Literary fiction of humor and horror, poetry and mystery, science fiction and myth, exploring the limits and inner and outer space. Short-short fictions of only a few lines hint at terrible depths. The long story "The Perquisites of His Position" tells a tale of ghostly revenge. The novella "The Darkness of the Heart" relates a story of the day slavery was abolished in Haiti. The satirical "Pangloss Triumphant" tells of a happy hermaphrodite. From the revelations of the aged Don Juan to the musings of B-movie actors trapped in deteriorating celluloid, from the voice of the ancient Sphinx to the senility of a quantum particle at the very end of the physical universe, the thirty-three artfully crafted stories presented here are full of deftly drawn characters, amazing plots, psychological insights, and universal truths.

For fans of Sarah Addison Allen, Aimee Bender, and Alice Hoffman, The Night Garden is a luminous novel of love, forgiveness, and the possibilities that arise when you open your heart. Nestled in the bucolic town of Green Valley in upstate New York, the Pennywort farm appears ordinary, yet at its center lies something remarkable: a wild maze of colorful gardens that reaches beyond the imagination. Local legend says that a visitor can gain answers to life’s most difficult problems simply by walking through its lush corridors. Yet the labyrinth has never helped Olivia Pennywort, the garden’s beautiful and enigmatic caretaker. She has spent her entire life on her family’s land, harboring a secret that forces her to keep everyone at arm’s length. But when her childhood best friend, Sam Van Winkle, returns to the valley, Olivia begins to question her safe, isolated world and wonders if she at last has the courage to let someone in. As she and Sam reconnect, Olivia faces a difficult question: Is the garden maze that she has nurtured all of her life a safe haven or a prison? Praise for Lisa Van Allen’s The Wishing Thread “Reader to reader, knitter to knitter: You’re going to love this book.”—Debbie Macomber “Whimsical . . . great for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman.”—Library Journal Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

From Newbery Honor and National Book Award–winning author Polly Horvath is this magical middle-grade novel about a garden that grants wishes. It is World War II, and Franny and her parents, Sina and Old Tom, enjoy a quiet life on a farm on Vancouver Island. Franny writes, Sina sculpts, and Old Tom tends to their many gardens—including the ancient, mysterious night garden. Their peaceful life is interrupted when their neighbor, Crying Alice, begs Sina to watch her children while she goes to visit her husband at the military base because she suspects he’s up to no good. Soon after the children move in, letters arrive from their father that suggest he's about to do something to change their lives; and appearances from a stubborn young cook, UFOs, hermits, and ghosts only make life stranger. Can the forbidden night garden that supposedly grants everyone one wish help them all out of trouble? And if so, at what cost? The Night Garden is a poignant and hilarious story from acclaimed children's author Polly Horvath.

Back in print at last! ABC for Kids is delighted to announce the re-release of a range of best-selling, award-winning children's picture books. Including Children's Book Council winners and all-time favourites, no children's bookshelf is complete without these classic favourites. Twenty-four titles will be republished from 2010-11. Ages 3-5. When the sun sets and the moon rises, Sally and her cat, Strange, tiptoe out into the Night Garden. transformed from neat hedges and flower beds into twisted shapes and creatures, the garden is now alive with magic and adventure. An enchanting tale about the power of a little girl's imagination, brought to life by Elise Hurst's rich illustrations. Author extras: there are two activities based on the Night Garden here - a word jumble and a colour-in page - http://www.elisehurst.com/downloads.html Ages 3-5.

Ten classic In the Night Garden stories to celebrate ten years of the show! Join Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and all their friends as they play hide-and-seek with the Pontipines, search for Igglepiggle's blanket and work out why Makka Pakka's trumpet is making such a funny noise. This beautifully illustrated treasury of tales is the perfect bedtime book for In the Night Garden fans.

A delightful illustrated storybook based on an episode of the long-running preschool programme, In the Night Garden. All aboard the Ninky Nonk, Night Garden fans! It's time to go for a ride with Igglepiggle, Makka Pakka, Upsy Daisy and the Tombliboos.