Acclaimed naturalist Jim Arnosky will bring out your inner explorer as he explains why a puffer swells up like a balloon, how sharks locate prey in the darkness, and why some fish like to swim in the shadow of a manatee.

DreamHoppers is a fantasy adventure novel about four young teens, a cat, an elephant, and a blue boy who they meet one mystifying night in a fanciful dream. Each night the dream evolves and changes. As time goes on, the confused teenagers come to believe that the purpose of the dream, if there is a purpose, is to take charge of the youngest, a boy who calls himself Prince Raj. They promise to help him escape his dream castle prison. Alex, the skeptic, finds the confusing world of dragons, and elephants, and blue boys, and talking cats, proof of his skepticism of the supernatural. The dream is nothing more than a product of his imagination. Events prove him wrong, however, when he meets Leila Bhati, one of his dream companions at a library in real life. Alex and Leila begin to realize that their dangerous nightly dream won’t end until they somehow manage to convey the sickly Prince Raj to his lost father in the White Palace. But most importantly they pledge to protect Raj from mysterious flying assassins who chase them aggressively across a magical landscape. But why? Alex wonders why a group of beastly dream assassins want to hurt and kill an innocent young child of ten. The DreamHoppers plan to find out.

Over 20,000 words, including the most common words. Definitions explanatory and presented in simple language. Sentences for almost all words to clearly understand the usage of the word. Parts of speech clearly mentioned

God let me know early, in life that I had to speak up. I did not understand nor did I want to; but I began to realize I am an elocutionist in that I must speak-play a part for which no one has the script but Him. There is no time to rehearse lines; I have to live them. Revelations are opened to me as I go along; it is not that I will never be able to plan, it is that I will be able to do God's plan. I live the plan that gets me to my purpose and His will for my life, the life of those I encounter, and the people I love. Have you ever noticed that the invisible can be seen with the naked eye? It is relevant that people see you in the condition you were when those mighty winds blew, and made you seem to have been swept away! What people want and need to hear is, "what really happens and how to stop it from happening again and again. They want to know how to stop that destroyer. Therefore, the ministry of reassurance and encouragement are in place for us to increase our faith and to heal us in this constant battle. It has been a privilege to learn that, "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved" (Psalm 121:3; ASV). It may seem that I go from carnal to spiritual in an effort to express what we may go through when we try to be who God is making us to be, in our own power. There are no automatic changes that make us visibly glow at the sound of his name. We work hard for our existence and often wrestle within ourselves more so than with outside forces.

Ordinary writers describe the body in order to evoke images in readers’ minds. Extraordinary writers leverage it to add elements such as tension, intrigue, and humor. The Writer’s Body Lexicon provides tools for both approaches. Kathy Steinemann provides a boggling number of word choices and phrases for body parts, organized under similar sections in most chapters: • Emotion Beats and Physical Manifestations • Adjectives • Similes and Metaphors • Colors and Variegations • Scents • Shapes • Verbs and Phrasal Verbs • Nouns • Prompts • Clichés and Idioms Sprinkled throughout, you’ll also find hundreds of story ideas. They pop up in similes, metaphors, word lists, and other nooks and crannies. Readers don’t want every character to be a cardboard cutout with a perfect physique. They prefer real bodies with imperfections that drive character actions and reactions — bodies with believable skin, scents, and colors. For instance, a well-dressed CEO whose infrequent smile exposes poorly maintained teeth might be on the verge of bankruptcy. A gorgeous cougar with decaying teeth, who tells her young admirer she’s rich, could spook her prey. Someone trying to hide a cigarette habit from a spouse might be foiled by nicotine stains. Add depth to your writing. Rather than just describe the body, exploit it. Build on it. Mold it until it becomes an integral part of your narrative. “… a timeless resource: You’ll find advice, prompts, ideas, vocabulary, humor, and everything in between. But more importantly, it will make your characters stand out from the crowd.” — Nada Sobhi

The crossword companion with a contemporary edge: a hip, one-of-a-kind reference that offers up-to-date terms, names in the news, facts about pop culture, and other tidbits that comprise most puzzles today.

To save her sister’s life, Faris must smuggle magic into a plague-ridden neighboring kingdom in this exciting and dangerous start to a brand-new fantasy duology. Faris grew up fighting to survive in the slums of Brindaigel while caring for her sister, Cadence. But when Cadence is caught trying to flee the kingdom and is sold into slavery, Faris reluctantly agrees to a lucrative scheme to buy her back, inadvertently binding herself to the power-hungry Princess Bryn, who wants to steal her father’s throne. Now Faris must smuggle stolen magic into neighboring Avinea to incite its prince to alliance—magic that addicts in the war-torn country can sense in her blood and can steal with a touch. She and Bryn turn to a handsome traveling magician, North, who offers protection from Avinea’s many dangers, but he cannot save Faris from Bryn’s cruelty as she leverages Cadence’s freedom to force Faris to do anything—or kill anyone—she asks. Yet Faris is as fierce as Bryn, and even as she finds herself falling for North, she develops schemes of her own. With the fate of kingdoms at stake, Faris, Bryn, and North maneuver through a dangerous game of magical and political machinations, where lives can be destroyed—or saved—with only a touch.