I A SPECKLED BEAUTY Henrietta Hen thought highly of herself. Not only did she consider herself a "speckled beauty" (to use her own words) but she had an excellent opinion of her own ways, her own ideas—even of her own belongings. When she pulled a fat worm—or a grub—out of the ground she did it with an air of pride; and she was almost sure to say, "There! I\'d like to see anybody else find a bigger one than that!" Of course, it wouldn\'t really have pleased her at all to have one of her neighbors do better than she did. That was only her way of boasting that no one could beat her. If any one happened to mention speckles Henrietta Hen was certain to speak of her own, claiming that they were the handsomest and most speckly to be found in Pleasant Valley. And if a person chanced to say anything about combs, Henrietta never failed to announce that hers was the reddest and most beautiful in the whole world. Nobody could ever find out how she knew that. She had never been off the farm. But it was useless to remind her that she had never travelled. Such a remark only made her angry. Having such a good opinion of herself, Henrietta Hen always had a great deal to talk about. She kept up a constant cluck from dawn till dusk. It made no difference to her whether she happened to be alone, or with friends. She talked just the same—though naturally she preferred to have others hear what she said, because she considered her remarks most important. There were times when Henrietta Hen took pains that all her neighbors should hear her. She was never so proud as when she had a newly-laid egg to exhibit. Then an ordinary cluck was not loud enough to express her feelings. To announce such important news Henrietta Hen never failed to raise her voice in a high-pitched "Cut-cut-cut, ca-dah-cut!" This interesting speech she always repeated several times. For she wanted everybody to know that Henrietta Hen had laid another of her famous eggs. After such an event she always went about asking people if they had heard the news—just as if they could have helped hearing her silly racket! Now, it sometimes happened, when she was on such an errand, that Henrietta Hen met with snubs. Now and then her question—"Have you heard the news?"—brought some such sallies as these: "Polly Plymouth Rock has just laid an enormous egg! Have you seen it?" Or maybe, "Don\'t be disappointed, Henrietta! Somebody has to lay the littlest ones!" Such jibes were certain to make Henrietta Hen lose her temper. And she would talk very fast (and, alas! very loud, too) about jealous neighbors and how unpleasant it was to live among folk that were so stingy of their praise that they couldn\'t say a good word for the finest eggs that ever were seen! On such occasions Henrietta Hen generally talked in a lofty way about moving to the village to live. "They think enough of my eggs down there," she would boast. "Boiled, fried, poached, scrambled, or for an omelette—my eggs can\'t be beaten." "If the villagers can\'t beat your eggs they certainly can\'t use them for omelettes," Polly Plymouth Rock told Henrietta one day.... Views: 430
A bestseller in Scandinavia -- Doppler is the enchanting, subversive, and very unusual story about one man and his moose.
This beguiling modern fable tells the story of a man who, after the death of his father, abandons his home, his family, his career, and the trappings of civilization for a makeshift tent in the woods where he adopts a moose-calf named Bongo. Or is it Bongo who adopts him? Together they devote themselves, with some surprising results, to the art of carefree living.
Hilarious, touching, and poignant in equal measure -- you will read it with tear-stained cheeks and sore sides -- Doppler is also a deeply subversive novel and a strong criticism of modern consumer culture. Views: 430
The Great Shelby Holmes may have finally met her match in this humorous sequel to Elizabeth Eulberg's fresh twist on Sherlock Holmes.
Being friends with a super sleuth isn't easy, especially when she's nine years old and four feet tall, and full of attitude. But for eleven-year-old aspiring writer John Watson, being friends with Shelby Holmes is just the adventure he's looking for.
In the few weeks since moving to Harlem with his mom, Shelby has been training John in the art of observation—a skill that comes in handy on the first day of school. John's new teacher, Mr. Crosby, is acting suspiciously, and Shelby knows this is a mystery worth investigating. But as Shelby and John dig deeper, they discover that there may be someone unexpected involved—someone who may have Shelby beat.
From internationally bestselling author Elizabeth Eulberg comes a feel-good sequel for fans of Kate Messner and Chris Grabenstein. Views: 429
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. Views: 429
Seventeen-year-old Lil stumbles across a dangerous secret while searching for her missing sister in this gripping thriller that's perfect for fans of The Darkest Corners and The Third Twin.Seventeen-year-old Lil's heart was broken when her sister Mella disappeared. There's been no trace or sighting of her since she vanished, so when Lil sees a girl lying in the road near her house she thinks for a heart-stopping moment that it's Mella. The girl is injured and disorientated and Lil has no choice but to take her home, even though she knows something's not right. The girl claims she's from a peaceful community called The Sisterhood of the Light, but why then does she have strange marks down her arms, and what—or who—is she running from? Views: 429
In this picture book, Karen Kingsbury tells the story of a boy in competition with other young knights to become prince of all the land. In a series of contests and competitions, the king recognizes the brave young knight as the winner, not because he was the fastest or strongest, and not because he was smarter or more cunning than the other knights. Rather, the brave young knight is the winner because he doesn’t follow the crowd, instead making decisions based on what is right and true and in accordance with his faith. The moral of the story is that the bravest young boys are those who exhibit the strongest character. Views: 428
From the Newbery Honor and Schneider Award-winning author of The War that Saved My Life comes Halfway to the Sky, a compelling novel perfect for fans of Rain Reign.
** Twelve-year-old Dani is running away from home, or what’s left of home anyway. Her older brother, who had muscular dystrophy, died a few months ago. Then her father left and her parents got divorced. Now home is just Dani and her sad, silent mother, and Dani’s got to get away. She plans to do something amazing, and go where her parents will never find her: she’s going to hike the whole Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine. The trail is a legend in her family, the place where her parents met, fell in love, and got married 14 years before.
Unfortunately for her master plan, her mother doesn’t have much trouble figuring out where Dani’s gone. Now it’s the two of them, hiking for as long as Dani can manage to persuade her mother to keep going. But Dani’s got an even longer emotional journey to make—and it’s one she and her mom need to make together.
"A wise and thoughtful book."-*The Bulletin
"[Readers] will readily relate to the angst and anger and be intrigued by the details about the Trail itself."-Kirkus Reviews*
From the Hardcover edition. Views: 426
USA Today bestselling author and Agatha Award winner Amanda Flower turns the charm up to ten in her fourth Magical Bookshop mystery.With the help of Walt Whitman's works, magical bookshop owner Violet Waverly puts her pedal to the metal to sleuth a bicycle-race murder that tests her mettle. A bicycle race is not Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly's idea of a pleasant pastime. But police chief David Rainwater wheelie wants them to enter the Tour de Cascade as a couple, so she reluctantly consents. The Tour de Cascade is the brainchild of Violet's Grandma Daisy. The race is a fundraiser to build the Cascade Springs Underground Railroad Museum. But not everyone in this Niagara Region village supports the race. As if the bike race weren't tiring enough, pesky private investigator Joel Redding is snooping around Charming Books. It takes all of Violet's and Grandma Daisy's ingenuity to keep Redding from discovering the shop's... Views: 426
Winner of four Hugo Awards and the Grand Master Nebula Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Three high school students formed the Galileo Club to share their interests in science and space exploration. But they never imagined they would team up with a nuclear physicist to construct and crew a rocket bound for the moon.
And they never expected to gain some powerful enemies in the process. Views: 426
Based on Antonin Dvorak's opera Rusalka, which in turn was inspired by traditional Czech fairytales, this novelette tells of the water nymph Rusalka and her love for a human prince. A haunting supernatural love story suitable for readers of all ages.With a look of deepest yearning, Rusalka reached out towards the sky with her tiny, pale hand. ‘I want to leave the water and walk in the sun as a mortal!’ She uttered this last word with trembling rapture. ‘A mortal?’ The Vodník was even more astonished. ‘Yes, dear father, a mortal!’ she cried, rising. ‘It was you who told me: they have souls which are immortal, which rise up to heaven when they die!’ The Vodník was sore troubled. ‘Stay in the waters’ embrace. Do not wish for a mortal soul! Mortal souls are full of wickedness!’‘And love!’ Rusalka cried ardently, reaching her arms up as though calling it to the host of stars above too.‘By the eternal waters!’ exclaimed the Vodník. ‘Do you mean to say you love a mortal?’Based on Antonin Dvorak's opera Rusalka, which in turn was inspired by traditional Czech fairytales, this novelette tells of the water nymph Rusalka and her love for a human prince. A haunting supernatural love story suitable for readers of all ages. Views: 425
Fleet Marine Striker Battalion command has conceived a plan that could turn the tide of the war. To bring that plan to fruition they need the android prototypes from top secret research facility RD3-Omega. When the facility comes under attack by enemy forces that plan is thrown into jeopardy. Sgt. Massey must evacuate the prototypes and deliver them safely to the FMSB.Blake hates the world. He failed miserably in life, and has broken up with his girlfriend, Gillian, whom he claims to love and now he doesn't know what to do. He then meets Serena--seemingly crazy, big lover of life but deep Serena who changes his world for good. But there's a catch. Of course there is. Serena is leaving.In this tale of love found, lost, and everything else in between, Blake and Serena find out what love really is about and what it means to come home. Views: 424
Ten years after Alex and Aaron Stowe brought peace to Quill and Artimé, their younger twin sisters journey beyond Artimé in the second novel in the New York Times bestselling sequel series to The Unwanteds, which Kirkus Reviews called “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.”
The Artiméans have suffered some devastating blows.
After years of peace, the recent daring adventure of twins Thisbe and Fifer Stowe have brought about dire consequences. Thisbe has been captured, Fifer is injured, and Sky is lost at sea. The twins’ older brother Alex, head mage of Artimé, is paralyzed with fear of losing anyone else he loves. Fifer must convince him to finally trust her to help in the battle ahead now that their true enemy has been revealed.
Meanwhile Thisbe is trapped underground in the catacombs, where the ancient dragon rulers are buried. Along with fellow prisoners, Thisbe’s job is to transport dragon bones from her crypt to the extracting room, where others extract the magical properties dormant in the bones. When it appears no one is coming back to rescue her, Thisbe must train in secret, trying to learn how to control her fiery magic and use it to escape. As her situation becomes more grave, she might even have to align herself with the ultimate evil.
Unfortunately it’s a risk she has to take. Views: 424
This warmhearted and moving prequel to the "heart-tugging and emotional" (RT Book Reviews) #1 New York Times bestselling Baxter Family Series follows the family members as they face rising tensions during a wedding and a colossal storm.A terrible storm builds in the early morning sky over Bloomington, Indiana, as Elizabeth Baxter prepares to celebrate her daughter Kari's wedding to Tim Jacobs. It's supposed to be the happiest of days, but Elizabeth can't shake a growing sense of dread. Is the storm a sign? Something bad is about to happen. Elizabeth knows it. Indeed, there are dark currents of conflict and doubt coursing through the Baxter family. In the midst of them, Kari Baxter is starting to panic. Is marrying Tim a mistake? And what about her family? Her brother Luke is angry and resentful of their sister Ashley, who has recently returned from Paris, a single mom with a son she too often leaves with their parents. At the same time,... Views: 424
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 edition. Excerpt: ...to discover where Joe lay, wake him up, and force him, by threats of instant death as the penalty for non-compliance, to deliver up all the money he had in the restaurant. Now, it happened that Joe and his guest slept in opposite corners of the room. Rafferty discovered Joe, but was entirely ignorant of the presence of another person in the apartment. Joe waked on being rudely shaken. "Who is it?" he muttered drowsily. "Never mind who it is!" growled Jack in his ear. "It\'s a man that\'ll kill you if you don\'t give up all the money you\'ve got about you!" Joe was fully awake now, and realized the situation. He felt thankful that he was not alone, and it instantly flashed upon him that Watson had a revolver. But Watson was asleep. To obtain time to form a plan, he parleyed a little. "You want my money?" he asked, appearing to be confused. "Yes--and at once! Refuse, and I will kill you!" I won\'t pretend to deny that Joe\'s heart beat a little quicker than its wont. He was thinking busily. How could he attract Watson\'s attention? "It\'s pretty hard, but I suppose I must," he answered. "That\'s the way to talk." "Let me get up and I\'ll get it." Joe spoke so naturally that Rafferty suspected nothing. He permitted our hero to rise, supposing that he was going for the money he demanded. Joe knew exactly where Watson lay and went over to him. He knelt down and drew out the revolver from beneath his head, at the same time pushing him, in the hope of arousing him. The push was effectual. Watson was a man whose experience at the mines had taught him to rouse at once. He just heard Joe say: "Hush!" "What are you so long about?" demanded Rafferty suspiciously. "I\'ve.got a revolver," said Joe unexpectedly; "and, if you don\'t leave the room, I\'ll fire!" With an oath,... Views: 423
In the sixth book of this series, Sherlock Sam encounters his most important mystery yet! His classmate has gone missing at MacRitchie Reservoir, and no one can find him. Fearing the worst, Officer Siva refuses to let the Supper Club help, but there's never been a mystery Sherlock, Watson and their friends could ignore!This book is also the first of The Fiendish Mastermind Trilogy! An exciting trilogy that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Views: 423
