Africa, China, Europe, the Americas—find out what happened all around the world in long-ago times. This first revised volume begins with the earliest nomads and ends with the last Roman emperor. Newly revised and updated, The Story of the World, Volume 1 includes maps, a new timeline, more illustrations, and additional parental aids. This read-aloud series is designed for parents to share with elementary-school children. Enjoy it together and introduce your child to the marvelous story of the world's civilizations.Each Story of the World volume provides a full year of history study when combined with the Activity Book, Audiobook, and Tests—each available separately to accompany each volume of The Story of the World Text Book. Volume 1 Grade Recommendation: Grades 1-5.

    Sure to mesmerize fans of Deborah Harkness, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Karen Marie Moning, these novels introduce a trio of kickass heroines who perfectly showcase Armstrong’s thrilling imagination.  DIME STORE MAGIC   Paige Winterbourne was always either too young or too rebellious to succeed her mother as leader of the elite American Coven of Witches. Now that she’s twenty-three, the Elders can no longer deny her. But even Paige’s wildest antics can’t hold a candle to those of her new charge, Savannah, who is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil, and evil is all too willing to claim her. For this girl is being pursued by a dark faction of the supernatural underworld. It’s an initiation into adulthood, womanhood, and the brutal side of magic—and Paige will have to do everything within her power to make sure they both survive.  INDUSTRIAL MAGIC  Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld’s most influential Cabals—a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction with which Paige is intimately acquainted. Her boyfriend is none other than Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir. But love isn’t blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural-born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it’s a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If Paige gets the chance.  HAUNTED   Eve Levine—half-demon, black witch, and devoted mother—has been dead for three years. She has a great house and an interesting love life, and she can’t be killed again, which comes in handy when you’ve made as many enemies as Eve has. All she needs to do is find a way to communicate with her daughter, Savannah, and she’ll be happy. But the Fates have other plans. They want Eve to hunt down an evil spirit called the Nix, who has escaped from hell, before she does any more damage. But the Nix is a dangerous enemy: The only way to stop her is with an angel’s sword—and Eve is no angel.  Praise for Kelley Armstrong and the Otherworld series  “Gripping . . . [a] sexy supernatural romance [whose] special strength lies in its seamless incorporation of the supernatural into the real world.”—Publishers Weekly, on Dime Store Magic   “One of my favorite writers.”—New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter   “Up there with the big girls of the genre like Laurell K. Hamilton.”—The Kansas City Star   “Armstrong writes page-turning prose.”—Booklist   “One of the masters of urban fantasy.”—Fresh Fiction

    

    

    . . on childhood. As the pace of life accelerates to hyperspeed–with too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time–children feel the pressure. They can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems. Now, in defense of the extraordinary power of less, internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne helps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need, allowing their children’s attention to focus and their individuality to flourish.Based on Payne’s twenty year’s experience successfully counseling busy families, Simplicity Parenting teaches parents how to worry and hover less–and how to enjoy more. For those who want to slow their children’s lives down but don’t know where to start, Payne offers both inspiration and a blueprint for change.• Streamline your home environment. The average child has more than 150 toys. Here are tips for reducing the amount of toys, books, and clutter–as well as the lights, sounds, and general sensory overload that crowd the space young imaginations need in order to grow.• Establish rhythms and rituals. Predictability (routines) and transparency (knowing the day’s plan) are soothing pressure valves for children. Here are ways to ease daily tensions, create battle-free mealtimes and bedtimes, and tell if your child is overwhelmed.• Schedule a break in the schedule. Too many activities may limit children’s ability to motivate and direct themselves. Learn how to establish intervals of calm in your child’s daily torrent of constant doing–and familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of organized sports and other “enrichment” activities.• Scale back on media and parental involvement. Back out of hyperparenting by managing your children’s “screen time” to limit the endless and sometimes scary deluge of information and stimulation. Parental hovering is really about anxiety; by doing less and trusting more, parents can create a sanctuary that nurtures children’s identity, well-being, and resiliency as they grow–slowly–into themselves. A manifesto for protecting the grace of childhood, Simplicity Parenting is an eloquent guide to bringing new rhythms to bear on the lifelong art of parenting.

    Battle --Mart Moody's bird dog (tall tale) / retold by Robert Bethke --Davy Crockett meets his match (tall tale) --Paul Bunyan's cornstalk (tall tale) / retold by Harold Courlander --Momma's store (autobiography extract) from I know why the caged bird sings / by Maya Angelou --Princess (short story) / by Nicholasa Mohr --The saddest day the summer had (short story) / by Dick Perry --Bloody murder (novel extract) from The original adventures of Hank the cowdog / by John R. Erickson --Wilson Rawls (biographical sketch).

    SpaceshipPiper in the Woods

    Tired of casual hook-ups and meaningless affairs, Eric is ready for something real. When a mysterious dark-haired beauty moves in next door, Eric knows he’s found exactly what he’s been missing. She is running from her past… Lily Sotelo just got the break of a lifetime choreographing for pop star Karina Black’s winter tour. As important as it is that she does an amazing job, it’s equally as important that she remains anonymous. Which shouldn’t be a problem. She’s spent the last ten years on the move, never letting anyone get too close. Until now. Her new neighbor is as persistent as he is sexy and is making Lily want things she knows she can’t have. Book #2: Snow Days She wanted to feel pleasure… After twenty-nine years, high school English teacher Amy Maguire realizes something is missing in her life…passion. Always one to tackle a problem head on, Amy makes a plan to remedy her situation. Phase One: find a suitable candidate. Phase Two: experience passion. Simple. Right? Except after countless dates she hasn’t once felt that spark, that chemistry. That is until the sexy new History teacher walks into her classroom… He wanted to forget pain… Matt Kellan knows he’ll never love again. After tragically losing his wife five years ago, Matt has been in a holding pattern. Every woman he meets wants to fill a void that he knows will never be filled. Until he meets Amy. Her quest to find fulfillment has nothing to do with letting her into his heart…just his bed. Passion brought them together. Love may drive them apart. Book #3: Snowed In The Free-Spirit… Nikki Maguire does what she wants, says what she wants, and lives by her own set of rules. She is an intoxicating combination of beauty, sex-appeal and sharp wit that men find irresistible. Unfortunately for them, none have ever come close to holding Nikki’s attention, and settling down is not even on her radar. The Politician… Sexy Senator Michael Gowan lives under a microscope. As a man of power and influence, he always has to do and say the right thing. Every move he makes is heavily scrutinized. After being named one of People’s 100 Most Beautiful People and landing on countless Most Eligible Bachelor lists, the spotlight on his personal life has never been more intense. But Mike has no interest in love...he doesn’t even believe it exists. The Stormy Night… Grounded by a snowstorm, they share an anonymous night of passion and connection, both finding what their souls have been missing. But in the light of day, will the illicit high-stakes world of politics cause Nikki to deny her feelings or can Mike convince her that the only place she belongs is with him? When the world is against them, will their unlikely love endure? Book #4: Let It Snow Thirteen years ago…his world fell apart after his soul mate left him in the middle of an unforeseen tragedy that would bind them together forever. Ever since, sexy Fireman Jake Maguire busied himself by putting out fires in buildings and starting them in women, all in an attempt to extinguish the fire she set off in him all those years ago. Thirteen years ago…she made the hardest decision of her life. For every tear, every heartache, Tessa Hayes reminded herself that she made that sacrifice out of love.