An informative, entertaining, and beautifully illustrated look at the beloved firefly For centuries, the beauty of fireflies has evoked wonder and delight. Yet for most of us, fireflies remain shrouded in mystery: How do fireflies make their light? What are they saying with their flashing? And what do fireflies look for in a mate? In Silent Sparks, noted biologist and firefly expert Sara Lewis dives into the fascinating world of fireflies and reveals the most up-to-date discoveries about these beloved insects. From the meadows of New England and the hills of the Great Smoky Mountains, to the rivers of Japan and mangrove forests of Malaysia, this beautifully illustrated and accessible book uncovers the remarkable, dramatic stories of birth, courtship, romance, sex, deceit, poison, and death among fireflies. The nearly two thousand species of fireflies worldwide have evolved in different ways—and while most mate through the aerial language of blinking lights, not all do. Lewis introduces us to fireflies that don't light up at all, relying on wind-borne perfumes to find mates, and we encounter glow-worm fireflies, whose plump, wingless females never fly. We go behind the scenes to meet inquisitive scientists who have dedicated their lives to understanding fireflies, and we learn about various modern threats including light pollution and habitat destruction. In the last section of the book, Lewis provides a field guide for North American fireflies, enabling us to identify them in our own backyards and neighborhoods. This concise, handy guide includes distinguishing features, habits, and range maps for the most commonly encountered fireflies, as well as a gear list. A passionate exploration of one of the world's most charismatic and admired insects, Silent Sparks will inspire us to reconnect with the natural world.

Poetry does what logic can't weaves magic around you no matter how far you’ve gone some words bring home back to you! That is exactly what this book is supposed to do. Bring ‘Home’ back to you! With a collection of poems touching the topics of love, pain, introspection, empowerment, nostalgia and societal culture, this book will flip your emotions back and forth. You’ll be left smiling one moment while deep in thought another. You’ll fall in love, experience pain, reminisce the past and hope for a future. You’ll taste life while breathing in the world around you. It’ll make you happy It’ll bring you peace You’ll find solace But most importantly It’ll make you ‘Think’ Think to make a ‘Difference’!

A New York Times Notable Book and the March 2001 selection of Oprah's Book Club® ! Icy Sparks is the sad, funny and transcendent tale of a young girl growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky during the 1950’s. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s beautifully written first novel revolves around Icy Sparks, an unforgettable heroine in the tradition of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird or Will Treed in Cold Sassy Tree. At the age of ten, Icy, a bright, curious child orphaned as a baby but raised by adoring grandparents, begins to have strange experiences. Try as she might, her "secrets"—verbal croaks, groans, and physical spasms—keep afflicting her. As an adult, she will find out she has Tourette’s Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, but for years her behavior is the source of mystery, confusion, and deep humiliation. Narrated by a grown up Icy, the book chronicles a difficult, but ultimately hilarious and heartwarming journey, from her first spasms to her self-acceptance as a young woman. Curious about life beyond the hills, talented, and energetic, Icy learns to cut through all barriers—physical, mental, and spiritual—in order to find community and acceptance. Along her journey, Icy faces the jeers of her classmates as well as the malevolence of her often-ignorant teachers—including Mrs. Stilton, one of the most evil fourth grade teachers ever created by a writer. Called willful by her teachers and "Frog Child" by her schoolmates, she is exiled from the schoolroom and sent to a children’s asylum where it is hoped that the roots of her mysterious behavior can be discovered. Here Icy learns about difference—her own and those who are even more scarred than she. Yet, it isn’t until Icy returns home that she really begins to flower, especially through her friendship with the eccentric and obese Miss Emily, who knows first-hand how it feels to be an outcast in this tightly knit Appalachian community. Under Miss Emily’s tutelage, Icy learns about life’s struggles and rewards, survives her first comical and heartbreaking misadventure with romance, discovers the healing power of her voice when she sings, and ultimately—takes her first steps back into the world. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s Icy Sparks is a fresh, original, and completely redeeming novel about learning to overcome others’ ignorance and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique.

Four college activists believed they were making a statement, fighting to preserve the environment by burning down a new apartment complex. But they didn't realize that someone was watching in this "intense" and "unforgettable" New York Times bestseller (James Patterson). "A blackmailer hides in plain sight, using people's secrets for personal gain, and when this criminal sets his sights on the four young arsonists, he begins his most deadly game yet. Firefighter David Hunter is devastated when he's too late to save a teenage girl from a Minneapolis fire. Authorities soon discover that it was a case of arson and homicide detective Olivia Sutherland and her partner Kane are assigned to the case. David and Olivia shared a night of passion some time ago, and sparks fly when they are drawn to one another again. But just as they begin to revisit that fateful night and address the events that tore them apart, David and Olivia are forced to pursue the blackmailer, whose horrific plans threaten to destroy those closest to them."

Up-close and uniquely personal, like never seen before, this exquisite fine art book showcases the glowing beauty of fireflies, as seen through the lens of the award-winning nature photographer, Radim Schreiber, who spent nine years creating this stunning body of work.This is a collection of hauntingly beautiful photographic portraits of fireflies, lightening bugs, glow worms, and other bioluminescent creatures in their natural environment captured in Iowa, the Smoky Mountains National Park, and other locations around the United States.Firefly Experience takes the viewer into mysterious realms, offering marvelous photography on every page. The images are accompanied with informative detail and personal anecdotes.Discover more atwww.FireflyExperience.org

Sometimes love is right in front of you Emma Chambers wasn't supposed to be spending July Fourth rescuing a handsome stranger and the holiday festival. New to town Doug "Sparks" Turner has an important job to do, yet it's Emma who's feeling the heat. No way the roving fireworks designer is the man she's been waiting for, right? Helping Emma makes Sparks long to name this his permanent home. Too bad Emma isn't staying, especially given the life-changing secret she's discovered. What Sparks is hiding could also keep him from earning Emma's trust. Unless he can make her see that he's a man worth taking a chance on.

A child survivor, a child of survivors and a grandchild of a survivor, Sidney Zoltak is all these things. His story about a family that struggled and endured, the generosity of those who saved them against all odds, and a vow never to forget is a remarkable journey through the Holocaust into a rich and full life. At eight, Sidney loses a middle class home and goes from the slow death of the ghetto into the terror of hiding in forests, barns and finally, a hole in the ground provided by a Polish farm family. But when war ends, there is no going back. We follow the Zoltak family, amazingly intact, as they make their way to Italy where young Sidney encounters a generosity of spirit that helps to heal war's wounds and prepares him for life in Canada. Sidney Zoltak's chronicle is a lesson in the importance of honouring your story for the generations to come.

Over the past 20 years dramatic declines have taken place in UK insect populations. Eventually, such declines must have knock-on effects for other animals, especially high profile groups such as birds and mammals. This authoritative, yet accessible account details the current state of the wildlife in Britain and Ireland and offers an insight into the outlook for the future. Written by a team of the country's leading experts, it appraises the changes that have occurred in a wide range of wildlife species and their habitats and outlines urgent priorities for conservation. It includes chapters on each of the vertebrate and major invertebrate groups, with the insects covered in particular depth. Also considered are the factors that drive environmental change and the contribution at local and government level to national and international wildlife conservation. Essential reading for anyone who is interested in, and concerned about, UK wildlife.