In the rippling waters of a swamp, mosquitoes fly and hum, dragonflies swoop and drone, and other creatures live their interwoven lives. Includes facts about swamps and food chains.

In this hysterical #1 New York Times bestseller, one kid has to wrangle gators, snakes, bats that bite, and a reality show host gone rogue! This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder! When Wahoo Cray’s dad—a professional animal wrangler—takes a job with a reality TV show called Expedition Survival!, Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself to keep his father from killing Derek Badger, the show's inept and egotistical star. But the job keeps getting more complicated: Derek Badger insists on using wild animals for his stunts; and Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her father and needs a place to hide out. They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . . It's anyone's guess who will actually survive Expedition Survival. . . “Only in Florida—and in the fiction of its native son Carl Hiaasen—does a dead iguana fall from a palm tree and kill somebody.” —New York Post “Chomp is a delightful laugh-out-loud sendup of the surreality of TV that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.” —Los Angeles Times

Jeff Anderson and literacy coach Whitney La Rocca take you into primary and intermediate classrooms where students are curious about language, engage with the world around them, and notice and experiment with the conventions all writers use. Instead of chanting grammar rules or completing countless convention worksheets, we invite young writers to explore conventions as special effects devices that activate meaning. Our students study authentic texts and come to recognize these "patterns of power"--the essential grammar conventions that readers and writers require to make meaning. The first part of the book introduces a vibrant approach to grammar instruction and sets up what you need to immerse yourself in the Patterns of Power process, inviting students to experiment and play with language. The second part of the book offers over seventy practical, ready-to-use lessons, including: Extensive support materials Over 100 mentor sentences, curated for grades 1-5 Student work samples Tips and power notes to facilitate your own knowledge and learning Examples for application In Patterns of Power Jeff and Whitney suggest that taking just five minutes from your reading workshop and five minutes from your writing workshop to focus on how the conventions connect reading and writing will miraculously affect your students' understanding of how language works for readers and writers.

Hundreds of thousands of Gator fans celebrate their heritage and tradition in nearly every form--from t-shirts to touchdowns, to stuffed toys and #11 jerseys. Unfortunately all those fans have had a void in their hunt for Gator gear, they've lacked a tactile way to pass no great Gator moments of history to their kids, until now. SWAMPMEET: A Gator counting Book and ABC's: Albert's Alligator Alphabet not only give children a fun way to learn their ABC's and 123's but also help establish an early bond between parents and children through the fun of being a college sports fan. The illustrated, adorable, and always grinning Gator is cute enough for kids of all ages, and mischievous enough to cause adults to enjoy his amusing antics over SEC and longtime rivals. Most of all the books represent the fun-loving but competitive spirit of 90,000+ fans who pour into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for each and every home game--from the Gator mascot cooking the Kitty-Cats of Kentucky, LSU and Auburn for a tailgate snack to the beatification of Steve Spurrier in a re-creation of the Sistine Chapel mural. These books will make the perfect gift anytime of the year for Gator and baby Gator fans alike.

It is an arduous journey from 1944 to 2014 for the world is constantly changing. Some of these changes have been difficult to accept. However the one stable soothing factor in my life has been NATURES calming influence. This Book begins with my childhood as a boy growing-up in Chenango Forks, a small town located in upstate New York. My home was on the CHENANGO RIVER, which was my introduction to the amazing 'World of Nature'. I was so enthralled with the natural world that I dedicated the whole second chapter to it. Here is an excerpt from my poem, 'PURE MOUNTAINS STILL': Of poetry and song, the mountains e'er ring For the 'muses of Parnassus' still do sing. The glorious alpenglow still greet the eye And the slopes are still teaming with butterflies. The third chapter is devoted entirely to the oceans and the seas of the world. This topic continues throughout the book from the first poem: 'FREE AT SEA' which describes how deeply I love the sea to my last poem in this chapter: 'WITH THE POETS, I AGREE' The prism arcs of the rain bowed spray, Beauteously appeared in an amazing array; While the mystic flight of the blown spume, Frothed spiritedly from the breakers womb. The next several chapters deal with my Navy years, my faith and freedom. This is an excerpt from my poem: 'FREE SPIRIT': Freedom is a glorious state Far above the bonds of man, She floats upon the wings of the wind And never makes a plan. The eighth chapter is the theme of the book: 'PIPING ME HOME'. In this chapter are found many poems reflecting my opinions of reality and life's end, including: 'PREDETERMINED FATE', 'ICE BOUND NO MORE' and the title poem of the book: 'PIPING ME HOME". Finally the last chapter: 'JUST FOR FUN' is a collection of light poems-ENJOY!!

Carl Hiaasen takes us deep in the Everglades with an eccentric eco-avenger, a ticked-off panther, and two kids on a mission to find their missing teacher. Florida—where the animals are wild and the people are wilder! Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance. And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. It’s all about to hit the fan, and when it does, the bad guys better scat. “Ingenious . . . Scat won’t disappoint Hiaasenphiles of any age.” —The New York Times “Woohoo! It’s time for another trip to Florida—screwy, gorgeous Florida, with its swamps and scammers and strange creatures (two- and four-legged). Our guide, of course, is Carl Hiaasen.” —DenverPost.com

Sofia never really questioned her upbringing in the home of a ruling Italian family in Rogue City. She has a beautiful girlfriend, the right hand of the family. She lives in a luxurious penthouse and has never wanted for anything. So naturally she finds no reason to question going undercover to infiltrate the head of the rival mafia family's estate. But what she didn't foresee was how mysteriously attractive she would find the regal enemy mob boss, Valencia Bertelli. Sofia quickly discovers the two families' complex criminal histories are riddled with secrets and the woman she's been taught all her life to hate might actually be someone worth loving - that is, if she doesn't kill her first. Take a stroll down the streets of Rogue, through nightclubs, a porn studio and a crooked race track, and witness through Sofia's eyes the sex, violence and betrayals that unfold, as she attempts to navigate a dangerous game in which the potential losses include her family, her love and even her life.