Young Shirai wakes up in the world of Lu Cel with no idea who he is. Shirai has been changed into a half-man, half-dragon hybrid, and suffers from amnesia. He wanders the dark paths of a world he does not know, attempting to uncover his past and the reason for his new hybrid form. Shirai is befriended by three others, all seeking something, and the four of them set off to wander Lu Cel in search of Shirais past. Who is the young hero? And where did he get the magical sword in his possession? There are much grander questions in this new world, thoughquestions about a war that has ravaged Lu Cel for ages. Can the foursome find peace, and where does Shirais lost identity fit into it all? Can this lost dragon being become a victorious dragon manperhaps even a Chosen One in LuCel? Dragon Defender takes the reader to a world of good and evil, magic and mystery, where Shiraipart dragon, part manfinds himself the reluctant Chosen One. The friends he makes on his quest to save Lu Cel do not regret joining him. You wont either. Dianna Devlin, author of Moontide and Tender Triumph

"The wild and wonderful island home of Flynn and Paddy holds an incredible secret: dragons live there! When evil boss The Pitbull finds out, he sends his men to kill a dragon, and to bring him back the body. He also wants a dragon's egg, so he can hatch it in his private zoo. Flynn and Paddy's world is about to be turned upside down. Will their bravery and skill be enough to stop The Pitbull's evil plan?"--Back cover of print version.

Finbar the Dragon Defender of the Forest is a modern allegory in which corporations, religion, and values are questioned and examined. Set in the land of Telyn, where druid chieftains, who are like CEOs of powerful multinational corporations, are in charge of the government, a government where the corporate values of wealth, greed, and power have replaced the human values of love, kindness and mercy. And the national religion is based on psychology and not spirituality. Still, there is hope because one grove of druids led by Mog Ross and William the Harper follow the true Celtic values of a nature-based spirituality where all of nature is inspirited. From this grove of druids comes a young chieftain, Kevin Irvine, who with the help of Finbar the Dragon Defender of the Forest, fights back against corporate culture to return Telyn to a relationship with nature and Celtic spirituality.

This “extraordinary history” of the influential black newspaper is “deeply researched, elegantly written [and] a towering achievement” (Brent Staples, New York Times Book Review). In 1905, Robert S. Abbott started printing The Chicago Defender, a newspaper dedicated to condemning Jim Crow and encouraging African Americans living in the South to join the Great Migration. Smuggling hundreds of thousands of copies into the most isolated communities in the segregated South, Abbott gave voice to the voiceless, galvanized the electoral power of black America, and became one of the first black millionaires in the process. His successor wielded the newspaper’s clout to elect mayors and presidents, including Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy, who would have lost in 1960 if not for The Defender’s support. Drawing on dozens of interviews and extensive archival research, Ethan Michaeli constructs a revelatory narrative of journalism and race in America, bringing to life the reporters who braved lynch mobs and policemen’s clubs to do their jobs, from the age of Teddy Roosevelt to the age of Barack Obama. “[This] epic, meticulously detailed account not only reminds its readers that newspapers matter, but so do black lives, past and present.” —USA Today

For hundreds of years the United Kingdom has been protected by a mysterious guardian known as the Defender. Part myth, part superhero, few truly believed the Defender existed... until now. Alfie thinks he knows his destiny. As Prince Alfred, heir to the throne of Great Britain, he's fated to become the most disappointing king in the nation's history. Alfie longs for a way to prove himself, but little does he realize that with the throne of England comes an ancient secret. He who wears the crown must protect the country as the legendary hero -- the Defender of the Realm.Hayley is an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life. She certainly never believed in the mysterious superhero, the Defender. Then, after witnessing a very public battle at the Tower of London, everything is different, and Hayley is left with no doubt. The Defender is real.Two kids with two very different lives are about to get caught up in a centuries-long battle for the fate of a nation. Monsters and criminals, villains and dragons, together Hayley and Alfie must protect their home at all costs.

Away across the oceans, where few have dared to roam, upon a wondrous island, a family made its home. Living on an island means life is full of adventure for brothers Flynn and Paddy. So when a dragon swoops out of the sky and nabs their beloved dog, Coco, Flynn and Paddy know it's up to them to bring her home. That night, they pack their bags, make some terrible sandwiches, and set off on an epic adventure... See the map in this book come alive! Includes BONUS Dragon Brothers map in 3D for your phone or tablet! Download the free AR Reads app on your Android—or iOS—compatible smartphone or tablet to see and hear dragons fly, geysers gush, and get a glimpse of your favorite characters in action!

Join Hiccup in a race against time when lightning strikes in Berk are blamed on Toothless in this Level 2 Ready-to-Read based on a popular episode of DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk! When a series of lightning storms strike Berk, the Vikings start to wonder if Thor is angry with them for allowing Toothless, a dangerous Night Fury, to live among them. Hiccup knows Toothless isn’t dangerous and he isn’t causing the lightning strikes. After figuring out that it’s actually the metal perches the townspeople have built for their dragons that are attracting the lightning, Hiccup must prove that Toothless is innocent before the Vikings kick the loveable dragon out of Berk—forever. DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk © 2015 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Hiccup and Toothless are going on an epic adventure in this Level 2 Ready-to-Read story based on the DreamWorks movie How to Train Your Dragon 2! How to Train Your Dragon 2 flies into theaters on June 13, 2014! In this Ready-to-Read story, Hiccup and Toothless are flying into new adventures! Hiccup meets a death-defying dragon rider, plus all the dragons she keeps protected in her secret dragon hideaway. Hang on for a wild ride! How To Train Your Dragon 2 © 2014 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C.

Their love knows no borders. A loner who exudes danger, Lev Ivanski has spent his life in service to one man, someone he loves and respects. But things are changing. Rapidly. Lev and his boss have allies and friends and a new mission more important their than business, all because of the Saints. This clandestine organization needs to be taken down, and Lev has the skills to help. What he doesn’t expect is to be at the mercy of a woman who makes him crave more than he ever thought to want. Determined and dedicated, Reyna Harris is used to danger and living on the edge. An ex-CIA operative, she’s been embedded with the Saints for years, trying to take them down from the inside. When her cover is blown, she is forced to trust a man she just met, fighting their way out of one battle after another. But there’s something about Lev that Reyna knows she can trust. And love. She needs Lev – and not just to take a swipe at the Saints. Together they’re an unstoppable force. And with their friends, they just might succeed in their mission.

In this magical re-imagining of J. M. Barrie’s classic tale, Michael Darling—the youngest of the Darling siblings and former Lost Boy, now all grown up—must return to the life he left behind to save Neverland from the brink of collapse and keep humanity safe from magical and mythological threats, as well as answer the ultimate question: Where is Peter Pan? Peter Pan is missing; Neverland is in trouble. For adults, that might not matter all that much, but for children—whose dreams and imagination draw strength from the wild god’s power—the magic we take for granted in the real world is in danger of being lost forever. Such is the life of a now grown-up Michael Darling. Michael returned from Neverland with the dream of continuing his adventuring ways by joining the Knights of the Round, an organization built to keep humanity safe from magical and mythological threats. But after a mission gone terribly wrong, he vowed to leave the Knights behind and finally live as a “civilian,” finding order and simplicity as a train engineer, the tracks and schedule tables a far cry from the chaos of his youth. He hasn’t entered the narrative in years. So what could the Knights need from him now? Maponos—or how he’s better known, Peter Pan—has gone missing, and Neverland is now on the edge of oblivion. Michael realizes he has no choice and agrees to one last mission. Alongside the young Knight Vanessa and some old friends, Michael embarks on the ultimate adventure: a journey to a fantasy world to save a god. Determined to stop evil, fight for Neverland, and find Maponos, will Michael be able to save the magical and physical world? Or will his biggest fear come true? The clock is ticking, and in Neverland, that’s never a good sign.