Lionboy

found today 8/2/2013 1 of 20 books for $10

This book is about an african american boy named Charles, who lived in afica with his parents. One day his parents were parent napped by a bully named Rafi. Now scared by Rafi Charles runs away to one of his parents friend who leaves africa on a HUGE ship that goes to france.

On this boat is one big circus the charles works at throughout the story. He starts as a monkey trainer but then gets upgraded to the lionboy.

Later he finds out the lions want to leave the ship so he plans an escape for him and the lions. In the end they get away and get on a new ship back to africa for the lions and his parents. ( )

Inventive book set sometime in the future, post-environmental apocalypse. ( )

When Charlie returns home one day to an unlocked and empty house, he comes to the realization that his parents have disappeared and it is up to him to find them. Traveling from London to Paris, Charlie uses his unique gift of communicating with cats to aid him in his adventures, all while avoiding capture by the villains that kidnapped his parents. Great for ages 9 and up. ( )

This is the story:
Chapter 1:
One Saturday afternoon in September Charlie's mum was up a ladder in the backyard,doing things to plants halfway up the wall.Charlie didn't know what, or care.He liked the yard,the gorgeous honey-lemon smell of the flowers,and the great Christmas tree that hung over the back wall, with its shiny silver and green and purple fruits that he would harvest towards midwinter and sell at the market. He liked climbing about in the tree and in the ruins beyond, running down to the river,and talking to the cats that lived down there. But he didn't care what his mum was doing up the ladder - until he heard a shriek and a clatter and a rude word, and he ran out to see. His mum was on all fours, on the ladder, on the ground, with festoons of the honey-smelling plant around her, her red hair wild and her face as white as ice. "Stupid, stupid," she was muttering. "No you're not," said Charlie. He offered her his hand and as she pulled up to her feet, wincing."You wouldn't be a professor if you were stupid. "Clever people can do stupid things," she said. "Let me into the house." She hobbled inside and Charlie followed, worried, but not worried, becuse his mum was the strongest, cleverest, bravest person in the world, apart from his dad, of course, and if anyone could handle falling of a ladder she could. "Owwwww," she said. Charlie had already passed her the arnica, a chocolate biscuit and a small bottle of her secret shock remedy, which she made in her laboratory and which smelt of comfort and brandy and sweet winter herbs. "Best take a look," she said, and slid carefully out of the long leather breeches she always wore for outdoor work.