Fifteen-year-old Jackie Stone's father is dying. When Jackie discovers that her father has been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, her whole world starts to crumble. She can't imagine how she'll live without him . . . Then, in a desperate act to secure his family's future, Jackie's father does the unthinkable--he puts his life up for auction on eBay. Jackie can do nothing but watch and wait as an odd assortment of bidders, some with nefarious intentions, drive the price up higher. The fate of her entire family hangs in the balance. But no one can predict how the auction will finally end, or any of the very public fallout that ensues. Life as Jackie knows it is about to change forever . . . In this brilliantly written tragicomedy told through multiple points of view--including Jackie's dad's tumor--acclaimed author Len Vlahos deftly explores what it really means to live. "A weird, sardonic delight with the shape of an allegory and the heart of a joyful song." --Brenna Yovanoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement "Surprising, original, political, and deeply affecting . . . It is one of those rare works of art that keeps you guessing up to the very last page." --Leila Sales, author of This Song Will Save Your Life "It will tear you apart, and yet it's an absolute joy." --Adi Alsaid, author of Let's Get Lost and Never, Always, Sometimes

A goldfish named Ian is falling from the 27th-floor balcony on which his fishbowl sits. He's longed for adventure, so when the opportunity arises, he escapes from his bowl, clears the balcony railing and finds himself airborne. Plummeting toward the street below, Ian witnesses the lives of the Seville on Roxy residents. There's the handsome grad student, his girlfriend, and the other woman; the construction worker who feels trapped by a secret; the building's super who feels invisible and alone; the pregnant woman on bed rest who craves a forbidden ice cream sandwich; the shut-in for whom dirty talk, and quiche, are a way of life; and home-schooled Herman, a boy who thinks he can travel through time. Though they share time and space, they have something even more important in common: each faces a decision that will affect the course of their lives. Within the walls of the Seville are stories of love, new life, and death, of facing the ugly truth of who one has been and the beautiful truth of who one can become. Sometimes taking a risk is the only way to move forward with our lives. As Ian the goldfish knows, "An entire life devoted to a fishbowl will make one die an old fish with not one adventure had." Bradley Somer's Fishbowl is at turns funny and heartbreaking and you will, no doubt, fall in love with his unforgettable characters.

From bestselling author Nina Laden and bestselling illustrator Renata Liwska comes an enchanting, imaginative story for fans of They All Saw a Cat. Does a feather remember it once was a bird? Does a book remember it once was a word? A boy is swept away to a world where fantasy and reality come together in surprising and playful ways. From the cake that once was grain to the ocean that once was rain, whimsical before and after scenes offer readers a peek at the world as seen through the eyes of a curious child. Nina Laden's poetic and cleverly woven text is perfectly paired with artist Renata Liwska's captivating illustrations.

Helping pastors understand that a solid family life helps them meet the needs of their congregation

“Once Upon a Fishbowl” is an imaginative book - a parable, an allegory - which playfully captures a very human story, but one which is set in the marine world of fish. The story parallels the biography of Serena Williams, the tennis player, as it recounts the unfolding life of a blue fish named “Selena Gilliums” and her quest to be the ocean-wide fish-champion in the game of "Bubble Ball", a game fish play in water with their fins using oily air bubbles. And why "blue” fish? Because the ocean of Aria's imagination has fish of 2 colors, blue and yellow. Just as humans consciously and subconsciously engage in discrimination based on skin color, the fish in this world discriminate based on fin colors - they engage in "fishism". The book skillfully traces the long struggle against fishism, fish slavery and the fight for Civil Rights in the fictional ocean country called "The United Shoals of Americlam" while weaving the athletic rise in contemporary times of Selena Gilliam. It celebrates the journey of tribulations, frustration and eventual triumph of a larger-than-whale spirit of Selena, who rises above all the obstacles to become the fish which was the GOAT - Greatest of All Time - in Bubble Ball... The book does not merely trace Serena's life or past history, though. It showcases many issues which are as relevant today as a hundred years ago - gender discrimination, religious discrimination, class discrimination, our fights against fellow humans based on stereotypes and nationality, our blatant plundering of environment, our pollution footprint... a very sobering reminder from a fish narrator... Even the book’s tagline, "Are Fish Racist? Are they following human footsteps?" is a haunting reminder to us all about our responsibility (and irresponsibility) toward nature and all which surrounds us. The book is replete with delightful puns, a very sophisticated use of English language and a large number of fish drawings sketched by the author and scattered throughout the book. There are also these cute explanatory notes for humans who may not know the inner workings of the marine world, and a comical glossary. This metaphorical biopic is a wonderful work of art and creativity from a very young, precocious author. It will inspire people of all ages to reflect on the importance of overcoming our prejudices, and rising above our superficial differences, to truly be “human”.

The magical eighth installment in this New York Times and USA Today bestselling series! My brother, Jonah, and I just want to TALK to the magic mirror -- we're not planning on traveling into any fairytales today. Promise.Except we do wind up going through the mirror, this time into the story of The Frog Prince. The princess, who's supposed to transform the cute little frog back into a handsome prince, turns out to be super rude. Jonah and I decide we don't want -- or need -- her help. We can take matters into our own hands and turn the frog into a prince ourselves! Can't we?Now we just have to:- Climb out of a smelly well- Canoe over a waterfall- Sneak into a palace- Kiss a frog (ack)!And there's no time to waste -- let's hop to it!

This is no typical undercover story. This is a human story. Whom will you root for? Follow Tee, an undercover cop, as he attempts to infiltrate a deadly set Crips to salvage a neighborhood of innocents held hostage by violence, drug trafficking, and prostitution. Watch him work his way deep into this criminal organization in search of the kingpin, X-Man - a ruthless murderer moving millions of dollars worth of narcotics every month through a poor, ethnic neighborhood. Learn the tricks he used to get inside and feel the dramatic intensity when failure seems imminent. Share in his unexpected compassion for some of these criminals who came from broken homes in poor neighborhoods as you glimpse inside a gang culture rarely seen. And learn creative new ways to break the cycles of violence sadly so prevalent in our modern-day American culture.