Ike Pressure is an Army brat.

Which, if you ask him, is not an insult.

His mom's new job is in Mercury, Nevada, on a secretive military base close to Area 51. What's more, his childhood friend, Eesha Webb, and her family are about to move there too.

Spoiler alert: Ike and Eesha aren't really best buds, even though their parents think so. They used to play together when they were little kids, but now she's more like his nemesis.

Still, it's clear to both of them that something mysterious is happening on the base--but what could it be?

Eesha is convinced it has to do with aliens, but Ike isn't so sure.

What they don't know is that the stakes are actually much higher than they could have imagined--and Ike's mom might be in more danger than she has ever faced. Will Ike and Eesha be able to get over their differences and work together to unravel the secrets of Project Mercury?

A gripping, richly imagined fantasy set in an alternate ancient African world in which a Black girl finds her power and saves her people from evil, by the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning author of Black Panther: The Young Prince.

In the land of Alkebulan, twelve-year-old Asha is an orphan, raised by Madame S, the proprietor of a traveling carnival. When Madame S is attacked by ghoulish creatures, she manages to tell Asha before she dies, Seek the Underground Kingdom, where the black flowers bloom.

Asha doesn't understand the mysterious words, but they launch her onto a page-turning quest to protect her people and stop an ancient evil. Along the way, she uncovers shocking secrets about the family she never knew and begins to find her place in the world as she discovers her own untapped powers.

Book 1 in The Young Prince series by award-winning author Ronald L. Smith!

Black Panther. Ruler of Wakanda. Avenger.This is his destiny. But right now, he's simply T'Challa--the young prince.

Life is comfortable for twelve-year-old T'Challa in his home of Wakanda, an isolated, technologically advanced African nation. When he's not learning how to rule a kingdom from his father--the reigning Black Panther--or testing out the latest tech, he's off breaking rules with his best friend, M'Baku. But as conflict brews near Wakanda, T'Challa's father makes a startling announcement: he's sending T'Challa and M'Baku to school in America.

This is no prestigious private academy--they've been enrolled at South Side Middle School in the heart of Chicago. Despite being given a high-tech suit and a Vibranium ring to use only in case of an emergency, T'Challa realizes he might not be as equipped to handle life in America as he thought. Especially when it comes to navigating new friendships while hiding his true identity as the prince of a powerful nation, and avoiding Gemini Jones, a menacing classmate who is rumored to be involved in dark magic.

When strange things begin happening around school, T'Challa sets out to uncover the source. But what he discovers in the process is far more sinister than he could ever have imagined.

In order to protect his friends and stop an ancient evil, T'Challa must take on the mantle of a hero, setting him on the path to becoming the Black Panther.


Complete your middle grade collection with these best-selling fan favorites:

• Black Panther: Spellbound (Book 2 in The Young Prince Series) by Ronald L. Smith
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon and Dean Hale
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious by Shannon and Dean Hale
• Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
• Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

The paperback edition of the third book in the hit Young Prince series from Ronald L. Smith, recipient of the 2016 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award.

When T'Challa gets special permission to have his friends from America, Sheila and Zeke, come to Wakanda, he can't wait to show them his home for a change. But their tour is brought to a halt when one of T'Challa's peers, Tafari, summons dark forces in order to return Wakanda to the old ways before Vibranium was discovered. Tafari manages to banish the King and Queen along with all the tribal elders to an alternate dimension in exchange for the Originator's release, leaving Wakanda vulnerable and unprotected.

Can T'Challa and his friends stop Tafari before the leaders of Wakanda are trapped forever?

Full of action and friendship; T'Challa is back! --Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author

The second book in the hit Young Prince series from Ronald L. Smith, recipient of the 2016 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award.

I'm T'Challa. The Prince of Wakanda. Son of T'Chaka. And one day, I will wear the mantle.

Thirteen-year-old T'Challa can't wait to go back to America to visit his friends Sheila and Zeke, who are staying with Sheila's grandmother in Beaumont, a small Alabama town, over their summer break. He's thrilled to be on vacation away from his duties as the Prince of Wakanda for a few weeks, and he's taking full advantage of his access to the amazing food and the South's rich history.

But as T'Challa continues to explore the town, he finds that a man who goes by the ordinary name of Bob happens to be everywhere he is--and T'Challa begins to think it's no coincidence.

When residents of the town begin flocking to Bob's strange message, and a prominent citizen disappears, the Young Prince has no choice but to intervene.

T'Challa and his friends start to do their own sleuthing, and before long, the three teens find themselves caught in a plot involving a rare ancient book and a man who's not as he seems.

Swept up in a fight against an unexpected and evil villain, T'Challa, Sheila, and Zeke must band together to save the people of Beaumont . . . before it's too late.

Complete your middle grade collection with these best-selling fan favorites:

• Black Panther: The Young Prince (Book 1 in The Young Prince series) by Ronald L. Smith
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon and Dean Hale
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious by Shannon and Dean Hale
• Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
• Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic: hoodoo, as most people call it. But even though his name is Hoodoo, he can't seem to cast a simple spell. Then a mysterious man called the Stranger comes to town, and Hoodoo starts dreaming of the dead rising from their graves. Even worse, he soon learns the Stranger is looking for a boy. Not just any boy. A boy named Hoodoo. The entire town is at risk from the Stranger's black magic, and only Hoodoo can defeat him. He'll just need to learn how to conjure first. Set amid the swamps, red soil, and sweltering heat of small town Alabama in the 1930s, Hoodoo is infused with a big dose of creepiness leavened with gentle humor.

For all fans of Black Panther, this is the newest adventure of young T'Challa, prince of Wakanda, in the hit Young Prince series from Ronald L. Smith, recipient of the 2016 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award.

One day, he will wear the mantle of the Black Panther. But for now, thirteen-year-old T'Challa is back in Wakanda--back to his training, his family, and the comforts of home. And he is surprised to find himself missing his friends so soon after his recent time in America.

That's why he's thrilled when Sheila and Zeke come for a surprise visit. But their introduction to the wonders of Wakanda takes a dark turn when a national holiday goes wrong--and the mysterious, terrifying Originators are unleashed from the kingdom's past. Even worse, now the elders of Wakanda, including T'Challa's parents, are banished to a place beyond space and time.

To save his nation, T'Challa will need the help of all his friends, including M'Baku and his sister, Shuri. It's a supernatural showdown between Wakanda's past and its future, and it will challenge all that T'Challa thinks he knows about his home.

From award-winning author Ronald L. Smith, the third book in the Young Prince trilogy brings the series to an epic conclusion.

A delightfully creepy novel from a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner imbued with magic and seafaring mythology. Lemony Snicket and Jessica Townsend meet Greenglass House, with a hint of Edward Gorey thrown in.

When twelve-year-old Rory applies for a job at a spooky old mansion in his gloomy seaside town, he finds the owner, Lord Foxglove, odd and unpleasant. But he and his mom need the money, so he takes the job anyway. Rory soon finds out that his new boss is not just strange, he's not even human--and he's trying to steal the townspeople's shadows.

Together, Rory and his friend Isabella set out to uncover exactly what Foxglove and his otherworldly accomplices are planning and devise a strategy to defeat them. But can two kids defeat a group of ancient evil beings who are determined to take over the world?

A delightfully creepy novel from a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner imbued with magic and seafaring mythology. Lemony Snicket and Jessica Townsend meet Greenglass House, with a hint of Edward Gorey thrown in.

\When twelve-year-old Rory applies for a job at a spooky old mansion in his gloomy seaside town, he finds the owner, Lord Foxglove, odd and unpleasant. But he and his mom need the money, so he takes the job anyway. Rory soon finds out that his new boss is not just strange, he's not even human--and he's trying to steal the townspeople's shadows. Together, Rory and his friend Isabella set out to uncover exactly what Foxglove and his otherworldly accomplices are planning and devise a strategy to defeat them. But can two kids defeat a group of ancient evil beings who are determined to take over the world?

Another delightfully creepy tale from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning author Ronald L. Smith.

In this delightfully creepy novel from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Ronald L. Smith, twelve-year-old Simon thinks he was abducted by aliens. But is it real, or just his overactive imagination? Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and Louis Sachar.

Twelve-year-old Simon is obsessed with aliens. The ones who take people and do experiments. When he's too worried about them to sleep, he listens to the owls hoot outside. Owls that have the same eyes as aliens--dark and foreboding.

Then something strange happens on a camping trip, and Simon begins to suspect he's been abducted. But is it real, or just the overactive imagination of a kid who loves fantasy and role-playing games and is the target of bullies and his father's scorn?

Even readers who don't believe in UFOs will relate to the universal kid feeling of not being taken seriously by adults that deepens this deliciously scary tale.

In this delightfully creepy novel from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Ronald L. Smith, twelve-year-old Simon thinks he was abducted by aliens. But is it real, or just his over-active imagination? Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and Louis Sachar.

Twelve-year-old Simon is obsessed with aliens. The ones who take people and do experiments. When he's too worried about them to sleep, he listens to the owls hoot outside. Owls that have the same eyes as aliens--dark and foreboding.

Then something strange happens on a camping trip, and Simon begins to suspect he's been abducted. But is it real, or just the overactive imagination of a kid who loves fantasy and role-playing games and is the target of bullies and his father's scorn?

Even readers who don't believe in UFOs will relate to the universal kid feeling of not being taken seriously by adults that deepens this deliciously scary tale.

Walk with me on a journey. A journey that spans the Viet Nam, Korean, and Cold Wars. A journey that experienced Elvis, the Beatles, man walking on the moon, and the opening of McDonald's and Walmart. I saw the invention of diet soft drinks, bubble wrap, video games, cell phones, PCs, and most importantly, the smiley face.

My journey encompasses a modest childhood, awkward teen years, and a diverse adulthood with peaks and valleys. Shooting BB guns and bows & arrows...at my cousin. Stealing. Swimming in a cold river to retrieve my first deer. Drag racing with a cop. Driving a race car. Dealing with fear. Skydiving. Pickleball. Laugh with me.

An angel blinded my eyes and prevented certain death of my entire family. We struggled through a dark decade of mental illness. What do you say to your brother when you know it is the last time you will see him alive on earth? Despair. Cancer. Death. Cry with me.

Do you believe in God? Do you believe the Creator of the Universe interacts with us on a personal level? Does He lead us? Touch us physically? Mentally? Does He even know who we are? He called me by name, and He walked with me on my journey. After reading my story, I hope you will agree that the answers are yes. Praise with me.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 23-24)

Walk with me on a journey. A journey that spans the Viet Nam, Korean, and Cold Wars. A journey that experienced Elvis, the Beatles, man walking on the moon, and the opening of McDonald's and Walmart. I saw the invention of diet soft drinks, bubble wrap, video games, cell phones, PCs, and most importantly, the smiley face.

My journey encompasses a modest childhood, awkward teen years, and a diverse adulthood with peaks and valleys. Shooting BB guns and bows & arrows...at my cousin. Stealing. Swimming in a cold river to retrieve my first deer. Drag racing with a cop. Driving a race car. Dealing with fear. Skydiving. Pickleball. Laugh with me.

An angel blinded my eyes and prevented certain death of my entire family. We struggled through a dark decade of mental illness. What do you say to your brother when you know it is the last time you will see him alive on earth? Despair. Cancer. Death. Cry with me.

Do you believe in God? Do you believe the Creator of the Universe interacts with us on a personal level? Does He lead us? Touch us physically? Mentally? Does He even know who we are? He called me by name, and He walked with me on my journey. After reading my story, I hope you will agree that the answers are yes. Praise with me.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 23-24)

Thirteen-year-old Jessamine Grace and her mother make a living as sham spiritualists--until they discover that Jess is a mesmerist and that she really can talk to the dead. Soon she is plunged into the dark world of Victorian London's supernatural underbelly and learns that the city is under attack by ghouls, monsters, and spirit summoners. Can Jess fight these powerful forces? And will the group of strange children with mysterious powers she befriends be able to help? As shy, proper Jess transforms into a brave warrior, she uncovers terrifying truths about the hidden battle between good and evil, about her family, and about herself.

Comedian, actor, and writer Bill Cosby is one of the most successful and respected entertainers in America. Yet the Cosby we know today came from a much different place and time than the ideal featured in his 1980s hit series The Cosby Show, where the main character was a loveable, responsible doctor and family man.Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend by Ronald L. Smith, a recognized writer on comedy and comedians, tracks the humble upbringing of the Cos in the Philadelphia projects; explores the inspiration he drew from his family, his teachers, the strong female figures in his life, and the books he read; discusses the hardships he experienced while working several jobs to help support his sisters and brothers after his father deserted the family; and reveals his lean years as a budding comic, his early successes, and the big break that brought him to television.As the only biography of Bill Cosby for the adult market, this book explores his feelings and thoughts in great detail, while masterfully documenting Cosby's trailblazing work as a pioneering black performer who was one of the first to co-star in a drama series, I Spy. Also discussed is Cosby's dedication to education and his efforts on behalf of children.Included are exclusive interviews with family, friends, Cosby's college coach, his first manager, technical advisors from The Cosby Show and other big stars. Smith also includes a complete and up-to-date checklist of Cosby's writings, records, films, and television credits.

This book chronicles the radio appearances of all prominent classic horror movie stars--Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, and two dozen more, including scream queens like Fay Wray. It contains script excerpts from radio shows as well as material from narrated albums and music singles. Each star's appearances are listed by show and air date, with descriptions of the subject matter.