Sixteen-year-old Travis is looking for a good time. A vacation in Mexico with his mother and two siblings might cramp his style, but he's willing to take that risk for a chance to cruise the beaches. Some things keep gnawing at him, though, like leaving Dad crying at the airport, and watching Mom disappear with a mysterious 'headache' every afternoon that they're in Mexico. Some creep is following Jennifer around, and ten-year-old Teddy is obsessed with saving endangered sea turtles-an obsession, it turns out, that will change the course of all their lives. Will Hobbs has delighted young readers with his memorable award-winners, Bearstone and Beardance. Once again, with Changes in Latitudes, the author vividly captures the angst of a teenager who is forced to deal with complicated emotions: anger, betrayal, love, guilt, and loss.
Blown helplessly off course by a sudden gale, 14-year-old Andy Galloway is washed ashore on Admiralty Island, an immense wilderness known as the "Fortress of the Bears." As he struggles to survive, Andy discovers an unlikely ally in a large dog running with a pack of wolves. The dog leads Andy to food-but also to the strange cave of a mysterious, and almost certainly dangerous, hermit. The award-winning author of Far North captures all the beauty and danger of Alaska in this exciting story of survival and discovery.
Growing up without parents and without schooling, 14-year-old Cloyd is trouble-trouble to himself and everyone else. Sent by his tribe to a home for Indian boys, he is alone and half-wild in remote Utah canyons. As his feeling of isolation turns to desperation, he runs away to find even more trouble. When Cloyd is found and taken to live with an old rancher, he begins to explore the countryside. High in the majestic Colorado mountains, he finds a small carved turquoise bear in an Indian burial cave. Secretly renaming himself Lone Bear, Cloyd calls upon his ancient ancestors to give him the courage to accept an old man's love and friendship. Bearstone is an IRA/CBC Teachers Choice Book, and a Notable Children's Trade Book in the field of Social Studies. It also won the Mountain & Plains Booksellers Association Children's Book Award. Veteran narrator George Guidall masterfully grasps Will Hobbs' award-winning story.
Jessie and the gang are reunited for a second heart-pounding whitewater ride through the Grand Canyon. The teens are thrilled to have another go at the Colorado together-especially Jessie, who will get to pilot a raft this time. But when they find out that the infamous ringleader Troy is behind the reunion trip, tempers flare. Troy says he wants the chance to redeem himself, but Jessie suspects his motives. Nonetheless, and even as the water rises to record levels, the river calls Jessie and the others to embark on another life-or-death adventure. Between the thundering water and the intense emotions it unleashes, the river itself will provide the ultimate test. Downriver won praise from readers across the country as well as many awards. With River Thunder, Hobbs draws from his own whitewater experience to craft another riveting wilderness adventure full of lifelike detail. With Christina Moore's dramatic narration, you will hear the river thunder and shiver with excitement right along with Jessie and her friends.
Will Hobbs' adventure novels set in the great outdoors have garnered a slew of awards, including numerous selections as ALA Best Books for Young Adults. In Never Say Die, 15-year-old Inuit hunter Nick Thrasher takes a trip downriver with his half-brother Ryan, who's visiting Canada's Arctic to photograph the caribou migration. But when disaster strikes, Nick is forced to survive alone in a landscape filled with dangerous predators. Most of all, he fears the terrifying "grolar bear," the half-grizzly, half-polar-bear hybrid that isn't supposed to exist-except Nick has seen it with his own eyes.
Raised in the island world of southeast Alaska, sixteen-year-old Robbie Daniels jumps at the chance to work as a deckhand on a salmon troller captained by legendary fisherman Tor Torsen. Catching king salmon from dawn till dusk, Robbie is living his dream--until he discovers his mysterious captain's dark secret. Tor is illegally searching the coastline for historic metal plaques buried by early Russian explorers. When Robbie learns the value of these hidden treasures, he fears he may know too much tosurvive. Tor's wrath and a violent storm at sea put Robbie's courage and wits to the ultimate test.
Brady Steele watches in awe as a fireball comes crashing through the roof of his house. Brady immediately calls up his cousin, Quinn. They both love all things extreme, and this is the most extreme thing ever! Fred, as Brady names his space rock, turns out to be one of the rarest meteorites ever found. Professor Rip Ripley from the museum in Hill City wants to study a sliver of it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria. He's hoping to discover the first proof of life beyond Earth, a momentous breakthrough for the new science of astrobiology. During a week of extreme bicycling, fishing, and caving, Brady and Quinn battle their rivals, the notorious Carver boys, for possession of the meteorite. With each new day, Brady is discovering he's able to do strange and wonderful feats that shouldn't be possible. At the same time, he's developing some frightening symptoms. Could he be infected with long-dormant microbes from space? Is Fred a prize or a menace?
Acclaimed author Will Hobbs has won numerous awards for his fiction, and seven of his novels have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Inspired by Hobbs' own journey through the Rio Grande's canyons near the border with Mexico, Take Me to the River is a thrilling tale. Fourteen-year-old Dylan and his cousin are paddling the Rio Grande when they see six Black Hawk helicopters fly into Mexico. The army won't say what's happening, but they do tell the boys a hurricane is approaching. Undeterred, the boys continue their journey, unaware of what lies ahead.
The acclaimed author of seven ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Will Hobbs pens a spellbinding true-to-life adventure. With nothing but dogged determination, 15year-old Victor leaves his Mexican village to illegally enter the U.S. and help his starving family. Soon he must outwit gangs, drug-runners, and border agents as he endures shivering nights, blistering days, and gnawing hunger. But can his longing for the beckoning opportunity of El Norte carry him through such impossible obstacles? "This gritty and realistic tale will be an eye-opener for many YAs."-KLIATT
Fourteen-year-old Shannon and her little brother Cody have the time of their lives when they spend the summer rescuing animals for a little-known wildlife shelter, Jackie's Wild Seattle. Their parents away in Pakistan, Shannon and Cody are left with their Uncle Neal. What transpires when this odd team sets off to save beasts of many furs and feathers is an often hilarious tale of healing and growth that will capture listeners' hearts. Will Hobbs is an ALA award-winning author of young adult fiction. His many celebrated novels include Beardance.
The Big Wander is a trip 14-year-old Clay Lancaster and his older brother Mike have planned for years. It's Clay's dream to find his ex-rodeo star uncle, who quit the tour and disappeared somewhere in the vast and colorful Monument Valley. But Mike-heartbroken and unfocused after losing his girlfriend-soon heads for home. Clay, however, will not give up. He finds a job in a remote trading post, and follows a lead on his uncle's whereabouts that takes him deep into Navajo country. There he learns the ways of the tribe, the dangers of the wilderness, and discovers, just in time, the secret of his long lost uncle's fate. Best-selling young adult author Will Hobbs won an ALA Best Book Award for The Big Wander. Hobb's prose paired with Sala's perfect pacing and authentic accents will make you feel you are in the American Southwest. His other award-winning books, Bearstone, Beardance, Kokopelli's Flute, Changes in Latitudes, and Downriver are also available from Recorded Books, Inc.
Young Tepary Jones leads a life of constant adventure. But he gets more excitement than even he can handle when he plays a flute he finds in an ancient ruin. Magic from the Distant Time changes him into a bushy-tailed woodrat and ensnares him in a world of danger and suspense. His parents don't realize what's happened to him-only his dog Dusty knows. With Dusty alone to protect him from nightly predators, Tepary must unravel the mystery behind the owner of the flute-Kokopelli himself. In Kokopelli's Flute, award-winning author Will Hobbs has created a unique and richly imagined world celebrating the timeless magic of nature and the lessons it teaches. Johnny Heller's entrancing narration continues a tradition of excellence started in: A Christmas Sonata and The Hostage.
