There is always enough room on your child’s bookshelf for this Classic Board Book edition of the rollicking alphabet chant that has been a children’s favorite for over thirty years! A told B, and B told C, “I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree” In this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters […]
Although we’re accustomed to thinking of grown- ups as more mature than their children, what if some sensitive children come into the world and within a few years are more emotion-ally mature than their parents, who have been around for decades? What happens when these immature parents lack the emotional responsiveness necessary to meet their […]
Timeline of the ancient world Early humans lived in small groups, moving from place to place to find new sources of food. But with the development of farming, many groups began to settle down in fertile areas, forming larger communities. The earliest towns and cities were built in Mesopotamia (in modern-day Iraq) and along the […]
Plants are essential for life. They make our planet’s atmosphere breathable, their decaying bodies create the soil under our feet, and they transform light energy into consumable nutrients that keep us alive. They also inspire artists; think of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Poppies, Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, and Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Trees, Leaves, Flowers & Seeds […]
Looking at flowers It’s hard to imagine a world without flowers. Plants that have flowers grow almost everywhere, from gardens to high mountains. Every flower has a particular shape and color, so that it can perform a special job. By the time you’ve finished reading this book, you’ll know what this job is, and how […]
Mom, Dad—if you’re listening—you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school? To be completely honest, I’m not exactly in the Lake District. To be completely honest, I’m more sort of in space. I’m on this rocket, the Infinite Possibility. I’m about two hundred thousand miles above […]
Howl’s Moving Castle By Diana Wynne Jones 1: in which Sophie talks to hats In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, […]
Note on Magic MAGICIANS Since history began in the mud-brick cities of Mesopotamia more than five thousand years ago, rulers of great nations have always used magicians to help maintain their rule. The pharaohs of Egypt and the kings of Sumer, Assyria and Babylon all relied on magic to protect their cities, strengthen their armies […]
Alexandria: 125 B.C. The assassins dropped into the palace grounds at midnight, four fleet shadows dark against the wall. The fall was high, the ground was hard; they made no more sound on impact than the pattering of rain. Three seconds they crouched there, low and motionless, sniffing at the air. Then away they stole, […]
Bartimaeus The temperature of the room dropped fast. Ice formed on the curtains and crusted thickly around the lights in the ceiling. The glowing filaments in each bulb shrank and dimmed, while the candles that sprang from every available surface like a colony of toadstools had their wicks snuffed out. The darkened room filled with […]
The Land of Stories The dungeon was a miserable place. Light was scarce and flickered from the torches bolted to the stone walls. Foul-smelling water dripped inside from the moat circling the palace above. Large rats chased each other across the floor searching for food. This was no place for a queen. It was just […]
Feliandor’s father had been a good king, and Feliandor wanted to be a good king too. It was for that reason and that reason alone that he held court. Once a week, the doors to the throne room were opened to any citizen who desired an audience with the king. It was a tradition his […]