Once upon a time a jealous girl stole a magical artifact from a museum to eliminate her competition. In the Rocky Mountains, a man studies a woman raised by wolves, but soon watching won't be enough. Tonight, you might find yourself in a fairy tale of your own. Will you answer magic's call?

Two rhyming books in one that inspire and encourage children who are learning to read and write. You are a Reader! / You are a Writer! is a book made to be read twice, once from the front and once from the back. Read one way, children will see all the joys that reading can bring--flip it over and they'll be inspired by the imaginative possibilities of writing! With a jaunty rhyme that’s great for reading aloud and a diverse cast of characters at various stages of reading and writing, there is something for everyone here. Learning to read? Scan, sound, simmer, think. You can guzzle words and ink. You might stumble, you might sigh. But readers practice, grow, and fly! Learning to write? Wake, watch, wonder, plot. You can weave with words and thoughts. Still staring at an empty page? Every writer knows that stage. Ask "What if?" Change your view. Try a pen--or stick--that's new. But writers read and draft, and fly! Throughout the book are suggestions for where to find inspiration for reading and writing and different ways to move on if you are discouraged. Christine Davenier's energetic illustrations add to the fun in this true celebration of what it means to be a reader and a writer, no matter how accomplished you are or aren't. Praise for Snowy Race "A girl gets to ride on her dad's giant snowplow in this delightful rhyming tale. They race through the heavy snow, but it's not clear where they're going until they arrive at the train station. . . Prince's (What Do Wheels Do All Day?) text is intriguingly spare, letting Davenier's (The First Thing My Mama Told Me) softly exuberant wintertime scenes shine." --The New York Times Rhyming, minimal text coupled with fetching illustrations by Davenier expertly convey the exhilarating drama of entering into a snowstorm as well as the comfy feelings of being in a warm house while the weather is frightful. --School Library Journal A winning, winter race. --Kirkus Reviews

Incorporating several kinds of scholarship on medieval authorship, the essays examine interrelated questions raised by the relationship between an author and a reader, the relationships between authors and their antecedents, and the ways in which authorship interacts with the physical presentation of texts in books.

"With sumptuous, visually stimulating spreads, this book delivers on its promise– to unearth strange stories, bizarre facts, or unexpected details about the books on our shelves. Good for curious readers, whether they want to delve into authors and books they love, feel competent faking knowledge about books everyone else seems to have read, or just dip into and out of literary worlds" – Library Journal Readers rejoice! From Mental Floss, an online destination for more than a billion curious minds since its founding in 2001, comes the ultimate book for lovers of literature. From Americanah to War and Peace, from Chinua Achebe and Jane Austen to Jesmyn Ward and George R.R. Martin, learn surprising facts about the world’s most famous novels and novelists. The Curious Reader will delight bookworms everywhere. This literary compendium from Mental Floss reveals fascinating facts about the world’s most famous authors and their literary works. Readers will learn about George Orwell’s near-death experience during the writing of 1984; meet the real man who may have inspired Pride and Prejudice’s Mr. Darcy; discover which famous author kept her husband’s heart after he passed away; and learn about the influence of psychedelics on Dune. The Curious Reader also contains the most-loved book-related articles from 20 years of Mental Floss, including “Cat-Loving Writers,” “Famous Authors’ Unfinished Manuscripts,” “Literary Characters Based on Real People,” and “Books You Didn’t Know Were Self-Published.” This literary miscellany is certain to inspire book lovers, aspiring writers, students, and teachers alike to discover a diverse selection of curated literary works—leading to an expansion of their library!

An irresistible illustrated collection of charming, wise, and hilarious quotations from your favorite authors Why do we go to book readings? For a chance to see the authors we love come to life off the page, answering our questions and proving to be the brilliant, witty people we catch glimpses of through their work. Illustrator Kate Gavino (author of Sanpaku) captures the wonder of this experience firsthand. At every reading she attends, Kate hand-letters the event’s most memorable quote alongside a charming portrait of the author. In Last Night’s Reading, Kate takes us on her journey through the literary world, sharing illustrated insight from more than one hundred of today’s greatest writers—including Zadie Smith, Junot Diaz, Lev Grossman, Elizabeth Gilbert, and many more—on topics ranging from friendship and humor to creativity and identity. A celebration of authors, reading, and bookstores, this delightful collection is an advice book like no other and a love letter to the joy of seeing your favorite author up close and personal. “Instead of putting together a lengthy play-by-play of the event she witnessed, Gavino records the best quote, and accompanies it with a colorful sketch of the author. It sounds simple, but the results are striking and unforgettable.” –Flavorwire "A witty love letter to the literary world." –The Boston Globe

Books are impractical companions and housemates: they are heavy when you are travelling, and in the home take up a lot of space, are hard to keep clean, and harbour insects. It is not a matter of the physical book, it is the deep emotional connection that stretches back to my early years. Living without them is unimaginable. These collected essays share a joyous and plaintive glimpse into the reading and writing life of novelist, editor and teacher of creative writing Debra Adelaide. Every book I have read becomes part of me, and discarding any is like tearing out a page from my own life. With immediate wit and intimacy, Adelaide explores what shapes us as readers, how books inform, console and broaden our senses of self, and the constant conversation of authors and readers with the rest of their libraries. Drawing from her experiences in the publishing industry, the academic world, her own life and the literary and critical communities, she paints a vibrant portrait of a life lived in and by books, perfect for any student, bibliophile, editor, or simply: reader. PRAISE FOR THE INNOCENT READER 'In an act of generosity, Adelaide offers readers a deeper understanding of how the unconscious shapes, filters and connects ideas through a lifelong love affair with books. She has given me sharper lenses through which to focus more closely on what is on the page and how it got there.' CAROLINE BAUM 'The complex transaction between writer and reader unfolds, in these vivid and generous personal essays, to produce a hymn to the uncanny power of fiction.' CARMEL BIRD 'A passion for books is threaded through every part of Debra Adelaide's life, as writer, teacher and mother. She's an unpretentious but discerning reader, a rigorous and amusing guide, a generous and confiding friend, a 'literary autodidact' who demonstrates that reading is both an appetite and a muscle. I devoured these essays, spiced with the detail of Debra's personal experience, and felt again the pure hunger for books I had as a child. The Innocent Reader has the power to ignite a love of stories and sentences, and is a trove of wisdom for readers, writers and students who want to sharpen their skills.' SUSAN WYNDHAM 'An indispensable guide for every student of creative writing, an ideal companion for the avid reader. A book full of insights as helpful to the seasoned professional writer as to the novice starting out. The Innocent Reader is also a sort of companion to the body of work of one of our most treasured writers, wherein the author gives away more of herself than ever before, through books both read and written, with friends in the business of reading and writing. Debra Adelaide's reflections are at once warm-hearted and steely, and throw light not just on her own work, but also our literary culture as a whole.' FIONA McGREGOR 'A bounty of beautiful, profound (and useful) statements on reading and writing . . . This book is a standing ovation to the glory and wonder of books.' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN