Books in Laurel-Leaf Books series

We cut ourselves. Not by accident, we do it purposely--and regularly--because physical pain is comforting, and because now it has become a habit.Nancy doesn't have a best friend, until she meets Katie in the bathroom at school. She and Katie have something in common: they both cut themselves. At first, it's just fun--like the drugs and alcohol and shoplifting--and Nancy and Katie don't talk about why they do it. But soon Nancy realizes that she and Katie need cutting to get through the day. Nancy can cover the scars on her arms and legs. It's the others, the ones inside, that are becoming hard to hide.

Gioga is a gift from the sea to the childless Jannet and Munroe--but only a temporary one. The couple treat Gioga as if she were of their own flesh and blood, not understanding that they would need to let her go before long. When it comes time to return their daughter to her rightful home, desperation sets in. No amount of toil and bloodshed, however, will distract Gioga from the longing she feels to return. . . .

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit's friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty

Eighteen-year-old Eric has just been released from juvenile detention for murdering his mother and stepfather. Now he's looking for some tenderness--tenderness he finds in caressing and killing beautiful girls.Fifteen-year-old Lori has run away from home again. Emotionally naive but sexually precocious, she is also looking for tenderness--tenderness she finds in Eric. Will Lori and Eric be each other's salvation or destruction? Told from their alternating points of view, this harrowing thriller speeds to its fateful conclusion with an irresistible force, and a final twist that will not be easily forgotten.

Aaron and Zev have been protected from serving in the Czar's army for very different reasons--Aaron's father has always paid to keep his scholarly son free. Zev takes the job of khapper, kidnapping other poor, young Jewish boys to fulfill the czar's army quotas.Zev's jealousy of Aaron turns to hate when he discovers that the girl he loves is to marry Aaron. When Zev decides to rid himself of Aaron forever, he kidnaps him and turns him over to serve in the army. He knows Aaron's fate is sealed--few survive the forced labor. A trick of fate, however, pits the boys against each other face-to-face. Sworn enemies, they must endure the cruel captivity together. Will they join forces to survive or will they destroy each other?

Fans of country music will devour all the details of Bryan White's rise to fame:Readers will learn all about country music's hottest new star, Bryan White, in this chronicle of his life. Find out about his rise to the top, from his childhood in Oklahoma to his sold-out concerts. Bryan has released three bestselling albums, which include six #1 singles such as "From This Moment On," his collaboration with Shania Twain. The Academy of Country Music Awards named Bryan Top New Male Vocalist and in 1998, People magazine included Bryan as one of their "50 Most Beautiful People in the World." But all of the fame and fortune that Bryan has found has not gone to his head. He remains incredibly down-to-earth and is known as one of country music's true nice guys.