Timothy Winston Hall's first story "In Pace Requiescat" was written when he and Year of the Book CEO Demi Stevens attended high school together in Elkins, West Virginia. Since then, his dark ramblings and haunting stories have morphed into delightful books for children and young adults.
For years Lincoln has been tormented by Arnold Jester, the meanest kid in school. Arnold always seems to have something to prove and Lincoln just happens to be his favorite prey. It's bad enough that Lincoln is small for his age, spends too much of his time drawing comic books and let's his imagination run wild, but to make matters worse, he has to deal with Laney, the girl he likes, continually standing up for him in front of the whole school. He might as well paint a target on his own back. But now it looks like things might be turning around. Recently, Lincoln has started developing special abilities and he has no idea why. He's stronger, faster and able to think much more quickly on his feet than he ever could before; almost as though he's turning into one of the superheroes he's spent most of his life daydreaming about. As he begins to enjoy the satisfaction of his new anti-bullying quest to stop being a victim, one thing becomes painfully obvious: Lincoln has no idea how to control his new superpowers. As he searches for answers to who he is becoming and how to save himself from the gift he's been given, he slowly begins to realize that the one person who may hold all the pieces to his puzzle is the last person he'd ever suspect.
It was a very long time ago, in a creaky old house, where my brother, sister and I would peer down the stairs through the banister and share with my parents that magical saying that was part tradition, part superstition, part love, protection and faith. We'd quietly shout that one long sentence that was all those things and more. "Night, I love ya, see ya in the mornin'," we'd say as if it were a single word, and wait for it to be repeated back to us before we could run off to climb into our beds and feel safe and warm. Now as a father, I share this magical saying with my son, as I watch him charge through life with the excitement and confidence that all he needs in this world is mommy and daddy and his best stuffy to loudly and boldly take on the world.
Gordon Mouse always wanted to see what was beyond his yard on Mr. Miller's farm. He dreamt of having friends to play with. Gordon's mother always told him not to go far from home and he always listened. But, when Gordon gets carried away playing with a butterfly he needs help getting home. This is the story of Gordon's journey to get back home to his mother. Along the way he meets some new friends and faces a few challenges, but keeps his head held high, as he tries to be a brave little mouse.