In the second book of this FANGtastic spin-off of Mo O'Hara's New York Times—bestselling My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish chapter book series, an aspiring evil scientist and his mostly evil (and totally forbidden) vampire kitten blast off to Evil Scientist Space Camp. My epic summer has just gotten even more epic, because Evil Scientist Summer Camp just turned into Evil Scientist Space Camp! AND it will be led by the totally epic evil astronaut Neil Strongarm! Who is looking for evil apprentices for his next space mission! Which means that I could totally go into SPACE!!! I’m already well on my way to Evil Emperor of the Camp. Winning this competition should be easy. Okay, so maybe I didn’t expect Geeky Girl to be quite so good at being evil, but I know I’ve got this. All I need is a plan. Hmmm . . . I wonder if you can take evil kittens on space stations. Let the Epic Evil Spaceness begin. Signed, The Great and Powerful Mark
The core themes of STARLETTE UNIVERSE are good vs. evil, God vs. the devil, the Starlettes vs. Eva Deneval. When six Spruce Pine High students form a friendship club to fight injustice and wrong at their school, they meet the ultimate 'mean' girl, Eva the Evil, who has the ability to morph into a variety of monsters, be it a werewolf, zombie, vampire or undead head. Against all odds, the Starlettes, fun-loving beauties, emerge victorious and defeat Eva and her wicked forces from hell. Kathy Johnson, lawyer, author, and mother of Miss Vermont 1999 and Miss Vermont USA 2001, has just released the first in a series of ST ARLETTE UNNERSE books aimed at 'tween and teen girls, ages 10-16. Written in poetic rhyme and pun-filled prose, STARLETTE UNIVERSE books are serious, yet humorous, and full of life lessons for girls. There are several distinguishing characteristics: (l) 'Starlette-isms', or word play, give shine to the storyline. (2) 'Sparkles', or rules for living, aid the girls in making good decisions. (3) 'Unique-speak', or each girl's different talk, makes her personality glow. Dick Kulpa has successfully turned the six Starlettes into America's sweetarts' with his cover art and colorful illustrations. He is former publisher of Cracked Magazine, creator of Bat Boy, and a three-time syndicated newspaper comic strip cartoonist. The overriding premise of STARLETTE UNIVERSE is that evil and Eva are allowed to exist but that good and the Starlettes will ultimately prevail. After entering STARLETTE UNIVERSE, all readers are faced with a decision: Team GOOD? Or Team D.evil?
Nine kittens go on an exciting boating adventure that's a (funny) CATastrophe in this playful picture book that demonstrates the key math concept of patterns. A crew of hungry kittens and their captain head to the lake to catch some dinner, but the fish have surprises in store for them. Physics is at work too. What happens when confused kitties paddle every which way? Or when they all lean in the same direction? A pattern is needed to avoid a catastrophe! Patterns are the foundation on which math is built. Using strong rhythm, clever wordplay, and countable characters, CATastrophe! is a fun read-aloud that also shows what patterns can do. Helpful backmatter will deepen readers' understanding and challenge them to find more patterns in this book and in our world.
B's magical adventures will cast a S-P-E-L-L on middle-grade readers in this funny, fast-paced series!B's favorite band, the Black Cats, is coming to town, and B and her best friend George have tickets to the show! Meanwhile, the two friends meet a mysterious new girl at school. Trina is shy and secretive ... could she be a witch, just like B? And maybe even ... a S-T-A-R?
It was a catastrophe without precedent in recorded history: for months on end, starting in A.D. 535, a strange, dusky haze robbed much of the earth of normal sunlight. Crops failed in Asia and the Middle East as global weather patterns radically altered. Bubonic plague, exploding out of Africa, wiped out entire populations in Europe. Flood and drought brought ancient cultures to the brink of collapse. In a matter of decades, the old order died and a new world—essentially the modern world as we know it today—began to emerge. In this fascinating, groundbreaking, totally accessible book, archaeological journalist David Keys dramatically reconstructs the global chain of revolutions that began in the catastrophe of A.D. 535, then offers a definitive explanation of how and why this cataclysm occurred on that momentous day centuries ago. The Roman Empire, the greatest power in Europe and the Middle East for centuries, lost half its territory in the century following the catastrophe. During the exact same period, the ancient southern Chinese state, weakened by economic turmoil, succumbed to invaders from the north, and a single unified China was born. Meanwhile, as restless tribes swept down from the central Asian steppes, a new religion known as Islam spread through the Middle East. As Keys demonstrates with compelling originality and authoritative research, these were not isolated upheavals but linked events arising from the same cause and rippling around the world like an enormous tidal wave. Keys's narrative circles the globe as he identifies the eerie fallout from the months of darkness: unprecedented drought in Central America, a strange yellow dust drifting like snow over eastern Asia, prolonged famine, and the hideous pandemic of the bubonic plague. With a superb command of ancient literatures and historical records, Keys makes hitherto unrecognized connections between the "wasteland" that overspread the British countryside and the fall of the great pyramid-building Teotihuacan civilization in Mexico, between a little-known "Jewish empire" in Eastern Europe and the rise of the Japanese nation-state, between storms in France and pestilence in Ireland. In the book's final chapters, Keys delves into the mystery at the heart of this global catastrophe: Why did it happen? The answer, at once surprising and definitive, holds chilling implications for our own precarious geopolitical future. Wide-ranging in its scholarship, written with flair and passion, filled with original insights, Catastrophe is a superb synthesis of history, science, and cultural interpretation.
From bestselling children's author and TV broadcaster, Dermot O'Leary, comes an action-packed new adventure from Toto the ninja cat - this time she's on holiday . . . but evil never takes a break! Purrfect for fans of The Aristocats, The Secret Life of Pets and Atticus Claw Breaks the Law. After months of keeping London safe from notorious animal bad guys, Toto the Ninja Cat is going on a well-earned holiday to the world's most famous music festival - Catstonbury! But a villain has a dastardly plan to hypnotise the crowd when a world-famous band is on stage, turning them into evil minions. How can Toto possibly prevent the catastrophe when everyone thinks the band is the cat's pyjamas? It will take all Toto's ninja skills - and some help from a friendly otter - to save the day . . . Ideal for reading aloud or for children to curl up with and read alone, the story features brilliant black and white illustrations throughout by Nick East. With gentle themes of friendship, inclusivity and winning in the face of adversity, this is a hilarious must-read for all animal-loving kids! Dermot says: 'The idea for Toto first came to me when my wife and I rescued two stray cats from an olive grove in Italy. One of them, Toto, has been blind from birth, but we quickly realised she had ninja-like reactions. Like a lot of cat owners (or cat servants), we like to imagine our pets having secret lives when we're out or asleep. So before I knew it I was writing about Toto and her brother Silver's nocturnal adventures around London. I really hope that children who pick it up enjoy reading the adventures of our little Italian underdog (cat).' Have you seen Toto's other adventures? The Great Snake Escape, The Incredible Cheese Heist, The Mystery Jewel Thief and The Legend of the Wildcat are out now, and make perfect gifts for young readers. For more animal adventures, discover Wings of Glory. Can one tiny bird help to win a world war? A funny action-adventure story with a feathery twist, from the bestselling children's author of Toto the Ninja Cat, Dermot O'Leary, with glorious illustrations throughout by Claire Powell.
"One day, a witch's cat found a dusty old cookbook, and it gave him the most marvellous idea..." The witch has gone out and inspired by the old cookbook, the cat is determined to knock up a super-scrumptious surprise lunch for her. But unfortunately, his enthusiasm far exceeds his cooking abilities, and he carelessly overlooks some rather important information. But hey, what's the worst that could happen? Reviews: "A fabulously charming story with beautiful illustrations. I have a feeling we'll be reading this one again (and again, and again...)" Fran Grant"This is a super book - it's got everything! Magic, potions, a lovely witch, and of course a cheeky cat - and with such beautiful illustrations, it's one that my little ones ask for over and over." Rebecca C "I love this book because it is really funny and made me laugh out loud. I woke up the next day and made a play with my sister, I was the witch and she was the cat. I like how the cat ends up reading her own book about spells, she is a clever cat!". Words from my daughter who was captured by this delightful storybook that has clearly made an impact! Highly recommended read! Kirstie Watson is a gifted author and the illustrations are adorable." Mrs Sumudu Edirisinghe "We love the Witch's Cat - my nearly 3yr old granddaughter asks for it almost every day and knows what's going to happen on every page - she still laughs at each bit though!! This is a really well written and beautifully illustrated story which I thoroughly recommend." Kindle Customer
From revered nature writer Brenda Peterson and told through striking and vibrant mixed-media collages by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young, Catastrophe by the Sea is a poignant story of redemption through empathy and compassion found in the most surprising places, and also provides a rich understanding of small creatures that live in a dangerous tidal zone. A lost cat roams the tide pools, pawing relentlessly at the small creatures that live there. One day an anemone confronts him and asks why he is alone and befriends him. In partnership with the Seattle Aquarium, Catastrophe by the Sea delivers a powerful message of finding understanding and friendship, and at the same time educates on the varied wildlife brimming in tide pools.
My FANGtastically Evil Vampire Pet, the epic spin-off of Mo O'Hara's New York Times bestselling My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series features an aspiring evil scientist, paranormal pets, and plenty of hilarious summer camp shenanigans. Welcome to Camp Mwhaaa-haa-ha-a-watha! This summer is going to be epic. Epically evil, that is. ‘Cause I’m going to Evil Scientist Summer Camp! No annoying little brothers. No annoying zombie goldfish. Just me, my best friend Sanj, our notebook of evil plans, and my truly evil (and totally forbidden) vampire kitten Fang. We’ve got it all planned out. Okay, so maybe I didn’t expect for the totally not-evil Geeky Girl to show up, or for Sanj to find a new partner to work with, but there’s no way I’m going to let them ruin my summer. Evil Emperor of the Camp, here I come! Signed, The Great and Powerful Mark
The Future as Catastrophe offers a novel critique of the fascination with disaster. Analyzing the catastrophic imaginary from its historical roots to the contemporary popularity of disaster fiction and end-of-the-world blockbusters, Eva Horn argues that apocalypse always haunts the modern idea of a future that can be anticipated and planned.
