From his quiet, dreamy existence in the secluded valley with the ponderous but cerebral urRu, Jen must suddenly depart on a Quest whose details are not fully explained to him. This gentle boy leaves his comfort zone in a desperate attempt to save his planet from another miillenium of destructive rule.Jen's goal is to find a special crystal shard and reunite it with the mother crystal -- now dark with grief and anger at the senseless destruction. This crystal is coveted and guarded in the Dark Castle by the vicious race of Skeksis, who terrorize the planet with their bat spies and insect zombies. Our unlikely hero has only his flute and his wits to guide him, but several surprise friends offer help and advice along his dangerous odyssey--including the last girl Gelfling. Together they race against celestial time, as the Great Conjunction of the triple suns is imminent.

    Flynn provides young would-be detectives with tips on how to investigate cases just like the Hardy Boys. Includes information on crime solving techniques and how investigations are conducted.

    So why is Sir Hugo Drax cheating at cards? Bond has just five days to uncover the sinister truth behind a national hero, in Ian Fleming's third 007 adventure.Diamonds are Forever'The twentieth century looked out at him from the piece of newsprint and bared its teeth in a sneer'From the diamond mines of Sierra Leone to the jewellers of Hatton Garden, from race track to casino... Bond must infiltrate and destroy the criminal network of the Spangled Mob in Fleming's fourth 007 adventure.

     Reviews "A wonderful collection of tales that range from creepy to silly to haunting. ...Gammell's drawings add just the right touch..." -- John Scieszka, Entertinment Weekly"Guaranteed to make your teeth chatter and your spine tingle." -- School Library Journal"Read these if you dare." -- The New York Times

    Everyone loved that bright-eyed, independent mutt. Every morning Benji raced through town, greeting his friends and chasing the Finster cat. His best friends off all were the Chapman children, 9 yr. old Paul, and 7 yr. old Cindy. And the best time of all was a breakfast of delicious scraps in the Chapman Kitchen.Then suddenly, thrilling things began to happen! Benji found a beautiful girlfriend. Sinister intruders broke into Benji's secret hideout. The Chapman children were in terrible danger. And the only one in the world who could save them was heroic Benji!

    His punishment was to be transformed into a toy, and now he is forced to track down the magician so he can be returned to normal. His adventures will take him to the moon and under the sea, introducing him to many fabulous - and dangerous - creatures.Inspired by the loss of his own child's favourite toy, this charming tale was written by J.R.R. Tolkien long before The Hobbit, yet remained unpublished for more than 70 years. This new paperback edition includes a full introduction and detailed notes about the story.This is an old-fashioned story, yet it still speaks freshly today... would leap to life when read aloud to a child. - INDEPENDENTLord of the Rings buffs will enjoy picking out bits of Nordic mythology and will relish Tolkien's fabulous sense of landscape - THE TIMESCover illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien

    In The Gateway to Foo, fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds -- the real world and Foo, a place created at the beginning of time that makes it possible for humans to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Leven, who alone has the power to save Foo.The adventure continues in The Whispered Secret. Foo is in chaos, and Leven must overcome several adversaries and survive the Swollen Forest to save his friends and keep hope alive. As fate would have it, bad goes to worse when Leven digs up a buried secret -- one that stalks him, determined to whisper a truth that could be deadly in the wrong hands. Will Leven master control of his power, or will Foo crumble under a dark new enemy?

    The engine backwash of the Bug fighter would capsize the boat. Or I might put the Taxxon pilot to the test and see if he could ram the low-slung boat. That would puzzle the humans.Either way, my body would never be found...My time of lying low was over...I would spearhead the invasion of Earth. I would take charge of our greatest conquest. I would stand alone atop the Yeerk military hierarchy.I was to become Visser One.From the Hardcover edition

    Then in "Barbecue Blunder," sometimes it's fun to reminisce about picnics gone by!

    It’s time for her and Fyre to visit New Atlantis and find out what the fuss is all about.Both gangs in the Crescent City are fighting for control, with Cali and her friends in the middle. To do nothing is to risk those she cares about on a daily basis.One of those, Tanyith, has his own people to protect, as the people who broke him out of Trevilsom prison finally reveal themselves.Her parents left behind secrets she needs to understand, mysteries with no clear solution. The shadowy figures behind the Kraken attack might be involved, or might be just another bunch of people seeking to mess with her life for no apparent reason.Watch out, New Atlantis, Caliste Leblanc is on her way to New Atlantis to bring the fight to you. Assuming nothing crazy happens when she travels through the Bermuda Triangle on the way there.For magic, mystery, martial arts, and all the mayhem a canine-sized dragon can bring, join the Blues right away!Scroll up and click 'Read for Free' or 'Buy Now' and read it today.

    In Boston, five magical bon-bons make an ordinary senator, an ordinary professor, an ordinary girl and her ordinary parents do the most extraordinary things! A young cowboy lassoes Father Time; the dummy in Mr. Floman's department store window comes to life; and a tiny beetle gives a New England farmer and his wife a pump which pumps not water, but gold!Author of the much-loved Oz books, L. Frank Baum transforms the familiar with his magical mix of humor and enchantment. Most of the twelve stories in this delightful collection are set in America where, so it seems, modern fairies, knooks, and ryls are always causing the most astonishing things to happen! These tales will enchant both young and old. When American Fairy Tales first appeared, Baum's reputation as a storyteller had already been established by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written in 1900. The twelve stories in this collection were originally syndicated weekly in at least five newspapers during the first half of 1901. The first book edition, which this facsimile reprints, came out later that year.

    Oscar spends the summer with his inventor cousin traveling around the United States in a Picklemobile eating chicken in the bag to win a contest, while being pursued by an angry woman with mystical powers, who is also determined to win the contest.

    Aesop was reputedly a tongue-tied slave who miraculously received the power of speech; from his legendary storytelling came the collections of prose and verse fables scattered throughout Greek and Roman literature. First published in English by Caxton in 1484, the fables and their morals continue to charm modern readers: who does not know the story of the tortoise and the hare, or the boy who cried wolf?

    Problem was, these stories, many of which found their way into the general social consciousness, reflected the way in which these men lived and saw their world: that is, the stories were sexist, discriminatory, unfair, culturally biased, and in general, demeaning to witches, animals, goblins, and fairies everywhere.Finally, after centuries of these abusive tales, which have been handed down--unknowingly--from one male-biased generation to the next, James Finn Garner has taken it upon himself (that's right, yet another man) to enlighten and liberate these classic bedtime stories and retell them in a way that is much more in keeping with the society in which we live today.Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, then is the fruit of Garner's labors. We'd like to think that future generations of fairy-tale fans will see this as a worthy attempt to develop meaningful literature that is totally free from bias and purged from the influences of a flawed cultural past.

    "Run, dearies! It's a dragon!" the witch said.