Books published by publisher Front Street, Incorporated

Can the world be seen in black and white? Perhaps. Newborn feet ink birth certificates. Father's stethoscope hangs from the lab coat in his closet. Border collies look at the world in plain darks and lights, never marveling at the wonders of rainbows. Kate Miller explores our world through verse in this collection, finding in blacks and whites some of the most colorful images of everyday life. Her simple, inviting monotype prints will attract even reluctant poetry readers.

A valuable baseball card, a sinking ship, a distant planet, and vampire tales fill this fast-paced time-travel story. Brian has felt guilty ever since he destroyed his father's rare Honus Wagner baseball card at the age of four. When the opportunity to acquire a magical time-traveling bracelet presents itself, Brian and his best friend Paul jump at the chance. Using this fantastic device they warp back to the doomed Titanic, the distant reaches of the universe, and a castle in darkest Transylvania in a breathless chase for one of the world's rarest antiquities. Can they make it home with the million-dollar baseball card and make Brian's father happy again?This sequel to the Disney-Award winning The Comic Book Kid can be read as a standalone book, or as the exciting continuation of the adventures of Brian and Paul.

We raced across three small fields we'd never been in before. It was downhill all the way. We were running faster than our legs could carry us. Sometimes we tripped over our own feet. Because we'd never been there, we didn't know the danger spots. —FROM THE BOOK So begins this story of two boys—Ward and Bernie—who trespass on the land of a lonely, mistrustful farmer, Betjeman. When Ward accidentally kills Betjeman's duck, the farmer retaliates and what began as a prank rapidly spirals out of control. Bare Hands is a parable of power and impotence, staged against an emotional landscape and climaxing in a phantasmagoric New Year's Eve celebration.

One family's story of survival in postwar Hungary, 1948. In Budapest after the war, when Kata’s family first returns from hiding, they are glad to be alive and hopeful that life will improve. But the secret police is questioning everyone about their loyalty to the Hungarian Workers Party, and conditions seem to be worsening. The eleven-year-old doesn’t understand why her brother Bela is acting so differently or why he hasn’t come home from his recent excursion. Her father used to own the factory, but now, as an employee, his wages continue to fall. She helps her mother sew the bears they will sell on the black market, but when Kata learns that Bela has escaped the country, she grows angry and sad. In time, she hopes that Bela will make it to America and will send for his family.

Macey McAllister, "Niner" to her classmates, is missing a lot of things--her thumb, her birth parents, her history--and now her adoptive mother had disappeared as well. So one morning when Macy finds a locket on her front lawn, she is convinced that it is a sign, something placed there just for her. But when others seem to want the locket as well, Macey, her sister, Deena, and their friends are unwittingly drawn into the middle of a frightening and dangerous game. In the midst of this danger, Macey must confront an ugly truth. Is it her fault that Mom left? Is it time for her to find her birth parents? From the innocent discovery of the locket to the surprise revelation of its significance, Macey is faced with a question that will affect the rest of her life. When she finds the answer, she also discovers something of great importance--the place she truly belongs.

Dowry. The word sounds like something from the Middle Ages. "Mama, I don't need a dowry," I say quickly. "Nobody in Budapest has a dowry anymore." -From the book Twelve-year-old Juli wants neither a dowry nor the dancing lessons that her mother has long planned for her. Studious and smart, Juli dreams of a career, not of marriage. But her mother insists, and together they make regular trips to the countryside to check on the progress of the large lace tablecloth commissioned for her dowry. Soon Julie makes friends with the lace maker's daughter, Roza, an unschooled girl her own age who is already saddled with adult responsibilities. When progression the tablecloth slows because of unexpected difficulties in Roza's family, Juli finds herself defying her mother in order to help her new friend. Through this painful episode, Juli and her mother grow to better understand themselves, each other, and how the past has shaped them.

Sometimes two unlikely people make the best of friends. A sleepy town on the coast of Maine is the last place where thirteen-year-old Manuel wants to spend his summer. He'd give anything to be back in New Haven, with the greatest pizza in the world and a twelve-theater Cineplex around the corner from his house. So far, the only thing that Manuel has found to do is watch Zeke, a cranky old lobsterman, unload his boat. Manuel soon discovers that even sleepy New England towns can bring trouble. In a twist of fate, Manuel's future hinges on Zeke, who has a big secret that could yield a lot of money if he and Manuel can make it to an island and a lagoon filled with "black gold." This fast-paced adventure features two unforgettable characters and a plot that grabs the reader at every turn. "What in tarnation do you think you're doing?" Zeke shouted as he pressed a long, three-pronged stick against Manuel's chest. "Hey, don't hurt me, okay? Just give me a try, Zeke." Manuel pushed the stick out of the way and stood up. "Let me help you out for one day. If it doesn't work out I promise I'll never bug you again." "I told you before I don't need any help and I don't want you on my boat." "But, I'm here already. What do you have to lose? Besides, I can't swim and the nearest piece of land is at least a mile away." "Then that makes you a stowaway. Law of the sea says stowaways go overboard, whether they can swim or not." —FROM THE BOOK

Fiona is a child of Irish immigrants; Yolanda is black. Compelled by financial hardship and concern about her daughter, Fiona’s mother has reunited with her husband, who struggles with alcoholism and the violence it triggers in him. Their new life offers Fiona the hope of normalcy and of finally being accepted by her peers. But her friendship with Yolanda is not something her new friends will tolerate, and so Fiona deceives both Yolanda and herself as she tries to make a life.

Cassie finds her inner strength through experiencing heartbreaking events. The Lucky Place begins at a horse racetrack, where Cassie, age three, and her brother Jamie, age five, accompany their father on a drinking and betting spree. As she goes with him to make yet another bet, her hand slips out of his and she loses him. When Cassie has been delivered safely home, Cassie's mother is angry and Cassie vows never to lose Daddy again. But before long, Mama has had enough of Cassie's father. She introduces Cassie and Jamie to Ellis. Cassie's father slowly exits from her life as Ellis enters it, eventually becoming her stepfather. Her father continues to pop in and out of her life unexpectedly, while Ellis provides a stable, loving home. Just when life seems pretty wonderful, Ellis is diagnosed with cancer. He takes the family on a summer-long camping trip where he spends time with Cassie. From early childhood to early adolescence, her experiences with both fathers generate conflict and loss and help Cassie discover that her true lucky place is within herself.Here's what I think. I think having two daddies is like riding the elephant. You don't know until you get up there what an elephant smells like, or how high you will be on the elephant's back. But then you realize. And the basket tips one way and then the other, like you might fall, every time the elephant steps. —FROM THE BOOK

Jake and Lucy hike to Sheldon Mountain: Jake to prove his dad right or wrong about the wolf he claims he saw; Lucy to escape her father's cruelty. Jake's dad saw the wolf before Jake was born. They say wolves don't live in this country, yet in the night Jake hears it howling, long and lonely. During the hike, both are tested—physically, emotionally, spiritually—but what they find on that dangerous, dark mountain surprises them both. A novel written in verse, this Voice of Youth Advocates Poetry Pick is taut and tender, a gripping blend of physical adventure, family drama, love story, and journey of self-discovery.