In this meditation on religion and science, Lightman explores the tension between our yearning for permanence and certainty, and the modern scientific discoveries that demonstrate the impermanent and uncertain nature of the world. As a physicist, he has always held a scientific view of the world. But one summer evening, while looking at the stars from a small boat at sea he was overcome by the sensation that he was merging with a grand and eternal unity, a hint of something absolute and immaterial. This is his exploration of these seemingly contradictory impulses, and the journey along the different paths of religion and science that become part of his quest. -- adapted from publisher info.

When frumpy senior citizen Archie goes in search of his missing son in the Spanish Canary Islands, he stumbles upon a higher mission: locating a magical cure for his ailing fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Ella. Using a portal-jumping device called the Tillastrion, Archie and a stone-headed creature named Zeno are transported to Jarr-Wya, a magnificent yet terrifying island in a connected realm—along with Ella and her strong-willed mother, Tessa, who accidentally stow away on this not-so-secret quest. What they find on Jarr-Wya is an island tortured by a wicked Star anchored in the sea, and a raging three-way battle for dominion between the stone-wielding Bangols, the fiery Olearons, and the evil Millia sands. Ella’s wit and resourcefulness emerge in this new world, while Tessa is forced to confront her long-buried secrets and a confusing new love triangle. When Ella is captured, Tessa and Archie—with the help of a company of peculiar allies—set out to save her and unravel the terrible mystery of her cure. A mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night adventure of three unlikely heroes, Above the Star reminds us that even the smallest act of bravery can transform our lives and the fates of the worlds around us.

Holes meets Hatchet in this unforgettable adventure. The acclaimed author of The Honest Truth and Some Kind of Courage brings his signature blend of action, heart, and beautiful writing to a tale of misfits struggling to survive.Jonathan Grisby is the newest addition to the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys. Shipped out to the remote island facility, Jonathan quickly learns that the school is less concerned with true reform and is more a place where parents send away kids who have become too troublesome. It's an isle of misfit boys.But on his first full day at Slabhenge, a freak lightning storm leaves the kids without any adult supervision. Suddenly the inmates are running the asylum -- and unless Jonathan can move beyond his troubled past and assert himself as a leader, every boy on the island is doomed.

While shipwrecked on the island of Pala, Will Farnaby, a disenchanted journalist, discovers a utopian society that has flourished for the past 120 years. Although he at first disregards the possibility of an ideal society, as Farnaby spends time with the people of Pala his ideas about humanity change. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

Five brothers, each with a special skill, sail across the vast Pacific Ocean to the islands now known as Hawaii.