Showing results by narrator "Krystal Hammond" in All Categories

Science fiction often focuses on future technology and science without considering the ways social structures will change as tech changes—or not. What will relationships look like in a complicated future of clones, uploaded intelligences, artificial brains, or body augmentation? What stories emerge when we acknowledge possibilities of new genders and ways of thinking about them? The Reinvented Heart presents stories that complicate sex and gender by showing how shifting technology may affect social attitudes and practices.

Sixteen-year-old Millie Novak is stuck in an "if only" rut. If only she were stronger and faster, maybe her roller derby teammates would take her seriously. If only she had the guts to go back to in-person learning, maybe she'd have a social life. If only she weren't such an awkward mess, maybe she could get the attention of that cute girl on the all-star derby team. And don't get her started on her family!

When a commercial flight goes down en route to Hawaii, all 184 people on board perish with the one exception of a two-year-old boy named Ethan. Before their untimely deaths, Ethan's parents, Tag and Amanda, chose their good friends Matthew and Nicole to be Ethan's guardians in the event that the worst ever happened. From the afterlife, grief-stricken Tag and Amanda watch as Nicole's addictions (which the family had hidden), the family's financial struggles, and the public obsession with their story ignite events that threaten Ethan's welfare.

The official story is that the United States has no political prisoners. The reality is that there are hundreds of people rounded up, placed behind bars, and kept there for inordinately long sentences because of their political beliefs and activities. A project of abolitionist Josh Davidson and political prisoner Eric King, this book is filled with the experience and wisdom of over thirty current and former North American political prisoners.

We all want our colleagues to feel safe, heard, and free to be their authentic selves at work. But being an inclusive colleague doesn't happen overnight—it's an evolving process that involves growing, learning, and intentional effort. This book will teach you how to address and understand your biases, how to get better at noticing and responding to microaggressions, and why being an inclusive colleague will spark more productive and rewarding relationships with your coworkers and boss.

Trapped behind enemy lines, Olivia is forced to watch as the rogue soul vampires destroy countless mortals. In a bid to end the monarchy, the creatures and their leader will stop at nothing.

Taika Turunen has no magic. Despite coming from a long line of powerful Finnish mages, and their name literally meaning magic, Taika can't perform the simplest of spells. Forced to attend Myrskyjärvi International School for the Magically Gifted on account of their mom being principal, Taika has a hard time fitting in. Sometimes, they wonder if not having magic has something to do with the fact they're neither a girl nor a boy and if they're fated to be "Taika the Talentless" forever.

A civil war is brewing in the Under World, lead by the same villain who stole my sister from me. Jarron must return to his world for damage control, leaving me alone at Shadow Hills Academy again. This time, though, I'm protected like a precious gem, and trapped in Elite Hall until we're certain it's safe. I understand the caution but I'm not a delicate princess, and I'm not going to let someone else fight this battle for me.

B has lived with so many different foster families and youth programs that they have to invent nicknames for them to keep track. Their parents died in a car accident when they were four, and they’ve been moved around ever since. And even though some foster families don’t really get B or why they haven’t picked a new name yet (though B has been grappling with that for a while), B tries their best to stay positive. They try to keep a list of names that might fit, and they dream of being able to live in a home where they could adopt a dog and teach him all sorts of tricks.

Edi has collected antiques and ghost stories for as long as they can remember. Some old objects buzz with history, and when Edi touches them, they see fragments of the item's story. But are the visions real? Edi desperately wants to believe in the supernatural until a mysterious ghost transforms their mom into a mannequin. Helped by Delilah, a thirteen-year-old psychic, Edi researches local hauntings to untangle how and why their mom became a mannequin. When Edi finally employs their ability to see an artifact's history, they learn the terrifying truth.

Newly retired Jayne Marple and Arnolda "Arnie" Palmer met playing Scrabble, and it was love at first tile. While this is their second chance at love, they're also working together to make the Elsinore Detective Agency a success.

Etta isn't like other kids at school, and she's proud of it. The class misanthrope and the owner of the greenest hair at Doolittle Middle School, she's still reeling from a painful friendship breakup, making her more than happy to burn middle-school bridges before she heads off to the local alternative high school next year.