My twin, Lamar, is a phenomenal innovative storyteller... A true king! -- Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Grown and The Weight of Blood
Sometimes a little fear is a good thing...
Cade Webster lives between worlds. He's a standout football star at the right school but lives in the wrong neighborhood--if you let his classmates tell it. Everywhere but home, people are afraid of him for one reason or another. Afraid he's too big, too fast, too ambitious, too Black.
Then one fateful night, to avoid a dangerous encounter with the police, he ducks into a pawn shop. An impulse purchase and misspoken desire change everything when Cade tells the shopkeeper he wishes people would stop acting so scared around him, and the wish is granted...
At first, it feels like things have taken a turn for the better. But it's not just Cade that people no longer fear--it's everything. With Cade spreading this newfound courage wherever he goes, anything can happen. Fearless acts of violence begin to escalate in both his neighborhood and at school. With the right moves, and brave friends, Cade might have one -- and only one -- chance to save all he loves. But at what cost? After all, the devil's in the details.
Timely, thrilling, and gripping from start to finish. An absolute page-turner. -- Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying
Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world's most famous resorts. He's got his family, his crew, and an incredible after-school job at the property's main theme park. Life isn't so great for the rest of the world, but when people come here to vacation, it's to get away from all that.
As things outside get worse, trouble starts seeping into Karloff. First, Jay's friend Connie and her family disappear in the middle of the night and no one will talk about it. Then the richest and most powerful families start arriving, only... they aren't leaving. Unknown to the employees, the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis. The best of the best at the end of days. And in order to deliver the top-notch customer service the wealthy clientele paid for, the employees will be at their total beck and call.
Whether they like it or not.
Yet Karloff Country didn't count on Jay and his crew -- and just how far they'll go to find out the truth and save themselves. But what's more dangerous: the monster you know in your home or the unknown nightmare outside the walls?
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer reminds me that all children deserve to exist in magical spaces where their imaginations and familial bonds will them into heroism. Every single child should have the freedom to be one of The Legendary Alstons. And I, for one, am grateful to Giles, and this brilliant story, for that reminder. --Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning author of Stuntboy, in the Meantime
In the first Legendary Alston Boys mystery from Edgar Award nominee Lamar Giles--now in paperback--two adventurous cousins accidentally freeze time on the last day of summer, and the secrets hidden between the seconds, minutes, and hours aren't quite the endless fun they expected!
Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have.
That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town--and each other--before time stops for good.
And don't miss the Legendary Alston Boys in their next adventures: The Last Mirror on the Left and The Last Chance for Logan County!
Timely, thrilling, and gripping from start to finish. An absolute page-turner. --Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying
Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world's most famous resorts. He's got his family, his crew, and an incredible after-school job at the property's main theme park. Life isn't so great for the rest of the world, but when people come here to vacation, it's to get away from all that.
As things outside get worse, trouble starts seeping into Karloff. First, Jay's friend Connie and her family disappear in the middle of the night and no one will talk about it. Then the richest and most powerful families start arriving, only... they aren't leaving. Unknown to the employees, the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis. The best of the best at the end of days. And in order to deliver the top-notch customer service the wealthy clientele paid for, the employees will be at their total beck and call.
Whether they like it or not.
Yet Karloff Country didn't count on Jay and his crew--and just how far they'll go to find out the truth and save themselves. But what's more dangerous: the monster you know in your home or the unknown nightmare outside the walls?
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer reminds me that all children deserve to exist in magical spaces where their imaginations and familial bonds will them into heroism. Every single child should have the freedom to be one of The Legendary Alstons. And I, for one, am grateful to Giles, and this brilliant story, for that reminder. --Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning author of Stuntboy, in the Meantime
In the first Legendary Alston Boys mystery from Edgar Award nominee Lamar Giles, two adventurous cousins accidentally freeze time on the last day of summer, and the secrets hidden between the seconds, minutes, and hours aren't quite the endless fun they expected!
Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have.
That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town--and each other--before time stops for good.
And don't miss the Legendary Alston Boys in their next adventures: The Last Mirror on the Left and The Last Chance for Logan County!
Lamar Giles takes readers on a wild and dark ride in this contemporary Witness Protection thriller, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, and John Grisham.
Nick Pearson is hiding in plain sight. In fact, his name isn't really Nick Pearson. He shouldn't tell you his real name, his real hometown, or why his family just moved to Stepton, Virginia. And he definitely shouldn't tell you about his friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy Eli was uncovering when he died. About how Nick had to choose between solving Eli's murder with his hot sister, Reya, and staying low-key like the Program said to do.
But he's going to tell you--unless he gets caught first. . . .
Hysterical. I couldn't put it down. (Nic Stone) I laughed, I gasped, I church grunted through every chapter. (Tiffany D. Jackson) Heartfelt and hilarious on every page! (Justin A. Reynolds)
4 starred reviews! * An Indie Next List Pick! * Named one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year!
Two-time Edgar Award finalist Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of societal pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a real man.
Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she's finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del's right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he's inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge.
His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn't believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del's not about to lose his dream girl, and that's where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers' questions...about sex ed.
With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can't think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it'll all sort itself out. Right?
With true-to-life characters and a straightforward handling of sex, including often ignored aspects of male sexuality, Giles's thoughtful, hilarious read offers a timely viewpoint on religion, toxic masculinity, and teen sexuality. (Publishers Weekly, An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List)
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee!
From Edgar Award nominee and WNDB cofounder Lamar Giles, this middle grade adventure stars the Epic Ellison twins as they race to solve the mystery of Cosmos Camp for young geniuses in a stand-alone companion to the Legendary Alston Boys series.
School's out, and Wiki and Leen Ellison are facing a new challenge...their first summer apart. Genius inventor Leen has been accepted to Petey Thunkle's world-famous summer training program for STEM prodigies with their eyes on the stars. Meanwhile, Wiki is looking forward to her first summer on her own, running the family corn stand and outclassing Otto and Sheed Alston.
But the night before Leen's departure, the twins find out that Wiki has also been accepted into the same camp (even though she didn't apply). And they are...not thrilled. This summer was never supposed to be a Twin Thing. The situation soon goes from bad to worse--because the Ellisons haven't been invited just to participate in the program.
They're there to solve a mystery.
Someone (or something) has been tampering with the company's upcoming big-deal rocket launch. Now the sisters are undercover, dealing with hypercompetitive campers by day and trying to stop the mysterious saboteur by night.
All is not as it seems at PeteyTech. There are bigger, badder forces at play than the girls could've imagined. And if Wiki and Leen don't get their act together fast, their first epic adventure away from Logan County could end up an epic fail...for the entire world.
In The Last Mirror on the Left, the second Legendary Alston Boys mystery from Edgar Award nominee Lamar Giles--now in paperback--Otto and Sheed must embark on their most dangerous journey yet, bringing a fugitive to justice in a world that mirrors their own but has its own rules to play by.
Unlike the majority of Logan County's residents, Missus Nedraw of the Rorrim Mirror Emporium remembers the time freeze from The Last Last-Day-of-Summer--and how Otto and Sheed took her mirrors without permission in order to fix their mess.
Usually that's an unforgivable offense, punishable by a million-year sentence. However, she's willing to overlook the cousins' misdeeds if they help her with a problem of her own. One of her worst prisoners has escaped, and only the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County can help bring the fugitive to justice!
And don't miss the Legendary Alston Boys in their next adventure: The Last Chance for Logan County!
Hysterical. I couldn't put it down. (Nic Stone) I laughed, I gasped, I church grunted through every chapter. (Tiffany D. Jackson) Heartfelt and hilarious on every page! (Justin A. Reynolds)
4 starred reviews! * An Indie Next List Pick! * Named one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year!
Two-time Edgar Award finalist Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of societal pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a real man.
Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she's finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del's right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he's inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge.
His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn't believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del's not about to lose his dream girl, and that's where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers' questions...about sex ed.
With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can't think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it'll all sort itself out. Right?
With true-to-life characters and a straightforward handling of sex, including often ignored aspects of male sexuality, Giles's thoughtful, hilarious read offers a timely viewpoint on religion, toxic masculinity, and teen sexuality. (Publishers Weekly, An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List)
In The Last Chance for Logan County, the third Legendary Alston Boys mystery from Edgar Award nominee Lamar Giles--now in paperback--Otto and Sheed team up with the Epic Ellisons against a corporation that wants Logan County's weirdness for itself!
Otto and Sheed are back in yet another legendary adventure that just might take all their deduction skills, and a little help, to solve.
With their journey through the last mirror on the left behind them, Otto and Sheed are ready for things to get back to normal. But their trip to that other dimension had side effects, and they come on quickly--starting with a thunderstorm that rains carnivorous frogs!
And that's only the beginning. When a suspicious company called GOO, obsessed with Logan County's weirdness, shows up and starts buying all the property in town--and threatening to take Sheed away from Otto--some of the adults start acting stranger than usual, almost... zombie-like?
With the help of Otto's mom, Sheed's dad, and the Epic Ellison twins, can the Legendary Alston Boys find a way to save their town and keep their family together?
In The Last Chance for Logan County, the third Legendary Alston Boys mystery from Edgar Award nominee Lamar Giles, Otto and Sheed team up with the Epic Ellisons against a corporation that wants Logan County's weirdness for itself!
Otto and Sheed are back in yet another legendary adventure that just might take all their deduction skills, and a little help, to solve.
With their journey through the last mirror on the left behind them, Otto and Sheed are ready for things to get back to normal. But their trip to that other dimension had side effects, and they come on quickly--starting with a thunderstorm that rains carnivorous frogs!
And that's only the beginning. When a suspicious company called GOO, obsessed with Logan County's weirdness, shows up and starts buying all the property in town--and threatening to take Sheed away from Otto--some of the adults start acting stranger than usual, almost... zombie-like?
With the help of Otto's mom, Sheed's dad, and the Epic Ellison twins, can the Legendary Alston Boys find a way to save their town and keep their family together?
In The Last Mirror on the Left, the second Legendary Alston Boys mystery from Edgar Award nominee Lamar Giles, Otto and Sheed must embark on their most dangerous journey yet, bringing a fugitive to justice in a world that mirrors their own but has its own rules to play by.
Unlike the majority of Logan County's residents, Missus Nedraw of the Rorrim Mirror Emporium remembers the time freeze from The Last Last-Day-of-Summer--and how Otto and Sheed took her mirrors without permission in order to fix their mess.
Usually that's an unforgivable offense, punishable by a million-year sentence. However, she's willing to overlook the cousins' misdeeds if they help her with a problem of her own. One of her worst prisoners has escaped, and only the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County can help bring the fugitive to justice!
And don't miss the Legendary Alston Boys in their next adventure: The Last Chance for Logan County!
Lamar Giles takes readers on a wild and dark ride in this contemporary Witness Protection thriller, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, and John Grisham.
Nick Pearson is hiding in plain sight. In fact, his name isn't really Nick Pearson. He shouldn't tell you his real name, his real hometown, or why his family just moved to Stepton, Virginia. And he definitely shouldn't tell you about his friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy Eli was uncovering when he died. About how Nick had to choose between solving Eli's murder with his hot sister, Reya, and staying low-key like the Program said to do.
But he's going to tell you--unless he gets caught first. . . .
Edgar Award nominee for Best Young Adult Mystery
Endangered is a thrilling page-turner perfect for fans of Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers, from acclaimed author Lamar Giles, author of the Edgar Award-nominated Fake ID.
The one secret she cares about keeping--her identity--is about to be exposed. That is, unless Lauren Panda Daniels--an anonymous photo blogger who specializes in busting classmates and teachers in compromising positions--plays along with her blackmailer's little game of Dare or . . . Dare.
But when the game turns deadly, Panda doesn't know what to do. And she may need to step out of the shadows to save herself . . . and everyone else on the Admirer's hit list.