Discover the answers behind the mysteries of the countryside in all their fascination and beauty... Ever wondered about the masses of twigs in bare-branched trees that look like abandoned nests? Seen fuzzy red balls on roses? A stranded pond on a hilltop? Or even considered the shaded ways we walk along? One of Britain's best-known naturalists, John Wright describes and explores fifty of the natural (and unnatural) puzzles of the countryside that might confound the ever-curious. He reveals the histories and practicalities of those that are man-made and the astounding and intricate lives of the natural wonders around us. From the enormous to the truly tiny he illuminates the oddities that pepper our countryside and reveals the many pleasures of spotting and understanding them. Informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated, this is for anyone who has ever gone outside and wondered what is that?

Winter is the season that most tests our mettle. There are the obvious challenges of the weather-freezing rain, wind chill, deep snow, dangerous ice-but also the psychological burdens of waiting for spring and the enduring often false starts that accompany its eventual return. On the surface, perhaps, winter might seem an odd season for a nature book, but there is plenty of beauty and life in the woods if only we know where to look. The stark, white landscape sparkles in the sunshine and glows beneath the moon on crisp, clear nights; the opening up of the forest makes it easy to see long distances; birds, some of which can be easily seen only in winter, flock to feeders; and animals-even those that should be hibernating-make surprise visits from time to time. Appalachian Winter offers acclaimed naturalist Marcia Bonta's view of one season, as experienced on and around her 650-acre home on the westernmost ridge of the hill-and-valley landscape that dominates central Pennsylvania. Written in the style of a journal, each day's entry focuses on her walks and rambles through the woods and fields that she has known and loved for over thirty years. Along the way she discovers a long-eared owl in a dense stand of conifers, tracks a bear through an early December snowfall, explains the life and ecological niche of the red-backed vole, and examines the recent arrival of an Asian ladybug. These are but a few of the tidbits sprinkled throughout the book, interwoven with the human stories of Bonta's family, as well as the highway builders and shopping-mall developers that threaten the idyllic peacefulness of her mountain. This is the fourth and final volume of Bonta's seasonal meditations on the natural history of the northern Appalachian Mountains. Her gentle, charming accounts of changing weather and of the struggles faced by plants, animals, and insects breathe new warmth into the coldest months of the year.

"Wonderful . . . J. V. Jones is a striking writer." So says Robert Jordan, the author of The Wheel of Time epic fantasy series. And Jones lives up to that praise in the highly charged epic adventure of Ash March and Raif Sevrance, two outcasts whose fate are entwined by ancient prophecies and need, in the cold, dark world that threatens to be torn asunder by a war to end all wars. Isolated by their birthrights, they are but two who fight the dreaded Endlords, and their strength and courage will be needed if the world is to be saved from darkness." Raif, wrongly accused and cut off from his clan by the treachery of their new headsman, has a talent for killing that is part of his curse and his burden. But he bears another burden of greater weight. Ash is a sacred warrior to the Sull, an ancient race whose numbers have declined. Raised as a foundling, never knowing her true history, she must learn to accept the terrible gifts of her heritage. But as Ash learns more of her greater fate, Raif's task looms dark and desperate, for he must journey through the nightmare realm of the Want, a place where even the Sull now fear to tread. For deep within the Want is the Fortress of Grey Ice, and there he must heal the breach in the Blindwall that already threatens the world. Should he fail, not even Ash's powers can save them. . . . At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Field-tested across the country, this comprehensive curriculum expands and extends the role science has traditionally played in the early childhood classroom. The first in a new series, Discovering Nature with Young Children explores the wide-ranging elements that make up the natural world around us. The curriculum replaces simple fact-feeding practices with the development of long-term scientific reasoning, including literacy skills and numeracy skills, such as hypothesis, inference, prediction, and estimation.

Dive into a spectacular and informative guide to the natural world of mammals. Packed with stunning real-life photographs of bush babies, badgers, wallabies and a unique "eyewitness" view of the natural history of mammal behavior and anatomy. See how newborn mice develop, what a whale has inside its mouth, why some animals store food in their cheek pouches, and much, much more! The most trusted nonfiction series on the market, Eyewitness Books provide an in-depth, comprehensive look at their subjects with a unique integration of words and pictures.

Enid Mary Blyton was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have been translated into 90 languages. As of June 2019, Blyton held 4th place for the most translated author. She wrote on a wide range of topics, including education, natural history, fantasy, mystery, and biblical narratives. She is best remembered today for her Noddy, Famous Five, Secret Seven, the Five Find-Outers, and Malory Towers books. CONTENTS: The Famous Five Books Five on a Treasure Island (1942) Five Go Adventuring Again (1943) Five Run Away Together (1944) Five Go to Smuggler’s Top (1945) Five Go Off in a Caravan (1946) Five on Kirrin Island Again (1947) Five Go Off to Camp (1948) Five Get into Trouble (1949) Five Fall into Adventure (1950) Five on a Hike Together (1951) Five Have a Wonderful Time (1952) Five Go Down to the Sea (1953) Five Go to Mystery Moor (1954) Five Have Plenty of Fun (1955) Five on a Secret Trail (1956) Five Go to Billycock Hill (1957) Five Get into a Fix (1958) Five on Finniston Farm (1960) Five Go to Demon’s Rocks (1961) Five Have a Mystery to Solve (1962) Five are Together Again (1963) Famous Five Short Stories The Secret Seven Books The Secret Seven (1949) Secret Seven Adventure (1950) Well Done Secret Seven (1951) Secret Seven on the Trail (1952) Go Ahead Secret Seven (1953) Good Work Secret Seven (1954) Secret Seven Win Through (1955) Three Cheers Secret Seven (1956) Secret Seven Mystery (1957) Puzzle for the Secret Seven (1958) Secret Seven Fireworks (1959) Good Old Secret Seven (1960) Shock for the Secret Seven (1961) Look Out Secret Seven (1962) Fun for the Secret Seven (1963) Secret Seven Short Stories Malory Towers Series First Term at Malory Towers (1946) Second Form at Malory Towers (1947) Third Year at Malory Towers (1948) Upper Fourth at Malory Towers (1949) In the Fifth at Malory Towers (1950) Last Term at Malory Towers (1951) The Adventure Series The Five Find-Outers Books Wishing-Chair Series The Amelia Jane Books The Family Series The Farm Series The Circus Series