Books published by publisher Harcourt Paperbacks 2008

After being forced to leave HMS Dolphin and Jaimy, her true love, Jacky Faber is making a new start at the elite Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston. But growing up on the streets of London and fighting pirates never prepared Jacky for her toughest battle yet: learning how to be a fine lady. Everything she does is wrong. Her embroidery is deplorable, her French is atrocious, and her table manners--disgusting! Then there's the small matter of her blue anchor tattoo. . . . Despite her best efforts, Jacky can't seem to stay out of trouble long enough to dedicate herself to being ladylike. But what fun would that be, anyway?

Chip Clewt, known simply as the weirdo, lives like a hermit in the Powhatan Swamp, a National Wildlife Refuge that is at the center of a heated controversy between local hunters and environmentalists. A hunting ban on the Powhatan is about to expire. The environmentalists want to protect the wildlife; the hunters are oiling their guns. Then someone completely unexpected comes forward to spearhead the conservation effort--the weirdo.Includes a reader's guide.

Thirteen-year-old Alyssa has not spoken since witnessing her parents’ drowning during a hurricane. Three years later, another hurricane is heading toward the island, and Alyssa must come to terms with her parents’ deaths to save her grandfather and brother. “This book will have appeal for lovers of the outdoors as well as anyone who appreciates an exciting, atmospheric story.”--School Library Journal

National Public Radio reporter Maria Hinojosa’s work with “crew” (gang) members of New York City inspired this in-depth collection of interviews. Her direct, nonjudgmental questions evoke poignant, surprising, and sometimes shocking responses from young people torn between violence and struggle for survival in America’s cities. “The contemporary topic, universal themes, accessible writing, and compelling language will fill a void on many libraries’ shelves. These powerful statements may serve as a wake-up call to young adults and all who work with them today.”--School Library Journal

Chaos reigns in Washington, D.C., after President Lincoln’s assassination. But for fourteen-year-old Emily Pigbush, the Union’s turmoil is nothing compared to her own struggle. Sent to live with her uncle Valentine after her mother’s untimely death, Emily realizes that her best friend’s mother was one of John Wilkes Booth’s accomplices. And even worse, she suspects that her uncle is breaking the law.