Books published by Houghton Mifflin

The Diezmo tells the incredible story of the Mier Expedition, one of the most absurd and tragic military adventures in the history of Texas -- a country and a state, as Rick Bass writes, that was "born in blood." In the early days of the Republic of Texas, two young men, wild for glory, impulsively volunteer for an expedition Sam Houston has ordered to patrol the Mexican border. But their dreams of triumph soon fade into prayers for survival, and all that is on their minds is getting home and having a cool drink of water. After being captured in a raid on the Mexican village of Mier, escaping, and being recaptured, the men of the expedition are punished with the terrible diezmo, in which one man in ten is randomly chosen to die. The survivors end up in the most dreaded prison in Mexico. There they become pawns in an international chess game to decide the fate of Texas, and with their hopes of release all but extinguished, they make one desperate, last-ditch effort to escape. A great crossover book with appeal for high school students. It will also interest readers of westerns and historical fiction.

A pampered young African-American girl finds herself mysteriously transported back in time to the days of slavery.

Thus reads an article in the Waverly Times, which is Exhibit A in this fresh and inventive story about ESP, friendship, sisterhood, and the ties that bind. Told by the characters themselves, Mind Games crackles with personality and reveals how each student tries to prove that ESP exists and what he or she discovers along the way. Funny and engaging, the individual voices are right on target, revealing the complex relationships and characters of the members of the Mad Science Club. Here they grapple with life, death, love, and the lottery—all before they reach the eighth grade!

Beloved for his hilarious and unexpectedly moving novels, Bruce Coville is also a master of the short story. These two collections, in one volume for the first time, feature eighteen tales of unusual breadth and emotional depth. This omnibus is a perfect introduction to Bruce Coville's magic for the uninitiated.Includes an introduction by Jane Yolen.

Shortly before a serious accident ends his dream of pitching, Roy Tucker is called up from a small-town team in Connecticut to help the Brooklyn Dodgers out of a slump.Includes an introduction by Bruce Brooks.

Roy Tucker and his Brooklyn Dodgers teammates summon every ounce of their collective skill to fight for the greatest title in baseball--World Series champs.Includes an introduction by Bruce Brooks.

Wendy isn't as blind as a bat--there are bats that can see better than she can. Which is why, when her new glasses break, she's all too happy to wear the dorky pair of sunglasses she finds on the lawn. They seem to match her prescription, and that's all that matters if she's going to be able to make it through her school day.

It's 1900--the dawn of a new century--and never in her wildest dreams did fifteen-year-old Rose Frampton ever think she'd leave her family and home on the peaceful shores of her island plantation in South Carolina . . . especially not to live with a new husband in the land of the Yankees. But she is doing just that. Rose's new life with her handsome and wealthy husband in Brooklyn, New York, is both scary and exciting. As mistress of the large Victorian estate on Dorchester Road, she must learn to make decisions, establish her independence, and run an efficient household. These tasks are difficult enough without the added complication of barely knowing her husband. As romance blossoms and Rose begins to find her place, she discovers that strength of character does not come easily but is essential for happiness. Writing in diary form, Ann Rinaldi paints a sensual picture of time and place--and gives readers an intimate glimpse into the heart of a child as she becomes a woman.

It's bad enough that Deanna has to waste her summer in France and her only friend is a mangy black cat, but now she's staring hopelessly into a well, trying to figure out what in the world to wish for. Before she can make a wish, the cat scratches her, her watch falls into the well, and then . . . so has she! Except that now she's in medieval France, the cat is a handsome young man, and her watch has the power to completely change history. Maybe a quiet summer would have been nice?

This newest collection of poems from Toma? ?alamun is exuberant, ambitious, and full of surprises. Here the devil is encountered and understood-I see the devil's head, people, I see his whole body . . . he longs for innocence, as we do. Here the poet juggles many tones, languages, and countries. Desire is evoked as both frustrating and exhilarating-I'm watered by longing, knocking myhead into the wall, on the ground, or I burn, burn,folded up on the couch.And memory comes back to remind us of the laws and experiences of childhood-Once again you are let loose in the seaonly after five o'clock in the afternoon to takea dose of sunlight like the ticking of the clock.At once daring and clear-voiced, The Book for My Brother is an extraordinary achievement.

Set in the town of Gruel, South Carolina, this first novel by George Singleton, master of the comic short story, is the tale of a young man named Novel (his brother's name is James; his sister's is Joyce), a professional snake handler who stumbles across strange doings while he sits in a motel room writing his autobiography. As he struggles to recount his life story, he uncovers-and finds himself starring in-a decades-old town secret, one that can blow him and his fellow citizens sky-high. Funny as only George Singleton can be, full of Southern mischief and wit, Novel is a crazed and crazy fictional whirlwind of drinking, motel-living, art-forgery-committing, pool-playing redneck charm.

Charles Simic has been widely celebrated for his brilliant poetic imagery; his social, political, and moral alertness; his uncanny ability to make the ordinary extraordinary; and not least, the sardonic humor all his own. Gathering much of his material from the seemingly mundane minutiae of contemporary American culture, Simic matches meditations on spiritual concerns and the weight of history with a nimble wit, shifting effortlessly to moments of clear vision and intense poetic revelation. Chosen as one of the New York Library's 25 Books to Remember for 2003, The Voice at 3:00 A. M. was also nominated for a National Book Award. The recipient of many prizes, Simic most recently received Canada's Griffin Prize. The poems in this collection--spanning two decades of his work--present a rich and varied survey of a remarkable lyrical journey.In the StreetBeauty, dark goddess,We met and partedAs though we parted not.Like two stopped watchesIn a dusty store window,One golden morning of time.

Acclaimed short-story master George Singleton follows the lives and schemes of the citizens of fictitious Gruel, South Carolina, in search of glory, seclusion, money, revenge, and a meaningful existence. In these nineteen tales, young Gruelites learn lessons when confronted with neighbors who might not be as blind as they appear, dermatologists intent on eradicating birthmarks, and fathers prone to driving on half-inflated tires in order to flirt with cashiers. Meanwhile, the town's older citizens try to make sense out of dogs that heal wounds, lawn-mowing dead men, wives who don't appreciate gas masks for Valentine's Day, and children who mix their mother's ashes with housepaint. Hilarious and tragic, George Singleton's unforgettable characters try to overcome their limitations as best they can.

"Alive with terror, charm, and mystery." -- Madeleine Blais, author of Uphill WalkersWhen Catherine Reid returned to the Berkshires to live after decades away, she became fascinated by another recent arrival: the eastern coyote. This tenacious species, which shares some lineage with the wolf, exhibits remarkable adaptability and awe-inspiring survival skills. Coyotes have been spotted in nearly every habitable area available, including urban streets, Central Park, and suburban backyards. Settling into an old farmhouse with her partner, Reid felt compelled to learn more about this outlaw animal. Her beautifully grounded memoir interweaves personal and natural history to comment on one of the most dramatic wildlife stories of our time. With great appreciation for this scrappy outsider and the ecological concerns its presence brings to light, Reid suggests that we all need to forge a new relationship with this uncannily intelligent species in our midst."A captivating read, worthy of joining the pantheon of literary ecological writing." -- Booklist"Enlightening . . . a heartfelt, often poetic case for coexistence between humans and the wild." -- Publishers Weekly"Graceful, intimate, and vibrant prose . . . an important, beautiful book." -- Jane Brox, author of Clearing LandCatherine Reid is a naturalist, teacher, editor, and poet. She lives in an old farmhouse in western Massachusetts.

"Ryan is a scrupulously observant poet with a gift for going for the jugular . . . His work is finely honed, provocative, questing, and humane." - Edward Hirsch, Washington Post Book World Michael Ryan's first collection in many years shows the acclaimed poet at the height of his powers. Highlighting the wit and passion displayed throughout his career, Ryan's latest work comprises fifty-seven poems from three award-winning volumes and thirty-one new poems. In both dramatic lyrics and complex narratives, Ryan renders the world with startling clarity, freshness, and intimacy. New and Selected Poems is filled with the stuff of everyday life, and as the New York Times Book Review said, it "include[s] pain and fear but also surprise, joy, laughter, everything human." "New and Selected Poems reminds us how much we have relied on this poet to forge a path for us in plain style." - Carol Muske-Dukes, Los Angeles Times Book Review "Ryan's poems have always felt as if they neded to be written. They seem to exist because of some pressure to respond, not because of a facility for language alone. This is a rare quality among poets. The commitment to it is as hard-won, and real, as any you are likely to find in poetry." - David Rivard, American Poetry Review Michael Ryan is the author of many acclaimed books, including three previous volumes of poetry. Among the honors for his work are the prestigious Kingsley Tufts Award, the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, a Whiting Writers' Award, and NEA and Guggenheim fellowships. Ryan is a professor of English and creative writing at the University of California at Irvine.

Praise for David Kertzer and Prisoner of the Vatican:"Kertzer once again proves himself a truly compelling historian." -- André Aciman"Prisoner of the Vatican reads like exciting fiction. And it has astounding contemporary relevance." -- Alfred Uhry"Kertzer's careful scholarship and lucid writing make the human character of this religious institution quite clear." -- James Carroll"Fascinating." -- Entertainment Weekly"Lively . . . filled with telling anecdotes and colorful descriptions of the various characters involved in the struggle." -- America, the National Catholic Weekly"Riveting and fast-paced . . . history writing at its best." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"[A] rousing tale . . . from a masterful, controversial scholar." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review"A chilling and timely warning of what happens when religious power becomes synonymous with political power. If you love Italy, if you love Rome, this book is essential reading." -- John Guare"As magically spellbinding as it is enlightening, replete with colorful characters and complex international and ecclesiastical politics and intrigue. Kertzer is a national treasure and his latest book another masterpiece." -- Kevin Madigan, associate professor, Harvard Divinity School "This book is a gift to everyone who welcomes the emergence of buried history, and a boon to anyone who has ever wondered about the origins of the wonderful, tenuously unified place called modern Italy." -- Tracy KidderDavid Kertzer's absorbing history presents an astonishing account of the birth of modern Italy and the clandestine politics behind the Vatican's last stand in the battle between church and the newly created Italian state. Drawing on a wealth of secret documents long buried in the Vatican archives, Kertzer reveals a fascinating story of outrageous accusations, mutual denunciations, raucous demonstrations, and secret dealings. When Italy's armies seized the Holy City and claimed it for the Italian capital, Pope Pius IX, outraged, retreated to the Vatican and declared himself a prisoner, calling on foreign powers to force the Italians out of Rome. The action set in motion decades of political intrigues that hinged on such fascinating characters as Garibaldi, King Viktor Emmanuel, Napoleon III, and Chancellor Bismarck. No one who reads this eye-opening book will ever think of Italy, or the Vatican, in quite the same way again."A gripping account of this little-known story." -- Washington Post"A suspenseful and even captivating read . . . Kertzer illuminates one of history's darker corners.” -- Providence Journal"Extraordinary . . . Kertzer describes intrigue, spying, disinformation, and public relations campaigns worthy of any contemporary spy novel." -- Seattle Times David I. Kertzer is author of several illuminating works of history, including The Popes Against the Jews and The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, a National Book Award finalist. A professor of anthropology and Italian studies at Brown University, he lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Amir has finally landed in a good place. His new foster parents, the Smiths, are loving and kind, and he has been reunited with his youngest brother, whom the Smiths have raised since babyhood. Amir knows he should be happy, but he is uncomfortable around the Smiths, and his little brother doesn’t even remember him. If only Amir could find the rest of the siblings he was separated from when his parents died, perhaps he would feel more at ease. Luckily, he has someone he can open his heart to—his friend Doris, who lives in his old Bronx neighborhood. The two of them share all their feelings and concerns in frequent letters. But when Doris writes Amir that a friend has been experimenting with drugs, unpleasant memories rise to the surface of his mind. In this long-awaited companion to The Gift-Giver and Yellow Bird and Me, Amir not only must find a way to come to terms with his family’s past, but he must also determine where his true home is.

When Matt and Abby go to live with Great-Aunt Gerda in Sierra Madre Canyon after their mother dies, Matt is put off at first by the life-size wooden dolls whom Aunt Gerda talks to and calls her “children.” However, when someone vandalizes the dolls and two are stolen, it is Matt, with the help of his new friend, Kristin, who foils the would-be thief and returns the dolls to Aunt Gerda.

How do you prepare for a test? Study the material, of course. But studying for the SAT is different?knowing facts is not enough. On the SAT, basic information is presented in tricky new combinations, and getting the right answers depends less on what you know than on how you think.Zen in the Art of the SAT, written for those in grades 9?12, can help you achieve your highest score on the new SAT.• Learn to let go of worries and fears, calm your mind, and bring your attention to the present moment.• Explore the main obstacles actual students have faced and how they overcame them.• Assess yourself: know what role anxiety plays in your test-taking and learn how to change reading habits that may be limiting your success.• Create a study plan that will work for you.• Find out how your parents can support you best.• Discover your mind's hidden natural ability to solve problems.The techniques in Zen in the Art of the SAT were developed through years of work with students in New York City, one of the most competitive test-prep markets in America.

The teenage years are a time filled with sadness, madness, joy, and all the messy stuff in between. Sometimes it feels that every day brings a new struggle, a new concern, a new reason to stay in bed with the shades drawn. But between moments of despair and confusion often come times of great clarity and insight, when you might think, like the poet Rumi, “Whoever’s calm and sensible is insane!” It is moments like these that have inspired the touching, honest, and gripping poems found in I Just Hope It’s Lethal: Poems of Sadness, Madness, and Joy. After all, what’s normal anyway? This collection includes poems by Charles Bukowski, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, T. S. Eliot, Edgar Allen Poe, W. B. Yeats, Dorothy Parker, Jane Kenyon, and many more, including teenage writers and up-and-coming poets.

In an era when parents and kids are overwhelmed by a sports-crazed, win-at-all-costs culture, here is a comprehensive guide that helps parents ensure a positive sports experience for their children. In Whose Game Is It, Anyway? two of the country’s leading youth sports psychologists team up with a former Olympic athlete and expert on performance enhancement to share what they have gleaned in more than forty years of combined experience.The result is a book unique in its message, format, and scope.Through moving case studies and thoughtful analyses, Ginsburg, Durant, and Baltzell advocate a preventive approach through a simple three-step program: know yourself, know your child, know the environment.They look at children in age groups, identifying the physical, psychological, and emotional issues unique to each group and clarifying what parents can expect from and desire for their kids at every stage.They also explore myriad relevant topics, including parental pressure, losing teams, steroid use, the overscheduled child, and much more.Illuminating, impassioned, and inspiring, Whose Game Is It, Anyway?is required reading for anyone raising—or educating—a child who participates in sports.

Last night I saw my sister, who is dead. She stood at the end of a long corridor, weeping. "Can it really be you, Ariadne, come back after all this time?” I whispered. She did not answer, but began slowly to sink through the floor. Princess Xenodice is content to spend her days tending to the animals in the royal menagerie, haunting the workshop of a beautiful young man named Icarus, and visiting her brother who lives in the Labyrinth. Her safe and privileged world, however, has ominous cracks underfoot. Soon battles for power and revenge threaten everything Xenodice loves. Betrayals from both within and without her family lead to a series of tragedies that Xenodice struggles to avert. From the deepest layer of the Labyrinth under the Royal Palace to the topmost floor of the prison tower, this enthralling version of the myth of the maze and the Minotaur by master storyteller Patrice Kindl is filled with the marvelous and the strange.

The best new American voices are heard here first: Writers like Julie Orringer, Adam Johnson, William Gay, David Benioff, Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Maile Meloy, Amanda Davis, Jennifer Vanderbes, and John Murray are just some of the acclaimed authors whose early work has appeared in this series since its launch in 2000. The new volume features a new crop of promising stories selected by renowned novelist Jane Smiley, who continues the tradition of identifying the best young writers on the cusp of their careers. Culled from hundreds of writing programs like the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Johns Hopkins and from summer conferences like Sewanee and Bread Loaf-and including a complete list of contact information for these programs-this exciting collection showcases tomorrow's literary stars.

Little Pear is a young boy who lives in a small village in China. Although his story takes place long ago, Little Pear is much like any little boy today--always on the lookout for excitement and adventure! Wherever Little Pear goes, there is fun to be had. His friends love to join his adventures--especially his best friend, Big Head. Accompany Little Pear as he goes ice fishing, masquerades as a beggar boy, finds a tiger in his house, and--best of all--gets a brand-new little brother!

In this classic novel, Josh, a teenage logger on the Ohio River, discovers his life's true mission as an abolitionist after his first encounter with a runaway slave.Josh first attempts to spread the abolitionist message by lecturing in remote towns about the evils of slavery--but his views often ignite strong disapproval. Frustrated, he makes a more daring choice and becomes an agent of the Underground Railroad. After dozens of successful rescues, Josh is captured by Kentucky slave owners and convicted of "enticing slaves to leave their owners."Locked away, he struggles to hold on to his ideals and sense of self. But when freedom comes sooner than he expected, Josh must decide if he will again take the kind of risks that landed him in prison.

This witty and charming collection of ten short fantasies includes a story, set in the Enchanted Forest, about Queen Cimorene's Frying Pan of Doom; a zany yarn about a magical blue chipmunk with a passion for chestnuts; and an eerie tale of a caliph who turns his vizier's daughter into a wolf.

On a rainy night eight years ago, Evan Barrett's parents were lost at sea. In horror, he listened to their frantic Mayday calls on the ship-to-shore radio, to his mother's cries for mercy--and to the deafening shrieks that answered her back.Now seventeen, Evan has gone in search of answers to his parents' strange disappearance. The only explanation that makes any sense to him is that they were swallowed up by The She, a legendary sea creature that devours ships. But when Evan's quest for the truth uncovers shocking allegations against his parents, he must deal with the possibility that everything he knows about his family is a lie.Includes a reader's guide.