They are not alone. After most of the world's population was wiped out by a deadly plague five years ago, this small group of children formed a family. They've taken care of each other, scavenging food from deserted supermarkets, fighting off the wild animals that prowl soccer fields and schools. The children thought they were the only ones left. Then they came across the Keepers, the first Grown-ups they'd seen for years, living in an abandoned shopping mall. The Keepers offered fresh food, clean beds, and security. But what looked like safety was instead the worst danger the family had yet faced. Now the family is once again on the road. But if they want to reach the end of their journey, if they want to solve the mystery of what happened and who is to blame, they must head straight into danger -- to Pisgah, the heart of the Keepers' power. In this stunning conclusion to the Fire-us Trilogy, Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher return to the post-apocalyptic world they created in The Kindling and The Keepers of the Flame, as the family discovers the dark secret that changed their world forever.

Frederick L. Olsen’s practical guide to the construction, maintenance, and repair of kilns is now bigger and more comprehensive than ever. Olsen’s bible for kiln builders now includes chapters on multidirectional and specialty kilns, fired in place kilns for large scale ceramic sculptures, and offers a few suggestions on what kilns may look like in the future. The Kiln Book covers the principles of efficient design, building methods, refractory materials, bricklaying procedures and instructions, fuels and firing systems, arches, flues, electric elements, and general safety. Olsen includes plans for firebox systems; coal, oil-drip, forced-oil burners; butane, propane, and natural gas burners; and installation of pressure regulators and safety shut-off controls. The complete guide on how to design and build any size, shape kiln for the potter. About the Author Frederick L. Olsen has been a ceramic artist for over sixty years and is very well known as a kiln builder. He often demonstrates kiln building at conferences and workshops around the world and is generally regarded as the authority on kilns. As a young ceramist, he had the good fortune to study under National Treasure ceramic artist Tomimoto Kenkichi and Kondo Yuzo in Japan for two and a half years. Since that time, he has traveled the world doing his ceramics and studying and building kilns of all shapes and sizes. He is well known for his Fastfire wood kiln designs. He has designed and patented the Olsen kiln kits, which have been sold worldwide. His first book, The Kiln Book, was published in 1973, and it has been continually revised and expanded ever since.

The first title in this exciting trilogy is now available in mass market. When all the grown-ups die in an apocalypse, a handful of young survivors make the trek to Washington, D.C., and discover the dark secret at the heart of the Fire-us.

Backyard Kilns is a fully illustrated E-Book on Kiln Building. The Backyard Kiln, based on the brick kiln, has been tested in several locations, and has proved very efficient indeed, reaching very high temperatures, and capable of being fired both quickly and very slowly, and leaving a virtually ash-free firebox at the end! For the potter who likes to plough his or her own furrow, and who, although welcoming help from friends with firings, prefers not to have to rely on a team in order to get their work finished.

The Kiln Book is the definitive guide to pottery kiln construction. Since this breakthrough book was first published more than thirty years ago, it has shown generations of ceramicists how to build safe, economical, and fully functional kilns that meet their specific creative needs. The revised fourth edition continues to cover all aspects of kiln construction through step-by-step instructions and detailed diagrams, with new information on alternative fuels and the latest designs. In The Kiln Book, master potter and kiln builder Frederick L. Olsen thoroughly describes fundamental kiln construction methods and design principles in clear, straightforward language. No one has made more custom kilns in more countries than Olsen. His kiln bible explains the inner workings of crossdraft, downdraft, updraft, and multidirectional draft kilns. It discusses the importance of proper masonry work and gives insights into the variety of refractory materials and their applications. The book also offers expert guidance on firing techniques and optimal firing schedules for various kiln styles. In addition to providing building guidance for the three major types of fuel-fired kilns, The Kiln Book includes information on electric kilns and other specialty designs. The practical instructions and illustrations are supplemented with tables, technical specifications, and other practical data. Richly illustrated with color photographs, building plans, and diagrams, The Kiln Book is an essential text for professional potters who want the freedom and control of firing works in their own kiln and for ceramics educators who wish to share the kiln-building experience with their students.

They have found others. Five years after a deadly plague killed all the Grown-ups, the world's population has nearly vanished. But a group of children have survived and forged a new family, a new life, and together traveled up the coast of Florida, looking for answers. To their shock, they've found a group of adults, the only Grown-ups they've seen for years, living in an abandoned shopping mall. It's a world the travelers had almost forgotten -- cupcakes, clean clothes, adults to depend on. But something is terribly wrong. The family must find the truth before it's too late.