Orphaned Book Sale

Due to the coronavirus quarantine, our kids are out of school and many adults are working from home or jobless until this thing is over. What’s there to do?

In a word…read.

Pick out a book you’ve been wanting to read for ages and get started. If your child is a reluctant reader, purchase two books with the same title and read it together. It’s a great way to improve your child’s reading skills and parent/child bond. 

With that said, here’s a deal. Solstice Publishing has decided to orphan all of my books. That means the Koolura Series and The Abduction of Joshua Bloom are no longer available on Amazon for a reasonable price.

Orphaned books occur when a publisher goes out of business, authors want to disavow books published during their youth, an author dies, or the publisher decides to let the author go. My books fall in the last category. (Think crying emoji.)

Meanwhile, I have plenty of copies of each book and am willing to take a loss to get the books circulated. Here’s a little about each novel and it’s cost to you:

The Legend of Koolura

150 pages

Genre-MG Fantasy

Published 2012

Koolura isn’t an ordinary girl. She has what every child dreams…she has the COOL. Koolura, a sixth grade Armenian girl, learns how she obtained the cool powers and how to use them. She has the ability to dematerialize at will and reappear where she chooses. She can move objects with her mind and she can even defy gravity! But Koolura has doubts about herself. She and her father have relocated so often she has few community ties. Here, at her new school, for the first time in her life she feels right at home. But will her powers be of any use in stopping a stalker intent on the destruction of her and her friends? The stalker is determined to retrieve Koolura’s cool powers with the mysterious decoolerizer. The hour approaches for her final confrontation with her nemesis, the man believed responsible for her mother’s death.

Editorial Review: Author of Murder Down Under, Nancy Curteman, says: In the “The Legend of Koolura” Michael Thal takes young readers on an adventure that couples magic super powers with the everyday life of intermediate grade students. Through his main character, Koolura Akopyan, a young sixth grade girl, Thal explores the complexities of school kid friendships, the adjustments needed to manage in today’s multi-culture classrooms and the importance of good values. Special note: I taught sixth grade and when I read Thal’s vivid descriptions of school life, I thought I was back in the classroom again. 5/5 stars

Your Price: $10

Amazon Price: $20

Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback

144 pages

Genre-Coming of Age Fiction

Published 2013

Koolura has the ability to teleport, levitate, heal, and even fly. But at Camp Saddleback, Koolura wakes up drained and powerless. Who or what has stolen her psychic powers? As Koolura searches for the truth about her power loss, she and the Chumash Girls have to deal with pranksters ruining their cabin and destroying their summer. Campers plan revenge but problems escalate as lives are threatened. Will Koolura and the Chumash Girls solve the mystery at Camp Saddleback?

Editorial Review by an Amazon Reader- Koolura is a young girl with many paranormal powers. In this particular novel, she goes away to camp for the summer. She and her new girlfriends play pranks on the boys as they also play pranks on the girls. Some of these pranks are extremely imaginative. For example, the boys somehow rigged ketchup to squirt out on the girls’ underwear. There were brownies baked with ex-lax and plenty more good pranks. Michael Thal also tackles racism with one of the boys making fun of another boy being Jewish. He incorporates sign language with one of the characters as well.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable, fun, quick read. I recommend it for kids who are middle school/high school age. I am a Koolura fan and look forward to more of her wild tales. Thal’s stories are interesting, historical, and laced with humor. Great job! 5/5 Stars

Your Price: $10

Amazon Price: Not Available

Koolura and the Mayans

131 Pages

Genre- Science Fiction 

Published 2016

Gold medal winner – 2018 eLit Awards Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction, Second Place winning title in the 2016 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards- Middle Grade Fiction. 

Koolura is no ordinary girl. Neither is her best friend Leila. While visiting Mexico, the girls discover a device which hurtles them back in time to an early Mayan civilization. The Mayans have troubles of their own—the alien Aquari people have all but enslaved them. They need a goddess to set them free. Could Koolura be the one? 

Editorial Review: Reviewed by Arya Fomonyuy for Readers’ Favorite- This exciting story will take readers on a historic ride back into the old Maya civilization. Although Koolura and the Mayans is written for a pre-teen audience, it was fun to read as an adult. Michael Thal’s characters are awesome and I enjoyed Koolura and Leila, two girls who are smart and very ingenious. They make a great team. Readers will enjoy watching them evolve through the story. The author seems to create a whole new culture around the Maya and the story feels so real, reading about the people and the challenges they face. At the level of style, this book is beautifully accomplished. First off, the reader will notice the gorgeous accessible writing, composed of short and easy-to-understand sentences. The writing also features great descriptions of characters and setting. The descriptive prose creates powerful images in the minds of readers. I enjoyed the well-crafted dialogues which make the characters come to life. Readers will love the adventure, the drama, the conflict, and the entertaining nature of this story. I enjoyed it! 5/5 stars

Your Price: $10

Amazon Price: $11.95-$15.93

Order the entire Koolura Series for $25.00

The Abduction of Joshua Bloom

214 Pages

Genre- Science Fiction

Published 2014

A high school track star is abducted by aliens, explores strange worlds, uncovers genocide on a planetary scale, and is thrust into extraterrestrial politics that decides the fate of an Earth on the brink of war or unification. The Abduction of Joshua Bloom tells the story of a teen abduction by an alien race who justifies their act in an attempt to save their people. Joshua finds himself in a world dominated by women, and men are subjugated to their whims. He travels to a dinosaur world, visits a water planet, and the alien home world doomed by a star about to nova.

Editorial Review by Red City Review: The Abduction of Joshua Bloom is filled with excitement and constant intrigue. The action in the novel never reaches slow points, and the reader is always shocked and surprised with the twists and turns throughout. Readers will be sure to empathize with the emotions Joshua undergoes throughout his years away from home, just as they are sure to really feel for him during his return to Earth. Combining elements of love, loss, and legacy, The Abduction of Joshua Bloom is a read for those of all ages and interests.” – 4/5 stars

Your Price: $10

Amazon Price: $15-$18.98

Learn more about all of Michael Thal’s books on his website. And happy reading. 

To order your books, send a check to:

Michael Thal, 17914 Magnolia Blvd. #301, Encino, CA 901316

All books are $10.00. The Koolura Series (all three Koolura books) is $25.00. Note: There are no shipping and handling charges.