Most Popular Books by Chris Lynch

Four best friends. Four ways to serve their country. Morris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck are best friends for life. So when one of the teens is drafted into the Vietnam War, the others sign up, too. Although they each serve in a different branch, they are fighting the war together--and they pledge to do all they can to come home together.Haunted by dreams of violence and death, Morris makes it his personal mission to watch over his friends--and the best place to do that is in the US Navy. Stationed off the coast of Vietnam on the USS Boston, Morris and his fellow sailors provide crucial support to the troops on the ground.But the Boston itself isn''t safe from attack. And as Morris finds his courage and resolve tested like never before, he keeps coming back to a single thought.He made a pledge. He must keep them safe.

Keir Sarafian must finally confront his past when tragedy strikes during his first year of what has been an eye-opening first year of college.

Is being popular really as fun as it seems? After surviving high school orientation camp, Elvin and his two best friends embark on their freshman year at an all-boys school. High school serves up all sorts of hardships: the dreaded rumor mill, dances with the local sister school, and jockeying to be seen with the "right" type of people. But for overweight Elvin, figuring out who the "right" people are is almost as confusing as his relationship with food. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author''s personal collection.

SPECIAL FREE PREVIEW! “I hit him so hard, the clash of helmets and pads sounded like a gunshot across the field. I crushed him with the hit, held on to him, and crushed him again when I slammed him into the ground . . . I had arrived.” Arlo Brodie loves being on the football field, getting hit hard and hitting back harder. That’s where he belongs, leading his team to championships, becoming “Starlo” on his way to the top. Arlo’s dad cheers him on, but his mother quotes head injury statistics and refuses to watch. Arlo’s girlfriend tries to make him see the danger; when that doesn’t work, she calls time-out on their relationship. Even Arlo’s coaches begin to track his hit count, almost ready to pull him off the field. But Arlo’s not worried about collisions. The cheering crowds and the adrenaline rush convince Arlo that everything is OK--in spite of the pain, pounding, dizziness, and confusion. In Hit Count, Chris Lynch explores the American love affair with contact sports and our attempts to come to terms with clear evidence of real danger. Praise for Pieces: “Each character springs fully formed off the page, and Lynch’s irreverent, inventive dialogue crackles . . . Exceptional.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review Praise for Inexcusable: “Unforgettable.” —Booklist, starred review

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.

High school senior and football player Keir sets out to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort a friend whose date has left her stranded, things go terribly wrong.

Previously published in 1994 by HarperCollins.

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.

Powerful, riveting, 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.

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.

Kit includes 20 copies of the book and discussion questions.

A teen runs away from his broken life and invents a new one in this “absorbing and satisfying” (Booklist) adventure from Printz Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch. Crystal City called for him, and Kevin answered. And why wouldn’t he? His relationship with his father is broken—as is his arm. With barely anyone to miss him or care if he’s gone, it seemed like the perfect time for Kevin to run away to his estranged uncle and create an entirely new identity. New name. New attitude. New friends. Maybe even a new girl. From the first moment of adventure, Kevin’s life takes a turn for the exciting. Making friends seems easy with his new persona, especially when a group of homeless beach bums instantly includes him in their crew. But do they like the real Kevin, or the guy he’s pretending to be? And will this new lifestyle help Kevin escape from the misery of his former life—or will it drag him right back into the reasons he left home?

*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.

Delve into the mind of a teen whose journey of self-discovery leads to the unthinkable in this tense and terse novel from award-wining author Chris Lynch. Alexander, who wants to be called Xan, is a misfit. He has never fit in—not in academics, sports, or social life. He’s an awkward loner who hasn’t been able to find his place in the world. Robert is Xan’s half-brother, and unlike Xan, Robert seems to have his life together. At eighteen, he’s enrolled in community college with a decent job and a great girlfriend. Robert often teases his brother, but he’s also his biggest supporter. No matter what, he’s got Xan’s back. When Robert starts to suspect that Xan is traveling down a dangerous path, he may be the only one who can save Xan from self-destructing—before it’s too late. But can Robert save himself? This edgy exploration of what goes on in the mind of someone pushed to the brink examines the seeds of extremism that exist in everyone—and is sure to captivate readers of all kinds.

"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 Discover the secret missions behind America''s greatest conflicts.Danny Manion has been fighting his entire life. Sometimes with his fists. Sometimes with his words. But when his actions finally land him in real trouble, he can''t fight the judge who offers him a choice: jail... or the army.Turns out there''s a perfect place for him in the US military: the Studies and Observation Group (SOG), an elite volunteer-only task force comprised of US Air Force Commandos, Army Green Berets, Navy SEALS, and even a CIA agent or two. With the SOG''s focus on covert action and psychological warfare, Danny is guaranteed an unusual tour of duty, and a hugely dangerous one. Fortunately, the very same qualities that got him in trouble at home make him a natural-born commando in a secret war. Even if almost nobody knows he''s there.National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch begins a new, explosive fiction series based on the real-life, top-secret history of US black ops.

"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.

Two teens discover the true danger of love in this “beguiling” novel from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch that will leave you “wondering just what is the truth” (VOYA, starred review). Oliver loves Junie Blue. That’s true. Pretty much everything else is a lie. Both known for their deceit, Junie and O’s relationship was the only honest thing they had. But now that’s over. Oliver’s been dumped, and he’s miserable. Junie says they’re done. Unless she’s lying? Junie’s father works for One Who Knows, the head of an organized crime family. He won’t tell O where Junie is, not even after O hears a rumor that Junie’s won the lottery—and that One Who Knows expects to be given her ticket. O fears Junie’s in danger, and he’s determined to come to her rescue. But is there honestly anything he can do?

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

When overweight thirteen-year-old Elvin Bishop is sent to camp at St. Paul''s Seminary Retreat Center, he and his two best friends are forced to try out various sports in order to find out where they belong.