New Releases by TONY ABBOTT

Perfect for fans of Gary D. Schmidt comes the companion to the modern classic Firegirl from acclaimed writer Tony Abbott. Life hasn''t been great for Jeff Hicks. After years at his beloved St. Catherine''s, he''s forced to spend eighth grade in the public middle school, which he hates. He''s no longer speaking to his former best friend, Tom Bender, because of "that burned girl" Jessica Feeney. But worst of all, his family is changing, and it''s not for the better. When his mom comes home announcing that she''s lost her job, Jeff begins to worry about things far beyond his years: How will they pay the rent? Will his absentee dad step up and save the day? Is his mom drinking too much? And ultimately, where will they live? The Great Jeff is a powerful look at the life of a troubled boy who finds his life spiraling out of control.

Written by award-winning author Tony Abbott and perfect for fans of The Ethan I Was Before and The Thing About Jellyfish, this bittersweet middle grade novel follows the ghost of Denis Egan as he teams up with his living twin brother to solve the mystery of his death. Denis Egan is dead. He’s okay with that. It’s been five years since he died, and the place where souls go is actually pretty nice. Sure, there are some things about his life and how it ended he can’t quite recall, but that’s how it’s supposed to be. Remembering could prevent Denis from moving on to whatever’s next. However, something is standing in his way. His twin brother Matt can’t let go of him, and as long as the living are holding on to his memory, Denis can’t rest in peace. To uncover the truth about what happened that day five years before, Denis returns to his hometown and teams up with Matt. But visiting for too long has painful consequences for Denis, and Matt’s renewed interest in his brother’s passing is driving a wedge between his still-grieving parents. Can the two boys solve the mystery of Denis’s death without breaking apart the family he’s left behind?

A gripping middle-grade novel from an award-winning author about a boy who must figure out how to save his best friend from abuse.

This concluding book in bestselling author Tony Abbott’s critically acclaimed middle grade adventure series is a mile-a-minute thrill ride. Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Ridley Pearson. “Upon my life, I will.” Across the centuries, every Guardian who has protected one of the twelve relics of the Copernicus legacy has taken this vow. But never have the consequences of the promise been more profound. The secret network of the great astronomer’s spies is the target of an assassination plot, led by the despicable Galina Krause. And now the Kaplans are more alone than ever before as they race from France to Antarctica against a deadly ticking clock. There is not much time left for Wade, Darrell, Lily, and Becca to find the remaining relics and defeat their enemies. But are they willing to risk the life of one of their own in order to save the world?

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Eric has been wounded during an epic battle with Ko and his beasts. Now, the young wizard lies in a coma, trapped in a dream-state halfway between fantasy and reality. Desperate to find a cure, Neal, Julie, and Princess Keeah rush to Samarindo, a beautiful but dangerous city famous for its dark magic. But they are immediately attacked by a group of bandits. Can the friends track down the cure before it''s too late?

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Eric and his friends are on a mission! They must uncover the meaning of the treasure of the Orkins: A silver snowflake that cannot melt. Together, the kids travel to the ice fields of northern Droon. But the journey is long and dangerous. The kids'' enemies are on their trail, and they''ll stop at nothing to get the treasure. . . .

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Everything in Droon is changing. Lord Sparr has disappeared. Ko and Gethwing have fled to the Dark Lands. And an old villain is back -- Ving, leader of the Hawk Bandits! This time, he has his twin sister in tow, along with her band of wicked pirates. Arrrg! They''re snatching magical stones from all over Droon, and using them to build an enchanted passageway that will transport nasty dragons from the past into the present. Can Eric and his friends put a stop to the pirates? Or will they be lost at sea?

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Eric, Julie, Neal, and Keeah are on a rescue mission! Galen, Max, King Zello, and Queen Relna are being held prisoner in the forbidding forest of Jabar-Loo, and it''s up to the kids to save them. But setting them free is easier said than done. For Jabar-Loo is a place of ancient, unfathomable magic, where even the closest friend can be mistaken for a deadly enemy. . . .

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! The home of Khan, king of the Lumpies, has been ransacked! A treacherous band of thieves, the Rat-faced Snitchers of Zoop, has stolen a mysterious treasure that the Lumpies had vowed to protect. Now Eric, Neal, Julie, and Keeah must pursue the Snitchers back to their hideaway on the edge of the Dark Lands. But they are not alone. For Ko, the kids'' most fearsome enemy, is after the treasure, too. Can Eric and his friends find it before the king of beasts?

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! It''s a dangerous time in Droon. A mysterious ancient sorcerer has arrived, waking the infamous Warriors of the Skorth and wreaking havoc. He seems to be an expert in the most evil, long-ago magic, and leads Eric and his friends on a treacherous journey to the Dark Lands. But what awaits them there? And what is the mysterious sorcerer really after? Eric hopes that it''s not too late to find out -- and stop him.

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! There''s no place like home! Eric and his friends have finally restored the Rainbow Stairs, but that was the easy part. Now Gethwing is loose in the Upper World, and the Moon Dragon is causing big trouble. Eric, Julie, and Neal have to protect their town, but they''re up against mysterious creatures, strangely-behaving parents, and powerful magic. Can the kids stop Gethwing before he destroys the Upper World -- for good?

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Ko''s beasts have taken over Doobesh, a dangerous city full of thieves and pirates. Now they''re hard at work at the magical forge in the nearby Dark Lands, creating powerful armor that will make them unstoppable. That is, unless Eric and his friends destroy the armor first. The race is on! Can the kids beat the beasts, flatten the forge, and dash out of the Dark Lands in time? On your mark . . . get set . . . GO!

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Neal, Julie, and Keeah are on a quest to find the wizard Galen and his all-powerful Moon Medallion. But this is no ordinary mission, for the Moon Medallion is hidden in no ordinary place. It''s somewhere in Ut, a magical city in a bottle that only appears once every one hundred years.Fortunately, as a genie, Neal can travel through time. But he''ll need a little help from his fellow genies to find the Medallion. To prove himself, he must complete seven difficult trials. Will he pass the genies'' test in time to save Galen?

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! The city of Ut is a city of secrets. Mysteriously, it only appears once every one hundred years. And to enter, you need the key, which is kept in the magical bottle of Ut. Eric, Keeah, and the others need to get inside the city to help a friend. The good genie, Hoja, is being held prisoner there, and he needs rescuing! They have discovered the secret of the magic bottle, and so they know they can get inside the city walls. But what they don''t know is that Ut holds other secrets. Dark, dangerous secrets. Secrets that involve a certain sorcerer named Sparr...

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Has Eric gone bad for good? The young wizard has joined forces with the villainous Moon Dragon, Gethwing, to seek out a magical artifact that will give them untold power.Keeah, Julie, Neal, Galen, and Max know they need to do whatever it takes to stop Eric and Gethwing-- even if it means putting their old friend in harm''s way.But Gethwing is planning something more terrifying than even Galen can predict. And with Eric at his side, he may be unstoppable. . .

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Eric and his friends have faced off against Lord Sparr time and time again. They''ve befriended him as Kid Sparr and battled him as an ancient sorcerer. Now the Lord Sparr they know so well is back at the height of his power. And this time, he''s telling his own story.

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Cats don''t bark. They meow. Or at least they did before Eric used Droonian magic in the Upper World. When he cast a spell with the wand of Urik, everything got messed up - now weird stuff, like barking cats, are all over!Eric and his friends hurry down the magic staircase only to find more trouble. Earthquakes have rocked Droon; and Galen''s under a nasty spell. Time for some back-up! The brave Knights of Silversnow could help, but they''re in a deep sleep in the Ice Hills. The knights have the power to make things right again, but only if the wand of Urik has the power to wake them up.

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Lord Sparr is back... and meaner than ever! This time, he is in search of the Coiled Viper, an ancient magical object of unknown, incredible power. Princess Keeah and her Upper World friends - Eric, Neal, and Julie - know they have to stop Sparr from uncovering the Viper. But there''s one little catch. The Viper can''t be found in Droon... because it''s hidden somewhere in the Upper World!

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! A new villain is running wild in Droon. Princess Salamandra is on a hunt for the flying Dragon Ship. Eric, Neal, and Julie must find it first, before Salamandra uses it to it try and take over the world! Only problem is that the ship is in pieces, and they are hidden in different places throughout Droon. It''s a scavenger hunt like no other - because magic can be found around every corner....

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! The sea witch Demither is stirring up a storm in Droon. Keeah has to stop her! This mission could make or break Keeah''s wizard training. And Eric, Neal and Julie think they can help their friend. But many surprises await them in Demither''s underwater world-and many secrets will be revealed.

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! When the Turtle City of Droon vanished, all that remained was the Ruby Orb of Doobesh. Spar''s powerful, magical red orb. Nobody knew then what evil the mysterious object held-but they are about to find out. Soon after Eric, Neal and Julie return to Droon, Max becomes a prisoner of the evil charm, and is whisked far away. Galen and Keeah are intent on finding him, and of course the kids want to help their friends. But to find the Ruby Orb, they must first locate its companion, the blue Sapphire Star. And that search will take them far out onto the wild sea in a epic voyage aboard the Jaffa Wind. A voyage that could only happen in the magical world of Droon.

Filled with pulse-pounding action and cryptic codes, The Golden Vendetta is the third engrossing book in bestselling author Tony Abbott''s cloak-and-dagger series for young readers. Fans of Rick Riordan and Ridley Pearson will love this adventurous series. It''s been two months since the Kaplan family hunted down the Serpens relic, but when the evil Galina Krause suddenly and violently reappears, Wade, Darrell, Lily, and Becca have no choice but to face her again. Now they must race to find an artifact said to be crafted by Leonardo da Vinci himself—perhaps the strangest Guardian of all. Along the way, they uncover another layer to Galina''s sinister endgame . . . and there might not be enough time to stop it. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Oops! Julie made a big mistake when she brought a bracelet home from Droon. Now she''s upset the balance between worlds-and strange things are starting to happen. Eric''s dad has disappeared into Droon. And Lord Sparr himself might march into Eric''s basement with the help of his Golden Wasp!

A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon! Lord Sparr has found a new weapon to use against the city of Droon. He''s woken up a mean old giant that will now obey his every command! It''s a good thing Eric, Julie, and Neal are around to help their friends try to stop Lord Sparr. It''s a giant job, but somebody''s got to do it!

Bestselling author Tony Abbott returns with the next full-length book in the Copernicus Legacy series, a globe-trotting adventure packed with more riddles, puzzles, and secret histories. The hunt for Copernicus''s first relic sent Wade, Darrell, Lily, and Becca to the far reaches of the world and put them in serious danger. But they never imagined Sara Kaplan—Darrell and Wade''s mother—would be kidnapped by the conniving Galina Krause. Now they must race the evil Teutonic Order to find the Serpens relic and rescue Sara before it''s too late. Fans of Rick Riordan and Ridley Pearson will love this epic series, which is filled with suspense and action. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts With their mom’s life on the line, can the cousins solve the riddles before the Teutonic Order closes in? Globe-Trotting Adventure: Join Wade, Darrell, Lily, and Becca as their desperate search for the Serpens relic takes them from New York City to the dangerous streets of Europe. Riddles and Puzzles: A new set of mind-bending puzzles and coded messages stand between the kids and the next artifact. High-Stakes Relic Hunt: The race is on to find the next piece of Copernicus’s legendary time machine, but the evil Teutonic Order is always one step behind. Family and Friendship: With their mom, Sara, held captive, the cousins must rely on each other and their wits to bring her home safely.

The quest for the relics continues. Travel deeper into the mysterious world of the Copernicus Legacy with the Copernicus Archives: exciting, fast-paced novellas that get you close to the characters and the heart of this action & adventure for kids. Wade and the Scorpion’s Claw picks up right where The Copernicus Legacy: The Forbidden Stone left off, with the Kaplan family seeking the next Copernicus relic. Now Wade, the curious, analytical, yet starry-eyed member of the group, leads the chase for another of the ancient relics through the busy streets of San Francisco while on the run from one of Galina Krause’s most treacherous henchmen in a thrilling tale full of puzzles and riddles. Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Ridley Pearson, Wade and the Scorpion’s Claw continues the thrilling Copernicus Legacy quest and brings one of the characters into the spotlight. Supports the Common Core State Standards With a ruthless new enemy on his trail and a deadly secret hiding in plain sight, can Wade solve the puzzle before it’s too late? Secret Society Adventure: Wade Kaplan must face off against the treacherous Teutonic Order to protect his family and a powerful secret. Fast-Paced Novella: A quick, thrilling read that drops you right back into the world of the Copernicus Legacy, perfect for fans of the main series. San Francisco Setting: From the crowded airport terminals to the mysterious docks of Sausalito, the chase for the next relic unfolds across the iconic city. Historical Mystery: Uncover clues left behind centuries ago by the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus in a high-stakes quest that blends past and present.

Two reluctant readers and mischievous middle schoolers get transported into Bram Stoker''s vampire classic in this "lighthearted spoof" ( Publishers Weekly). Devin and Frankie—short for Francine—may be the best of friends, but they aren''t the best of students. After they''re busted for not reading Bram Stoker''s Dracula, their teacher sends them to the library to make amends by mending books. When they accidentally toss an ancient copy of the horror classic through the library''s broken metal detector, a huge crack opens in the wall—and sucks Devin and Frankie right into the novel itself. Now these sarcastic sixth graders will need a few stakes, a lot of garlic, and a sharp sense of humor to defeat the bloodthirsty count. In this first book in Tony Abbott''s Cracked Classics series, "Devin and Frankie are wisecracking underachievers and their characterizations and dialogue ring true. Abbott adroitly blends the language in Stoker''s tale with their conversations, resulting in laugh-out-loud scenes" ( School Library Journal).

Sixth graders Devin and Frankie try to save star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet when they''re magically transported into Shakespeare''s classic play. When their teacher assigns Devin and Frankie—short for Francine—the lead roles in their class production of Romeo and Juliet, the two best friends aren''t thrilled. How are they supposed to say their lines when they don''t even sound like they were written in English? Luckily, the library''s magic security gates come to their rescue again, and they leap into Shakespeare''s famous tragedy. Unfortunately, they land right in the middle of a sword fight between two warring families, the Montagues and the Capulets. When they find out that Romeo Montague has fallen in love with Juliet Capulet, Devin and Frankie decide it''s up to them to make sure this unlikely couple lives happily ever after. But can they change the book''s tragic end and save the young lovers from their fate? "The message that reading is important and can be fun comes through loud and clear," writes School Library Journal about the Cracked Classics series. "The short chapters make this an ideal read-aloud and a treat for reluctant readers."

"This affectionate if somewhat irreverent homage would probably win a chuckle from Twain himself" as pals tumble into Tom Sawyer ( School Library Journal). Sixth graders Devin and Frankie—short for Francine—are the greatest goof-offs in the history of their school. When their teacher tells them to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they skip it. When there''s a surprise test on the novel, they hide. But when they accidentally drop the school''s prized Mark Twain autograph through the library''s magic metal detector, they find themselves transported to the world of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Soon these modern middle schoolers learn that being a troublemaker is timeless, as they whitewash a fence, run away from home, solve a murder mystery, become pirates, and search for hidden treasure along with Tom and Huck, the original slackers. "Reminiscent of Mary Pope Osborne''s ''Magic Tree House'' series, but for an older audience," the second book in Tony Abbott''s Cracked Classics series is a perfect introduction to Mark Twain for reluctant readers ( School Library Journal).

All Jeff wanted was a part in the school play, but now he has to be a real hero . . . It''s hard to be a normal kid in the Weird Zone! Jeff Ryan wants to play the Wizard in his school''s outer-space version of The Wizard of Oz. To help with his audition, Jeff plans to bring his favorite childhood toy: a Cosmic Boy Space Helmet. But the Weird Zone seems to have other plans. On Jeff''s way to school, a strange man with an even stranger face blasts him with an X-ray, and Jeff''s Cosmic Boy helmet gets stuck on his head. He soon discovers that the man is actually an alien who plans to take over the world with his own mind-controlling Mezmo Head helmet! But the alien is not the only one with a supernatural weapon. Jeff''s helmet gives him amazing powers, and now Cosmic Boy must save the world!