Some of the best of ghost stories from Ambrose Bierce, including: Present at a hanging, A cold greeting, A Wireless Message, An Arrest, A Man with Two Lives, The Isle of Pines, A Vine on a House, The Spook House, The Other Lodgers, and many other ghost stories.

An inspiring and heart-warming short story of devotion and bravery. A thoroughbred horse, Warrior, is passed through various owners before he is shipped to the thick of the action on the Western Front to serve as his current master’s mount for all four years of the First World War. Warrior and General ‘Galloping Jack Seeley’ were involved from the first engagements through to one of the last, the Battle of Moreuil Wood. Together they fought in terrifying battles and witnessed the death of many horses and masters who served alongside them, terrible deaths, but through it all Warrior seemed to pass like a spirit. This is the tale of his heroic wartime exploits and eventual return to the green fields of England. An evocative and powerful story of a real and great war horse. Warrior’s story was the basis for the fictional Joey in Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse.

Skin Deep can either be read as a full-length eBook or in 3 serialised eBook-only parts. This is PART 2 of 3. You can read Part 2 one week ahead of release of the full-length eBook and paperback. Rejected by her mother and excluded by her school, Flip is a little girl desperate to be loved. ‘Am I ugly, Mummy?’ are the first words that little Phillipa says to Mike and Casey as she stomps into their lives on a hot August afternoon. She has a Barbie doll in one hand and a pink vanity case in the other and the bemused Watsons can only stare in amazement at this tiny eight year old girl who is being guided into the room by her social worker. Phillipa, known as Flip has Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and life with her single mother has come to an abrupt end after a fire burned the house down. When Casey meets Flip, the child seems remarkably unfazed by what has happened and the thing that seems to worry her is that Casey might find her ugly. Casey has come across children with FAS in her previous job in a high school behaviour unit, but is now realising that fostering Flip is going to be full of challenges which will test her and Mike’s skills to the limit.

Skin Deep can either be read as a full-length eBook or in 3 serialised eBook-only parts. This is PART 3 of 3. You can read Part 3 on release of the full-length eBook and paperback. Rejected by her mother and excluded by her school, Flip is a little girl desperate to be loved. ‘Am I ugly, Mummy?’ are the first words that little Phillipa says to Mike and Casey as she stomps into their lives on a hot August afternoon. She has a Barbie doll in one hand and a pink vanity case in the other and the bemused Watsons can only stare in amazement at this tiny eight year old girl who is being guided into the room by her social worker. Phillipa, known as Flip has Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and life with her single mother has come to an abrupt end after a fire burned the house down. When Casey meets Flip, the child seems remarkably unfazed by what has happened and the thing that seems to worry her is that Casey might find her ugly. Casey has come across children with FAS in her previous job in a high school behaviour unit, but is now realising that fostering Flip is going to be full of challenges which will test her and Mike’s skills to the limit.

Casey’s Unit is, as ever, full of troubled, disaffected pupils, and new arrival Leo is something of a conundrum. Thirteen year old Leo isn’t a bad lad – in fact, he’s generally polite and helpful, but he’s in danger of permanent exclusion for repeatedly absconding and unauthorised absences. Despite letters being sent home regularly, his mother never turns up for any appointments, and when the school calls home she always seems to have an excuse. Though Casey has her hands full, she offers to intervene for a while, to try get Leo engaged in learning again and remaining in school. The head’s sceptical though and warns her that this is Leo’s very last chance. But Casey’s determined, because there’s something about Leo that makes her want to fight his corner, and get to the bottom of whatever it is that compels this enigmatic boy to keep running away. With Leo so resolutely tight-lipped and secretive, Casey knows that if she’s going to keep this child in education, she’s going to have to get to the bottom of it herself…

Which 462 words are so important that they've changed the course of American history more than onceThe Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments to the Constitution, the crucial document that spells out how the United States is to be governed.Newly revised and updated, packed with anecdotes, sidebars, case studies, suggestions for further reading, and humorous illustrations, Kathleen Krull's introduction to the Bill of Rights brings an important topic vividly to life for young readers.Find out what the Bill of Rights is and how it affects your daily life in this fascinating look at the history, significance, and mysteries of these laws that protect the individual freedoms of everyone—even young people.Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts

We've seen Lainey's story in The Art of Lainey, but now we'll hear Micah's tale in this digital novella from Paula Stokes.Seventeen-year-old Micah Foster is looking forward to the return of his girlfriend, Amber. She's been away in Los Angeles recording an EP with her band, Arachne's Revenge. But when Amber returns home on the anniversary of Micah's dad's death, everything has changed. Over the next few days, as Micah tries to repair his relationship with Amber, he relives the events of the past few years and recognizes a pattern. His friends and family are right—Micah self-destructs every April. Will Amber be this year's casualtyOr can Micah escape his past in time to fix his present?Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.

Inspired by the works of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, Garth Nix's Newt's Emerald is a Regency romance with a fantasy twist. New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger calls it "charming; quite, quite charming."?After Lady Truthful's magical Newington Emerald is stolen from her she devises a simple plan: go to London to recover the missing jewel. She quickly learns, however, that a woman cannot wander the city streets alone without damaging her reputation, and she disguises herself as a mustache-wearing man. During Truthful's dangerous journey she discovers a crook, an unsuspecting ally, and an evil sorceress—but will she find the Emerald?

This collection contains all six books in New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant's breathtaking dystopian sci-fi Gone saga. These page-turning thrillers invoke the classic The Lord of the Flies along with the horror of Stephen King. King himself said: "I love these books."In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: on your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else. . . .Michael Grant's Gone series has been praised for its compelling storytelling, multidimensional characters, and multiple points of view. Included in this collection are: Gone, Hunger, Lies, Plague, Fear, and Light.

Tween readers will love following the adventures of Mackenzie "Zee" Blue. California girl Zee is an expert shopper, plays the guitar and writes songs, and makes purses and jewelry. She knows how it feels to have a huge crush. And she knows how to be a good friend and keeps in touch via texts and emails. Tween fans of the Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will love the Mackenzie Blue books. This collection includes books 1 through 5.Mackenzie Blue: Meet Mackenzie Blue, aka Zee. She has it all—smarts, talent, humor, and style. Is it enough to survive middle schoolCountdown to a 7th Grade Meltdown. . .Mackenzie Blue #2: The Secret Crush: Mackenzie Blue has a crush! But how can she get Landon—the cutest boy in school—to notice herThe class's new rock-and-roll musical is her chance. Between her crush, the musical, and her friends—not to mention school work—Zee is torn in a thousand different directions. With all the real-life drama going on, will she lose sight of what's really important?Mackenzie Blue #3: Friends Forever?: Zee and the rest of her class from the Brookdale Academy are off on a camping trip to compete in an environmental scavenger hunt. Zee is extra psyched because her best friend, Ally, is visiting from Paris. It should be fabulous having all her friends in one place, but for some reason everyone is fighting!Mackenzie Blue #4: Mixed Messages: Zee and her friends from Brookdale Academy launch Bluetopia, a fab social media site—which is perfect, because Zee's band, The Beans, is about to have its biggest show ever. Everyone is talking about it on Bluetopia. At least it would be perfect if a glitch in the Bluetopia system didn't threaten to ruin the show—and Zee's life!Mackenzie Blue #5: Double Trouble: Mackenzie Blue is a star! Or she will be . . . as soon as she gets the part of an aspiring singer on a new TV pilot! But juggling auditions and the rest of her life turns out to be harder than Zee thought. Zee's friends are helping her hold everything together. But Zee doesn't like having to bail on plans—and her friends—to run to another audition. Is being a star worth it?

The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." This collection includes the three novels and two novellas in the series.Shatter Me: No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.Destroy Me: Set after Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me and before Unravel Me, the spellbinding sequel, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.Unravel Me: Juliette is still haunted by her deadly touch. But now that she has teamed up with other rebels with powers of their own, she'll be able to fight back against The Reestablishment to save her broken world. With the help of these new allies, she'll also finally learn the secret behind Adam's—and Warner's—immunity to her killer skin.Fracture Me: In this electrifying sixty-page companion novella to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, discover the fate of the Omega Point rebels as they go up against The Reestablishment. Set during and soon after the final moments of Unravel Me, Fracture Me is told from Adam's perspective.Ignite Me: With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that's not all he wants with her.

Perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, John Kloepfer's hilarious and stomach-churning Zombie Chasers tween series is overflowing with uproarious middle school humor, dead-on illustrations, and high-action adventure that will leave readers moaning for more. This collection contains the first four books in the series.The Zombie Chasers: Zombie Attack! When brain-gobbling zombies invade, a sleep?over at Zack Clarke's house quickly turns into a Level-3 creep-over. The undead have infested the streets, filling the air with deathly moans and the stench of rotting flesh. The Zombie Chasers are on a mission to save the world, but first they have to survive their flesh-eating, half-dead neighbors—and one another.The Zombie Chasers #2: Undead Ahead: Zack's sister is a zombie and his parents might be goners. Rice has uncovered the source of the zombie outbreak, and Madison's health-drink habit may be the key to a cure. Ozzie, the newest zombie chaser, is a nunchaku-wielding, monster-fighting machine who's ready to kick some undead butt. The whole country—from their parents to the president—is counting on them. Can the Zombie Chasers save the nation from brain-gobbling ghoulsOr will the US of A become the US of Z?The Zombie Chasers #3: Sludgment Day: Zack and his crew of Zombie Chasers—Rice, Madison, Ozzie, and Zoe—are ready to end this nightmare once and for all! With the antidote in hand, the gang sets off on a wild cross-country road trip to defeat the evil genius behind the zombie apocalypse.The Zombie Chasers #4: Empire State of Slime: Six months after Zack Clarke, his sister, Zoe, and pals Rice, Ozzie, and Madison saved the country from brain-gobbling ghouls, life is finally heading back to normal. But while the kids are busy exploring the Big Apple's sites on a class trip to New York City, things go from sublime to slime when millions of people suddenly rezombify! The Zombie Chasers are back on undead duty, but can they escape the crowded city streets and find a new cure, or is Z-Day here to stay?

All 13 volumes of Joseph Delaney's internationally best-selling fantasy adventure series, The Last Apprentice, plus the two short story collections and The Spook's Bestiary—all together for the first time!Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son. As the Spook's apprentice, he will face boggarts, witches, ghosts, and other terrifying creatures of the night. Other apprentices have come before him. Some have failed. Some have fled. Some have died. Will Tom be the one who survives—especially when he becomes the target of the world's greatest evils?Includes 16 books set in the world of the acclaimed series that inspired the major motion picture Seventh Son.Revenge of the Witch (Book 1) Curse of the Bane (Book 2) Night of the Soul Stealer (Book 3) Attack of the Fiend (Book 4) Wrath of the Bloodeye (Book 5) Clash of the Demons (Book 6) Rise of the Huntress (Book 7) Rage of the Fallen (Book 8) Grimalkin the Witch Assassin (Book 9) Lure of the Dead (Book 10) Slither (Book 11) I Am Alice (Book 12) Fury of the Seventh Son (Book 13) The Spook's Tale and Other Horrors (short story collection) Coven of Witches (short story collection) The Spook's Bestiary: The Guide to Creatures of the Dark (illustrated companion book)

Five complete books in one! Noah, Megan, Richie, and Ella are the Action Scouts: friends whose tree house overlooks the Clarksville City Zoo. When they discover a magical world hidden within the zoo, they are swept away on an adventure in which penguins can fly, a mysterious figure lurks in the shadows, and the scouts are enlisted to help Mr. Darby, who is in charge of the Secret Zoo.The Secret Zoo: Noah, his sister Megan, and their best friends, Richie and Ella, live next door to the zoo. Megan is the first to notice the puzzling behavior of some of the animals. One day Megan disappears, and her brother and their friends realize it's up to them to find her. Once inside, will they discover there's much more to the Clarksville City Zoo than they could ever have guessed?The Secret Zoo: Secrets and Shadows: Noah and his must train to become Crossers, members of a secret society who freely travel to the Secret Zoo and back, helping to defend its borders. But now that the monstrous sasquatches are on the loose and the evil Shadowist is plotting destruction, will Noah, Megan, Ella, and Richie have what it takes to survive?The Secret Zoo: Riddles and Danger: Will the scouts be able to fight against the dangerous sasquatches who have escaped the zoo and threaten their town?The Secret Zoo: Traps and Specters: On Halloween night, Noah and his friends must battle terrifying sasquatches that have attacked their own elementary school. Little do they know the sasquatches are a trap! When DeGraff captures three of Noah's friends, can the kids ally with their rivals in order to save every person and animal in the zoo—all while dodging the town's police?The Secret Zoo: Raids and Rescues: Even in the Secret Zoo, there are dangers . . . and forbidden places. When the scouts' friends are held in the off-limits sector—a never-ending maze of aquariums—Noah, Megan, Richie, and Ella must be at their most courageous.

This collection contains the first two novels in Sara Shepard's New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars and Lying Games series, plus a sneak peek at The Perfectionists, the first book in a brand-new Sara Shepard series!Pretty Little Liars: This page-turning start to the Pretty Little Liars series introduces readers to Rosewood and the pretty little liars who call it home. High school juniors Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily thought their darkest secrets vanished when their best friend, Alison, went missing three years ago. But now someone named "A" is sending them notes and threatening to reveal their ugliest secrets—things only Alison knew.Pretty Little Liars #2: Flawless: Four pretty little liars have been very bad girls. But their most horrible secret yet is so scandalous that the truth would ruin them forever.The Lying Game: Separated at birth, twin sisters Emma Paxton and Sutton Mercer never had a chance to meet. And now they never will. Someone murdered Sutton and forced Emma into taking her place.The Lying Game #2: Never Have I Ever: The deeper Emma digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out Sutton and her friends played a lot of games—games that ruined people's lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want Sutton—and now Emma—dead.Plus, a sneak peek at The Perfectionists, another series full of Sara Shepard's trademark juicy secrets, nail-biting suspense, and beautiful girls who will do anything to hide the ugly truth.

This collection contains the first three books in the thrilling prequel arc in Erin Hunter's #1 nationally bestselling Warriors series! Discover how the warrior Clans came to be.Dawn of the Clans #1: The Sun Trail: Long before Firestar left his kittypet home to join ThunderClan, a band of cats from the mountains set off on a dangerous journey in search of a new home.Dawn of the Clans #2: Thunder Rising: The mountain cats from the Tribe of Rushing Water followed the sun trail to a new territory, convinced that in a land with more prey, their lives would be free from strife. But while no cat has gone hungry, tensions are rising.Dawn of the Clans #3: The First Battle: The rivalry between Gray Wing and Clear Sky has driven a bitter wedge between all of the forest cats. As Thunder and Gray Wing struggle to find a peaceful path for the future, tensions are growing—and soon more blood will be shed.

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Author Sarah Prineas works her own spells as she transports us to an extraordinary world where cities are run on living magic and even a thief can become a wizard's apprentice. Diana Wynne Jones, author of Howl's Moving Castle, praised this middle grade fantasy series filled with magic and wonder, saying of the first, "I couldn't put it down. Wonderful, exciting stuff." This collection contains all four novels in the series, plus the digital original novella The Magic Thief: A Proper Wizard.The Magic Thief: Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who—or what—is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic.The Magic Thief: Lost: Conn may only be a wizard's apprentice, but even he knows it's dangerous to play with fire . . . especially around magic. But Conn is drawn to the murmurs he hears every time he sets off an explosion—something is trying to talk to him, to warn him. When none of the wizards listen, Conn takes matters into his own hands. His quest to protect everything he loves brings him face-to-face with a powerful sorcerer-king and a treachery beyond even his vivid imagination.The Magic Thief: Found: Sneaking out of prison isn't easy, unless you are a thief, or a wizard. Luckily, Conn is both! Trouble is, once he's out, where does he goHis home is a pile of rubble since he blew it up doing magic. His master, the wizard Nevery, is not happy with him. Worst of all, Conn's been exiled, and staying in the city will mean his death.The Magic Thief: A Proper Wizard: When Verent, a young apprentice from neighboring Danivelle, comes to Wellmet to ask for Conn's help with his city's magical problems, he is less than impressed with Conn. Will Verent be able to overcome his misgivings about Conn in order to help his townAnd with Conn's help, will Verent become a proper wizard?The Magic Thief: Home: Duchess Rowan has promoted Conn to ducal magister, but the other wizards see him only as a thief. But something sinister is brewing, as magicians' locus stones are being stolen and magical spells are going awry. As Conn faces old enemies and powerful magical forces, is he strong enough to save the city he calls home?

All three volumes of Rae Carson's New York Times?bestselling The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy plus the three novellas set in the same world, available together! An insecure princess with an unclear destiny becomes a secret bride, a revolutionary, a queen, and—finally—the champion her world so desperately needs in this epic fantasy series that Tamora Pierce called "engrossing" and that Veronica Roth said was "intense, unique . . . definitely recommended."This complete collection includes the three volumes of the trilogy: book one, The Girl of Fire and Thorns; book two, The Crown of Embers; and book three, The Bitter Kingdom. It also includes the three novellas set in the world of the series: The Shadow Cats, The Shattered Mountain, and The King's Guard.Once every century, one person is chosen for greatness. But the prophecy is vague, and Elisa has no idea why she was chosen or how she will fulfill the expectations. Her future is unknown and her potential is tremendous—even if she doesn't realize it. A sweeping fantasy series about a young woman finding her true strength, this is perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore's Graceling and George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy's soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the starsOr are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life. . . . She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents' relentless worrying. But Emmy's parents can't seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart. . . . He'd thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who had kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing, and his thoughts swirling.Readers who love Sarah Dessen will devour these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver's father's crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

Perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins, Lauren Barnholdt, and Susane Colasanti, The Boyfriend Project is a romantic read about a girl who wishes her sweet boyfriend had a little more edge.Kendall and her boyfriend, Jeremy, have been together forever, and Kendall is starting to wonder if Jeremy is a little boring. . . . So she embarks on a boyfriend makeover. But as Jeremy learns to strut his stuff, other girls start to notice him and, what's worse, he's noticing them back. Then Jeremy breaks up with Kendall and she realizes her makeover project was the ultimate disaster. Is the sweet boyfriend she loved gone forever?A companion novel to Rachel Hawthorne's paperback original Trouble from the Start, this title is perfect for fans of summer beach reads and sweet treats.

In the fifth book in the New York Times?best-selling chapter book series about the childhood of America's favorite housekeeper, Amelia Bedelia takes to the field, the yoga mat, and the track, with hilarious results. Includes a guide to the idioms used in the book and features black-and-white art throughout. The Amelia Bedelia books have sold more than 35 million copies.Amelia Bedelia's friends and classmates all have a particular sport that they love and are good at. Amelia Bedelia loves sports and games of all kinds, for different reasons. She has fun (and she loves to dribble and dunk and run home), but she is not the fastest or strongest or quickest at anything. Amelia Bedelia would love to have a sport to call her own—and so when her class at school studies the sports of ancient Greece, she goes on a mission to find one! With Amelia Bedelia, anything can happen—and it usually does. Short, fast-paced chapters, tons of friends and funny situations, and black-and-white illustrations by Lynne Avril on every page make the Amelia Bedelia chapter books an ideal choice for readers of the Ivy + Bean, Magic Tree House, and Judy Moody books.