But do you know who is especially sneaky? Undercover ostriches! They're everywhere, and they're masters at going undetected. You've probably seen one and just assumed it was another woodpecker or owl. The narrator of this book is on the case, following a single ostrich on his many adventures. Not until the final twist does author and illustrator Joe Kulka let the readers in on the narrator's true motivation: a peanut collection mission involving undercover elephants.

    But best of all were the stars, which trumpeted their light into the misty dark.Castella Cresswell and her five siblings—Hannan, Caspar, Mortimer, Delvive, and Jerusalem—know what it’s like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father.Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. But, at school, they’re still the freaks they’ve always been to the outside world. Marked by their plain clothing. Unexplained bruising. Utter isolation from their classmates. That is, until Castley is forced to partner with the totally irritating, totally normal George Gray, who offers her a glimpse of a life filled with freedom and choice.Castley’s world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father’s grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. Just as she begins to form a plan, her father makes a chilling announcement: the Cresswells will soon return to their home in heaven. With time running out on all of their lives, Castley must expose the depth of her father’s lies. The forest has buried the truth in darkness for far too long. Castley might be their last hope for salvation.

    After an intrepid journey, Posy finds an injured Percy in a dark cave. She rescues him and brings him home, realising in the end just how brave she can really be. A heartwarming story about friendship, being brave, and overcoming fears when it really matters, this picture book is sure to delight and entertain.

    Cosmo describes the monsters that lurk in your neighborhood! Discover 26 fantastic and whimsical creations in this fully illustrated trip through the alphabet.

    His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself and his mom helps as much as she can, but after he and his brother are placed in foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. And he doesn’t know if things will ever be “normal” again . . . Ezra’s always been popular. He’s friends with most of the kids on his basketball team—even Brian, who usually keeps to himself. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he’s too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him . . .But when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra has no choice but to take the leap and reach out. Both boys have to decide if they’re willing to risk sharing parts of themselves they’d rather hide. But if they can be brave, they might just find the best in themselves—and each other.

    Gold! For as long as the castle had stood, alchemists had struggled to make gold from the simple elements of the earth. And for as long as the castle stood they had failed. Then comes the greedy, ambitious Spinifex, who promises the king riches and glory beyond his wildest dreams. Arthur, the alchemist's young apprentice, cannot see the point - after all gold cannot make you happy, heal the sick, or make people love you - and he watches in amazement as the experiments grow more elaborate and fantastic. As time ticks on Spinifex becomes a man obsessed, plundering the country for more gold to aid his experiments, even tearing the rings from people's fingers. Then, as the Millennium approaches, Spinifex constructs his last great experiment - a monstrous machine stretching up from the cellar through the castle to the roof. But the great gold-making machine only suceeds in destroying its creator, leaving just one tiny nugget of gold. However, gold of another kind floods the castle - glorious sunlight rains down on the kingdom, dispelling darkness and gloom forever. As for Arthur, he takes the tiny nugget and fashions a sunflower pendant for the king. One day the king loses it while out swimming, but he doesn't even notice, it is forgotten.

    Timed to coincide with the Little Polar Bears 30th Anniversary!Help! Where there used to be lots of food, now there are hardly any fish left. But Lars and his friends know just what needs to be done. In helping to put things right Lars proves just what a brave little hero he is. This new story in time for the Little Polar Bear's 30th anniversary will inspire young readers to speak up for what they believe in.

    But when it's revealed there's an impostor in their midst, the party comes to a screeching halt...Will the unicorns welcome all and continue their fun in all its glittery glory?A clever, colorful, and over-the-top picture book about unicorns, celebrations, and most importantly, friendship.

    Millions of years ago, dinosaurs lived on Earth. Thousands of years ago, people built towering pyramids. Ten years ago, the landscape looked different. A month ago, it was still summer. A minute ago, the light was turned off. Now! Make a wish! What will you be doing in a week? How will you celebrate your birthday next year? What will you discover when you are older? What will hold you in awe forever? Moving inexorably from an age primeval into a future filled with questions, Johanna Schaible brings her beautiful collage artwork to an exploration of time that melds a conceptual vision with a physical one. With each page turn, the pages gradually become smaller--showing more and more borders from the past--until they reach the present moment, then grow larger again as time expands into a future full of possibilities.

     Dave Brookman’s new next-door neighbour is ruining his life. Because in a bizarre coincidence, he’s also called Dave Brookman, he’s the same age and he even grew up in the same town. There is one big difference, though. This new Dave is vastly more successful in every way. As Dave starts questioning everything about himself, suddenly his perfect life seems a lot less than perfect. And what starts as friendly rivalry soon turns into obsessive jealousy and crazy behaviour that could see Dave lose it all. Can he get a grip before it’s too late? NetGalley previews: It’s Keeping Up With The Jones in a book!!! Read it!! You will love every page like I did. Amazing job!! This is my third Alastair Puddick story and still I’m impressed. I really care about his antiheroes, flawed characters that for some reason or other - usually their inner-self struggle with what the world throws at them. After George Thring and Freddie Winters, this time it’s all about Dave Brookman. We meet Dave and his family at the point when his new neighbour moves in, by some twisted fate also called Dave Brookman. Neighbour-Dave and his family are seemingly all that our Dave aspires to: ace career, big bucks, flashy cars, great hair, gorgeous wife - the kind of uber-Joneses that bring Dave’s world crashing down into a smouldering heap. This, to me, is the most agonising, personal, gut-wrenching, heartfelt of Puddick’s novels to date. A self-imposed ego inferno, but surely there is hope for Dave? I read this in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it! Dave Brookman’s life is great, he has a lovely wife and 2 children and a career he is good at. This all changes when he gets a new neighbour, also called Dave Brookman, who seems to be doing considerably better in life than the original. Original Dave made me laugh and at times feel really frustrated with him, I quite identified with his wife throughout! Though this is an easy, funny read, this book does make you stop and consider our constant need to compare ourselves to others and measure ourselves against self imposed factors. I’ll be going to read the author’s other books right away. A witty and unique take on the the literary doppelgänger archetype that questions the constant need of human beings to constantly compare themselves to other, to measure themselves against self-imposed factors. Alastair Puddick's novel makes you reflect on the human truth of comparing their self with everybody else, all the while offering a humorous novel that will give you a good time!

    When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf -- her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud.In this powerful novel that explodes the stigma around child sexual abuse and leavens an intense tale with compassion and humor, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells a story about two sisters, linked by love and trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other.

    When a king's rebellious daughter disobeys her father's wishes, his forgiveness and patience vividly remind us of God's unconditional love. Indeed, all girls are princesses; children of the King. Originally released with massive success in 2003 in a kid-focused format under the title A Parable about the King, this new keepsake sepla-tone illustrated edition for little girls of all ages makes a precious gift that is sure to rest on nightstands and in tender hearts everywhere.

    Freeze, Catwoman and the Penguin! If the Dark Knight ever hopes to catch some z s, he ll have to catch Gotham s most dangerous criminals first! In this all-new story from the Usual Gang of Idiots at MAD Magazine, the best-selling children s book GOODNIGHT MOON is parodied with the heroes and villains from the world of DC Comics BATMAN!"

    “Honeybees do, too!” responds the next. Illustrating the simple text are joyful drawings that visually connect the children enjoying a dance party to the honeybees performing their own “dance” in the hive. A block of more in-depth text fleshes out what the honeybees are actually doing and why: their waggle dance tells other honeybees “where to find a tasty meal.” Using this same rhythmic question-and-answer style throughout, the book compares a series of children's favorite activities to similar things that animals do. From playing tag and leapfrog (gazelles and cattle egrets) to blowing bubbles and getting piggyback rides (gray tree frogs and marmosets), there are seven activities/animals in all. And though the behaviors might look the same, while the children are playing, the animals are performing essential tasks such as finding food or caring for their young. Award-winning author Etta Kaner has created a fun, engaging exploration of some ways animals behave just like people. By highlighting connections between human and animal behaviors, she encourages children to develop compassion for other creatures and to recognize their place within the natural world. This book would make an excellent resource for early life science lessons on the characteristics of living things, especially with the expanded information in the back matter about each of the animals found in the book. The question-and-answer pattern of the text together with Marilyn Faucher's inviting, detailed illustrations work as an entertaining, interactive read-aloud as well.

    Some struggled with schoolwork and got into fights; others pranked their teachers and infuriated their parents. William Howard Taft was forced to take dance lessons. Gerald Ford struggled with dyslexia. Teddy Roosevelt had a bedroom "museum" full of dead animals. "Kid Presidents" features 20 captivating true stories from the childhoods of American presidents, complete with lively text and more than 200 cartoon illustrations. Laugh-out-loud funny and packed with cool facts, it's the perfect read for all young future leaders of the free world.