Alison Hart

It's my first day back at school after the holidays and I've already got three burning questions: 1) When is my family's disgusting diet going to end? 2) How will I finish my group project on time? 3) Why is my best friend Alex suddenly not talking to me? If that's not bad enough, the classroom is overrun with lizards. At least things can't get worse, right? Praise for School Rules Are Optional'A rollicking ride!' Nat Amoore, author of Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire'Hilarious! A must-read.' Kate and Jol Temple, authors of Frog Squad and The Underdogs

Jesse is in his final year of primary school and should be living it up as one of the 'Kings', but he can't even get his Prep buddy to follow school rules. A hilarious story of being undervalued and over everything for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire.

A boy and his dog survive the 1909 Cherry Mine disaster in this action-packed and heartwarming story. When Thomas's family needs money, he's forced to go to work in the coal mines, even though neither of his late parents wanted that for him. His only comfort is his dog Finder, a failed hunting dog who now pulls a cart in the mines. When disaster strikes, can Thomas and Finder escape from the fires deep below ground? The Dog Chronicles series features fast-paced, fascinating historical fiction about working dogs, perfect for readers who love books.

Hats finish an outfit - they make a statement, provide panache and lift your spirits. This book explains how to make your own hats, using traditional construction methods with both specialist millinery foundation materials and a range of fabrics and trimmings. It showcases twenty-six hats and headpieces, each with step-by-step photographs and instructions, some using ready-made elements, others that are made from scratch. Celebrating the versatility of hats, it introduces the wide range of styles and shapes that modern millinery has embraced.

A hardened old sea dog joins Magellan's journey to the Spice Island. After three ocean voyages, Leo knows not to trust anyone but himself. But in 1519 he sets sail with Magellan on a journey to find a westward route to the Spice Islands. Slowly, he begins to develop new friendships with the ship's scribe, Pigafetta, and Marco, Magellan's page. Together, the three of them experience hunger and thirst, storms and doldrums, and mutinies and hostile, violent encounters. Will they ever find safe passage? The Dog Chronicles series features fast-paced, fascinating historical fiction about working dogs, perfect for readers who love books.

A girl, her mother, and their dog must find a way to survive in gold rush-era Alaska.After escaping from his brutal and merciless owner, Murphy is taken in by a young girl named Sally. She and her mother have just arrived in Nome, Alaska, intent on joining the other gold seekers and making a new life. Yet even with Murphy at their side, Sally and Mama find living in the mining town harsh and forbidding. When it seems they may have to return to San Francisco, Sally and Murphy decide to strike out on their own, hoping to find gold and make a permanent home. But dangers await them--not only blizzards and grizzly bears, but also Murphy's original owner, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.The Dog Chronicles series features fast-paced, fascinating historical fiction about working dogs, perfect for readers who love books.

When a fierce blizzard suddenly kicks up on a mild winter day, a young Nebraska girl must find the courage and strength to lead others to safety in this novel inspired by the true story of the 1888 School Children's Blizzard. Twelve-year-old Anna loves life on the Nebraska prairie where she lives with her parents and four-year-old brother in a simple sod house. She doesn't mind helping out with chores, especially when she is herding sheep with her beloved pony, Top Hat. On the open prairie, Anna feels at home. But at school she feels hopelessly out of place. Arithmetic is too hard, her penmanship is abysmal, and stuck-up Eloise Baxter always laughs at her mistakes. When a unexpected blizzard traps Anna, her schoolmates, and their young teacher in the one-room schoolhouse, Anna knows they must escape before it is too late. Does she have the courage and strength to lead her class through the whiteout to safety? Alison Hart offers young readers a dramatic story of rescue and survival featuring a plucky, determined protagonist. An author's note provides more information about prairie life in the late nineteenth century and about the School Children's Blizzard.

A World War I canine hero saves the day in this action-packed, heartwarming story. When the British military asks for dogs to help the war effort, Darling's family reluctantly sends her to be trained as a mercy dog. Through gunfire and poisonous gases, it's Darling's job to find injured soldiers on the battlefield and fetch help from the medics. After saving the lives of numerous soldiers, Darling suddenly finds herself in need of rescue. Will she ever make it back to England? This wartime adventure is a touching and exciting introduction to World War I. Darling's story of bravery and devotion reminds readers that dogs can be so much more than pets. The Dog Chronicles series features fast-paced, fascinating historical fiction about working dogs, perfect for readers who love books

A boy and his dog survive the 1909 Cherry Mine disaster in this action-packed and heartwarming story. When Thomas's family needs money, he's forced to go to work in the coal mines, even though neither of his late parents wanted that for him. His only comfort is his dog Finder, a failed hunting dog who now pulls a cart in the mines. When disaster strikes, can Thomas and Finder escape from the fires deep below ground? The Dog Chronicles series features fast-paced, fascinating historical fiction about working dogs, perfect for readers who love books.

A World War I canine hero saves the day in this action-packed, heartwarming story. When the British military asks for dogs to help the war effort, Darling's family reluctantly sends her to be trained as a mercy dog. Through gunfire and poisonous gases, it's Darling's job to find injured soldiers on the battlefield and fetch help from the medics. After saving the lives of numerous soldiers, Darling suddenly finds herself in need of rescue. Will she ever make it back to England? This wartime adventure is a touching and exciting introduction to World War I. Darling's story of bravery and devotion reminds readers that dogs can be so much more than pets. The Dog Chronicles series features fast-paced, fascinating historical fiction about working dogs, perfect for readers who love books

Twelve-year-old Gabriel is too young to join the fifth U.S. Colored Calvary of the Union Army, his father's regiment, as a soldier in the Civil War. He finds a job as personal groom to Champion, the unruly horse that belongs to Colonel Waite, the white commander. The Calvary receives orders to join white regiments in an attack on the Virginia salt works, so Gabriel gets ahold of a horse and a uniform and joins the troops. When his father and Colonel Waite are not among the weary and wounded who return from battle, Gabriel mounts Champion and rides to the battlefield in search of them. In the final book of the Racing to Freedom trilogy, Alison Hart continues to explore the complex relationships of the Civil War. The result is a gripping story that vividly brings to life the danger and drama of a time when war and issues of race and freedom divided the country. Background historical material, photos, and suggestions for further reading are included.

Recently freed from slavery, Gabriel is burning up the horse track as jockey and stacking up wins for his former master. When Mister Giles asks him to ride Aristo, a powerful but unpredictable horse, in the prestigious Saratoga Chase, Gabriel jumps at the chance to compete against some of the greatest jockeys in the business. But as he begins the journey to Saratoga, he finds that high-stakes horse racing can be a nasty business as he works to keep Aristo safe and fend off horse poachers and jealous jockeys. Gabriel also learns the difficult lesson that being freed is not the same as being free. More than ever, Gabriel misses his father, who is fighting with the Union Army. Who else can he trust? In the second book of the Racing to Freedom trilogy, Alison Hart continues to explore the complex relationships of the Civil War. The result is a gripping story that vividly brings to life the danger and drama of a time when war and issues of race and freedom divided the country. Background historical material and photos are included.

Here is the much-begged-for sequel to Shadow Horse. With a feisty female protagonist, a little romance, a lot of mystery, and a barnful of animals just waiting to be loved, this young adult horse mystery novel will have young girls galloping to the bookstore to grab their copy. When thirteen-year-old Jas Schuler found her beloved mare Whirlwind dead in her padlock, she thought her heart would break. But now Jas knows the truth: Whirlwind is alive Wealthy horse breeder Hugh Robicheaux faked the mare's death, collected insurance money, then sold her to an unsuspecting buyer. And he's going to get away with his crime, too--unless someone can find Whirlwind. And that's exactly what Jas plans to do. But hunting for Whirlwind is dangerous. Hugh has threatened to destroy everything Jas holds dear unless she stops her search. As she struggles with her desire to find Whirlwind without endangering the people she loves, Jas must ask herself: Should she risk so much for a horse she may never find? This heartfelt YA novel by a highly regarded equestrian author will have young readers chomping at the bit for more.

In 1852, Emma and her mama board the Sally May for a steamboat journey filled with danger and adventure. When concern over her beloved pony, Licorice Twist, lures ten-year-old Emma below the main deck--a place that she has been forbidden to go--she is shocked by what she encounters. Here is a world completely different than the pampered one above with its comfortable stateroom and fine food. Here livestock and poor immigrants huddle together--underfed, unclean, and exhausted. Soon Emma is making regular trips below, ferrying food to Patrick, an eleven-year-old stowaway who recently emigrated from Ireland. Slowly, Emma and Patrick develop a friendship that spans classes and ship levels. When the boiler explodes and the steamboat begins to sink, Emma must fight her way through the black smoke to find her friends and family. But is it too late?

In 1864 Kentucky, an enslaved boy dares to pursue his dream of becoming a jockey. Twelve-year-old Gabriel loves to help his father--one of the best horse trainers in Kentucky--care for the thoroughbred racehorses on Master Giles's farm until the violence of war disrupts their familiar daily routine. When Gabriel's father enlists in a Colored Battalion, Gabriel is both proud and worried. But his father's departure brings the arrival of Mr. Newcastle, a white horse trainer with harsh, cruel methods for handling both horses and people. Now it is up to Gabriel to protect the horses he loves from Mr. Newcastle and keep them safely out of the clutches of Confederate raiders. In this first book in the Racing to Freedom trilogy, Alison Hart explores the complex relationships of the Civil War in a gripping work of historical fiction. The result is a gripping story that vividly brings to life the danger and drama of a time when war and issues of race and freedom divided the country. Background historical material and photos are included.

ABBY IS FREE FROM SLAVERY BUT NOT FROM THE SECRETS OF HER PAST... It's 1865 in the conquered South and things are not as they were before the war. Thirteen-year-old Abby Joyner still lives on the plantation where she was raised but she and her grandparents are free now and continue on for a small salary. One thing is the same as it has always been, though -- Abby does not know what became of her mother. Why won't anyone tell her? Abby is determined to find the truth behind her disappearance. But answers are few and she is about to discover that, like freedom, the truth is harder to come by than she could have imagined.

Horses + mystery + rescuing abused animals = a triple crown of perpetually popular preteen genres Thirteen-year-old Jasmine is found guilty of assaulting Hugh Robicheaux, the owner of the horse farm where she works. But she's still determined to prove that Robicheaux killed Whirlwind, the mare she loved. Jas is sure that Shadow Horse, a scrawny brown gelding she rescues at a horse auction, is the key to the mystery--but just how is Shadow Horse connected to Whirlwind? Deftly written by a teacher and equestrian who has authored more than sixty books, this heartwarming and inspiring Edgar Award nominee will have special appeal for mystery fans as well as young horse lovers.