Books with author Karen Richards

Stu Truly has his summer all planned out, and he's anxious to spend time with Becca, the girl who makes his palms sweat and his stomach turn. Will Stu's crush turn into something more?It's the summer before eighth grade, and Stu Truly is enjoying the start of his vacation! His plans consist of playing video games, hanging out with his friends, and, more importantly, hanging out with Becca. But when Stu has a daydream of kissing Becca, he panics. He isn't even sure if he's actually going out with Becca. Sure, they've held hands a couple of times, but that doesn't mean they're going out, does it? When Stu's grandma breaks her hip, his plans are put on hold. Now, he has to help out at her store, Truly Fine Fashions. Unfortunately for Stu, it's a women's clothing store. So he has to balance his summer job and spending time with Becca. This is a hilarious and heartwarming follow-up to the contemporary middle grade novel Stu Truly. Will Stu get his first kiss from the girl who stole his heart?

Nikau's life changes the day his father is released from prison. Blinded by his need for the father he never knew, he makes mistakes that drag him into deep jeopardy and endanger his sister. On an erupting volcano, Nikau will need to have an epiphany and learn the truth about his past if he has any hope of surviving - or saving his sister, as well as Jabu and friends. This coming-of-age Young Adult adventure is set in the captivating land of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Natalie knew when she took the job teaching fairy-like Essentials how to blend into the Ordinary world that she was stepping into a world far from her own. While she anticipated the unexpected, nothing could prepare her for what was to come. Her world was turned upside down, thrusting her into an entirely new reality. Her teaching days behind her, Natalie struggles to find where she fits. She is an Ordinary existing in a world where she is surrounded by the EXTRAORDINARY. She finds solace from the newfound pressures and horrific nightmares she’s been plagued with in her fiancé and is certain her life will settle once they are married. However, their plans to wed are deterred when Natalie’s future father-in-law cannot be found resulting in delaying their big day indefinitely. Their search to find him reveals a twisted, dark, hidden past that puts Natalie and the ones she loves most in grave danger. In this much-anticipated sequel to THE ORDINARY, Natalie FIGHTS. She fights for her identity. She fights for love and freedom. She fights the Dark. She fights for The Heir.

Believe it or not, Natalie has become somewhat accustomed to the unexpected living in the energy-filled, fairy-like, Essential world. She’s feeling more confident in her role in the kingdom she has come to love dearly. However, betrayal by the one person sworn to protect her has rocked Natalie’s kingdom and shaken her to the core. Not only has her kingdom suffered greatly at the hands of her enemy and his Dark army, but her future father-in-law has been forced to abandon his family and live in hiding for over a decade to protect his family. They thought they had their enemy. They thought he was dead. He wasn’t. Knowing the battle wasn’t over is devastating for them all, but especially for her sweet love and his family. With their enemy on the run and no leads to follow, Natalie’s father reveals a centuries-old secret with the hope it will finally bring an end to the Darks. Forced back into hiding, Natalie and her close friends find themselves in danger from unexpected sources. While Natalie is pretty used to the unexpected in her new world, nothing prepares her for another betrayal from the one Essential she thought she could trust—one who had never lied to her—she thought. Follow Natalie’s journey as she tries to find her footing as the Heir, navigates her growing relationship, and protects her kingdom from the growing Dark army. In this conclusion of The Ordinary Series, will Natalie finally have her happy ever after or will she and her kingdom fall to the Darks once and for all?

War is breaking out in Europe and young Charlotte Holmes is evacuated to Yorkshire.Leaving her Mum behind, Charlotte finds herself caught up in a series of mysterious events: broken china, a poisoned dog and the theft of some very large amounts of money. Join Charlotte as she tries to piece together the clues, crack the cases and become a super detective!Ideally suited for readers age 7-12.This book follows all the same characters as the Charlotte Holmes Adventure Box. You don't need to have played the box to enjoy the book, but if you want to play the box first you can order a copy at www.charlotteholmes.co.ukFor children that have already played the Charlotte Holmes Adventure Box, this book weaves new and exciting tales through the mysteries you already love. What happened in Alfred's secret garden? Why was Mrs Mirfield crying in the kitchen? Why were Alice and Johnson being so secretive? And what did all those flashing lights mean? All is revealed in The Mystery Adventures of Charlotte Holmes.

A salty, gritty, exciting, heartbreaking and hopeful page-turner...The day his mother dies, Jabu’s instinct is to run. He runs away from the Johannesburg hospital and soon finds himself amongst a gang of train surfers on top of a hurtling train. After witnessing the dark side of train surfing, he continues to flee from his hopeless life, all the while searching for a place to call home. He stows away with an unexpected creature companion as he travels from Soweto to Durban, hoping to find his aunt. Through a series of fortuitous events, Jabu makes interracial friendships (in a time when that was unusual), learns to surf the waves and connects deeply with the street children called Father’s boys. Being an orphan in apartheid South Africa in the 1980s is perilous. The police are a constant threat. It takes courage, loyalty and friendship to overcome the societal dangers.On the other side of apartheid society is Billie, a gutsy tomboy. It's not that she wants to be a boy, but she yearns to be with the boys in the surf, living daringly. One surfer, in particular, has her attention, but their lives are all about to change as they become a part of a bigger South African story that goes beyond surfing, 80's music and escapism.Originally conceptualised as a screenplay, Trainsurfer is bursting with cinematic-style action.Threaded through with Christian motifs, the story is one of injustice, betrayal, forgiveness, self-sacrifice and ultimately, hope.

Believe it or not, Natalie has become somewhat accustomed to the unexpected living in the energy-filled, fairy-like, Essential world. She’s feeling more confident in her role in the kingdom she has come to love dearly. However, betrayal by the one person sworn to protect her has rocked Natalie’s kingdom and shaken her to the core. Not only has her kingdom suffered greatly at the hands of her enemy and his Dark army but her future father-in-law has been forced to abandon his family and live in hiding for over a decade to protect his family. They thought they had him. They thought he was dead. In reality, he was anything but. Knowing the battle wasn’t over is devastating for them all, but especially for her sweet love and his family. With their enemy on the run and no leads to follow, Natalie’s father reveals a centuries-old secret with the hope it will finally bring an end to the Darks. Forced back into hiding, Natalie and her close friends find themselves in danger from unexpected sources. While Natalie is pretty used to the unexpected in her new world, nothing prepares her for the ultimate betrayal from the one Essential she thought she could trust—one who had never lied to her—she thought. Follow Natalie’s journey as she tries to find her footing as the Heir, navigates her growing relationship, and protects them all from the growing Dark army. In this conclusion of The Ordinary Series, will Natalie finally have her happy ever after or will she and her kingdom fall to the Darks once and for all?

Natalie knew when she took the job teaching fairy-like Essentials how to blend into the Ordinary world that she was stepping into a world far from her own. While she anticipated the unexpected, nothing could prepare her for what was to come. Her world was turned upside down, thrusting her into an entirely new reality. Her teaching days behind her, Natalie struggles to find where she fits. She is an Ordinary existing in a world where she is surrounded by the EXTRAORDINARY. She finds solace from the newfound pressures and horrific nightmares she’s been plagued with in her fiancé and is certain her life will settle once they are married. However, their plans to wed are deterred when Natalie’s future father-in-law cannot be found resulting in delaying their big day indefinitely. Their search to find him reveals a twisted, dark, hidden past that puts Natalie and the ones she loves most in grave danger. In this much anticipated sequel to THE ORDINARY, Natalie FIGHTS. She fights for her identity. She fights for love and freedom. She fights the Dark. She fights for The Heir.

They're small, they're tough, and they'll challenge your mind. Each of these word, logic, math, and visual puzzles is sure to make you scratch your head in wonder and amazement. Find the four-leaf clover and a perfect star, get the high score in a pinball game, decipher a joke and its punchline written in code--your mind may be boggled, but your search for new challenges will be satisfied. The author lives in Nederland, CO. 160 pages, 60 b/w illus., 4 3/16 x 5 1/4.