Here's the inside scoop on all the family-friendly fun to be had in the Wolverine State—places, events, and treats as varied as the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Novi, Mackinac Island's world-famous fudge, and a 600-ton steam locomotive at the Henry Ford Museum.

Unique in its coverage of contemporary American children's literature, this timely, single-volume reference covers the books our children are--or should be--reading now, from board books to young adult novels. Enriched with dozens of color illustrations and the voices of authors and illustrators themselves, it is a cornucopia of delight. 23 color, 153 b&w illustrations.

"Susan, George, and Dumpling have a special life in Midwest City, where they live with their college-professor dad and mystery-writer mom. Not only can they watch the university's football games from the tower of their house on College Avenue, but now Tommy Tokarynski, who mows their lawn, is famous. He's the university's star quarterback! There's only one problem: Tommy's grades are dreadful, and he might get kicked off the team before the homecoming game. As Susan, George, and Dumpling team up to save their beloved quarterback, they also outsmart their naughty neighbors, rescue animals, and start a new business that just might help out the whole family. It's never a dull moment when the Ridgeway kids are involved!"--Dust jacket flap

The 1st ed. includes an index to v. 28-36 of St. Nicholas.

This dictionary of American English is designed to help learners write and speak accurate and up-to-date English. • Ideal for upper-intermediate and advanced learners of English • Based on the Collins 4.5-billion-word database, the Collins Corpus • Up-to-date coverage of today’s English, with all words and phrases explained in full sentences • Authentic examples from the Collins Corpus show how English is really used • Extensive help with grammar, including plural forms and verb infl ections • Fully illustrated Word Web and Picture Dictionary boxes provide additional information on vocabulary and key concepts • Vocabulary-building features encourage students to improve their accuracy and fl uency: †- Word Partnership notes highlight important collocations †- Thesaurus entries offer synonyms and antonyms for common words †- Usage notes explain different meanings and uses of the word • Supplements on Grammar, Writing, Speaking, Words That Frequently Appear on TOEFL® and TOEIC®, Text Messaging and Emoticons

The Harry Potter series of books and movies are wildly popular. Many Christians see the books as largely if not entirely harmless. Others regard them as dangerous and misleading. In his book A Landscape with Dragons, Harry Potter critic Michael O'Brien examines contemporary children's literature and finds it spiritually and morally wanting. His analysis, written before the rise of the popular Potter books and films, anticipates many of the problems Harry Potter critics point to. A Landscape with Dragons is a controversial, yet thoughtful study of what millions of young people are reading and the possible impact such reading may have on them. In this study of the pagan invasion of children's culture, O'Brien, the father of six, describes his own coming to terms with the effect it has had on his family and on most families in Western society. His analysis of the degeneration of books, films, and videos for the young is incisive and detailed. Yet his approach is not simply critical, for he suggests a number of remedies, including several tools of discernment for parents and teachers in assessing the moral content and spiritual impact of this insidious revolution. In doing so, he points the way to rediscovery of time-tested sources, and to new developments in Christian culture. If you have ever wondered why a certain children's book or film made you feel uneasy, but you couldn't figure out why, this book is just what you need. This completely revised, much expanded second edition also includes a very substantial recommended reading list of over 1,000 books for kindergarten through highschool.