Looking Back...at Secom

The Thunder Egg (Dragon Games #1)An adventure-packed series about three kids who travel into a magical, dragon-filled world!Play the game. Save the realm.One fateful afternoon, classmates Luca, Yazmine, and Zane stumble upon a strange-looking rock called a geode in one of the rooms at school. To their surprise, a touch of this geode transports them to a magical land named Imperia.The geode is actually a dragon egg! It’s one of three Thunder Eggs that needs to be returned home to secret locations in Imperia. Once these eggs hatch, the dragons born from them will restore peace to the land. In order to return the first egg, the kids must face off against the evil ruler of Imperia in a dangerous game.The Frozen Sea (Dragon Games #2)An adventure-packed series about three kids who travel into a magical, dragon-filled world!Play the game. Save the realm.Team Dragon is back! This time Luca, Yazmine, and Zane have landed in the icy region of North Gelida. Here they must navigate giant frozen wa

Books eight through ten in the New York Times bestselling Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs are now available together in a collectible hardcover boxed set!With SPYDER defeated, Ben Ripley is looking forward to his life getting back to normal, or as normal as possible when you’re a superspy in training, but his next mission isn’t too far behind…With bombs going off in the CIA conference room, his nemesis, Murray Hill, boarding the world’s biggest cruise ship in Central America, and someone putting a price on Ben’s head and accusing him of being at the center of a conspiracy on the internet, Ben is faced with his greatest challenges yet.This action-packed hardcover boxed set includes:Spy School RevolutionSpy School at SeaSpy School Project X

The Girl Who Loves Bugs is a hilarious and heart-warming story empowering young girls to always be curious, from superstar writer Lily Murray and Waterstones Prize-winning illustrator, Jenny Lovlie. Evie loves bugs. And she's fed up of having to keep up with her mums and brother on walks when she'd rather be peering under logs and examining snails.So, one day, she decides to bring the bugs inside, so she can be with them all the time. The problem is, the family is coming to stay, even fearsome Great Gran, who doesn't stand for any nonsense. And on the day of their arrival, Evie wakes up to find her bugs have escaped .. . all over the house! What is Great Gran going to say?A beautiful, bug-filled story about following your dreams, and the unconditional love of family.With ideas and tips at the back for looking after some of your own bugs (outside!).

The Girl Who Loves Bugs is a hilarious and heart-warming story empowering young girls to always be curious, from superstar writer Lily Murray and Waterstones Prize-winning illustrator, Jenny Lovlie. Evie loves bugs. And she's fed up of having to keep up with her mums and brother on walks when she'd rather be peering under logs and examining snails.So, one day, she decides to bring the bugs inside, so she can be with them all the time. The problem is, the family is coming to stay, even fearsome Great Gran, who doesn't stand for any nonsense. And on the day of their arrival, Evie wakes up to find her bugs have escaped .. . all over the house! What is Great Gran going to say?A beautiful, bug-filled story about following your dreams, and the unconditional love of family.With ideas and tips at the back for looking after some of your own bugs (outside!).

Boom! Crash! Crumble! A wrecking ball smashes into the side of a building, sending pieces flying. It’s an awe-inspiring sight. It’s also science!This book explores how things break down, crack, explode, crumple, and shatter. This fun, unique take on a how-things-work book explores the world through the lens of what it takes for things to, well, not work. In these vibrantly illustrated pages, you’ll peer through the smoke and rubble of controlled demolitions to discover the properties of building materials. Then get a glimpse of the inner workings of a cracked cell phone screen, peek carefully at mega-avalanches and sinkholes, and hold on tight as wrecking balls swing and car crushers crunch metal. Buckle up with crash-test dummies and travel back in time to explore the world’s most famous failures (looking at you, Leaning Tower of Pisa).Featuring hands-on activities that walk kids through their own experiments in destruction, Break Down! will change the way you look at the world.Topics

The third book in this hilarious and relatable bestselling series from the creator of Hurrah for Gin.Lottie Brooks is BACK for more extremely embarrassing adventures as she goes on holiday and gets her very first boyfriend!THINGS THAT ARE RUBBISH IN MY LIFE:· Have the most disgusting little brother in the entire world· Have to get braces when am on the brink of having my first kiss· Mum is making cottage pie for dinner. VOM.Finally summer has arrived and Lottie has BIG plans - scrolling through Instagram, dreaming about MEGA-crush Daniel and sunbathing by the pool on their family holiday to France.Then Lottie meets new CRUSH Antoine. The language is a tiny bit of a barrier but does it matter when he's THAT good looking?Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks:My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath.My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to

Explore the mysteries of the night sky with the Junior Scientists series for kids ages 6 to 9Scan the skies for 40 incredible sights with a book that shows budding scientists how to use a telescope for kids. You'll learn how to choose a telescope, set it up, and seek out the wonders of the Northern Hemisphere, from the Big Dipper to the Whirlpool Galaxy. Detailed visual guides--Illustrations of each star, planet, and more make them easier to spot-- and once you can identify the major ones, you can use them to find others with any telescope for kids. Outer space school--Discover what time of year it's easiest to see different objects in the sky, the life cycle of a star, how galaxies are cataloged, and more!Fun facts--Find out where the constellations get their names and why looking at the stars means you're actually looking back in time!See what's happening out in the cosmos with this guide to making the most of a telescope for kids.

Wordle Challenge presents 500 brilliantly engaging offline Wordle puzzles to do anytime, anywhere.Do you love playing Wordle? Do you wish you could do more than one puzzle a day? If you do, then you will love this collection of 500 offline Wordle puzzles to do anytime, anywhere.Wordle Challenge presents a fun, interactive collection of the hit word-based puzzle game, which can be played offline and promises to be just as addictive and will entertain for hours and hours. Based on the same format which has proved a runaway success, these stimulating Wordle puzzles are graded from Easy to Expert level. Puzzlers must guess what the correct word is, deducing from previous words in the grid what letters go where. A clue means there is only one correct solution to each puzzle, and answers can be found at the back of the book.Whether you are looking for extra Wordle practice to strengthen your brain and improve your guesses, or seeking a screen-free offline alternative to the online versi

An ode to the way memories allow us to be in many places at once, Also is a powerful exploration of being present as well as looking back. Perfect for Mother’s Day, birthdays, or graduation, this mode

A story for all ages from the author of the #1 bestselling Born a Crime“But sooner or later your mother will find us,” Walter said, looking back at the house. “She always does.”The boy’s eyes lit up again. He had an idea.“Then this time we need to go where we’ve never gone before,” he said. “Into the uncut grass!”In the tradition of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse comes a gorgeously illustrated fable about a young child’s journey into the world beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where he discovers the secrets of sharing, connection, and finding peace with the people we love. Infused with the author’s signature wit and imagination, in collaboration with masterful artist Sabina Hahn, it’s a tale for readers of all ages—to be read aloud or read alone.

一場懷舊校園日，竟變成鼠災現場？列尼、山姆和新同學潔西卡展開一場抓鼠大作戰，代價是一切——名聲、衛生、還可能是校長的震怒！笑料不斷的情節與黑白插圖交織，讓讀者彷彿跟著三人一同在教室裡上演一場超展開冒險。Hilarious school-based comedy for 7+ with black and white illustrations throughout. A modern day Just William!Lenny Lemmon is looking forward to Olden Days Day at school. It's a chance to break the routine and try school as it was years ago.It explains the blackboard in the corner, his teacher's bad temper and why his friend Sam looks like Oliver Twist. And Lenny's pleased with his own contribution, too. It's in a cardboard box at the back of the class at the moment because it's not yet time to shine.Except it escapes and ends up in the bowl of sick, sorry, gruel, that Amelia Kelly has brought up, sorry, in. Soon there are small, gruelly footprints all over the classroom and also a lot of screaming because the rat that Lenny found by the back of the chip shop is FREE. It takes the arrival of cool new girl, Jessica Conrad, to distract everyone.Jessica has a plan to catch the rat but it'l

E. B. White Read-Aloud winner Mac Barnett celebrates individuality in a story told with tenderness and subtlety.It’s John’s big day at school today – a performance for Sharing Gifts time. His bag is carefully packed and prepared, his classmates are ready, and the curtain is waiting to open. John is nervous, looking out at all the other children staring back at him. But he takes a big breath and begins. Mac Barnett’s compassionate text and Kate Berube’s understated and expressive art tell the story of a kid who finds the courage to show others his talent for dancing.

The extraordinary YA TikTok sensation about learning to survive unthinkable trauma from bestselling author, Amber Smith'After finishing this book, my heart was pounding and I couldn’t find words big enough to describe how brilliant, beautiful, and powerful it is.' L.E. Flynn, author of All Eyes On HerAll Eden wants is to rewind the clock. To live that day again. She would do everything differently.Not laugh at his jokes or ignore the way he was looking at her that night. And she would definitely lock her bedroom door. But Eden can’t turn back time.So she buries the truth, along with the girl she used to be. She pretends she doesn’t need friends, doesn’t need love, doesn’t need justice. But as her world unravels, one thing becomes clear: the only person who can save Eden… is Eden.‘A courageous, necessary, and beautiful book.' Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces'A raw novel that’ll stay with you long after you finish.' Buzzfeed

A razor-sharp contemporary debut about two teens who can’t sleep spending the night uncovering the secrets of their neighborhoodIngrid can’t sleep. She can’t remember, either.A competitive diver, seventeen-year-old Ingrid is haunted by what she saw at the pool at a routine meet, before falling off the high dive and waking up concussed. The only thing she remembers about the moment before her dive is locking eyes with Van―her neighbor, former best friend, and forever crush―kissing his girlfriend on the sidelines. But that can’t be all.Then one sleepless night, she sees Van out her window looking right back at her. They begin not sleeping together by night, still ignoring each other at school by day.Ingrid tells herself this is just temporary, but soon, she and Van are up every night piecing her memory back together. As Van works through his own reasons for not being able to sleep, they’re both pulled into a mystery that threatens to turn their quiet neighborhood into a darker place than

John Irving, one of the world’s greatest novelists, returns with his first novel in seven years―a ghost story, a love story, and a lifetime of sexual politics.In Aspen, Colorado, in 1941, Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill and Slalom Championships. Little Ray, as she is called, finishes nowhere near the podium, but she manages to get pregnant. Back home, in New England, Little Ray becomes a ski instructor.Her son, Adam, grows up in a family that defies conventions and evades questions concerning the eventful past. Years later, looking for answers, Adam will go to Aspen. In the Hotel Jerome, where he was conceived, Adam will meet some ghosts; in The Last Chairlift, they aren’t the first or the last ghosts he sees.John Irving has written some of the most acclaimed books of our time―among them, The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules. A visionary voice on the subject of sexual tolerance, Irving is a bard of alternative families. In The Last Chairlift,

In this book from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of modern times.Little Elizabeth loved dogs and horses and dreamt of living on a farm. But, one day, she heard chants on the streets. Her uncle Edward had renounced the crown, which meant her father would be the next king, and she heiress to the throne. From that day on, she had to learn how to one day be the queen.When she was only 13, World War Two broke out across the globe. Elizabeth bravely served as an ambulance driver, and after the war ended, she fell in love with and married the charming Prince Philip. In 1952, she was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, and for the next 70 years she would serve as a beacon of continuity, looking after her subjects and serving the country she reigned over.This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos

In this book from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of modern times.Little Elizabeth loved dogs and horses and dreamt of living on a farm. But, one day, she heard chants on the streets. Her uncle Edward had renounced the crown, which meant her father would be the next king, and she heiress to the throne. From that day on, she had to learn how to one day be the queen.When she was only 13, World War Two broke out across the globe. Elizabeth bravely served as an ambulance driver, and after the war ended, she fell in love with and married the charming Prince Philip. In 1952, she was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, and for the next 70 years she would serve as a beacon of continuity, looking after her subjects and serving the country she reigned over.This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos

A beautiful, sweeping, multigenerational narrative that spans from nineteenth century south China to modern day Singapore.I would learn that when families tell stories, what they leave out re-defines what they keep in. With my family, these were not secrets intentionally withheld. Just truths too painful to confront.In the last years of her life, Teresa Lim's mother, Violet Chang, had copies of a cherished family photograph made for those in the portrait who were still alive. The photo is mounted on cream card with the name of the studio stamped at the bottom in Chinese characters.The place and date on the back: Hong Kong, 1935.Teresa would often look at this photograph, enticed by the fierceness and beauty of her great-aunt Fanny looking back at her. But Fanny never seemed to feature in the family stories that were always being told and retold. Why? she wondered.This photograph set Teresa on a journey to uncover her family's remarkable history. Through detective work, serendipity, and

The deep sea is the last, vast wilderness on the planet. For centuries, myth-makers and storytellers have concocted imaginary monsters of the deep, and now scientists are looking there to find bizarre, unknown species, chemicals to make new medicines, and to gain a greater understanding of how this world of ours works. With an average depth of 12,000 feet and chasms that plunge much deeper, it forms a frontier for new discoveries.The Brilliant Abyss tells the story of our relationship with the deep sea - how we imagine, explore and exploit it. It captures the golden age of discovery we are currently in and looks back at the history of how we got here, while also looking forward to the unfolding new environmental disasters that are taking place miles beneath the waves, far beyond the public gaze. Throughout history, there have been two distinct groups of deep-sea explorers.Both have sought knowledge but with different and often conflicting ambitions in mind. Some people want to quench t

A deliciously funny, remarkably poignant ';beach read to end all beach reads' (Entertainment Weekly) about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through all of life's ups and downsfrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever.Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn't spoken one word to Drue in all this timeshe doesn't even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social mediaso when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Drue was always the one who had everythingexcept the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne's no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She's built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a

我們終究沒能重返那個純淨又躁動的夏日青春。 Growing up, it was always the three of them: Miller and Olly and Ash. They stuck together, like they were keeping a secret. They needed each other. As teenagers, they drove to LA, lived in a ramshackle place on the beach in Malibu, set up a record label. They were successful, best friends and Olly and Miller fell in love. Before it fell apart, it was beautiful.Then Olly stopped looking at Miller the way he used to. Miller spent a night with Ash, which turned into a marriage. And Miller and Ash came back to Wonderland, the tidal island of sugary painted houses they'd run away from. Now Miller's forty and she feels like she's disappearing. She wears her tinted sunglasses so often sometimes she forgets the world isn't green. Ash is having an affair with a helmet-haired tv presenter and Olly's career is over. Olly doesn't want to think about what he was going to owe, what any of them owed, to each other. But after everything that has happened, Wonderland is the only p

A collection of conservation stories looking at rewilding―the process of returning animals and plants to habitats where they once thrived.Discover inspiring stories of wildlife brought back from the b

Celebrate the beauty and diversity of life in the Arab diaspora throughout the year.Wrapping grape leaves, playing doumbek, drawing henna tattoos,we’re Arab, Arab, Arab, the whole year through!Yallah! From January to December, join some busy kids as they partake in traditions old and new. There’s so much to do, whether it’s learning to write Arabic or looking at hijab fashion sites while planning costumes for a local comic convention. With details as vivid as the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle perfume (made to remind Mom of Morocco), children bond with friends, honor tradition, and spend loving time with family. Accompanied by buoyant and charming illustrations, this portrait of Arab life and childhood zeal is sure to bring joy all year round. Back matter includes an extensive glossary and notes to enrich the experience for readers of any culture.

Heartsick unpacks the destruction of love by following the true stories of three lives altered by a major heartbreak.I wrote this book for the person who doesn’t want to be told that this too shall pass. Not yet. Who wants to sit with it. And see it for what it is. Who wants to know they’re not alone. That their pain is at once unique and universal. Belonging to them and everyone.When we’re thrown into the chaos of heartsickness, we focus so much on the end. The fact we are now unloved seems so much more important than the reality that we once were.This book was born in the hours I’ve waited for men to message me back and who never did. In the years full of almost-relationships, where I thought I cannot handle another rejection and then found myself turned down by someone I wasn’t even sure I liked. I wrote this book because I know what it is to feel fundamentally unlovable. I knew when I was looking for Ana, Patrick and Claire that their stories had to be true, because within them wou

Awaken the dormant dreams in your heart and start paving a path toward freedom and healing.Sometimes life smacks us upside the head while we are looking the other way. We get knocked down and struggle to get back up. But your past struggles do not determine your future.Using the pain of her past, Nicole Crank walks you through the hurdles meant to keep you down, which will, in turn, bring you closer to God. I Will Thrive gives you the courage to look at your past and be able to declare freedom from fear--allowing a daring spirit to rise up in those who have forgotten how to be brave. This freedom awakens the fight that's inside of you to stand up to the enemy and dream again.Regardless of what happened to you or even because of you, God's plan for you always has a hope and a future, and it never changes. You'll learn to find healing and happiness in every day.

First man on the Moon Neil Armstrong reveals the adventure of the first Moon landing, and how the Earth and the Moon came to be, in this unique non-fiction picture book.A young boy sits up in bed and gazes at the distant Moon through his window. He wonders if, one day, a human will stand on its surface and look back at the Earth. But Earth is already being studied from the Moon. An all-seeing Moon rock of almost impossible age, called Bok, has been looking down at our blue and green planet for millennia.

A gentle introduction to horses will draw both committed horse lovers and those who need a little reassurance before jumping into the saddle.I have a friend named Catherine, and she has a horse named Shannon. “Come and meet her,” Catherine says.A little boy isn’t sure if he likes horses, but his friend Catherine assures him that her horse will like him. Shannon is very big, but she’s beautiful, throwing her head up and looking at him with her dark eyes as if she knows everything there is to know. Catherine patiently teaches the boy how to talk to a horse quietly, how to feed her carrots, how to lead her across a field, even how to blow at her softly to show that he likes her. But is he really ready to climb up on Shannon’s back and take a ride? Facts about horses are sprinkled throughout to satisfy inquisitive readers.

A tender, beautifully illustrated story about a girl in America and her grandmother in India, whose love stretches between languages and cultures―and across the world.When Jyoti visits her grandmother halfway around the world, she is overwhelmed by the differences between India and home. At first she feels lonely and out of place, but soon, despite a language barrier, she and Sita Pati are able to understand each other. They form a bond―looking at books together, making designs with colored sand, shopping at the market, playing games, eating chapatis, and sipping warm milk with saffron to bring sweet dreams. When it’s time to part, Jyoti doesn’t want to leave, but then she remembers that in Tamil, people don’t say goodbye, they say “I’ll go and come back.” Sure enough, the two reunite the next summer when Pati visits Jyoti in America, and it’s Jyoti’s turn to make her grandmother feel welcome. Can they create some special memories that will last until the next time they see each other?

E. B. White Read-Aloud winner Mac Barnett celebrates individuality in a story told with tenderness and subtlety.It’s John’s big day at school today―a performance for Sharing Gifts time. His bag is carefully packed and prepared, his classmates are ready, and the curtain is waiting to open. John is nervous, looking out at all the other children staring back at him. But he takes a big breath and begins. Mac Barnett’s compassionate text and Kate Berube’s understated and expressive art tell the story of a kid who finds the courage to show others his talent for dancing.