It's always summer on the island of Crete. After losing her fiance, Ria's life has been at a standstill. So nobody is more surprised than her when she makes the snap decision to run away to the Greek island of Crete, armed only with her passport. It turns out to be a brilliant idea. She soon starts working for eccentric novelist Caroline, and meets handsome vineyard owner Tom. And who couldn't be charmed by the picture perfect island of Crete, complete with sea-front tavernas and sun-drenched olive groves? But soon there is trouble in paradise. As Ria gets to know Tom better, she unwittingly uncovers a tangled web of secrets, and a truth that someone will do anything to keep hidden. What's more Ria carries her own secret, her own sadness about her past love, and as she and Tom grow closer will this stop her from grabbing her own chance at happiness with both hands? Sometimes running away is how you find yourself ... A wonderful romantic read, perfect for fans of Miranda Dickinson and Lucy Diamond, about having the courage to follow your heart and fall in love again. Praise for The Summer Escape: 'Beautiful scenery and sympathetic characters made this an outstanding read' "For the Love of Books" 'Where do I begin - a heartwarming summer read. I was pulled into the story from the heartbreaking beginning to the happily ever after ending.' "One Book at a Time" 'The Summer Escape' is a book about love, dreams, second chances, but more importantly; truth. It is such an unpredictable read which will have you captivated by the end of the first chapter.' "The Writing Garnet" 'Five out of five stars. A really enjoyable read, this book had it all for me ...loveable, warm believable characters, a great plot and the Greek ambience was perfect for my rainy Sunday escape!' "Shellyback Books" 'A wonderful, moving and soul-searching story that almost had me booking a holiday to Crete.' Nadine Matheson "Note: Previously published as 'An Invincible Summer.' This is a new extended version.""

A Nobel Prize–winning economist tells the remarkable story of how the world has grown healthier, wealthier, but also more unequal over the past two and half centuries The world is a better place than it used to be. People are healthier, wealthier, and live longer. Yet the escapes from destitution by so many has left gaping inequalities between people and nations. In The Great Escape, Nobel Prize–winning economist Angus Deaton—one of the foremost experts on economic development and on poverty—tells the remarkable story of how, beginning 250 years ago, some parts of the world experienced sustained progress, opening up gaps and setting the stage for today's disproportionately unequal world. Deaton takes an in-depth look at the historical and ongoing patterns behind the health and wealth of nations, and addresses what needs to be done to help those left behind. Deaton describes vast innovations and wrenching setbacks: the successes of antibiotics, pest control, vaccinations, and clean water on the one hand, and disastrous famines and the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the other. He examines the United States, a nation that has prospered but is today experiencing slower growth and increasing inequality. He also considers how economic growth in India and China has improved the lives of more than a billion people. Deaton argues that international aid has been ineffective and even harmful. He suggests alternative efforts—including reforming incentives to drug companies and lifting trade restrictions—that will allow the developing world to bring about its own Great Escape. Demonstrating how changes in health and living standards have transformed our lives, The Great Escape is a powerful guide to addressing the well-being of all nations.

An ALA Top Ten Best Graphic Novel for Children A thrilling new graphic nonfiction series about real FBI cases, launching with a gripping, minute-by-minute account of the only unsolved airplane hijacking in the U.S. CASE NO. 001: NORJAK NOVEMBER 24, 1971 PORTLAND, OREGON 2:00 P.M. A man in his mid-forties, wearing a suit and overcoat, buys a ticket for Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 bound for Seattle. 3:07 P.M. The man presents his demands: $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. If the demands are not met, he threatens to detonate the explosive device in his briefcase. So begins the astonishing true story of the man known as D.B. Cooper, and the only unsolved airplane hijacking case in the United States. Comic panels, reproductions of documents from real FBI files, and photos from the investigation combine for a thrilling read for sleuths of all ages. What better way to draw readers into nonfiction than through an exciting graphic novel? This series will appeal to readers of series such as Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. Fans of history and whodunits, CSI-club kids, and graphic novel enthusiasts alike will be pulled in by the suspenseful, complex, and kid-appropriate cases in this series. Sidebars provide fun facts about pre-2001 air travel, serial numbers on currency, airplane design, and more. Backmatter showcases period photos and primary source material in FBI archives.

Growing up in a small upper Midwestern town in the late 1930s, young Tommy MacAllister is scarcely aware of the Depression, much less the rumblings of war in Europe. For his parents and their set, life seems to revolve around dinners and dancing at the country club, tennis dates and rounds of golf, holiday parties, summers on the Island, and sparkling occasions full of people and drinks and food and laughter. But curious as he is and impatient to grow up, Tommy will soon come to glimpse the darkness that lies beneath so much genteel complacency: hidden histories and embarrassing poor relations; the subtle (and not so subtle) slighting of the “help”; the mockery of President Roosevelt; and “the commandment they talked least about in Sunday school,” adultery. In Testing the Current William McPherson subtly sets off his wide-eyed protagonist’s perspective with mature reflection and wry humor and surrounds him with a cast of vibrant characters, creating a scrupulously observed portrait of a place and time that will shimmer in readers’ minds long after the final page is turned.

What started out as an ordinary summer becomes the story of a lifetime in this exciting series opener packed with magic and monsters! When Ben Silverstein is sent to the rundown town of Buttonville to spend the summer with his grandfather, he's certain it will be the most boring vacation ever. That is, until his grandfather's cat brings home what looks like . . . a baby dragon? Amazed, Ben enlists the help of Pearl Petal, a local girl with an eye for adventure. They take the wounded dragon to the only veterinarian's office in town—Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital. But as Ben and Pearl discover once they are inside, Dr. Woo's isn't a worm hospital at all—it's actually a secret hospital for imaginary creatures. After Ben accidentally leaves the hospital's front door unlocked, a rather large, rather stinky, and very hairy beast escapes into Buttonville. Now Ben and Pearl are tasked with retrieving the runaway creature. Suzanne Selfors delivers a wild journey filled with mythical creatures and zany adventures that are anything but imaginary. This book includes bonus writing, art, and science activities that will help readers discover more about the mythological creatures featured in The Sasquatch Escape. These activities are designed for the home and the classroom. Enjoy doing them on your own or with friends!

When three women win a holiday in a Facebook competition, they think it’s by chance. It’s not. When one woman accompanies her husband on business, she thinks she’ll return with him. She won’t. Welcome to the resort where nothing is as it seems. On the outside, it’s heaven on earth. A dreamy romantic getaway, with pristine sandy beaches, glorious sunshine, and glamorous accommodation. The perfect lover’s hideaway with uninterrupted views over a freshwater lagoon. Nothing to do but enjoy the ultimate pamper experience on a ridiculously dreamy holiday of a lifetime. Perfect. That’s what they think. Past actions have consequences and Karmas about to strike. Who will survive the week and who won’t leave at all?

Lose yourself in the south of France this summer in this fabulously feel-good beach read!