Books with author David L. Matthews

My story starts the day that my parents told me we must leave our adopted home forever. Because of the soldiers and the drought we barely had enough to eat and we could no longer stay to help the people in our village.Right before we were leaving I saw a fish in a small brown puddle and I knew I had to take it with me. The journey would be hard to get across the mountains—to the safety of the border and the people there who could help us. Yet when I put the fish in the pot I never realized what we would have to face. It never occurred to me to leave Fish behind.A subtle and sophisticated exploration of life, the strength of humanity, and survival in an unforgiving world, Fish is a story that will teach those who doubt that, when hope is almost extinguished, miracles can happen.

Set in a future where the effects of climate change begin to take hold, the story follows Jack and Michael as they try to cope with a new existence.After a dramatic escape from the approaching floods, Jack and his family relocate to the country, where they meet Michael, ill and cared for by his sister. United by their love for horses, Jack and Michael hatch a plan to save a wild young horse from destruction. But they're in for a rough ride ...Warm and full of heart, this is a hugely enjoyable story with a thought-provoking twist in its tail.

THE FIRST THING I remember is waking up in the woods. I didn’t know where I was, or how I got there. I didn’t know my own name. All I knew was that the little silver key hung round my neck had always been there.This is how Lexi’s story begins. She is taken into a shelter where there are clean clothes, warm food, and, most importantly, a woman who remembers her. Safe from the wars and the dangers of the street, Lexi begins to rebuild her identity with the small pieces of the past she can fit together. Then the silver key around her neck unlocks the secrets of a life she never knew she had.This is Lexi’s story. This is how she finds her way home.

Four of the Outcasts don't really participate in class, and all five could care less about a group activity, so the fact that all of them actually go on the fieldtrip is something of a miracle.And when reality splits, and they end up in another dimension, you can imagine how badly they'll all wish they'd stayed home. Five outcasts fall out of reality. How many will make it back to the world as they know it?From the Hardcover edition.

His name is Cord Bodine. His vivid green eyes are captivating. His body is to die for. He is also a killer, or so they all say. My name is Krista, and my new life in Ambler Ridge is starting out with an unfortunate bang. Riley, my new stepbrother, hates my guts and single-handedly ruins my reputation at school on my very first day. Now I have become a social outcast, and I find myself struggling with the harassment I have to suffer from Riley and his friends. Then, Cord steps in and puts a halt to Riley’s games. He’s the only one willing to talk to me at school, and soon, I’m befriending him and his older brother, Dane. Most girls would probably listen to the rumors and stay away from them both, because some of the rumors I’ve heard are true. After all, the police have video footage of Cord doing some wicked things. I’m not like most girls, though. There is something about Cord that makes me believe he’s innocent, and I soon find myself standing by his side instead of listening to all the warnings. If standing up for Cord isn’t difficult enough, I find myself the target of some frightening pranks. When they go too far, I realize that I may have inadvertently caught the attention of Emmaline’s killer. It’s not long before I find myself suspecting the very two men that I was so certain are innocent. They’re hiding something, and if I don’t find out what it is, I may just be the next body they pull from Blood Creek. Recommended for mature teens and older due to sexual situations and mild offensive language.

This is the true story of the journey of John Hawkins and his dog, Mouse, from way up north to way down south. Mouse has been John and his brother Tom's dog for life. They got her as a puppy when they were just little themselves, and they very quickly discovered that they could understand everything Mouse said and she could do the same. She was just a person like everyone else--though maybe a bit cleverer than most.You've maybe heard that John "ran away with his pet dog." But the truth about this story is that John and Mouse made the journey to save Tom. It's hard to pinpoint when Tom became truly ill, but when the doctors said they had to send Mouse away for fear of infection, the boys knew they had to do something. Without Mouse, Tom would never recover. The journey began to find a temporary home for Mouse, but once they'd set off, nothing turned out the way they'd planned.From the Hardcover edition.

THE FIRST THING I remember is waking up in the woods. I didn’t know where I was, or how I got there. I didn’t know my own name. All I knew was that the little silver key hung round my neck had always been there.This is how Lexi’s story begins. She is taken into a shelter where there are clean clothes, warm food, and, most importantly, a woman who remembers her. Safe from the wars and the dangers of the street, Lexi begins to rebuild her identity with the small pieces of the past she can fit together. Then the silver key around her neck unlocks the secrets of a life she never knew she had.This is Lexi’s story. This is how she finds her way home.From the Hardcover edition.

My story starts the day that my parents told me we must leave our adopted home forever. Because of the soldiers and the drought we barely had enough to eat and we could no longer stay to help the people in our village.Right before we were leaving I saw a fish in a small brown puddle and I knew I had to take it with me. The journey would be hard to get across the mountains—to the safety of the border and the people there who could help us. Yet when I put the fish in the pot I never realized what we would have to face. It never occurred to me to leave Fish behind.A subtle and sophisticated exploration of life, the strength of humanity, and survival in an unforgiving world, Fish is a story that will teach those who doubt that, when hope is almost extinguished, miracles can happen.From the Hardcover edition.