All Charlie Tickler wants is for his parents to listen. Charlie's parents have left him (again). This time they are off to South Africa to help giant golden moles. And Charlie? He's been dumped with his TV-obsessed grandparents. Lonely and curious, Charlie heads into the village of Castle-on-the-Hudson, where a frightened old woman gives him a desperate message-in sign language. When she suddenly disappears, Charlie is determined to find answers. All Francine (aka Frog) Castle wants is to be the world's greatest detective. Frog, who is Deaf, would rather be solving crimes than working at the Flying Hands Caf¿. When Charlie Tickler walks into the caf¿ looking for help, Frog jumps at the chance to tackle a real-life case. Together, Charlie and Frog set out to decipher a series of clues and uncover the truth behind the missing woman's mysterious message. Charlie needs to learn American Sign Language (fast) to keep up with quick-witted Frog. And Frog needs to gather her detective know-how (now) to break the case before it's too late. Discover the surprising ways people listen in debut author Karen Kane's page-turning mystery filled with humor, intrigue, and heartwarming friendships. Edgar Award Finalist for Best Middle Grade Mystery

When Grandma Louise moves from the city to the country, she expects to be surrounded by the peace and beauty of nature. Her world is turned upside down, however, when one morning a frog jumps into her coffee cup. In A Frog in Grandma's Cup, you'll learn that this is only the beginning of Grandma Louise's adventures in her new surroundings! One after the other, an assortment of country creatures creep, crawl and slither her way. Not only do they disturb her quiet, country life but also make her wonder if moving there was a good idea after all. Will Grandma Louise give up her dream of living in the country and head back to the city? Will she see that challenges are often opportunities disguised as creepy, crawly, and slithery creatures? In this gentle, humorous story, even grandmas learn to try new things.

Mystery Picnic on Stone Mountain Spend a relaxing afternoon-or is it?-with Mom, Dad, Michael, and Olivia at the Picnic Spot on Stone Mountain. All is lazy and peaceful until a farmer shows up and reveals a huge mystery. There are some strange disappearances occurring on the mountain. Something or someone is stealing his chicken eggs and his wife's jewelry and he can't figure out who is it. Michael tries to convince Olivia to see if they can solve the mystery. Is she brave enough to follow him? Will they solve the mystery or will they be frightened away by what they are about to encounter? What they find surprises and startles them, their parents, and the farmer. It's an experience they won't soon forget.

When Grandma Louise moves from the city to the country, she expects to be surrounded by the peace and beauty of nature. Her world is turned upside down, however, when one morning a frog jumps into her coffee cup. In A Frog in Grandma's Cup, you'll learn that this is only the beginning of Grandma Louise's adventures in her new surroundings! One after the other, an assortment of country creatures creep, crawl, and slither her way. Not only do they disturb her quiet, country life but also make her wonder if moving there was a good idea after all. Will Grandma Louise give up her dream of living in the country and head back to the city? Will she see that challenges are often opportunities disguised as creepy, crawly, and slithery creatures? In this gentle, humorous story, even grandmas learn to try new things.

200 historic, humorous and heartwarming stories about my life as a kid on the farm, family relationships, school, church, and people, during the Depression and WWII.

The sweeping history of modern China through the lens of the nation's controversial one-child policy. Frog opens with a playwright nicknamed Tadpole who plans to write about his aunt. In her youth, Gugu-- the beautiful daughter of a famous doctor and staunch Communist-- is revered for her skill as a midwife. But when her lover defects, Gugu's own loyalty to the Party is questioned. She decides to prove her allegiance by strictly enforcing the one-child policy, keeping tabs on the number of children in the village, and performing abortions on women as many as eight months pregnant.--

To avid fans around the world, A Cup of Comfort has gained recognition as the #1 series for providing a pick-me-up when readers need it most—as well as for remarkable stories that turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. A Cup of Comfort for Courage is the boldest volume yet, celebrating heroines and heroes who transformed the lives of everyone who knows them. This remarkable collection tells of more than fifty advocates, hard workers, and small-town stars, such as: A young immigrant who follows the ancient advice to "go west"—and creates her own American dream A high school football hero who braves a strong current to save more than a dozen lives when a catastrophic flood washes away a school bus A young woman who escapes war-torn Bosnia with nothing but the clothes on her back and her daughter in her arms A young woman who survives a near-fatal car accident and not only regains her mobility, but summons the strength to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail A coal miner who holds back the flow of oncoming water in a tunnel—just long enough for his comrades to escape certain death! The stories in A Cup of Comfort for Courage will kindle the spirit of its readers and offer hope whenever they need it. It’s nothing less than a supportive friend and a powerful mentor in times of struggle—and triumph.

When Grandma Louise moves to the country, she learns through God’s creatures that letting go of what makes us comfortable often leads to marvelous new experiences.

Life sucks, then you find Barcaldine. This is an unlikely love story where a city boy heads west and falls madly in love with outback Barcaldine, western Queensland. In Barcaldine, family is everything. The matriarch of the family is Grandma Elizabeth Mary Sleeman, who, with her sisters Louisa Jane and Amelia Ann, rule the family roost. A skeleton in the closet emerges which, if revealed, would shock people to the core. City boy Kerry, with ‘Chunda’ Urquhart as his new mate, are soon inseparable, pushing boundaries and getting into strife. So, adjust your bicycle seats and come riding with the Barcy boys as they swim and fish in the nearby Alice River, or seek treasure at the local dump, building and defending their fort from other Barcy gangs, with shangeyes as their weapons of choice. On busy weekends, attend pony club riding rogue, adrenalin-high stock horses, or go ‘roo and pig shooting as a form of family bonding. Meet up at George’s Greek cafe for a milkshake and plan their next misadventure, or take in a movie in canvas seats, where boiled lollies are sucked and young love blossoms. However, don’t be caught in Beverley’s torch of shame. Enjoy the trip down memory lane, where no one is defriended.

Granny, Nana, Mamaw, or Gigi. It doesn’t matter what you call her. If her roots are in the South, your grandmother’s recipe box probably includes a dish or two you’ve longed to recreate. How about her legendary chicken and dumplings or the loaves of zucchini bread she always baked from her garden’s summertime bounty? Does your mouth water when you think back on her Sunday pot roasts or the hash brown casserole she always made on Thanksgiving morning? You remember the strawberry pudding cake she whipped up for special birthday dinners? The meals you enjoyed at your grandmother’s table may very well have been your first exposure to the notion of Southern hospitality and the idea that we really can show our love through food. Faye Porter’s At My Grandmother’s Knee celebrates grandma’s cooking and the stories from the grandchildren whose own memories are sure to spark a few of your own. Throughout this collection, you’ll sit at the tables of dozens of Southern grandmas and sample recipes that have made them famous with their family for decades. Don’t be surprised if you see a few of your own family favorites along the way.