Best Selling Books by Rodman Philbrick

Eleven-year-old Roy lets himself find a loving family and a new home on the horse ranch which he and his older half-brother happen to come upon.

A companion to Newbery Honor winning author Rodman Philbrick''s Freak the Mighty. This is the dramatic, heart-wrenching tale of Max and Worm, two outsiders who turn to each other for survival. Meet Maxwell Kane, the brooding giant-of-a-boy who escaped from his basement hiding place and faced the real world in FREAK THE MIGHTY.Still grieving over the loss of his best friend, Kevin, Max finds himself defending a young, solitary girl cruelly nicknamed "Worm" because she loves to read so much.When Max gets blamed for a horrific crime, he and Worm are forced to run for their lives. They flee across America -- hunted by the police, and pursued by the mysterious man known as the Undertaker. The only way they can survive is to confront Worm''s darkest and most revealing secret. And that means facing something more frightening than death itself.

After an earthquake has destroyed much of the planet, an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the Earth of a distant future.

After his mother''s death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a huge bluefin tuna.

Where anything is real, and everything is about to disappear... Arthur''s mom tried hard, but sometimes she had no idea what her son was thinking, or why the only thing that made him happy was food, more food. Endless supplies of food, glorious food. "Did you have a nice birthday, dear?" she asked. "Was the cake big enough?" But Arthur didn''t answer because he wasn''t listening. He was thinking about his new miracle weight-loss device. If only it would work! If only he really could go to sleep fat and wake up thin! On the way out of the kitchen, Arthur snagged eleven Oreo cookies and slipped them into his overu00adsized pockets. Just for luck. Then he headed down the cellar stairs into the deep, dark basement. And his life, and the world, and the universe would never be the same again. Award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick challenges the boundaries of time and place in this exciting fantasy. "Harry Potter fans will recognize the misfit hero in a strange, new world." - Booklist Philbrick’s children''s book Freak the Mighty was the basis of a Golden Globe-nominated Sharon Stone movie titled simply The Mighty.

In this page-turning adventure by Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick, a solar event knocks out our planet''s electricity, and a boy must risk his life to save his sick mother. What would you do if every spark of electricity suddenly vanished, as if somebody had flipped a switch on the entire planet? Cars won''t start, the heat shuts off, there''s no water in your faucet, and your radio, TV, and flashlight go dark. Everyone in Charlie''s small town is baffled. But as time passes, lawlessness erupts and takes an ugly turn. When the market and pharmacy are torched by an anti-Semitic arsonist, Charlie realizes his mother will die without her medicine. So he dons skis and heads off alone, seeking the nearest hospital. After traveling 50 miles through brutal ice and snow, Charlie encounters a burned-out, looted city of terrified citizens. Will he be able to save his mom?Heroic, eloquent, and unforgettable, The Big Dark raises timely questions about responsibility, tolerance, and love.

A vacation house has a terrifying past—one that only the children know about Jason, his little sister, Sally, and his parents plan to spend the summer in the perfect seaside vacation home. But as soon as Jason steps onto the porch, icy air grips him, and he feels the stare of an invisible being. Although he can''t explain it, he knows that in this house, children are not welcome. Jason soon meets Steve, a friendly kid who teases him about the so-called haunted house and the witch who used to live there. Jason tries to ignore him, but he''s pretty sure there''s truth to the spooky tale. Especially when he meets the pale figure of a child in the house . . . The Haunting is the first book of the chilling House on Cherry Street trilogy from prolific wife-and-husband coauthors Lynn Harnett and Rodman Philbrick, the Newbery Honor Award–winning author of Freak the Mighty.

Author Rodman Philbrick writing as Chris Jordan "...a single mother''s terrifying fight...will send chills up your spine." New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry I''ve seen pictures of guys like this, snipers or SWAT guys or whatever. Never expected to see one of them in my own house, a living nightmare perched on my favorite chair. No parent believes it can happen to them—their child taken from a suburban schoolyard in the gentle hours of dusk. But as widowed mother Kate Bickford discovers, everything can change in the blink of an eye. One minute her lanky, amazing, maddening Tommy is begging for ice cream. Then in a terrible instant, he''s gone. Opening the door to her Connecticut home, hoping to find her son, Kate comes face-to-face with her son''s abductor. He wants money. All she has. And if she doesn''t follow something he calls The Method, the consequences will be gruesome. Her comfortable life collapses as precious seconds tick by, and Kate is horrified to uncover the terrible, world-shattering secret she and her son share with a killer who will stop at nothing.... “Jordan''s full-throttle style makes this an emotionally rewarding thriller that moves like lightning."—Publishers Weekly

Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers straight into the nightmare of a raging wildfire as 12-year-old Sam is trapped by explosive flames and deadly smoke that threaten to take his life. Can he survive? Flames race toward Sam Castine''s summer camp as evacuation buses are loading, but Sam runs back to get his phone. Suddenly, a flash of heat blasts him as pine trees explode. Now a wall of fire separates Sam from his bus, and there''s only one thing to do: Run for his life. Run or die.Lungs burning, Sam''s only goal is to keep moving. Drought has made the forest a tinderbox, and Sam struggles to remember survival tricks he learned from his late father. Then, when he least expects it, he encounters Delphy, an older girl who is also lost. Their unlikely friendship grows as they join forces to find civilization.The pace never slows, and eventually flames surround Sam and Delphy on all sides. A powerful bond is forged that can only grow out of true hardship -- as two true friends beat all odds and outwit one of the deadliest fires ever.At the end of the novel, information about wildfires and useful safety tips add to the reader''s understanding of one of the US''s most dangerous natural disasters.

Freak the Mighty joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!It has been over twenty years -- and more than two million copies, eight foreign editions, and a popular Miramax feature film -- since the world was introduced to this powerful story of a unique friendship between a troubled, oversized boy and the tiny, physically challenged genius who proves that courage comes in all sizes. This simple yet timeless story explores many themes, including bullying -- an important topic in today''s schools. Freak the Mighty is sure to remain fresh, dramatic, and memorable for the next twenty years and beyond!

A Newbery Honor Book, this warm, funny, & heart-wrenching Civil War novel introduces readers to the Battle of Gettysburg & "Little Round Top," one of the most famous feats of bravery in U.S. history! In this emotive, Newbery Honor-winning page-turner, 12 year-old orphan Homer runs away from Pine Swamp, Maine, to find his older brother, Harold, who has been sold into the Union Army. With laugh-aloud humor, Homer outwits and outruns a colorful assortment of Civil War-era thieves, scallywags, and spies as he makes his way south, following clues that finally lead him to the Battle of Gettysburg and the dramatic story of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top. Even through a hail of gunfire, Homer never loses heart--but will he find his brother? Or will it be too late?With engaging wit and comical repartee reminiscent of Mark Twain, master storyteller Rodman Philbrick introduces us to the unforgettable character of Homer in this groundbreaking historical novel.The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

After his father, notorious sea captain Cash Coffin, locks himself in his room in the belief that a dark secret from his past has come back to destroy his family, Jebediah Coffin seeks the aid of his friend, Dr. Davis Bentwood.

Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers rushing down a raging river on a life-or-death adventure when a white water rafting trip goes terribly wrong! Daniel Redmayne is fast asleep on the first night of a white water rafting trip, when he''s awoken by screams. The dam has failed. The river is surging, and their camp will be under water in a matter of moments.As the shrieking roar of the river rushes closer, the kids scramble to higher ground. They make it; their counselors do not.Now they''re on their own, with barely any food or supplies, in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Do Daniel and his four classmates have what it takes to stay alive until they can get rescued? Alone in the wild, they forge powerful bonds -- but develop dangerous disagreements. If nature doesn''t break them, they might just destroy each other.This gripping survival story from the Newbery Honor author of Wildfire is filled with adrenaline-pumping adventure and moments of true bravery.

Another WILD adventure from Rodman Philbrick, author of Wildfireand Wild River. Wild Wave is the adventure of two kids trapped in the aftermath of a tsunami. It''s kids vs. nature in another edge-of-your seat read! When a tsunami heads for the coast, Nick Chase and Jess Hardy have to run. They make it into the woods above the bay--only to see the sea flooding their whole neighborhood along the shore. Destroying everything. In the broken landscape that''s left behind, the two must try to find their way to safety. But when they come across a stranded elderly couple, it''s up to Nick and Jess to work together and get help so that they can all make it out alive. This is another gripping environmental survival story from the Newbery Honor author of Wildfire and Wild River.

Can Nick and Frasier save Jessie from becoming the aliens'' next victim? Nick, Jessie, and Frasier are three ordinary kids with one extraordinary problem: Their parents'' brains have been taken over by aliens! The three thought they had beaten the extraterrestrials for good, but now they''re back and more terrifying than ever. All the adults in town are now mindless servants to the invaders, and the kids have no idea how to wake them up. It''s three twelve-year-olds against an army. When Jessie is kidnapped, Nick and Frasier will stop at nothing to save her before she becomes the newest slave. But how can they save Jessie when they can''t even save themselves? Nick and Frasier know that the aliens'' nest is hidden deep in Harley Hill—and once they go in, they may never come out.

Gruff fights the wereing to save himself and his human family More than anything, Gruff would like to be the human boy that his new family thinks he is. But he knows he will always have to fight the wereing—the transformation into full werewolf—to protect them from the evil that lurks in the shadows. But the werewolves aren''t just out to get Gruff—they plan to take over the entire town of Fox Hollow . . . and then move on to the next town, and the one after that, until they control the world. And these monsters have planned their first kill already—Gruff''s sister, Kim.

When Luke and Mandy start experiencing strange hallucinations and blackouts, they know something is seriously, out-of-this-world wrong Luke Ingram is on his way home one evening when the sky goes black and seems to swallow him whole—but four hours later he wakes up in his own room with no idea how he got there. And Luke isn''t the only one experiencing these strange occurrences. The last thing Mandy Durgin remembers before waking up on her front porch is falling asleep in her bed hours before. When their creepy classmate Quentin starts following them around and harassing them, Luke and Mandy realize Quentin may know more about their lost time than he''s letting on. They know something isn''t right, but what could possibly have caused them to black out at the same time? And why are they having the same terrifying hallucinations about cold operating tables and large, bug-like eyes? Mandy knows there has to be a rational explanation, but Luke isn''t so sure. Those faces in his visions were so . . . alien. Still, the thought of alien abductions is absurd. But when Luke and Mandy black out again the next night, Luke is ready to consider the possibility that their troubles might have an extraterrestrial cause.

When humans rescued the wolf-boy, they were unaware of the danger it would put them in Saved from the werewolves who want him to join them, Gruff is taken in by a family of normal humans. He is fond of Paul and his sister, Kim, remembering the kind of sibling bond he once had with the wolf pups. He tries to behave like a normal boy, eating with utensils and attending school, but he knows there are only a few weeks left before the next full moon and the change he''s bound to endure. Trying to resist the pull of the wereing—the transformation into full werewolf—Gruff must hide when the moon transforms him. But his change is not the only danger that lurks in the small town of Fox Hollow, a place full of people who don''t believe in monsters—even when the monsters lurk among them.

Ronnie Garrick, a wild but amazingly talented singer from rural Texas, takes it on the road, risking her heart, her voice, and her life, as she claws her way to the top.