New Releases by Sigmund Brouwer

Key selling points: A cunning, ethical and savvy teen boy finds himself tricked into a houseboat burglary and in hot water with a crime boss in this action-packed "reluctant detective" story for teens that is set in cottage country and reminiscent of the Alex Rider and Jack Reacher storylines. This book offers a glimpse into the life of a military kid, as Jake’s mother had served with the armed forces and is getting treatment for her PTSD. The manuscript was reviewed by retired master corporal Natalie Forcier, who was a medical technician in the Canadian Armed Forces. Sigmund Brouwer is the award-winning author of over 100 books for young readers, and he has written many hi-lo novels, including Trapped (Orca Anchor), Escalate (Orca Soundings) and Wired (Orca Currents).

Is a puppy more important than a science project? Charlie knows how to make his group science project an organized success. But his best friend, Amy, would rather it be fun and gross. And their other partner, Jenna, is too worried about why her puppy keeps attacking her mom to think about their project at all. Charlie and Amy want to help Jenna, but what they don’t realize is that the puppy isn’t trying to hurt anyone: he’s trying to save someone! Can the kids figure out what he’s trying to tell them before it’s too late and will Charlie ever get their project back on track?

The classic survival story gets a prehistoric twist in this gripping middle-grade adventure featuring a boy and his sabre tooth tiger cub, perfect for fans of Hatchet. Part survival story, part animal-human friendship story and part redemption story, Clan follows the journey of Atlatl and the saber tooth cub he rescues from a dire wolf attack. Injured as a child, Atlatl dreams of one day earning his father''s respect as a hunter. But when Atlatl brings the young saber tooth to his Clan, it leads to a devastating moment of torn loyalties between Atlatl and his father--a moment that will change their lives forever. Then an epic disaster strikes, and suddenly Atlatl has to rely on wits, ingenuity and bravery to face his biggest foe yet and try to save what remains of his Clan.

A unique look at the successful — though nearly disastrous — Apollo 11 moon landing! In a riveting narrative told from the astronauts’ points of view, readers get to relive every step of Apollo 11’s 1969 mission — from ignition to moon walk to splashdown — including the nail-biting (and relatively unknown) crucial moments when it came close to failure. And, setting this book apart, each step is linked to the innovations and discoveries from the past four centuries that made it possible. It’s a fascinating new perspective on an epic journey — and how STEM set it in motion! Readers better fasten their seat belts, they’re in for the ride of a lifetime!

This collection bundles together all 3 of the thrilling Roman historical novels by Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer into one e-book for a great value! #1: The Last Disciple First-century Rome is a perilous city as Nero stalks the political circles and huddled groups of believers. To be safe, Christians must remain invisible. Gallus Sergius Vitas is the only man within Nero''s trusted circle willing to do what it takes to keep the empire together. He struggles to lessen Nero''s monstrosities against the people of Rome—especially the Christians. But as three Greek letters are scrawled as graffiti throughout the city, Nero''s anger grows. As the early church begins to experience the turbulence Christ prophesied as the beginning of the last days, an enemy seeks to find John''s letter, Revelation, and destroy it. Meanwhile the early Christians must decipher it and cling to the hope it provides as they face the greatest of all persecutions. #2: The Last Sacrifice Helius, Nero''s most trusted adviser, anticipates the death of his sworn enemy, the legendary warrior Gallus Sergius Vitas, scheduled to die a gruesome death in the arena. However, the badly beaten man who appears in the amphitheater is not who he seems. Rescued by a stranger and given a mysterious scroll, Vitas is told he must decipher this letter to find the answers he needs—a letter that Helius is also determined to decipher and to keep hidden from Nero. As Nero''s reign of terror grows, so does his circle of enemies. #3: The Last Temple Set in the turbulent years just before one of the most horrendous events in Jewish history, The Last Temple concludes the trilogy of The Last Disciple and The Last Sacrifice. Vitas is reunited with his wife and retires to Alexandria, determined to live a quiet, domestic life. But he can''t avoid the debts that he owes to the men who saved him, and he becomes a key figure in the plot to rid the empire of Nero. It sweeps him into the "year of four emperors," when the Roman Empire is nearly destroyed, and takes him back to Jerusalem as Titus lays siege to the great city. Only then, as the prophecy of Jesus begins to unfold, does Vitas discover the true mission set before him and the astounding conspiracy behind it.

A unique celebration of the important role animals play in war, and an insightful look at the taking of Vimy Ridge from the perspective of 3 men in a Canadian platoon. Never before have the stories of animal war heroes been collected in such a special way. This book consists of eight connected fictional stories about a Canadian platoon in WW1. The Storming Normans have help from some very memorable animals: we meet a dog who warns soldiers in the trench of a gas attack, a donkey whose stubbornness saves the day, a cat who saves soldiers from rat bites, and many more. Each story is followed by nonfiction sections that tell the true story of these animals from around the world and of the Canadian soldiers who took Vimy Ridge. Through the friendship that grows between three of these soldiers in particular, we get a close-up look at life in the trenches, the taking of Vimy Ridge, the bonds between soldiers and their animals and what it meant to be Canadian in WW1.

Fishing for barracuda from a kayak in the Florida Keys. That''s what Jim Webb thinks this resort vacation with his grandfather should be about. Except the dying resort owner holds the key to legend about a generations-old crime. A crime that is worth way too much to those who want the legend to be true. Webb soon discovers that what lurks in the sun, sand and shallow waters of the Keys is much more dangerous than a slashing game fish. And along the way, he learns an important truth about himself and his own past. In this exciting prequel to Devil’s Pass and Tin Soldier, the musically gifted and tenacious Webb finds himself caught in a dangerous mystery.

I reminded myself that once you start to defend someone, it’s difficult to find a place to stop. But I went ahead and took that first step anyway. . . For President Teddy Roosevelt, controlling the east-west passage between two oceans mattered so much that he orchestrated a revolution to control it. His command was to ‘let the dirt fly’ and for years, the American Zone of the Panama Canal mesmerized the world, working in uneasy co-existence with the Panamanian aristocrats. It’s in this buffered Zone where, in 1909, James Holt begins to protect a defenseless girl named Saffire, expecting a short and simple search for her mother. Instead it draws him away from safety, into a land haunted by a history of pirates, gold runners, and plantation owners, all leaving behind ghosts of their interwoven desires sins and ambitions, ghosts that create the web of deceit and intrigue of a new generation of revolutionary politics. It will also bring him together with a woman who will change his course—or bring an end to it. A love story set within a historical mystery, Saffire brings to life the most impressive-and embattled- engineering achievement of the twentieth-century.

Justine is back! She’s worried about what plastic is doing to the environment and to her classmates, so she sets out to ban bottled water school-wide. The only problem is, the new principal, Dr. Proctor, isn’t on board. Justine will have to convince him and persuade her classmates if Project Bottle Throttle is going to succeed! Justine McKeen, Bottle Throttle is the seventh book in the popular Justine McKeen series.

Jace has taken up boxing on the wrong side of the tracks as he prepares to seek vengeance on his abusive father with two other teen vigilantes in this fast-paced entry in the Retribution trilogy.

William King and Blake Watt have just settled into their senior year of high school when they receive a call for help—the authorities need to use their computer skills to track down a father who has failed to make child-support payments. The invitation to become cyber bounty hunters is so tempting, they don''t stop to ask why they were chosen for this assignment. As they learn more about the man they are searching for, they discover the true nature of their mission—to help the founder of a Seattle-based software company prove that he is innocent of a much different charge. But the scariest things they learn are why they were chosen and why they were supposed to remain in the background. You''ll love following the surprising twists and turns in this fast-paced young-adult thriller from a gifted storyteller who has nearly three million books in print.

In the sixth installment of the Justine McKeen, Queen of Green series, Justine is faced with the challenge of convincing the Queen of Mean that being environmentally conscious is worthwhile.

A boy coming of age in a time of war…the love that inspires him to survive. For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, a life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942. When the Japanese Imperialist army invades the Southeast Pacific, and his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings. But he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about his frail, troubled mother—a woman he barely knows. Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap his father and brothers left behind. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength. When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God’s light and grace, shining through his people. Time and war will test their fortitude and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.

Sigmund Brouwer, with nearly three million books in print, will have thrill seekers of all ages on the edge of their seats with this captivating young adult novel. When a teen boy receives a written warning from his friend to avoid his church and leave his remote island town immediately, he’s terrified—his friend died weeks ago! He knows danger is up ahead when he realizes that his friend’s dead man’s switch computer program has been activated. Unsure who to trust, he sets out alone to unravel a dark conspiracy. Soon, the seeker soon becomes the hunted in an unknown wilderness. The only hope for escape is a trigger-happy hermit—a man with his own secrets to hide. Fiction fans who love a great mystery and the quest for justice will talk about and think about this book long after the last chapter is read.

Justine McKeen, the Queen of Green is ready for her third adventure! Justine McKeen talks a little too much, bosses a little too much, and tells the truth, just not all at once. She''s trying to save the planet, one person at a time, and when she decides to get something done, it''s a lot of fun. In Justine McKeen, Pooper Scooper, the third book in the Justine McKeen series, Justine gets her friends to help her clean up the dog poop in the park across from the school board''s offices in an effort to get the attention of the superintendent of schools. She hopes the efforts of her crew of cheerful pooper scoopers will help get the superintendent to see that bringing their school librarian back to work is the right thing to do. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Seventeen-year-old Webb''s abusive stepfather has made it impossible for him to live at home, so Webb survives on the streets of Toronto by busking with his guitar and working as a dishwasher. When Webb''s grandfather dies, his will stipulates that his grandsons fulfill specific requests. Webb''s task takes him to the Canol Trail in Canada''s Far North, where he finds out that there are much scarier things than the cold and the occasional grizzly bear. With an Indigenous guide, two German tourists and his guitar for company, Webb is forced to confront terrible events in his grandfather''s past and somehow deal with the pain and confusion of his own life. Webb''s adventures start in Barracuda, part of The Seven Prequels and continue in Tin Soldier, part of The Seven Sequels.

Set in an experimental community on Mars in the year 2039, the Robot Wars series features 14-year-old virtual reality specialist Tyce Sanders. Life on the red planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. Tyce finds that the mysteries of the planet point to his greatest discovery—a new relationship with God. He talks about his growing faith and curiosity in a manner that kids can relate to. Each book contains two exciting adventures. In the first adventure of Double Cross, Tyce makes a startling discovery–one that could change life for everyone in the universe. That is, if Tyce lives to uncover the truth. In the second adventure, a deadly comet catapults toward Mars. Can Tyce figure out how to stop it before it destroys the colony? Robot Wars is a repackaged and updated version of Mars Diaries. There are now five books in the series; each book contains two stories. These new books contain a foreword about how far science has brought us.

Set at an experimental community on Mars in the year 2039-2040, Robot Wars features 14-year-old virtual reality specialist Tyce Sanders. Life on the Red Planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. As Tyce explores his strange surroundings, he finds that the mysteries of the planet point to his greatest discovery—a new relationship with God. He talks about his growing faith and curiosity in a manner that kids can relate to as they are probably wondering some of the same things. Book four, Counterattack, opens with Tyce and some of the Mars Project''s staff captured in a prison; they end up in prison while carrying out a special mission on Earth. Tyce has to figure out a way to fulfill their mission and rescue kids—all before a world war breaks out.

Set at an experimental community on Mars in the year 2039-2040, Robot Wars features 14-year-old virtual reality specialist Tyce Sanders. Life on the Red Planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. As Tyce explores his strange surroundings, he finds that the mysteries of the planet point to his greatest discovery—a new relationship with God. He talks about his growing faith and curiosity in a manner that kids can relate to as they are probably wondering some of the same things. In book three, Ambush, Tyce has to rescue his friend Director Rawlings and three other scientists who are trapped in a cave-in on Mars. He also has to uncover a devious plot that threatens to overtake the spaceship—just as they are nearing the end of their six-month journey from Mars to Earth.

Ian has been going to Key West every summer for years, helping his Uncle Gord at his dive shop and spending as much time as he can underwater. When he''s not scuba diving, he''s admiring Sherri, the girl who works at the dive shop, and wondering how she would feel if he told her that he tastes blackberries whenever he sees her. A series of accidents leads Ian to believe that his uncle is in grave danger, but the truth is more complicated and terrifying than he could ever have imagined. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

The disappearance of his soccer team''s leading scorer during the championship finals leads sixteen-year-old Matt to investigate and entangles him in a possible kidnapping. If the Mavericks win just a few more games, they''ll make it to the national soccer championship. There''s only one catch. Their star player, Caleb Riggins, has disappeared. Matt Carr is determined to find his teammate and solve the mystery. He just didn''t realize it would involve attack dogs, a mysterious golden bridge and a family who may not be who they seem. And the big game is only days away. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Lauren Cross is the first female player on a WHL team—goaltender Joseph Larken''s team, the Spokane Chiefs. For Joseph, the prospect of a season in the publicity shadow of a new female goalie promises to be a nightmare. Hiding behind a carefully built wall of anger, Joseph is relieved when a scandal knocks Lauren off the team...until he begins to believe she was framed.

Trenton Hiser is trying to walk in the footsteps of his uncle, Mike Hiser, a successful Hollywood director. During Trenton''s summer vacation, he goes with his uncle to film the inside story of Scarlet Thunder, a top-level stock-car racing team. As they film the action, too many things go wrong, deadly mistakes are made and Trenton finds out that much more than the race is at stake. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Left winger Nolan Andrews thinks it''s great that he can play hockey in Calgary, where his older brother, Nathan, is a star center for the Hitmen. When Nolan finds out that a lot of things about Nate''s new life in Calgary don''t make sense—or might not even be legal—Nolan has to make some difficult choices that will affect him and his brother for the rest of their lives. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Josh is afraid of what will happen if he gets involved. As he learns more, he''s afraid of what will happen if he doesn''t When Josh Ellroy, left-winger for the Kamloops Blazers, and his dad find more than a dozen dead cattle on the family ranch, Josh has some serious decisions to make. On one hand, the Western Hockey League playoffs are ahead, plus a chance to play in the National Hockey League. On the other hand, there''s a beautiful and interesting girl who believes more prize bulls will be killed. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

It''s the All-Star team, made up of the WHL''s young hockey players, just one short step away from the NHL. Their goal is to beat the Russian All-Stars in a best-of-seven series to be shown as a television special. Hog Burnell, one of the biggest and toughest players in the league, is happy to be part of it. He could use the money that would come with a series win by the WHL All-Stars. At the very worst, it''s a free vacation to Russia. It doesn''t take Hog long to discover there''s plenty more money to be made along the way...if he''s willing to pay the price for it. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Ray Hockaday plays center for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League. Ray has spent his hockey career hiding something from the world. When his new Russian room-mate shows up, Ray is assigned to help Vlad get used to life in Canada. What Ray doesn''t know is that Vlad is also hiding something. And that secret could get both of them killed. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Key Selling Points The author has written many hi-lo novels for striving readers and knows how to keep the audience riveted. Enhanced features (dyslexia-friendly font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.

In 1351, Raphael, a jester at the papal court in Avignon, France, is falsely accused of trying to kill the reigning Pope Clement VI and, with the help of his guardian angel, must decide whether to trust a beautiful English girl who may or may not be partof the assassination plot.

Previously published as "The Carpenter''s Cloth," this repackaged edition makes a perfect Easter gift, baptismal present, or tonic for someone who needs to experience again the wonder of Christ''s sacrifice.