Books published by publisher Sparkle Press

Fifteen-year-old Courtney wants to be normal like her friends. But there’s something frighteningly different about her—and it’s not just the mysterious tattoo her conspiracy-obsessed grandfather marked her with when she was a child. The last thing Courtney wants to do is end up crazy and dead like her grandfather—but what about the tattoo? And the alien scouts who visit Courtney in her bedroom at night, claiming to have shared an alliance with her grandfather? With her new friend Agatha’s apocalyptic visions, Courtney begins connecting the dots between the past, present, and future—of her bloodline, and the ancient history that surrounds it. So is she going mentally insane, like her family claimed her grandfather did, or is she actually a “chosen one” with ancestral connections to another world? Either way, Courtney has a mission: untangle her past, discover the truth, and stop the apocalypse before anyone from school finds out she’s missing.

One minute I was a courier for criminals, making ends meet so I could take care of my little brother. The next, four stunningly hot Norse gods had brought me back from the dead with wings sprouting from my back and a whole set of valkyrie powers. I guess that's just how life goes sometimes.Too bad our victory over our supernatural enemies turned out to be a farce. The divine home I thought I'd receive is a trap instead. A trap that's slowly closing in on us, dredging up every painful moment from our pasts.Can I trust these tempting godly men now that I've seen how many secrets they've kept from me? And what am I going to do if I have to face my own darkest horrors all over again? I'd better figure that out fast. Because I'm Aria Watson, and I will not be broken.

Experience the Legends of Orkney trilogy—the entire series all together for the first time. In The Red Sun, you’ll be introduced to middle school student Sam Baron, who gets the shock of his life when a strange dwarf shows up with the claim that Sam is from a magical realm called Orkney. Then Sam’s friends are taken prisoner, and he follows their captors to Orkney—embarking upon a journey to rescue his friends, uncover the truth about his past, and combat an ancient curse that threatens to destroy the land. In Kalifus Rising, it’s Sam who’s in trouble this time: Imprisoned by Catriona, leader of the Volgrim Witches, he finds the darker side of his half-god, half-witch heritage released, and he fears he might destroy the very land he’s just saved. He believes his only hope for salvation lies with his three best friends and a mystical artifact known as the Moon Pearl; other forces are at work in Orkney's shadows, however—forces that could help free Sam, or condemn him to the darkness forever. Finally, in The Raven God, an army of red giants gather in the Eighth Realm of Musspell, determined to destroy Orkney—and it’s all Sam’s fault. After all, he took Odin’s life with an ancient cursed dagger, and now mankind has lost its protector. Once again, it’s up to Sam and his friends to prove that they can find the courage to do what’s needed when the odds are stacked against them, and the sacrifice asked is greater than any of them could imagine. Fast-paced and spell-binding, the Legends of Orkney trilogy is a magical adventure not to be missed.

Could she be everything you aren't, but somehow—still be you?It’s the year 2015 and Sonnet McKay is the daughter of a globe-trotting diplomat, home for the summer from her exotic life. Everything would be perfect if not for her stunning sister, whose bright star has left her in the shadows. In 1895, Emma Sweetwine is trapped in a Victorian mansion, dreaming of wings to fly her far from her mother, who gives her love to her sons, leaving nothing for her daughter. Fate puts them in the same house at the same moment, 120 years apart, and the identical fifteen-year-olds are switched in time. In their new worlds, Sonnet falls in love with a boy, Emma falls in love with a life, and astonishing family secrets are revealed. Torn, both girls want to still go home— but can either one give up what they now have?But Not Forever is an enchanting story of love and longing, and the heart's ultimate quest to find where it belongs.

Rural areas cover 97 percent of the United States—yet more than 80 percent of the US population lives in urban areas. What is life like for the millions of children who populate our nation’s cities?In Urban Playground, Katie Burke interviews fifty children, ages five to nine, who live in San Francisco. In each conversation, she explores one of ten different themes—family, school, pets, vacation, work, heroes, holidays, favorite foods, talents, and sports—followed by insights on the topic. She rounds out each segment with five questions for adults and kids to discuss after they’ve read it together, encouraging open, honest dialogue about young readers’ thoughts on the subject matter at hand. Future books in the series will expand into other major U.S. cities. Fun, accessible, and interactive, Urban Playground is an important window into the ways children in cities think about and describe the most important aspects of their lives—which is every aspect of their lives!

Part of the larger Chinese Grammar Wiki Book series, this volume focuses specifically on the grammar points required for the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) Level 1 standard test of Mandarin Chinese proficiency.This book includes:•54 grammar points aligned with the HSK 1 test•Over 600 simple example sentences illustrating the grammar points•Pinyin and English translation for all word and sentences •Simple grammar explanations that any learner can understand•Extensive interlinking of similar grammar points•Full keyword index (with pinyin)•Learner-centric designNote that many of these grammar points are also contained in our "Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: Elementary" book, but these have been reorganized specifically according to the HSK standard.

As the Summer of Love comes to an end, 15-year-old Ida Petrovich waits for a father who never comes home. While commercial fishing in Alaska, he is lost at sea, but with no body and no wreckage, Ida and her mother are forced to accept a “presumed” death that tests their already strained relationship. While still in shock over the loss of her father, Ida overhears an adult conversation that shatters everything she thought she knew about him. This prompts her to set out on a search for the truth that takes her from her Washington State hometown to Southeast Alaska, where she works at a salmon cannery, develops love for a Filipino classmate, and befriends a Native Alaskan girl. In this wild, rugged place, she also begins to understand the physical and emotional bonds that took her father north and why he kept them secret―a journey of discovery that ultimately brings her family together and helps them heal. Insightful and heartfelt, The Leaving Year is a tale of love and loyalty, family and friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in our search for meaning.

Brrr! Georgie wakes up to a freezing morning in 1920s Pennsylvania and gets the bad news that there is no coal to heat the farmhouse—and he knows there is no money to buy more, either. Just after he finds this out, along comes his friend Harley, who drags him off on an adventure to find some mysterious “black gold.” Before Georgie can catch his breath, he’s in a pile of trouble—all the way up to his ears! Take a trip back in time and join Georgie in this heartwarming tale of mischief made and lessons learned in America’s storied past.USA Best Book Awards: Children's Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction, Finalist

When seventeen-year-old Jade Reynolds witnesses a violent clash between a protesting tree sitter and a local logger, she runs as far as she can from the battles that plague her home and from the mysteries of the redwood forest. But the ancient redwoods are embedded in her psyche―she feels their call even in the dark and forgotten back alleys of Portland, Oregon where she’s hiding out. She soon becomes entangled with a lovable misfit and a band of radical slackers, environmentalists, and anarchists, and finds herself living 100 feet high in the canopy of a redwood grove, trying to decide whose side she’s on: the logging community she’s known her entire life or the environmentalists who are risking their lives for the future of the forest. To find a way beyond the division between Us and Them, Jade turns to the ancient trees themselves―and the thread-thin web that connects us all. Tree Dreams is an eco-literary, coming of age novel relevant for teenagers and adults alike, for this rite of passage asks the same of us all―whatever our age or life stage, we each must discover our one true voice, and learn how to offer it to the world.

Ever since eleven-year-old Dexter Duckworth and his brother, Dougal, lost their mom, everything has been different. But “different” takes on a whole new meaning when, one day just before Christmas (or Kissmas, as they call it), Dexter finds a golden rock in the forest that hatches into an adorable alien. Gobbledy is smarter than he seems and is lost on planet Earth. Before long, Gobbledy takes Dexter, Dougal, and their best friend Fi on an adventure of friendship, family, and loss―one that requires them all to stay out of trouble, protect Gobbledy from a shadowy group called the Planetary Society, and prepare for their school’s Winter Extravaganza Play, where Dexter has to be a dreaded Gingerbread Man. Gobbledy is a fun-filled holiday story that adds up to two brothers, three friends, unlimited jars of peanut butter, a ketchup factory, and one little alien far, far from home.

After defeating the Volgrim witches, life in Orkney is quiet. Too quiet. Before Sam Baron can catch his breath, an army of fire giants led by Surt gather in the Eighth Realm of Musspell, determined to destroy Orkney, and it's all Sam's fault. After all, he took Odin's life with an ancient cursed dagger, and now, mankind has lost its protector. To make matters worse, the God of Mischief, Loki, is on the loose and determined to reunite with his evil wife, Angerboda, and their three children: Fenrir the wolf, Jormungand the sea serpent, and Helva, Goddess of Death. Orkney's only hope lies with Sam and his stalwart friends. As Surt prepares to launch his forces against Orkney, Sam and two of his fellow witches, Perrin and Mavery, set out on a journey to rescue Odin, aided by Skidbladnir, a magical ship of the gods that can fly over land and sea, and Geela, a Valkyrie who can transform into a battle-ready goose. Meanwhile, Leo and Keely travel north to stop Loki from starting a war between the Eifalians and the Vanir, while Howie is left to watch over Skara Brae. With time running out, our heroes try frantically to prove once again that they can find the courage to do what?s needed when the odds are stacked against them, even when the sacrifice asked is greater than any of them could imagine.

When seventeen-year-old Jade Reynolds witnesses a violent clash between a protesting tree sitter and a local logger, she runs as far as she can from the battles that plague her home and from the mysteries of the redwood forest. But the ancient redwoods are embedded in her psyche—she feels their call even in the dark and forgotten back alleys of Portland, Oregon where she’s hiding out. She soon becomes entangled with a lovable misfit and a band of radical slackers, environmentalists, and anarchists, and finds herself living 100 feet high in the canopy of a redwood grove, trying to decide whose side she’s on: the logging community she’s known her entire life or the environmentalists who are risking their lives for the future of the forest. To find a way beyond the division between Us and Them, Jade turns to the ancient trees themselves—and the thread-thin web that connects us all. Tree Dreams is an eco-literary, coming of age novel relevant for teenagers and adults alike, for this rite of passage asks the same of us all—whatever our age or life stage, we each must discover our one true voice, and learn how to offer it to the world.