Searching for dragons by Patricia C. Wrede "Blast you six ways from next Wednesday!... May you and your pet dragon and your triple-cursed wash water turn purple with orange spots and fall down a bottomless pit!"

Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede p.2-3 The wizard decided to call on the gods and offer his daughter in marriage to whichever one would promise to make him so rich and so famous that...His Majesty."    "It's a very ugly rug," Mendanbar said. "That's why we put it in the entry hall." NAMES: Shonasai, Tamriff, Welenen, Hervan, Cyndal, Chathalla, Sympas, Saraset, Kerr Hollaran, Aurida

Ordinary Miracles by Stephanie Tolan p.34 "But for now, let us begin as we always do, with the Lord's Prayer. After that, we'll sing number two thirty-four in your hymnals, 'Washed in the Blood...first sermon--the day I met Colin. If we could get what we want just by asking God for it, nobody would ever die. We're too scared of it. And losing people hurts too much. NAMES: Rathburn, Soames --

Slave Day by Rob Thomas p.11 Tommy      "GED." As in " Let me sleep in, I'll get my... "      The light comes on. I can tell by the glow around the edge of the pillowcase, then I feel the covers...forwarded all of Domino's calls to the local adult bookstore. (Lloyd taped the calls. The funniest one has a woman saying, "I'd like a large pepperoni." "Wouldn't we all," answers the porn dealer.) --

A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer p.1 And time is not a gulf, nor space a bar;     Our hearts are loyal, even when we're far;     As once we were, again tonight we are.     --Georgia...that effort just to make sure the house was taken care of for the foreseeable future? It was a gamble at best, and not a wager she favored. Names: Tyrian, Faris, Nallaneen, Pontorson, Gavren --

Shiva's Fire by Suzanne Fisher Staples Champakam blossom, pink at the base of white blossom. Delicate smell. Small silver disk with the likeness of elepant-headed Ganesha, good luck charm Purple... varnam: Highly complex dance sequence that serves as the centerpiece of a bharata natyam performance. veena: long, wooden stringed instrument. yuvaraja: Son and heir of the raja. ---

Haveli (sequel to Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind) by Suzanne Fisher Staples Glossary Allah-o-Akhbar: "God is great!" Asalam-o-Aleikum: traditional Islamic greeting. ayah: a maid who...or small roll of spiced meat toba: water hole tonga: horse-drawn wooden cart wallah: owner, operator, or seller of goods or services zamindar: landlord zenanna: women's quarters --

Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples krait: a snake even deadlier than a cobra Eid: Muslim feast after Ramadan (ends any period of fasting) Paan: Fresh betel leaf...of water in a drought syed: an Islamic religious leader who can trace his lineage back to the prophet Mohammed toba: a freshwater pond that serves as a water supply for desert nomads --

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli p.10 Mica Area High School--MAHS--was not exactly a hotbed of nonconformity. There were individual variants here and there, of course, but within pretty narrow limits...and a monster. When he stepped off the plane, not a soul was there to greet him. It broke his heart. I'd like to ask him about that day. I'd like to dump a teacup of confetti on his head. --

The Great Eye by Phyllis Shalant "When you write a poem, you are like a magician, because poetry can turn a piece of paper into anything you choose... If you are happy, your poems can be fireworks...on a summer night or a fast dance. If you are sad, your poem can be a butterfly with one wing or a blind jump into a canyon. If you're angry, your poem can be a scalding kettle or a broken bottle." --