After months of searching, not to mention leading a pride of escaped circus lions through Europe and all the way back to Africa, Catspeaker Charlie Ashanti has finally been reunited with his parents—and a long-lost relative with a huge secret to reveal. But their family reunion doesn't last long. Kidnapped and thrown in a boat, Charlie finds himself alone and bound for who knows where. Charlie's parents and his faithful lion friends are in hot pursuit, but can Charlie outwit his captor and topple the Corporacy's wicked enterprise? That's the plan, and Charlie intends to pull it off—no matter the cost.

It’s just a silly string, this wet old thing. Or was it? In "The Things A String Can Be," the main character Sam leaves the house after days of rain with nothing in tow but his imagination. He finds a simple piece of string in a big puddle and spends the entire day dreaming of ways to turn this ordinary object into extraordinary adventures with his friends. His adventures then lead to a heartwarming ending. In Sam’s mind, the string becomes Tarzan’s jungle vine, a tree swing, jump rope, necklace for his mom and much more. With rhyming, repetition and bold, colorful graphics, author Julie Goulis and illustrator John Ferguson encourage children to use their own creativity to entertain themselves. Children are captivated by this imaginative young boy and his adventures with a silly old string. "The Things A String Can Be" is the first of a series of books using ordinary objects to go on extraordinary adventures. It also includes a bonus free activity guide at the end that gives children, parents and teache

Play them with friends or enjoy them by yourself！

Peek behind the flaps with Peter Rabbit and find out all about colors！

“Hope is the thing with feathers” starts the poem Frannie is reading in school. Frannie hasn’t thought much about hope. There are so many other things to think about. Each day, her friend Samantha seems a bit more “holy.” There is a new boy in class everyone is calling the Jesus Boy. And although the new boy looks like a white kid, he says he’s not white. Who is he? During a winter full of surprises, good and bad, Frannie starts seeing a lot of things in a new light—her brother Sean’s deafness, her mother’s fear, the class bully’s anger, her best friend’s faith and her own desire for “the thing with feathers.” Jacqueline Woodson once again takes readers on a journey into a young girl’s heart and reveals the pain and the joy of learning to look beneath the surface.

Brie is in love with Lanc me Juicy Tubes, Louis Vuitton accessories, and her gay best friend Charlie, who is in love with 1960s pop art, 1980s teen movies, and serial heartbreaker Walker, who has ever only been in love with his VW Bug, until he meets Daisy . . . who is too busy hating everyone to know what love is. Set in London, this girl-loves-boy-loves-boy-loves-girl romp is set against a theatrical production of The Taming of the Shrew, and features enough on- and off-stage drama to satisfy teens looking for a beach read—or a read all year round.

The creators of Brothers of the Knight here offer an inspirational story of a hopeful young ballet dancer who complains of her too-big feet and too-long legs: "I was too big for the boys to pick up, and too tall to be in line with the other girls. So I watched from backstage, dancing in the wings, hoping that if I just kept dancing and trying, it would be my turn to dance in the spotlight." Though her brother and several of her peers constantly razz her, Sassy's uncle encourages her to audition for a role in a summer dance festival, asserting, "All you gotta do to make your mark on the world is walk into a room." The director of the festival echoes this sentiment when he announcesAin the book's foreseeable denouementAthat Sassy has landed a place in his program. Allen's wordy narrative occasionally tries too hard to be hip (featuring such slang put-downs as "Your mama" and "Talk to the hand"), but this tale may well boost the confidence of youngsters who share Sassy's lack of self-assuredness. Nelson's animat

From School Library Journal PreSchool-K—Maddy asks her grandmother for a story: "Tell me about the day I was born. Tell me how I was a hurrying child. And how you hurried across three states to meet me." This simple picture book tells that tale, relating how a young couple headed for the hospital after making a rushed phone call to Grandma, who then embarked on her own longer journey by train, knitting all the way. She arrived just in time to meet her new granddaughter. Details of Maddy's birth are presented side by side with highlights of Grandma's trip. The "meanwhile" narrative structure adds interest, as do certain visual details (especially the doll that is old and well-loved in the preschooler's arms, but fresh out of the box, curly hair intact, before that child is born). Some of the figures look a bit stiff, but Chorao's watercolors are pretty and accessible, and the poetic text capitalizes on children's interest in their own history. While not an essential purchase, this book will be useful i

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A well-told story with distinctive characters. In 1850, Ned, an eight-year-old Cape Cod boy, takes a job as a cook on a fishing schooner in order to support his mother and his younger siblings. While Ned finds the life difficult, he makes friends with the crew and becomes especially fond of an older sailor who is in charge of salting the cod. Ezra explains that the vessel will return home when the salt runs out. Ned wastes the preservative whenever possible, hoping to return to port in time for his birthday. Therefore, he is surprised when Ezra announces that the salt, which Ned knows was not in short supply, is gone. Readers will sympathize with the child and share his joy when he is able to celebrate his special day with his family. There is also humor, particularly when the crew plays a trick on him and everyone enjoys the joke. The illustrations, in soft pastel watercolors, are evocative of the sunlit journey. Hays uses full-page spreads and smaller-scaled illustrations effectively, a

When her uncle arranges a surprise summer internship at a hot film development company, Samantha Rose is not pleased. Sam's a vintage chic, East Coast trans-plant who would so rather be reading Virginia Woolf than Variety--not the tinseltown type. From her spoiled cousin to the backstabbing staffers at "Authentic Pictures,"everything about L.A. feels fake. And, although smart,self-protective Sam is loathe to admit it, it's all a little intimidating. Can this girl in development survive being thrust into the spotlight and realize her very own Hollywood ending, or will the summer be a tragedy of epic proportions, packed with poseurs, party girls, and betrayal? 作者简介： JORDAN ROTER was born and raised in New York City. After studying English and American literature at Brown University, she moved to Los Angeles to work in film development and production. She is currently writing her second novel. Visit the author online at www.JordanRoter.com.

Thirty years of silly songs, rhymes, lullabies, classics, and just plain favorite music come together on this reissue of the 25th Anniversary Celebration. Chosen from among the hundreds and hundreds of songs that Wee Sing has collected over the last 30 years, this treasury is a fitting tribute to the best-selling name in children’s music!

For small children worrying about the existence of childhood's "special" friends--especially Tooth Fairy but also Santa Claus and Easter Bunny--here's a story to allay any and all misgivings. Little Hippo is proving to be a serious "doubting Thomas," and Tooth Fairy's not at all pleased! Sure, "the tooth-for-coin exchange thing" is a little late tonight, but is she to blame for the rain that's upsetting her delivery schedule? Can she help it if wet wings don't work as well as dry ones? Fortunately for Little Hippo, seeing is believing, and, in no time at all, his faith in Tooth Fairy and magic is fully restored. This engaging adventure, cleverly illustrated to convey and complement the tongue-in-cheek tone of the story, will delight even the most skeptical young readers.

Basho And The Fox is a Marshall Cavendish publication.

"Ten minutes till bedtime!" Father announces from behind his newspaper. Out a picture window, his son and his son's pet hamster can see a hamster family (with kids numbered 1 to 10) approaching the house. "All aboard!" shouts the boy's prized pet, as his puzzled owner opens the door and the hamster tourists are loaded onto the special trolley. What the humans at 1 Hoppin Place don't know is that their cherished family pet has advertised on the Web (www.hamstertours.com) for a "10-Minute Bedtime Tour," and the hordes have only just begun to descend. "Nine minutes till bedtime," Father insists, oblivious to the burgeoning hamster parade. At the 8-minute marker, the hamsters and the boy are in the kitchen for a pre-bedtime snack. One little guy is standing on top of a fruit bowl, lowering a cherry cluster with a string and paper clip. Hamster number 10 is trying to feed an animal cracker to the boy's fuzzy bedroom slipper. "Seven minutes till bedtime!" reminds Father as creative tooth-brushing progresses.

Welcome aboard, me hearties! Join pirates Pete and Kate on an adventurous treasure hunt, full of lift-the-flap surprises and stickers for added swashbucklin’ fun. Peek inside the ship, explore the captain’s quarters, and search for clues to find the hidden treasure! Comes with a captain’s hat to wear!

Fresh out of rehab, teen star Morgan Carter is taking a step out of the spotlight. She just doesn’t realize how big a step. Morgan’s mom sends her to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to recover. Even with a makeunder, an assumed name, and a fake identity, Middle America is going to mean a serious lifestyle adjustment for this Hollywood starlet.

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Mr. West Wind plagues Abigail Muchmore's land day and night. This patient and fiercely independent woman tolerates the havoc that the constant blowing creates on her farm until the impudent zephyr decides to play some tricks on her. First, her "fancy, new, store-bought bloomers" are sent sailing all the way to Sam Golightly's place, followed by the pears right off her trees. The final straw comes when her beloved Tornado Pup is propelled clear into the next county. Her good temper gone, Abigail lassoes her devilish foe and imprisons him in her storm cellar where she extracts promises from him to return her dog and to stop his constant barrage. Once liberated, he stays true to his word, and he and Abigail enjoy a peaceful coexistence. Somewhat pallid watercolors create a quieter mood than is warranted for this lively, humorous tall tale. Readers may also question Abigail's ability to lasso and capture a wind that is capable of uprooting trees and livestock, as she is depicted in the pictur

…you've obviously been playing. Mad Libs on the Road! Play them with friends or enjoy them by yourself!

As the assured, silver-tongued narrator weaving amongst the excellent work of approximately 40 British actors, Pullman extends an impossible-to-refuse invitation to listening adventure on this splendid adaptation of the much-anticipated conclusion to the His Dark Materials trilogy. The author picks up the story of Lyra Belaqua where it left off in The Subtle Knife. In the most provocative installment yet, Lyra finds herself at the center of what is to be the final battle between good and evil she is a target for the Church, which sees her as a threat. But she is also happily re-teamed with Will Parry, the young hero who Lyra eventually recognizes is her soul mate/true love. Throughout, Pullman challenges Christianity and God (who is a craggy old man here, very different from the usual biblical depiction), asking readers to examine the ideas of organized religion. Favorite characters such as Iorek the bear and Lyra's parents, Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter, return, though the introduction of layers of new creatu

Kindergarten-Grade 4–Paper-collage whiz Jenkins returns to the space art he used to such breathtaking effect in Looking Down (Houghton, 2003), but here he looks up: at the entire solar system, and, briefly, beyond. The text, written by his physicist father, provides a nearly number-free scattering of basic facts, beginning with an overview of the system, depicting planets and major moons from the Sun on out, then closing with spreads on space travel, and the idea of life on other planets. In alternating close-ups and pages of smaller scenes, the artist overlays pieces of cut, painted, crumpled, or otherwise worked papers for dramatic evocations of swirling clouds, airless expanses of rocky rubble, storms, volcanoes, spacecraft, and more. Unfortunately, the beauty here is sometimes only skin deep; the volcano Maxwell Mons, for instance, is incorrectly placed on Mars rather than Venus, and the clean look of one view of the solar system is achieved by leaving out the asteroid belt, and assigning Pluto to a wro

Jemima Puddle-duck can't find her ducklings! Join Peter Rabbit as he helps Jemima Puddle-duck look for them and then take them back to the farm. Features a big round sound button toddlers will love to press to hear a quacking noise. Images are accompanied by charming rhyming text.