When Ben Silverstein is sent to the rundown town of Buttonville to spend the summer with his grandfather, he's certain it will be the most boring vacation ever. That is, until his grandfather's cat brings home what looks like . . . a baby dragon? Amazed, Ben enlists the help of Pearl Petal, a local girl with an eye for adventure. They take the wounded dragon to the only veterinarian's office in town -- Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital. But as Ben and Pearl discover once they are inside, Dr. Woo's isn't a worm hospital at all -- it's actually a secret hospital for imaginary creatures. After Ben accidentally leaves the hospital's front door unlocked, a rather large, rather stinky, andvery hairy beast escapes into Buttonville. Ben and Pearl are tasked with retrieving the runaway creature, and what started out as an ordinary summer becomes the story of a lifetime. Suzanne Selfors delivers a wild journey filled with mythical creatures and zany adventures that are anything but imaginary. This book includes bonus writing, art, and science activities that will help readers discover more about the mythological creatures featured in The Sasquatch Escape. These activities are designed for the home and the classroom. Enjoy doing them on your own or with friends!

In 1979, Texas-native Donna Nelson traveled to the Himalayas--a region that had only been open to Westerners for two years. She was truly a pilgrim exploring a new world. Ms. Nelson traveled East on several more journeys, returned to the States and embarked on a popular lecture series to discuss what she saw, learned about the culture, and most importantly what she felt. A Thoroughly Great Escape is a memoir from that time period, showcasing Nelson's fascinating photos and personal commentary. The luminous beauty of the Himalayas contrasted with teaming cities and colliding cultures is the subject of this book.

Predictably unpredictable, normally abnormal. Watson combines science fiction and fantasy into an eclectic mix that includes stories about fallen angels in Hell rebelling and mounting a breakout, about the inconvenience of keeping aging parents in your brain instead of a nursing home, about Jesus' immortal brother as solo passenger on the first starship, about alien coffins bombarding the solar system, about right-wing U.S. militias stealing a quantum computer to commit nuclear blackmail, about a computer games designer haunted by the cyber-ghost of his murdered wife, about frozen heads and strange mind-changes, and how a cake decorator defeats a vampire with a sweet tooth. De-evolution, treasure-hunting via hang glider, dark animal fantasies, humanity as hive-entity, Hercules Poirot on a starship - Watson takes the strange, the eerie the weird, mixes his seasoned writing skills, and produces a potpourri of the fantastic. These nineteen stories are sure to amuse, bemuse and entertain.

A New York Times Notable Book of 2023 Shortlisted for the 2023 Moore Prize The astonishing story of immigrants lured to the United States from India and trapped in forced labor—an "eye-opening" "must-read" told by the visionary labor leader who engineered their escape and set them on a path to citizenship (The New York Times Book Review). ​ In late 2006, Saket Soni, a twenty-eight-year-old Indian-born community organizer, received an anonymous phone call from an Indian migrant worker in Mississippi. He was one of five hundred men trapped in squalid Gulf Coast “man camps,” surrounded by barbed wire, watched by guards, crammed into cold trailers with putrid toilets, forced to eat moldy bread and frozen rice. Recruiters had promised them good jobs and green cards. The men had scraped up $20,000 each for this “opportunity” to rebuild hurricane-wrecked oil rigs, leaving their families in impossible debt. During a series of clandestine meetings, Soni and the workers devised a bold plan. In The Great Escape, Soni traces the workers’ extraordinary escape, their march on foot to Washington, DC, and their twenty-three-day hunger strike to bring attention to their cause. Along the way, ICE agents try to deport the men, company officials work to discredit them, and politicians avert their eyes. But none of this shakes the workers’ determination to win their dignity and keep their promises to their families. Weaving a deeply personal journey with a riveting tale of twenty-first-century forced labor, Soni takes us into the lives of the immigrant workers the United States increasingly relies on to rebuild after climate disasters. The Great Escape is the gripping story of one of the largest human trafficking cases in modern American history—and the workers’ heroic journey for justice.

I am one of those lucky ones who survived the war, and I can remember my emotional experiences, and those of my friends, as if they had happened yesterday. For many of us the horror, the injustice, and the cruelty can never be forgotten or forgiven; but I have tried to write without too much bitterness - Bob van der Stok On the night of 24th March 1944, Bob van der Stok was number 18 of 76 men who crawled beyond the barbed wire fence of Stalag Luft III in Zagan, Poland. The 1963 film, The Great Escape, was largely based on this autobiography but - with van der Stok's agreement -filmmakers chose to turn his story into an Australian character name Sedgewick, played by James Coburn. His memoir sets down his wartime adventures before being incarcerated in Stalag Luft III and then - with extraordinary detail - describes various escape attempts which culminated with the famous March breakout. After escaping Bram van der Stok roamed Europe for weeks, passing through Leipzig, Utrecht, Brussels, Paris, Dijon and Madrid, before making it back to England. He reported to the Air Ministry and two months after escaping, on 30 May 1944 he returned to the British no.91 Squadron. In the following months he flew almost every day to France escorting bombers and knocking down V1 rockets. In August 1944 he finally returned to his home. He learned that his two brothers were killed in concentration camps after being arrested for resistance work. His father had been tortured and blinded by the Gestapo during interrogation. He had never betrayed his son.

Sara Fanelli's activity book asks young readers to help the onion break free by answering thought-provoking questions and completing the activities within, finally pressing a three-dimensional character right out of the pages. The book encourages young children to be imaginative and think about complex issues in unexpected ways.

The joyous, charming and utterly irresistible new novel from the author of mega-bestseller The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village At nearly ninety, retired nature writer Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people, but when a fall lands her in a nursing home she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy. From the confines of her 'room with a view' of the carpark, she dreams of escape. Fellow 'inmate', the gregarious, would-be comedian Walter Clements also plans on returning home as soon as he is fit and able to take charge of his mobility scooter. When Hattie and Walter officially meet at The Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog, Queenie, they seem at odds. But when Sister Bronwyn is dismissed over her unconventional approach to aged care, they must join forces -- and very slowly an unlikely, unexpected friendship begins to grow. Full of wisdom and warmth, The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a gorgeously poignant, hilarious story showing that it is never too late to laugh -- or to love. 'Tender and funny' Woman's Weekly 'Whip-smart dialogue, humour and sarcasm. A heart-warming story, extremely well written and highly addictive' Sun Herald 'Lively and whimsical ... with some serious points to make about ageing, love, community and friendship' Sydney Morning Herald 'This heartwarming story about growing old gracefully - and disgracefully ... is a funny, witty and thoroughly enjoyable read for all ages' Daily Telegraph

BRIDE ON BOARD Reluctant bride Andie Conroy refused to marry a man who loved her father's influence more than her! But with a churchful of impatient guests, she needed a quick getaway—and trucker Troy Armstrong was at the right place at the right time…. Before Troy knew it, a fugitive bride was stuffing herself and her wedding gown into his rig and ordering him to drive. Troy had never fancied himself a knight, but this damsel expected nothing less! He had ten days with her before he delivered Andie to her new life. Just enough time for a princess and a trucker to fall in love?

"Quickly, I climbed up to the surface and immediately found the rope… I felt no signal, so it was not safe yet. Then I felt three distinct tugs and slowly popped my head up. The nearest 'Goonbox' was at least 200 feet away; but, indeed, I was twenty feet from the edge of the woods.” - Bram Vanderstok "A born raconteur. His escapes, his operations as a Spitfire pilot, his experiences as a prisoner of war, and his incredible escape crossing the Pyrenees - all are described in a breathtaking manner which made me read his book through in one sitting' - Prof. Dr. L de Jong, Founder/Director of the Dutch Institute for War Documentation “Such a modest man, such a dramatic story – you’ll be pulled into this absorbing account” - Jonathan Vance, The True Story of the Great Escape On the night of 24 March 1944, Bram Vanderstok was number 18 of 76 men who crawled beyond the barbed wire fence of Stalag Luft III in Zagan, Poland. The 1963 film The Great Escape, was largely based on this autobiography but - with Vanderstok's agreement - filmmakers chose to turn his story into an Australian character name Sedgwick, played by James Coburn.His memoir sets down his wartime adventures before being incarcerated in Stalag Luft III and then in extraordinary detail describes various escape attempts which culminated with the famous March breakout. After escaping, Vanderstok roamed Europe for weeks, passing through Leipzig, Utrecht, Brussels, Paris, Dijon and Madrid, before making it back to England. He reported to the Air Ministry and two months after escaping, on 30 May 1944 he returned to the British no.91 Squadron. In the following months he flew almost every day to France escorting bombers and knocking down V1 rockets.In August 1944 he finally returned to his home. He learned that his two brothers had been killed in concentration camps after being arrested for resistance work. His father had been tortured and blinded by the Gestapo during interrogation. He had never betrayed his son.

Set in Michigan, The Last Sunset chronicles the unexpected and heartwarming journey of Steve Hadley – a restless, cantankerous college student who discovers new meaning for both life and love through friendship with an 83 year old man. Told via insightful vignettes and anecdotes from both the old man’s distant past and the young man’s evolving present, the story seamlessly blends flashbacks and engaging narrative to form a compelling and provocative tale with surprising depth and many layers of meaning. In no small literary feat, the author successfully merges one character’s memories with another’s current life. “Real time” events in the story evolve and coincide with the memories of the past, with the trajectory of both stories ultimately leading to a similar destination. Ordered to complete 1000 hours of community service for a college prank, Steve is “sentenced” to serving his time at the Pioneer Manor Nursing Home in Evergreen, Michigan, run by Nancy Hackett, the head nurse, and her husband Barton Hackett, the Executive Director. It immediately becomes clear that Steve’s time at the nursing home will represent much more than he imagines, and that chance and destiny will be meeting at a surprising crossroads. When Steve pulls into the nursing home in his white mustang, patient Moses Bailey notices the young man and is immediately reminded of his of his own, distant youth – sailing and playing ice hockey in small-town Michigan. His fond reminiscing is interrupted by a pretty yet unassuming student nurse, Dawn McNally, the younger sister of Nurse Hackett. Bailey’s retrospection unfolds through detailed flashbacks, beginning with the summer of 1939, when the struggling artist becomes obsessed with Sarah, a striking, sophisticated woman interested in his paintings – but married to an older man. Enamored of the art and intrigued by the artist, Sarah sees in Moses everything she wishes she had in her own husband. The seeds of a problematic romance are planted as Moses prepares for his first exhibit. Steve’s love interest with Dawn has auspicious beginnings. After he accidentally knocks her to the floor while entering Moses’ room, Steve notices she limps, and believes he caused it. Dawn’s past is revealed as she remembers her childhood dreams of becoming a nurse, but beneath the dreams lies a murky, troubling childhood which drives her simmering anger and hostility toward Steve. The stories of Steve, Dawn and Moses unfold, as Dawn slowly warms up to Steve, and the flashback romance between Moses and Sarah takes shape, unfettered yet seemingly doomed by her unhappy marriage. As Moses deals with the guilt of loving another man’s wife, Steve comes to understand the tension and anger in Dawn, the by-product of a troubled childhood and an abusive father – the man who caused her slight deformity and limp. As the love between Steve and Dawn grows, her own insecurities fade, and her confidence grows. Events unfurl in rapid succession as Steve and Barton clash over his abuse of Dawn. As Steve and Dawn plan a “great escape” designed to fulfill Moses’ wish to see a sunset on lake Michigan one last time before he dies, the heartbreak of long-ago unfulfilled love emerges as Moses and Sarah endure separation bonded by an unshakeable yet forbidden love. As past and present converge, Steve and Dawn fulfill Moses’ wish, and his last sunset coincides with his remembrances of the happiness of his ultimate reunion and marriage to Sarah. When Moses later dies, the young couple returns to the beach to pay tribute to their friend. More than a recounting of fictional characters and events, The Last Sunset delves into deep issues of love, redemption and forgiveness. The almost spiritual connection between circumstance and destiny is revealed as pieces of a larger “life puzzle” fall into place, and the young ultimately learn from the old, and