg up with Machiavelli for Babies. Teach them how to acquire and wield great power, and ruthlessly bring destruction upon their rivals. The book features time-tested classic advice from history's most clever and scheming political adviser Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince, accompanied by hilarious and bizarre mashup baby photos of inspiration and wonder. Prepare your little prince or princess to claim and defend the power that is rightfully theirs, with wisdom such as... "He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command." "It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver." "Politics have no relation to morals." "It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both."

A teen runs away from his broken life and invents a new one in this “absorbing and satisfying” (Booklist) adventure from Printz Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch.Crystal City called for him, and Kevin answered. And why wouldn’t he? His relationship with his father is broken—as is his arm. With barely anyone to miss him or care if he’s gone, it seemed like the perfect time for Kevin to run away to his estranged uncle and create an entirely new identity. New name. New attitude. New friends. Maybe even a new girl. From the first moment of adventure, Kevin’s life takes a turn for the exciting. Making friends seems easy with his new persona, especially when a group of homeless beach bums instantly includes him in their crew. But do they like the real Kevin, or the guy he’s pretending to be? And will this new lifestyle help Kevin escape from the misery of his former life—or will it drag him right back into the reasons he left home?

Well known as the cleanest city in Europe, if not the world, Hamelin seems the perfect place for Sarah Weatherman to bring her accident-prone son, Bert. Hamelin is a world of cleanliness and tidiness, where there’s a place for everything and everyone knows their place. However, just as Sarah and Bert arrive, the town is besieged by a plague of rats and only one man seems able to help the beleaguered mayor and councillors.The mysterious Pied Piper promises to help the town, but at a price. Will the mayor forego his love of ermine robes in order to remove the rats? Or will the citizens abandon their obsessive cleanliness and tidiness and learn to love mess? As for the rats, will they ever gain the respect from humans they feel they deserve?With links to all-new songs, performed and recorded by Andy Merrifield, ‘The Pied Piper of Ham-a-lee-in’ is more than just a retelling of a well-loved tale. It is a musical adventure inspired by Robert Browning’s famous poem, a humorous story that the whole family will enjoy. Follow the fate of Ham-a-lee-in as the unfortunate citizens, their hapless mayor and his clever wife confront personal tragedy, political corruption and the horror of an unpolished cobble.‘The Pied Piper of Ham-a-lee-in’ is a wonderful way to introduce children to Browning’s poem and to explore moral issues in a light-hearted way. Based on a musical play originally written for a London primary school, it is perfect for the nine-thirteen year-old age range, but is sure to be enjoyed by those older and younger as well.

Is Eric as cold as the ice he skates on? A fiery tour de force from the author of Inexcusable, a National Book Award finalist.The other guys on Eric’s hockey team call him the Iceman, because he’s a heartless player, cold as ice. Only Eric knows the truth—he’s not cold, he’s on fire, burning with a need he just can’t explain. Least of all to his family—not to his dad, whose only joy in life is watching Eric smash other hockey players to a pulp. Or his mom, who starts every conversation with, “Your problem is...” Or even his brother, Duane, once a star athlete, now a star slacker. Can Eric find a way to make them understand how he feels—before the fire inside consumes him completely?

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.