Ronald L Smith

When twelve-year-old Rory applies for a job at a spooky old mansion in his gloomy seaside town, he finds the owner, Lord Foxglove, odd and unpleasant. But he and his mom need the money, so he takes the job anyway. Rory soon finds out that his new boss is not just strange, he's not even human-and he's trying to steal the townspeople's shadows. Together, Rory and his friend Isabella set out to uncover exactly what Foxglove and his otherworldly accomplices...

Black Panther. Ruler of Wakanda. Avenger. This is his destiny. But right now, he's simply T'Challa-the young prince. Life is comfortable for twelve-year-old T'Challa in his home of Wakanda, an isolated, technologically advanced African nation. When he's not learning how to rule a kingdom from his father-the reigning Black Panther-or testing out the latest tech, he's off breaking rules with his best friend, M'Baku. But as conflict brews near Wakanda,...

In 1930s Alabama, twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher is the only member of his family who seems unable to practice folk magic, but when a mysterious man called the Stranger puts the entire town at risk from his black magic, Hoodoo must learn to conjure to defeat him.

"Thirteen-year-old T'Challa can't wait to go back to America to visit his friends Sheila and Zeke, who are staying with Sheila's grandmother in Beaumont, a small Alabama town, over their summer break. He's thrilled to be on vacation away from his duties as the Prince of Wakanda for a few weeks, and he's taking full advantage of his access to the amazing food and the South's rich history. But as T'Challa continues to explore the town, he finds that...

"Ike Pressure is an Army brat. Which, if you ask him, is not an insult. His mom's new job is in Mercury, Nevada, on a secretive military base close to Area 51. What's more, his childhood friend, Eesha Webb, and her family are about to move there too. Spoiler alert: Ike and Eesha aren't really best buds, even though their parents think so. They used to play together when they were little kids, but now she's more like his nemesis. Still, it's clear...

There is a Spider-Verse filled with Spider-Heroes, each on their own world: Spider-Punk, as adept at the guitar as he is at fighting crime. Spider-UK, who's juggling Eid celebrations and a super-villain threat to her London neighborhood. And Web-Weaver, whose latest fashion event is threatened by a citywide storm of hallucinations. Some, like Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, have already crossed from one universe to the next. Others are still discovering...

In this collection of personal stories and essays, award-winning and best-selling authors show that hope can live anywhere, even during the darkest of times.