With a foreword by the award-winning fantasy author Jonathan Stroud, and illustration by some of the world’s best illustrators including John Howe, the Fantasy Encyclopedia is a spectacular one-stop guide to the creatures and people of folklore and fantasy. From goblins and fairies to dragons and Dracula, this encyclopedia covers them all with sparkling, readable text and stunning illustrations. Discover how the magic of stories throughout the centuries has kept these creatures alive in traditions and cultures around the world. Using a highly visual approach, featuring more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this book will introduce readers to each fantasy character within its habitat and genre. Cross-reference boxes direct readers to popular books and movies starring these fantastical creatures. This is a must-have for any fantasy enthusiast!
Europe
Materials from Europe
Spooky Stories For A Dark And Stormy Night
From classic thrillers by Washington Irving and Charles Dickens to chilling legends from around the world retold by renowned authors such as Laurence Yep, to tales of fear from contemporary storytellers Bruce Coville and Stephanie Calmenson, this collection of spine-tingling stories and excerpts is sure to grab–and hold–young readers.
Roman Catholicism (World Religions)
An exploration of the origins and history, basic tenets and beliefs, organizations and structure, practices, influence, and contemporary role of the Catholic Church.
Tamar: A Novel Of Espionage, Passion, And Betrayal
Now available – the Carnegie Medal winner comes to the U.S.
When her grandfather dies, Tamar inherits a box containing a series of clues and coded messages. Out of the past, another Tamar emerges, a man involved in the terrifying world of resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Holland half a century before. His story is one of passionate love, jealousy, and tragedy set against the daily fear and casual horror of the Second World War — and unraveling it is about to transform Tamar’s life forever.
From acclaimed British sensation Mal Peet comes a masterful story of adventure, love, secrets, and betrayal in time of war, both past and present.
Featured in Volume II, Issue 1 of WOW Review.
Be a Genie in Six Easy Steps
Be careful what you wish for. . . . When new stepsiblings Milly, Michael, Jason, and Jess move to a town in the middle of nowhere, the last thing they expect is to find a magic book. But then they stumble upon The Genie Handbook, and their lives are changed forever. Each chapter in The Genie Handbook contains one of six stages of training to be mastered, and the kids are thrilled to begin their schooling—especially since once they become genies, they can wish themselves back to London and their old lives. But then some of the wishes go wrong, and the magic starts to seem scarier. And when the kids discover a mysterious couple watching them covertly, they realize there’s more to the handbook than they ever could have guessed. If the children’s greatest wish of all is finally granted, will their world change for better or for worse? Maybe sometimes it takes something even more powerful than a genie to reveal your true heart’s desire.
From Somalia with Love
Safia Dirie is a teenage girl living in East London with her mother, Hoyo, and two older brothers, Ahmed and Abdullahi. Though she was born in Somalia, she doesn’t remember much of it — Safia’s a London girl, through and through. But now, after 12 long years, her father, Abo, has returned to the family from war-torn Mogadishu. Safia knew things would change, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality of dealing with Abo’s cultural expectations. Or that Ahmed, her favorite brother, would start to run wild. And she herself certainly didn’t expect to find her cousin’s party-girl lifestyle so tempting. Safia must come to terms with who she is — as a Muslim, as a teenager, as a poet, as a friend, but most of all, as a daughter to a father she’s never known. Rooted in Somali and Muslim life, this poignant and beautifully written novel about one girl’s quest to find her own place in the world strikes a chord with young readers everywhere.
Read more about From Somalia with Love in WOW Review.
The Faceless Ones
Valkyrie screamed, sprinting toward Skulduggery. He looked up and reached out to her, but it was too late. If you’ve read the other Skulduggery books by Derek Landy (and you really should have read them by now), you’ve seen it all before: Some bad guy wants to bring about the end of the world, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie fight valiantly to stop it from happening. A few people get hurt, sure, but everything’s all right in the end. Well, not this time.
When I Wore My Sailor Suit
When he puts on his sailor suit, sailor hat, and sailor whistle, the boy in this book is ready for a journey. He imagines himself on a ship, sailing across the sea, in search of treasure. A sailor’s life is dangerous. But a sailor must be brave no matter what happens. In this story about imagination and adventure, told with Uri Shulevitz’s signature playfulness and style, a little boy learns how to be courageous, both on the high seas and at home.
Return to Groosham Grange: The Unholy Grail
To save Groosham Grange, the strange boarding school he attends where ghosts and ghouls rule the academy and students study witchcraft, David Eliot must win the Unholy Grail, a magical cup awarded to the star pupil.
Cake Girl
In this bedazzling picture book for all seasons, a Witch is once again alone on her birthday. So she uses her powers to bake a Cake Girl to act as her servant for the day. She tells Cake Girl to sing and dance—and do all the housework! “And then,” says the Witch, “I’ll eat you.” But Cake Girl proves to be too clever a confection for such a fate, and she soon turns the tables on her maker, with happy results for them both. Cheery and cheeky themes abound in this deliciously illustrated story about the magic of laughter and play and new companions.