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

Divas-in-training will delight in this hot new title from Mad Libs . Featuring puzzles about everything a girl wants, from sports to superstar-fashions and friends, while giving her all our signature treatment and a positive spin on girl power, Diva Girl Mad Libs is perfect for the little, or not-so-little, girl in your life!

Slaughtering elephants for their ivory; shooting bears for their gall bladders; capturing sea turtles for soup. In the name of vanity, fashion, and greed, man stalks and kills wild animals -- and gets away with it, even when it is clearly against the law. But now scientists have a way to catch and convict poachers. In a laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, they analyze clues to link suspects to crimes. In words and pictures, this book tells a poignant story and reveals how science can indeed save the day.

Packed with movie stills, cross-sections, and character details, this guide offers an up-close look at the world of Oakey Oaks and all of the colorful characters who live there.

Benny thinks hes the best——，best at everything.He is such a big shot!But when Benny gets to camp, hes not very good at anything.When some capers get into trouble,can Benny be the best at saving the day?

Story Time Crafts for Kids books will be a boon for the busy soccer mom, scout leader, care provider or teacher who wants to provide kids with activities that are productive and structured, but require little prep time and no training. Each volume is designed for adults to use as a tool to engage kids in craft activities. With 26 projects packed into each volume, the set provides tons of creative fun for each week of the year! Each project is inspired by a classic work of children's literature, enabling teachers and parents to encourage reading in addition to providing entertainment. Each activity includes information and a synopsis of the book that inspired it. The age range of books sampled varies from kindergarten through 5th grade. The projects use new materials such as polymer clay and fun foam, as well as more familiar materials such as felt, wire and fabric. Easy-to-use, safe tools are employed, making the book kid-friendly. The projects are also designed to minimize any mess or extra clean-up time aft

reSchool-K-Through the grapevine, an about-to-be kindergartner learns that there are lots of rules at school. Rules #3 and #2 prevent students from bringing stuffed animals or their cats to class. Rule #1 is a bit more serious. "You have to know how to tie your shoes. By yourself. You're not allowed to ask for help. Ever." Even a child who can count backward from 10 or feed her cat by herself can feel inadequate. As the 10 days before school wind down, she worries that she will be labeled "Velcro Girl" and finds endless ways to cover the gap in her skills through the destruction of her shoes and/or laces. Bliss presents the heroine with large-eyed innocence and humorous details. The pace varies nicely with changes in font size, full- and partial-page illustrations, speech balloons, and a daily countdown toward the big day. A strong dose of adult patience and a bit of peer support round out this youngster's first educational challenge.

Dr. Robert Mason, the current recipient of the National Science Foundation"s Young Investigator Award, has been studying a mysterious phenomenon for over fifteen years: the reemergence of tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes — the world"s largest concentration of snakes — after a winter spent in a state of suspended animation in subterranean caverns. This gathering each spring in the forests of Manitoba, Canada, is one of the most extraordinary events of the natural world and is the subject of study for Dr. Mason, a.k.a. the Snake Scientist.

The nation's busiest maritime region features shrimp boats, towboats, a host of vessels servicing the offshore oil industry and tiny pirogues on the Louisiana bayous. These are just some of the boats featured in this coloring book.

I was incredibly relieved that school was out and that vacation had arrived. I had big plans--and by big,I mean unspeakably small. My plans did not involve slinking through dark alleys, staking out apartment buildings, or any other aspect of crime-solving. They involved watching daytime television, talking on my cell phone, and lying on the fire escape in my bikini. Frolicking in the rain would do in a pinch. My days of girl detection were over. Or so I hoped.

Miley Cyrus is taking the world by storm as Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana— her soundtrack album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, she’s signed a four-album deal with Hollywood Records, she has a hit show on Disney Channel, and she went on tour with The Cheetah Girls. Now find out what Miley’s like behind the scenes! Four pages of full-color photographs provide an up-close-and-personal look into the life of Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana.

Another stuffed bear dons a costume in Teddy's Halloween Secret by Gerlinde Wiencirz, illus. by Giuliano Lunelli. Teddy's owner, Paul, hosts a costume party and Teddy wants to dress up, too. With a little help from his forest friends, he comes up with a costume that keeps everyone guessing.

PreS. There can never be enough truck books for some preschoolers, and those who feel that way are sure to love this one--for the sound and rhythm of the words as well as clear, brightly colored pictures of machines in action. As a boy and his mom watch the activity at a building site, the child hears the pounding of the huge machines. Digger goes "Grrr-clank! Grr-clank! Grrr-clank-clank!"; "Flatbed backs and grunts, then backs and grunts some more"; Cement Mixer rumbles and grumbles. The workmen are Digger's helpers, and the pictures show them climbing and clanging, welding and hammering. When all the work is done, there is a new community center for everyone. After a read-aloud, toddlers will want to play out the construction action again and again.

Whenever Angelina invites Alice over to play, Polly always gets in the way. So this time, Angelina suggests that they all play hide-and-seek, Polly’s favorite game. Once Polly is hiding, Angelina and Alice go off and play by themselves. But when Angelina goes to collect Polly, she can’t find her sister. Come along as Angelina learns a lesson about what responsibility really means.

Today is the community picnic and Cocoa Mole gets to eat as much as he wants. But when it is time for all the animals to play, Cocoa is too full to join them. He falls asleep and journeys into the world of dreams. Munchie Monkeys appear and feverishly dance around him, tempting him to eat even more yummy treats. In this whimsical, humorous and charming story, Cocoa discovers that being with his friends is more fun than stuffing himself.

PreSchool-Grade 3-This alphabetical compendium, from "anthem and accordion" to "zydeco, zither, and all forms of zippy music," takes a look at the people and things that make us sing. Krull displayed her love and knowledge of music in Gonna Sing My Head Off (Knopf, 1995) and Lives of the Musicians (Harcourt, 1993). Here, she offers both abstract and concrete terms to illustrate each letter. For example, "Ee is for Elvis, energy, and encore." Within the artwork are the words electric guitar, echo, elevator music, and ear, the last word appearing as if it were the call letters for a radio station, circa 1930, perched above a microphone shaped to suggest an ear. The jazzy oil-and-acrylic collage assemblages include humorous touches to reinforce the concepts. The range of words explored is almost as vast as the world of music itself, with figures as diverse as Frank Zappa and Hildegard and musical genres as different as ragtime and klezmer included in the mix. This book will make a great companion to Lloyd Moss's

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Aptly dedicated to Friends of Frog and Toad, this delightful beginning reader introduces two endearing neighbors. In the first chapter, Mouse inadvertently sends all her dirt cascading onto Mole's pristine floor when she sweeps. When he confronts her, they learn that with a bit of ingenuity and cooperation, they can clean both floors and still have time to plant a garden. In The Invitations, the new friends attempt to share a meal, but their innate differences–Mole likes his house damp and dark and eats worms, Mouse likes the warm sun and prefers cheese–make it impossible. Next, the animals find clever ways to reconcile their dissimilarities: Mole presents Mouse with some candles to use when she visits, and she gives him a pair of sunglasses. In the final entry, Mole surprises Mouse with a rowboat. Although it's missing an oar, they manage to have fun. The next day, Mouse has a surprise of her own–a new paddle to make A pair…like you and me! The expressive bamboo-pen and waterco