This is an essential guide for new students coming to the Bard for the first time as well as a valuable resource for a dedicated fan. It is an ideal introduction to the life and times of Shakespeare, uncovering the few fragments of his life and placing him within the Elizabethan world. The book also looks at each of his plays and sonnets, giving full explanations and descriptions, putting them in context, and revealing the many great quotes and key scenes.

The story of Robin Hood contains compelling narratives of crusades and outlaws and has become a symbol for justice in an unjust world. Robin Hood became a hero over the centuries and has been immortalized in books, art, and movies, as well as a figure of admiration, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. This Brief History explores the truth behind the myths and the realities behind the images, and reveals an unexpected story that hits close to home.

From the sugar plantations of Saint-Domingue to the lavish parlors of New Orleans at the turn of the 19th century, Isabel Allende's latest novel tells the story of a mulatta woman, a slave and concubine, determined to take control of her own destiny in a society where that would seem impossible. Born a slave on the island of Saint-Domingue, Zarite — known as Tete — is the daughter of an African mother she never knew and one of the white sailors who brought her into bondage. Though her childhood is one of brutality and fear, Tete finds solace in the traditional rhythms of African drums and the voodoo loas she discovers through her fellow slaves. When twenty-year-old Toulouse Valmorain arrives on the island in 1770, it's with powdered wigs in his trunks and dreams of financial success in his mind. But running his father's plantation, Saint Lazare, is neither glamorous nor easy. Against the merciless backdrop of sugar cane fields, the lives of Tete and Valmorain grow ever more intertwined. When the bloody revolution of Toussaint Louverture arrives at the gates of Saint Lazare, they flee the island that will become Haiti for the decadence and opportunity of New Orleans. There, Tete finally forges a new life — but her connection to Valmorain is deeper than anyone knows and not so easily severed. Spanning four decades, Island Beneath the Sea is the moving story of one woman's determination to find love amid loss, to offer humanity though her own has been so battered, and to forge her own identity in the cruellest of circumstances.

One of the most popular songs in music history becomes one of the most delightful children's books ever — complete with a CD featuring two completely new tunes by NEIL SEDAKA! Rise and shine! It's morning time. The alarm clock's ringing, the birds are singing. Everything's saying: get up, get going! Breakfast is warming, school is calling. The streets are bustling, all the world is stirring. It's sure to be a happy day with this bright and sunny picture book and CD, with new lyrics based on the hit song by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Daniel Miyares's delightful art opens your eyes with its vivid colors, playful details, and adorable collection of animal characters. And to make waking up just a little easier, there's a CD with Neil Sedaka singing this happy song, plus two brand new songs written by Neil for this book and CD set: Lightnin' Jim and Sing. Warm and friendly and full of fun, this is a musical and visual celebration of the everyday joys of home, family, and neighborhood. The song Breaking Up is Hard to Do was first released in 1962 and quickly went to Number One on Billboard's Top 100. Sedaka re-released the song in 1975, changing it from an up-tempo tune to a ballad, and made music history when it reached #1 on the charts, becoming the first song recorded in two different versions by the same artist to reach Number One.

10-Piece Puzzle.

New York Times — bestselling author Lehane delivers an explosive tale of vengeance and redemption in this brilliant sequel to Gone, Baby, Gone — heralding the long-awaited return of beloved private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro.

All three volumes in the Inkheart trilogy are packaged together in this beautiful box set. Includes Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath.

On the eve of the controversial, posthumous publication of The Original of Laura, Michael Maar follows his critically acclaimed The Two Lolitas with a revealing new perspective on Vladimir Nabokov's life and work. Hunting down long-hidden clues in the novels, and using the themes that run through Nabokov's fiction to illuminate the life that produced them, Maar constructs a compelling psychological and philosophical portrait. Characteristically graceful and engaging, Speak, Nabokov offers a vital new perspective on the twentieth- century master.

When I'm Big is an interactive story that literally grows with the reader. Specially formatted Silly Sliders are designed to move up and down the page — transforming the picture and telling the story. Words appear and disappear while the characters grow up right before the reader's eyes. Inside When I'm Big, kids will be wowed when a young boy gazing longingly at a rocket ship, suddenly blasts off as a grown-up astronaut inside it. Other dream jobs range from magician, rock star, and firefighter, to chef, circus performer, and baker. Simple text and bright, richly painted illustrations complete this engaging storybook.

Travels of the Zephyr is an interactive book that introduces readers to various lands and peoples across the globe through the notes of the fictional explorer James Mac Killian, who lived from 1889 to 1978. James Mac Killian traveled the world in his homemade hot-air balloon, the Zephyr, documenting everything and everyone he encountered. The goal of his particular expeditions was to visit different ethnic groups and discover traditions that dated back to the dawn of time, including different languages, foods, beliefs, and rituals, to name only a few. He explored such places as Greenland, Newfoundland, North America, Brazil, Scotland, Africa, New Zealand, Indonesia, China, and Russia. Now his niece, Caroline Mac Killian, has inherited his research and has decided to publish his findings. Throughout the book there are interactive devices, such as maps that unfold, envelopes with letters, sketches, drawings, and much more. The story is a work of fiction, but the information presented is factual and fascinating.

Robert San Souci retells the classic and humorous tale of Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow. Acclaimed author Robert San Souci and Caldecott Honor illustrator and Coretta Scott King Award winner E. B. Lewis retell the classic legend of Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow. Robin Hood and his loyal band create a plan to outsmart the Sheriff of Nottingham by attending an archery contest in disguise. In the end, it is Robin Hood and his friends who have the last laugh. Kids of all ages will cheer for this classic tale based on the traditional story of Robin Hood.

- Donna Leon was named one of Time magazine's 50 Greatest Crime Writers; — About Face was a New York Times (extended), San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Washington Post Book World, National Indie, New England Independent Booksellers Association, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, and Independent Mystery Booksellers Association best seller;

A tour de force of illustration and design, JONATHAN SWIFT'S GULLIVER is a magnificent introduction to one of the most popular stories in the English language. First published in 1726, Jonathan Swift's wonderful adventure has long been a favorite with adults and children alike. This skillful adaptation by award-winning author Martin Jenkins stays true to the original, in a magnificent edition featuring all of Gulliver's extraordinary voyages. Chris Riddell's illustrations capture the tale in panoramic detail, making for a peerless introduction to one of the most popular stories in the English language.

Inside Oliver's First Christmas, Oliver, a precocious puppy, prepares to spend his first Christmas with his new family. Like most puppies, Oliver has the best of intentions, but his playful energy makes for a whole string of comic misadventures, from helping to wrap presents to decorating the Christmas tree. Oliver is one busy pup. Featuring Accord Publishing's New York Times best-selling moving picture technology in a mini-book format, Oliver's First Christmas highlights the season's favourite traditions such as singing carols and waiting up for Santa with actual movement on each full-colour page spread.

Delve into the hidden nature of words: An irresistible mix of information, curiosity, and fun Linguist Vivian Cook takes us on a brilliant series of excursions into the history and meaning of words: How do we learn words as a child? How are words born, and why do they die? Why do some never get spoken, and others never written? Each chapter is charmingly illustrated — and accompanied by a rich assortment of games, lists, puzzles, and quotes. From polite words to crass words, from p-c words to Shakespeare's words, from food and wine words to jazz and drug words — the book is an exciting exploration into the abundance and variety of words.

This book and outfit package includes a board book and includes a 12-month-size all-cotton t-shirt for babies, making it the perfect baby shower or new arrival gift. The baby tee features an image of George at his most adorable, silkscreened onto the front. The board book is a refreshed version of our First Words at the Zoo--updated with our Curious Baby colors and a new cover. The packaging will include new parent tips on sharing books and a love of reading with their new baby.

Inside this clever and innovative activity book, each spread becomes a shared creative adventure. Draw airplanes or cars, birds or shapes, even each other! Great for long car or plane rides, rainy afternoons, or sharing with grandparents. An expandable inner pocket is included for treasured drawings. A perfect keepsake!

Super-big, super-fun, SUPER COLOSSAL! This is one of the biggest collections of our popular Storytime Stickers series ever, giving kids even more entertainment than before! It’s the princess’s birthday: Find her hidden present. Let the unicorn games begin: Laugh and play with these magical creatures. A Secret Garden: Gather wildflowers on a very special morning. Enter the Magic Forest: The fairies are having a dance! Go on vacation beneath mighty waves: The underwater people are waiting. Giddy Up!: Discover where the horses are playing. And because the stickers are reusable, children can enjoy the book—and build different scenes—again and again.

Montalbano quickly slammed the trunk shut and sat down on top of it. When the beam from Livia's torch shone on his face, he automatically smiled. 'What's in the trunk?' Livia asked. 'Nothing. It's empty.' How could he possibly have told her there was a corpse inside? The lazy, slow month of August at the height of the Sicilian summer is, Montalbano assures his girlfriend Livia as they prepare for a relaxing holiday in a villa he has found for them, far too hot for any murders to be committed. But when Livia's friends' young son goes missing, a chain of events is sparked which will certainly ruin the Chief Inspector's pleasant interlude. A secret apartment and a grisly find in an old trunk are just the beginning, as Montalbano navigates his way though the case, as well as coping with the sweltering heat, the suspicious death of an Arab labourer and the tempting lure of a beautiful girl... 'A magnificent series of novels' — Sunday Times. 'Wonderful Italian detective stories' — Guardian.

After World War II, the former allies were saddled with a devastated world economy and traumatized populace. Soviet influence spread insidiously from nation to nation, and the Atlantic powersthe Americans, the British, and a small band of allieswere caught flat-footed by the coups, collapsing armies, and civil wars that sprung from all sides. The Cold War had begun in earnest. In The Atlantic and Its Enemies, prize-winning historian Norman Stone assesses the years between World War II and the collapse of the Iron Curtain. He vividly demonstrates that for every Atlantic success there seemed to be a dozen Communist or Third World triumphs. Then, suddenly and against all odds, the Atlantic woneconomically, ideologically, and militarilywith astonishing speed and finality. An elegant and path-breaking history, The Atlantic and Its Enemies is a monument to the immense suffering and conflict of the twentieth century, and an illuminating exploration of how the Atlantic triumphed over its enemies at last.