The extraordinary array of images included in this volume reveals the full and rich history of the Middle Ages. Exploring material objects from the European, Byzantine and Islamic worlds, the book casts a new light on the cultures that formed them, each culture illuminated by its treasures. The objects are divided among four topics: The Holy and the Faithful; The Sinful and the Spectral; Daily Life and Its Fictions, and Death and Its Aftermath. Each section is organized chronologically, and every object is accompanied by a penetrating essay that focuses on its visual and cultural significance within the wider context in which the object was made and used. Spot maps add yet another way to visualize and consider the significance of the objects and the history that they reveal. Lavishly illustrated, this is an appealing and original guide to the cultural history of the Middle Ages.

After Jewish fifth-grader Ava and her Muslim best friend Nadeem are called hateful names at school, Ava's Granny Buena rummages in her closet and pulls out a glittering crystal button box. It's packed with buttons that generations of Ava's Sephardic ancestors have cherished. With the help of Granny's mysterious cat Sheba, Ava and Nadeem discover that a button from the button box will take them back in time. Suddenly, they are in ancient Morocco, where Nadeem's ancestor, Prince Abdur Rahman, is running for his life. Can Ava and Nadeem help the prince escape to Spain and fulfill his destiny, creating a legendary Golden Age for Muslims, Jews and Christians?

Peter Burns doesn’t believe in magic, but when horses talk to you and a witch hound swoops out of the sky, how long can you disbelieve? Jeanne Tucker believes in magic, but she’s teamed with someone who’d rather examine the special effects. The two friends must learn to work together in order to defeat a trio of evil witches and unravel a curse that has enslaved an entire land.

This book showcases the best projects from a year of Bead&Button magazine in a gorgeous hardcover volume. With 80 beautiful beading projects featuring a variety of techniques – stringing, wirework, stitching, bead crochet, and more –Creative Beading, Vol. 2 is sure to spark beaders’ imaginations and enhance their skills.