After the death of his wife, Carson Drew decides to leave Chicago behind and make a fresh start with his daughter in River Heights. But for sixteen-year-old Nancy Drew, life in a small town is mighty dull. She longs for excitement, adventure, and the chance to make a difference. Nancy gets that opportunity when she is asked to help solve the ghostly activity at the Twin Elms mansion. Can she help explain the creaking footsteps, exploding lightbulbs,...

"A delightful collection of gnome facts, featuring Lauren Soloy's gnome wisdom and gorgeous artwork."--

Muslim belief and tradition specifies that there should be no depictions of God or the Prophet Muhammad. In religious contexts, this constraint on what artists can depict extends to human figures and other living creatures as well. These prohibitions have inspired a rich visual culture based on calligraphy, Arabesque floral designs, and geometry, all of which feature strongly in the art and design found throughout Islam.

A sneak peek into the remarkable world of the tail less amphibians. Some frogs blend into the green of their ponds, and live an unremarkable existence. But some are strange looking, having adapted to a special environment. This colorful and informative book reveals a rare and close-up look at the odd beauty of some of the strangest of these creatures largely hidden from our view. Weird Frogs features: Beautiful photographs that show the frogs...

"A biophysicist reveals the hidden unity behind nature's breathtaking complexityThe form and function of a sprinting cheetah are quite unlike those of a rooted tree. A human being is very different from a bacterium or a zebra. The living world is a realm of dazzling variety, yet a shared set of physical principles shapes the forms and behaviors of every creature in it. So Simple a Beginning shows how the emerging new science of biophysics is transforming...

"Hidden in the ocean of colorful fish, octopus, kelp, sea sponges, and other sea life is a most unique creature: the seahorse. Featuring different species of seahorses and seadragons across the world, The Sea Hides a Seahorse is a subtle seek-and-find story that journeys underwater to provide a glimpse into the secrets of seahorses as they swim, hide, hunt, court, mate, and more. Included at the back is more information about seahorses and how to...

In 1684 France, Louis XIV, the Sun King, is the most powerful and influential monarch on the planet. But his birthday is approaching along with a rare solar eclipse and he's worried about the future of France. His spiritual advisor, Père La Chaise, comforts him, while his physician, Dr. Labarthe informs him that scientists believe mermaids contain a life force that grants immortality. Louis XIV's quest for immortality leads him to capture a mermaid's...

The moment the Grace family moves into the dilapidated Spiderwick Estate, strange things begin to happen. Jared, a curious, adventurous boy, quickly seeks out and finds the hidden laboratory of his great great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. He unleashes a mysterious force when he locates a field guide full of the secrets of the magical creatures that inhabit the forest surrounding the mansion. His twin brother Simon is calm and reserved but is rapidly drawn...

Tales of magical creatures have been told across the world for generations... but are these stories merely flights of fancy, or is there any truth to the legends of unicorns and dragons, centaurs and griffins? Presented as the notebook of a 1920s zoologist, this lavish volume sets out to answer this question, revealing the hidden world of the magical beasts that live among us. Within these pages you will meet bizarre and beautiful creatures from around...

"Animals know that in order to survive, they must stay hidden--and, fortunately, nature helps them by providing coloration that camouflages them in their habitat. Award-winning author and illustrator Jim Arnosky looks at this most artful and beautiful aspect of animal life, from the dappled spots on a fawn and the leaf-like markings on a Copperhead snake to the white fur of the snowshoe hare in winter and the changing colors of the octopus. Featuring...