The Zigzag Kid

A hijacked train whisks an imaginative young boy on an unforgettable adventure, in which he makes discoveries about his own family's past and a wild woman who rescued his Israeli policeman father from a vat of chocolate. 'An affecting tale of the triumph of hope over desperate circumstances ... Napoleon's upbeat, colloquial style is extremely readable and the relationship between ZigZag and Singer is treated with as much depth of perception and sensitivity as that of John Steinbeck's Lenny and George. Against a backdrop of the dregs of American society and the impotence of social welfare ZigZag is a modern day Of Mice and Men' -The Times

The author of the beloved Kids of the Polk Street School series introduces a new generation of readers to a multicultural group of kids who enjoy all the activities of an after-school center. I'M #1! That’s what Mitchell McCabe’s favorite T-shirt says. He'd like to be Number One at the Zigzag Afternoon Center, where there are lots of fun activities to choose from: swimming, nature walks, field trips, art, even homework help. And YAY—there's snack time! But Mitchell is worried. What if he's the only kid who doesn’t get a prize on Prize Day? Luckily, Mitchell realizes he's a winner at something terrific. In this delightful new series, award-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff introduces readers to a quirky, lovable group of kids, capturing all the excitement and surprises of new friends and after-school fun.

When the Timpanzi Tigers challenge the Zigzag Zebras to a race, Gina worries because she knows she is not a fast runner, but the whole school seems to be counting on her to win.

With some help from a group of field mice, an odd-looking doll--named Zigzag for his crooked mouth--searches for a child to love him.

Introduces young readers to each part of our solar system, including the sun, every planet, moons, the asteroid belt, and the Kuiper belt.

Mitchell really doesn't want to go camping with the other kids at the Zigzag Afternoon Center. Sleeping in the woods with creepy crawly things, coyotes, and bears? Yikes! But his best friend Habib is going, and it's Mitchell's birthday that weekend. He's just got to find a way to be brave, and scare the bears away! As the fifth book in the Zigzag Kids series—which also includes Number One Kid, Big Whopper, Flying Feet, and Star Time—Bears Beware continues to delight readers with award-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff's quirky, lovable group of kids, capturing all the excitement and surprises of new friends and after-school fun.

The author of the beloved Kids of the Polk Street School series introduces a new generation of readers to a multicultural group of kids who enjoy all the activities of an after-school center. It’s Discovery Week at the Zigzag Afternoon Center! Everyone writes their discoveries on a big sheet of paper in the hallway. But Destiny Washington can’t think of anything new to discover. Before she knows it, Destiny has told a BIG whopper. And snooty Gina, who’s great at discovering things, knows all about it. Destiny has to find a way out of the whopper. In the end, she makes the best discovery of all. In this delightful new series, award-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff introduces readers to a quirky, lovable group of kids, capturing all the excitement and surprises of new friends and after-school fun.

“Ben Macintyre’s rollicking, spellbinding Agent Zigzag blends the spy-versus-spy machinations of John le Carré with the high farce of Evelyn Waugh.”—William Grimes, The New York Times (Editors’ Choice) “Wildly improbable but entirely true . . . [a] compellingly cinematic spy thriller with verve.”—Entertainment Weekly ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Entertainment Weekly ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. In 1941, after training as German spy in occupied France, Chapman was parachuted into Britain with a revolver, a wireless, and a cyanide pill, with orders from the Abwehr to blow up an airplane factory. Instead, he contacted M15, the British Secret service, and for the next four years, Chapman worked as a double agent, a lone British spy at the heart of the German Secret Service. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began. Based on recently declassified files, Agent Zigzag tells Chapman’s full story for the first time. It’s a gripping tale of loyalty, love, treachery, espionage, and the thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.

A remarkable debut Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Dangerous turns and rites of passage a Huckleberry Finn for the 21st Century. Published to widespread critical acclaim and made into a feature film, ZigZag is the namesake and touching tale of a strange and wonderful 15-year-old boy. ZigZag is autistic with an innocent curiosity and odd perceptions that give him keen insights into his oppressive world. His uncanny aptitude for numbers turns out to be both a blessing and a curse. Beset by his neglectful father, ZigZag finds refuge in his friendship with a volunteer mentor named Singer, a forklift driver who does his best to keep his unusual friend out of danger. But the action heats up when ZigZag naively steals thousands of dollars from the safe at the restaurant where he works as a dishwasher. With Singer's help, the unlikely duo plots to return the money and, in doing so, has to navigate a seedy underworld bent on bringing them down.