The original American full dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio.Bilbo Baggins, a gentle hobbit who loves the comforts of home, reluctantly joins a company of dwarves on a journey to recover plundered gold from a fierce dragon. It's a tale of high adventure and astonishing courage—and a magical prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peters and Judy had at home. But they were bored and restless and, looking for something interesting to do, thought they'd give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be plunged into the most exciting and bizarre adventure of their lives. Since its original publication, Jumanji has been honored with many awards, including the Caldecott Medal and a National Book Aw...

The original American full dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio.War rages in the west-a titanic battle of will and strategy between the great wizard Gandalf and Sauron, the dark lord. Meanwhile, eastward in Mordor, Frodo and Sam approach the end of their improbable quest, bearing the One Ring ever closer to the Cracks of Doom-and to a final confrontation with the very essence of evil.

On the last page of the Caldecott-winning book Jumanji, young Danny Budwing is seen running after his brother, Walter, with a game tucked under his arm. Now twenty years later, Chris Van Allsburg is ready to reveal what happened when Danny and Walter rolled the dice. This time the name of the game is Zathura, and the battling Budwing boys are in for the ride of their lives. Soon Zathura unleashes intergalactic challenges that require the quarreling brothers to learn how to work together as...

Using original archives from the Western Front, this historic account uncovers the stories of seven men whose remarkable bravery in 1916 won them the Victoria Cross, Britain’s most prized military medal. Interviews with modern-day family members reveal the personal stories of each man, exploring the differing fortunes they experienced and the variety of reasons for which they fought.

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.They call him the Sun-Slayer, the legendary hero who ended the long night by butchering a god-in-waiting. But for Caelum Dravenscar, victory tastes like ash and sounds like a deafening, soul-crushing silence. Five years into a fragile peace, the man behind the myth is a ghost drowning in cheap ale-until the kingdom he saved starts rotting from the head down.Summoned back to the viper’s nest of Aethelgard, Caelum is no longer a w...

Originally broadcast on Christmas Eve 1994, A Prairie Home Christmas is a delightful compilation of all-time-favorite highlights from past holiday broadcasts of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion.Contents:Christmas Time's a Comin'; Jordan Carols; Shop for Christmas Presents; Scrooge; Children, Go Where I Send Thee; The Twelve Days of Christmas; Christmas Gifts for the Staff; If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas; Settin' by the Fire; Nothing But a Child;...

The original American full dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio.The Fellowship is broken; the quest to destroy the Ring seems already shrouded in disaster. But as the evil lord Sauron readies his armies for war, Frodo and Sam continue their lonely journey toward Mordor, guided only by Gollum-a deceitful and tortured creature, helplessly in thrall to the Ring's dark power.

Ebo's sister left months ago. Now his brother has disappeared too, and Ebo knows that, to see them again, he must follow in their footsteps and make the hazardous voyage from Ghana to a safe haven in Europe. So the twelve-year-old sets off on an epic journey that takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli and finally out to the merciless sea. Powerful and timely, this novel brings to life Ebo's unquenchable hope for a new life in the face of daunting and perilou...

In a truly unprecedented literary achievement by author and editor Lawrence Block, this newly-commissioned anthology of seventeen superbly-crafted stories, each inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper. Contributors include Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Olen Butler, Michael Connelly, Megan Abbott, Craig Ferguson, Nicholas Christopher, Jill D. Block, Joe R. Lansdale, Justin Scott, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Warren Moore, Jonathan Santlofer, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child, and Lawrence B...

Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing Pretty Pretty Princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn't exactly one of the guys either, as she quickly learned when her Little League baseball coach exiled her to the outfield instead of letting her take the pitcher's mound. Liz was somewhere in the middle, and Tomboy is the story of her struggle to find the place where she belonged. Tomboy is a graphic novel about refusing gender boundari...

When an evil genius has a diabolical plan to destroy every book on the planet, who has the tome-toting page power to thwart his dastardly scheme? Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian! She’s got the gadgets. She’s got the disguises. And she’s always got the right book at the right time. It’s a good thing, too, because Lyric McKerrigan is the world’s last hope! This new smart and crafty heroine is part comic-book hero, part reader extraordinaire, and wholly awesome.