All he knows is his name: Steve. Fleeing through the night, pursued by half-glimpsed foes, Steve is rescued by the brave and beautiful Alex. Alex has appointed herself as the defender of a small village that finds itself under near-constant siege by the Mobs under the invincible Draugr: the Skeleton King. As Steve settles into his new home, learning the skills that will allow him to survive in this strange, hostile world, he continues to search for the answers to his own identity. At the same time, he faces other, more urgent questions: what does the Skeleton King want with them? How can they stop him from destroying the innocent villagers? What dark shadow lies across Alex’s past? And who is the grim, dark figure with the glowing white eyes? Other books in The Obsidian Cube series Book 2: The Skeleton King, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WKUZQ9S/ Book 3: The Mystery Revealed, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WKU5PQW/ Author’s Note: This short story is for your reading pleasure. The characters in this "Minecraft Diary Books" such as Steve, Endermen or Herobrine...etc are based on the Minecraft Game coming from Minecraft ®/TM & © 2009-2013 Mojang / Notch

    Mercer Mayer's famous Little Critter works hard to do it right in this funny picture book. Little Critter has a mountain of tub toys to remember, stuffed animals to line up so they can watch, bubble bath to pour, a floor to flood, and so much more. What will Little Critter find at the end of his huge effort? A dry and cozy finale.

    Children will delight in following the black cat's progress through the dark wood, into the dark house, and eventually to the surprise discovery at the back of the toy cupboard, in this mysterious, beautifully illustrated picture book.

    Rollo tries living with various woodland animals, but he finds out that there is no place like home, and returns to his family just in time for "the best Christmas ever."Among the animals who take him in are an owl family, a mother bear and two rambunctious cubs, some playful river otters, a hungry lynx and a friendly moose family.Jan Brett creates an irresistible, mischievous character that kids will recognize in themselves. Jan transports us to a glorious Scandinavian landscape where a beautiful fall turns into a magnificent snowy winter. Her signature borders depict the troll family missing Rollo, and animals as appealing as those found in The Mitten.A warm, fun-loving Christmas picture book for families to share and love and laugh over together.

    Gold! For as long as the castle had stood, alchemists had struggled to make gold from the simple elements of the earth. And for as long as the castle stood they had failed. Then comes the greedy, ambitious Spinifex, who promises the king riches and glory beyond his wildest dreams. Arthur, the alchemist's young apprentice, cannot see the point - after all gold cannot make you happy, heal the sick, or make people love you - and he watches in amazement as the experiments grow more elaborate and fantastic. As time ticks on Spinifex becomes a man obsessed, plundering the country for more gold to aid his experiments, even tearing the rings from people's fingers. Then, as the Millennium approaches, Spinifex constructs his last great experiment - a monstrous machine stretching up from the cellar through the castle to the roof. But the great gold-making machine only suceeds in destroying its creator, leaving just one tiny nugget of gold. However, gold of another kind floods the castle - glorious sunlight rains down on the kingdom, dispelling darkness and gloom forever. As for Arthur, he takes the tiny nugget and fashions a sunflower pendant for the king. One day the king loses it while out swimming, but he doesn't even notice, it is forgotten.

    A boy leads a strange, lost creature home.And a group of peaceful creatures cedes their home to hostile invaders.Shaun Tan, with his understates voice and brilliant draftsmanship, has proved that he has a unique imaginative window to our souls, and an unparalleled ability to share that opening with pictures and narratives that are as unexpected as they are deeply true. Originally published in Australia, these three beloved and acclaimed tales were never widely available in the U.S. Now for the first time, The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and the John Marsden classic The Rabbits are presented in their entirety with additional new artwork and authors' notes. Together they tell a tale that will leave no reader unmoved, about how we love and find what matters most to us.

    Each tale discusses an important aspect of childhood and how a child might come to understand it. Young readers will be able to easily relate to the honest and innocent characters, and enjoy the situations those characters find themselves in. The lessons they will learn comprise an important part of growing up.

    Johnson, convincing her that bringing a pterodactyl to school would be a good idea. The boy is back, and this time he has several reasons why bringing a woolly mammoth to the library would be advantageous to the librarian, Ms. Reeder, and the library’s patrons.

    The Duchess of Whimsy is fancy and fussy—and definitely not ordinary—surrounding herself with wild friends, fabulous foods, and fancy dress. The Earl of Norm (ho hum) is completely ordinary, but he adores the Duchess. She ignores him, until the chef gets sick, and her friends have to make a super supper—which includes tracking down truffles, spinning sugar stars, and looking for quail eggs.But the Earl is hungry! He sneaks off to an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich—and suddenly takes the Duchess’s eye. Maybe there’s something to simplicity after all. Maybe there’s something to the Earl after all . . .This deliciously told and illustrated love story by the remarkable de Sèves shows how utterly charming and extraordinary a picture book can be.

    Her talent as a weaver has ensured that she can support herself--and perhaps win the love of the handsome Prince. But when an evil giant takes Tatsinda prisoner and plans to destroy the kingdom, it will take all the magic, skill, and love that Tatsinda and the Prince can muster to foil the giant and restore peace and beauty to the mountain. “This timeless story will make an absorbing read-aloud.”--School Library Journal

    Inside the library, Dewey longs to be part of the holiday fun and after a series of silly misadventures, Dewey finds a way to add his own special touch to his beloved Christmas tree -- and the results are Dew-rific!A wonderful way to celebrate the season with everyone's favorite library cat.

    Intensely jealous, Poppy no longer knows where he fits in and decides to reclaim his title as the fairest bird in all the land, no matter what it takes.In a desperate attempt to regain the admiration of his peers, Poppy steals items from the humans that visit his park. He wraps himself in a beautiful silk scarf, wears a series of ornate bangles around his neck, and even tries to dye his feathers with colored dust from a festive Holi celebration. Unfortunately, each of these attempts not only fails to improve his appearance, they actually make it worse. What’s a poor bird to do?In this compelling tale of self-esteem, pride, and learning what makes each of us special, Poppy the peacock discovers that true beauty lies beneath the feathers.Poppy the Proud is the third in a new series of color-illustrated books for children entitled The Bird Brain Books.

    There are some things you have to do. It isthe most loved and chewed book in the world.But his father wonders why it is full of moo-cows and baa-lambs when Young Sam will only ever see them cooked on a plate. He can think of a more useful book for a boy who lives in a city.So Sam Vimes starts adapting the story. A story with streets, not fields. A book with rogues and villains. A book about the place where he’ll grow up.

    A demon in the guise of a magic pot outwits a greedy rich man and brings wealth and happiness to a poor old fellow and his wife.

    Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever... With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming children's book explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different. 100% of Last Week Tonight's proceeds will be donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.