Ralph Moody turns again to Colorado, the scene of those two delightful earlier books about his boyhood, Little Britches and Man of the Family. This is an extension of Mr. Moody's recollections of his twelfth year, and fits withing the framework of Man of the Family between chapters 25 and 26. The Home Ranch has all the warm and wonderful ingredients which made his first two books such universal favorites with readers of all ages. The book teems with exciting and poignant incidents and with memorable characters, most of them good, kindly, generous people--though there is a villain. Mr. Moody is at his best in picturing a young boy's struggles with economic and other adversities, and having lived through them himself, he writes with such convincing honesty that the reader knows that this is the way things were. Highly recommended for all readers from nine to ninety.

Twelve of Shakespeare's greatest tales come to life in this entertaining collection of short, lively stories specially adapted for young readers. Capturing the vital events and using some of the original wording, the stories serve as a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for preteens and as literate refreshers for older folks. Fulfilling a request from her own children, author Edith Nesbit turned twelve of the Bard's most famous plays into delightful tales of kings, queens, ghosts, and witches. Filled with tragedy, humor, and moral lessons, the stories--told with wit and grace--include "Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cymbeline, The Taming of the Shrew, Pericles, "and "The Winter's Tale." Wonderfully transformed by the noted author of children's books, these classics are a great way to start a lifelong interest in the works of Shakespeare.

A brilliantly layered novel of crime, character, and place from the two-time Edgar Award winner, Gold Dagger Award winner, and New York Times bestselling author of  Sunset Limited. Few writers in America today combine James Lee Burke's lush prose, crackling story lines, and tremendous sense of history and landscape.  In Cimmaron Rose, longtime fans of the Dave Robicheaux series found that the struggles of Texas defense attorney Billy Bob Holland show Burke at his best in exploring classic American themes--the sometimes subtle, often violent strains between the haves and the have-nots; the collision of past and present; the inequities in the criminal justice system. Heartwood is a kind of tree that grows in layers. And as Billy Bob's grandfather once told him, you do well in life by keeping the roots in a clear stream and not letting anyone taint the water for you. But in Holland's dusty little hometown of Deaf Smith, in the hill country north of Austin, local kingpin Earl Deitrich has made a fortune running roughshod and tainting anyone who stands in his way. Billy Bob has problems with Deitrich and his shamelessly callous demeanor, but can't shake the legacy of his passion for Deitrich's "heartbreak-beautiful" wife, Peggy Jean. When Holland takes on the defense of Wilbur Pickett--a man accused of stealing an heirloom and three hundred thousand dollars in bonds from Deitrich's office--he finds himself up against not only Earl's power and influence, but also a past Billy Bob can't will away.  A wonderfully realized novel, rich in Texas atmosphere and lore, and a dazzling portrait of the deadly consequences of self-delusion, Heartwood could only have been written by James Lee Burke, a writer in expert command of his craft.

A Black Rainbow Happily Ever After Novella Discover what happens in the Black Rainbow world since you finished the last page… After overcoming all of the obstacles to their love in Black Rainbow, Levi Black and Thea Cunning live out their real drama-free romance in this happily ever after novella. This novella is for fans of Black Rainbow and is best not be read as a standalone.

The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author shares vivid memories of her childhood and recalls the experiences that set her on the path to a writing life. Ever since she received Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall as a Christmas present in 1936, Antonia Fraser's deep love of history has been a constant in her remarkable life. The book made such an impression that it inspired her to write Mary, Queen of Scots thirty years later. Born into British aristocracy, the author's idyllic early childhood was interrupted by a wartime evacuation to North Oxford. The relocation had profound effects on her life, not the least of which was her education at a Catholic convent and her eventual conversion from the Protestant faith to Catholicism. Her memories of holidays spent at Dunsany Castle and Pakenham Hall, a stint as "Miss Tony" selling hats in a London department store, and her early days working in publishing are all told in her singular, irresistible voice. My History is a heartfelt memoir that is also a love letter to a British way of life that has all but disappeared. Anglophiles, history lovers, and Downton Abbey fans are sure to be enthralled.

Paul Vanderman could be at any normal high school where bullies, girls, and annoying teachers are just part of life. But "normal" doesn't apply when it comes to the school's biggest bully, Roth--a twisted and threatening thug with an evil agenda.When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but somehow Roth keeps finding reasons for him to stick around. Then one day Roth hands him a knife. And even though Paul is scared, he has never felt so powerful.From the Hardcover edition.

During the darkest days of the Slicer Wars will the Allegory of Plato's Cave be enough to save all of mankind?“Plato’s Cave During the Slicer Wars” – The Slicers killed most of mankind. Can the Allegory of Plato's Cave save them or will mankind be wiped from the planet?“The Devil Dwells in a Red House” – an immigrant arrives at a Pennsylvanian coal-mining town to find the devil living everywhere.In “Variable Time” a policewoman interrogates a criminal to find the location of a kidnapped child before the victim dies. The time-stretching serum should give her more than enough time – or will it?What wafts “Through the Terrace Doors” may surprise you.“Fahevial” – How far would you go to keep your word? Would you give own your life? The lives of everyone you know? “Rendezvous in Ashland” – what happens in Ashland, stays in Ashland.“To Wear Your Grief Upon Your Sleeve” – some people wear their hearts on their sleeves. Others wear their grief.A child helps her estranged father “Walk with God”.In “Vega One” we find out what someone is willing to sacrifice when she is the last of her species.

Between this world and elsewhen lies the Barrow Lands; the place where things that were once magic go when the magic fades. This is a collection of two of the Barrow Bard tales -- the ones most frequently performed at science fiction conventions by Mel. WhiteBetween this world and elsewhen lies the Barrow Lands; the place where things that were once magic go when the magic fades. This is a collection of two of Mel. White's Barrow Bard tales -- the most recent ones that were previewed at Soonercon science fiction convention.

Originally published in 1934, Seven Gothic Tales, the first book by "one of the finest and most singular artists of our time" (The Atlantic), is a modern classic. Here are seven exquisite tales combining the keen psychological insight characteristic of the modern short story with the haunting mystery of the nineteenth-century Gothic tale, in the tradition of writers such as Goethe, Hoffmann, and Poe.

War ravages the globe. One man becomes the center of a manhunt, the face of a movement, and starts down a path that none of us are equipped to handle. We all fantasize about being a fuckin hero. It's never like that though. When the shit hits the fan, the guilt sets in. We save one person, ten more die. How does a man make those choices?Hope Erickson, a Black Hawk pilot, and Nick Cunningham, an army ranger, renews their acquaintance on the battlefields of Iraq. He was a bully while she was the chubby girl with braces he and his friends picked on in school.Hope has changed though, and Nick wants a chance to convince her so has he. Will they risk their hearts to one another or does fate have other plans in store for them?

A stressed out ER nurse faces her worst fear when the suspect of a school shooting is brought in on her shift... alive.This is a short story, roughly 10 pages. It was created as an assignment for a college level creative writing course. Tris Caldwell, mother of three and a full time nurse, works in the Emergency room of the local hospital. A city in which the crimes are normally petty, at least those that the citizens know about. When the unthinkable happens, a shooting at one of the local elementary schools, Tris and her co-workers prepare for the worst. As the death toll rises, only one child is brought in along with the man responsible for killing several children.

wide eager eyes feastupon lush vine wielding trunksdoused in filtered lightWelcome to the world of your grandchildren.The world is warmer, except in Britain. It has been abandoned by the Gulf Stream as Greenland’s glaciers melt. Trapped in the icy protected suburbs of London, people retreat into digital worlds. Chrys and Ash want more and they plan a new life in sunny Melbourne. When their aircraft crashes in the desert, they become swept up in waves of humanity struggling to find a place for themselves in a changing world. Until she meets Chrys and Ash, Jasmine’s world has been a dark one, eking out a fragile existence in mines with hundreds of others replacing the machinery that now lacks fuel. Forced to leave her home, she takes three-year-old Boy south to what they hope will be a better life.

Be afraid, be very afraid of Terrifying Tales, the sixth volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading. Eleven masters of suspense—Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel José Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia—have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends’ pants off. Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales is a creepy-fun read (if you’re brave enough, that is).