As a boy Frank Mederos’ grandfather teaches him to fish, to navigate the seas, and to think for himself, much needed skills under the new Castro regime. When Frank is drafted into the army, he is soon promoted to the Special Forces, where he is privy to top military secrets. But young Frank has no sympathy for Fidel. He thirsts for freedom and longs to join his girlfriend who has left Cuba for America. Frank yearns to defect, but his timing couldn’t be worse. After two unsuccessful escape attempts, Frank learns that the departure of the next available boat conflicts with upcoming military exercises. If he stays, he will miss the boat. If he doesn’t, he will be the object of a massive manhunt. Problems abound: How will Frank escape the army base without being seen? Where will he hide until the boat comes? How can he outwit his commanding officer? And how can he elude hundreds of soldiers ordered to bring him back “dead or alive”? Frank’s true story, a tale of love, loss and courage that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page is turned.

Mirsad Solakovic survived a war in which some 300,000 people died, but was left with psychological damage. Mirsad lived through the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian civilians, until his family escaped to the UK. Following his experiences, he became difficult and untractable, and refused to speak English--until dedicated and sympathetic teachers at his school in Birmingham brought him back into contact with those around him. This thought-provoking account of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian tragedy paints a uniquely intimate portrait of survival, revealing pain that has never faded, yet has not crushed the human spirit. It is also an uplifting account of just how effective good teachers can be when faced with deeply troubled pupils.

Patti Sheehy continues Frank Mederos's true-life story of romance, suspense, and intrigue in Stalked: The Boy Who Said No: An Escape to Freedom. After a harrowing escape from Cuba, Frank faces new challenges in America. With five dollars in his pocket and a boatload of determination, he sets off to make a life for himself and his sweetheart, Magda. But unimaginable events intervene in his personal life. Meanwhile, sinister forces in Cuba plan to avenge his escape. Will Frank survive? Can he outwit his stalkers? A tale of tender love, heart-wrenching loss, and the life-saving power of friendship.

An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson. He’s certain he’s sensed spirits whispering in the churchyard. He’s heard of the weird bootleggers who lurk in the dark outside of town. He’s seen a flood leave Main Street crawling with snakes. Cory thrills to all of it as only a young boy can. Then one morning, while accompanying his father on his milk route, he sees a car careen off the road and slowly sink into fathomless Saxon’s Lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a beaten corpse, naked and handcuffed to the steering wheel—a copper wire tightened around the stranger’s neck. In time, the townsfolk seem to forget all about the unsolved murder. But Cory and his father can’t. Their search for the truth is a journey into a world where innocence and evil collide. What lies before them is the stuff of fear and awe, magic and madness, fantasy and reality. As Cory wades into the deep end of Zephyr and all its mysteries, he’ll discover that while the pleasures of childish things fade away, growing up can be a strange and beautiful ride. “Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of King and Bradbury, and every bit their equal,” Boy’s Life, a winner of both the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Awards, represents a brilliant blend of mystery and rich atmosphere, the finest work of one of today’s most accomplished writers (Kirkus Reviews).

Faced with the possibility of spending the night at the police station, Bobby Brown is suddenly willing to say his name.

"On the day he was born, before he could crawl, the boy who knew nothing, knew nothing at all." There is a boy who knows nothing at all - everyone tells him so. One day he discovers a strange creature in his parents' wardrobe and - surprise, surprise - he doesn't know what it is. The funny thing is that his mum and dad can't tell him either. Determined to identify his new friend, the boy who knows nothing sets out on a quest for information! A superbly surreal picture book from the author and illustrator of The Elephant in the Room.