In a last-ditch effort to save Apple Valley Elementary¿s awardwinning music program from looming budget cuts, the PTA plans to auction off a recently donated, handcrafted cello at the school¿s annual fund-raising dinner. Confidence is high¿until the cello turns up missing the morning of the event. The school principal charges Chase Manning, a fifth grader who has dreamed of playing in the Sixth Grade Honors Orchestra his whole life, with finding the cello by three o¿clock. Each hour of the school day involves surprising and suspense-filled plot turns as Chase pursues the elusive cello. This single-day, realtime mystery thriller truly is a chase against time!

“For almost two decades, investigative journalist Jerry Mitchell doggedly pursued the Klansmen responsible for some of the most notorious murders of the civil rights movement. This book is his amazing story. Thanks to him, and to courageous prosecutors, witnesses, and FBI agents, justice finally prevailed.” —John Grisham, author of The Guardians On June 21, 1964, more than twenty Klansmen murdered three civil rights workers. The killings, in what would become known as the “Mississippi Burning” case, were among the most brazen acts of violence during the civil rights movement. And even though the killers’ identities, including the sheriff’s deputy, were an open secret, no one was charged with murder in the months and years that followed. It took forty-one years before the mastermind was brought to trial and finally convicted for the three innocent lives he took. If there is one man who helped pave the way for justice, it is investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell. In Race Against Time, Mitchell takes readers on the twisting, pulse-racing road that led to the reopening of four of the most infamous killings from the days of the civil rights movement, decades after the fact. His work played a central role in bringing killers to justice for the assassination of Medgar Evers, the firebombing of Vernon Dahmer, the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham and the Mississippi Burning case. Mitchell reveals how he unearthed secret documents, found long-lost suspects and witnesses, building up evidence strong enough to take on the Klan. He takes us into every harrowing scene along the way, as when Mitchell goes into the lion’s den, meeting one-on-one with the very murderers he is seeking to catch. His efforts have put four leading Klansmen behind bars, years after they thought they had gotten away with murder. Race Against Time is an astonishing, courageous story capturing a historic race for justice, as the past is uncovered, clue by clue, and long-ignored evils are brought into the light. This is a landmark book and essential reading for all Americans.

Book Synopsis Riding high in fifth grade, Chase Manning joins the Apple Valley baseball team, and his clutch hitting leads the squad to within two victories of the school's first league championship. Confidence is high-until Chase's lucky batting glove turns up missing the day of the semifinal game. Unsure whether the theft represents a personal attack or an attempt to derail the entire baseball team, Chase must track down the culprit and find the glove before the team boards the bus at 3 o'clock. Surprising and suspense-filled plot twists fill the pages of this single-day, real-time mystery thriller. About the Chase Manning Mystery Series The Chase Manning Mystery Series features single-day, real-time thrillers that occur on an elementary school campus. Written for readers 8-12 years of age by National Board Certified Teacher Steve Reifman, the series launched with the award-winning Chase Against Time, in which fifth grader Chase Manning must investigate the mysterious disappearance of the cello that the school plans to auction off to save its prestigious music program. Chase Against Time has enjoyed rave reviews from children, parents, and teachers. Young readers love the book's fast-paced, action-packed format while parents and teachers appreciate the book's kid-friendly tone and content. Chase is now back in the eagerly anticipated sequel, Chase for Home. Note for Elementary School Teachers and Parents Chase Against Time and Chase for Home are Level Q on the Fountas & Pinnell scale. Both books are ideally suited to be used as read alouds and mentor texts during Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop units on mystery and "edge-of-seat" fiction because they include numerous examples of end-of-chapter cliffhangers, red herrings, suspects, motives, and other important mystery elements. If you are interested in teaching children how to craft their own mysteries, check out Steve's e-book, The Ultimate Mystery Writing Guide for Kids.

'We need to get as far from the T-Rex as possible'. It was a sentence Dad had never expected to say - and something the Tootings never expected to hear. But then they never expected Chitty to get stuck reversing through time until she came to rest at the feet of a very hungry dinosaur. Can Chitty get them out of trouble before they become T-rex takeaway?

Sometimes fate brings you together...only to tear you apart Sometimes fate brings you together...only to tear you apart. Growing up in the foster system, Quinn O'Meara made a point of never getting involved. But when she discovers a crying baby amid a fiery crime scene, she knows she has no choice. Suddenly in way over her head, Quinn turns to the police, unintentionally positioning herself in the crosshairs of a deadly human–trafficking ring. The last time homicide detective Nick Saldano saw Quinn, she was still the young girl he'd shared a foster home with. The girl who'd loved and cared for him when no one else had. Now here she was, gorgeously all grown up – and in terrible danger. Unwilling to lose her again, Nick insists on keeping Quinn close, especially when the bond they once shared heatedly slides into desire. Quinn finally has someone worth holding on to, but what kind of future can they have when she might not live to see tomorrow?

Book Synopsis The last day of school at Apple Valley Elementary could mark the end of Mrs. Kennedy's 27-year teaching career, if she finds the rest of the money she needs to buy her dream house. When former student Brian Kelly surprises her with a $10,000 check, confidence is high-until the gift turns up missing hours before the down payment is due. Fifth-grader Chase Manning needs to work quickly to save the day for his favorite teacher. Suspense, drama, and excitement overflow from the pages of this single-day, real-time mystery thriller. About the Chase Manning Mystery Series The Chase Manning Mystery Series features single-day, real-time thrillers that occur on an elementary school campus. Written for readers 8-12 years of age by National Board Certified Teacher Steve Reifman, the series launched with the award-winning Chase Against Time, in which fifth grader Chase Manning must investigate the mysterious disappearance of the cello that the school plans to auction off to save its prestigious music program. The book and its sequels, Chase for Home and Chase Under Pressure, have enjoyed rave reviews from children, parents, and teachers. Young readers love the books' fast-paced, action-packed format while parents and teachers appreciate the kid-friendly tone and content. Chase is now back in the eagerly anticipated fourth installment, Chase to the Finish. Note for Elementary School Teachers and Parents Chase Against Time, Chase for Home, Chase Under Pressure, and Chase to the Finish are Level Q on the Fountas & Pinnell scale. All four books are ideally suited to be used as read alouds and mentor texts during Reading Workshop units on mystery and "edge-of-seat" fiction because they include numerous examples of end-of-chapter cliffhangers, red herrings, suspects, motives, and other important mystery elements. If you are interested in teaching children how to craft their own mysteries, check out Steve's e-book, The Ultimate Mystery Writing Guide for Kids.

Discovering he is one of only two existing purebred Caucasians being kept in an elaborate zoo-type setting for breeding purposes, sixteen-year-old John plans his escape.