A Newbery Honor Book. “A gripping, compassionate portrayal of a boy’s struggle with conscience” by the bestselling author of My Mother Is Mine (Kirkus Reviews). While on a bike trip, Joel’s best friend Tony drowns while they are swimming in the forbidden, treacherous Vermilion River. Joel is terrified at having to tell of his disobedience and overwhelmed by his feelings of guilt, even though the daring act was Tony’s idea, and Joel didn’t know that Tony couldn’t swim. But Joel’s loving and protective father will help him deal with the tragic aftermath—and understand that we all must live with the choices we make. “A powerful, soul-stirring novel told simply and well.”—Booklist (starred review) “This is a devastating but beautifully written story of a boy’s all-consuming guilt over the role he plays in the death of his best friend . . . Bauer’s honest and gripping novel joins the ranks of such as Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia in its handling of these issues.”—Publishers Weekly “Descriptions are vivid, characterization and dialogue natural, and the style taut but unforced. A powerful, moving book.”—School Library Journal

Kristian, the unruly and detested prince of Erand, has been promised in marriage to Allisia, the princess of Duellr. Kristian is completely against his betrothal until he meets the lovely princess days before their wedding. He begins to think that maybe, with her help, he can change his ways and become the man everyone expects him to be. Meanwhile, Ferral, the mad sorcerer-king of Belarn, raises a demon from Hell to destroy both ruling families in one swift attack. At the same time, Allisia disappears and Kristian raises an army to find her and bring Ferral to justice. Nothing goes as planned. As Kristian realizes his mistakes and their catastrophic consequences, he must start over to prove his worth and obtain his men's respect, Allisia's love, and his honor.

Professional Code of Ethics: Canon 3E/Rule 2.11(A) -Disqualification may be required if a judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned if -Presiding over cases involving an attorney with whom the judge had a romantic relationship. There are no accidents. People cross paths for a reason. I'm not sure why ours crossed but within a second, I realized, she could destroy everything. There's a code of ethics in some professions where certain relationships are frowned upon. She's the prosecutor. I'm the judge. Sleeping with her is all sorts of hell no! Ethic review boards could remove me from the bench-as in "You're fired." Even worse, my father would kill me if his name were tainted. But it would kill me more not to have her. They say rules are meant to be broken. But is she worth the risk? The only thing I was sure of-I wanted to completely overrule her perfect little world.

A THRILLING JOURNEY through the world of police work and courtrooms before elements of corruption bring a once rocketing legal career to its knees. Just after the daring and dedicated trial lawyer reached as far as he thought he could go, people from the system he loved so much had some other ideas. The reader will find suspense and surprises as they navigate through this novel of court trials and other situations faced by an aggressive and idealistic attorney. The investigations of a string of deaths in the local jail occur around the same time that the lawyer's success looks unstoppable. While unaware of anything about the killings, the lawyer's career that once carried so much promise spirals downward soon after charges are filed for the murders. The reader will see heartache and pain caused from breach of trust. This is a must-read for those who appreciate the thrill of facing challenges or taking a chance to ride what the idealistic lawyer in this book calls the roller coaster of life.

"The story of two Indian women, one a victim of a brutal crime and the other an Americanized journalist returning to India to cover the story, and the courage they inspire in each other"--

This book will lead you to have deeper relationships with others because you will learn to recognize that each person, as a creation of God, deserves honor.