"Hey dudes and dudettes, what's up?" greets Splish. We are raindrops that ..." Splish tries to continue. "I shall tell the kids on earth 'what's up' as you put it," interrupts Patter. "Come now, Patter. I should be the one to tell, after all Pitter comes before Patter," demands Pitter. "Alright you guys, I've had enough of your arguing! This is how it's going down and please, no interruptions," insists Puddles. "Ok, Old Man Pouring Rain created us from an ancient recipe, E C double L P, that brings raindrops to life. Unfortunately, he made Pitter and Patter. Since they are part of our raindrop family, we can't return them. We ask that you come join us on our first adventure to earth to find out what happens to Scattered- when he is caught hanging from a window ledge with a black fur ball on the loose and when Splish and Splash get attacked by a boy who doesn't believe we are REAL! Find out if Drizzle gets rescued from a raindrop napping. Then see how we return to our home in the clouds back to Old Man Pouring Rain." "Hope to see you there!" Love, Puddles, Sprinkles, Scattered, Splish and Splash, Drizzle, Pitter and Patter, Misty, Hailey

For decades, Ruth Chew's chapter books about matter-of-fact magic have enchanted early readers. Now a new generation of fantasy fans can discover the magic in these Stepping Stones books. What should be in a book about magic? Pirates? Merlin? Becoming tiny? Time travel? A giant? How about all of the above? In The Wishing Tree, The Magic Coin, and The Magic Cave, magical adventures lie around every corner. From a coin that becomes a boat and a backyard pool that becomes an ocean, to a cave that leads to another land, it's anchors away to fun! Ruth Chew has a remarkable way of turning the average day into a fantastic voyage. Here are three of her best tales that will capture the imagination of any reader who is willing to take a little risk.

...IN THE NEW CONDITIONS APPEARING OF NEW WIZARDS IS NEAR TO IMPOSSIBLE AND THEIR TRAINING MUST TO BE EXTREMELY BRUTAL...THE FUGITIVES CREATE A MILITARY, MERCILESS CIVILIZATION OF THE CASTLES IN WHICH THE FUTURE WIZARDS MUST DISCOVER AND DEVELOP THEIR GOLDEN MAGIC OF SURVIVING OR TO DIE IN THE ATTEMPT. ONE OF THE PROMISING TALENTS IS PUT UNDER THE IMMENSE PRESSURE OF ORDEALS WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD IS THE ENEMY. THERE IS NO PLACE TO RUN AND NO PLACE TO HIDE. THE ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVING IS TO CREATE OWN EMPIRE.

Commissioned in death to save a world in peril, a tabletop RPG fanatic is reborn as a humble farm boy with the rulebook for the universe at his fingertips! Young Erich’s quest for an invincible character build will require more than his decades as a number-crunching munchkin, though. Even with power-leveled skills, feudal life is no cakewalk—especially when you keep drawing more attention than you can handle… Can Erich adapt to his strange new world before his worst impulses take the campaign of a lifetime completely off the rails? Let the dice fall where they may!

Born in a secluded village in the kingdom of Verdenta, ruled over by the iron fist of the Empire of the Phoenix and its cruel, domineering ruler, Empress Maeivra, the so-called 'Witch Queen', Diarmud never imagined he would experience anything out of the ordinary. But overnight, he finds himself caught up in a struggle to free the world from the tyranny of a sorceress in thrall to far greater and more terrible powers who watch the races of the world with hateful eyes... Hounded from his home by the Empress's agents, Diarmud finds himself to be the sole survivor of a secretive project to create a breed of warrior from a forgotten age of the world, a weapon meant for conquest, to be the first of Maeivra's new order. Accompanied by his guardian, the old bard Cameron, and his closest friend Tabitha, Diarmud must race across hostile territory to find those devoted to keeping him safe and their world free from the clutches of the mad queen and the entities she worships, and prepare for the struggle that is to come...

Famous perfectionist Honore de Balzac labored for years to bring the fascinating idea behind The Magic Skin to life in a novel, and critics and fans alike agree that it is one of the French writer's masterworks. The story follows the experiences of a young man who finds a small piece of animal skin that magically fulfills his every desire. However, over time, he discovers that the seeming miracle has exacted a terrible toll on his body -- and his soul.