A rare look inside one of the wonders of the world, published in time for the 2008 Olympics in ChinaFor five hundred years, the Forbidden City was the seat of power of China’s emperors. Given rare access to this vast and beautiful complex, Trish Marx and Ellen B. Senisi explore its secrets in full-color photographs and lively, meticulously researched stories. From a grand procession of elephants to the golden nail guards that protected the emperor’s three-inch nails, details large and small bring this fortress to life for young armchair travelers.With contributions from the Palace Museum (the official museum of the Forbidden City), this is a definitive guide and the only book on the subject available for young readers.

Alice likes playing soccer and working on her go-kart with her dad. But when she moves to the suburbs, she learns from Zen, the boy down the street, that she has no hope of fitting in at her new middle school unless she starts acting more "like a girl." At first, Alice doesn't mind that she isn't just like Haley and Yvette, the school's reigning princesses. Then she realizes that being different can set you apart...and being friends with someone like Zen can set you way apart. Why does being yourself have to be so complicated?

Summer has finally arrived, but Mia Fullerton does not have much to celebrate. Her best friend, Lisa, is spending the summer at a Mensa camp, and her boyfriend, Tim, will be at his grandparents house in Maine. So, stuck with a choice of spending the next two months hanging out with her younger brother, Chris who has declared a prank war on her or taking a job on the stage crew at a local children s theater group, Mia chooses the lesser of two evils and begins working at Little Tyke. The moment she meets the other student members of the stage crew, Mia realizes she is not at St. Hilary s anymore. There is Zoë, a Goth punk rock singer with fifteen facial piercings; Henry, a caffeine addict with the self-declared ability to predict people s coffee preferences; and Eric, a former childhood friend who has definitely outgrown his shy ways and geeky appearance. In this sequel to the much-loved Mia the Meek, readers will again enjoy spending time with Mia Fullerton, watching as she navigates the next stage of adolescence, one humorous and memorable fiasco at a time.

What if everything you loved was suddenly taken away . . . And everything you feared became your only hope? Still a teen in human years, Kandide is spoiled, vain, and the personification of perfection. She is also heir to the throne of Calabiyau and keeper of The Gift, the key to survival for all Fae. When a tragic accident leaves her less than perfect, her own mother casts her away to a treacherous world where strange beasts roam the dark, lifeless forest and even stranger Fae rule the land. Kandide must battle hideous creatures, as well as her own internal repulsion for the 'Imperfects' she is now like, if she is to survive. But these are just the beginning of her troubles; within Calabiyau, a presence far more deadly emerges. Joined by her prankster brother, Teren, her tomboy sister, Tara, and a group of misfit Imperfects, the Fae Princess must challenge the darkest of creatures to face an evil worse than any she could have imagined if she is to save the very Fae who sent her away. Calabiyau will forever change, or will it? Praise for Kandide: 'Kandide gives its readers one captivating, enthralling adventure after another.' --S. Earl Statler, critic correspondent, The Los Angeles Newspaper Group 'Kandide is pure magic!' --Lance Burton, internationally acclaimed magician 'Mixing adventure and fantasy with life lessons is making Kandide and the Secret of the Mists a favorite in my class for two years in a row. We were lucky to read it in pre-publication. Now, this year's students are REALLY enjoying Kandide. . .' --Jeff Smith, teacher, Sable Point Elementary School, Florida 'Throughout my career, I've traveled everywhere and I've seen a lot of magic. Kandide's world is without a doubt one of the most magical places I've ever visited, and I can't wait to go back'--Cyril Takayama, International Magic Star and Magic Castle Magician on the Year