Start off the new year with
a new book!
The Last Rose
by Leah Cypess
The fourth book in the Sisters Ever After series of fairy tale retellings, this is the wild story of Mera, the only one who can save her beautiful older sister when she is kidnapped by the Beast who viciously rules over their small village.
For as long as Mera can remember, she and her sister Darina have feared the Beast who lurks in the castle above their village. On countless nights they have locked themselves into their home while the Beast led his hounds on the Wild Hunt, preying on anything in his path.
Now Darina has been kidnapped by the Beast, and only Mera can save her. But she soon finds that in the Beast’s eerie, magic-haunted castle, nothing is quite what it seems—including her own sister. Here, Mera will discover the dark secrets that have bound her village to the Beast for so long.
But in order to set them all free, she will have to face the most dangerous secret of all: the truth about herself.
Sheepology:
The Ultimate Encyclopedia
by Ilaria Demonti
and Camilla Pintonato
Welcome to the wonderful world of sheep! Sheepology is filled with incredible sheep facts told in a playful tone by Ilaria Demonti, with endearing illustrations by Camilla Pintonato.
Discover all there is to know about sheep in all their woolly glory in Sheepology , a delightfully illustrated guide ewe will flock to again and again!
For instance, did you know that sheep do not like to be alone and get along well with other animals? Or that a sheep was the first mammal to be cloned by humans?
Have you ever wondered how sheep’s milk turns into cheese? Or how sheep are shorn and wool is made into cloth?
These and other intriguing and engaging facts about this lovable animal can be found in Sheepology , a visual encyclopedia and follow-up to Chickenology and Pigology . Nature- and animal-loving readers of all ages will find something to learn and love about these fascinating farm friends.
The Plot to Kill a Queen
by Deborah Hopkinson
From award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson comes an utterly charming, deftly crafted mystery about an intrepid young girl's quest to foil a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I.
Emilia Bassano is a girl who relishes the music of words. Although she plays the lute and writes poetry, Emilia nurtures a dream: to hear her words come alive on stage. Emilia wants to write soliloquies for heroes and kings and queens of old, fashion fierce villains to make audiences howl, and try her hand at comedy and romance. Most of all, she wants to create unforgettable women characters.
On one of her trips to the theater, an unfortunate series of events leaves her penniless, with no way of watching the show. That is until a boy by the name of Will Shakespeare helps her sneak in to see the play. They realize they're both aspiring playwrights and Emilia convinces Will to join her in her efforts to win a playwriting competition at the palace of Queen Elizabeth I.
However, when Emilia accidentally uncovers a plot to kill the queen, she is given the job of traveling to the castle where Mary Queen of Scots is being held captive, to discover who is responsible for the plan to murder Queen Elizabeth—and to thwart it! Can Emilia and her friends stop the plans of a disguised murderer on the loose?
This delightful mystery is a marvel of incisive wit and extraordinary craft from the beloved, award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson.