#1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica makes his return to the basketball court! There's a reason teammates call him "True." Because for basketball phenom Drew Robinson, there is nothing more true than his talent on the court. It's the kind that comes along once in a generation and is loaded with perks--and with problems. Before long, True buys in to his own hype, much to the chagrin of his mother, who wants to keep her boy's head grounded--and suddenly trouble has a way of finding him. That is, until a washed-up former playground legend steps back onto the court and takes True under his wing.
A collection of oft-repeated urban legends brings together the best of modern myths, from the stoned baby sitter who mistook a baby for a turkey to the fabulously expensive recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
Mysteries and Legends of New England explores unusual phenomena, strange events, and mysteries in the region’s history—evenly divided between the New England States (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island).
A funny picture book celebrating the universal truth about wanting to be loved just as you are, fangs and all, inspired by the real-life legend of Mongolian Death Worms. Like the ongoing search for Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster, scientists have searched the Gobi Desert for these giant worms. Reported sightings claim that their skin is blood red; their fangs razor sharp. The worms are supposedly poisonous and electrifying . . . or are they? In this funny story, we meet the Mongolian Death Worm family: Beverly, Trevor, Neville and Kevin. In spite of their deadly reputation, they’re determined to make nice and win over the other animals. Their overtures of friendship are . . . not reciprocated. But when disaster strikes, it’s the Mongolian Death Worm family to the rescue! With additional information about the legend, this book is perfect for storytime and discussions of legends and science. Perfect for fans of Ben Clanton, Sandra Fay's The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms will leave readers of all ages laughing and heartwarmed!
Much has been written about the west—most of it clouded by exaggeration and fabrication. Since 1953, True West magazine has been devoted to celebrating the West’s true colors, giving the men and women who settled there accurate voices, exploring every triumph and tragedy of their time—and exposing every vice and virtue. True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West commemorates these unforgettable cowboys, Indians, and city slickers through a mix of classic histories and brand-new narratives, all illustrated with photographs—many reproduced here for the first time—of the people and places that gave rise to America’s Western mythology. With twenty-six stories that blend fact with folklore, this collection abounds with accounts of the famous and the infamous, including Sacagawea, Wild Bill Hickok, Pancho Villa, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Davy Crockett, and Wyatt Earp. Also here are lesser-known figures whose stories were pivotal to shaping the culture of the era, such as European conquistador Francisco Coronado, rancher “Black Billy” Hill, and fearless lawman Orlando “Rube” Robbins. Other tales recount the wide open plains, lawlessness, drama, mayhem, and promise embodied in the Old West. Whether you’re a history buff, an Old West devotee, or simply someone who is fascinated by the characters of America’s early years, these timeless tales and photographs epitomize the legendary spirit of what it meant to settle the West.
An irresistible collection of favorite writings from an author celebrated for his bravura style and sheer unpredictability Francis Spufford’s welcome first volume of collected essays gathers an array of his compelling writings from the 1990s to the present. He makes use of a variety of encounters with particular places, writers, or books to address deeper questions relating to the complicated relationship between story-telling and truth-telling. How must a nonfiction writer imagine facts, vivifying them to bring them to life? How must a novelist create a dependable world of story, within which facts are, in fact, imaginary? And how does a religious faith felt strongly to be true, but not provably so, draw on both kinds of writerly imagination? Ranging freely across topics as diverse as the medieval legends of Cockaigne, the Christian apologetics of C. S. Lewis, and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, Spufford provides both fresh observations and thought-provoking insights. No less does he inspire an irresistible urge to turn the page and read on.
Land of carpools and cul-de-sacs! Home to good schools and green lawns! An idyllic place where nothing bad ever happens--right? Right?Wrong. As David Lynch and Desperate Housewives have taught us, life in the 'burbs has a dark side--and Surburban Legends shows the worst of it. Here are 75 spooky tales of corpses buried in back yards, ghosts in department stores, UFO sightings, vanishing persons, and much more!
Are there alligators under New York City? Did the military take the lessons learned in the so-called “Philadelphia Experiment” of 1943 and apply the same technology at Montauk—to develop a weapon that would literally drive the enemy insane? Just who was the homeless man who walked a 365-mile route every thirty-four days, dressed in heavy leather? From the Lake Champlain monster to the friendly ghost hostess of Skene Manor, New York Myths and Legends makes history fun and pulls back the curtain on some of the Empire State’s most fascinating stories.
What makes a legend a legend? A bit of truth and a bit of entertaining fiction! That's how legends have lasted through generations, and sometimes for thousands of years. Robin Hood, King Arthur, and young George Washington all make an appearance in this informative book, which offers details about legendary stories as well as information about why they're considered legends. Readers will also learn about urban legends and consider if they have legends-in-the-making in their families and communities.