Thousands of readers who were delighted by the adventures and science content of Alice in Quantumland are in for another treat. This time physicist Robert Gilmore takes us on a journey with Dorothy, following the yellow building block road through the land of the Wizard of Quarks. Using characters and situations based on the Wizard of Oz story, we learn along the way about the fascinating world of particle physics. Classes of particles, from quarks to leptons are shown in an atomic garden, where atoms and molecules are produced. See how Dorothy, The Tin Geek, and the Cowardly Lion experience the bizarre world of subatomic particles.

A mysterious library book opens the door to a world of magic and danger in the first book in the beloved Young Wizards series. Bullied by her classmates, Nita Callahan is miserable at school. So when she finds a mysterious book in the library that promises her the chance to become a wizard, she jumps at the opportunity to escape her unhappy reality. But taking the Wizard's Oath is no easy thing, and Nita soon finds herself paired with fellow wizard-in-training Kit Rodriguez on a dangerous mission. The only way to become a full wizard is to face the Lone Power, the being that created death and is the mortal enemy of all wizards. As Nita and Kit battle their way through a deadly alternate version of New York controlled by the Lone Power, they must rely on each other and their newfound wizarding skills to survive--and save the world from the Lone One's grasp.

THE WIZARD OF WISHES plays the “three magical wishes” theme, but with a few strange twists. Readers (and listeners) may have fun following the rainbow-coded clues. Could the story have happened? No, you say? Don’t be too sure. THE GOLDEN DEER illustrates the quality of metta, or loving kindness. This rhymed version is adapted from Ten Jataka Stories, I.B. Horner (Bangkok, 1974). A prose retelling, “Banyan,” appears in Twenty Jataka Tales, Noor Inayat Khan (Rochester, Vermont, 1975); another, “The Banyan Deer,” in The Hungry Tigress, Rafe Martin (Berkeley, California, 1990). A LITTLE MAGIC can be read as an old-fashioned fairy tale that takes place in an imaginary land. But it can also be seen as a subtly inspirational ghost story. Or even a universal, but Eastern-leaning, spiritual teaching.

This revised, expanded, and updated edition of the 1979 landmark Breaking the Magic Spell examines the enduring power of fairy tales and the ways they invade our subjective world. In seven provocative essays, Zipes discusses the importance of investigating oral folk tales in their socio-political context and traces their evolution into literary fairy tales, a metamorphosis that often diminished the ideology of the original narrative. Zipes also looks at how folk tales influence our popular beliefs and the ways they have been exploited by a corporate media network intent on regulating the mystical elements of the stories. He examines a range of authors, including the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Ernst Bloch, Tolkien, Bettelheim, and J.K. Rowling to demonstrate the continuing symbiotic relationship between folklore and literature.

Series Description:There's something magical happening in New York City... The Russos look like an average family: Mom and Dad run a Manhattan deli, while their kids, Alex, Justin, and Max, deal with school, friendships, and first dates. But things are not exactly as they seem because these kids are all wizards in training! To make things more complicated, only one of them will remain a wizard after the age of 18. Talk about sibling rivalry! Full of the magic, comedy, and fun that you've come to expect from Disney Channel, this series is sure to continue conjuring a smash hit. Wizards of Waverly Place #5: Top of the Class Justin and Alex have completely different experiences while attending Wizard School. Justin's disciplined wizardry gains him popularity, while Alex's mellow methods sink her to outcast level. But when an evil professor plans to use Alex to rob Justin of his powers, can Alex sum up the sorcery to save the day? Plus, Max persuades his dad Jerry to have their long-awaited outdoor campout; the trick is making it through the night!