The Mystery House


Amma Lee - 2015
    Wendy always enjoyed helping people, which is why Wendy and her pet cat, Black, decided to become detectives. When an alleged haunted and abandoned house down the street from Wendy and Black is bought by someone, Wendy needs to investigate the house and the buyer. Even though Black believes that the investigation is pointless, he goes along with it. But what Wendy and Black didn’t know was that their investigation was about to take a paranormal turn.

Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet and A Scandal in Bohemia: Official Edition


Arthur Conan Doyle - 2019
    Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the 19th Century, he lives dozens of adventures next to his friend and colleague Dr. Watson. "A Study in Scarlet" is the first story of the saga. Both characters meet each other for the first time and they resolve to fight evil together. "A Scandal in Bohemia" is the second story in their adventures, and it is here that we meet Irene Adler, the woman who fascinates Sherlock Holmes from thereafter. This book is an official edition since it contains both stories without forewords, external footnotes, or changes of any kind to the original text.

The Mother's Day Gift (Noisy Farm - A Beautifully Illustrated Children's Picture Book, Perfect Bedtime Story)


Bea Balint - 2013
    Today everyone was rising with the sun, because this was quite a special day. Bees were working hard, flying from flower to flower; the carol of larks echoed far in the forests. ‘Mother- Mother-Mother’s Day’ – sounded the chirping birds. This is a special day, because tomorrow is Mother’s day. The day when you thank your Mother all the good and wonderful things, the love and care she spoiled you with throughout your entire life. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, so today is the best opportunity to prepare presents. Kate, the beautiful, spotted ladybug got up unusually early, exactly at sunrise. She was looking forward to this day for a long time, because her mum is the best mother in the whole world and she wanted to surprise her with something truly special.

Oddkins: A Fable for All Ages


Dean Koontz - 1988
    But all of these soft, cuddly, sweet-faced toys share a wonderful, magical secret... they're alive!Created by Mr. Isaac Bodkins, the old toy maker, the Oddkins are made only for very special children, those who must face something difficult in life and need a true friend. The Oddkins are given to these children to inspire them, help them, and love them as long as the children need them. Only now the toys themselves - Amos, the brave stuffed bear; Skippy, the rabbit who dreams of being a superstar; Butterscotch, the gently, floppy-eared pup; as well as Burl the elephant; Gibbons; and Patch the cat - are the ones in need of help.Mr. Bodkins has passed away before he can give his life-giving powers to Colleen Shannon, the toy maker he had chosen to replace him. Yet before he dies, the old man takes Amos aside, appoints him leader of the Oddkins, and gives him a dire warning: Watch out for an evil toy maker -- and something much, much worse!That 'something' is happening right now. Locked up in the dark subbasement, another group of toys is climbing out of boxes and crates and coming to life. These bad toys -- like Rex and Lizzie, the puppets with no strings; Gear, the vicious robot; and Stinger, the horrid buzzing bumblebee with his knife-sharp stinger -- were made to hurt children, not help them. Leering, laughing, and deadly, they are being loosed on the world by a terrible, terrifying force. Frightening as it may be, the Oddkins have only one choice: to go on a journey in search of Colleen Shannon's toy shop. The night is stormy and black; the way is filled with peril. And the Oddkins have to face a danger that threatens not only their existence...but the magic in us all.

Soldier in the Rain


William Goldman - 1961
    

Inkheart: Movie Storybook. Adapted by Sonia Sander


Cornelia Funke - 2008
    After a mysterious stranger visits them, Mo tells Meggie they must go into hiding. But why? - and from whom?

The Pajama Zoo Parade: The Funniest Bedtime ABC Book


Agnes Green - 2019
     It's time for bed... Hip hip hooray! Let's all give a cheer! The day is through. We've had such fun. Now sleepy time draws near. Before you drift away to dream, let's check in at the zoo. I hear they're having a parade and a pajama party too!  Who's the favorite tonight? Happy Oliver the Octopus in his snazzy red PJs? Or maybe Polly Panda and her bright yellow jammies? It could the very sleepy Wally Walrus!Each night, little lovable zoo animals walk through vibrant illustrations with whimsical, engaging rhymes by author Agnes Green, making bedtime an amusing adventure. Just like Kimberly Koala, who indeed is a snuggle bug, cuddle up with your little one and get ready for a good night's rest with this entertaining, educational story.Sleepy little zoo babies march off from A to Z in beautiful illustrations that tell an endearing bedtime story and create a truly engaging learning experience.

Diary of NINJA BOY & Fartypants Book 1: Everybody hates Mondays


Ninja Toe - 2015
    I have no idea why my parents didn't name me something cool, like Mad Dog Monday or Muscles Monday. Oh well. At least I have my dog, fartypants. And when things get serious...I become NINJA BOY!Follow NINJA BOY on this hilarious adventure as he deals with...-Sleep Farting in Science Class?-Girlfriend Kidnapping Giants-Stinkalators-Mount Hogsnort henchmen-Evil ninjas-Biff and Lonnie, the bully brothersYeah, it's about to get serious....With charming and hilarious illustrations and creative storytelling, the Diary of NINJA BOY & Fartypants is a must-read for any kid who loves fun adventures! Kids ages 9-13 (even reluctant readers), and middle schoolers can't wait to dive in to these Ninja Boy stories!Be sure to check out book 2, Attack of the Bathroom Pirates!and book 3, Minecraft Dance Party Danger!

A Study Guide to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice


Jane Austen - 1994
    And certainly what Melville did for whaling Austen does for marriage--tracing the intricacies (not to mention the economics) of 19th-century British mating rituals with a sure hand and an unblinking eye. As usual, Austen trains her sights on a country village and a few families--in this case, the Bennets, the Philips, and the Lucases. Into their midst comes Mr. Bingley, a single man of good fortune, and his friend, Mr. Darcy, who is even richer. Mrs. Bennet, who married above her station, sees their arrival as an opportunity to marry off at least one of her five daughters. Bingley is complaisant and easily charmed by the eldest Bennet girl, Jane; Darcy, however, is harder to please. Put off by Mrs. Bennet's vulgarity and the untoward behavior of the three younger daughters, he is unable to see the true worth of the older girls, Jane and Elizabeth. His excessive pride offends Lizzy, who is more than willing to believe the worst that other people have to say of him; when George Wickham, a soldier stationed in the village, does indeed have a discreditable tale to tell, his words fall on fertile ground. Having set up the central misunderstanding of the novel, Austen then brings in her cast of fascinating secondary characters: Mr. Collins, the sycophantic clergyman who aspires to Lizzy's hand but settles for her best friend, Charlotte, instead; Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy's insufferably snobbish aunt; and the Gardiners, Jane and Elizabeth's low-born but noble-hearted aunt and uncle. Some of Austen's best comedy comes from mixing and matching these representatives of different classes and economic strata, demonstrating the hypocrisy at the heart of so many social interactions. And though the novel is rife with romantic misunderstandings, rejected proposals, disastrous elopements, and a requisite happy ending for those who deserve one, Austen never gets so carried away with the romance that she loses sight of the hard economic realities of 19th-century matrimonial maneuvering. Good marriages for penniless girls such as the Bennets are hard to come by, and even Lizzy, who comes to sincerely value Mr. Darcy, remarks when asked when she first began to love him: "It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley." She may be joking, but there's more than a little truth to her sentiment, as well. Jane Austen considered Elizabeth Bennet "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print". Readers of Pride and Prejudice would be hard-pressed to disagree. --Alix Wilber

Wilbur Smith Collection: Diamond Hunters / The Quest / The Seventh Scroll / River God / Warlock / Elephant Song / A Falcon Flies)


Wilbur Smith
    

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything (Young Adult)


Bill Bryson - 2003
    It had an illustration that captivated him–a diagram showing Earth’s interior as it would look if you cut into it with a large knife and removed about a quarter of its bulk. The idea of lots of startled cars and people falling off the edge of that sudden cliff (and 4,000 miles is a pretty long way to fall) was what grabbed him in the beginning, but gradually his attention turned to what the picture was trying to teach him: namely that Earth’s interior is made up of several different layers of materials, and at the very centre is a glowing sphere of iron and nickel, as hot as the Sun’s surface, according to the caption. And he very clearly remembers thinking: “How do they know that?”Bill’s storytelling skill makes the “How?” and, just as importantly, the “Who?” of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for all ages. He covers the wonder and mystery of time and space, the frequently bizarre and often obsessive scientists and the methods they used, and the mind-boggling fact that, somehow, the universe exists and against all odds, life came to be on this wondrous planet we call home.

ESV Daily Reading Bible


Anonymous - 2012
    Each day displays chapters from various books of the Bible, allowing readers to easily work through the assigned passages.

Narnia Chronology: From the Archives of the Last King


C.S. Lewis - 2008
    Through the wardrobe came four children. To these children came a special magic. With that magic came seven unforgettable stories.

Stone Barrington Adventures


Stuart Woods - 2012
    Lucid Intervals Strategic Moves Bel-Air Dead

The Secret Kingdom


Jenny Nimmo - 2011
    At his birth, a forest jinni bestows magical gifts upon him: a cloak made by the last moon spider and a potion called Alixir. When the peaceful land is attacked, Timoken and his sister, Zobayda, must find a new kingdom to call home. Together, with only the magical gifts and a talking camel, the siblings set off.In this brand-new series, bestselling author Jenny Nimmo takes readers on an extraordinary quest with one of her most powerful and mysterious characters, the one who started it all for Charlie Bone and the children of the Red King.