THE WORLD OF UGLIES, SET IN OUR NOT-SO-DISTANT FUTURE, is a complex place filled with bubbly technology and lingo, yet bogus rules about status and appearance. That's why a guide to the world of uglies has been requisitioned from the hole in the wall. Inside you'll find:
A rundown on all the cliques, from Crims and Cutters to tech-heads and surge-monkeys
The complete history, starting with the destruction of the oil bug to the launch of Extras in space
How all those awesome gadgets came to be: hoverboards, eyescreens, skintennas, sneak suits...
PLUS an exclusive look at Scott Westerfeld's first draft of Extras -- starring Hiro, not Aya.
And so much more, it's mind-wrecking.

After pulling a magical thunderbolt from a stone, ten-year-old Zeus goes on the adventure of a lifetime in this thrilling start to a brand-new series
"The terrible Titans--merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans--have dominated the earth and put the world into chaos. But their rule is about to be put to the test as a group of young Olympians discover their powers and prepare to righteously rule the universe...."
Ten-year-old Zeus is mystified (and super-annoyed) by the fact that he keeps getting hit by lightening. Every. Single. Year. He also longs for adventure, as he has never been far from the cave where he grew up.
Zeus gets his wish--and a lot more than he bargained for--when he is kidnapped by dangerous, giant Titans In self-defense, Zeus grabs the first thing he sees--an actual thunderbolt he pulls from a stone that is covered in mysterious markings. Zeus is the only one who can decipher the markings, and sets off on a quest to rescue his fellow Olympians from the evil Cronus. Armed with his trusty thunderbolt (named Bolt, of course), Zeus is on an adventure of a lifetime--and a journey to fulfill his destiny as King of the Gods.

Zeus and his fellow gods-in-training attempt to capture the king of hell's hound in this latest Heroes in Training chapter book! Zeus and his fellow gods-in-training face a new challenge in the underworld when they attempt to capture Cerberus--the three-headed guardian and cherished pet of Zeus's brother Hades. But they find themselves up against even more than they anticipated when they have to face off against Melinoe and her skeletal minions.

Zeus and his friends are back for another adventure in this latest Heroes in Training chapter book! Since defeating the Titans, Zeus and his fellow Olympians have taken over Mount Olympus. Things are nearly back to normal...until a stranger named Hercules shows up, asking for help. He's on the run from Eurythseus, King of Argon, who is after Hercules for egging his temple. Before Zeus can help, Eurythseus himself appears. It turns out that Hercules has also been bragging that he is the ruler of Olympus, and Eurythseus intends to declare war on the Olympians' new home. Zeus's friends come up with an idea--maybe Hercules could make up for egging Eurythseus's temple. The Oracle Pythia reveals that in order to do this, Hercules must get a scale from a huge, nine-headed serpent--the Hydra. Will this be enough to please Eurythseus? Or is another battle on the horizon for the Olympians?

Ares, Zeus, and the other Olympians encounter a huge snake and a sharp challenge in this Heroes in Training adventure.
After overcoming many challenges, Zeus and his fellow Olympians arrive at the temple at Delphi--only to find a giant snake guarding the entrance Beyond the python, Pythia appears. Trapped in the temple by the python's magic and mere presence, Pythia urges the Olympians not to worry about her, for they are urgently needed on another quest.
The Olympians are now out to find the Spear of Fear. A group of Amazonian women currently have it, but it really belongs to Ares, the God of War. Ares is thrilled to know the next quest is about him--but soon realizes that when it comes to the powerful spear, he has a LOT to learn...

The Heroes in Training are entering the Underworld--if Hades can conquer his canine fears, that is.
The Underworld usually isn't really meant to be a fun place--but tell that to Hades He loves the dark and the stinky smell of sulfur. However, there is one thing that Hades is not a fan of: dogs. And when Zeus and his fellow Olympians encounter Cerberus--a snarling, three-headed dog--Hades must conquer his fears and tame the hound so everyone can continue into the Underworld and deposit their Titan prisoner, Oceanus, back where he belongs
But with magical water that causes forgetfulness, hot beds of lava, and another epic battle with two more Titans standing in their way, will Zeus and his heroes make it out of the Underworld with everyone intact?

Zeus and the Olympians must deal with monstrous spiders and dangerous webs in this Heroes in Training adventure.
A giant spiderweb in the sky with the words "Surrender Olympians" shows Zeus and his friends that they are in for another battle. Dodging the silky and sticky webs, the Olympians find themselves scattering in all directions to avoid getting caught.
But those dangerous webs actually contain a hidden gem--Athena's magical object. And the Olympians soon discover that the Threads of Dread might not be as dreadful as they appear...

Zeus and his friends discover another Olympian who might be able to help in their quest to defeat King Cronus in this Heroes in Training adventure.

With a clue from their trusty oracle, Pythia, Zeus and his Olympian friends are off to the “Land of Grapes,” where they discover a festival. The headline act is Dion and the Goat Guys, and Zeus has a funny feeling this Dion guy might be one of them. Athena points out that this Dion guy is the right age, and he’s definitely not acting like a regular kid. Finally, Dion and the Goat Guys take a break, and Zeus and the other Olympians approach him.

Zeus informs him that he and the others are Olympians, and they think Dion might be one too. Dion (short for Dionysus, he tells them) starts to brag that he wouldn’t be surprised, because he has awesome talents and magic powers. Before the Olympians can ask him about his powers, some of the crowd members start to throng the Olympians. Are they really Olympians? Are they really going to defeat King Cronus? Dion looks kind of peeved about this, and the next thing the Olympians know, they are in a field somewhere, puzzled and not sure what happened.

What kind of magical powers does this Dion kid actually have? And will he be more of a help—or a pain—in their ultimate quest to defeat King Cronus once and for all?

A young Poseidon must triumph over aquatic terrors in this Heroes in Training adventure.
The merciless Cronus and his Titan buddies are in hot pursuit of Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon, who plan to travel across the treacherous boiling sea in order to save a fellow Olympian. They have a boat, but they also have a problem: Poseidon can't swim and is terrified of the water (well, really of the creatures that lurk in its depths). The group faces danger after danger as they battle singing sirens, a fishy and ferocious Titan named Oceanus, and people-eating monsters sent by Cronus himself. Can Poseidon overcome his fears and help his fellow heroes escape Cronus and his cronies?

The action heats up for Zeus and his fellow Olympians in this blazing Heroes in Training tale.
Phew, it's hot Under the titan Hyperion's rule, the sun is burning even brighter than normal and scorching everything in northern Greece--including the villagers The Olympians are forced to play a sizzling "game" of Dodge the Sunbursts as Hyperion hurls giant fireballs that could fry them to pieces
Armed with some clues, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades set out to figure out why in the world Hyperion has been making things so hot. They also need to rescue Hera, who is still missing. Battling the extreme heat--and some fantastical and scary creatures, courtesy of their old foe Cronus--the boys are off on another epic adventure...and Zeus is one step closer to discovering his destiny.

Zeus and Hercules face a very hungry giant in this latest Heroes in Training chapter book! Zeus and Hercules may have gotten a scale from the nine-headed hydra, but that isn't enough for King Eurystheus to forgive Hercules for egging his temple. For their next task, the Oracle Pythia reveals that, to make Eurystheus happy, they have to get the golden belt from the queen of the Amazons--a band of warrior girls. Although the Amazons are friendly enough, there's just one problem...they think that boys are stinky! And Hercules hasn't been great at getting people to like him. But before they even reach the Amazons, they are caught by the awful giant Alkyoneus. He has seven daughters to feed, and the boys would make for a perfect snack. Can Zeus and Hercules escape his clutches and get the belt in time? Or will they end up in hot water?

Project X Origins Graphic Texts can help children to reach higher standards in comprehension. This non-fiction text told in graphic form looks at the lives of some of the worlds most important historical figures. Join Charles Darwin as he witnesses Jane Goodall's ground-breaking discoveries about chimpanzees and finds out about Mary Anning's first fossilized Plesiosaur find, among others This book also contains notes on the inside front and back covers with advice on supporting older children with their reading, ideas for follow-up activities and higher-level comprehension questions.

"Truth is stranger than fiction," says the old adage. Here, collected for the first time are eight stories that may just disprove that theory. In this, his first book, Craig Phillip Dawson demonstrates with seasoned storytelling just how blurry that line between truth and fiction can be.

Whether it be in supernatural tales like "The Smart Bomb," the unseen vengeance of the whiskey trade in "The Living Still," or the more down-to-earth, but non-stop action of the novelette "Wheelies," Dawson demonstrates with masterful skill how to cross that line. Here are eight well-told exercises of the imagination that truly are--"Stranger than Nonfiction."