Books with author Michael Cadnum

Cart's authoritative survey is already a go-to text for students of literary studies, teachers, and YA staff. In this new edition he gives it a thorough update to make it even more relevant and comprehensive. Surveying the landscape of YA lit both past and present, this booksketches in the origins of literature targeted at young adults;shows how the best of the genre has evolved to deal with subjects every bit as complex as its audience;closely examines teen demographics, literacy, audiobooks, the future of print, and other key topics;includes updated treatment of best-selling authors like John Green, Suzanne Collins, and Veronica Roth, plus interviews with leaders in the field;presents new and expanded coverage of perennially popular genre fiction, including horror, sci fi, and dystopian fiction;offers an updated overview of LGBTQ literature for young adults, including Intersex;covers such commercial trends as adult purchasers of YA books and the New Adult phenomenon; andfeatures abundant bibliographic material to aid in readers' advisory and collection development.Cart's up-to-date coverage makes this the perfect resource for YA librarians who want to sharpen their readers' advisory skills, educators and teachers who work with young people, and anyone else who wants to understand where YA lit has been and where it's heading.

Accused of murder, John Tannerson is forced to flee the king's men who are hunting him. Running for his life, John pushes deeper into Sherwood Forest where he encounters a mysterious man dressed in green. The man is Robin Hood and John, rechristened Little John, joins his band of outlaws. Living in the forest, helping the poor, even rescuing fair maidens, John discovers a world-and a life-beyond his wildest dreams.

A teenage boxer learns how to fight dirty—in and out of the ring As soon as the bell chimes, Steven knows he’s in trouble. Del Toro is stronger, faster, and in better shape; he’s by far the better boxer. But Steven has been learning to fight dirty. He steps on Del Toro’s toes, whips his head into the bigger man’s chin, and throws a straight right just wide enough to send his elbow crashing into his nose. It isn’t pretty, and it isn’t honest, but it works. In the boxing ring, and in life, Steven is never afraid to cheat. Invited to San Diego for a prestigious Golden Gloves West Coast tournament, Steven needs $600 to make the trip. A friend convinces him to get the money the easy way—by robbing a liquor store, and Steven soon learns there are fights where throwing in the towel means death.

A National Book Award nominee!Returning to the same era of his "In a Dark Wood", Cadnum's majestic novel--part mystery, part history--chronicles the pageantry and brutality of the Crusades under King Richard.Edmund, a young apprentice, is awaiting punishment as a counterfeiter when a knight intervenes on his behalf--and compels Edmund to join Richard Lionheart's forces in the Holy Land. There, amidst the savagery of the twelfth-century Crusades, Edmund learns both courage and compassion, and discovers that cruelty is sometimes considered the will of Heaven. Set in medieval England and the war-torn shores of the Middle East, Cadnum's tale weaves together a rich tapestry of storms at sea, the brutality of hand-to-hand combat, and one of the classic horse and lance battles in recorded history--the Battle of Arsuf.

A desperate sheriff in Sherwood Forest chases a bandit called Robin Hood The boar charges and Geoffrey, the sheriff of Nottingham, stands tall with an iron spear gripped in his hands, waiting for the moment to strike. Just before the beast is upon him, Geoffrey stabs, catching it right between the eyes. After a bloody struggle, the animal’s life drains out. The sheriff has mastered the hunt. For his entire life, Geoffrey has served the king. He has worked for him, tortured others on his behalf, and killed at his orders—and now he will be called to do so again. There is a bandit in Sherwood Forest, a marksman the townspeople call Robin Hood, and the king demands the sheriff bring him to justice. But the outlaw will not be captured easily, and tracking him down will force Geoffrey to commit unimaginable sins—all in the name of the king.

Little John lives a lifetime of adventure—from humble ferryman to legendary outlaw John Little is strong enough to be a knight, but he knows he is destined to life as a thief. He spends his days on the river, poling nobles back and forth on a wooden ferry, the master of which robs the passengers blind. When an arrogant knight draws his sword to protect his purse, John defends his unscrupulous boss. The struggle leaves the knight dead, and John becomes an outlaw who must flee into the forest to hide from the king’s justice. John thinks his life is over, but his adventure has just begun. In shadowy Sherwood Forest, John meets a mysterious bandit dressed in green, who goes by the name Robin Hood. At Robin Hood’s side, John Little becomes “Little John”—friend of the poor, defender of the weak, and scourge of evil men across Nottinghamshire.

A poet journeys into the underworld to rescue his bride His name is Orpheus, and he is the greatest poet on Earth. With his lyre, he can make music so beautiful it causes the gods to weep, but they are not who he wants to impress. Orpheus has been in love with Eurydice ever since the first time he heard her voice, and to win her love he sings the most beautiful songs in history. On the day of their wedding, when Orpheus feels happiness just within his grasp, Eurydice is bitten by a snake and dies. The groom is heartbroken, but undaunted. He will rescue his beloved—even if he must battle death itself. Orpheus’s path is fraught with untold dangers, but he presses on—and a tragic yet beautiful love story emerges from this radical reworking of an ancient tale.

From the jungles of Panama to the gold fields of California, a young man searches for justice In 1849, there are 2 ways to reach California: overland or by sea. Traveling by land is safer—a long, slow journey across the American plains—but the water is faster. Would-be prospectors in a hurry to reach California and strike it rich, sail down the Atlantic, cross the deadly jungles of Panama on foot, and proceed north by boat to find their fortune. Willie Dwinelle, who is 18 years old, chooses this Panama route because he must reach California as soon as possible. But it is not gold that he seeks; it is justice. Willie has vowed revenge upon an unsavory character in his hometown who mistreated one of his friends. So with his impulsive ally Ben at his side, Willie braves every danger the gold rush throws at him. But the most perilous hazard is one he never expected to confront: the lure of greed.

A champion diver fights to conquer her fears and get back on the board Bonnie is doing a reverse 2-and-a-half somersault when her forehead hits the diving board. She sinks into the pool, unconscious, sucking water into her lungs. When her teammates pull her up, they think she’s dead. Bonnie’s coach pumps her chest, breathing air into her lungs until Bonnie’s eyes open, and she can breathe by herself. Her head is bloody, her face a bruised mess. She’s felt pain before, but now there’s something new: For the first time in her life, Bonnie is afraid. Diving has always helped Bonnie escape the pressures of an unhappy family. But even after she recovers from her concussion, she finds it impossible to get back on the board. When her father is indicted for fraud, she needs the freedom of diving more than ever. But before she can fly, she must learn to leap without fear.

An Edgar Award Finalist: A lost teen allows a friend to draw him into a suicidal game Stanley chose the house carefully. It has 3 chimneys and a perfect lawn. Stanley knows it’s nicer than any place he will ever live—and tonight, he’s breaking in. His friend Jared calls it a game. Sneak in, steal something, and get out. You’ll be invisible in the darkness, Jared promises. You’ll get high on fear. But when the homeowner awakes during the break-in, Stanley’s not invisible, and the fear tastes like ash in his mouth. The man has a gun, and Stanley escapes just before the bullets start to fly. Jared says Stanley did pretty well for a 1st-timer; he’ll have to try again. Soon Stanley begins to understand the lure of danger, and as Jared draws him closer and closer to the brink, he learns the games have only just begun.