She fears for her life, but finds kindness rather than danger there, for the lion by day is a gentle young man by night-a prince under the spell of a wicked enchantress. Soon the lady and the lion fall in love. Unlike the more familiar tale, however, this story has only just begun. The prince is not yet safe from the enchantress, and it will take all of the lady's strength and courage, through a seven-year quest, to rescue him. Dazzlingly romantic and visually magnificent, this is a book for the ages-an exhilarating tale of virtue, heroism, and the power of love. Illustrated by Laurel Long.

    Duration ca. 22 minutes.

    The resonance of this image grows through each section of the book as Hahn skillfully employs theme and variation, counterpoint and mirroring techniques. The ibis first appears as part of an illusion, the disappearing object in a magician’s trick, which then evokes the greatest disappearing act of all—death—where there are no tricks to bring about a reappearance. The rich complexity multiplies as the second section focuses on a disappearing lady and a dramatic final section brings together the bird and the lady in their common plight—both caged by their mortality, their assigned time and role.  All of the illusions fall away during this brilliant denouement as the two voices share a dialogue on the power of metaphor as the very essence of poetry. bird trick iv It’s all about disappearance. About a bird in a cagewith a mirror, a simple twiston the handle at the sidethat makes it come and go at the magician’s insistence. It’s all about innocence.It’s all about acceptance.It’s all about compliance.It’s all about deference.It’s all about silence. It’s all about disappearance.

    Alice chases a white rabbit and comes across a wondrous world.

    In the span of one day, Judian goes from the burden of farm chores to a crushing responsibility for the lives of his family. With his father and brother gone to war, he must keep the others safe and evade the enemy. If only he can trust the guides which appear, seemingly unbidden, he may succeed. Yet, he has so much to learn, and so little time. He struggles to keep to the fringes of the conflict, but the magic he discovers draws him deeper, toward the truth of the war. Mages from a distant land are driving the enemy forces. To what end? Follow Judian as he comes of age in a world of portents and spellcasting. Though life as a farm boy left him longing for more adventure, he must be careful with his wishes during the fateful year he becomes a man.

    Dramatic, arresting, and richly colored pastel illustrations. Full color.

    And when his best friend, Patrick, wants to come along, SpongeBob is sure this will be his best day ever! But things go from bad to worse when Patrick goofs off in class and lands them both in detention. SpongeBob's perfect academic record is on the road to ruination-and it's all his ex-best friend's fault! Will SpongeBob and Patrick be able to work their differences and work together? Patricks's first day of school will be a day they will never forget!

    She didn't realize there was one thing left for her to lose. . . Her life. Life has not been easy for fifteen-year old Lou Thomas. In the last few years, her once happy family has been whittled down to just herself and her unreliable older sister Charlotte. It's been a daily struggle to make it through. And it's about to get worse. Because Lou's abilities - enhanced strength, speed, and healing - have just awakened. While Lou may not understand what is happening to her, another group does. And they won't let anyone get in the way of gathering their new recruit. Jennifer Witt, though, is determined to keep that from happening. She sees herself in the tough teenager and will do whatever is necessary to keep her safe. But how can you keep someone safe when they insist on running into danger? *** The Belial Children. All children should be safe from harm . . . Someone didn't get the message. Life has not calmed down for Delaney McPhearson now that she has become the ring bearer. For the last few months, she, Henry Chandler, and Jake Rogan have been finding the camps of the teenage potentials left behind by Amar. In their search, they've come across something they didn't expect: More children are missing but these children are younger - much younger. One of the largest lines of investigation leads them to early American history and the legends of an ancient race of giants. But are they getting closer to the missing children or heading down a path that will only lead them farther away? Together, Laney, Jake, and Henry have faced incredible odds together and won. But this time the cost feels that much steeper. Because this time it's not just their lives at risk - this time it's children who may pay the ultimate price. *** The Belial Origins Revelations, death, and destiny The three forces have ruled Delaney's McPhearson's life for the last two years. But the greatest revelation is yet to come . . . And the greatest sacrifice. *** The Belial Search. The world is reaching a crisis point as an ancient threat re-emerges. And the clock has just begun ticking on a whole new battlefront. Delaney McPhearson is still reeling from the events in Heaven's Gate six months ago. Henry and Jake are physically healing and while Laney might look fine, not all wounds are so easy to see. At the same time, the Fallen have made themselves known across the globe. Laney is being pulled from one crisis to another. But soon a new threat arises that requires all of her focus: Someone is targeting the people who are connected to the Fallen. And they are not distinguishing between the good and the bad. The quest to stop the murders ranges across the Pacific and back in time to a dark period in human history when human sacrifices were commonplace. Laney will do whatever she must to stop these people. But the question is, will that be enough?

    How could everyone in a castle - even the flies on the walls - sleep for a century and then wake up? This magical, beautifully illustrated tale begins when the king excludes the most difficult fairy of the kingdom from a feast celebrating the birth of his beautiful daughter Briar Rose. Furious, the fairy storms in and curses the baby, pronouncing that on her fifteenth birthday she will be pricked by a distaff (from a spinning wheel) and fall down dead. The youngest fairy softens the curse to a century-long sleep. Despite the fact that the king burns all the spinning wheels in the kingdom, 15-year-old Briar Rose finds herself in the tower where the evil fairy and her fate await her. The drama of the spell unfurls as she and the other inhabitants of the castle fall instantly asleep, from courtiers to kitchen maids. Thorny briars - moodily captured by Trina Schart Hyman's masterful paintbrush - grow up around the castle. Hyman depicts those who died attempting to break through the maze of thorns to reach the legendary sleeping beauty in a nightmarish illustration. But goodness and true love prevail when the perfect prince does finally find his way through the thick vines.Hyman won a Caldecott Medal for her work in Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, and her version of The Sleeping Beauty makes us believe in the magic of the spell. The scenes inside the castle are alive with color and movement and rich with details that children will devour eagerly. Moods and expressions are rendered exquisitely, especially those of the wild, red-haired beauty Briar Rose. This wonderful read-aloud classic is one of Hyman's best.

     Emily decides to leave everything behind and start over in the west as a mail order bride. Her new husband, Levi, has children too, which makes Emily think that he will understand her and that things will go smoothly. But she couldn’t have been more wrong. Levi has been doing everything alone for several years since his wife died. He never wanted to marry again but he knows his children need a mother and he has been struggling with the burden of being a single parent. When Emily and Levi finally met, they realize they cannot see eye to eye on anything when it comes to the children, and it almost seems that everything and everyone is working to keep them apart. The newly merged family has become a disaster in waiting… especially in the harsher conditions of the west. How will Emily and Levi learn to work together and save both of their families? Or will they give up and leave their families more broken than they were in the beginning?

    30 full-color illustrations.

    When a terrible witch vows to eat her for supper, a little girl escapes with the help of a mirror and comb given to her by the witch's cat and dog.

    During a celebration of her arrival, Clover accidentally stumbles across Graham the Monkey's scientific equipment and opens a portal to a fearsome new realm! Can the Alphas, the animal guardians of Jamaa, save Clover?

    April Witch created a furor upon its original publication in Sweden. Addressing themes of mother-daughter relationships, competition between women, and the failures of Sweden's postwar welfare state, it is a thrillingly written and fascinating story.

    She not only listens to his wacky stories, but encourages him to use his powerful imagination. But just when Bradley's social world begins to broaden, the school board decides to let Carla go. What will happen to Bradley now? This heartwarming story of a young boy's search for friendship and acceptance is one of Sachar's most popular novels, and readers will identify with Bradley's troubles and eventual transformation when he finds a friend in Carla.