Books with author Kathleen A.

Animorphs is an English language science fiction series of young adult books written by K. A. Applegate and published by Scholastic. Five humans, Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias, and one alien, Aximili (nicknamed Ax), obtain the ability to morph into any animal they touch. They name themselves "Animorphs", a portmanteau of "animal morphers". Using their ability, they battle a secret alien infiltration of Earth. It is told in first person, with the Animorphs taking turns narrating the books. Applegate cycles through the six protagonists, telling their story of the secret war through each of their perspectives. By using this, she explores many of the dark aspects of the human condition. Horror, war, dehumanization, sanity, morality, innocence, leadership, and growing up are core motifs of the series. Published between June 1996 and May 2001, the series consisted of 54 books and includes ten companion books, eight of which fit into the series' continuity (the Animorphs Chronicles and Megamorphs books) and two that are gamebooks not fitting into the continuity (the Alternamorphs books). The characters grow up throughout the series, struggling to cope with the compromises and retreats they must make to win the war. The series allows the reader to observe the human condition as the characters are forced by their new, deadly circumstances to face the darkest, and also the brightest, parts of themselves. The series was originally conceived as a three-part series called The Changelings, in which Jake is named Matt, and his little brother Joseph takes the place of Cassie.

Ali is a young camel in Egypt when he is captured by humans. Determined to "work, but never surrender," he earns a reputation as a disobedient animal and is sold to an American colonel. The year is 1856 and Ali soon finds himself in Texas as part of the U.S. Camel Corps. Crossing the landscape of 19th century America, Ali learns to balance his pride with the needs of his new companions, and slowly matures into a noble creature.Compellingly written from the camel’s point of view, this unusual book offers a fresh and unusual perspective on a little-known slice of American history.

Sadima lives in a world where magic has been banned, leaving poor villagers prey to fakes and charlatans. A "magician" stole her family's few valuables and left Sadima's mother to die on the day Sadima was born. But vestiges of magic are hidden in old rhymes and hearth tales and in people like Sadima, who conceals her silent communication with animals for fear of rejection and ridicule. When rumors of her gift reach Somiss, a young nobleman obsessed with restoring magic, he sends Franklin, his lifelong servant, to find her. Sadima's joy at sharing her secret becomes love for the man she shares it with. But Franklin's irrevocable bond to the brilliant and dangerous Somiss traps her, too, and she faces a heartbreaking decision. Centuries later magic has been restored, but it is available only to the wealthy and is strictly controlled by wizards within a sequestered academy of magic. Hahp, the expendable second son of a rich merchant, is forced into the academy and finds himself paired with Gerrard, a peasant boy inexplicably admitted with nine sons of privilege and wealth. Only one of the ten students will graduate -- and the first academic requirement is survival. Sadima's and Hahp's worlds are separated by generations, but their lives are connected in surprising and powerful ways in this brilliant first book of Kathleen Duey's dark, complex, and completely compelling trilogy.

It is said that the Sahara Desert swallows the past. For Matthew Morrissey and his mentor, the eminent phrenologist Dr. Asa B. Cornwall, there's also the danger of its swallowing their present. In their search for the skull of Alexander the Great, Matthew and Dr. ABC journey across the Great Sand Sea in a camel caravan unaware of the perils-both human and otherworldly-that await them. Overtaken by slave traders, Matthew and the doctor must call upon all of their knowledge and wit to save themselves and some unfortunate others from disaster.

Becky Willowbee dreams of attending the biggest bird-watching festival on the east coast. The science fair grand prize would give her enough money to buy a ticket, and Becky loves science almost as much as she loves birds. Sounds like the perfect plan. Right? There's just one problem...maybe three. The class bully wants the prize for herself, Becky's little brother is afraid of birds, and her mom-mom thinks she's a superhero. That's right. Superhero. If Becky wants the prize, she'll need to keep everyone under control. What could possibly go wrong?

Front door locked, kitchen door locked, living room windows closed. Nobody in the closet, nobody under the beds. Still, Maggie is worried. Ever since she started middle school, she sees injustice and danger everywhere--on the news, in her textbooks, in her own neighborhood. Even her best friend seems to be changing. Maggie believes it is up to her, and only her, to make everything all right. Can she come up with a plan to keep everyone safe? The Best Worst Thing is a perceptive novel about learning the limits of what you can control, and the good--sometimes even best--things that can come of finally letting go.

When young Tom Ormsby cons his way onto the great explorer Henry Morton Stanley's "Relief of Emin Pasha Expedition" in 1887, he's looking for adventure. But he has no idea what lies ahead of him. From the exotic bazaars of Zanzibar to the mouth of the Congo River and beyond, Tom soon learns he's signed on for more than the rescue of the mysterious Pasha. He's on a journey through the ravishing beauty and brutality of a jungle world peopled by slavers, warring tribes, cannibals, and colonial masters - all jockeying for survival in 19th-century Africa. As Karr follows Tom's remarkable three-year trek, she raises some provocative questions about slavery, the right of one country to impose its cultural imperatives on another, and the arrogance that can prevent a man from achieving his ultimate goal. Startling, scary, and surprising, this true story takes the reader deep into the heart of the African past.

In an effort to escape a lifetime of traumatizing chaos thanks to a neglectful, alcoholic mother and the subsequent unknown identity of her father, fiercely independent and overtly self-reliant seventeen-year-old Jane Bouddic seeks refuge in the only reliable, steadfast safe haven she has come to know and trust- Martial Arts. Looking to enjoy a desperately needed carefree summer break, Jane's plans go up in smoke one evening after a particularly exhausting karate class when she is approached by a mysterious figure named Jack who hails from a secret agency, anointing her with the daunting task of saving the world from an elite Russian terrorist. Jane ends up on a dangerous collision course with not only an evil supervillain, but also many unknown and unwanted truths about her own past she never sees coming. You will find yourself cheering for the young heroine the entire way as she is forced to search the depths of her soul and face the rawness of her own humanity. Intensely protective of Jane, her older, infinitely sexy, and seemingly unattainable fellow karate classmate and best friend Lucas Schaefer frustratingly finds himself shut out of her life as she turns down his constant insistence to rescue her and finds himself stopping at nothing to gain a foothold in her treacherous adventure. Readers can expect to enjoy an endearing, underlying love story that will tease until the very end.