Mark Twain is best known for his funny stories and novels about immortal boy heroes; however, his writings extend far into other fields. He wrote in a dizzying variety of genres, and much of his work explores themes well outside the realms of normal human experience. Although he is not generally known as a science fiction, fantasy, horror, or mystery author, he actually wrote a great deal in those fields. The 32 strange and macabre tales in the present volume--drawn mostly from his lesser-known works--offer a rarely seen side of him. Brought vividly to life by nearly 70 entirely original and realistic illustrations, these tales place characters in macabre and inexplicable situations, send them into remote dimensions of time and space, and have them commit terrible crimes, make incredible mistakes, and play fantastic tricks on one another. Readers will find this collection eye-opening, chilling, and thought-provoking ... but also full of laughs!

Interesting facts that teach kids ages 8 to 12 all about World War II

Was the Second World War a continuation of the First World War? How did children in the United States contribute to the war effort? Help young learners find the answers to these questions and more in this close-up look at the largest conflict the world has ever known. They'll learn how it began, who fought in it, and the ways it affected lives all around the globe--one unbelievable fact at a time.

Go beyond other World War 2 books with:

• 175+ amazing things to know--Kids will step back in time and explore the history of World War II with Q&As, true or false questions, and more.
• Easy-to-share facts--Provide kids with bite-sized facts that are simple to remember and exciting to tell their friends and family.
• A complete overview--Young learners will examine how the war started, the new ways it was fought, the effects it had on the lives of ordinary people, and more.

Make learning about history easy with this top choice in books about World War 2.

Here are more than 1,800 quotations, organized from A-to-Z, from America's consummate author--Mark Twain. A must-have for all Twain collectors, The Quotable Mark Twain is filled with his opinions about the people he knew, the places he's been, and the books he wrote, as well as more far-ranging topics, such as writers, billiards, smoking, his family, and more. The book also includes 150 illustrations taken from the original editions of Twain's publications, source citations for each quotation, an annotated bibliography, and a complete index.

Mark Twain for Dog Lovers combines one of America's most beloved authors and dogs. Twain specialist R. Kent Rasmussen traces the history of dogs in Twain's life--from the ones he knew personally, like his daughter's dog which he took in after she died, to the foreign dogs he saw on his travels around the world. Compiling 30 stories and extracts from Twain's wiritings, Rasmussen tells a detailed an compelling story of Twain's relationship with one of America's favorite pets.

One hundred years after the start of the Great War, World War I for Kids provides an intriguing and comprehensive look at this defining conflict that involved all of the world's superpowers. Why and how did the war come about? What was daily life like for soldiers in the trenches? What roles did zeppelins, barbed wire, and the passenger ship Lusitania play in the war? Who were Kaiser Wilhelm, the Red Baron, and Edith Cavell? Young history buffs will learn the answers these questions and many others, including why the western front bogged down into a long stalemate; how the war ushered in an era of rapid military, technological, and societal advances; and how the United States' entry helped end the war. Far from a dry catalog of names, dates, and battles, this richly illustrated book goes in depth into such fascinating topics as turn-of-the-20th-century weaponry and the important roles animals played in the war, and explains connections among events and how the war changed the course of history. Hands-on activities illuminate both the war and the times.

Kids can:

- Make a periscope

- Teach a dog to carry messages

- Make a parachute

- Learn a popular World War I song

- Cook Maconochie Stew

- And much more

Nineteenth-century America and the world of Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, come to life as children journey back in time with this history- and literature-laden activity book. The comprehensive biographical information explores Mark Twain as a multi-talented man of his times, from his childhood in the rough-and-tumble West of Missouri to his many careers--steamboat pilot, printer, miner, inventor, world traveler, businessman, lecturer, newspaper reporter, and most important, author--and how these experiences influenced his writing. Twain-inspired activities include making printer's type, building a model paddlewheel boat, unmasking a hoax, inventing new words, cooking cornpone, planning a newspaper, observing people, and writing maxims. An extensive resource section offers information on Twain's classics, such as Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as a listing of recommended web sites to explore.

Interesting facts that teach kids ages 8 to 12 all about World War II

Was the Second World War a continuation of the First World War? How did children in the United States contribute to the war effort? Help young learners find the answers to these questions and more in this close-up look at the largest conflict the world has ever known. They'll learn how it began, who fought in it, and the ways it affected lives all around the globe--one unbelievable fact at a time.

Go beyond other World War 2 books with:

• 175+ amazing things to know--Kids will step back in time and explore the history of World War II with Q&As, true or false questions, and more.
• Easy-to-share facts--Provide kids with bite-sized facts that are simple to remember and exciting to tell their friends and family.
• A complete overview--Young learners will examine how the war started, the new ways it was fought, the effects it had on the lives of ordinary people, and more.

Make learning about history easy with this top choice in books about World War 2.

A voracious pack-rat, Mark Twain hoarded his readers' letters as did few of his contemporaries. Dear Mark Twain collects 200 of these letters written by a diverse cross-section of correspondents from around the world--children, farmers, schoolteachers, businessmen, preachers, railroad clerks, inmates of mental institutions, con artists, and even a former president. It is a unique and groundbreaking book--the first published collection of reader letters to any writer of Mark Twain's time. Its contents afford a rare and exhilarating glimpse into the sensibilities of nineteenth-century people while revealing the impact Samuel L. Clemens had on his readers. Clemens's own and often startling comments and replies are also included.

R. Kent Rasmussen's extensive research provides fascinating profiles of the correspondents, whose personal stories are often as interesting as their letters. Ranging from gushing fan appreciations and requests for help and advice to suggestions for writing projects and stinging criticisms, the letters are filled with perceptive insights, pathos, and unintentional but often riotous humor. Many are deeply moving, more than a few are hilarious, some may be shocking, but none are dull.

Mark Twain's affection for cats is well-known, and no one would be surprised to hear he also liked dogs. Less well known, however, is his admiration for horses and their kin, donkeys and mules. He clearly was fascinated with them, and he probably wrote more about them than he did about either cats or dogs. In this book the author offers a collection of Mark Twain's best writings about horses, donkeys, and mules, along with some first-hand observations of him and the animals recorded by people who knew him well, such as his daughter Clara. Organized chronologically from his early trips out west to his visits to Europe and Middle East in his later years, the book also includes stories of horses drawn purely from his imagination, including the short novel A Horse's Tale. Other equine vignettes are drawn from such Twain's classics as The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Huckleberry Finn, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and more.

Cyclopedia of Literary Places contains articles from the titles covered in Masterplots, Second Revised Edition (1996). Each article provides standard top matter on an individual literary work, followed by entries discussing important real and imaginary places that figure into the work. Emphasis is not so much on the places themselves, but on how they are used as literary devices within the overall work. The titles covered in Cyclopedia of Literary Places are selected from the 1,805 titles in Masterplots that best lend themselves to discussion of place: virtually all the novels, most of the plays, and a selection of volumes of poetry. Nonfiction titles are not included.

Cyclopedia of Literary Places contains articles from the titles covered in Masterplots, Second Revised Edition (1996). Each article provides standard top matter on an individual literary work, followed by entries discussing important real and imaginary places that figure into the work. Emphasis is not so much on the places themselves, but on how they are used as literary devices within the overall work. The titles covered in Cyclopedia of Literary Places are selected from the 1,805 titles in Masterplots that best lend themselves to discussion of place: virtually all the novels, most of the plays, and a selection of volumes of poetry. Nonfiction titles are not included.