Here is a celebration of swords and swordsmen that spans time and place -- from ancient warriors such as Beowulf to medieval knights; from stealthy ninja and samurai to legendary maidens of war. Illustrated with breathtaking intricacy, SWORDS reflects the passion of a true devotee, offering lavish background details on design and use as well as exquisite spreads showcasing specimens in all their shining glory.Back matter includes a bibliography.

    They have come to Australia to escape the violence in Northern Ireland, but when the past catches up with them, Tas is trapped in the middle.

    After a non-life threatening accident as a child, he hasn't quite developed like other boys his age. A group of older classmates take advantage of George's nature and force him into a situation that leads him to discover some interesting things about himself.

    Things get even worse when a new boy moves in next door and a bully starts picking on him. Alex feels caught in the middle. If he defends the new kid, he may become the bully's next target. Alex soon finds out that the bully is hiding a secret that could change everything. Will Alex find the courage to do the right thing and stand up for the new kid? And can he survive middle school on his own? He'll soon learn that friendship can be found in the most unlikely places.

    Can Laura save the Wild Ones and take them to the safety of the Bright Wilderness? Laura is blind, but though she cannot see, she is an acutely perceptive child. As soon as she climbs onto the unicorn's back she is hurled into a wild and magical world. Though a contemporary child, living in a contemporary setting, Spellhorn and the Wild Ones see Laura as their leader and they know that only through Laura can they reach the safety of the Bright Wilderness. But can the unicorns lead Laura back home to her own world? Powerful and moving, a delicious blend of fantasy and reality.

    This is the Los Angeles of the Chicano barrio, where everything in life is stacked against the teenaged hero, Chato Medina, his beleaguered, disintegrating family, his defiant and doomed friends, and the future he may not make it far enough to enjoy. Chato, however, is out to beat all those odds--in his own indefatigable, inimitable way . . .

    Silas and his friend Ben-Godik spend a year traveling by horseback and encountering many strange individuals and harrowing adventures.

    Dad had shouted and yelled, thrown things and smashed things up. And then he had quietly cleaned everything away'. Leo's dad has changed. Since Mum died, his drinking is worse and now he's a different person, someone Leo doesn't recognize. The truth is that Leo is covering up for him and when things get bad Leo escapes into his own head, pretending everything's OK. Things need to change, but what can Leo do? No one understands, except maybe his friend Flora. Leo wants his old dad back so they can be happy again - because Dad is all he has left...

    He's thin and long-faced, like the fish he's named after. At school he's no good at sport and, at home, his father scorns him. Snook joins his father and fellow crewmen on a tuna-fishing expedition, when disaster strikes. It is up to Snook to save himself and his father from a desperate situation.

    "A welcome blend of myth and reality, set in modern times but connected by folklore to the world of animals and magic."--Publishers Weekly

    But what happens when a supposedly "real" handsome young vampire arrives on the scene? Will Nancy expose him as a fraud -- or fall under his dark spell? As if that wasn't enough-- there's something dark and sinister happening while everyone's distracted by the vampire madness. Could this possibly be linked to what's happening in Bayport, home of the Hardy Boys? Spoiler warning: there are no vampires, blood or gore in this graphic novel.

    Who is responsible for the strange happenings? Who would want to tamper with his rich uncle's dusty library? And why?Jud's search succeeds just before the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 wipe out every clue forever.

    New and Selected Poems includes the best of his seven full-length collections, plus over 23 new poems previously unpublished in book form. From the charged, short-lined poems of Soto's early writing to an unflinching look at poverty and hard labor in California's Central Valley to the off-beat humor in his longer, more recent work, New and Selected Poems is a timely tribute to a brilliant writer whose work confirms the power of the human spirit to survive and soar.

    Then Melodie disappears. Tara’s not too sorry, but she starts to see strange images of a captive girl who she gradually realises must be Melodie. Tara tries but fails to ignore the pictures in her head and finally goes in search of Melodie, with the help of Melodie’s attractive half-brother. She finds herself trapped with her former enemy, and Tara and Melodie must work together to get free, with the help of Tara’s gift.

    But Fate has other, more dangerous plans for him.