In the frigid waters, off a moonlit beach, a magical transformation is occurring. The GirlAylee is a shop-keeper's daughter in a nameless coastal town. Kind, thoughtful, and recovering from a broken heart, she yearns for a life she may never have. She would do just about anything to make her parents happy, including perhaps, living a life she doesn't want.The StrangerOn a brisk autumn morning, Aylee stumbles upon Cailean. He's an outsider-lost, confused, and very much out of place. Cailean has more than a few secrets, but for reasons Aylee can't quite explain, the two strike up a quick friendship.The PerilCailean has lost a very valuable item-one that may mean the difference between life and death. As Aylee and Cailean search for answers, they call on friends and enemies alike in the hope of avoiding tragedy. In the process, Aylee must confront danger in many forms-both human and fey-all while learning just as much about herself as the mysterious people and creatures surrounding her. What will she choose for herself in the end, and who will she lose as she fights for her new friend and her own future?Steeped in Celtic folklore, A Simple Tale of Water and Weeping is a timeless tale sure to bring a smile to your heart and possibly a tear to your eye. It is a magical story of love, friendship, and accepting not only ourselves, but also those around us.

Birddog Harlin is a willful and bitter woman whose husband leaves suddenly one morning. She is left with her sad and angry daughter. Birddog, feeling the detachment from her only child, recalls her own difficult past filled with the hurt of death, abandonment and loneliness. Painful memories flood her mind, forcing Birddog, who is teetering between self-destruction and redemption, to choose whether she will rise above her pain or whether she will fall.

Barclay and his friends must save an island city from the Legendary Beast of the Sea in this “charming and earnest” (Kirkus Reviews) sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Accidental Apprentice, perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon. Something is wrong at the Sea. The weeping tide, a carnivorous algae bloom, is eating up all the fish. Beasts are terrorizing the nearby Elsewheres. And Lochmordra, the Legendary Beast, is rising at random and swallowing ships whole. Barclay’s teacher, the famous Guardian Keeper Runa Rasgar, has been summoned to investigate, and as her apprentice, Barclay gets to join too. But Runa’s nemesis has also been called to the Sea, and he’s brought apprentices of his own. When the not-so-friendly competition between them grows fierce, it’s Barclay—the only one from the Elsewheres—who can’t seem to keep up. The key to stopping Lochmordra lies in his mythical home, but as the flood of the weeping tide encroaches, time is running out to find it. If the rival groups can’t cast aside old grudges and learn to work together, soon the Sea will be destroyed completely. And all the while Barclay must ask himself: is there truly a place for him in the Wilderlands?

This poetical study of water ranges from classical myth and literature to modern physics and microbiology. Because water exists in three forms or phases—liquid, solid, and gas—each needs its own constellation of ideas. Its subtle movement is the hidden source of question, questioner, and the phenomenon of life. Its power is transformation, the unspoken theme of the book.

Activities to expand children's favorite books. Primary grades.