Sarah L. Thomson

It is a rare talent, and only she can care for the Inn's herd. She feeds them, gathers their eggs, and tends to their injuries. But Mella dreams about the dragons of legend, even though hardly anyone believes they still exist. Dragons are small farm animals, not huge fire-breathing monsters. Everyone knows that. Until one day changes everything. A Knight of the Order of Defenders arrives at the Inn. Signs of the mythical dragons have led him there, he says. Then a simple errand takes Mella through the forest, where she stumbles across a dragon's egg—and faces the true, terrifying dragon guarding it. On the spot, Mella vows to get the egg safely to the fabled Hatching Grounds. She must leave her home for the first time, and she finds an unlikely companion in the Defender's squire, Roger. For Mella and Roger, this one day is the beginning of an adventure. Where will it take them?

Dragon's Egg

Rob Gonsalves

Presents a night when imagination takes over and gravity does not work quite as expected.

Imagine a Night

Imagine a day when your swing swings you higher than the highest treetops. Imagine a day when you can ride your bike up a path of falling leaves into the very tree they are falling from. Imagine a day when you release a handful of blue balloons into a cloudy, gray sky to create a postcard-perfect day. Imagine a day when the ordinary becomes the extraordinary...a day when anything is possible. Imagine a Day is the companion book to the critically acclaimed Imagine a Night, which School Library Journal declared "a fascinating foray into the imagination." Renowned Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves once again stretches the limits of visual exploration with his breathtaking paintings and encourages parents and children alike to look beyond the limits of the everyday world and imagine.

Imagine a Day

Based on the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales, as well as later legends, tells of family members and servants important in the life of King Arthur, featuring Nimue, Morgan le Fay, Luned, and Mordred.

The Dragon's Son

A fascinating prehistoric creature, the flightless terror bird in ancient South America was a formidable hunter. Thomson s succinct and age-appropriate text explains how terror birds lived, hunted, and how they might have died out. The scientifically accurate illustrations will appeal to young naturalists and budding paleontologists.

Terror Bird

Ancient Animals: Terror Bird

Sharks are the focus of the fourth title in an award-winning series that features kids' favorite animals and outstanding photographs. Full color.

Amazing Sharks!

When Little Monkey's curiosity causes her to slip and fall to the dark, shadowy rainforest floor, she must hide—quick!—because an ocelot is looking for lunch. Thanks to Papa, Little Monkey knows just what to do to stay safe. And thanks to her own wit and speed, she escapes. But no sooner is she safe from the ocelot than she finds herself wrapped in the coils of an emerald tree boa. This exciting adventure will enthrall readers as Little Monkey faces one challenge after another and will also teach them about the fascinating lives of pygmy marmoset monkeys, the smallest monkeys in the world.

Quick, Little Monkey!

How big are whales? How do whales breathe? Do they live alone or in groups? Why are so many whales in danger? This exceptional book for beginning readers explores one of the most amazing animals in the sea. Featuring breathtaking photographs from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Amazing Whales! is the latest title in a new I Can Read Book series about the fascinating animals that share our world and how we can help to keep them healthy and safe. Ages 4+

Amazing Whales!

Kata, a ninja, embarks on her first solo mission, for which she must enter a warlord's castle and make sure that a certain sleeping occupant never awakens. But then Kata discovers that her target is just a young boy (and that her new accomplice is that boy's slightly older sister), and suddenly her mission is much more complicated than she bargained for. Faced with taking someone's life or confronting the dire consequences of failure in her mission, Kata must make a hard choice, one that leads her into a more dangerous battle than she ever expected. In this action-packed coming-of-age novel, Kata discovers that while a ninja must always act alone, humanity requires that you accept the trust and friendship of others.

A Ninja's Tale

Deadly Flowers

Did you know that dolphins . . . are small whales! can live in rivers! whistle to one another! are sometimes pink! Featuring outstanding full-color photographs from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Amazing Dolphins! is the latest title in an award-winning I Can Read Book series that takes readers into the amazing world of animals.

Amazing Dolphins!

A young boy thinks of all the fun things he does over the summer, especially going to the beach with his family.

Feel the Summer

Learn about the life cycle of a polar bear.

Where Do Polar Bears Live?

There are a lot of large birds that inhabit our world today—the albatross, the condor, the emperor penguin. But none of these compare to the terror bird: a bird of prey that roamed ancient South America over fifteen million years ago. The terror bird could stand as tall as a basket ball hoop, with strong beaks designed to hunt. For sixty million years, the terror bird thrived. Almost every other animal could be considered its prey. How did this prehistoric creature live and hunt? How did it eventually become extinct? Sarah Thompson presents this scientific information with the emerging reader in mind—the text is simple, concise, and clear, yet full of useful and thought-provoking facts and ideas. Andrew Plant’s illustrations, labeled throughout, provide readers with an accurate visual of the creatures presented. Lovers of nature and paleontology will find much to enjoy in this introduction to the biggest meat-eating bird that ever lived. Back matter includes facts about other flightless birds—both alive and extinct—as well as additional resources for further discovery.

Fritz Leiber

Disgusted with his unhappy life and ramshackle home, Joe Slattermill heads out for a night at The Boneyard for an evening of gambling, yet despite his special talent for throwing dice, the stakes of the game suddenly become very great and Joe now has to decide whether or not to take the risk--a risk that could cost him his life.

Gonna Roll the Bones

Middle school geniuses Sam, Martina, and Theo arrive in New York City on a mission. They're after the third key left behind by the Founding Fathers. They've escaped the forests of Glacier National Park with the second key, but at great cost--Evangeline, their chaperone and friend, was captured by the nefarious and dangerous Gideon Arnold. Now they have to navigate New York City following clues related to Alexander Hamilton, solve (and survive) the puzzles and traps they encounter along the way, and find the third key before Gideon Arnold does. But the stakes have never been higher, and they might not all make it out alive . . . Another exciting adventure filled with clues, puzzles, and action that dives into the fascinating history behind the Founding Fathers and our country's natural wonders.

The Ring of Honor

Holograph manuscript of the published children's book, Deadly Flowers: A Ninja's Tale, with emendations by the author. Deadly Flowers is the working title assigned to the manuscript.

Sarah J. Thomson Manuscript of Deadly Flowers: a Ninja's Tale

Imagine a night when you can ride your bike right up the stairs to your bed. Imagine a night when your toy train rumbles on its tracks out of your room and roars back in, full sized, ready for you to hop on for a nighttime adventure. Imagine a night when a farmer plays a lullaby on his fiddle, and his field of sunflowers begins to dip and sway to the rhythm. Imagine a night when ordinary objects magically become extraordinary...a night when it is possible to believe the impossible. With the intrigue of an Escher drawing and the richness of a Chris Van Allsburg painting, renowned Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves depicts that delicious time between sleep and wakefulness, creating a breathtaking, visual exploration of imagination and possibility that will encourage both children and adults to think past the boundaries of everyday life, and see the possibilities beyond.

Amazing Tigers! is the first paperback edition in our exciting series of nonfiction I Can Read Books filled with amazing photos from the Wildlife Conservation Society, one of the world's oldest and most respected wildlife conservation organizations.

Amazing Tigers!

This sequel to Deadly Flowers is a fast-paced and compelling read with a multitude of astonishing plot twists. Kata is one of the best employees of a master thief until he sells her to Madame Chiyome, the woman who trained Kata as a ninja. It turns out that Madame Chiyome has been hired by Kata’s enemy, Saiko, to capture Kata and the magical pearl she possesses. But while escaping her enemies, Kata puts her trusted group of friends in danger. Should Kata stay loyal to her mission, as a true ninja would, or to her friends? Can Kata trust the fellow thief who says he is in love with her and wants to help her? The themes of trust versus independence underlie each of Kata’s decisions as she tries to get the pearl out of Japan to weaken the demon within it. As Kata faces one obstacle after another, including a wide range of supernatural creatures, she is tempted to make a wish to save herself, even though could it be the last wish, the one that frees the demon and lets him take her soul. Will her sense of duty and honor prevail against all odds?

Sarah L. Thomson

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