Horror, history, science, mystery . . . and eerily twisted tales. Follow Uncle John into a world so frighteningly funny it could only come from the Bathroom Readers Institute. What do you get when you cross a classic scary story such as “The Tell-tale Heart” with Uncle John’s trademark sense of humor? You get “The Tell-tale Fart” (Pee-uw!). And that’s just one of many twisted classic and original tales of humor and horror you’ll find inside The Haunted Outhouse. You’ll also find a spine-tingling collection of facts about topics such as real-life mad scientists, history’s terrible tyrants, and the world’s deadliest weather. Uncle John’s scare-fest is packed with page after page of crafts, recipes, poems, jokes, tongue twisters, and experiments straight from Dr. Johnenstein’s Laboratory. Graphic novel-style tales add plenty of illustrated pages to the mix. This haunted book of horrors could only come from the Bathroom Readers Institute, and it’s “For Kids Only.” ENTER IF YOU DARE! You’ll find terrifying tales, including… - Revenge of the Meatloaf - The Legend of Peepee Hollow - The Creature from the Black Lagoon and the No Good, Very Bad Day - The Haunted Outhouse Frightening facts about… - The Curse of Amen-Ra - The Attack of the Cow Lady - Decay-causing Tooth Worms - The FBI’s Body Farm Horrifying things to do like… - Make a Bouncing Eyeball - Prank Your Friends with Caramel Onions - Craft a Barbie Zombie Hat - Serve Bloody Band-Aid Treats (Gag!)

Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned. Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.”—James Baldwin From the Paperback edition.

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A modern-day classic from Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli, this beloved celebration of individuality is now an original movie on Disney+! And don't miss the author's highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’ s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love. Don’t miss the sequel, Love, Stargirl, as well as The Warden’s Daughter, a novel about another girl who can't help but stand out. “Spinelli is a poet of the prepubescent. . . . No writer guides his young characters, and his readers, past these pitfalls and challenges and toward their futures with more compassion.” —The New York Times

Starting with the very basics, the author guides you through the essential skills and techniques needed to build a model military vehicle to be proud of. Concentrating on the construction of plastic kits in the popular scales, Military Vehicle Modelling also looks at how to improve your model or create a different version using other kits, specially manufactured components in plastic, resin and metal, and scratch built parts. Topics covered include: Tools; Construction tips; Painting techniques; Building a simple diorama; Detailing; Weathering; and Advanced techniques.

New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice; Real Simple Best of the Month; Library Journal Editors’ Pick In the spirit of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Bringing up Bébé, and The Smartest Kids in the World, a hard-hitting exploration of China’s widely acclaimed yet insular education system that raises important questions for the future of American parenting and education When students in Shanghai rose to the top of international rankings in 2009, Americans feared that they were being "out-educated" by the rising super power. An American journalist of Chinese descent raising a young family in Shanghai, Lenora Chu noticed how well-behaved Chinese children were compared to her boisterous toddler. How did the Chinese create their academic super-achievers? Would their little boy benefit from Chinese school? Chu and her husband decided to enroll three-year-old Rainer in China’s state-run public school system. The results were positive—her son quickly settled down, became fluent in Mandarin, and enjoyed his friends—but she also began to notice troubling new behaviors. Wondering what was happening behind closed classroom doors, she embarked on an exploratory journey, interviewing Chinese parents, teachers, and education professors, and following students at all stages of their education. What she discovered is a military-like education system driven by high-stakes testing, with teachers posting rankings in public, using bribes to reward students who comply, and shaming to isolate those who do not. At the same time, she uncovered a years-long desire by government to alleviate its students’ crushing academic burden and make education friendlier for all. The more she learns, the more she wonders: Are Chinese children—and her son—paying too high a price for their obedience and the promise of future academic prowess? Is there a way to appropriate the excellence of the system but dispense with the bad? What, if anything, could Westerners learn from China’s education journey? Chu’s eye-opening investigation challenges our assumptions and asks us to consider the true value and purpose of education.

This memoir moves through Cohen's life in the counterculture, discussing book collecting, the pleasures of browsing and the need for bookshops.

Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places. But it is so much more than that. "Anthropology requires strength, valor, and courage," Nancy Scheper-Hughes noted. "Pierre Bourdieu called anthropology a combat sport, an extreme sport as well as a tough and rigorous discipline. ... It teaches students not to be afraid of getting one's hands dirty, to get down in the dirt, and to commit yourself, body and mind. Susan Sontag called anthropology a "heroic" profession." What is the payoff for this heroic journey? You will find ideas that can carry you across rivers of doubt and over mountains of fear to find the the light and life of places forgotten. Real anthropology cannot be contained in a book. You have to go out and feel the world's jagged edges, wipe its dust from your brow, and at times, leave your blood in its soil. In this unique book, Dr. Michael Wesch shares many of his own adventures of being an anthropologist and what the science of human beings can tell us about the art of being human. This special first draft edition is a loose framework for more and more complete future chapters and writings. It serves as a companion to anth101.com, a free and open resource for instructors of cultural anthropology. This 2018 text is a revision of the "first draft edition" from 2017 and includes 7 new chapters.

Follow Uncle John into an enchanted world so packed with wonders it could only come from the Bathroom Readers' Institute. 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, Finalist in Juvenile Nonfiction Category This legendary addition to the wildly successful For Kids Only! series is chock full of the fun facts and eye-popping illustrations that kids have come to love, but this time we’ve added something new: fractured fairy tales . . . in graphic-novel style! They’re brought to life in full color by some of today’s best children’s book illustrators. But wait, there’s more! The Enchanted Toilet also has a whole bunch of mystical activities--including crafts, recipes, poems, jokes, tongue twisters, and a few magical experiments. All you have to do is wave your magic wand and click your heels together three times. You’ll be enchanted by . . . Fantastic facts! * Real-life princesses (including one with a tattoo!) * Ninja: secrets of the invisible warriors * Where there be dragons * The human magnet and other dark wizards * The real-life Hogwarts Enchanting activities! * How to make a wand * Using treats to catch a leprechaun * Transforming metals with alchemy * Sir Uncle John’s “Guide to Training Your Dragon” Twisted tales! * “The Cockroach, the Mouse, and the Cricket” * “The Fairy Hedgehog” * “Ali Baba and the Forty Steves” * And a brand new King Arthur legend that involves…an enchanted toilet! And much, much more!

Do you have a compulsive desire to know something about everything? Then you have infomania, and Uncle John has the cure! Infomania is the compulsive desire to gobble up information, and kids growing up in the information age have it bad. Young infomaniacs are hungry, hungry, hungry for information. Who knows information better than Uncle John? No one! And now he’s figured out how to deliver information fixes without computers or modems or the Internet. How? In a handy pocket-sized book packed with fascinating facts! Uncle John’s InfoMania is bursting with information so compelling, so mesmerizing, so… weird…it could only come from the professional infomaniacs at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute, and it’s “For Kids Only!” Inside this nonfiction, easy-to-read pocket guide you’ll find… * How to Get Rid of Freckles (live frogs are involved) * Action Figure Facts * What Makes 3-D Movies Work * Avalanche Survival Tips * World Records to Beat (extreme hula-hooping, anyone?) * And much, much more. Designed just for kids, this two-color, illustrated pocket book shares essential and off-the-wall information pulled from the info-maniacal vaults of the Bathroom Readers’ Institute. It’s science, history, math, social studies, sports, and entertainment; all packed into 272 pocket-sized pages and delivered in the bite-sized bits kids love to read!

The 35th annual edition of Uncle John’s compendium features entertaining, informative, and amusing real-life stories from around the world. This 35th anniversary edition of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader is bursting with everything you could possibly want to read in the throne room, including short articles for a quick trip and lengthier page-turners for an extended visit. Uncle John and his team at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute have once again gathered the most entertaining and amusing stories from the realms of pop culture, history, science, and sports (not to mention accounts of even more dumb crooks!) for your reading pleasure. In addition, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud lists, amusing quotes, and odd factoids that will delight the most ardent of trivia fans.