You've seen your own blood, when you have a cut or a scrape. You can see the veins in your wrist, and you've seen the scab that forms as a cut heals. But do you know what blood does for you? Without blood, you couldn't play, or grow, or learn. That's because just about every part of your body needs blood, from your muscles to your bones to your brain. How does your body use blood? Read and find out!

This vividly rendered Civil War history presents “a lively guided tour of Washington during the 24 hours or so around Lincoln’s swearing-in” (Adam Goodheart, Washington Post). By March 4, 1865, the Civil War had left intractable wounds on the nation. Tens of thousands crowded Washington’s Capitol grounds that day to see Abraham Lincoln take the oath for a second term—and witness what was perhaps the greatest inaugural address in American history. Lincoln stunned the nation by arguing that both sides had been wrong, and that the war’s unimaginable horrors might have been God’s just verdict on the national sin of slavery. In Every Drop of Blood, Edward Achorn reveals the nation’s capital on that momentous day—with its mud, sewage, and saloons, its prostitutes, spies, reporters, social-climbing spouses and power-hungry politicians. Swirling around the complex figure of Lincoln, a host of characters are brought to life, from grievously wounded Union colonel Selden Connor to the embarrassingly drunk new vice president, Andrew Johnson, to poet-journalist Walt Whitman; from soldiers’ advocate Clara Barton and African American leader Frederick Douglass to conflicted actor John Wilkes Booth. In indelible scenes, Achorn captures the frenzy and division in the nation’s capital at this crucial moment in America’s history. His story offers new understanding of our great national crisis, and echoes down the decades to resonate in our own time.

Anthony Murphy panted as he ran through the twisty tunnel. He could hear the things behind him, but he couldn’t see them. They shuffled and gibbered in the dark tunnel as he desperately tried to outrun them. He knew moving and starting high school would be hard, but this was ridiculous. He had started out the week with high hopes, and now his new friend was missing, his family was in danger, and his blood was a hot commodity. All it took to get his newly discovered relatives back to their home was a few drops of his blood, but apparently, they wanted a lot more than that.

Magic, Vampires & Family Drama Since arriving in Greenvalley, Lucille has made new friends, discovered she’s a witch, and started hunting monsters. Her life seems perfect, apart from the occasional life-and-death situation. But there’s one thing she’s sorely missing: her father’s affection. When a vampire coven takes up residence in the crypts of Greenvalley Cemetery, Lucille and her friends take up the fight. However, everything changes when she encounters the charming Count Artorius and his daughter Isabelle. Despite being undead, his coven offers more love and affection than Lucille’s father ever had. Lucille yearns to join his coven, but to do so, she must die. A Drop of Blood is a bonus adventure in the action-packed YA urban fantasy series, Ashuan Greed. It takes place between part 3 and 4 of A Drop of Magic, but can be read as a standalone. Grab this free adventure filled with danger, longing, and the search for one's true identity today.

For use in schools and libraries only. A simple introduction to the composition and functions of blood.