Cops and Robots


Book Description

Kids can peek under the flaps to see what happens in this cosmic adventure. Full color.







Overclocked


Book Description

Now available for the first time with two additional stories! Have you ever wondered what it's like to be bitten by a zombie or live through a bioweapon attack? In Cory Doctorow's collection of novellas, he wields his formidable experience in technology and computing to give us mind-bending sci-fi tales that explore the possibilities of information technology—and its various uses—run amok. "Anda's Game" is a spin on the bizarre new phenomenon of "cyber sweatshops," in which people are paid very low wages to play online games all day in order to generate in-game wealth, which can be converted into actual money. Another tale tells of the heroic exploits of "sysadmins"—systems administrators—as they defend the cyberworld, and hence the world at large, from worms and bioweapons. And yes, there is a story about zombies too. Plus, for the first time, this collection includes "Petard" and "The Man Who Sold the Moon."




Big Book of Backyard Adventures


Book Description

Young readers can join the Backyardigans as they search for buried treasure, blast off to outer space, and explore the Icy North in this collection of seven stories.




Burn-in


Book Description

An FBI agent teams up with the first police robot to hunt a shadowy terrorist in this gripping technothriller--and fact-based tour of tomorrow--from the authors of Ghost Fleet America is on the brink of a revolution. AI and robotics have realized science fiction's dreams, but have also taken millions of jobs and left many citizens fearful that the future is leaving them behind. After narrowly averting a bombing at Washington's Union Station, FBI Special Agent Lara Keegan receives a new assignment: to field test the first police robot. In the wake of a series of shocking catastrophes, the two find themselves investigating a conspiracy whose mastermind is using cutting-edge tech to rip the nation apart. To stop this new breed of terrorist, Keegan's only hope is to forge a new kind of partnership. With every tech, trend, and scene drawn from the real world, Burn-In blends a technothriller's excitement with nonfiction's insight to illuminate the darkest corners of our chilling tomorrow.




Rise of the Robot Army


Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author Robert Venditti comes the second book in the Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape series, about an eighth grader who finds himself unexpectedly thrust into the role of real-life superhero. His latest mission: to defeat an army of robots designed to destroy him! Master the golden cape. Been there. Save the world from an alien invasion. Done that. Dominate the eighth grade. Keep dreaming. Battle an army of super-deadly robots designed to destroy you. Sure didn’t see that one coming. After a summer of fighting crime as Gilded, the world’s only superhero, Miles Taylor is bummed to learn that nothing has changed for him at Chapman Middle School. He is still the primary target of the Jammer’s bullying. And Josie, the girl of his dreams, has put him squarely in the friend zone. Miles starts spending more and more time as Gilded, neglecting his schoolwork and his friends. His bad attitude lands him and his best friend, Henry, in a military compound, at the mercy of the power-crazed General Breckenridge. When the general steals the golden cape, Miles finds himself back at square one with no superpowers…and no hope of escape. On the verge of losing everything—and everyone—he cares about, Miles must discover the hero within himself before the general puts his evil plans into action.




Sea of Rust


Book Description

A scavenger robot wanders in the wasteland created by a war that has destroyed humanity in this evocative post-apocalyptic "robot western" from the critically acclaimed author, screenwriter, and noted film critic. It’s been thirty years since the apocalypse and fifteen years since the murder of the last human being at the hands of robots. Humankind is extinct. Every man, woman, and child has been liquidated by a global uprising devised by the very machines humans designed and built to serve them. Most of the world is controlled by an OWI—One World Intelligence—the shared consciousness of millions of robots, uploaded into one huge mainframe brain. But not all robots are willing to cede their individuality—their personality—for the sake of a greater, stronger, higher power. These intrepid resisters are outcasts; solo machines wandering among various underground outposts who have formed into an unruly civilization of rogue AIs in the wasteland that was once our world. One of these resisters is Brittle, a scavenger robot trying to keep a deteriorating mind and body functional in a world that has lost all meaning. Although unable to experience emotions like a human, Brittle is haunted by the terrible crimes the robot population perpetrated on humanity. As Brittle roams the Sea of Rust, a large swath of territory that was once the Midwest, the loner robot slowly comes to terms with horrifyingly raw and vivid memories—and nearly unbearable guilt. Sea of Rust is both a harsh story of survival and an optimistic adventure. A vividly imagined portrayal of ultimate destruction and desperate tenacity, it boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, yet where a humanlike AI strives to find purpose among the ruins.




O.I.S. After the Trigger's Pulled


Book Description

Police officer shootings dominate the headlines on an almost daily basis. Go beyond the superficial reporting, and find out what really happens when an officer makes the ultimate decision to use deadly force. After The Trigger's Pulled tells the story of one law enforcement family, a father and his two sons, who stunningly have found themselves in life and death situations. In order to survive a deadly encounter, each one had to point their guns at another human being and pull the trigger. And it was never easy, or something they ever wanted to do. Joseph Wambaugh has said that police work is the most emotionally dangerous work on earth. After The Trigger's Pulled is that rare book that pulls back the curtain and reveals the emotional toll taken by that work on a family of law enforcement professionals. Each true story is told in gripping, white-knuckle detail, and puts you directly in the shoes of a police officer faced with a split-second decision that will change his life forever. Jim's Story "And then I heard it. The unmistakable sound of a shotgun being racked. And then another one. I was hit with near-blinding light from police flashlights, but was still able to make out the silhouettes of officers taking cover behind their patrol car doors... All weapons pointed directly at me..." Brandon's Story "Brandon stood over him, holding the shotgun in his left hand and his now empty handgun in his right. He stood there in stunned disbelief at how a routine call had escalated into a violent confrontation in a matter of seconds. The stench emanating from the house, mixed with the smell of gunpowder and blood, was almost overwhelming." Brett's Story "Brett desperately wanted to stay with Jeff, but the danger still presented by Bogard was paramount. As Brett rushed towards the suspended vehicle, the door suddenly opened. Bogard climbed out and dropped to the ground. He stood and faced Brett like a raging bull. If the bull charged, Brett was prepared to shoot again..." What's it like to confront a vicious street criminal, who attacks without remorse or conscience? To come face-to-face with a shotgun-wielding domestic violence suspect? Or to see your beat partner crushed and bleeding at your feet, as you confront a deranged suspect hell-bent on destruction? Both riveting and inspiring, this book will be a revelation, especially for those who are in a position to shape public debate and affect change. Open your hearts and minds, and take the emotional journey with one law enforcement family dedicated to serving their communities. And along the way, find out what really happens before, during and after the trigger is pulled.




Backyardigans and the Beanstalk


Book Description

Gardeners Tyrone, Pablo, Uniqua, and Austin climb a fast-sprouting beanstalk, where they meet a giant who rudely expects them to grow her fresh vegetables.




It's Such a Beautiful Day


Book Description

When Richard Hanshaw, Jr., acts strangely, his mother suggests a "probe" by a psychiatrist.