Lance Loughton and Emery Dulman were brought up together at Elmerston Grammar-School. They were both in the upper or sixth form; but Lance was nearly at the head, while Emery was at the bottom, of the form. They were general favourites, though for different causes. Lance was decidedly best liked by the masters. He was steady, persevering, and studious, besides being generous, kind-hearted, and braveÑever ready to defend the weak against the strong, while he would never allow a little boy to be bullied by a big one if he could help it. Emery had talents, but they were more showy than solid. He was good-natured and full of life and spirits, and having plenty of money, spent it freely. He was, however, easily led, and had in consequence done many foolish things, which got him into trouble, though he managed, on the whole, to maintain a tolerably good character. Lance and Emery were on friendly terms; and Lance, who thought he saw good qualities in his companion, would gladly have won his confidence, but Emery did not like what he called LanceÕs lectures, and there was very little or no interchange of thought between them. Without it real friendship can scarcely be said to exist. They were, however, looked upon as school friends, and certainly Lance would at all times have been ready to do a friendly act for Emery. Emery was somewhat of a fine gentleman in his way. His father was a tradesman in the place, and wished his son to assist him in his business, but Emery often spoke of entering the army or one of the liberal professions. He therefore considered himself equal to those whose fathers held a higher social grade than his own. His fatherÕs style of life encouraged him in this. Mr Dulman had a handsome house, and gave dinners and parties; and at elections took a leading part, and entertained the proposed member and his friends, and indeed sometimes talked of entering Parliament himself, and altogether did a good deal to excite the envy of his less successful fellow-townsmen.

The variety of Derryl G. Berry’s imaginative short stories and intriguing essays make for delightful and entertaining reading in short spurts or extended time. Read a few short works while waiting for the bus, like “The Key to Her Heart” and “Wood Chucking” and “Pretty Like Mommy” or “Late for Lunch”. Or take more time for a longer work before bedtime, like “The Thanksgiving I Almost Exploded” or “You Don’t Know Fear” or “Chasing Shadows, Chasing Us” or “Saved by the Cell”. You might enjoy to matching opinions with Derryl and some of his essays. Try “The Blue Tree” or “How Did We Get to Be Different?” or “Consider the Kingfisher” or “Educate Against Crapspeak” or “Freedom to be Fools”. But beware, some might keep you awake thinking. Do you believe time travel is possible? Read Derryl’s opinion in “Time Travel Is Not Possible”. You could find that some of Derryl’s poems will pluck your own heartstrings. Maybe “She Passed by Him” or “Butterfly Madam” or “I Will Leave You in the Echoes” or “You Kept Me Awake Last Night” or “Today I Drank the Wine”. A few might just make you chuckle or say, “Hmm, well yeah, maybe.” One or two of Derryl’s Flash 55 Fiction might do the same.

Outside of the province of the Märchen, which constitutes so rich a field in German literature, there is no writer better known or better loved in the young German-speaking world than Johanna Spyri. Her stories, written "for children and those who love children," are read and reread as something that never grows old. The secret of this charm lies, above all, in the author's genuine love of children, as shown in her sympathetic insight into the joys, the hopes, and the longings of childhood, and in her skillful selection of characteristic details, which creates an atmosphere of reality that is rare in books written for children. Johanna Heusser Spyri was born in the little Swiss town of Hirzel, canton of Zürich, in 1827, and died in Zürich in 1901. She wrote especially for young people, her writings dealing mostly with Swiss mountain life and portraying the thrifty, industrious nature of the people. The stories are sometimes sad,—for the peasant's life is full of hardships,—but through them all a fresh mountain breeze is blowing and a play of sunlight illumines the high Alps.

Two best friends grow up—and grow apart—in this innovative contemporary YA novel Told in dual timelines—half of the chapters moving forward in time and half moving backward—We Used to Be Friends explores the most traumatic breakup of all: that of childhood besties. At the start of their senior year in high school, James (a girl with a boy’s name) and Kat are inseparable, but by graduation, they’re no longer friends. James prepares to head off to college as she reflects on the dissolution of her friendship with Kat while, in alternating chapters, Kat thinks about being newly in love with her first girlfriend and having a future that feels wide open. Over the course of senior year, Kat wants nothing more than James to continue to be her steady rock, as James worries that everything she believes about love and her future is a lie when her high-school sweetheart parents announce they’re getting a divorce. Funny, honest, and full of heart, We Used to Be Friends tells of the pains of growing up and growing apart.

The Reunion at Heavens Gate and Other Stories continues in the examination of the collision and complexities of survival, redemption, and change. The author reveals the dark corners of characters and their immense desire to rise above what appears to be insurmountable odds. Their burdens are deep, yet their courage to triumph brings hope and revitalization. Weissman is an optimist and is revealed through the veil of his characters, which often appear in danger of losing it all. Their need to move forward becomes greater than the twisted circumstances they have difficulty relinquishing. The stories overflow with excitement, compassion, and truthfulness.

Friendships are like flowers. If you take care of them, they grow and bloom until you have a beautiful garden! The Little Book of Friendship shows young readers what they need to know to make a friend and to be one too.