This collection of fables, set in a distant land, a long time ago, chronicles the growth of a boy, Ita, from a child of eight to manhood. Almost every tale has a life lesson he learns, first from his grandfather, ruler of their country, and later from his experiences and the people he meets on his travels. Ita sets out on his life journey to find the "Hidden Treasure" his grandfather has spoken of. Along the way, he encounters people from whom he learns about the treasure, and comes, at last, to find where it is hidden. There are stories of courage, making hard choices, and gaining independence when one is no longer a child but growing into manhood. There are stories of love and loss, of great happiness and great sorrow. The collection can be read as a whole, connected narrative, or individual stories can stand on their own. While young people of pre-teen or early teen years can read the stories on their own, younger children age ten and up enjoy having the stories read to them. There is an accompanying study guide for teachers, giving suggestions for follow-up discussions and writing projects.

Jeremy Duncan and his friends Hector and Pierce embark on the ultimate teenage rite of passage--a rockin' ROAD TRIP --in Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman's Zits: Shredded, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed illustrated teen novel Zits: Chillax, which comic god Stan Lee calls a "comedic masterpiece."

Based on the hit comic strip Zits and featuring over 300 sidesplitting illustrations, Shredded follows high school sophomore Jeremy Duncan and his band, Goat Cheese Pizza, on an epic road adventure to record their first album. It's too bad that the only studio they can afford is all the way in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, but if they can just pump enough french-fry grease into their newly veggie-powered van, they actually might make it there