There're plenty of gangs in Los Angeles: north of downtown it's the

    Only one small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. But how much longer can Asterix, Obelix and their friends resist the mighty Roman legions of Julius Caesar? Anything is possible, with a little cunning plus the druid Getafix's magic potions! Their effects can be truly hair-raising...

    K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The film was released on 15 November 2002 in the UK and North America and 28 November in AUS. Returning to work on the film were director Chris Columbus, screenwriter Steven Kloves, and producer David Heyman. Most of the major cast and crew from Philosopher's Stone (known as Sorcerer's Stone in the United States) returned for Chamber of Secrets, including child stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. However, it was the last appearance by Richard Harris as Dumbledore and the last Harry Potter film directed by Columbus. New key actors included Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart and Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy.

    Everything seems hopeless until the child returns to her room and sees the red tree. At that perfect moment of beauty and purity, the child smiles and her world stirs anew.With sensitivity and wonder, Shaun Tan's evocative images in The Red Tree open a window to our inexplicable emotions and tell a story about the power of hope, renewal and inspiration.

     Diane needs to start over again. After returning from Ireland and turning the page on her stormy relationship with Edward, the brooding Irish photographer, she is determined to rebuild her life in Paris with help from her best friend Féx. She focuses solely on getting her literary caféack on track-until she meets Olivier. He is kind and thoughtful, and she may have a future with him...until she stumbles across her former love at a photography exhibit. What is Edward doing in Paris? Why didn't he reach out? Faced with a hail of questions, her old flame remains cold and unresponsive. Apparently, he, too, has moved on. In order to put the past behind her, Diane must go back over her tracks. Ireland saved her before. Can she get answers there and find peace again?

    He lets them know that they must flee their home--or risk being killed by their violent father. Without question, the siblings follow Yann into the wet darkness. And so begins their remarkable odyssey toward the ocean--as well as an unforgettable story of brotherhood.The social worker investigating the Doutreleau family, the truck driver who gives the boys a lift, the police officer who believes they've run away, the baker who gives them bread--each of the many people the seven boys encounter gives a stirring account of what he or she witnesses. The twins themselves add their voices, as do the Doutreleau parents; but not until the end of the journey does little Yann express his reasons for his galvanizing actions.

    Telling the story of humanity's first attempts to colonise distant planets, this is the tale of Kim and his companions and the strange creatures and perilous dangers they face in the unknown worlds.

    Someone suggests that Arianne, as the only child at the party, might enjoy exploring the garden more than listening to the adults chat. Arianne is unsure what to do in the quiet garden, and she soon lies down out of boredom. But then she spots a pebble . . . and a grasshopper . . . and flies away on a dandelion seed pod into the cosmos as she discovers the freedom of her imagination.With very little text, this book lets the illustrations tell the charming story of a child carried away into a world much bigger than herself.

    In a desperate attempt to seek clarity, courage and confidence, she unwittingly leads herself into meeting with evolved souls from across the universe. These superior souls belong to The Perfect World and with them Niki Sanders embarks on the most thrilling adventure of her life; an adventure into infinite possibilities, wisdom and self discovery.An inspirational thriller not only takes you on a journey into the universe but also on a parallel journey within. Sprinkled with fun, triumph and wisdom the story urges you towards choices of power, passion and purpose into your daily actions. The Perfect World will lead you towards your spiritual awareness and spiritual greatness, for that is the true meaning of success.Enchanting, irresistibly captivating ‘The Perfect World’ is an extraordinary story of the truth about your own eternity that will find place in your daily consciousness long after you have turned the final page.

    Papa Bear is searching for Little Bear, who has escaped the den. Little Bear is following a bee, because where there are bees, there is honey! When the quest leads both bears into the bustling city and a humming opera house, theatrical hijinks ensue, culminating in a deliciously harmonious reunion. Children and parents alike will savor Benjamin Chaud's lush illustrations, and relish in the book's bonus seek-and-find elements.Looking for more Papa Bear and Little Bear? Check out Bear's Sea Escape!

    For more than three quarters of a century, he has cycled from a figure of darkness to one of lightness and back again; he’s a bat-shaped Rorschach inkblot who takes on the various meanings our changing culture projects onto him. How we perceive Batman’s character, whether he’s delivering dire threats in a raspy Christian Bale growl or trading blithely homoerotic double-entendres with partner Robin on the comics page, speaks to who we are and how we wish to be seen by the world. It’s this endlessly mutable quality that has made him so enduring.And it’s Batman’s fundamental nerdiness—his gadgets, his obsession, his oath, even his lack of superpowers—that uniquely resonates with his fans who feel a fiercely protective love for the character. Today, fueled by the internet, that breed of passion for elements of popular culture is everywhere. Which is what makes Batman the perfect lens through which to understand geek culture, its current popularity, and social significance.In The Caped Crusade, with humor and insight, Glen Weldon, book critic for NPR and author of Superman: The Unauthorized Biography, lays out Batman’s seventy-eight-year cultural history and shows how he has helped make us who we are today and why his legacy remains so strong.

    One night, Robin's potential for magic is revealed in the presence of Quadehar the Sorcerer. Robin becomes the sorcerer's apprenctice and studies the magical secrets of the craft. His talents are put to the test when he and his friends must cross into the Uncertain World to save a classmate who's been kidnapped by monsters. Will Robin's newfound knowledge help them prevail?

    He's in charge of making Halloweenland the coolest creepy place around. But when Jack suddenly grows bored with tricks and treats, he goes searching for new ways to celebrate...and he finds them in Christmas Town! Christmas, Jack decides, is just what Halloweenland -- and the world -- needs! He sets out to take over the role of Santa. But can anything good come of a tall and lanky skeleton dressed up as everyone's favorite jolly old elf? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the Walt Disney Company's most successful franchises, with a huge cult following and a loyal and growing fan base. This beautiful reissue of the book first released in 1993 is a surefire Halloween, Christmas, and year-round hit! The Nightmare Before Christmas is the first book that Tim Burton has written and illustrated.

    Here’s a bold new look at the classic tale of treachery and betrayal that could only have sprung from the imaginations of master storytellers Stephen King and Peter Straub. In a run-down amusement park on a desolate beach in New Hampshire, thirteen-year-old Jack Sawyer is about to learn some hard truths—about his father’s death, about why he and his mother are on the run from his sinister uncle Morgan, and about the real nature of the mysterious realm Jack once called the Daydreams. Now, with help from his newfound friend Speedy Parker, this young man will reclaim his identity as Travellin Jack and make his first foray back into the Territories to retrieve the magical Talisman, an object of immense cosmic significance. Yet even more important to Jack, the Talisman holds the key to saving his mother’s life. In the Terrorities, where monsters lurk, evil watches, and an unbelievably precious prize awaits, Jack embarks upon a desperate quest to fulfill a destiny he never sought but cannot escape.The Talisman: The Road of Trials comprises Issues 0 through 5 of the thrilling comic book series and features original, never-before-seen material, including interviews and early sketches. Be warned: Once you’ve seen the Talisman, nothing will ever be the same.

    The taste of cherries, the cool shade, the smell of the river... That was how we lived, in a vale among the hills—sheltered from storms, ignorant of the world, as though on an island, peaceful and untroubled.And then...And then everything changed.Can you ever escape your fate?Three shadows stand outside the house—and Louis and Lise know why the spectral figures are there. The shadows have come for Louis and Lise’s son, and nothing anyone can do will stop them. Louis cannot let his son die without trying to prevent it, so the family embarks on a journey to the ends of the earth, fleeing death.Poignant and suspenseful, Three Shadows is a haunting story of love and grief, told in moving text and sweeping black and white artwork by Cyril Pedrosa.