Showing results by narrator "Ellen Grafton" in All Categories

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it.

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths - for good and evil - of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies.

Once a slave girl in the village of River Away, Kale is freed when she discovers a dragon's egg. She is given the unexpected opportunity to journey to the great walled city of Vendala to become a servant to Paladin. Yet this young girl has much to learn about the difference between slavery and service.

This CliffsNotes study guide on William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, and critical commentaries, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work.

Three years of strife have passed since Kale and Bardon freed Paladin's knights. Now, fiery dragons scorch their beautiful countryside as an evil husband-and-wife wizard duo fight for supremacy. The people of Amara just want to be left alone, hoping the conflict will disappear. But Paladin is dying, and Bardon and Kale - now married - must accept fateful, separate assignments if their land is to survive. Can their efforts turn the tide against their adversaries?

Before vowing his allegiance to Wulder as a knight, Bardon heads to the mountains for solitude. His life is suddenly complicated by a woman and her granddaughter, N'Rae, on a mission to rescue the woman's son trapped in a chamber of sleep. Bardon learns that more of Paladin's knights are imprisoned - and suspects one of them is Dragon Keeper Kale's missing father.

The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war as well as from the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans' hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It's a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface of the idyllic countryside.

A dragonkeeper of Paladin, Kale is summoned from the Hall to The Bogs by the Wizard Fenworth to serve as his apprentice and tend his newly hatched meech dragon, Regidor. But Kale isn't going alone. The Hall is sending a student to monitor her performance and report back to the scholars. Worst of all, it's Bardon - an older boy Kale finds irritating, but who at least can hold his own in a sword fight.

The CliffsNotes study guide on Charlotte Brontë's Wuthering Heights supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, a graphical character map, critical commentaries, expanded glossaries, and a comprehensive index, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work. This study guide was written with the assumption that you have read Wuthering Heights.

The CliffsNotes study guide on Beowulf supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, and critical commentaries, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work.

The CliffsNotes study guide on Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, and critical commentaries, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work.

The CliffsNotes study guide on Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, and critical commentaries, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work.

Eleven-year-old Rachel Yoder encounters trouble at every turn with her Amish friends and family when she spreads unintentional rumors as a result of her eavesdropping. From a little misunderstanding about Cousin Mary moving back to town. . .to a much bigger and out-of-control rumor about her brother Jacob's health, things go from bad to worse for Rachel. Will she ever learn that assumptions often have hurtful consequences?

Middle school is hard. Your bodies are changing, your friends are changing, classes are harder, and tough things happen. This “support group in a book” is specifically geared to you. Read stories written by kids just like you, about their middle school years, and: true friends and new friends; mean girls... and boys!; embarrassing moments; bully payback; crushes and young love; being happy with yourself; tough times; family issues; doing what’s right and lots more!

The CliffsNotes study guide on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, and critical commentaries, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work.

With the arrival of spring comes happiness and fun. Not so for eleven-year-old Rachel Yoder, who springs into nonstop trouble that turns her from a smiling, laughing girl into a sour-faced grouch. Extra chores, a trip to the eye doctor’s office for glasses, and a little white lie make things go from bad to worse for Rachel and her family. Will Rachel ever learn the secret to true happiness?

Rachel's back in school in Lancaster County! And that's where trouble finds her once again! Except this time, trouble has a freckled face and an unruly cowlick. His name is Orlie, and he seems determined to humiliate this 10-year-old Amish girl at every turn.

Rachel's not enjoying her school year - there are so many other things she'd rather be doing than schoolwork! As she shirks her responsibilities, Rachel encounters everything from cows escaping the pasture to an overflowing sink, dirty sheets, and rotten eggs. Rachel wants to be all grown up, but she's having a hard time accepting the responsibility that goes with it. Will she ever learn the value of growing up into a dependable adult?

That's what Annabelle discovers on her first day in her brand-new life. Birchwood Middle School is totally different from her old all-girls elementary. In fact, lots of things in Annabelle's life are totally different now that she's back from summer camp. There's mom's new boyfriend, a new house, new friends - even a new puppy that likes to chew on Annabelle's clothes. Well, at least the puppy comes with a leash and a training manual! If only she could say the same for the boys...

Here are 33 Stories of first love, finding your passion and self-esteem for younger teens. Topics include "Finding Your Passion", "In Like, In Love, and Just Not Into You", and "Being Happy with Yourself".