New Releases by Chris Lynch

Join the Brigadier and Benton in nine short stories looking at life in the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Ever wondered what happened on Benton’s first official day in UNIT, or why he left to sell used cars? Ever wondered how Benton earned his sergeant stripes? Or what he got up to on his days off? How Does UNIT select new recruits? And what happens when the clean-up after an alien incursion goes wrong? In Operation Wildcat and Other Stories, you’ll find these things out – and a lot more. Features stories by Tim Gambrell, Simon A Brett, Iain McLaughlin, Sharon Bidwell, James Middleditch, Baz Greenland, Sarah Groenewegen and Jonathan Macho.

The Lethbridge-Stewart name carries with it stories of integrity, honour and courage. But was it always so? From its earliest origins with the Clan Stewart in Scotland, and the Lethbridges in Devon, England, the name has a storied past. Historical figures, history makers, miitary heroes… Lineage presents seven brand-new tales from some of the most popular authors preciously published in The HAVOC Files collection, as well as one from the creative mind of writer and film maker Chris Lynch. Featuring the Brigadier from BBC TV''s Doctor Who.

A dog walking venture helps thirteen-year-old Louis, who would rather kick back than stand out, learn how to be a friend.

"All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -Kirkus Reviews for the World War II series The First Special Service Force is an elite commando unit composed of American and Canadian troops. From the start, the Force is intended to go where other soldiers won''t. The call for volunteers specifically singles out lumberjacks, hunters, prospectors, and game wardens as ideal candidates. And their training is anything but "basic," including intense lessons in parachuting, hand-to-hand combat, skiing, rock climbing, and adaptation to cold climates.One tight group of young men have made a point of carrying The Commando Pocket Manual with them everywhere. They build a unified little community around it, a text to guide them through the war.As this team travels through Germany, taking down Nazis as they go, they also carry calling cards to leave behind. The stickers read, in German, "The worst is yet to come."

Robin is a fairly ordinary robin. He eats, sleeps and sometimes catches a worm. But, one day, he meets an old man and Robin makes a new a friend, a friend with birdseed! One day his friend does not turn up and Robin hatches a plan to find out why. A story about hope and the power of simple gestures; simple gestures that mean the world.

Volume of two this award-winning series emerges from the shadows with a fresh crop of extreme horror. This collection of ten stories features authors from all over the globe for an international perspective on fear. Take care as you reach into these dark places, for the things here bite, and you may withdraw a hand short of a few fingers. Toll Road, by Antonio Simon, Jr. —A professional kidnapper gets more than he bargained for when his latest abduction leads to terrifying supernatural encounters on the Florida Turnpike. Boxed, by Bryan Cassiday —A group of strangers trapped in an elevator run short of time and bullets as they attempt to discover who among them is infected with a deadly plague. A Murder of Crows, by Reed W. Huston —Daniel, Rebecca, and their cat Southpaw have just moved into a new home, and the local wildlife is not happy to receive them. It’s more than coincidental that a group of crows is called a murder… We All Ate The White Flesh, by Chris Lynch —In the depths of a harsh winter, a starving family unearths a massive turnip and unexpected horrors. The Lonely Man, by Barnaby King —Thomas’s investigation into an idyllic English village uncovers the tragic story of two young lovers, and the ghastly secret the villagers thought they’d left buried in the past. The Queen Beneath The Earth, by Ken Pelham —Charles Bonham knows better than anyone that grave-robbing is a lucrative business. While in Ireland to ply his trade, he learns that some secrets are better left buried. Dear Sir, by Steven Samuel Stafford —Two field medics on the Western Front race against time to fulfill a soldier’s dying wish and stop an unspeakable horror. Colder Still, by Justin Cawthorne —A relic from John’s past holds a portentous future for his son and the secret to a fatal gypsy curse. Quarry Lake, by Kelson Hargis —Ghosts have beset Whit ever since his kid brother drowned. Whit is determined to plumb the secrets of Quarry Lake, but at what cost? God May Pity All Weak Hearts, by Daniel Russell —Something dreadful lives within the walls of Dr. Crippen’s home. More dreadful still is what it has in common with him.

Powerful, riveting, and real. Sixteen celebrated authors bring us raw, insightful stories that explore guns and teens in a fiction collection that is thought provoking and emotionally gripping. For fans of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and Give a Boy a Gun, and with an array of YA talent like the late great Walter Dean Myers, the poetic Joyce Carol Oates, the prophetic Elizabeth Wein, and the gritty Chris Crutcher, these are evocative voices that each has a different perspective to give. Capturing the hurt and the healing, victims and perpetrators, these stories get to the heart of the matter. From a boy whose low self-esteem is impacted when a gun comes into his possession to a student recalling a senseless tragedy that befell a favorite teacher, from a realistic look at hunting to a provocative look at a family that defies stereotypes, each emotional story stirs the debate to new levels. The juxtaposition of guns and their consequences offers moving tales, each a reminder of how crucial the question of guns in our society is, and the impact they have on all of us. Other acclaimed contributors are Marc Aronson, Edward Averett, Francesca Lia Block, Alex Flinn, Gregory Galloway, Jenny Hubbard, Peter Johnson, Ron Koertge, Chris Lynch, Eric Shanower, Will Weaver, and Tim Wynne-Jones.

"All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -- Kirkus Reviews Chris Lynch concludes his gritty, thoughtful, and critically acclaimed WWII fiction series -- providing entirely new insight into "The Good War."The US Marines Corps is home to some of the roughest, toughest combatants in World War II. Their courage and daring are legendary. And the best of the best -- the boldest among them -- are joining the Corps'' elite new paratrooper combat unit. As Paramarines, they''ll be expected to do everything a typical Marine does... and do it while skydiving.Nick Nardini knows that he''s destined to become a Paramarine. He also knows that he has to convince his best friend, Zachary Klecko, to sign up too. Nardini and Klecko used to be inseparable, ever since they met in kindergarten, but recently they''ve been drifting apart. Fighting in the same battalion -- and jumping out of the same planes -- seems to Nardini like a surefire way to restore their bond and come out of the war stronger than ever.The Axis powers, however, may have other ideas...

The author of the acclaimed Vietnam series sets his sights on World War II. "All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -- Kirkus ReviewsTheo has always looked up to his older brother, Hank, but never more so than the day Hank enlisted in the US Navy. Not to be outdone, Theo followed his older brother''s lead in joining the war effort -- but preferring the wide open sky to the untamed ocean, Theo chose to serve with the Army Air Force.As a gunner on a B-24 Liberator, Theo is enthusiastic about his crew''s mission to save all of Europe from the Nazis. Fearlessness is a requirement for dog fights at 50,000 feet. But when Theo''s brother goes missing in the Pacific, fear start creeping in. Can Theo keep his head in the game while he awaits word of his brother''s fate?

*From National Book Award nominee Chris Lynch* Zane''s wired life is about to be unplugged. . . Zane lives a life of luxury in a completely wired world. He doesn''t ever have to leave his building to have exciting (virtual) experiences. His room knows everything he eats and what he needs for school. Even his pet dog is wired. There''s only one problem: When Zane gets a device that enables animals to talk to him, he finds out that his world is a lie. The animals don''t want to be wired -- they want to rebel. And Zane''s going to be a part of their revolution, whether he likes it or not. In the process, he''ll have to enter a world he''s never confronted before: Nature. Join award-winning author Chris Lynch on a nonstop adventure through a not-so-distant future, where one lone kid has to prove he can be an animal''s best friend.

From National Book Award nominee Chris Lynch, the second action-and-humor-filled futuristic series about talking pets who are tired of being pets ... and the boy who must help them. Zane has made an enemy for life in the evil scientist Dr. Gristle. Not only is Gristle angry about the damage Zane has done to his reputation, he''s also extraordinarily jealous of Zane''s ability to use technology to talk to animals. The result? He''s now working on a new device to control animals'' movements and speech - and Zane''s dog, Hugo, is one of the first targets.

From National Book Award nominee Chris Lynch, the third action-and-humor-filled futuristic series about talking pets who are tired of being pets ... and the boy who must help them. Zane and his animal comrades have foiled Dr. Gristle''s terrible plots twice--he can''t talk to animals, and he can''t get at the heart of what makes them wild. Zane can talk to them. He can understand them. He almost is one. Almost. Zane keeps getting in Dr. Gristle''s way though - and he''s being sent as far out of the way as Gristle can get him. In fact, he''s being sent right into the middle of a new plot of the bad doctor''s--and in his new, utterly foreign surroundings, he''s entirely too human.

"The best Vietnam War novels yet for this age range." -- Kirkus Reviews Morris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck were best friends. So when one of them was drafted into the Vietnam War, the others signed up, too. They promised to watch out for one another. They pledged to come home together.Now, that pledge has been broken. One of the four has been killed in action. And the remaining three are the only men alive who know the awful truth about their friend''s death.Each is left to deal with their secret in his own way. One of them will accompany his friend''s body home to Boston. One of them will defy orders in an act of protest. And one of them will decide it''s up to him to single-handedly win the war.In the end, Vietnam may claim more than their lives. As the war grinds on, their very souls are at stake. And their shattered friendship will prove either their salvation... or their ruin.

The author of the acclaimed Vietnam series sets his sights on World War II. Critically acclaimed author Chris Lynch provides an action-oriented but thoughtful view of the US Navy''s war in the Pacific.Hank and Theo are brothers who share everything, including a sense of duty a love of baseball. They have been inseparable for their entire lives. But when America is drawn into World War II, the young brothers find themselves fighting the same war on opposite sides of the globe.As an airedale in the Navy, Hank now lives aboard an aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown. His job is to assist the pilots who soar off each day to engage Japanese forces in the Pacific Ocean. It is a crucial and terrifying duty in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor.As the days at sea become weeks and months, Hank adapts to life apart from his family. He even adapts to the fear of torpedoes. But in an era of prejudice and segregation, it''s Hank''s choice of friends that might prove most dangerous of all.

Originally published by HarperCollins, 2001.

Earl doesn''t want to be a bully. It''s not his fault that his body is as big as a football player''s! Thirteen-year-old middle-schooler Earl has the body and facial scruff of a man—and this gets him into trouble. Everyone thinks Earl''s a tough guy, but he''s just trying to get by. Thinking he knows what''s right from wrong—and using his fists to prove his point—earns him a week''s suspension from school. Earl thinks he''ll have a relaxing week, but things soon slip out of his control when his home life starts to fall apart. He may be as big as a grown-up, but Earl will learn that being a man means more than how you look on the outside.

The He-Men must stay strong when one of their members starts talking to the enemy: a girl! One of the He-Man Women Haters blatantly violates the main rule of the club: consorting with the enemy. And this enemy''s not just any girl; she''s someone''s sister—Ling''s sister! When Wolfgang is put on trial for his misdeed, the boys discover it''s getting tougher to be feared and respected in their neighborhood, especially with dissent in the ranks.

In the He-Man Women Haters Club, there are no girls allowed! Convinced that girls don''t play by the same rules as guys and are impossible to understand, thirteen-year-old Steven forms a club for "He-Men" only. Jerome, Wolfgang, and Ling-Ling are the other members: three misfits who have no idea what it really means to be a "He-Man." Steven wants to be a "Johnny Chesthair" just like his bully of a father, and he tries to create the club rules and take charge. But soon the club is out of his control. Girls laugh at him, and his friends won''t listen. Does Steven have what it takes to be a "He-Man"? And what is a "He-Man," anyway?

DIVThe move to a lovely seaside cottage unravels the McLuckie family’s tight spool of emotions/divDIV /divDIV/divDIVThe McLuckie family has not been so lucky. After losing two wives, Mr. McLuckie has been left with one child from each love: ten-year-old Walter and fourteen-year-old Sylvia. He decides to move the family to a new home, a ramshackle seaside cottage called the Gravedigger’s Cottage, where they can start anew. But soon Mr. McLuckie starts acting strangely, taking a leave of absence from work and becoming obsessed with fixing leaks, stockpiling canned foods, and chasing a mysterious rat. Then, Sylvia and Walter hear the rumor of the Gravedigger’s Cottage: the house “chooses” its occupants. How will the McLuckies get the fresh start they so desperately need?/divDIV/divDIV/div

Nothing breaks the heart of a He-Man Women Hater like one of their own joining ranks with the girls! When Wolf forms his own club in a beauty shop with the Girl Scouts as members, the He-Man Women Haters take it as a declaration of war. Then Jerome strays from the group after visiting the beauty shop, and Steven knows he must take action, letting a girl into his club. But soon the He-Men realize they are in over their heads! The final book in the He-Man Women Haters Club series is filled with betrayal, defections, and double agents as Wolf and Steven face off. It''s an all-out war, and only the best club will survive.

The He-Man Women Haters are rocking out in a punk band! With Wolfgang newly installed as their leader, the He-Men recruit club members Scratch and Cecil, and form a garage punk band. In no time at all, Scratch and the Sniffs is born—the problem is, no one can actually play an instrument. But lack of talent doesn''t stop the He-Man Women Haters Club from chasing stardom—or at least a few bucks!

The He-Man Women Haters Club is about to discover something more terrifying than girls: camping! In this follow-up to Johnny Chesthair, thirteen-year-old Steven has been ousted as the leader of the club he formed for boys only. As the members reorganize under new leader Jerome, Steven''s father and uncle decide to take the boys into a real man''s world—a place where men can be men: the deep woods! Now, Steven, Ling-Ling, Wolfgang, and Jerome must deal with eating bugs, a paintball war, and a wild storm. To make it through the weekend, the He-Men will need to man up!

Ten stunning short stories explore the dark and light sides of teenage life By turns suspenseful and absorbing, wrenching and poignant, these ten short stories illuminate love, loss, and betrayal: A young man must come to terms with his alcoholic father; a teen girl faces an unexpected pregnancy; and a brother must confront his evil twin. An exploration of sexuality threatens disaster, while a love triangle leaves its biting mark. With these masterful tales, Lynch leaves the reader thinking about his characters long after his stories end.

Gordie Foley can''t wait to coast through his senior year—so how did he end up running for mayor? The best girl, the best car, and the best class schedule—Gordie Foley has it all in his final year of high school. When his beloved grandfather, the former mayor of the town, gives Gordie his trademark Studebaker Gran Tourismo Hawk for his eighteenth birthday, Gordie can''t wait to live the most awesome senior year ever. But his grandfather has other plans. Calling the shots from prison, where he has been sent for racketeering, he sets up Gordie to run for town mayor to keep the family name in the news. Now Gordie is heading down the campaign trail—and this is a ride he can''t just coast through. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author''s personal collection.

Baseball-loving seventh grader Richard has hopes of turning himself and the new kid, Napoleon, into the best baseball players Boston has seen since the Gold Dust Twins "As long as you have baseball on your side you can overcome anything." Seventh grader Richard Moncreif is convinced baseball will ease newcomer Napoleon Charlie Ellis''s transition to life in Boston. Napoleon is unlike anyone he''s ever met: poised, well educated, and a cricket player from the Caribbean. Napoleon is one of the few black students at Richard''s school, where racism is pervasive. But Richard believes that he and Napoleon can get through any hardship and become the next Gold Dust Twins, just like the famous pair of Red Sox rookies from 1975. After all, Napoleon is a natural athlete, and Richard knows everything anyone could possibly know about baseball. He just needs Napoleon to play along. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author''s personal collection.

Originally published: New York, NY: HarperCollins, c1993.

Three lifelong buddies struggle against the hold of their church leaders "Don''t let me fall behind" is the spoken promise between best friends Drew, Skitz, and Hector. The three teens live in a blurred church-school environment at the mercy of three priests who have an ominous power over them and their families. Together, Drew, Skitz, and Hector can get through the cruelties and power games of Fathers "Blarney," "Mullarkey," and "Shenanigan," as the boys call them. Together, the boys can deal with any issue—until suspected abuse begins to threaten their bond of friendship. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author''s personal collection.

How can Mick break free from a family that won''t let him go? In the second book in the Blue-Eyed Son trilogy, Mick''s brutal brother, Terry, prepares for his annual May Day party. But this is no ordinary party—it''s two full days of disgusting pranks and drunken violence. Terry throws the bash to prove that if you aren''t in his circle, then you''re in his sights. Mick''s parents would rather not know what goes on, so they clear out and leave their sons home alone. Mick doesn''t want to be there when the mayhem erupts—but distancing himself from his home and his family will be no easy feat. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author''s personal collection.

Does being loyal make you a hero or a coward? Fifteen-year-old, Irish-American Mick lives in the heavily segregated streets of Boston, where loyalty is paramount and straying from your roots is dangerous. After taking part in a racist attack during a crowded Saint Patrick''s Day parade, Mick, who is caught on a TV camera, is considered a hero by his alcoholic older brother and the barflys from his neighborhood pub. But his school becomes a battlefield when Mick becomes the target of every group that has ever wanted to get a fist on him. As Mick becomes more aware of the humanity behind color lines, he realizes that tormenting people for nothing more than the color of their skin is just plain wrong—but separating himself from his roots will be Mick''s biggest fight yet. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author''s personal collection.