Some things are worth fighting for.Of all his friends, Ivan is the only one looking forward to war.That's because Ivan has never backed down from a fight—especially when it comes to fighting for what's right. He has protected his friends from bullies for years. And now, as war erupts in Vietnam, Ivan wants nothing more than to fight for his country, just as his father did in World War II.Enlisting in the United States Army, Ivan is trained to be a sniper. And he's good at it. Very good. But Vietnam is not the war he was expecting. Somehow the glory and heroism of his father's war stories do not come so easily in the jungle.Now, for the first time, Ivan is forced to question what he's really fighting for . . . and whether it's a fight he can hope to win.

Does being loyal make you a hero or a coward?Fifteen-year-old, Irish-American Mick lives in the heavily segregated streets of Boston, where loyalty is paramount and straying from your roots is dangerous. After taking part in a racist attack during a crowded Saint Patrick's Day parade, Mick, who is caught on a TV camera, is considered a hero by his alcoholic older brother and the barflys from his neighborhood pub. But his school becomes a battlefield when Mick becomes the target of every group that has ever wanted to get a fist on him. As Mick becomes more aware of the humanity behind color lines, he realizes that tormenting people for nothing more than the color of their skin is just plain wrong—but separating himself from his roots will be Mick's biggest fight yet. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author's personal collection.

Is being popular really as fun as it seems?After surviving high school orientation camp, Elvin and his two best friends embark on their freshman year at an all-boys school. High school serves up all sorts of hardships: the dreaded rumor mill, dances with the local sister school, and jockeying to be seen with the right type of people. But for overweight Elvin, figuring out who the right people are is almost as confusing as his relationship with food. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author's personal collection.

Why is Elvin such a lightning rod for people trying to improve him?For as long as Elvin can remember, it's been just him and his mom, the only blood relative he knows. But out of the blue, his supposedly dead uncle, Alex, shows up. Elvin learns that years ago, Alex stole the money his dad had left to him and his mom—but now Alex wants to make amends with Elvin. He wants to improve all sorts of things, offering to fix Elvin's hair and get him a gym membership. The problem is, Elvin doesn't think his life needs fixing. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author's personal collection.

"All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." — Kirkus Reviews Chris Lynch concludes his gritty, thoughtful, and critically acclaimed WWII fiction series — providing entirely new insight into "The Good War." The US Marines Corps is home to some of the roughest, toughest combatants in World War II. Their courage and daring are legendary. And the best of the best — the boldest among them — are joining the Corps' elite new paratrooper combat unit. As Paramarines, they'll be expected to do everything a typical Marine does... and do it while skydiving. Nick Nardini knows that he's destined to become a Paramarine. He also knows that he has to convince his best friend, Zachary Klecko, to sign up too. Nardini and Klecko used to be inseparable, ever since they met in kindergarten, but recently they've been drifting apart. Fighting in the same battalion — and jumping out of the same planes — seems to Nardini like a surefire way to restore...

Four best friends. Four ways to serve their country.Morris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck are best friends for life. So when one of the teens is drafted into the Vietnam War, the others sign up, too. Although they each serve in a different branch, they are fighting the war together — and they promise to do all they can to come home together.Rudi is perhaps the most concerned about whether or not he'll be able to keep that promise. After all — and he'd be the first to admit this — he's not the most capable guy. He's not smart like Beck, or brave like Ivan. He lacks the strength of Morris's moral convictions.But once Rudi is pulled kicking and screaming into the Marines, he at last finds something he's good at: following orders. Will that be enough to keep him alive? And if he does survive the war, will his best friends even recognize him on the other side?

How can Mick break free from a family that won't let him go?In the second book in the Blue-Eyed Son trilogy, Mick's brutal brother, Terry, prepares for his annual May Day party. But this is no ordinary party—it's two full days of disgusting pranks and drunken violence. Terry throws the bash to prove that if you aren't in his circle, then you're in his sights. Mick's parents would rather not know what goes on, so they clear out and leave their sons home alone. Mick doesn't want to be there when the mayhem erupts—but distancing himself from his home and his family will be no easy feat. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author's personal collection.

The He-Man Women Haters are rocking out in a punk band!With Wolfgang newly installed as their leader, the He-Men recruit club members Scratch and Cecil, and form a garage punk band. In no time at all, Scratch and the Sniffs is born—the problem is, no one can actually play an instrument. But lack of talent doesn't stop the He-Man Women Haters Club from chasing stardom—or at least a few bucks!

If you do it right, it can be a life. The hothouse, the guys, the glory. But just like that, it can all go up in smoke.In the beginning it was strange, ya know, because of all that we had lost. But there was something about it that felt so good and so right, too: "I'm so proud of you, Russ." "We'll always be here for you, man." "Heroes don't pay for nothin' in this town." It was nonstop. The mayor shook my hand. Ladies sent food. I've never eaten so much baked ham in my life.And now? Now the phone won't stop ringing from the crazies ready to blame me. My mom has to cry herself to sleep. They take a firefighter, a man, and they pump him up so big. . . . But once they start taking it away from you, they don't stop until they leave nothing on the bones.First they needed heroes, then they needed blood.

"I hit him so hard, the clash of helmets and pads sounded like a gunshot across the field. I crushed him with the hit, held on to him, and crushed him again when I slammed him into the ground . . . I had arrived." Arlo Brodie loves being at the heart of the action on the football field, getting hit hard and hitting back harder. That's where he belongs, leading his team to championships, becoming "Starlo" on his way to the top. Arlo's dad cheers him on, but his mother quotes head injury statistics and refuses to watch games. Arlo's girlfriend tries to make him see how dangerously he's playing; when that doesn't work, she calls time out on their relationship. Even Arlo's coaches begin to track his hit count, ready to pull him off the field when he nears the limit. But Arlo's not worried about tallying collisions. The winning plays, the cheering crowds, and the adrenaline rush are enough to convince Arlo that everything is OK—in spite of the pain, the...

"I am a good guy. Good guys don't do bad things. Good guys understand that no means no, and so I could not have done this because I understand." Keir Sarafian knows many things about himself. He is a talented football player, a loyal friend, a devoted son and brother. Most of all, he is a good guy. And yet the love of his life thinks otherwise. Gigi says Keir has done something awful. Something unforgivable. Keir doesn't understand. He loves Gigi. He would never do anything to hurt her. So Keir carefully recounts the events leading up to that one fateful night, in order to uncover the truth. Clearly, there has been a mistake. But what has happened is, indeed, something inexcusable.

"The best Vietnam War novels yet for this age range." - Kirkus ReviewsMorris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck are best friends for life. So when one of the teens is drafted into the Vietnam War, the others sign up, too. Although they each serve in a different branch, they are fighting the war together — and they promise to do all they can to come home together.Of the four, it's Beck that has the most to lose. He's the smart one of the bunch, and he could be — SHOULD be — going to college. His parents certainly think so. But he has a pact to honor, and so Beck enlists in the US Air Force.As their tours of duty near completion and the war itself spirals further out of control, the four best friends are at last on a collision course. Will they all survive long enough to be reunited?

Two teens discover the true danger of love in this gripping novel from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch.Oliver loves Junie Blue. That's true. Pretty much everything else is a lie. Both known for their deceit, Junie and O's relationship was the only honest thing they had. But now that's over. Oliver's been dumped, and he's miserable. Junie says they're done. Unless she's lying? Junie's father works for One Who Knows, the head of an organized crime family. He won't tell O where Junie is, not even after O hears a rumor that Junie's won the lottery—and that One Who Knows expects to be given her ticket. O fears Junie's in danger, and he's determined to come to her rescue. But is there honestly anything he can do?

Elvin just wants to fit in—but how can he find his place when he doesn't know what to look for?Elvin Bishop is about to attend a three-week-long high school orientation camp, where each student is slotted or placed on an athletic team. Chubby, fourteen-year-old Elvin knows this is not the place for him. From the start, he's told that some kids get picked on more than others, and to try not to be one of those guys. His friends encourage him to toughen up, to avoid being a geek by acting more confident. The trouble is, Elvin doesn't quite know what kind of guy he is. And what if the kind of guy he is now isn't the kind of guy he'll be in four years? At times laugh-out-loud funny, Slot Machine is a keenly felt story of the push and pull of wanting to belong. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author's personal collection.