Lisa Mantchev

Thirteen-year-old Bertie strives to save Theater Illuminata, the only home she has ever known, but is hindered by the Players who magically live on there, especially Ariel, who is willing to destroy the Book at the center of the magic in order to escape into the outside world.

act 1

Theatre Illuminata

From the critically acclaimed author of Eyes Like Stars We are such stuff as dreams are made on. Act Two, Scene One Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn't know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world. Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between— Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril. Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear. When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre's caravan, using Bertie's word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie's father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie's dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it's Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess's lair? Once again, LISA MANTCHEV has spun a tale like no other—full of romance, magic, adventure, and fairies, too—that readers won't want to put down, even after the curtain has closed.

Theatre Illuminata #2

Perchance to Dream

When the surgeon who provided her with a clockwork heart is put on trial for murder, Penny Farthing's parents are kidnapped and Penny and her brother receive a ransom note demanding the research her parents kept on the procedures of her surgery.

Ticker

As Beatrice Shakespeare Smith draws closer to reuniting her parents, her father suddenly disappears, and Bertie must deal with a vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family--and the Théâtre Illuminata--from crumbling.

So Silver Bright

Glenn Dallas

Welcome to Cyrene, a city where energy is currency and music is the lifeblood of its young citizens. Everyone lives on the grid, and the residents of the world's largest playground are encouraged to pursue every physical and emotional pleasure imaginable. Vee is the lead singer of the Sugar Skulls, an all-girl band that is Corporate's newest pet project. Micah haunts the city like a ghost after an overdose of a deadly illegal street drug knocks him off the grid. When Micah and Vee forge an immediate, undeniable connection, their troubled worlds collide. Trading concert stages for Cyrene's rooftops and back alleys, they have to evade vicious thugs and Vee's possessive manager as they unravel the mysteries connected to their dark pasts. And before the curtain falls, Micah and Vee will bring the city to its knees in their desperate bid for love, home, and a future together.

Sugar Skulls

A boy is excluded from joining his friends' pet club because of his unusual pet.

Strictly No Elephants

Thirteen-year-old Bertie strives to save Theater Illuminata, the only home she has ever known, but is hindered by the Players who magically live there, especially Ariel, who is desperate to escape into the outside world.

Theatre Illuminata, Act I

Eyes Like Stars

From the author of Strictly No Elephants comes an adorable picture book that tells the timeless tale of a little girl who’s on a mission to convince her big sister to play with her! For Lizzie, the perfect afternoon is one spent playing with her big sister, Jane. But it’s tough being the little sister. Jane is always busy with activities and play dates. And so she hatches the perfect plan to show Jane just how much she loves her. Each day of the week Lizzie works hard sketching and planning, waiting until Saturday when she can reveal her grand surprise to Jane: it’s Sister Day, a celebration of imagination and sisterhood. This sweet and whimsical story perfectly captures the special bond between sisters.

Sister Day!

"A tiny narwhal in a fishbowl discovers that sometimes the difference between staying home and a big adventure is a group of loving friends"--

Someday, Narwhal

“Directly personal and visually dramatic.”—Booklist “Carries a deeper and more important message about considering others’ circumstances in light of one’s own privileges that many kids may benefit from hearing.” —BCCB “A satisfying storytime read-aloud about the gift of giving and sharing.” —School Library Journal From the author of Strictly No Elephants comes a sweet picture book that explores themes of selflessness and empathy when a girl has the chance to make just one wish. In the grass, a girl finds an extraordinary thing that gives her…just…one…wish. She asks her those around her what they would wish for in her shoes, but nothing seems quite right. What will her perfect wish be? In this pitch-perfect picture book, Lisa Mantchev takes the concept of a magic wish and uses it to explore real world empathy, kindness, and good will.

The Perfectly Perfect Wish

Le problème, quand on a un éléphant à la maison, c'est qu'on est toujours un peu différent... Une histoire qui défend les valeurs d'Amnesty international : agir ensemble contre toute forme de discrimination.

Interdit aux éléphants

“Breathtaking.” —School Library Connection “Enchanting art.” —Publishers Weekly Journey meets Pearl in this transcendent picture book about a mermaid finding her forever home, created by the author of Strictly No Elephants, Lisa Mantchev, and The Bear and the Piano author-illustrator David Litchfield. When a boy is out swimming and looking for fish, he meets a mermaid instead. She is all alone. He welcomes her to his home and his circus family. Though she misses the ocean, she feels she has found a new family and home. With lyrical text and luminous artwork, Remarkables is a story of friendship and finding home. What a remarkable place the world is.

Remarkables

“An exuberant picture book…Fabulously fun artwork…Fighting crime definitely takes imagination.” —The Wall Street Journal “This tale offers the refreshing twist of sibling friendship that parents will applaud. Jinx and the Doom will captivate readers with their irresistible fun.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Jinx and her little brother, the Doom, are pretty typical kids—except when they turn into superheroes and fight crime—in this relatable celebration of siblings and imagination by the author of Strictly No Elephants. A typical day for Jinx and the Doom looks like this: wake up, eat breakfast, brush teeth—then FIGHT CRIME! These rambunctious kids used to fight each other, until one day they realized that they could use their powers for good instead of evil. So now they protect the planet! Defend the innocent! And then stop to have lunch. Bright cut-paper, comic book–style illustrations highlight the power of imagination and the joy of having a sibling to play with.

Jinx and the Doom Fight Crime!

A. Purol

So step into my world where I'm the dreamer and the dream... A year ago, Lourdes Chase lost two months of her life to a kidnapping nightmare that she's only now piecing together. She arrives in California with every intention of tracking down those responsible, but when she wakes up in a strange motel room with no recollection of how she got there, it's a blue-eyed, fast-talking stranger who offers an assist. Then a chance audition at a downtown nightclub drops her in the proverbial lap of everyone's favorite immortal rocker... Xaine is the poster boy of hedonistic infamy, from his supercar to his Palisades mansion to his record label, Apocalypse. But his life abruptly shifts gears from Grammy Awards and blood dolls to police statements and coroners' reports when dead blond girls start turning up on his property. Everyone is quick to accuse the resident vampire, and with a list of enemies that dates back four centuries, only his newest opening act can clear his name and help him figure out who's behind the murders. Within days of meeting, Xaine and Lore are caught up in a web of intrigue, pursued by fallen angels, sin-eaters, reapers, and a coalition of vampires with a deadly agenda. Virtue and Vice, Light and Dark, they will have to battle their every demon to vanquish the ghosts that haunt them both. But fame and fortune come at the cost of anonymity, and when a powerful enemy can see Lore's every move projected across the television screen, it's Hollywood's biggest bad-boy who becomes her only hope.

Lost Angeles

Holly Phillips

Jeffery Ford

In the span of just four years, FANTASY MAGAZINE has quickly become one of the premiere fantasy venues for short fiction, and this anthology contains some of the best of those stories from its first two years. With contributions from both the established and the new, ranging from genre to mainstream, WORLDS OF FANTASY promises to open new doors to new worlds.

The Best of Fantasy Magazine SC

Worlds of Fantasy

In a house full of animals, the cats stay upstairs and the dogs, downstairs until a bold cat sneaks out and, rather than causing a fight, explores the house and new friendship with the dogs.

Twisty-Turny House

The fantastic first novel in Lisa Mantchev's Theatre Illuminata trilogy Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. The actors are bound to the Théâtre by The Book, an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of the actors, but they are her family. And she is about to lose them all because The Book has been threatened, and along with it the Théâtre. It's the only home Bertie has ever known, and she has to find a way to save it. But first, there's the small problem of two handsome men, both vying for her attention. Nate, a dashing pirate who will do anything to protect Bertie, and Ariel, a seductive air spirit. The course of true love never did run smooth. . . . With Eyes LIke Stars, Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

“Kids will love this tiny little protagonist who dares to dream big.” —Booklist “The little narwhal from Strictly No Elephants gets her own story…Equally good as a stand-alone or for fans of the first book.” —School Library Journal In this charming companion to the award-winning picture book Strictly No Elephants, a tiny narwhal discovers that sometimes the difference between staying home and a big adventure is a group of loving friends. Red front door. Potted plant. Umbrella stand. Piano. Red front door. Potted plant. Umbrella stand. Piano. That’s what the world looks like from inside Tiny Narwhal’s fishbowl. It’s not very exciting. She dreams of the world beyond: endless blue sky, tall buildings, a bridge. But Tiny Narwhal hasn’t any feet and doesn’t know the street names. And what if it’s cold outside? What this little narwhal does have, though, are good friends. With the help of her boy and his friends, plus a penguin, bat, and giraffe, Tiny Narwhal finally feels brave enough to go on an adventure. Someday, Narwhal features the same adorable cast of pets and sweet, lyrical language as Lisa Mantchev’s beloved Strictly No Elephants.

Growing up in the enchanted Théâtre Illuminata, Bertie learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts—but she didn’t know that she had a role to play, too. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales. And she’s ready to write her own story, outside the protective walls of Théâtre. But which way will her story go? Toward Nate, who’s being held captive by the Sea Goddess, and loves Bertie dearly? Or should she write Ariel into her narrative? He’s by her side every day, and she’s finding his charms so very hard to resist. . . .

Lisa Mantchev

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