Korman, Gordon

No More Dead Dogs

Nobody understands Wallace Wallace. This reluctant school football hero has been suspended from the team for writing an unfavorable book report of Old Shep, My Pal. But Wallace won't tell a lie-he hated every minute of the book! Why does the dog in every classic novel have to croak at the end? After refusing to do a rewrite, his English teacher, who happens to be directing the school play Old Shep, My Pal, forces him go to the rehearsals as punishment. Although Wallace doesn't change his mind, he does end up changing the play into a rock-and-roll rendition, complete with Rollerblades and a moped!

Swindle

After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle's compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way -- a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their general inability to drive -- but Griffin and his team are going to get back what's rightfully his . . . even if hijinks ensue.

This is Gordon Korman at his crowd-pleasing best, perfect for readers who like to hoot, howl, and heist.

Son of the Mob

Vince Luca, 17, has a problem. His wealthy family runs the, uh, vending machine business in New York, and Vince is determined not to be part of it. Especially after a hot date is ruined when he finds that his older brother Tommy has conducted some business with Jimmy the Rat and hidden the messy and temporarily unconscious body in the trunk of Vince's car. His dad, the King of the Mob, is reasonable, sensible, lots of fun, gives great presents to his kids--and his name strikes the hearts of other mobsters to stone.

Although Vince keeps a low profile at school, his family connection brings him unwanted advantages, like the birthday Porsche that gets him arrested on stolen vehicle charges, or the football game in which he makes touchdown after touchdown because word has gotten around and nobody is willing to tackle him. Even private conversations at home have to be carried on in the basement because the FBI has bugged the house and an agent is always listening. Vince's life is inextricably tangled up with the family business, no matter how hard he tries to stay out of it. How can he show them he's serious? Then he meets Kendra, and when she innocently reveals that her father's an FBI agent--that FBI agent--it's a match made in heaven. He thinks.

Gordon Korman, author of (No More Dead Dogs) and over 30 other witty YA novels, is at his best in this Sopranos-style spoof about a teen's home life with the Mob. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Vince Luca is just like any other high school guy. His best friend, Alex, is trying to score vicariously through him; his brother is a giant pain; and his father keeps bugging him to get motivated. There is just one thing that really sets him apart for other kidsæhis father happens to be the head of a powerful crime organization. Needless to say, while Vince's family's connections can be handy for certain things-like when teachers are afraid to give him a bad grade as they can put a serious crimp in his dating life. How is he supposed to explain to a girl what his father does for a living? But when Vince finally meets one who seems to be worth the trouble, her family turns out to be the biggest problem of all. Because her father is an FBI agent-the one who wants to put his father away for good.

Shipwreck (Island, Book 1)

Being on a sailboat in the warm waters of the Pacific with a bunch of kids the same age could sound like a vacation dream come true. However, when this month-long trip is part of a strict program called Charting a New Course, and each participant--or inmate--is there for disciplinary problems, things don't look quite as rosy. And then, of course, when a big storm strikes, and the captain and first mate disappear, and the boat seems to be sinking... the whole idea becomes less and less appealing. Still, for Luke, Will, Lyssa, J.J., Ian, and Charla, this is the way the cards have been dealt, and whatever problems they may have with each other, however much they don't want to be there, it's time to start working together to save their own lives.

The first book of Gordon Korman's exciting new trilogy introduces readers to the six troubled kids who will become unwitting partners in their desperate bid for survival. A steely captain and a gruff first mate who calls every boy "Archie" and every girl "Veronica" keep order and attempt to turn their charges into young sailors--an effort that may pay off more than any of them ever anticipate. A hint of menace permeates Shipwreck, along with humor, angst, and mystery. Readers won't want to miss the continuation of the riveting saga in books 2 and 3, Survival and Escape. (Ages 9 to 13) --Emilie Coulter

Six kids. One fate. Nick, J.J., Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian. They didn't want to be on the boat in the first place. They didn¹t want to be stuck at sea with a bunch of strangers. But when you¹re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there¹s no easy way out. And when a terrifying storm hits, there¹s no way to fully prepare. It¹s all about survival.

Schooled

Dive: The Discovery

Four kids are on a marine expedition for the summer, diving to explore an underwater habitat that's just been altered by a seismic event. What they find, though, is much more than fish - it's sunken treasure. Can they salvage it without anyone else getting to it first? Will the prospect of wealth set them against one another? And what about those sharks . . . .DIVE is another action-packed trilogy from Gordon Korman. The narrative will shift between an account of two kids caught in the shipwreck and the story of the four kids fighting over and desperately trying to get the treasure.

Survival (Island, Book 2)

Six kids. One shipwreck. One deserted island. After their ship sinks, Luke, Ian, JJ, Sharla, Will, and Lyssa must find a way to survive. They have no food and very few supplies. They think they¹re all alone‹but they¹re not. And that¹s even worse.

The Climb

Escape (Island, Book 3)

ISLAND is a thrilling trilogy of stories. Luke, Charla, Will, Lyssa, J.J., and Ian aren¹t alone on their desert island. They¹ve survived so far, but now their enemies are closing in. They have only one chance to escape. Will they make it?

Dive Book Two: The Deep (Dive)

DIVE II: THE DEEP The “adults” in the expedition are trying to convince Kaz and the crew that their sunken treasure ship is nothing more than a prop from an old movie. But when they figure out that it is real, they also realize that it will take ingenuity and teamwork to get back what’s rightfully theirs