As letters flow back and forth--between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of Afghanistan, across cultural and religious divides--sixth-grader Abby, ten-year-old Amira, and eleven-year-old Sadeed begin to speak and listen to each other.

Being a cop runs in Billy Harney's family. The son of Chicago's Chief of Detectives whose twin sister, Patty, also followed in their father's footsteps, there's nothing Billy won't give up for the job, including his life. Left for dead alongside his former partner and a district attorney, Billy miraculously survives. But he remembers nothing about the events leading up to the shootout. The investigation leads to an unexpected address -- an exclusive...

In the unusual world of Green Town, Illinois, a twelve-year-old discovers the wonders of reality and the power of imagination during the summer of 1928.

"Gaby Dupont knows some men shouldn't be trusted. Ever. Especially not high-profile lawyer Nicholas Chandler. How can she trust the man who might be helping one of her horrible relatives weasel out of the consequences for their bad behavior? To get the inside scoop on Nicholas's dealings - and protect herself and her beloved grand-mère - Gaby must take a job with the devil himself. Of course, she can't tell him who she really is . . . Nicholas Chandler...

When it was first produced in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun was awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for that season and hailed as a watershed in American drama. A pioneering work by an African-American playwright, the play was a radically new representation of black life. "A play that changed American theater forever."

"Chicago may be the city of broad shoulders, but its political law is "Pay to Play." Money changes hands in the middle of the night, and by morning, buildings and parks are replaced by billion-dollar projects. Chicago PI V.I. Warshawski gets pulled into one of these clandestine deals through her impetuous goddaughter, Bernie Fouchard. Bernie tries to rescue Lydia Zamir, a famed singer-songwriter now living on the streets; Zamir's life fell apart when...

Responding to a domestic disturbance call on the Ojibwe reservation, Tamarack County sheriff Cork O'Connor barely escapes a sniper attack and stumbles into the investigation of a Chicago businessman's murder.

"She promised a dying father she would keep his daughter safe. She can't fail now. The one thing Sylvie Townsend wants most is what she feared she would never have - a family of her own. But taking in Polish immigrant Rose Dabrowski to raise and love quells those fears - until seventeen-year-old Rose goes missing at the World's Fair, and Sylvie's life unravels. With nowhere else to turn, Sylvie seeks help from her boarder and Rose's violin instructor,...

"From New Salem Village to the historic Lock 14 on the Michigan Canal, there's lots to see and do in Illinois! Additional features include maps on each spread, state symbols, famous people, fact bubbles, and informative captions that highlight some of the things that make Illinois special"--Publisher's website.

"In his life, Harry's been shot, stabbed, sliced, beaten, burned, crushed, and tortured. And after someone puts a bullet through his chest and leaves him to die in the waters of Lake Michigan, things really start going downhill. But even trapped in the realm between life and death, Harry can't catch a break. He learns that three of his friends are destined to experience unbearable torment and agony. Only by bringing his murderer to justice can he...