Book Description

After witnessing all sorts of violence, Stephanie decides to "light her candle". After encountering much opposition, with the help of her two friends, they transform their inner city school and neighborhood. Grades 1-4.

Virtues: Citizenship / Caring / Community Service

Karacter Kidz song: Light Your Candle ... Read more

Book Description

Carl knows he’s playing with fire every time he fixes up a stolen car stereo to resell. Buthe needs the money; how else is he going to get away from his boozing mom and herendless parade of "classy guys"? Then one night his mother’s drinking gets out of controland Carl’s plan to get himself a decent life takes a nosedive. Sent to live with distantrelatives far away from the life he has always known, Carl is faced with a decision: runaway and stick with The Plan, or come up with a new one . . . fast. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Superb!
Up Country is probably one of the most treasured books I own. I can relate to Carl's feelings and emotions, and every time I read it, the same situational segments of the story still make me laugh out loud. I would recommend Up Country to anyone, based on it's superb characterization and thought.

POWERFUL!
I used to not like books this book changed my mind! a must read. Very touching and a great wake up call to life!

Amazing!
I read this book for an 8th Grade book report, and I have read it over and over again. Everytime I read it I get the same feelings I had the first time I read it. Carl Staggers feels what a real 16 year old boy would feel if he were in that same situation and it amazes me how well the auther expressed that.

Good book
I think that this book is the best book I've ever read, and each time I read it I get the same feeling over again.

Courage from despare and hope from depression
Up Country is the story of a young boy Carl who finds the deck stacked against him. How do you find help when your Mom is an alcoholic prostitute? Carl finds it from the most unwelcome source, his upstate relatives in hicksville! How ironic that the only way he can get there is to be caught by the police for helping his mother attack a cop, and then for opporating a theft ring. Lessons from responsibilty, respect, humor, and friendship are to be found with a family that really cares. The really hard choices come when he has to choose between support for himself or helping his Mom. What should any of us do is such cornering times? ... Read more

Book Description

It’s 1993 and fifteen-year-old Brady Benson’s life is about to change forever. Brady relieves the stress of a highly academic school environment by indulging in his favorite pastimes: sports, movies, and video games. Inexplicably, Brady’s video game playing begins controlling the real sporting events! Brady and buddy Tim, nicknamed Bee-Bee and the Chief, decide to fulfill a desire to be rich by gambling. Initially, all goes well, but soon the situation turns sour. The real sports world is topsy-turvy, but worse, the Mafia is after Brady because ineffective player bribes are causing them to teeter on the brink of bankruptcy.

Bee-Bee and the Chief grope for the reason behind the dilemma. Could it be God, a black magic spell, or science? A call from Dan Patrick of ESPN gives Brady the opportunity to appear on national TV to play the Notre Dame vs. Florida State game on his Sega Genesis, but the Mafia also knows he’ll be there.

If this isn’t enough, Brady’s mother is pressuring him to rewrite a composition to improve his grade, but he can’t concentrate!

While ducking the Mafia, can Brady get Michael Jordan out of baseball and stop NASCAR from racing at the Indy 500?

Readers will delight seeing an insecure teenager become a wheeler-dealer, and movie buffs will enjoy the chapter titles which are quotes from or titles of movies. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Treat For Teens
What an enjoyable romp this book is! When a 15-year old video game whiz begins to control the outcome of major sports events via his computer, anything can happen-and DOES!
Fame and riches are his, to be sure, but so is extreme peril, as he turns the gambling world upside down. Targeted by the mafia, the main character, Brady, must save himself, his friends, his new-found fortune, and his future.
Author Shirley Babcock laces this imaginative tale with pop culture and humor to provide the reader with
a delightful read and a satisfying conclusion. ... Read more

Book Description

Prepare to burn the midnight oil with this up all night novel of suspense.

Teenagers are finding their lives ruined, even cut short, when they become involved in the world of drugs. Texas Rangers Travis Bonham and Manny Ruiz try to find the person responsible for the distribution of the latest fad drug called Boomers; leading them into a world of pornography, death and destruction.

Attorney Perry Hamilton's ambition and greed for money allows him to defend even the most disreputable clients, until one day he realizes the man he just defended may be responsible for his daughter's addiction to Boomers and sets out for revenge.

Reviews (3)

Entertaining and Enjoyable
Bonita Wagner's terse suspense novel is perfect if you are in the mood for a fast-paced mystery. Short chapters and plenty of dialogue add to the story's action and pacing.



Travis Bonham and Manny Ruiz are quirky Texas Rangers investigating the death of a teenage boy. They suspect a serious dope ring is living and breathing in their jurisdiction. Simon Caruthers, a powerful and wealthy man in the community, is arrested because the Rangers have strong suspicion he's involved with the sale of illegal drugs. Caruthers hires Perry Hamilton, a successful criminal attorney, to defend him from the charges.



Once teens are hooked on the drugs, the price goes up. For those who can't pay, other arrangements are made, as the strung out teens are forced by their addiction to star in pornographic movies in order to keep flying high. Things go from bad to worse, as a bad shipment of the drugs winds up killing many of the teenage addicts from one particular area. The Rangers need to act quickly to catch the drug dealer and put an end to the deaths and porno flicks.



With unsuspecting twists and turns, Vengeance is Mine, moves like a freight train. The characters are well drawn. Though the novel is short, it is entertaining, and promises to be a quick and enjoyable read.


--Phillip Tomasso III, author of JOHNNY BLADE and THIRD RING

A quick satisfying read
Bonita Wagner's latest novel, though short, is a fast and satisfying read.

It's the latest fad drug and it's called 'Boomers'. It's highly addictive. Teenage girls are being talked into trying it, and when they get hooked, they gladly sell there bodies for more. When a bad batch gets out, lives are lost. Mostly young teenagers. This is when Texas rangers' Travis and Manny get on the case.

The story should be aimed at parents and teenagers. A rather moral tale that describes some of the perils of teenage drug use. There is suspense to go with the emotion. It's also laced with humor, especially when it comes to Manny and Travis. Being a short novel, as this was, it did lack some depth but it still kept me in my chair.

A very timely mystery
Each book by this author gets better and better! The story is very up-to-date with the happenings in today's world. It was an adventurous mystery that kept my interest peaked and the message was so appropriate that I gave it to my teenager to read. And she loved it too! Hope there's more to come. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Best Friends Series
These books teach morals, how to get along with others not like yourself & that you can have more than one best friend. The special pre-teen in your life will adore this book! Hilda Stahl is a terrific author. This book is one of the Best Friend Series Books. Highly Recommended! Don't let the special pre-teen girl in your life be without this book on her book shelf! ... Read more

Book Description

Dragon Fire

The hot new designer narcotic flooding the West Coast. It promises to take its user to the height of ecstasy, but leaves the abuser dead in a pool of their own blood.

The Golden Dragon

The enigmatic man who developed Dragon Fire. Powerful, cunning, relentless, brutal, unforgiving. For years he has remained elusive and untouched by numerous bodies of law enforcement.

Until now...

A handful of strong young men are about to unintentionally throw in their gauntlet and wage battle against this deadly foe. With the help of their enigmatic mentor, Nick James, and an overly-rambunctious A.I., they'll lay everything on the line to put an end to the Golden Dragon's reign of Fire.

More of them may die before it's all over. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Dragon Fire" Pulls No Punches
Starriders #1: Dragon Fire is the story of a group of high-school students whose lives are forever changed as they deal with the spill-over effects of the underworld’s newest designer drug. Jason, a brilliant but troubled high school senior, not only has to cope with the normal problems of teenagers â€" parents, girls, grades, etc. â€" but has to learn some very hard real-life lessons about the dark side of the illegal drug industry.

"Dragon Fire" pulls no punches as it confronts the very real situations teenagers face today, and the consequences of the choices they make, yet still tells an entertaining and enjoyable story. In addition to a cast of very real characters to whom nearly any teen could relate, the larger-than-life drama captures the teenage experience perfectly. ... Read more

Book Description

Mikey Mite is in a terrible mood, so bad even his guinea pig Attila can't cheer him up. He should be happy--Christmas is coming, a time for presents and above all school holidays.

But Mikey dreads Christmas. In the past Mikey's father drank too much, especially at Christmas time. But for two months he hasn't been drinking at all, thanks to the help of his friend, Mr. Lotecki. When all his friends and family gather for a Christmas costume party, Mikey is afraid of what might happen. But when Santa arrives, he brings a better surprise than Mikey could ever have imagined.

Mikey Mite's Best Present is a story of how families struggle together--and sometimes triumph. ... Read more

Book Description

This entertaining story is for children of all ages. It combines a real problem with the magic of Christmas. To bring a Christmas wish to an unselfish boy, Santa combats grouchiness, the munchies, and all of the other challenges that come with trying to quit smoking. This delightful stsory is mixed with great pictures that bring the story to life. ... Read more

Book Description

Trent and Adam were best friends and rally racing buddies until a terrible accident, when Adam was at the wheel, puts Trent in the hospital. After a long separation, the teens try to pick up their friendship where it left off, but Adam's guilty feelings and Trent's odd behaviour make it tough. Why is Trent hanging around Marcus, a guy he says he can't stand? And why isn't his Ritalin working anymore?
When Adam discovers Trent is dealing with the dark side, it's a race to save his friend from himself. Racing Fear is an action-packed ride that takes a hard look at the selling of prescription drugs. ... Read more

Book Description

It's Just A Plant is a beautifully illustrated children's book that tells the tale of how a young girl learns about marijuana, the most widely-used illegal drug in the world.It is a tool for parents to use in creating conversation that educates, rather than merely frightens, their young children about cannabis use.It's Just A Plant provides honest and helpful information about the plant that puts the safety of children before politics. ... Read more