In this lyrical, radically expansive self-portrait, celebrated poet, author, and lecturer Sophie Strand explores—with searing insight and honesty—the intersecting spaces of her own chronic illness, the complex ecology of a changing world, and the very nature of the stories we tell ourselves.At age sixteen Sophie Strand—bright, agile, fearless—is suddenly beset by unexplained, debilitating illness while on a family trip abroad. Her once vibrant life becomes a tangle...

A new hilarious novel from the author of The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever and Stranger Things Have Happened.Rod's life doesn't suck. If you ask him, it's pretty awesome. He may not be popular, but he and his best friends play in a band that has a standing gig. Yeah, it's Monday night and they don't get paid, but they can turn the volume up as loud as they want. And Rod's girlfriend is hot, smart, and believes in their band—believes in Rod. Aside fro...

Part of WestEd’s VITAL Education Series, this practical book provides a research-based, 7-step process to develop reading comprehension skills across all content areas and grade levels.Drawing on current research and practical experience in schools and classrooms, the authors introduce the Reading to Learn Framework—seven core practices that include setting purpose, activating background knowledge, identif...

" No author working today comes close to Jeff Strand' s perfect mixture of comedy and terror." – Cemetery Dance When Margot finds her younger brother dead in his apartment, the investigation shows no medical issues. He simply played a video game until he died of thirst, despite a refrigerator full of bottled water in the very next room. Only a lucky few get to playtest Fun Times at the Bloodbath, one of the most insanely violent video games ever made. It' s so addictive, they can' t stop p...

"She glanced over her shoulder. Had the scarecrow moved? It stood there, smile stitched on its face, but now it felt like a smirk."Prepare to be scared silly in this creepy middle-grade novel! Twins seek medical help in a remote village after their father is in a canoeing accident...only to discover the scarecrow that stands watch in town may have a stronger hold over the residents than expected. Perfect for fans of R.L. Stine, Dan Poblocki, and Ma...

When the scratching starts on the tent, a backyard camping trip turns terrifying for three friends. Prepare to be scared silly in this creepy middle-grade novel for fans of R.L. Stine, Dan Poblocki, and Mary Downing Hahn.Chloe, Avery, and Madison can't wait to spend the night camping in the backyard. Smores! Spooky stories! Trading secrets! It's going to be awesome. Sure, Elijah the kid next door keeps trying to prank them, but it's all in good fun. Who doesn't lik...

A scavenger hunt takes a sinister turn in the third novel in the Eek! series, tales to scare you silly!The competition just got scary.In the small town of Farlow, mysterious advertisements appear for a summer scavenger hunt. Twelve-year-old Maggie and her friends can't wait. They have their team, and more than bragging rights, they want that huge cash prize.On the big day, a strange man welcomes everybody to the game. The first items are ri...

The perfect blend of horror and humor, I Have a Bad Feeling About This is a laugh-out-loud wilderness comedy about an ultimate survival camp that takes a deadly turn...Wilderness Survival Tip #1Drinking your own sweat will not save your life. Somebody might have told you that, but they were trying to find out if you'd really do it.Wilderness Survival Tip #2In case of an avalanche, don't despair. You're doomed, but that's a wicked co...

"Each short story is unique, carefully crafted, and memorable. A fun read from cover to cover." – MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWDesperados and yellow-bellies be warned: These ain't your typical westerns…Herein find legendary masters of anomalous Western and Horror stories—along with a posse of budding word-slingers—who all bring you an electrifying and frightening collection of extraordinary tales set in the Old West and beyond...

"Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, the 19 stories in this new best-of annual anthology feature episodes of graphic gore and violence--including torture, dismemberment, self-mutilation, and home abortion--that are designed to push buttons as well as boundaries...strictly for hardcore horror fans." --Publishers WeeklyExcerpt from the Introduction:Editors Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax put the call out to horror writers and editors of...

What happens when a former Zen Buddhist monk and his feminist wife experience an apparition of the Virgin Mary?“This book could not have come at a more auspicious time, and the message is mystical perfection, not to mention a courageous one. I adore this book.”—Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the SpiritBefore a vision of a mysterious “Lady” invited Clark Strand and Perdita Finn to pray the rosary, they were not only unintereste...

When your best friend is just a tiny bit psychotic, you should never actually believe him when he says, "Trust me. This is gonna be awesome."Of course, you probably wouldn't believe a voodoo doll could work either. Or that it could cause someone's leg to blow clean off with one quick prick. But I've seen it. It can happen.And when there's suddenly a doll of YOU floating around out there—a doll that could be snatched by a Rottweiler and torn to shreds, or a ...