Rooting for Rafael Rosales


Book Description

STARRED REVIEW! "Scaletta deftly weaves worry, optimism, and determination together...The tight focus on the emotional lives of his protagonists in these connecting narratives inspires genuine feeling for each. Full of heart and hope."—Kirkus Reviews starred review Maya is worried about the fate of the world—especially the bee population—but she finds new hope when she starts to follow the career of a baseball player from the Dominican Republic named Rafael Rosales, who years before struggled to pursue his own dreams. Rafael has dreams to someday play Major League Baseball. Maya has worries, especially about the bees that are dying all over the world. Follow Rafael and Maya in a story that shifts back and forth in time and place, from Minnesota to the Dominican Republic. In their own ways, Maya and Rafael search for hope, face difficult choices, and learn a secret—the same secret—that forever changes how they see the world.




Mamba Point


Book Description

After moving with his family to Liberia, twelve-year-old Linus discovers that he and the deadly black mamba have a mystical connection, which he is told will give him some of the snake's characteristics.







MARATHON BUCKET LIST


Book Description

In this his fifth book in his "Marathon Tourism" series Jim provides a runner's guide to 30 overseas marathons that he has plans to run. Included, among others, are comprehensive descriptions of such exotic marathons as those in: Honolulu, Bahamas, Great Wall of China, Siberia, Rio de Janeiro, Comrades and Niagara Falls. This is a must-read book for all runners who enjoy combining their love of running with a love of travel.













The Winter of the Robots


Book Description

Seven feet of snow, four science-fair nerds, one creepy junkyard. Get ready for the ultimate robot battle. Jim is tired of being the sidekick to his scientific genius, robot-obsessed, best friend Oliver. So this winter, when it comes time to choose partners for the science fair, Jim dumps Oliver and teams up with a girl instead. Rocky has spotted wild otters down by the river, and her idea is to study them. But what they discover is bigger—and much more menacing—than fuzzy otters: a hidden junkyard on abandoned Half Street. And as desolate as it may seem, there's something living in the junkyard. Something that won't be contained for long by the rusty fences and mounds of snow. Can Jim and Rocky—along with Oliver and his new science-fair partner—put aside their rivalry and unite their robot-building skills? Whatever is lurking on Half Street is about to meet its match.