In a gritty medieval world where the ruling houses are based on the constellations, betrayal, intrigue, and a king's murder force the royal sisters of the Bear House on the run! Moody Aster and her spoiled sister Ursula are the daughters of Jasper Lourdes, Bear Major and high king of the realm. Rivals, both girls dream of becoming the Bear queen someday, although neither really deserve to, having no particular talent in... well, anything. But when their jealous Uncle Bram murders their father in a bid for the crown, the girls are forced onto the run, along with lowly Dev the Bearkeeper and the half-grown grizzly Alcor, symbol of their house. As a bitter struggle for the throne consumes the kingdom in civil war—and attracts demonic attention from even darker powers—the sisters must rely on Dev, the bear cub, two mysterious princes from opposing houses, and each other to survive… and find wells of courage, cunning, and skill they never knew they had. For there are many houses in the Bear Highen—the House of the Hemoth Bear, the House of the White Bear, the House of the Ox, the House of the Lion, the House of the Lynx, the House of Hounds, the House of the Blue Giraffe, and the House of the Shadow Dragon—each of them guided and protected by a ferocious namesake beast. But only one can rule. Perfects for fans of Shannon Messenger, Holly Black, John Flanagan, and Diane Magras, this action-packed fantasy-adventure has sky-high stakes, electrifying action, stellar magic, powerful girls, and surprises for even the canniest reader… “An epic, complex narrative.”—Publishers Weekly “Stellar… Thrilling… Enchanting.”—Kirkus Reviews “Truly wonderful.”—School Library Journal “Magnificent.”—The Canadian Children’s Book Center A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"Let me say at the outset that this book is not about Bear (he would be spoken of in the singular and masculine, capitalized and without an article), or it is only incidentally about him. I am less interested in defining the being of Bear than in trying to understand something about the spirit of wilderness, of which Bear is a very particular expression. . . . Bear is a template of the wilderness."--from the Introduction Since receiving the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for his novel House Made of Dawn, N. Scott Momaday has had one of the most remarkable careers in twentieth-century American letters. Here, in In the Bear's House, Momaday passionately explores themes of loneliness, sacredness, and aggression through his depiction of Bear, the one animal that has both inspired and haunted him throughout his lifetime. With transcendent dignity and gentleness, In the Bear's House celebrates Momaday's extraordinary creative vision and evolution as one of our most gifted artists.

Return to the gritty medieval world of the Bear Highen in this thrilling high fantasy follow-up to The Bear House. The war in the Bear Highen is over. Aster, at thirteen, has defeated her uncle and become the High Queen. Peace is good, but things are still difficult: political challenges confront her, personal challenges stymie her, and the massive Hemoth Bear, symbol of the House of the Bear, is beginning to resist her control. When, during a royal hunt, Aster stumbles on a young girl living in a nest of wyverns, matters become even more complex. Because this girl is not a girl at all. She is a living star, come down from her constellation, on a mission both terrible and glorious. And there is no shortage of those who want to use her cosmic powers for their own ends—rival kings, rival friends, and even three deadly sisters from the plane of demons, one of whom has an offer for Aster she may find it difficult to refuse.... A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"Bayous, Booze and Bearhouses" is a story of Personal Memoirs on the experiences, reflections and the relationships of a family, a town and many of the people that have had an influence and made an impact on our lives and our perceptions as we were living and growing up in a small town.The Author has tried to share the experiences and valves of a small town environment that enhances a support system for the people in the community. Many times in order to provide support and care for those in need a network of collective efforts are done without rehearsal or special ceremony. These are the some of the things observed and done as a means of not letting one person bear his personal burdens alone. "Somebody" was coming to see about you and check on you and your family. In one small town this was a way of life: The concern and care of each family and each child.This town is a small place but some of the people there had big ideals and big dreams. Part of those big dreams was to "Party Big*' and have a good time. Downtown Ferriday provided "Fourth Street" and the lounges, bars and "Bearhouses" to let the good times roll. Some of the major players in the this entertainment were: "Haney's Big House" "Sam Brocato's" "James Watkins Lounge, Grocery & Cleaners" "The Pool Hall" "Haney's Motel and Washateria" "Big George's Lounge" "The Gambling Shacks" "Motel Rooms" for personal entertainment. "Downtown and Fourth Street" provided a large part of the Social, Commercial and Cultural life for the people living in this area and also at "Night Time" or "Evening Hours" many uptown people found it to be a very interesting yet entertaining place to be.In many ways the "Community" was a village: The Home, The School and The Church made a network in an effort to keep young people heading in the right direction. The Spiritual, Social and Cultural growth was depended heavily on the Church and the School. The Social Bonds between the School and the community was strong and firm. The Church provided "Spiritual Healing" and "Spiritual Care" especially in times of Personal tragedy and Personal Loss. The Church also provided training for many of the Social, Cultural and Political Skills needed to survive and to prosper. The Author considers himself to be an expert in this field that he writes about for many reasons; however his main reason is that he is writing about his life, his family and his community. Most the events, people and places written about in this book were shared by the author or his family. Many of the people in this book were people that he had a personal relationship with and a personal knowledge. The places he talks about were places he shared with his friends and family. He had a sense of the people and a feel for this town and the hopes and aspirations that many shared of what this town could be. There were many people in this "Small" town had "Big" Dreams but Dreams can still come "True".

In A NEW BABY AT KOKO BEAR’S HOUSE, a read-aloud story for young children and their parents, popular parenting author Vicki Lansky uses an adorable character, KoKo, the unisex little bear, to help them get ready for a new baby brother or sister. As KoKo learns about MaMa Bear’s pregnancy and BeBe Bear’s birth and homecoming, children will identify and share the experience. Here children learn what they can expect with the arrival of this new baby. The simple story, written especially for children from two-and-a-half to six years old, describes feelings—jealousy, displacement and sagging self-esteem—that children will come to understand are normal. Charming color illustrations by Jane Prince warmly convey the anticipation and apprehensions of an expanding family. Each page contains a separate box with helpful tips and suggestions for parents to read silently while they read aloud to their child. KoKo’s story and the accompanying advice for parents together should help make a new baby’s arrival a happy event for the entire family.

King Darrow sends Aidan Errolson on an impossible quest, hoping he will never return, and although Aidan has enough friends to succeed on the journey, even he might not be able to defeat the powerful enemy that awaits him at its end.

A condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of its distinguished citizens, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such county.