Nurk is a quiet homebody of a shrew. But when a mysterious plea for help arrives in the mail, he invokes the spirit of his fearless warrior-shrew grandmother, Surka, and sets off to find the sender. It seems the prince of the dragonflies has been kidnapped, and Nurk is his last hope for rescue. Such a mission would be daunting for even the biggest, baddest, and bravest of shrews, and Nurk is neither big nor bad, and only a little brave. But he does his very best--and hopes his grandmother would be proud. Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.

New York Times-bestselling author: Classic short stories that expand the epic Legend of Drizzt, perfect for new and long-time collectors For years, the Legend of Drizzt has included short stories published in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons anthologies and Dragon™ magazine. Collected here for the first time are all the classic stories—and one all new tale—by fantasy legend R.A. Salvatore, including: • “The First Notch” • “Dark Mirror” • “The Third Level” • “Guenhwyvar” • “That Curious Sword” • “Wickless in the Nether” • “The Dowery” • “Comrades at Odds” • “If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair” • “Bones and Stones” • “Iruladoon” • “To Legend He Goes” From the startling origin of Drizzt’s panther companion, to the tale of Jarlaxle and Entreri’s first encounter with the dragon sisters, the tales in The Collected Stories enrich this epic and beloved series.

Spencer was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma at the age of six. Tracey and Steve did what most parents try to do: provide a fun and stimulating environment for their kids to grow in and reach their full potential. Foster did what brothers do: he offered up his bone marrow and rode shotgun in the all-terrain electric assault vehicle. Scupper did what sinister Portuguese Water Dogs do: he tried to eat the house one piece of furniture at a time and displace the "owner" from his spot in the bed. And Spencer? Spencer played soccer, sailed boats, built windmills, skipped a lot of school and developed a serious teenage drug habit. Along the way, Steve wrote this deeply personal, hilarious, and utterly moving collection of stories. They spilled out of his brain and onto the keyboard as there is not enough room for happy optimism and utter terror to coexist. I'll Shave my Head Too is an incredible balance between readability, humour, and emotional impact.

In this timesaving resource, Reid makes reading aloud to children and teens easy by selecting titles in high-interest topics and providing context to spotlight great passages.

“Fast-paced action . . . first-rate sf space adventure” (Library Journal) from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Star Wars: Thrawn. Deep in space lies the black hole known as Angelmass, so called because it emits enigmatic particles with the unusual ability to render humans calm, reasonable, and incapable of lying—which would normally be seen as a good thing. But not by everyone. For while Empyrean human colonies on the edge of the galaxy utilize the power of the “angels,” the Earth-based Pax empire views the emissions as a threat that could be used to subvert humanity. Academic Jereko Kosta is pressed into service by the Pax to spy on the Empyrean, joining the crew of a ship actively hunting the particles. But what he learns turns out to be both scientifically fascinating and morally frightening. When the Pax make an aggressive move that may lead to all-out war with the Empyrean, Kosta is the only one who can stop the conflict between the human powers and force them to see that the angels they’re about to fight over are far from holy . . . Timothy Zahn combines provocative ethical questions with the same level of vivid sci-fi action that made his Star Wars: Thrawn a New York Times bestseller to deliver “a serious SF novel sneakily posing as an enormous golden-age thrill ride” (Locus).

Comprising the classic bestsellers Getting Even, Without Feathers, and Side Effects, this definitive collection of comic writings is from a man who needs no Introduction. Really–this book has no Introduction. The Insanity Defense reveals many sides of Woody Allen as he holds forth on the most human of urges (“Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only for food: frequently there must be a beverage”); reflects on death (“I don’t believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear”); and notes the effect on history wrought by trick chewing gum, the dribble glass, and other novelties. There is also an inspiring story of the futile race to beat Dr. Heimlich to the punch: “The food went down the wrong pipe, and choking occurred. Grasping the mouse firmly by the tail, I snapped it like a small whip, and the morsel of cheese came loose. If we can transfer the procedure to humans, we may have something. Too early to tell.” All Woody Allen fans will cherish this uproarious treasury–and those who don’t enjoy The Insanity Defense are just plain crazy. “If you don’t care if you break into helpless whoops of laughter on buses, trains, or wherever you happen to be reading it.” –Chicago Tribune, on Without Feathers “Brilliant flights of fancy whose comic detail and inspired silliness are at once dramatic and controlled.” –The New York Times, on Side Effects

This book is your graduate level entrance into battery, fuel cell and solar cell research at synchrotron x-ray sources and free electron lasers. Materials scientists find numerous examples for the combination of electrochemical experiments with simple and with highly complex x-ray scattering and spectroscopy methods. Physicists and chemists can link applied electrochemistry with fundamental concepts of condensed matter physics, physical chemistry and surface science.