Books with author Jake Thompson

The old world of technology has fallen and a new world, filled with magic, has risen from the ashes. Humanity, decimated by massive dragon attacks, is now on the brink of extinction. Those who have survived have been Changed, altered by the gods to enable them to exist in a world thick with magical energy. But a handful have become more and the greatest of these is Simon O'Toole.Simon, once a heavy-set, middle-aged IT worker had been Changed into a slight young man brimming with power: a wizard. Trying to master his new magical skills and fighting to survive against the dragons that are hunting down the few remaining Changlings, the young wizard now faces the greatest threat of his new life. Brown dragons, led by an arrogant and incredibly powerful primal dragon, have invaded the land of the elves, one of humanity's only allies. On the New Earth, the red dragons are aggressively searching for the last of the Changlings. And now Simon has to choose: protect his own people from the ravages of the dragons on this world, or travel to the elven realm to try to save his allies. He is only one man, faced with a terrible choice, and if he makes the wrong decision, it could mean the extinction of the human race and the rise of the gods of Chaos.

The home world of the elves is known as Trillfarness. It was created millennia ago for the elvish race by the lords of Light as a safe haven when they were threatened by the ancient gods of Chaos. Hidden away from the mortal realms, the elves were safe from evil. They lived in harmony with nature, far from the conflicts that plagued the Earth. But now something has changed. Trillfarness has come closer to the plane of Earth than it has ever been and some elves fear that the old evil gods have found them once again. Darkness is stirring in remote corners of their planet and the peaceful elves are threatened. But their race hasn't known war for ages uncounted. Can they stand against the old gods who seek to wipe out their kind? Or will they fall and be lost in the dust of history?

GET A CLUE WITH THE CAMP CLUB GIRLS! Join Kate and the Camp Club Girls as they embark on a series of clue-filled adventures and crack the case in this entertaining and action-packed 4-in-1 mystery collection.Who’s framing the star shortstop of the Philadelphia Phillies? Kate’s friend, Andrew, faces the fears of his life as a smear campaign threatens to destroy his dad’s career. Will the Camp Club Girls hit a homerun and save the day for Andrew and his family?Where are the rats coming from at Mad River Creamery? Kate and Sydney visit a small Vermont town during their winter break. But along with their plans to enjoy the local skiing and spend time relaxing, turmoil breaks out at the local creamery. Will the Camp Club Girls triumph and vanquish the vermin of Vermont?Who's the culprit behind the phony fossils? When Kate’s former schoolteacher becomes a curator at a small science museum, she is invited to help out. . .and an accidental spilled drink leads Kate and McKenzie on a quick quest to Stone’s Throw Quarry fossil camp. Will the girls’ suspicions prove false?What's causing the pretzels go flat? When Kate is chosen to attend a junior inventors’ showcase in Hershey, Pennsylvania, she partners with a local pretzel factory that is willing to test her invention. Along with Alexis, Kate witnesses a rather unwelcome problem with the twisted treats. Will they be able to get to the bottom of their pretzel predicament?

Over 3 years ago, the old Earth began to die. Technology started to break down. Electricity failed. Machines stopped working. Planes, trains and cars became useless hunks of metal. And then the dragons came.On the Night of Burning, the world's great cities were reduced to slag and rubble by dragon fire. Civilization, as we knew it. ceased to be.But before the end came, the Changlings appeared. A few humans, children and adults alike, began to mutate into...something else. Ears became pointed, fingers fused or elongated. Their old languages were lost to them and they began to babble in unknown tongues. Perhaps one in a hundred thousand Changed. Simon O'Toole was one of them.Back then, he was a rather large, middle-aged man. Now he's a skinny, awkward teenager.Simon has lost everything; his family, his friends, the world that he once knew. But he has gained something as well. Through hints in dreams, he has learned to use magical runes that can summon elementals. He can cast fireballs and lightning. In short, Simon has become a wizard.Slowly, carefully, he is learning to use this new power. It might take years to master his magic. Years that Simon may not have.The dragons are still on the hunt. They search for the scattered survivors of their invasion and, when these mundane humans have been exterminated, the dragons will then track down and kill those few who became Changlings. And that means that Simon is rapidly running out of time.

In a city already simmering with racial conflict, the daring public assassination of its newly elected African American woman mayor lights the fuse.A killer with no memory of committing the crime brings Raja and Vinny to the Big Easy in the middle of Mardi Gras.The local mob crime boss, a Russian computer expert, and a pair of backwoods, meth-cooking brothers make far too many suspects. With a Voodoo Queen stirring the pot, murder is never simple. Before they are finished, Raja and Vinny will discover a murderous evil that has lurked in the swamps of Louisiana for centuries.Murder is never simple.ABOUT RAJA AND VINNYRaja Williams is a private detective who is relentless in his pursuit of justice. Neither the dark, tragic anti-hero nor the James Bond super-hero type, Raja uses his intuitive genius and penetrating empathy to unravel mysteries. His sixth sense for evil gives him headaches and steers him straight into trouble. It's a good thing he has very resourceful friends.Raja's partner, Vinny Moore, is a gorgeous hipster geek who prefers hacking computers to haute couture. Vinny once worked for the U.S. government until she purposely made herself more trouble than they could handle so they would cut her loose. She loves to push Raja's buttons with the hipster lingo she is constantly picking up on the internet. Despite her teasing, Vinny is Raja's best friend.The Raja Williams novels can be read in any order.Grab your copy of Buried in the Bayou now.

Less than four years ago, Simon O'Toole was a middle-aged I.T. specialist. Now, after the fall of technology and the rise of magic, he has been Changed. He has become a young wizard, struggling to use his new-found powers and trying to survive in a world rich in magical energy and filled with reborn, legendary evil. The world itself has changed. Humans, the few that are left, are being hunted down and destroyed by dragons, the agents of darkness. Only when the last of humanity is destroyed can the ancient ones, the gods of Chaos, return and reclaim the New Earth.Simon, with the help of a handful of allies, managed to destroy a great evil and has now attracted the attention of the Chaotic gods themselves. Only by becoming a powerful wizard and making more allegiances can Simon hope to save the last few remnants of the human race. Time is short and the darkness is growing ever stronger.

PRAYER can change the WORLD! This brand-new prayer book for the kids in your life will put the amazing power of prayer into perspective as they pray for their friends, their families, their neighborhoods, their schools, their cities, their country, and beyond. Kids ages 8 to 12 will be guided to pray for positive change in the world as they encounter the many ways they can make an impact through their conversations with God. Featured "Be the Change" sections after each prayer will also encourage kids to "act" as they listen for God's voice and direction for their lives. Have a conversation with God today, and see how He works through you as you listen for His voice and direction in your life.Changing the World involves the whole family--Look for 180 Prayers to Change the World for Kids!

Fourteen year old Justin McLeod has learned that he is a new Titan, born five thousand years after that mythic race disappeared. Forced to flee from his home by unknown adversaries, he escapes to Sanctuary, a huge, hidden base where other teens like himself have taken refuge. There he begins to learn about his race's past, why he and the other young Titans have appeared at this moment in history, and about his powers and how to use them.But other Titans have also come into the world; older, more powerful and bent on world domination. They see Justin and the new Titans as a threat to their plans. They attack Sanctuary but, thanks in part to Justin's powers, are driven back.Soon after the failed attack, Justin learns that a family friend is being held captive by government forces. So he and his new friend, Aaron, decide to leave Sanctuary on their own to try to save him. However, they are tricked by their enemies and trapped along with six other young Titans.Following a daring escape, the eight teens find themselves stranded on the lowest level of Sanctuary, faced with a daunting task; to travel through the countless levels of this huge complex in the hope that they can reach the top level and safety. Unless, of course, Sanctuary has already fallen.

"Remember the Titans." Three enigmatic words received in an anonymous email that will change fourteen year old Justin McLeod's life forever.Smaller and slighter than the other teens in grade nine, Justin is the perfect target for bullies. But their taunts and abuse don't bother him, because he has a secret. After an accident at the age of twelve left him unharmed, Justin realized that he had become almost totally immune to physical pain and damage.Now he wants to stand up for himself, prove that he isn't afraid. But his mother won't hear of it. She fears that if his unique gift is discovered, the government would take him away from her and use him for their own purposes. He thinks that she's just being paranoid.And then Justin receives that mysterious email. 'Remember the Titans'? What does it mean? He's intrigued enough to research these Titans online. Once that resource is exhausted, he heads for the local library. And there things take a turn for the worse.Justin is confronted by a menacing group of brown-suited men who follow him home. Terrified, he finds himself trapped in his apartment with his mother and the custodian, Mr. Wilson. And when the strangers begin battering down the front door, Wilson offers Justin his one chance to escape to safety...using his own bathtub.