New Releases by Kathryn Lasky

Painter and amateur sleuth Georgia O''Keeffe investigates a tragic death when she returns to Taos in the second instalment of this twisty historical mystery set in the 1930s by multi award-winning author Kathryn Lasky. "Step aside Miss Marple, Eugenia Potter, and Kinsey Millhone - Georgia O''Keeffe is the new sleuth in town!" Award-winning author Katherine Hall Page New Mexico, 1935. Painter Georgia O''Keeffe is at her friend Mabel Dodge Luhan''s home, Los Gallos, a house inhabited by a colorful range of artists, authors and society figures, to attend the memorial service of the renowned writer D.H. Lawrence. Georgia has been commissioned to design the stained-glass windows for the small memorial chapel in Lawrence''s honor. But when she checks to see how the light comes through the glass, another much more horrible sight awaits her: beloved Navajo potter Flora Namingha is dead, her face smashed in with a stone . . . With Flora''s fianc� locked up as the obvious suspect and the local police negligent in its investigation, it seems like no one other than Georgia is capable of solving the murder and making sure justice is done. When Georgia''s lover Sheriff Ryan McCaffrey comes to town unannounced, things get more complicated, and Georgia suddenly finds herself in a complex tangle of revenge, international espionage, Nazis and thugs that will require all her artistic sensibilities and amateur sleuthing skills to unravel! Kathryn Lasky brings Georgia O''Keeffe, considered one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century, to vivid life, along with her set of eccentric famous friends. Lovers of twisty historical mysteries with authentic characters, stunning settings and strong female amateur sleuths are in for a treat!

“Kathryn Lasky’s latest is a sleight-of-hand that will have you clapping your hands. With the brio and big-heart that characterizes all of Lasky’s work, this opening salvo of a new series can be heralded with trumpet fanfares and clouds of rose petals.” —Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Egg & Spoon For fans of the Royal Diaries series and Gail Carson Levine, Newbery Honor-winning author Kathryn Lasky delivers the first enchanting adventure in a compelling new middle grade series about a newly orphaned girl who finds herself time-travelling between the present day and the court of the two most memorable English princesses in history. Life used to be great for Rose: full of friends, a loving mom, and a growing fashion blog. But when her mother dies in a car crash, Rose is sent away to live with a strange grandmother she hardly knows and forced to attend a new school where mean girls ridicule her at every turn. The only place Rose finds refuge is in her grandmother’s greenhouse. But one night she sees a strange light glowing from within it. She goes to investigate...and finds herself transported back five hundred years to Hatfield Palace, where she becomes servant and confidant of the banished princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII. Rose soon discovers something else amazing—a locket with two mysterious images inside it, both clues to her own past. Could the greenhouse portal offer answers to the mysteries of her family...and their secrets?

With the Northern Kingdoms run by noble polar bears north of Ga''Hoole on the brink of collapse, a group of power-hungry bears has seized control. When their mother is taken prisoner by the bears, twin inexperienced polar bear cubs begin a quest to find her and not only must learn how to survive but will end up in the midst of an epic battle.

From bestselling and award-winning author Kathryn Lasky comes an explosive adventure following the teen girl fighter pilots who took on Hitler''s army . . . and won. 16-year-old Valya knows what it feels like to fly. She''s a pilot who''s always felt more at home soaring through the sky than down on earth. But since the Germans surrounded Stalingrad, Valya''s been forced to stay on the ground and watch her city crumble.When her mother is killed during the siege, Valya is left with one burning desire: to join up with her older sister, a member of the famous and feared Night Witches-a brigade of young female pilots. Using all her wits, Valya manages to get past the German blockade and find the Night Witches'' base . . . and that''s when the REAL danger starts. The women have been assigned a critical mission. If they succeed, they''ll inflict serious damage on the Nazis. If they fail, they''ll face death . . . or even worse horrors.Historical fiction master Lasky sheds light on the war''s unsung heroes-daredevil girls who took to the skies to fight for their country-in an action-packed thrill ride that''ll leave you electrified and breathless.

Introducing the newest heroes to children''s fiction; the owls of Ga''Hoole. Meet Soren and his friends, the owls charged with keeping owldom safe. Based on Katherine Lasky''s work with owls, this adventures series is bound to be a hit with kids. Join the heroic owls in the first of a series of mythic adventures.

The brave owls of Ga''Hoole are back in their second mythic adventure as they strive to preserve owldom from the evil that lurks around them. Join the owls in their quest for the Great Ga''Hoole Tree, the legendary place where ordinary owls are transformed into the heroes that guard the owl kingdom.

In this prequel, Ezylryb the Screech owl recounts the story of his life in the Northern Kingdoms--his rise through the ranks of the Killian Army, his brother''s betrayal, and his friendship with Octavia the snake, to finally become a Guardian of Ga''Ho

As the daughter of the fallen Anne Boleyn, young Princess Elizabeth lives a complicated and dangerous life. She fears her father Henry VIII''s famous temper, and she knows that Princess Mary is not only her sister but also her rival. Court intrigue swirls around the young princess, and she is forced at an early age to distinguish friend from foe.

Get ready for a wild run in bestselling author Kathryn Lasky''s brand-new middle grade animal fantasy series. The horses are in danger. They were rounded up by the two-legs and forced onto a boat to cross the wide ocean. The journey went badly and the boat was deemed too heavy, so the two-legs forced the horses into the sea and sailed away, leaving the herd to die in the deep.By a miracle, the horses survived and made it to land. All but one -- the ghost horse, the leader of the pack. Now it''s up to her daughter, only a filly, to take charge of the terrified herd. Stranded in a new land, surrounded by two-legs, will the horses find a way to live safe and free?

Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky''s MARIE ANTOINETTE is back in print with a gorgeous new package! To forge an incredibly powerful political alliance, thirteen-year-old Marie Antoinette of Austria is betrothed to Dauphin Louis Auguste, who will one day be the king of France. To prepare the princess for becoming queen, she must be trained to write, read, speak French, dress, act . . . even breathe. Things become more difficult for her when she is separated from her family and sent to the court of Versailles to meet her future husband. Opinionated and headstrong Marie Antoinette must find a way to fit in at the royal court, and get along with her fiance. The future of Austria and France falls upon her shoulders. But as she lives a luxurious life inside the palace gates, out on the streets the people of France face hunger and poverty. Through the pages of her diary, Marie captures the isolation, the lavish parties and gowns, her struggle to find her place, and the years leading up her ascendance of the throne . . . and a revolution.

Abruptly arrested by Hitler''s police and imprisoned as part of the "Gypsy plague," 15-year-old Lilo is chosen by the dictator''s favorite filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, to work as an extra, forcing Lilo to choose between working under constant danger or fleeing for her life. By the Newbury Honor-winning author of Sugaring Time.

Bestselling author Kathryn Lasky takes flight once more with a brand-new Guardians of Ga''Hoole novel! An owlet hatches out onto Stormfast Island and into a world torn by war. For one hundred years, his people have fought off enemy owls from the Ice Talons, but the tide has turned. An invasion is coming, one the Kielian League won''t have the strength to resist. Soon the tyrant owl Bylyric will rule over everything, and no honorable owl will be safe. Only the small owl from Stormfast stands between Bylyric and total victory. Lyze is not very impressive to look at, but he has a wild idea for a snake and owl strike unit that just might give the soldiers of the Kielian League the edge they need.This is his story, the story of an ordinary owl who rose to become Ezylryb of the Great Tree. This is the story of what it takes to make a Guardian of Ga''Hoole.

The latest in Kathryn Lasky''s hit series - a stunning spin-off set among the wolves of Ga''hoole. A great cold has seized the Beyond. The warmth of summer, the smell of sweet grass and the great caribou migrations are distant memories. Now the wolves know only ice, dark, snow and endless cold. The order that kept the wolf clans strong for thousands of years has broken down completely. The wolves have only one chance for survival. They must find their way to a new land, a land of warmth and summer. But the journey will take them over a frozen sea and through thousands of miles of perilous territory. Will the wolves trust young Faolan to lead them?

The first three books in the stirring new Wolves of the Beyond series by Kathryn Lasky, bestselling author of Guardians of Ga''Hoole. In the harsh wilderness beyond the owl world of Ga''Hoole, a wolf mother hides in fear. Her newborn pup, otherwise healthy, has a twisted paw. The mother knows the rigid rules of her kind. The pack cannot have weakness. Her pup must be abdandoned on an icy riverbank - condemned to die.But alone in the forest, the pup, Faolan, does the unthinkable. He survives. These three books tell Faolan''s story - the story of a courageous wolf pup who rises up to change forever the wolves of the Beyond.

In three adventures, Hound and Poodle discover how much they enjoy each other''s company, in spite of, or maybe because of, their differences.

Abandoned by his pack, a baby wolf with a mysterious mark on his deformed paw survives and embarks on a journey that will change the world of the wolves of the Beyond.

Faolan, exiled as a pup, must somehow find a way to claim his position as leader and unite the wolf pack in a fight against a looming danger.

The second installment in bestselling author Kathryn Lasky''s staggering WOLVES OF THE BEYOND series, a spinoff of the legendary Guardians of Ga''Hoole books.The wolf pup Faolan was born with a twisted paw, a slight defect that caused his wolf clan to abandon him in the forest to die. But Faolan, with the help of the grizzly bear who raised him as her own, survived.Now he''s made it back to his clan as a gnaw wolf, the lowest ranking pack member. And the hardships are just beginning. Another gnaw wolf, Heep, is jealous of Faolan and sets him up for failure. As if these humiliations are not enough, Faolon is framed for the murder of a wolf pup. Faolan must catch the culprit in time and prove he deserves to be a full member of the clan.

Guardians of Ga''Hoole is a classic hero mythology about the fight between good and evil. This series is filled with adventure, suspense, and heart. When Soren, a young owlet, mysteriously falls from his nest one evening, he''s plucked up and taken to the sinister St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Once there, he must use his wits and bravery to escape his captors.The first three books in the Ga''Hoole series follow Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger, four orphaned owls that must fight their way through many dangers to take refuge with a group of brave owls thought only to be a legend - the Guardians of Ga''Hoole!

From bestselling author Katherine Lasky comes the first book in WOLVES OF THE BEYOND, a stunning new spinoff from her legendary owl series, Guardians of Ga''hoole.A wolf mother has given birth, but the warm bundle snuffling next to her brings only anguish. The pup, otherwise healthy, has a twisted leg, and the mother knows what the harsh code of the pack demands. Her pup will be taken from her and abandoned on a desolate hill. The pack cannot have weakness - the wolf mother knows that her pup is condemned to die.But alone in the wilderness, the pup, Faolan, does not perish. This his story - a story of survival, of courage, and of love triumphant. This is Faolan''s story, the wolf pup who rose up to change forevever the Wolves of the Beyond.

The second companion book to the New York Times bestselling series, the LOST TALES reveals never-before-told stories of the Great Tree!Guided by the Knower, Otulissa has studied long in the libraries of the Others; she has probed the ancient lore of the strange and powerful dire wolves of the Beyond. And at the Great Ga''Hoole tree itself she has uncovered secret histories of Guardians she thought she knew well! Attention Dear Reader! Great mysteries will be revealed to the attuned mind in these last Lost Tales of the Great Tree!

In the fifth book in this series, the war between an evil group led by Soren''s brother, Kludd, and the owls of the Great Ga''Hoole Tree rages on.In the midst of war, Eglantine unwittingly becomes a spy for Kludd, leader of the Pure Ones (a group of evil owls). She is brainwashed by an owl sent by the Pure Ones to infiltrate the Great Ga''Hoole Tree. Her odd behavior eventually attracts attention, and Soren and his friends vow to find out what''s wrong with Eglantine. They ultimately learn what happened and help her reverse the effects of the brainwashing. Kludd continues to battle against the Guardians of Ga''Hoole for control of their tree. In the end, Kludd and his forces are defeated. But his conflict with Soren is not yet over.

The adventure continues! In a land no owl knew existed, Soren, Coryn, and the Guardians find danger, knowledge, and new allies.Coryn and the Band have returned to the Great Ga''Hoole Tree and restored order. With the Ember safely hidden away, the tree shakes off its gaudy golden glow and recovers its natural majesty. Meanwhile, deep in the Palace of Mists, Bess finds an ancient map fragment that reveals that there are not 5 owl kingdoms -- as has been thought since time immemorial -- but 6. Coryn and the chaw of chaws set off to find this unknown land. In a landscape of perpetual winter, they discover a monastery of serene, learned owls, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

The third book in the GUARDIANS OF GA''HOOLE series, a classic hero mythology, chronicles Soren''s quest for his missing mentor, Ezylryb, and battle against his evil brother, Kludd.Now that Soren has been reunited with his sister, Eglantine, he must face his next challenge: making sense of the mysterious disappearance of his mentor, Ezylryb. When Soren discovers that Ezylryb is in danger, he and his friends Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger devise a plan to save the beloved teacher.In this process, Soren must fight a ferocious foe who wears a terrifying metal beak, sharpened for battle. It''s not until the confrontation is over that Soren discovers the true identity of his opponent. The metal beaked warrior is Soren''s evil brother, Kludd.

To prove his goodness, young Nyroc will renounce his name, his mother, and his inheritance to seek the holiest of relics from The Beyond the Beyond.Nyroc has exiled himself from the Pure Ones. He flies alone, feared and despised by those who know him as Kludd''s son, hunted by those whose despotism he has rejected, and haunted by ghostly creatures conjured by Nyra to lure him back to the Pure Ones. He yearns for a place he only half believes in -- the great tree -- and an uncle -- the near-mythic Soren -- who might be a true father to him. Yet he cannot approach the tree while the rumor of evil clings to him. To prove his worth, Nyroc will fly to The Beyond the Beyond seeking the legendary Relic and bring it, a talisman of his own

The Grand Battle begins with the search for allies in the Northern Kindoms and ends in The Burning that will change all Owldom forever.Soren and his band are sent to the mysterious Northern Kingdoms to gather allies and learn the art of war in preparation for the coming cataclysmic battle against the sinister Pure Ones. Meanwhile, in the Southern Kingdoms, St. Aggies has fallen to the Pure Ones and they are using its resources to plan a final invasion of The Great Ga''Hoole Tree. With the future of all Owldom in the balance, the parliament of Ga''Hoole must decide whether or not to join forces with the brutal Skench and Sporn and the scattered remnants of St. Aggies who remain faithful to them. A great battle is on the

The eleventh title in this best-selling series brings Hoole to kingship and the legends to fulfilment signaling a return to the adventures of Coryn, Soren and the Band.In this final book of the Legends trilogy Hoole reclaims the thrown of his father and goes on to wage a war against the forces of chaos, greed and oppression led by the powerful warlord-tyrants. Grank, the first collier, uses his skills with fire and metals to forge weapons for battle. With great trepidation Hoole uses the power of the Ember in the final, decisive battle and wins. At the dawn of a new ear of peace, Hoole searches for the ideal place to establish not a kingdom but an order of free owls and finds the Great Tree. (continued)

The fantastic prequel trilogy to the bestselling series GUARDIANS OF GA''HOOLE begins!It is a time of Legends and a time of chaos. Warlords vie for power and marauding outlaws roam the land. Good King Hrath and his queen, Siv, noble Spotted Owls struggle to keep peace in their kingdom. Grank, noble Spotted Owl, friend and supporter of King Hrath, has exiled himself to Beyond the Beyond, where he has developed his firesight and learns how to work with embers, fire and how to forge metals. He is the First Collier. Deep in a volcano in the farthest reaches of Beyond the Beyond, he discovers a magical Ember but fears its awful powers will be misused and hides it again. (continued)

Before she was Maid Marian, she was Matty. . . . Matty has been raised to dance well, embroider exquisitely, and marry nobly. But when Matty''s mother is murdered before her very eyes and her father, a nobleman, is reduced to poverty, Matty''s life changes. As the daughter of Nottingham''s most famous falconer, she finds a new destiny in the hawks her father keeps. She begins to understand their thoughts and even speak their language. The beautiful merlin Marigold becomes Matty''s closest winged companion and her fiercest ally. It is a treacherous time in England. The sheriff of Nottingham is rising to power, and a true king has been kidnapped. Determined to fight, Matty''s friend Fynn becomes Robin Hood. As Maid Marian, Matty joins Fynn and his Merry Men, famously robbing from the rich to give to the poor. You thought that you knew the legend, but this is the untold story. Bestselling author Kathryn Lasky soars to magnificent new heights here, giving us a bold tale of bravery and romance.

Thirteen-year-old Gabriella Schramm?s favorite pastime is reading. With Adolf Hitler slowly but unstoppably rising to power, Gaby turns to her books for comfort while the world around her changes dramatically: The streets become filled with soldiers, Gaby?s sister?s boyfriend raises his arm in a heil Hitler salute, and the Schramms? family friend Albert Einstein flees the country. When Gaby?s beloved books come under attack, she fears she may have to leave behind the fiction?and the life?she has always cherished.