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Tracy Barrett

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To read about awards and for editorial reviews, please click on a title (below or to the right). For a complete list of my works for young readers, click on Writing. Questions, comments, suggestions? Go to the Contact page!

Freefall Summer

Sixteen-year-old Clancy Edwards has always been "the good girl." Ever since her mother died in a skydiving accident, her father has watched her like a hawk, until one last act of rebellion threatens her chance to break free—maybe forever.

"This classic coming-of-age story begs to be advertised for summer reading. . . Hand it to fans of Cecil Castellucci’s Don’t Cosplay with My Heart and anything written by Sarah Dessen."
— School Library Journal



Marabel and the Book of Fate

Free-spirited and plucky Marabel must defy expectations to rescue her brother—and their kingdom—in this charming, action-packed, and exciting middle grade fantasy. Listen to the author discussing Marabel on PW KidsCast.

"[P]its fate against free will, touches on prejudice and patriarchy, and has fun with fairy tale tropes."
— Publishers Weekly




The Song of Orpheus: The Greatest Greek Myths You Never Heard

This unforgettable collection spins tales of love and loss, hilariously vain superheroes, ancient robots, untrappable giant foxes, men reborn after being torn apart by dragons, and even the world's first monkeys. A few of these tales may seem familiar at first, but be prepared for the unexpected. Others are wonderfully strange and puzzling. All of them are entertaining. All of them deserve to be better known.

"Accessible and entertaining, these stories provide a thoughtful, fresh take on a classic subject."
— Kirkus Reviews






The Ancient Greek World

The history of a place, a people, and a culture that has left some of the most beautiful art, the greatest stories, and the most magnificent cities and buildings that the world has ever known. The Ancient Greek World uses primary sources such as Homer's Odyssey, Herodotus' Histories, a Minoan drinking cup, and a child's grave epitaph to present a balanced and lively narrative history of ancient Greece.

"Extensive quotes from primary sources, attractive page layouts, numerous good-quality color photographs of ruins and artifacts, plus the infusion of humor make for a palatable, solid resource for any collection."
— School Library Journal

 

 

 

The Stepsister's Tale

What really happened after the clock struck midnight? From the handsome prince to the evil stepsister, nothing is quite as it seems in this retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.

"Highly imaginative as well as insightful, this outstanding revision has the power to entrance and provoke thought."
— Kirkus ★Starred review

 

 

 

 



"a provocative inversion of the tale of Cinderella"
— PW ★Starred review





Dark of the Moon

The tale of the half-man, half-bull Minotaur, as told in alternating points of view by his sister, Ariadne, and his killer, Theseus.

"a historically rich reworking of Theseus and the Minotaur"
— Kirkus ★Starred review

"deft, dark, and enthralling"
— School Library Journal






King of Ithaka

"Return to the place that is not, on the day that is not, bearing the thing that is not. On that day the king will return." With only this mysterious prophecy to guide him, Telemachos sets off over sea and desert in search of the father he has never known.

One of School Library Journal's Best Books of 2010. ★Starred review, School Library Journal.

"A rousing introduction to epic characters and mythic creatures of ancient Greece from the fresh perspective of an engaging young hero."
— Kirkus




The 100-Year-Old Secret

Book 1 in the "Sherlock Files" series
When Xena and Xander Holmes discover that they're direct descendants of Sherlock Holmes and start solving cases from their ancestor's cold-case notebook, their lives in London become exciting. Can they use modern technology to solve cases that the great Sherlock Holmes had to abandon?

A Junior Library Guild selection.

"A strong start to what will undoubtedly remain an enjoyable series."
— Kirkus

"a fastpaced, entertaining mystery"
— Booklist


The Beast of Blackslope

Book 2 in the "Sherlock Files" series
When a monster terrorizes the town of Blackslope, Xena and Xander are faced with a mystery that seems impossible to solve. Sherlock Holmes investigated the case nearly a hundred years ago. It couldn’t be the same creature after all this time—could it?

"A fun series continues unabated."
— Kirkus







The Case that Time Forgot

Book 3 in the "Sherlock Files" series
Xena and Xander race to find an ancient Egyptian amulet, stolen from a museum a century ago. Will they find it in time to invoke its magical powers?

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year and Junior Library Guild selection.

"[T]he third mystery in the Sherlock Files series will please fans intrigued by ancient Egypt, codes, danger, and the tantalizing possibility of magic."
— Booklist




The Missing Heir


Book 4 in the "Sherlock Files" series
Xena and Xander have just learned that their shy classmate, Alice, is the heir to a royal throne! Alice is to be crowned on her thirteenth birthday, but she goes missing days before the ceremony. Can Xena and Xander find her in time? And what does Alice's disappearance have to do with the kidnapping of her great-great-great grandmother—a crime investigated by Sherlock Holmes?

A Junior Library Guild selection.

"quick moving and fun"
— Practically Paradise (School Library Journal)




On Etruscan Time

No one ever listens to Hector. He wanted to hang out with his friends this summer, but instead he's stuck in Italy at an archaeological dig with his mom. The ancient Etruscan artifacts are interesting, but no one has time for him.
     Then he makes a discovery of his own— strange, unsettling stone that looks like an eye. The stone brings nightmares about Arath, an Etruscan boy who died thousands of years ago but now begs for Hector's help. Are these just dreams, or is Arath really in danger? As Hector unearths the truth, he realizes that he can make himself heard when it counts.

"fast-paced and suspenseful. . . . A good read."
— Kirkus




Cold in Summer

It's bad enough that twelve-year-old Ariadne had to leave her school, her friends, and everything she knows in Florida, to move to a poky little town in Tennessee. But why does the mysterious May Butler tell Ariadne that she has to help May go home? Isn't she already home? How can she be lost when she's right there? And how can Ariadne help her?

"A genuine ghost story without coincidental explanations that will draw readers eerily in."
— Kirkus






Anna of Byzantium

With the intriguing medieval Byzantine Empire as its setting, Anna of Byzantium is a fictionalized re-telling of the life of the historical Princess Anna Comnena, groomed to inherit the throne of the most powerful empire in her part of the world. But when her brother is named heir, her future falls apart. What will Anna do? Will she allow everything she has worked for, and everything she is most suited for, to be snatched away from her? Or will she strike back?

"Set in an exotic time and place, [Anna of Byzantium] is a fascinating mix of history, mystery, and intrigue."
— Horn Book
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