Download or read book The Prairie Thief written by Melissa Wiley and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-08-28 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this “delightful mash-up of Little House on the Prairie and The Spiderwick Chronicles” (SLJ), experience life on the prairie—with one fantastical twist! Louisa Brody’s life on the Colorado prairie is not at all what she expected. Her dear Pa, accused of thievery, is locked thirty miles away in jail. She’s living with the awful Smirches, her closest neighbors and the very family that accused her Pa of the horrendous crime. And now she’s discovered one very cantankerous—and magical—secret beneath the hazel grove. With her life flipped upside-down, it’s up to Louisa, her sassy friend Jessamine, and that cranky secret to save Pa from a guilty verdict. Ten bold illustrations from Erwin Madrid accompany seasoned storyteller Melissa Wiley’s vibrant and enchanting tale of life on the prairie—with one magical twist.

Download or read book Killing Monsters written by Gerard Jones and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2008-08-04 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children choose their heroes more carefully than we think. From Pokemon to the rapper Eminem, pop-culture icons are not simply commercial pied pipers who practice mass hypnosis on our youth. Indeed, argues the author of this lively and persuasive paean to the power of popular culture, even violent and trashy entertainment gives children something they need, something that can help both boys and girls develop in a healthy way. Drawing on a wealth of true stories, many gleaned from the fascinating workshops he conducts, and basing his claims on extensive research, including interviews with psychologists and educators, Gerard Jones explains why validating our children's fantasies teaches them to trust their own emotions, helps them build stronger selves, leaves them less at the mercy of the pop-culture industry, and strengthens parent-child bonds. Jones has written for the Spider-Man, Superman, and X-Men comic books and created the Haunted Man series for the Web. He has also explored the cultural meanings of comic books and sitcoms in two well-received books. In Killing Monsters he presents a fresh look at children's fantasies, the entertainment industry, and violence in the modern imagination. This reassuring book, as entertaining as it is provocative, offers all of us-parents, teachers, policymakers, media critics-new ways to understand the challenges and rewards of explosive material. News From Killing Monsters: Packing a toy gun can be good for your son-or daughter. Contrary to public opinion, research shows that make-believe violence actually helps kids cope with fears. Explosive entertainment should be a family affair. Scary TV shows can have a bad effect when children have no chance to discuss them openly with adults. It's crucial to trust kids' desires. What excites them is usually a sign of what they need emotionally. Violent fantasy is one of the best ways for kids to deal with the violence they see in real life.

Download or read book Rat Rule 79 written by Rivka Galchen and published by Restless Books. This book was released on 2019-09-24 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the New Yorker “20 Under 40” author of Atmospheric Disturbances comes a brain-twisting adventure story of a girl named Fred on a quest through a world of fantastical creatures, strange logic, and a powerful prejudice against growing up. Fred and her math-teacher mom are always on the move, and Fred is getting sick of it. She’s about to have yet another birthday in a new place without friends. On the eve of turning thirteen, Fred sees something strange in the living room: her mother, dressed for a party, standing in front of an enormous paper lantern—which she steps into and disappears. Fred follows her and finds herself in the Land of Impossibility—a loopily illogical place where time is outlawed, words carry dire consequences, and her unlikely allies are a depressed white elephant and a pugnacious mongoose mother of seventeen. With her new friends, Fred sets off in search of her mom, braving dungeons, Insult Fish, Fearsome Ferlings, and a mad Rat Queen. To succeed, the trio must find the solution to an ageless riddle. Gorgeously illustrated and reminiscent of The Phantom Tollbooth and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Rivka Galchen’s Rat Rule 79 is an instant classic for curious readers of all ages.

Download or read book Rick Riordan Series Sampler written by Rick Riordan and published by Disney Electronic Content. This book was released on 2019-05-31 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Available for the first time, a free sampler of the riveting opening chapters from all five of Rick Riordan's New York Times mega-best-selling series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, The Heroes of Olympus: THE LOST HERO, The Kane Chronicles: THE RED PYRAMID, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: THE SWORD OF SUMMER, and The Trials of Apollo: THE HIDDEN ORACLE. Start reading now and get hooked on these thrilling quest stories inspired by Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythologies, told as only Rick Riordan, dubbed "storyteller of the gods," can tell them.

Download or read book Dragon Run written by Patrick Matthews and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A boy goes on the run in this fast-paced fantasy debut. Created by dragons.That's the truth that Al has known all his life: The five mortal races were created by dragons to gather magic. Since then, the dragons have ruled the world, branding mortals according to their worth, shaping their societies, even training a lucky few to handle magic themselves. Now Testing Day is here, the day when Al will be assigned his place in the world. If his rank is high enough, he'll have everything he's ever wanted.But Al is in for the shock of his life. By the time Testing Day is over, he will be shunned . . . and targeted by the ruthless assassins known as Cullers. With no magic, little money, and a sword he's not entirely sure how to use, Al must escape into the wilderness, beginning a journey that will lead him to strange new friends, brutal enemies, and the terrifying truth about the dragons.It's one boy against the world - and some fearsome beasts - in this fun fantasy-adventure!

Download or read book The Lost Island of Tamarind written by Nadia Aguiar and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three children. Alone on the ocean waves, after a fierce storm throws their parents from the Pamela Jane into the icy waters below. Maya, Simon and Penny now face a wild rescue adventure that will lead them to a truly magical place . . . Imagine an island with green mountains looming over pink sandy beaches and tide pools lit by the moon. An island with the darkest of secrets, where pirates lurk and jaguars roam – and a precious stone holds a power that is both wondrous and terrifying. This is where the children must go. No one from the Outside has escaped the island before. Danger is everywhere. But they can’t turn back now. Could you?

Download or read book Tortilla Sun written by Jennifer Cervantes and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2010-07-01 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When twelve-year-old Izzy discovers a beat-up baseball marked with the words "Because magic" while unpacking in yet another new apartment, she is determined to figure out what it means. What secrets does this old ball have to tell? Her mom certainly isn't sharing anyespecially when it comes to Izzy's father, who died before Izzy was born. But when she spends the summer in her Nana's remote New Mexico village, Izzy discovers long-buried secrets that come alive in an enchanted landscape of watermelon mountains, whispering winds, and tortilla suns. Infused with the flavor of the southwest and sprinkled with just a pinch of magic, this heartfelt middle grade debut is as rich and satisfying as Nana's homemade enchiladas.

Download or read book The Boy With The Sword written by Patrick Matthews and published by . This book was released on 2019-09-17 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Much has happened ssince Al has left home. He has grown, physically and emotionally. His talents range from sailing, to fighting dragons to defeating assassins. Now, he only longs to go home. Home. Home too has changed. Will Al have the courage and strength to fight for all he holds true.

Download or read book Time s Children written by D B Jackson and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2018-10-02 with total page 563 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A time traveler trapped in a violent past must protect the orphaned child of a murdered sovereign and find a way home, in this astonishing epic fantasy novel. Fifteen year-old Tobias Doljan, a Walker trained to travel through time, is called to serve at the court of Daerjen. The sovereign, Mearlan IV, wants him to Walk back fourteen years, to prevent a devastating war which will destroy all of Islevale. Even though the journey will double Tobias' age, he agrees. But he arrives to discover Mearlan has already been assassinated, and his court destroyed. The only survivor is the infant princess, Sofya. Still a boy inside his newly adult body, Tobias must find a way to protect the princess from assassins, and build himself a future... in the past. File Under: Fantasy [ Time Demons | They See Me Walkin' | Young Inside | Disturbing Allies ]

Download or read book The Adventures of Nanny Piggins written by R. A. Spratt and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three children and their hilariously subversive nanny pig embark on zany adventures in this award-winning middle grade debut illustrated by Caldecott winnter Dan Santat. The three Green children are cared for by a nanny pig. Yes, a pig--a fabulously sassy and impeccably dressed pig, as a matter of fact! With her insatiable urge to eat chocolate (and feed chocolate to everyone she loves), her high-flying spirit, and her unending sense of fun, Nanny Piggins takes Derrick, Samantha, and Michael on a year of surprises, yummy treats, and adventures they'll never forget. It's no surprise that Booklist proclaimed, "Mary Poppins, move over--or get shoved out of the way." Nanny Piggins is a refreshing and dynamic addition to favorite classic nannies: Amelia Bedelia, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and, of course, Mary Poppins. Read more books in the series: Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan and Nanny Piggins and the Runaway Lion.

Download or read book The Bone Garden written by Heather Kassner and published by Titan Books. This book was released on 2019-07-23 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dark, compelling fantasy for readers of The Graveyard Book about a mysterious girl seeking the truth about the magic that brought her to life. Made of dust and bone and imagination, Irréelle fears she's not quite real. Only the finest magical thread tethers her to life—and to Miss Vesper. But for all her efforts to please her cruel creator, the thread is unravelling. Irréelle is forgetful as she gathers bone dust. She is slow returning from the dark passages beneath the cemetery. Worst of all, she is unmindful of her crooked bones. When Irréelle makes one final, unforgivable mistake by destroying a frightful creature just brought to life, Miss Vesper threatens to imagine her away once and for all. Defying her creator for the very first time, Irréelle flees to the underside of the graveyard and embarks on an adventure to unearth the mysterious magic that breathes bones to life, even if it means she will return to dust and be no more. With echoes of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener, debut author Heather Kassner crafts a gorgeously written story humming with magic, mystery, and dark imaginings.

Download or read book The Lost Stone written by Jordan Quinn and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the Kingdom of Wrenly—a new chapter book series full of fantasy and adventure. Meet Lucas, the eight year-old prince, and Clara, the daughter of the queen’s seamstress. Lucas is an only child who longs to make friends and go on adventures. Clara knows the kingdom well, so she and Lucas team up and explore the lands of Wrenly! In The Lost Stone, Lucas and Clara search for Queen Tasha’s missing emerald. On their exciting adventure, they travel to all the main attractions of Wrenly: Primlox (the island of fairies), Burth (the island of trolls), Crestwood (the island of dragons), Hobsgrove (the island of wizards), and the beautiful Mermaid’s Cove. King Caleb has promised to reward the person who finds the precious stone, and Lucas and Clara are determined to search the entire kingdom until they find it! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Kingdom of Wrenly chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

Download or read book Willa the Wisp The Fabled Stables Book 1 written by Jonathan Auxier and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first in a new chapter book series from New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Auxier, illustrated in full-color—now in paperback! Auggie is the caretaker at the Fabled Stables, a home for one-of-a-kind creatures. Auggie is one-of-a-kind, too. He’s the only boy on the island, which can get a little lonely. Luckily, he’s got Fen, his trusty stick-in-the-mud. But, being a stick-in-the-mud, Fen can get more-than-a-little grumpy. Soon enough, Auggie learns that his job is not only to care for creatures at the Stables, but also to save creatures in the Wide World from danger. In this first adventure, Willa the Wisp is being chased by the Rooks, an evil group of hunters keen on using one-of-a-kind creatures for their own dark ends. It’s up to Auggie to help Willa escape the Rooks and find refuge at the Stables, before it’s too late!

Download or read book Pirates Treasure written by Mary Pope Osborne and published by Random House. This book was released on 2008 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The magic treehouse whisks Jack and Annie back to the days of deserted islands, secret maps, hidden gold, and nasty pirates.

Download or read book THE HIGH AUCTION written by Misba and published by Nomad's Forge. This book was released on 2021-09-26 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the near future, a machinist, a monk, and a mesmerizer are looking for the Source of the universe, but among the ancient scriptures, they only find the devil ... Few humans in the future find the secrets of what words and sounds can do, for the Apocalypse and war have led them to evolve in mind and physique. Two of them end World War III with just a four-minute speech. Some say they did mass hypnosis. Others say it was their voice and will. Fifty years later in South Asia, KUSHA, a twenty-three-year-old machine-geek with social awkwardness and amnesia, tries to get the Devil’s Book with secrets of voice. But her idol of voice and everyone's beloved war heroes, YUAN and RUEM, are also after it for power. In a society that worships the evolved High Grades with voice, how you speak and which words you talk with is important. As someone who finds all solutions in books, Kusha thinks the secrets in the three-foot-long ancient book will teach her to speak mesmerizingly. She believes it will help her evolve. So, she decides to attend the auction where the book will be sold. But there's a problem; powerful High Grades want the book too. They want to code fate, rewriting the material world. They are undead, immortal mesmerizers. And being a philosopher, Kusha admires their ethics while she must fight them—the fight that starts with the book. The fight creates a chain reaction leading her to an epic journey. About the Series: THE HIGH AUCTION: WISDOM REVOLUTION is a book of genre-bending Adult Sci-fi-Fantasy series "The Machinist, The Monk, And The Mesmerizer Chronicles." Here, you'll find Metaphysical magic built around philosophy and spirituality. You'll find ancient mysteries, archaeological adventures, and, most importantly, you will meet some characters. Its inspiration was from myths/truth (read the word you prefer) of all religions where humans evolved to Sufis, Rishis, Sannashis, Monks, and sometimes, Gods. Example: Shiva Purana in Hindu epics where Sati evolved to Goddess Parvati and splits into Kali to destroy the evil is a prominent example. You'll find diverse cultures, sexuality, and faith in this series. Enjoy. What the Critiques and Reviewers are saying about it: "GEM PROSE ... YOU WILL FINISH THIS BOOK ONCE YOU START ..." "EXCEPTIONALLY THOUGHT-PROVOKING ..." "RELATABLE ... YOU KEEP NODDING AT EVERYTHING ..."

Download or read book Liesl Po written by Lauren Oliver and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-10-04 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places. An E. B. White Read-Aloud Honor Book, it’s perfect for fans of the author’s other middle grade novels: The Spindlers and the Curiosity House series. Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost named Po appears from the darkness. That same evening, an alchemist's apprentice named Will makes an innocent mistake that has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

Download or read book Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan written by R. A. Spratt and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2012-07-10 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world's most fabulous nanny pig is back in this side-splitting sequel to The Adventures of Nanny Piggins! When Mr. Green announces his diabolical plan-he has decided to get married-his children are horrified. Because if he finds a wife, he'll get fire their beloved nanny. Breakfast without chocolate? Never! Someone must stop him, and Nanny Piggins is just the pig to do it! R.A. Spratt's delightfully funny follow-up to her award-winning debut is chock-full of surprising adventures for the feisty Nanny Piggins and the adorable children, from being blasted out of a cannon with an arrogant armadillo to dueling a Gypsy Queen over a pit of fire. Dan Santat is back again with his quirky and wonderfully charming illustrations that capture the fun and high-flying spirit of these hilarious stories.