books and reading

Alice has been working as an apprentice Reader for her uncle Geryon. But after learning of her uncle's role in her father's disappearance, Alice is bent on revenge, no matter the cost. But avenging her father will require Alice to go into dark places few have ever returned from. And though her journey is dangerous, she is determined to bravely make it.

Twelve-year-old Sophie knows little beyond the four walls of her father's bookshop, where she repairs old books and dreams of escaping the confines of her dull life, but when a strange boy and his talking cat/horse companion show up with a rare and mysterious book, she finds herself pulled into an adventure beyond anything she has ever read.

"Two stubborn birds quarrel upon meeting, each wanting to be the sole star of the book. Gradually, their competiveness turns to camaraderie as they encounter the artist wielding an eraser-threatening their very existence! "--Provided by publisher.

In their second trip through the enchanted library, the new key lands Cleo and Evan in the middle of a spy story, where their impossible mission is to stop a traitor who calls himself Viper--and they find themselves working with the replacement librarian, Ms. Crowley, whose exact role in their adventures is becoming increasingly mysterious.

Anouk, Ben, and Cara dream of an adventure on an island filled with treasure. Then, an old man offers them passage to this mysterious island, but only if they can solve seven riddles along the way.

Contains step-by-step instructions for creating seventy-two three-dimensional bulletin boards for grades K through six; includes thirty-six reproducible patterns.

Reveals the rich history behind the book, and the civilizations, empires, human ingenuity, and madness wrapped up in its 2,000-year-old medium, from papyrus scrolls to the paperbacks of today.

"Traces the history of the public library, featuring records and testimonies from as early as 1850 ... [and] paints a clear and engaging picture of Americans who value libraries not only as civic institutions, but also as social spaces for promoting and maintaining community."--Provided by publisher.

"In the aftermath of a heartbreaking tragedy, a scholar and writer uses Dante's Divine Comedy to shepherd him through the dark wood of grief and mourning--a rich and emotionally resonant memoir of suffering, hope, love, and the power of literature to inspire and heal the most devastating loss. ... When Luzzi's pregnant wife was in a car accident--and died forty-five minutes after giving birth to their daughter, Isabel--he finds himself a widower and first-time father at the same moment. While he grieves and cares for his infant daughter, miraculously delivered by caesarean before his wife passed, he turns to Dante's Divine Comedy for solace..."--Provided by publisher.

"Alice and five other apprentice Readers face the fight of their lives when they are sent into the magical library of a late rival Reader--a library that's still protected by a vicious guardian"--Provided by publisher.