Half hidden behind trees and shrubs rises a wide brick wall, topped with two attic windows, each no bigger than a dishcloth. The walls have been whitewashed and the wooden floor is bare, as if the house is waiting. Waiting for someone to move in. It is the summer of 1937, and it hasn't rained for seven weeks when Fing and her family of nine move into Nine Open Arms, along with their handcart of meagre belongings. 'The Dad' is a man who does all kinds of jobs and none of them well, while Oma Mei courageously holds everything together, including the family's history in her Crocodile bag full of pictures and stories. But as the year progresses, the family just gets poorer.Meanwhile, Fing and her two sisters, wild Muulke and fearful Jess, begin to discover strange mysteries...a bed that looks like a tombstone, and an unmarked grave in the cemetery.

    Lovely. Suddenly Edie shakes off her cynicism, Stan gets giddy and giggly and even Mum and Dad relax once Alice is around, spinning her tales and coming up with left-field babysitting fun.

    They find themselves in a strange world of labyrinths, monsters and pirates.Can they evade their greedy pursuers? And will they ever find their way home?

    Each guide includes an author biography, background information, summaries, thought-provoking discussion questions, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

     ˃˃˃ Book 1 RESCUED BY A KISS You’d think Brandy might be a little self-conscious a suave Svengali in one of the gentlemen’s walking clubs mesmerizes her into a big fat Mardi Gras smooch right in front of her boyfriend. But not a bit. Because after all, it's Mardi Gras, and also for another good reason: that kiss was long, slow, hot, unlike any kiss she’d ever had in her life. She makes a date to meet Mr. Great Kisser after the parade but arrives just in time to see him get shot. Before he passes out, he pulls her close and whispers, “Save Isabella. And with that we’re off on a screwball chase all over town, from Lee Circle to the Lakefront, with a stop at Charity Hospital, and finally to the French Quarter’s favorite gay dance club, always accompanied by Schnauzers, one of them named Geaux Cup. ˃˃˃ Book 2 DEAD AND BREAKFAST When Brandy’s best friend Julia, the ex-stripper-turned hotelier, finds her first and only guest covered in blood, lying half on and half off a broken bed, with Julia’s panties swinging from the chandelier, she gets Brandy on the horn. And Brandy does the only sensible thing, makes coffee...with a shot of whiskey--then calls the police. And who should respond, but her recent ex-boyfriend, Dante, with a brand new daggers-looking female partner? But wait! This is not nearly complicated enough for Noo Awlins, where, after all, everybody knows everybody! Julia’s lawyer is none other than Jiff, Brandy’s new squeeze (and the reason Dante’s the ex-boyfriend). As the suspense mounts, the romance blossoms, and not just one. Jiff’s looking more and more like Mr. Right: a 100% Class Act, with his own Schnauzer and a soft spot for Brandy’s three. But Dante makes it clear that he doesn’t plan to go quietly; the former Mr. Right Next Door has a few very sexy moves he’s been holding in reserve, which knock Brandy’s socks--and truth be told, her panties --off! ˃˃˃ Book 3 DRIVE THRU MURDER When Brandy pulls into the drive-thru, she expects to order a box of CLUCK IT! CHICKEN BY THE BUCKET, not hear gunshots and see someone in high heels and a black leather miniskirt climbing out of the pick-up window dragging a body. Her boyfriend, New Orleans Detective Dante Deedler, is on this case and hers as bodies keep turning up and she knows about them before he does. Her neighbor--a palm reader who is also a phone sex operator--has visions of Brandy’s future and past leaving more questions than answers. Murders, family dilemma and a rescued Schnauzer named Jesus has Brandy distracted. Could she be the next victim? There's no place like New Orleans to have a good crime!> ˃˃˃ Book 4 DEATH BY RUM BALLS This will be Brandy’s first Christmas without Dante, but she is determined to enjoy the holiday going to parties and even a “Yappy Hour” with Jiff and both of their schnauzers. Brandy stops to deliver mistletoe for Julia’s party that night when Frank, Julia’s handyman, drags her into the mayhem surrounding the guest list. It seems everyone Julia invited has a grudge against her, and they all confirmed they are coming to her party.

    Emergencies:--when to call your child's physician immediately-what to do in case of burns, bites, stings, poisoning, choking, and injuriesCommon Illnesses:-when it's safe to treat your child at home-step-by-step instructions on dealing with fever, infections, allergies, rashes, earaches, croup and other common ailmentsBehavior Problems:-proven strategies for colic, sleep disturbances, toilet training problems, thumbsucking, and the video game craze-no-nonsense discipline techniques for biting, temper tantrums, sibling fighting, and school refusalHealth Promotion: From Birth Through Adolescence:-essential advice on newborn baby care, nutrition, cholesterol testing, immunizations, and sex education-ways of preventing spoiled children, picky eaters, overeating, tooth decay, accidents, and homework problems

    But, despite the Gatsby-like parties and trimmings of success, she suspects something might be deeply wrong in the household—specifically with Rose Sewell, the formerly vivacious lady of the house who now refuses to leave her room. The other servants say Rose is crazy, but scrappy, strong-willed Martha thinks there’s more to the story—and that the paintings in the Sewell’s gallery contain a hidden message detailing the truth. But in a house filled with secrets, nothing is quite what it seems, and no one is who they say. Can Martha follow the clues, decipher the code, and solve the mystery of what’s really going on with Rose Sewell . . . ?Inspired by true events described in the author’s note.

     This story is about four powerful friendships that begin at Bishop Street Orphanage. It becomes tainted with lies and deceit, after they leave at eighteen. Margaret Gray for the past twenty years has hidden behind a facade of normalcy. Now at thirty-nine, her childhood nightmares are back. Despite a successful writing career, and a flawless reputation, she is unable to keep all that she has built from crumbling around her. It’s been twenty years since she’s heard from her friends. Why didn't they answer her letters? Why didn’t they contact her? Had they survived? Or... had Sister Theresa at the orphanage deceived them with lies, aiming to destroy their friendship, forever? With nothing left to fear, Maggie hires Damon Depre, a private investigator to find her friends, and seek the truth. This starts her down a twisted path that will once again, test her strength of character. Will she find more than just her friends?

    But whether it's creepy mummies or a horrid hound, Scarlett won’t back down, and with the help of her loyal butler and a lot of monster-mashing gadgets, she’s on the case.With her parent’s archrival, Count Stankovic, ratting her out to T.R.A.P.E.Z.E. and taking all the monster-catching rewards for himself, it’s getting hard for Scarlett to do what she was born to do. And when more monsters start mysteriously manifesting than ever before, Scarlett knows she has to get to the bottom of it and save the city... whatever the danger!In his first adventure for middle-grade readers, acclaimed YA author Marcus Sedgwick teams up with Thomas Taylor (illustrator of the original edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) to create a rip-roaring romp full of hairy horrors, villainous villains, and introducing the world’s toughest monster hunter—Scarlett Hart!

    You’ll encounter bodyguards, police officers, private detectives, bounty hunters, coroners, firefighters, vigilantes, hackers and a variety of oddballs. They share a knack for getting into trouble – but have the skills and determination to get themselves out.Each pulse-pounding story features the author’s main characters. When you find one you love, there’s a series behind it, waiting for you. Get 12 shots while you can and discover your new favourite crime thriller series.

    When Constable O'Dowd brings her an 11th orphan he found on the streets, Ma Bigsby is reluctant to take her. But there's something about Elfie, it's the first day of a new century and Ma loves a mystery.

    Who were the babies? Where did they come from? The notes left with them said "Please keep this baby safe" and "Please give my child shelter." Only the librarian can take them home, and the library is where they grow up. The whole island helps to raise them. The fisherman teaches them to cast from the pier, the ferryman shows them charts of the sea, and from the harbormaster they learn to recognize birds."Who are you?" other children ask. "Why don't you look alike?" The librarian gathers them in her arms. "Families don't always look alike," she says. "And where we're going is more important than where we came from."This charming, lighthearted fairytale contains a message of acceptance that is particularly significant for our time.

    Two young children pay a visit to Halmoni (grandmother in Korean), only to discover she's not home. As they search for her, noticing animal tracks covering the floor, they discover a pair of traditional Korean doors, slightly ajar, new to their grandmother's home. Their curiosity gets the best of them, and the adventure begins when they crawl through and discover an unfamiliar, fantastical world. As they continue to search for their grandmother and solve the mystery of the tracks, they go deeper into the world of Korean folklore and experience their cultural heritage in unexpected ways, meeting a number of Korean-speaking characters along the way. Translations to Korean text in the story and more about the folktale-inspired characters are included at the end.

    His new wife wants to produce an heir to the throne.  The only problem? Thirteen years ago, the king’s first wife gave birth to a son, and no one knows for sure what happened to him. Rumors swirl throughout the castle. The solution is simple: dispose of all the thirteen-year-olds in the kingdom. Except, it isn’t that easy. Avery and her friends won’t go quietly.   Avery, Kate, Tuck, and Kendrick take charge of the underground network of kidnapped children, inspiring them to believe that their past does not dictate their future and pledging to do the hardest thing of all. . .reunite the children with the homes they left behind.  When they discover that one among them might be the child of a man who wants them dead, will everything they work for be lost?

    Mischievous nieces. Can a clueless uncle catch a tech-savvy killer … and be home before bedtime?When a freak accident hospitalizes Marty Golden’s sister and condemns him to babysitter duty, he thinks it’s just another case of hardwired bad luck in Silicon Valley. Until a suspicious murder suggests the mishap was no mere coincidence. Something must be done. Too bad this quirky, fashion-backward uncle isn’t exactly hero material.Convinced his sister is in mortal danger, this amateur sleuth follows clues to an oddball array of suspects. Armed with nothing but an eye for detail and powers of self-delusion, Marty tangles with gangsters, a cantankerous school secretary, and a perplexing woman he can’t help but fall for. Glitches in his investigation seem like a piece of cake compared to dinner-prep and bedtime stories with his two precocious, pre-teen nieces.Can Marty catch the culprit, save his sister, and get his life back in order before he gets unplugged?