Meet Fabio, a daydreaming mud beetle who's more interested in playing games with his friends than preparing for his future. Sara Risita, author of The Lightning Bugs Strike Back, introduces the game of soccer to the insect world in this tale of tiny bugs with big ambitions. Fabio, an Italian mud beetle, is tired of rolling mud balls, even though his mother nags that he will never find a girlfriend unless he can roll a perfect ball. When he chances on a human soccer match, an inspired Fabio flies back to tell his mud beetle friends about this cool game. What follows is an adventure of magnificent proportions when tarantulas, ants, wasps, fireflies, and many other fascinating insects join in and the Lightning Bug soccer team is formed. Not only do the mud beetles have fun playing soccer, but they also learn the value of good sportsmanship and discover the talent of making friends with those different from themselves. Moreover, in The Lightning Bugs Strike Back, the mud beetles realize that by working as a team, they can accomplish anything they set out to do.

Stermont's latest monster is SHOCKING! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!In this 8th book, there's trouble at Alexander's brand-new school. Lights are flickering, students are getting zapped, and escalators are running at super-speeds! When the sky fills with green lightning, Alexander, Rip, and Nikki know monsters must be to blame. Can the S.S.M.P. turn out the lights on these shocking monsters?

About the Author Mike Lima is a life member of free masonry, the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. His interests are old cars and motorcycles. He started riding at age ten on a Simplex motor scooter and has had several motorcycles. His family life suffered due to manic/depression and drinking. His brother always said Mike would go ten miles out of his way to make a point. Lima has many regrets and ponders them every night before he falls asleep.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the genre-defying icon Ben Folds comes a memoir that is as nuanced, witty, and relatable as his cult-classic songs. “A Dream About Lightning Bugs reads like its author: intelligent, curious, unapologetically punk, and funny as hell.”—Sara Bareilles NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR AND PASTE Ben Folds is a celebrated American singer-songwriter, beloved for songs such as “Brick,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” and “The Luckiest,” and is the former frontman of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. But Folds will be the first to tell you he’s an unconventional icon, more normcore than hardcore. Now, in his first book, Folds looks back at his life so far in a charming and wise chronicle of his artistic coming of age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller. In the title chapter, “A Dream About Lightning Bugs,” Folds recalls his earliest childhood dream—and realizes how much it influenced his understanding of what it means to be an artist. In “Measure Twice, Cut Once” he learns to resist the urge to skip steps during the creative process. In “Hall Pass” he recounts his 1970s North Carolina working-class childhood, and in “Cheap Lessons” he returns to the painful life lessons he learned the hard way—but that luckily didn’t kill him. In his inimitable voice, both relatable and thought-provoking, Folds digs deep into the life experiences that shaped him, imparting hard-earned wisdom about both art and life. Collectively, these stories embody the message Folds has been singing about for years: Smile like you’ve got nothing to prove, because it hurts to grow up, and life flies by in seconds. Praise for A Dream About Lightning Bugs “Besides being super talented, and an incredibly poignant and multifaceted musician, Ben Folds is a fantastic author. I couldn’t put this book down—and not just because I taped it to my hand. Ben takes us into his mind and into his process from the very beginnings of his childhood to where he is today—one of the greatest musicians and writers that has ever graced the art.”—Bob Saget

As comfortable as telling stories around the kitchen table, on the front porch, or in front of a campfire, Lightning Bugs and Sunday School presents a collection of narratives, points to ponder, and poetry that illustrates how God works in the lives of the faithful. Compiled by author Nancy Barry, the stories include appearances by angels and good Samaritans, prayers that have been answered, and the witnessing of unexplainable miracles. In Great Balls of Fire, Shirley Jones tells how listening to a message from God saved her house from ruin during a storm. In A Smooth and Quiet Ride, Daniel Street describes being rescued by an angel on a bitter night when his vehicle broke down. Sometimes You Have to Ask relates how a prayer for a boys new eyeglasses was answered by a thoughtful neighbor. With recipes and household hints included, Lightning Bugs and Sunday School offers a plethora of faith-based stories and recollections that provide inspiration and guidance.

Grassina, Emma's wonderful, magical aunt, is herself a teen in this prequel to the Frog Princess books. She and her sister, Chartreuse (Emma's irritating mother from the other books) are vying to see who will get the family's inherited magical skills as they navigate the intricacies of being a princess in a magical kingdom-a bevy of mostly terrible would-be suitors, a father who becomes a ghost, a mother who changes from a stressed, but semi-normal human to a selfish witch, and the arrival of some terrible werewolves. When Grassina finds and falls in love with a wizard-in-training, Haywood, and invokes the wrath of her sister, it is the werewolves, who despite their evil ways, bring about Grassina's change from mortal princess to Green Witch powers. Every bit as funny and satisfying as the other stories!

This is the first comprehensive firefly guide for eastern and central North America ever published. It is written for all those who want to know more about the amazing world of lightning bugs and learn the secrets hidden in the flash patterns of the 75+ species found in the eastern and central U.S. and Canada. As an independent researcher working with numerous university teams, naturalist Lynn Frierson Faust, “The Lightning Bug Lady,” has spent decades tracking the behavior and researching the habitats of these fascinating creatures. Based on her twenty-five years of field work, this book is intended to increase understanding and appreciation of bioluminescent insects while igniting enthusiasm in a fun and informative way. Species accounts are coupled with historical background and literary epigraphs to engage and draw readers young and old into the world of these tiny sparklers. A chart documenting the flash patterns of the various species will aid in identification. Clear photos illustrate the insects’ distinguishing physical characteristics, while habitats, seasonality, and common names are provided in clear, easy-to-understand yet scientifically accurate language. The guide will be welcomed by everyone who wants to learn more about fireflies' and glow-worms' unique traits and about their fragile niche in the ecosystem. FEATURES Over 600 color photographsDetailed accounts and anatomical diagrams of 75+ species, as well as aids in distinguishing between similar speciesA first-of-its-kind flash-pattern chart that folds out on heavy-weight paper • Extensive scientific details written in an understandable and engaging wayColorful, common names—Twilight Bush Baby, Shadow Ghosts, and Snappy Syncs, and more—for easy species identification based on flash patternsTips on ideal sites and times of year for firefly watchingConservation-oriented approach

An enchanting time travel romance with a Cinderella twist. A modern girl returns to her hometown and takes a job in a local historical house. A house with a handsome ghostly presence. A colonial man haunted by a lovely female ghost only he can see. When Hannah Sinclair becomes lost in the past, she discovers more than secrets to her childhood. She discovers a forgotten time in a world that feels like home. And a man who steals her heart along with a kiss. Martinique Laurent discovers he has something in common with his reclusive uncle who may not be insane after all. Discover timeless passion with this enchanting historical time travel novel — first in an unforgettable new series by the author of the acclaimed Time Spells Beckon series.

Emi Blakely lives a rather comfortable life as an interior designer in the big city, but her passion and direction have admittedly dwindled. If she’s being totally honest with herself, she has perhaps procrastinated, maybe just a little bit, when it comes to doing anything about it. When she is forced to return to her family’s cottage for the first time since her father’s death, she is inspired to take a closer look at the life she’s living. Will she sacrifice the security of staying comfortable in her stagnant life, or will she overcome her fears and allow herself to make an immense leap of faith? An innocently romantic love story, The Art of Catching Lightning Bugs is one young woman’s journey to self-discovery as she learns to follow the peace of God and trust in His perfect timing.

Two families are united—and torn apart—by the Civil War in these three dramatic novels by the #1 New York Times–bestselling master of the historical epic. In North and South, the first volume of John Jakes’s acclaimed and sweeping saga, a friendship is threatened by the divisions of the Civil War. In the years leading up to the Civil War, one enduring friendship embodies the tensions of a nation. Orry Main from South Carolina and George Hazard from Pennsylvania forge a lasting bond while training at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Together they fight in the Mexican-American War, but their closeness is tested as their regional politics diverge. As the first rounds are fired at Fort Sumter, Orry and George find themselves on different sides of the coming struggle. In John Jakes’s unmatched style, North and South launches a trilogy that captures the fierce passions of a country at the precipice of disaster. In Love and War, the Main and Hazard families clash on and off the Civil War’s battlefields as they grapple with the violent realities of a divided nation. With the Confederate and Union armies furiously fighting, the once-steadfast bond between the Main and Hazard families continues to be tested. From opposite sides of the conflict, they face heartache and triumph on the frontlines as they fight for the future of the nation and their loved ones. With his impeccable research and unfailing devotion to the historical record, John Jakes offers his most enthralling and enduring tale yet. In Heaven and Hell, the battle between the Mains and Hazards—and Confederate and Union armies—comes to a brilliant end. The last days of the Civil War bring no peace for the Main and Hazard families. As the Mains’ South smolders in the ruins of defeat, the Hazards’ North pushes blindly for relentless industrial progress. Both the nation and the families’ long-standing bond hover on the brink of destruction. In the series’ epic conclusion, Jakes expertly blends personal conflict with historical events, crafting a haunting page-turner about America’s constant change and unyielding hope. This “entertaining [and] authentic dramatization” (The New York Times) is a thrilling tale of shifting loyalties, set during one of the darkest moments in American history.