Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt

In this third installment in the projected seven-volume series, Sirius Black, imprisoned for killing 13 people with one curse, escapes from Azkaban. As he heads for Hogwarts, the chilling Dementors who trail him quickly descend upon the school. "Each successive volume expands upon its predecessor with dizzyingly well-planned plots and inventive surprises," said PW in a Best Books of 2001 citation. Ages 8-up. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

This new Wee Sing musical compilation contains new songs featuring favorite nursery rhymes from Mother Goose. Nursery rhyme favorites like Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and Simple Simon are set to music with the tried-and-true Wee Sing formula. Wee Sing Mother Goose features one hour of musical sing-along and finger play enjoyment. And best of all, parents and educators can use the suggestions in the book to join in the fun as they develop their child's imagination. No library would be complete without this treasure!

Enjoy Garfield in beautiful, colorful splendor in this fourth treasury of his Sunday comic antics. He eats, he teases, he sleeps. It's the life of Garfield, and you won't want to be without it.

It's the third of the best of Garfield. You know him, you love him, you can't get enough, so here he is, collected in one glorious volume of irrascible lovability. Garfield weighs in for fun and tips the scales of laughter once again!

Grade 1-5 - This Australian import demonstrates the long-held fascination with mermaids throughout history. In three brief chapters, Oliver introduces legendary water folk from different lands and examines whether mermaids are "Real, Unreal, or Just a Seal"; traces sightings over the years and throughout the world; and tells of documented frauds and tricks. The book closes with five folktales from a variety of cultures and an ode to mermaids. Combining full-page paintings with smaller vignettes, the hand-colored, folksy linocuts are embellished with tiny beads, charms, and other bits of collage that deftly illustrate the lively text. The whole package pays great attention to detail, and yet one illustration lacks sensitivity. An American Indian tale from the Pacific coast erroneously shows a mermaid with a feather headband. With its attractive cover and subject matter, the book is likely to be popular; however, libraries should take this shortcoming into consideration. End pages depict a map of the mermaid wo

Wanting to understand the most fundamental questions of the universe isn't the province of ivory-tower intellectuals alone, as this book's enormous popularity has demonstrated. A young girl, Sophie, becomes embroiled in a discussion of philosophy with a faceless correspondent. At the same time, she must unravel a mystery involving another young girl, Hilde, by using everything she's learning. The truth is far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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