A quintessential Australian bushman, Brian Taylor has spent most of his life on the land. Working as a drover, a stockman, a fencer, a shearer and a saddler, he has gathered a swag of stories over the years as he travelled way out past the Barcoo, along the dusty plains and beside the dry creek beds under the endless southern sky. In A SWAG OF MEMORIES Brian Taylor shares with us these stories, of the people he has met, the places he has been and the moments, long-gone, that define the traditions of the Australian bush. Like those bush poets and storytellers of days past, Taylor brings to life the characters and the creatures of the bush: men like Dangerous Dan Smith, a hard, self-reliant man who had a gentler talent; Father Peter, a parish priest and occasional hero; Charlie Gibson, an Aboriginal stockman who knew the land better than anyone; and Banjo, the ever-alert dingo watchdog. These colourful and evocative bush tales delightfully capture a slight of Australian life that many of us will never get to see. Luckily, with this collection, you can sit back with a billy of tea and read all about it.

In this deluxe, lavish hardcover edition, one of the last surviving cast members ofThe Wizard of Ozreveals his life story and shares his memories of making that beloved Hollywood classic. Features more than 50 specially commissioned illustrations by renowned artists such as Al Hirschfeld, Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Sergio Aragones, Greg Hildebrandt, Al Jaffee, and many others. In this deluxe, lavishly illustrated, hardcover edition, one of the last surviving cast members ofThe Wizard of Ozreveals his life story and shares his memories of making that beloved Hollywood classic. Born into a family of German dairy farmers, Meinhardt Raabe grew up in Farmington, Wisconsin. In 1934, before starting college, he heard about a special "Midget Village" exhibit at the World's Fair in Chicago. Raabe was hired to participate in that event, followed by years of appearing at other fairs and exhibitions. In 1938, he heard a rumor that MGM was going to make a movie with Judy Garland and "they wanted as many little people as they could find." Through an agent, Raabe was cast in the film. And what follows is his own account of life as a Munchkin on the set ofThe Wizard of Oz: enduring tough auditions, watching as the glorious Munchkinland set was built, putting up with long days of rehearsal, being costumed by legendary MGM designer Adrian, hob-nobbing on the set with the stars, witnessing various mishaps during filming, being visited on the set by curious Hollywood royalty such as Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable, and much more. Here, too, is Raabe's life after theThe Wizard of Oz: His career as an accomplished pilot with the Civil Air Patrol during World War II; more than 30 years as "Little Oscar," spokesman for the Oscar Mayer Company; his charity work and his role as advocate and kindred spirit to Little People everywhere. This is a charming, humorous and inspiring memoir that noThe Wizard of Ozfan will want to miss.

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THINK CHILDREN ARE THE CUTEST, CUDDLIEST, MOST WONDERFUL, SAINTLY CREATURES IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. THESE PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN. THEY HAVE NICE THINGS. THEY COLLECT FRAGILE POTTERY. THEY HAVE CANDLELIT DINNERS IN FANCY RESTAURANTS. THEY GO TO MOVIES. THEY HAVE WHITE CARPETS. PEOPLE WITH SMALL CHILDREN HAVEN'T BEEN TO A RESTAURANT WITHOUT PLASTIC SILVERWARE IN YEARS. THE LAST MOVIE THEY SAW IN A THEATER IS NOW ON AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS. THEIR HOUSE LOOKS LIKE IT WAS DECORATED BY PEE-WEE HERMAN. BABY'S FIRST TATTOO IS FOR THEM. For years parents have been buying baby books to document all the precious moments in their new baby's life -- Baby's First Tooth, Baby's First Haircut, Baby's First Step. What have been ignored for too long are those "alternative" precious moments that really should be written down, celebrated, and remembered -- Baby's First Projectile Vomit, Baby's First Tantrum in a Crowded Grocery Store, Baby's 10,000th Dirty Diaper. Otherwise you might forget them and think of becoming parents once again.

For fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Blackthorn Key series comes an award-winning boarding school mystery about twelve year old Emmy, who's shipped off to a prestigious British school. But her new home is hiding a secret society ... and it may be the answer to Emmy's questions about her missing father. With a dad who disappeared years ago and a mother who's a bit too busy to parent, Emmy is shipped off to Wellsworth, a prestigious boarding school in England, where she's sure she won't fit in. But then she finds a box of mysterious medallions in the attic of her home with a note reading: These belonged to your father. When she arrives at school, she finds the strange symbols from the medallions etched into walls and books, which leads Emmy and her new friends, Jack and Lola, to Wellsworth's secret society: The Order of Black Hollow Lane. Emmy can't help but think that the society had something to do with her dad's disappearance, and that there may be more than just dark secrets in the halls of Wellsworth... Pick up the Black Hollow Lane series for your 5th grade and middle school students, kids 9-12, and young readers who love twisty mysteries with: Boarding schools Secret societies Cryptic letters Secret relics A fantastic group of friends

Plantation Memories is a compilation of episodes of everyday racism written in the form of short psychoanalytical stories. From the question “Where do you come from?” to Hair Politics to the N-word, the book is a strong, eloquent, and elaborate piece that deconstructs the normality of everyday racism and exposes the violence of being placed as the Other. Released at the Berlin International Literature Festival in 2008, soon the book became internationally acclaimed and part of numerous academic curricula. Known for her subversive practice of giving body, voice, and image to her own texts, Grada Kilomba has adapted her book into a staged reading and video installation. Plantation Memories is an important contribution to the global cultural discourse.

An imaginative adventure for any child hoping to make a new friend, and for when a new place doesn’t yet feel like home. Elliott has just moved into a new house. He spends his days with his fictional friends, immersed in a book. When an inviting Sunday rain gathers the local kids to play in the puddles, Elliott longs to join in, but he's too shy to go outside. Soon, Elliott discovers that new friendships are like a new book—you just have to plunge into the adventure. "While a storm rages on the other side of the ship curtains at his bedroom window, Elliott buries himself in a book. A princess endlessly fights a dragon and a watercolor sea keeps 'swallowing the royal boat,' with Elliott at the helm. Later, he peeks out shyly at two puddle-jumping children on the sidewalk. 'Make some friends while I finish unpacking,' his mother urges. He joins them with a toy boat. Soon the S.S. Elliott is life-size, the puddles are an ocean and the dragon is a kite. Elliott's new house feels like home."—The New York Times Book Review, 8 Picture Books about Imagination and Identity "The imagination-fueled adventures will restore your faith in the kindness of kids"—Parents Magazine, 5 Parents-Approved Children's Books to Read Right Now “A quiet, sweet story blending common themes of moving, imagination, and friendship”—Kirkus Reviews “A gorgeous book demonstrating perfectly, with understanding and empathy, the importance of gentle encouragement to face our fears and the positive effects which result from leaping right into life and right into those glorious, rainy day puddles!”—Book Monsters “Moving may be hard, but new places can offer friendly guides to worlds of adventure, if we're brave enough to seek them out!”—Jennifer Broedel, children's author