In January 2013, Barack Obama was sworn in for a second term as the 44th President of the United States of America. The only African-American to occupy the White House, this charismatic and eloquent leader is carrying on a rich tradition of oratory which started with the Founding Fathers of the 18th century. This comprehensive collection of witty one-liners, historic pronouncements, personal insights and philosophical musings should contain something for everyone. It goes without saying that you will find the goofs and gaffes of more recent incumbents of the office, but what clearly emerges from the more serious quotations in this compilation is how many of the problems faced by the earliest Presidents still resonate today. When George Washington said "Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom", Andrew Jackson admitted "I have always been afraid of banks" and Herbert Hoover declared "Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt", they could have been talking of 21st-century crises. In our 24-hour TV news and internet world, how would the earliest leaders have stood up to scrutiny? More than a few Presidents were wooden and unsuited to the Oval Office, while others were the cream of their generation and could have succeeded in whatever career they chose. Some quotations have become beacons of inspiration - like these pearls of wisdom: Thomas Jefferson's drafting of the Declaration of Independence: " - that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." JFK's timeless exhortation: "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." As Commanders-in-Chief, Presidents are in charge of the most powerful armed forces ever known, yet humor is often their best weapon. Harry S. Truman: "You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog." Ronald Reagan: "I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency - even if I'm in a Cabinet meeting." Barack Obama: "I'm so over-exposed I'm making Paris Hilton look like a recluse."

When Paris and Helen decide to hit the road together, it means more trouble than they can imagine for both themselves and the people of Troy. But who says Helen is entirely at fault? Sure she had a face that launched a thousand ships but she also had a little intereference from the meddling god of love and his mother, Aphrodite. Think you know the truth behind the Greek myths? Think again. Hades is here to set you straight once more on the true story of the Trojan War.

Internationally acclaimed author Sonya Hartnett tells a hauntingly beautiful story set during World War II. Cecily and Jeremy have been sent to live with their uncle Peregrine in the English countryside, safe from the war, along with a young refugee named May. But when Cecily and May find two mysterious boys hiding in the ruins of a nearby castle, an extraordinary adventure begins.

Munich, 1938. A timid 14-year-old Hitler Youth member contracts polio. Photographs she takes of fellow polio patients are twisted, turned into propaganda which mocks people with disabilities. That's when she realizes - her new disability has made her an outsider in her own country, a target of Nazi scorn and possible persecution. Her only weapon is her camera. This book is a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree for Historical Fiction. For fans of The Book Thief, Number the Stars, and Code Name Verity.