Books with author Mrs. L. Burke

A deadly disease. A vanishing remedy. A breathless journey. All her life, Niya's known she will die young from the fatal rasp. She survives only with the aid of vitrisar spice and a magical, curmudgeonly fire salamander named Alk. Then an ambitious princess burns down the vitrisar grove in an effort to steal Alk so she can claim her rightful throne. Joined by Jayesh, a disgraced monk, Niya and Alk must flee to the faraway Hidden Temple with the last vitrisar plant, or all who suffer from the rasp will perish. But even as Niya's frustration and banter with Jayesh deepen to affection, the rasp is stealing away her breath and life. For a girl with limited time and a crippling quest, love may be more painful than death.

There's no such thing as a Pacific Tree Octopus, and gullible is not in the dictionary. Eight-year-old Liesel has compiled a list of wildlife to see during her family's vacation in Olympic National Park. When her know-it-all big brother discovers one of her "most wanted" creatures is a Pacific Tree Octopus, Liesel finds herself humiliated. Liesel is not one to back down. She knows there's such a thing as the Pacific Tree Octopus, and she's going to set the perfect trap to prove it.