When Jake the dog is brought to the theater to watch his owner, chief stagehand for the Philharmonic Orchestra, work, he discovers a special musical talent all his own--stealing the show to everyone's surprise and amusement!

In his newest adventure, Jake is making a special visit behind the scenes of the ballet with Richie's friend Allegra. The rehearsals for The Nutcracker are underway, and Jake has so much fun learning the basics of ballet. Pretty soon, he's spinning and leaping just like the dancers. As the beloved holiday story comes to life on stage, Jake has a hard time keeping out of the action! With its delightful illustrations that capture the excitement and grace of The Nutcracker ballet, this encore to Jake the Philharmonic Dog takes readers along with Jake as he continues to explore the arts.

When Abby visits her aunt at the kennel where she works, she falls in love with the new poodle puppies-and one puppy in particular named Gem. Aunt Nancy invites Abby to help out at the kennel, and Abby's excited to work with the trainer, Wendell, teaching Gem all she needs to know to become a winning show dog. Soon it's the day of the biggest dog show of the year, and Abby and Gem will have to overcome the odds to show the judges that Gem is a true champion. Dog lovers, poodle fans, and anyone who enjoys dog shows will delight in this charming story that highlights the fun of competition and the love between a girl and her favorite pup.

Believe Your Ears is the memoir of composer Kirke Mechem, whose unorthodox path to music provides a fascinating narrative. He wrote songs and played music by ear as a newspaper reporter, a touring tennis player, and a Stanford creative-writing major before studying composition and conducting at Harvard. He describes his residencies in San Francisco, Vienna, London, and Russia, and gives detailed attention to his choral music, operas, and symphonies. He writes that “the twentieth century gave us much brilliant music” but shows how atonality came to dominate the post-war period. His lyric style belongs to no particular “school,” avoiding the trends, –isms, experiments, fads, and lunacies of the period. He encourages younger composers who are trying to bring back beauty, passion, and humor—even entertainment—to classical music. He asks music lovers to believe their own ears, not the lectures of “experts.” Believe Your Ears is addressed to all who love classical music. Along the way, readers will meet Dimitri Shostakovich, Wallace Stegner, Billie Jean King, the Grateful Dead, Richard Rodgers, Benjamin Britten, Bill Tilden, and Aaron Copland—a who’s who in Mechem’s storied career.

A wacky spin on an Old West favorite. This tall tale about a famous American cowboy takes readers on a romp into the Wild West. When Pecos Bill cannot seem to find the best hat to fit his head, he searches for creative ways to keep his noggin covered. His often humorous ideas lead to the invention of the cowboy hat. A glossary includes cowboy terms.

The first two volumes of Patricia C. Wrede's beloved, bestselling Enchanted Forest Chronicles!

There's a hole running through the centre of my stomach. You must have all felt a bit awkward because you can probably see it. Sea Wall is a delicate monologue, completely devastating and beautifully powerful. Alex's story, spoken directly to the audience, begins full of clear light and smiles, as he speaks about his wife, visiting her father in the South of France, having a daughter, photography, and the bottom of the sea. His tone is natural, happy and engaging, with flickers of questions about belief and religion glimpsed under the surface. But his contentment falls away into deep and heart-breaking grief, crumbling to pieces with a vividness that is incredibly moving.