It was said that the eyes of moon elves glowed with the light of their gods both during the day and the night. This was a blessing for the moon elves. However, Karuk's eyes did not glow, for they were as black as night, and the elders had believed his heart would be just as dark. He was born bigger and stronger and with light-colored hair. The elders debated whether or not to take this young elf to the woods and leave him to die. This way the darkness within him would die with him. However, fate had its own plans, and the elves decided to raise the child within the camp in hopes that the darkness would fade from him and the blessing of the elves would fall on him before he became a man. That same night, Jimni and Dawgknight were born. Jimni's cub was a gray saber-toothed wolf with eyes that glowed green. He named the cub Emerald. Dawgknight's cub was a saber-toothed tiger with fur as black as the darkest night and eyes that glowed light blue. He named his cub Soul. After they and their pets where trained, they began their brotherly competitions with each other. They competed so much that they even had a bet that the loser would have to name his firstborn son after the one who was knighted first.

In 1492, two history-altering events occurred: the Jews and Muslims of Spain were expelled, and Columbus set sail for the New World. Many Spanish Jews chose not to flee and instead became Christian in name only, maintaining their religious traditions in secret. Among them was Luis de Torres, who accompanied Columbus as an interpreter. Over the centuries, de Torres’ descendants traveled across North America, finally settling in the hills of New Mexico. Now, some five hundred years later, it is in these same hills that Miguel Torres, a young amateur astronomer, finds himself trying to understand the mystery that surrounds him and the town he grew up in: Entrada de la Luna, or Gateway to the Moon. Poor health and poverty are the norm in Entrada, and luck is rare. So when Miguel sees an ad for a babysitting job in Santa Fe, he jumps at the opportunity. The family for whom he works, the Rothsteins, are Jewish, and Miguel is surprised to find many of their customs similar to those his own family kept but never understood. Braided throughout the present-day narrative are the powerful stories of the ancestors of Entrada’s residents, portraying both the horrors of the Inquisition and the resilience of families. Moving and unforgettable, Gateway to the Moon beautifully weaves the journeys of the converso Jews into the larger American story.

"When the council that controlled the world spanning computer Mother fell out in civil war, it plunged the world in an instant from high-tech utopia to medieval nightmare. Critical to the little remaining technology that was left were the Helium Three reactors that powered the world-wide power grid. And the refueling ship that returned from the outer planets every five years." "With the ship on its way back for the five year rendezvous, every faction on the planet was hungry to capture the tanker, and the power that went with it." "Megan Travante, former slave girl, assassin and currently one of the thirteen super-powerful "Key Holders" that control the world-spanning computer network called Mother, has become deeply entrenched in the political infighting that characterizes the New Destiny capital. In that role she is swained by her "very close, personal, friend" Herzer Herrick, the Blood Lord's Blood Lord, who would much prefer to be splitting orc heads or riding dragons. He wouldn't mind so much if he was at least getting some." "When Herzer and Megan are trapped as replacements for the slaughtered first team, life becomes a nightmarish scramble to find qualified personnel and train and prepare for the toughest space-walk of all time. All while being assaulted by giant metallic scorpions and trying to resolve their "close, personal" differences."--BOOK JACKET.

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • YALSA EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FINALIST • A ROBERT F. SIBERT HONOR BOOK This beautifully illustrated, oversized guide to the people and technology of the moon landing by award-winning author/illustrator John Rocco (illustrator of the Percy Jackson series) is a must-have for space fans, classrooms, and tech geeks. Everyone knows of Neil Armstrong's famous first steps on the moon. But what did it really take to get us there? The Moon landing is one of the most ambitious, thrilling, and dangerous ventures in human history. This exquisitely researched and illustrated book tells the stories of the 400,000 unsung heroes--the engineers, mathematicians, seamstresses, welders, and factory workers--and their innovations and life-changing technological leaps forward that allowed NASA to achieve this unparalleled accomplishment. From the shocking launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik to the triumphant splashdown of Apollo 11, Caldecott Honor winner John Rocco answers every possible question about this world-altering mission. Each challenging step in the space race is revealed, examined, and displayed through stunning diagrams, experiments, moments of crisis, and unforgettable human stories. Explorers of all ages will want to pore over every page in this comprehensive chronicle detailing the grandest human adventure of all time!

From the author of the Inspector Montalbano series comes the remarkable account of an exceptional woman who rises to power in 17th century Sicily and brings about sweeping changes that threaten the iron-fisted patriarchy, before being cast out in a coup after only 27 days. Sicily, April 16 1677. From his deathbed, Charles III's viceroy, Anielo de Guzm n y Carafa, marquis of Castle Rodrigo, names his wife, Do a Eleonora, as his successor. Eleonora de Moura is a highly intelligent and capable woman who immediately applies her political acumen to heal the scarred soul of Palermo, a city afflicted by poverty, misery, and the frequent uprisings they entail. The Marquise implements measures that include lowering the price of bread, reducing taxes for large families, re-opening women's care facilities, and establishing stipends for young couples wishing to marry--all measures that were considered seditious by the conservative city fathers and by the Church. The machinations of powerful men soon result in Do a Eleonora, whom the Church sees as a dangerous revolutionary, being recalled to Spain. Her rule lasted 27 days--one cycle of the moon. Based on a true story, Camilleri's gripping and richly imagined novel tells the story of a woman whose courage and political vision is tested at every step by misogyny and reactionary conservatism.

Journey to the moon on the Apollo 12 mission with Alan Bean, the fourth astronaut to walk on the lunar surface and the only artist to paint its beauty firsthand! As a boy, Alan wanted to fly planes. As a young navy pilot, Alan wished he could paint the view from the cockpit. So he took an art class to learn patterns and forms. But no class could prepare him for the beauty of the lunar surface some 240,000 miles from Earth. In 1969, Alan became the fourth man and first artist on the moon. He took dozens of pictures, but none compared to what he saw through his artistic eyes. When he returned to Earth, he began to paint what he saw. Alan's paintings allowed humanity to experience what it truly felt like to walk on the moon. Journalist and storyteller Dean Robbins's tale of this extraordinary astronaut is masterful, and artist Sean Rubin's illustrations are whimsical and unexpected. With back matter that includes photos of the NASA mission, images of Alan's paintings, and a timeline of lunar space travel, this is one adventure readers won't want to miss!