History surrounds us, but we don’t always know where to find it. Would we even think to look in our own backyards? In author Ronald S. Martinez Sr.’s book, The Prairie Monster, two children are playing, just like they do every day. But this time, they discover tracks that resemble the lizard creatures they play with. In their imaginations, they make connections, visualizing a creature stranger than reality. But with the help of a priest, who shares their enthusiasm, they learn the prairie monster actually existed! When their discovery of dinosaur tracks is made in the riverbeds of the dry prairies south of what is now La Junta, Colorado, the children and priest go on a wild expedition to expose the existence of the prairie monster to an unknowing world. The Prairie Monster is an entertaining story with historical references. As the children and the priest undertake this journey of discovery, they also witness—and contribute to—Colorado history in the making.

Scholastic Book Club Selection Alabama Camellia Award list, 2010-11, K-1 category A unique monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this picture book relies on the power of humor over fear, appeals to a child's love for creatures both alarming and absurd, and glorifies the scope of a child's imagination. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: "Gone fishing. Back in a week." Ethan knows that without Gabe's familiar nightly scares he doesn't stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they've got the right equipment for the job—pointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail—but none of them proves scary enough for Ethan. When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn't enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily.

The star of the Animal Planet's River Monsters and author of the bestselling companion book shares a meditation on fishing--and life. In his previous book, Jeremy Wade memorably recounted his adventures in pursuit of fish of staggering proportions and terrifying demeanor: goliath tigerfish from the Congo, arapaima from the Amazon, "giant devil catfish" from the Himalayan foothills, and more. Now, the greatest angling explorer of his generation returns to delight readers with a book of a different sort, the book he was always destined to write -- the distillation of a life spent fishing. As Jeremy's catches attract increasing attention, many people ask him how they can improve their own fishing results. This book is his reply: part science, part art, and part elusive something else -- which is within every angler's ability to develop. Along the way you will learn when to let instinct override logic, which details are vital and which may be irrelevant, and how a "non result" can be a result. Thoughtful and funny, brimming with wisdom and, above all, adventure, these are pitch-perfect reflections that anyone who has ever fished will identify with, for ultimately they touch on the simple, fundamental principles that apply to all angling -- and to life.

Monsters are real—and they're everywhere in nature! Animal Planet meets Godzilla in this nonfiction picture book that puts the "Ack!" into backyard science. Some people think monsters are the stuff of nightmares—the stuff of scary movies and Halloween. But monsters can also be found right in your backyard. Animals like aye-ayes, goblin sharks and vampire bats may look scary, but they pose no threat to humans. Others, such as the prairie dog, seem innocent—cute, even—yet their behavior could give you goose bumps. What makes a monster? Read this book to find out, if you dare. . . . Jess Keating and David DeGrand, the author illustrator team behind Pink Is for Blobfish will have readers shrieking with laughter at this latest installment to the World of Weird Animals series.

‘Every sentence is a delight in this taut and thrilling debut by Willa Richards.’ Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine ‘Richards has flipped the usual narrative, centring not on the crime itself but on the loss that ripples from it.’ New York Times Book Review A remarkable debut novel for fans of Mary Gaitskill and Gillian Flynn about two sisters – one who disappears and the other who is left to pick up the pieces. In the summer of 1991, teen Dee McBride vanished in the city of Milwaukee. It was the summer the Journal Sentinel dubbed ‘the deadliest . . . in the history of Milwaukee.’ Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s heinous crimes dominated the headlines and the disappearance of one girl was easily overlooked. 2019, nearly thirty years later, Dee's sister, Peg, is still haunted by her disappearance. Desperate to find out what happened to her, the family hire a psychic and Peg is plunged back into the past. But Peg’s hazy recollections are far from easy to interpret and digging deep into her memory raises terrifying questions. How much trust can we place in our own recollections? How often are our memories altered by the very act of speaking them aloud? And what does it mean to bear witness in a world where even our own stories about what happened are inherently suspect? A heartbreaking page-turner, Willa C. Richards’ debut novel is the story of a broken family looking for answers in the face of the unknown.

Find out about the bizarre creatures that live in West Virginia.

With a rumbling from the deep and a drawn-out ROAR! Soozy the dinosaur is awake and HUNGRY. Bang! Bang! Tap! Tap! The scientists at an underground laboratory in South Dakota are busy with their experiments. A creature who has slumbered for many years under the earth wakes up. Soozy opens her eyes and, with a big yawn, emerges from the Black Hills. She makes her way across the state searching for food and friends. The world she discovers is far different from the one she left behind. Munching on motorcycles, chasing bison, and seeing the sights, Soozy hunts for a new place to call home. Illustrations from cartoonist Chris Browne bring the prehistoric Soozy to life as he regales readers with the adventures of the traveling dinosaur and describes the unique places she visits in the Mount Rushmore State.

Find out about the strange and mysterious creatures living in Illinois.

Surviving the end of the world was the easy part? It's twelve years since the dead came back. Ravening, mindless zombies have devoured almost every living thing on the planet. The few, scattered survivors are surviving on canned goods and a refusal to give in and die. They are lead by Ayaan, a former child soldier turned brilliant strategist. She's twenty-eight years old, in a world where the average life expectancy is twenty-five. Together with her adopted ward Sarah, who has the psychic ability to see the life-force of the undead, she's gathered a few hundred survivors in Africa and given them safety, something to eat, and the possibility of a future. It would be a lot easier if the zombies weren't so well organized. Out of the east a dead prince has risen. The Tsarevich, the most powerful lich the world has yet seen, is able to command his fellow zombies and has crafted them into an unstoppable army. He has swept across Russia and eastern Europe, hunting down every survivor he can find. He's about to come down on Ayaan and her desert oasis like a tidal wave of death and horror. Yet quickly enough Ayaan realizes he's not just out for her destruction. He has something else in mind, a goal that will take him--and her--across oceans, all the way back to Colorado where the first zombies rose from the grave. He's going back to the Source and when he reaches it, no one will ever be safe again. The fate of all life on the planet is up for grabs, and if Ayaan and Sarah can't stop him there will be no more second chances?