When photographer Kim Levin created the magic duet of words and images that appeared in Why We Love Dogs and Why We Really Love Dogs, thousands of animal lovers responded. Now Levin's long-anticipated version for cat lovers is finally here! Kim's gift for capturing the essence of animals is reflected in beautiful photos and playful words that show the ways we love cats: because they stop to smell the flowers, because they look like lions, because they clean themselves...all the time. Why We Love Cats portrays all that is enchanting, mysterious, and fun in the world of cats.

This refreshing take on one of the world's most popular fairy tales preserves the spirt of the original but adds plenty of humorous twists and a spunky, intelligent female lead. The heroine is a real live girl: spunky, funny, assertive, and confused like all the rest of us.

Ah, the ancient mysteries of life. Why are the popular people popular? What's different about them—what makes them special? In The Wish, award-winning author Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted, Dave at Night) explores the age-old question with a simple premise: a girl who is granted one wish by an old lady on the subway wishes to be "the most popular kid at Claverford." As is the fate of many who are granted only one wish, Wilma doesn't think through her wish carefully enough. While she is now adored by boys and girls alike, she is a mere three weeks away from graduating from Claverford. At Elliott, her next school, she'll be back to her lowly, oft-ridiculed self. Tension builds for Wilma until her graduation-night dance, the night before her popularity—and maybe even her relationship with her wonderful new boyfriend—will invariably come to a screeching halt. This fun, witty, insightful novel thoroughly examines the nature of "popularity," and what it means to be true to yourself. It's not just because of the old woman's spell that Wilma ponders, "'To thine own self be true.' But who was mine own self? That's what I wanted to know." Wilma is a funny, smart, no-more-awkward-than-most character with whom young readers of all social echelons will identify completely. When her popularity runs out (and the spell does end), her true friendships remain, and she's left standing on her feet. (Ages 9 to 12) —Karin Snelson

The Chronicles of Narnia adult paperback now has a movie still cover!

"Excellent for Homeschool Use"

A collection of letters from the English author of the Narnia books to a variety of children.

A New York Times bestseller, Absolut Book is the behind-the-scenes account of the birth and growth of this award-winning campaign and provides a definitive illustrated history of one of the most successful ad campaigns ever. It is a collector's delight with nearly five hundred ads.

Your Sure-Handed Guide Through A World Of Books For Children

Books and reading are an essential part of every child's development. But how can parents, educators and librarians choose the best books among the many thousands that compete for their attention? Here's how—with a comprehensive, charming, common-sense guide from two leading experts on children and reading.

With wit, candor and boundless enthusiasm, Valerie V. Lewis and Walter M. Mayes select more than two thousand wonderful books fro children from birth to age 14: from stories that babies can literally chew on, to the very best choices for bridging the critical gap between listening and reading, to the right books to tempt an adamant non-reader, and much more. Here is the most useful, candid, and convenient guide to children's literature ever published, featuring in-depth reviews, concise ratings, handy cross-references by theme and interest, a family reading journal, and mountains of essential hints and advice to help you pass along the gift of reading to the next generation:Matching the child to the bookUsing moments besides bedtime to incorporate readingAccepting books they will love to read and facing up to books they will hateJudging children's ability to distinguish between fantasy and realityDeveloping a child's attention span with booksAnd much, much, more.Here is one book that deserves to be on the shelf of every parent, or anyone else who chooses books for children: a friendly but expert analysis of more than two thousand books for children from birth to age 13. Written by two nationally known and respected authorities, this amazing volume helps overwhelmed parents and caregivers make sense of the sea of children's literature and instill a love of reading as an essential component of everyday life. Supported by educated opinions and judgments—not based on just reviews or awards—Valerie and Walter make specific recommendations, show how to find other books on favorite subjects, and provide a world of sound advice that parents will consult again and again.

The author of Et Tu, Babe and My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist returns with another celebratory burst from the automatic weapon of his psyche. Mark Leyner brings us along for his dream date with Princess Di; wholeheartedly recommends the wonderfully lifelike, bendable This week with David Brinkley action figures; and speculates on the symbolic meanings of the tattoos sported by U.S. senators.

Hilary Liftin's Candy and Me (A Love Story) is not only a love story, but also the story of an otherwise normal, slender, strong-toothed woman's lifetime obsession with candy and all things sweet. With brutal honesty, Liftin exposes herself as insatiable. As a child she indulged in cups full of powdered sugar mixed with just enough water to make a paste which she ate in front of the TV, and multiple packs of hot chocolate mix, licked from her finger on her way home from school. She is a connoisseur of every candy you've ever tasted or even heard of, and of many candies you've never (and might never) come across. The friendships, love stories, and heartbreaks that make up her life story evolve through tales of candy consumption. Her memories of all major and minor life events are tightly woven with Necco Wafers, Snickers, Bottle Caps, Conversation Hearts, Circus Peanuts, Twizzler, Tootsie Rolls, Fireballs, Nonpareils, and countless others. Either you'll relate a little, or you'll relate a lot. You might be shocked by the volume of sugar she's ingested, but her story is familiar. She's made friends and lost them, she's fallen in love and had her heart broken. And then she's fallen in love again. Liftin's story is as sweet as her candy cache. —Leora Y. Bloom

Disaster! Jess tried to hide her horror. Her mum frowned. 'What's wrong, sweetheart? It's what you've always wanted!' Jess's mum has finally capitulated and arranged a trip to see Jess's dad. But this is so the wrong moment: Jess has just got it together with Fred, and in an incredibly romantic way he has scraped money together to get them both tickets to the hottest music festival but instead Jess is going on a road trip with her mum and her grandmother (and her grandfather, but he doesn't quite count as he is ashes in an urn). Jess is keen to keep in touch with Fred by text while she is away, but after a while he just stops responding. And her best friend Flora is now going to the exact same music festival Jess was supposed to go to! Jess can't help her paranoia about Fred working overtime. If Jess isn't careful, her worries are going to completely spoil her much-wanted visit to her dad. But when she gets there, it turns out that everybody has a surprise for each other. Needless to say, some work out better than others In this sequel Sue Limb has surpassed herself. The writing is still fresh, funny and effervescent, but at the same time Sue has captured the difficult, prickly but above all loving relationship between a daughter and her parents.

An absorbing, classic fantasy that taps into the wishful thinking of every imaginative child.

In THE PEOPLE IN PINEAPPLE PLACE, August Brown, new kid on the block in Washington, D.C., finds more than he bargains for when he follows the ragbag lady to a mysterious street called Pineapple Place. There, on a quaint cobblestone block of cheerful houses, live seven invisible - except to August - children from another time. Before he knows it, August and his fantastic new friends are off on the adventure of a lifetime!

I found a 1955 printing of this book in an old waterfront cabin and was struck by the care with which the previous owner had read it. Eve (the name inscribed inside the front cover and then again above the heading for chapter 3) made pencil marks on nearly every paragraph of the book, underlining a phrase, highlighting many passages with strong vertical marks, scratching out some words that she seems to have found superfluous and even x-ing out whole sections that apparently missed their mark with her altogether. Two rusting paper clips isolate several pages, absent any marking at all. Anne Morrow Lindbergh's lyrical words are still relevant and presage so many of the themes of today's most popular books: simplicity, peaceful solitude, caring for the soul, a woman finding her place in society and life. I heard that the woman who had lived in the cabin had actually passed away some time before. Thank you, Eve, for your gift... from the sea.