This stunning picture book, which features peek-through pages, engaging artwork, and gentle, lyrical text, celebrates every parent's wish for his or her child in the face of life's challenges. Every parent wishes for his or her child to be able to handle the challenges that life presents. Sometimes, our life experiences will not be smooth; there will be times when fierce winds blow, storms rage, and rain falls, making the situation feel hopeless. Through lyrical text and inviting illustrations, children are reminded that they are strong and smart and can figure out a solution to every tricky situation that they may face. Features peek-through pages throughout.

Windswept is the sequel to Homecoming. The romance, humor, and adventure continues for Anne and Jules Allan. Anne aspires to be a writer but though an avid reader of 19th Century literature she realizes she has little imagination. She decides to forgo thoughts of romance and adventure and live a practical, well-ordered life. She is suddenly swept into a fantastic adventure in the land of Homecoming by the mysterious, Jules Allan. She is mistaken for Alice of Wonderland, attacked by flying pirates and creature known as Enuffs. She encounter jealous pixies, a vindictive Gray Queen and has troubles in babysitting. As Anne tries to make sense of it all as she finds that her real conflict is internal. She struggles to cope with clumsiness and emotional outburst. All the while she is haunted by the mystery of spiral staircases and the need to protect her inner child of unconditional love.

A rhymed tale describing the antics of a capricious wind. The wind blew, and blew, and blew! It blew so hard, it took everything with it: Mr. White’s umbrella, Priscilla’s balloon, the twins’ scarves, even the wig on the judge’s head. But just when the wind was about to carry everything out to sea, it changed its mind! With rhyming verse and colorful illustrations, Pat Hutchins takes us on a merry chase that is well worth the effort.

Wind is invisible, but watchful students can see how air in motion be detected by movement around them. This simple book introduces the different intensities of the wind, from gentle breezes that make flags flutter to powerful tornadoes that can lift a house. As the book progresses, readers discover how wind intensities can be measured, and they indirectly become acquainted with the Beaufort Wind Scale used by meteorologists. Throughout the book, the text flows like poetry, moving young readers along as easily as the wind makes little boats sail across the water. How Does the Wind Blow? is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–6 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of geology, land forms, weather, environments, and other phenomena related to science and nature. Included in each volume is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

On a cold, snowy night, Haswell Magruder makes a decision that will have a profound effect on his own life as well as the lives of all those he loves. A wounded Confederate soldier appears at the family’s Virginia farm, and Haswell convinces his mother and sister to take the man in, despite the certain repercussions if the enemy Yankees were to catch them in such a “traitorous” act. Unfortunately, this is precisely what happens, setting off a horrific chain of events that leaves Haswell’s mother dead and the farmhouse burned to the ground. After leading his younger sister to safety with relatives, Haswell sets out on his journey in search of his older brother, a Confederate soldier. His quest is also a passage into manhood, as he experiences the last bloody days of the Civil War. Skillful storytelling, well-developed characters, and a fast-paced plot distinguish this compelling family story by an award-winning author.

In a small Pacific Northwest town we meet a young man who has shot dead his best friend with a gun. The novel deals with the repercussions of this tragedy: the anguish, regret, despair and bittersweet romance. Typical of Brautigan's singular style, So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away is a beautifully written, brooding novel. Its autobiographical prose is a fitting epitaph to this complex, contradictory and often misunderstood writer.

While grieving her husband's murder, a young Colorado veterinarian meets a troubled FBI agent and begins to uncover the world's most sinister secrets in this thriller from James Patterson. Frannie O'Neill is a young and talented veterinarian living in Colorado. Plagued by the mysterious murder of her husband, Frannie throws herself into her work, but it is not long before another bizarre murder occurs and Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent, arrives on her doorstep. Late one night, near the woods of her animal hospital, Frannie stumbles upon a strange, astonishing phenomenon that will change the course of her life forever: an eleven-year-old girl named Max. With breathtaking energy, Max leads Frannie and Kit to uncover one of the most diabolical and inhuman plots of modern science. Bold and compelling, When the Wind Blows is a story of suspense and passion as only James Patterson could tell it.