Free eBooks for Young Adults

It’s the end of the summer and time to get back to finding free eBooks for young adults.  There are still many to chose from, and more new books being published every day.  With such a great selection, the difficulty is in finding good ones.   Of course, what is ‘good’ is a matter of personal choice and taste.   There is no easy answer as to how to rate the available books, but this blog will focus on completed works and try to use ‘most downloaded’ and ‘best seller’ listings as a guideline for what to feature.  To get started, today’s blog posting includes one very short-time free eBook and a link to a ‘sorting’ of free eBooks for young adults as sorted on Smashwords.  Regular listings will resume on Monday next week.  Happy reading!

SOLO FLIGHT

SOLO FLIGHT, by Tod, free with coupon GA94F until 8/31/11

Nolan Cooper has a big secret. He invented and built an airplane. And he’s going to test fly it himself. . . if he can cut fourth period!

• Why is a smart kid like Nolan flunking his classes?
• What kind of school would punish a student for telling the truth?
• Why does the Principal want to send him to prison?
• Can his best friend be tempted to reveal his secret life?
• And why do they say his airplane design is destined to kill him?
• Will Nolan fly free of his troubles, or will he crash and burn?
• Find out in SOLO FLIGHT.

Solo Flight is the story of a boy and his clashes with the authorities as he tries to follow his own path in life. Part self-help novel, part political satire, the fast paced plot will keep you turning pages until the very end. You’ll be shocked to discover the true purpose of public school. Learn why it fails so miserably at education while it holds back the best and brightest. Solo Flight is a Declaration of Independence for young minds everywhere.

Free eBooks: free for short time - get them now for summer reading

There has been an interesting and increasing trend among Smashwords authors and publishers of Young Adult fiction to price their newly published eBooks free for an initial introductory period, and then raise the price. The initial free eBook period varies, but it would appear to be as short as one week in some cases to a few months in other cases. With this site being updated only once a week, it is not possible to keep up. So, the recommendation is to have a look (here) through the newly published free eBooks frequently, and if something looks interesting, then grab it. It may not be there for long. 

Please note that regular weekly updates of this blog will resume in late August. To readers of this blog in the US and to Americans overseas, Happy 4th of July.

The First Dragoneer

The First Dragoneer, by M.R. Mathias, free

When two young men go on a hunt that they know will be the last hunt of their youth, they decide they want it to be an unforgettable outing. When they cross a ridge leaving the protection of their kingdom behind, they find a cavern that looks like it needs to be explored. In the cavern they find exactly what they were looking for. In this stoney hole lives something they will never forget!

Playing the Baseball Card

Playing the Baseball Card, by Wilson James, free

You are almost 14 years old. Your mother died six years ago, and you help look after your younger brother while you father works.

Your father is a pitcher for a minor league baseball team, and he is trying to make it into the major leagues. Just when it seems that things are looking better, tragedy strikes again. Now, it’s all up to you. You have your own dreams, and you desperately care about your small family. Will you be able to make it work? Just how much is a young teenage kid capable of doing, anyway?

PLAYING THE BASEBALL CARD is the story of Devin Robinson, the kid who dreams of pitching for the San Francisco Giants. Find out how Devin and his younger brother, Jordan, made it though their early years, and how Devin tries to make his mark in a world of adults. Find out how Devin's fierce determination to protect his remaining little family of two leads to adventure and achievement that he never thought possible. Find out how Devin plays the Baseball Card.

This is a story for baseball fans and anyone else who wants to read about personal courage and determination. This book has been reviewed at a major online retailer as “Very Inspiring” and “A Great Book.”

Throwback

Throwback, by Dave Conifer, free

It wasn't long before the kid from North Carolina had made friends at his new high school in Jersey. Ben is the kind of guy that everybody likes. He's the star of the wrestling team and he's spending a lot of time with Judy Voorst. So what's the problem? Ben Petrovic has a secret. He’s not who everybody thinks he is.

The Making of Legend

The Making of Legend, by Richard Barrs, free

In the year 3747, a scientist performed a dangerous experiment on his son. It's now 3773; political corruption, betrayal and deception are rife, and the son, General Andrew Biman, is now a man.

Andrew is a darling of the populace and a favorite of the monarchy. When the queen invites him to join the inter-planetary Congress, Andrew lets fly his plans to re-instate a republic, setting in motion a legislative firestorm. He is soon framed for murder, branded a traitor and on the run.

Stealing prototype warship, Andrew flees his home city, rescues a sarcastic princess from pirates and ignites a civil war - alienating his few allies in the process with his crushing arrogance. While he clashes with the princess, his envious first mate, and a promiscuous navigator, enemies amass their forces. Vulnerable, Andrew strikes deep into the heart of enemy territory with a fool’s hope…until he discovers his father’s experiment, implanted within him a lifetime ago.

The Truth Lies Beneath Your Eyes

The Truth Lies Beneath Your Eyes, by Nzingha Kayes, free

High School, love triangles drama and war. What else can go wrong when you wake up and go to school one morning and find yourself kidnapped on the other side of the world with people who know more about your past than you do yourself?

Heart

Heart, by Oliver Frances, free

Heart begins with “The Little ugly Duck”, Cynthia’s remarkable beauty makes her gain fame and admiration but not love, consequently dissapointment and sadness are the prize for such a comeliness. Then, unexpectedly she finds love in the most unthinkable place after suffering a terrible accident which changes her life dramatically.

The second one is “TheWriter”, a young lady whose big expectations about love are those depicted in fairy tales and simple love can’t fulfill her wishes. Ironically a writer that builds worlds of fiction, but whose life isn’t led by the lines of his fantasy, is the man who will show her what true and real love is about.

And, the last story that complete the collection is a lovely one, “A Marriage of Convenience”, one story about a girl and boy, from Italian families respectively, who find the most sought thing in life, without searching for, and they do just not by a lovely casualness but by one unpleasant fact.

Go Claire Go

Go Claire Go, by Brian Briscoe, free

What would you do if you were orphaned after being caught in a bushfire? What would you do if you were then sent off to stay with a family you didn't know? What would you do if you were also sent to a posh school for 'young ladies' called the Leabrook School? You'd be a little confused? This happens to Claire. However, she shows the city chicks that country girls are not wimpy wallflowers!

Zan, City Cowboy

Zan, City Cowboy, by Joe Novara, free

Zan, an inner city guy sent to live with an uncle to get away from his troubled neighborhood, starts by helping to birth a foal at Shamrock Stables where where he makes friends with Corky the owner, Nick his too-good mentor and Meredith enrolled in the therapeutic riding program. And the rest unfolds from there...

This book is part of series.

Perusia

Perusia, by N.J. Matthews, free with coupon code ME45V until 7/21/11.

Perusia is a novel of historical fiction that follows the experience of 5 boys in Rome and Perusia in the time just after the assassination of Julius Ceasar. Two families are disrupted when the parents of the boys are arrested as a result of corrupt actions by the Senate. Their homes are expropriated and the parents thrown in prison. A Black Prince and a Blind Prophet offer to help. This book is followed by a sequel, Kush.

Key to the Stars

Key to the Stars, by Kevin Domenic, free

Key to the Stars is Volume I of The Fourth Dimension, a science fiction/fantasy series that follows the journeys of a young man named Arus whose tragic disfigurement leads him to discover that even the harshest storms can be conquered by courage of the heart.

Key to the Stars is Volume 1 of the Fourth Dimension.

Meddlers in Time

Meddlers in Time, by Wayne Watson, free

You can’t change history- can you? No- but you can make a new reality when you alter events. ‘Meddlers in Time’ explores the shaping of a parallel earth, by altering events in 9th century England. Some were lured by money, other by the adventure- a few just wanted a new chance at life. One thing remains constant- time travel changes all who follow that path…

This is the first of three books in the Meddlers in Time series. The story starts several years before the main tale, with two of the main characters narrowly escaping from a trip to their near future, gone wrong. They decide to create a new, and hopefully, more friendly universe, by causing a split in time back in the 9th century. In order to advance the technology of the 9th century and build a power base, they set about recruiting a team of down-on-their-luck engineers and adventurers, with the lure of large sums of money, adventure and the chance escape their lives! For a one-year tour and a return to the same time and place, they are offered information worth a great deal of money- namely winning lotto numbers and sports betting information!

The reality of the mission sets in for the team, when they find themselves on another planet, Transit, hundreds of light-years from home. Here they train for the mission and learn how to use the time/space gateway. They set up a prefabricated stronghold and in their first few weeks save a local village from a terrible fate. Soon the local people start to accept these strangers, who turn out to be not as terrifying as they first seemed. Meanwhile, a more deadly game is being conducted from Transit, as the city of Rome is destroyed and the 9th century religious leaders are systematically and sometimes spectacularly assassinated.

Expecting to winter over quietly, they are surprised by the arrival of a large invading army from Europe. Despite being short on numbers, they utterly rout the invaders at the outskirts of the city of Sheffield. Local workers are recruited- reluctantly at first, but they soon adapt to what is for them- a life of relative comfort and ease. Before long, working for the strangers brings high status. As the best of the local workers adapt to modern life, they are being prepared to be the next generation of leaders.

Over the winter months, a local militia is equipped and drilled, while the tradesmen of the district come to learn the secrets of the strangers. The future leaders of tomorrow begin their education. Road building and mineral exploration continue and as the team get to know each other better, the stories regarding how the time/space gate generator was obtained and the effects of using it are revealed. As the end of a one year tour of duty draws to an end, most of the team have elected to stay on, while those who have decided to leave the 9th century, start to prepare to return to their old lives- and their new beginnings.

Sons and Brothers in Seattle

Sons and Brothers in Seattle, by Wilson James, free until 11/11/11, with coupon BF89M.

Cameron Connors is a young father trying to deal with a mother who likes the idea of children, but otherwise appears not to like her own. Cameron has managed to get his own two young sons away from his mother, but now he needs to rescue Brendan, his younger brother.

As Cameron has learned over the years, his mother can be quite two-faced, and heaven help anyone who crosses Mrs. Rachael Connors. Cameron and his mother are currently in a state of cease-fire, but that could change dramatically based on what Cameron has planned for the next few weeks in order to challenge his parents for custody of Brendan.

Will Cameron succeed in creating a new family of four, or will he lose? The stakes are high, and Cameron stands to lose custody of his own two sons if he is not careful. Follow the saga of Cameron as he struggles to do what he knows he must do, and what is right.

This Special Smashwords Edition of "Sons and Brothers in Seattle" includes bonus Chapters from the sequel, "Sons and Brothers Sail into Danger." This Book has been a #1 Best Seller on the adult drama list and the Young Adult fiction list at Smashwords. The author is Wilson James, whose work has been reviewed at a major online retailer as “Very Inspiring” and “A Great Book.”

Grizelda

Grizelda, by Margaret Taylor, free

Accused by the government of practicing witchcraft, 14-year-old seamstress Grizelda must go into hiding beneath the city to save her life. Problem: the goblins who already live there barely tolerate her presence. The pixies are not to be trusted. And she's tempted to break her hiding for a band of revolutionaries who might end magic persecution once and for all.

Cheesecake Jr, In The Future

Cheesecake Jr, In The Future, by Devin Moffit, free

Travel back and forth in time with me- Cheesecake Jr., your new Dinosaur-Person friend. I am heading into the future so come along and learn a few things that happen to Earth centuries from now and come see some awesome gadgets! I myself love chatting with the fridge. Let's see how a small afternoon adventure with my dad's time machine can turn into a clusterschmuck (That's what my dad calls messed up situations).

This short story was written by 12 year old Devin, who has Asperger's Syndrome. It is the second book in his series.

Dreamshade

Dreamshade, by A.J. Lath, free

Benjamin Crosskeys always thought he was ordinary. But when he meets Lilac Zhenrei, a magical adventuress from a land of living dreams, he soon discovers he has reason to believe otherwise. For Benjamin has a rare and wonderful ability. And in an epic adventure, he will discover the price that comes with this gift, as he strives to save his family from a monster born of nightmares...

DREAMSHADE The First Adventure: NIAMAGO.

Summons from a Stranger

Summons from a Stranger, by Debra Diaz, free

Lindsey Sims is staying with her older sister's best friend, Rachel, while her parents are away on a trip to the Bahamas. Rachel Evans has received a mysterious letter from a man she's never met, but who is - in a way - part of her family. Lindsey accompanies Rachel as she reluctantly answers the summons, and is caught in a grown-up world of greed, jealousy, and attempted murder. It's more than she bargained for, but Lindsey is up to the challenge...and to discovering who is responsible for all the mischief.

over 440 Free eBooks for Young Adults

This blog is all about free eBooks for Young Adults. This blog is also maintained by Smashwords authors, so it is right that this blog celebrates SMASHWORDS hitting 2,000,000,000 (that’s TWO BILLION) words in 48,000 eBooks by 20,000 authors.

Even better? 5,000 of those eBooks are FREE, and over 440 are FREE eBooks for Young Adults (plus over 100 are full-length novels). Have a look at the selection, and find some that interest you!

Worlds Unseen

Worlds Unseen, by Rachel Starr Thomson, free

Book One of the Seventh World trilogy. Maggie Sheffield just wants to leave the past behind. Memories of the Orphan House where she grew up are fading; memories of her guardians’ murder are harder to shake. When a dying friend shows up on her doorstep bearing the truth about the Seventh World–in the form of a written covenant with evil–Maggie is sent on a journey that will change her forever.

Robert's Ride

Robert's Ride, by Wilson James, free until 11/11/11, with coupon FE33M.

Born in a small town in rural south-west Georgia and placed in a foster home after being orphaned at five. Those were the bare bones words to describe Robert’s first years. He is big for his age and hard to place, but after too many years, he is finally one of the lucky ones to be picked as a potential adoptee.

He struggles to make sure his new adoptive mother likes him and wants to keep him, in spite of the fact that she really has no idea what to do with a child. She is well meaning, but rather emotionless. Robert desperately tries to figure out to read her and please her.

Join Robert as he experiences the adventure of a new home, a new school, and new friends, along with some more dramatic events. Will it all work? Will Robert really find the home he needs and wants? Find out if Robert’s life takes a turn for the better, in ROBERT’S RIDE.

The author of ROBERT’S RIDE is Wilson James, whose work has been reviewed at a major online retailer as “Seriously Good Writing”, “Very Inspiring” and “A Great Book.”

Call of the Herald

Call of the Herald, by Brian Rathbone, free

Book One of The Dawning of Power trilogy. Echoes of the ancients' power are distant memories, tattered and faded by the passage of eons, but that is about to change. A new dawn has arrived. Latent abilities, harbored in mankind's deepest fibers, wait to be unleashed. Ancient evils awaken, and old fears ignite the fires of war.

Change of Heart

Change of Heart, by Fran Shaff, free

In 1850s Nebraska, Marietta Randolf travels from Chicago to Nebraska to collect her orphaned nephew Zack. When a snow storm delays her return trip, she finds herself stranded in an unappealing land with a very appealing rancher, Jase Kent. A favorite sweet romance among adults and teens. 5 Stars from Simegen, 5 Hearts from the Romance Studio, 5 Stars from CataRomance, 5 Cups from Coffee Time Romance. A great book from an award-winning author.

A Family Legacy: The Watson Works

A Family Legacy: The Watson Works, by Wilson James, free.

The first ever sinking of a ferry on the rugged west coast becomes a personal tragedy for teenagers David and Connor Watson, back home in the small town of Franklin Lake. Four years previously, they were involved with the tragic accident that cost their father’s life, and now, having lost their mother and step-father, are orphans. What’s worse is that all of the family’s resources have been put into the family business. 
With no family left except for each other, David and Connor are faced with some tough choices. Connor, the younger of the two teenage boys, finds himself with the opportunity to prevent a whole new tragedy from befalling others, and puts himself at risk to save lives. Connor also becomes the one who must struggle to keep the family business going, as he somehow finds the strength, courage, tenacity, and maturity beyond his years to effect positive changes in his own life and in the lives of those around him. This book was a second round entry in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.