Books with author Ian Williams

God morgon! Welcome to Sweden. Journey to Scandinavia in northern Europe to explore a country rich in history and traditions. Travel along its jagged coastline and visit its many islands and lakes. Go cross-country skiing north of the Arctic Circle and see a herd of reindeer. Then head for a restaurant and help yourself to a mouth-watering smorgasbord. Top Secret Guides take readers on adventures to the most mysterious and interesting places on Earth. Each book features a trip to a different country. Readers will visit famous landmarks, discover surprising facts, and learn about the cultures and customs of the people who live there.

M. T. Anderson meets Cory Doctorow in this teen debut from #1 New York Times bestseller Sean Williams, who also coauthors the Troubletwisters series with Garth Nix.When a coded note promises improvement—the chance to change your body any way you want, making it stronger, taller, more beautiful—Clair thinks it's too good to be true, but her best friend, Libby, falls into a deadly trap.With the help of the school freak and a mysterious stranger, Clair races against the clock and around the world to save Libby, even as every step draws her deeper into a deadly world of cover-ups and conspiracies.Action and danger fuel this near-future tale of technology, identity, and the lengths one girl will go to save her best friend.

Rick Harmond moves from his small hometown, where he worked on his father’s ranch, to a bigger city for college. In his cowboy boots and hat, he immediately feels out of place but he refuses to let his reluctance get the better of him - he’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime! He’s been given a full-ride scholarship thanks to his affinity for math. One of the stipulations to receive the scholarship is that he join his college’s Gamma Sigma Gamma fraternity chapter. They’re not the kind of people he would usually be around, but he needs the scholarship - farming can’t pay his tuition. He endures the ribbing given by his fellow pledges and the frat brothers, and he also befriends a sorority sister, Rosanna, a popular cheerleader. Rick also meets Rosanna’s roommate: Lorraine, whose double-leg amputation has confined her to a wheelchair. Lorraine, a former cheerleader in high school, has become withdrawn, even standoffish, since her accident. And she has good reason to be defensive: Every day she gets looks of pity, looks of disgust, and hears people talking behind her back, thanking God they’re not in her position. Rick is intrigued by her and finds an opportunity to get to know her: He can help her with her algebra assignments, and she can help him with his English assignments. But soon word of his friendship with Lorraine gets back to the leaders of Gamma Sigma Gamma and a meeting is called: Rick, as well as his fellow pledges, are told they are not to associate with undesirable people because it reflects badly on Gamma Sigma Gamma. Rick then finds himself in an impossible situation - he doesn’t want to stop seeing Lorraine but the consequences set his world on fire. How can he remain Lorraine’s friend but also afford to stay in college? Reviews "Close Enough to Perfect by Dan Williams is the story of anyone who has ever been outside of the 'In' crowd for any reason. Williams has created strong characters which will resonate with our own struggles about staying true to ourselves; our values; and how we interact with others along the way. I found myself cheering on Rick Harmond as he steps out of his comfort zone and into a culture that is too self-absorbed to even notice its bad manners (or even flat-out rudeness). During this tumultuous upheaval, he has to make extremely hard choices and finds almost too late what is most important to him." -Jeff Dillard, Amazon customer, 5-star review "(Williams) has taken the subjects of disability and difference and written about them so that anyone could see themselves in the place of the character. He then evolves the characters to be more than they thought they could be. It is an engaging story with likable characters which also happen to be real. A great read." -Di Davis, Amazon customer, 5-star review "I liked the very accurate portrayal of a young woman going through experiences in high school and college as an amputee. The brutal honesty of how the public deals with her new body and how she deals with it herself...Great work, descriptions and dialogue." -Deborah, Amazon customer, 5-star review

You don’t know that much about mathematics and physics. You don’t understand everything about rockets, satellites, or interplanetary flights. But you dream of flying to other planets and want to know everything needed to do it. You want to understand the principles of rockets and spaceships. You want to know why extraterrestrial space stations are needed and why studying other planets helps us understand our Earth. This book simply and clearly answers these questions and much more.