Books with author Joan Lowery Nixon

When their aunt buys an old, run-down inn on the banks of the Mississippi, Chris and Amy Holt go south to help her fix up the place. They lend helping hands during the day, but at night, they wonder about the island in the middle of the river—a mysterious place where the townsfolk will not set foot. The island was created by an earthquake which shook the ground so fiercely that the river ran backwards, destroying the house of a bitter old miser named Joshua Hanover, and carrying away his precious hoard of silver coins. And according to legend, Hanover’s ghost still roams the island, his phantom dog, Shadow, at his side, searching eternally for his lost treasure. Unable to resist the treasure’s lure, Chris and Amy journey to the island to find out if the stories are true. There they find danger, and a mystery that is far more frightening than they could have ever imagined.

History comes alive in this entertaining and educational series for readers ages 7-11, written by the beloved author of the Orphan Train Adventures. David Howard has been living on the streets of New York City so long he can barely remember his parents. Through the Children's Aid Society, he finds a new home with the Bauer family in Missouri. But farm life isn't easy, especially for a boy who's never seen a cow before. Luckily, the Bauers' hired hand, Amos, an ex-slave, comes to David's rescue. When an unexpected danger threatens Amos, David wants to help his friend. But how can an 11-year-old boy help a grown man?

Joan Lowery Nixon is the acclaimed author of more than a hundred books for young readers. Over the years, many of her readers have written to her to ask how they, too, can become published writers someday. From her first publication at age ten to her graduation from Hollywood High during World War II, this memoir, which includes advice as well as anecdotes, is her answer. Listening to her favorite programs on the radio, performing puppet shows at orphanages and hospitals, and writing love poems for high school classmates to send to soldiers overseas all planted the seeds from which a prolific writing career grew. Joan Lowery Nixon never forgot what her ninth-grade journalism teacher told her: “A writer must always have faith in herself. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.” Both informative and entertaining, The Making of a Writer is a charming look at one writer’s beginnings. “Nixon tucks her tips into a memoir that stands alone…A delightful look back at a time and a life.” –Booklist “Her writing is clear and interesting, admirably blending her personal history, that of the nation, life lessons, and writing tips…[readers] will appreciate the insights she offers into her own life as well as the development of her signature style.” –VOYA “A lively read…[with] clear and concise advice to writers.” –School Library Journal “A lighthearted biography…It is a nicely focused take on something about the author.” –Kirkus Reviews

Agatha Mae Vaughn is 12 years old in 1866, and she lives in the Asylum for Homeless Waifs, where she's always in trouble or in the way. So when she's told she's being sent west on the orphan train, Aggie isn't sad. She's looking forward to starting fresh and finding the family she's never had.But instead of young parents and maybe even a little brother or sister, Aggie gets the Bradons. Bertha and Eldon Bradon are an elderly couple who live on a farm with their two older children--Leon, a budding inventor, and Penelope, a crusader for women's right to vote. This is not the family Aggie had in mind. Will she ever fit in?

Caught in a violent storm, Lisa and her three friends take refuge in an old deserted house. Inside are strewn odd tricks and gadgets-the props of a practiced magician. Doors slam shut. The phones go dead. A ghostly hand creeps across the mantel. But the group's fascination at these effects quickly turns to horror.Lisa has always dreamed of being a magician. Now her life and the lives of her friends-depend on her skill. Because one by one the tricks are becoming more sinister, luring the group closer and closer to the terrible secret at the end of the corridor...

The year is 1765, and there's a lot going on in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Stamp Act has just been passed, and many colonists are protesting it because nobody knows what it will mean to the colonies as a whole. Twelve-year-old Nancy Geddy is concerned that the act will make her friend Tom lose his apprenticeship at the Geddy family's foundry.Besides that, Nancy has her own problems. Her stepmother, Elizabeth, is making Nancy's life miserable with her constant complaining and criticism. Nothing Nancy does is good enough for her. Now Elizabeth's difficult pregnancy is threatening to ruin Nancy's opportunity to attend her grandmother's Christmas ball. Will Nancy find a way to accept Elizabeth's different ways and come to love her as a mother?

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes The Stalker from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. When Jennifer Lee Wilcox returns home from the beach, she finds that Stella Trax, her best friend’s mother, has just been murdered. The police think Stella’s daughter Bobbie did it. Jennifer sets out to prove Bobbie’s innocence, but as she uncovers clues, she realizes she’s only leading herself to danger! “An exciting, fast-moving thriller.” –VOYA “A dandy suspense tale.” –Publishers Weekly

Moving and inspiring stories of the immigrant experience are offered up in this eOmni edition comprised of three novels from Joan Lowery Nixon’s historical fiction series, Ellis Island. Each story features a unique teenage girl’s perspective—one from Russia, one from Ireland, and one from Sweden. In Land of Hope, Russian immigrant Rebekah Levinsky settles with her family on the Lower East Side of New York and soon realizes that the roads are not paved with gold. In Land of Promise, Irish immigrant Rose Carney arrives in Chicago to a life filled with family responsibilities that impede on her dreams of independence. And in Land of Dreams, Swedish immigrant Kristin Swensen’s family lives on a farm in Minnesota, but her parents still cling to the life they’d known in Sweden.Follow their journeys as Rebekah, Rose, and Kristin—and their families— struggle to find the courage, faith, and resilience they’ll need to conquer the odds, find their independence, and realize the American dream.