This lively book takes us back to the first performances of five famous musical compositions: Monteverdi's Orfeo in 1607, Handel's Messiah in 1742, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in 1824, Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique in 1830, and Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps in 1913. Thomas Forrest Kelly sets the scene for each of these premieres, describing the cities in which they took place, the concert halls, audiences, conductors, and musicians, the sound of the music when it was first performed (often with instruments now extinct), and the popular and critical responses. He explores how performance styles and conditions have changed over the centuries and what music can reveal about the societies that produce it. Kelly tells us, for example, that Handel recruited musicians he didn't know to perform Messiah in a newly built hall in Dublin; that Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was performed with a mixture of professional and amateur musicians after only three rehearsals; and that Berlioz was still buying strings for the violas and mutes for the violins on the day his symphony was first played. Kelly's narrative, which is enhanced by extracts from contemporary letters, press reports, account books, and other sources, as well as by a rich selection of illustrations, gives us a fresh appreciation of these five masterworks, encouraging us to sort out our own late twentieth-century expectations from what is inherent in the music.

Two of our most beloved picture book creators team up to tell a classic story of a child, his new puppy, and a first night home. On Charley’s first night, Henry carries his new puppy in his old baby blanket all the way to his house. He shows Charley every room, saying, "This is home, Charley." He says that a lot so that Charley will know that he is home. Henry’s parents are very clear about who will be walking and feeding Charley (Henry will, and he can’t wait). They are also very clear about where Charley will be sleeping: Charley will be sleeping in the kitchen. But when the crying starts in the middle of the night, Henry knows right away that it’s Charley! And it looks like his parents’ idea about where Charley is going to sleep may have to change. With warmth, humor, and endearing simplicity, Amy Hest tells a tale familiar to everyone who has loved a puppy, while Helen Oxenbury renders each tender gesture and charming detail in a beauty of a book that children will be eager to take home.

A simple retelling of the birth of Jesus with emphasis on the quiet time before the arrival of the shepherds, angels, and kings.

Sally has always longed to be a tooth fairy. On her seventh birthday, she is finally going off to get her first tooth, with the most important rule—“You must never wake a sleeping child!” running through her mind. When she reaches the house, she finds the job is not as easy as she’d hoped. A good tooth fairy always gets her tooth—but will Sally get hers? This warm and playful tale about a determined tooth fairy will have children of all ages sleeping with one eye open, hoping to catch their own tooth fairy in the act.

The quaint mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, is the perfect place for Isaac Snow to raise his family. But when eight-year-old daughters, Caroline and Josie, commit an innocent act of heroism, media coverage attracts the wrong kind of attention. Soon, their life unravels, leading them to the crossroads of love and hate, forgiveness and retribution. In the dark hours of a drizzly morning, Isaac, an ex-air force pilot, wakes to find a masked intruder cradling one of the twins in his arms. Before he can react, the man in black leaps through the nearest window, plummeting in a tangle of body parts and glass. Isaac charges in pursuit, but is suddenly faced with a new dilemma. Caroline is unconscious, lying facedown in the lawn, cuts from the shattered window saturating her pajamas. If he gives chase, his little girl will surely bleed to death. From a secretive loner with a pension for unrestrained violence to the pristine granite peaks of the Rocky Mountains-from laughter filled family dinners to a string of cross-country abductions, LANDON PARHAM'S debut novel explores the horrific realities of human weakness and obsession. Taken well beyond the investigation and law-enforcement tactics, you'll find yourself steeped in a power struggle between a father, his family and the huntsman who seeks them. Suspenseful, bold and thought provoking; a true psychological thriller that captures the heart.

It’s easy to be overlooked in Gilded Age Manhattan, but the Ella Shane Opera Company’s latest premier manages to attract adoring crowds, rave reviews, and a killer who’s a real showstopper! New York City, Fall 1899. Ahead-of-her-time coloratura mezzo Ella Shane has always known opening night to be a mess of missed cues and jittery nerves, especially when unveiling a new opera. Her production of The Princes in the Tower, based on the mysterious disappearance of Edward IV’s two sons during the Wars of the Roses in England, concludes its first performance to thunderous applause. It’s not until players take their bows that the worst kind of disaster strikes . . . Flawless basso Albert Reuter is found lurched over a bloody body in his dressing room, seemingly taking inspiration from his role as the murderous Richard III. With a disturbing homicide case stealing the spotlight, Ella can’t be so certain Albert is the one who belongs behind bars . . . Now, Ella must think on her feet while sorting out a wild series of puzzling mishaps and interlocking mysteries. Yet even when sided with her aristocratic beau, does this scrappy diva have the chops to upstage the true criminal, or will this be the last time she headlines a Broadway marquee?

Experience the events of the first Christmas night with this stunning board book written in the beloved style of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." "'Twas the very first Christmas when all through the town, not a creature was stirring--there was not a sound." This beautiful retelling of the birth of Jesus celebrates that fateful night in Bethlehem so long ago. The story begins with Mary and Joseph's arrival in Bethlehem and continues through Christ's birth, the angels' appearance to the shepherds, and the wise men's visit. Simple, elegant verses are brought to life with lush oil paintings, creating an enchanting reading experience for littles and their loved ones.