Pawprints Dinner Time At The Zoo

A learn-to-read book about zoo animals.

Rome, too, wants the sound of roaring as evening falls ... The Rome Zoo: a place born of fantasy and driven by a nation’s aspirations. It has witnessed – and reflected in its tarnished mirror – the great follies of the twentieth century. Now, in an ongoing battle that has seen it survive world wars and epidemics, the zoo must once again reinvent itself, and assert its relevance in the Eternal City. Caught up in these machinations is a cast of characters worthy of this baroque backdrop: a man desperate to find meaning in his own life, a woman tasked with halting the zoo’s decline and a rare animal, the last of its species, who bewitches the world. Drifting between past and present, The Rome Zoo weaves together these and many other stories, forming a colourful and evocative tapestry of life at this strange place. It is both a love story and a poignant juxtaposition of the human need to classify, to subdue, with the untameable nature of our dramas and anxieties. Spellbinding and disturbing, precise and dreamy, this award-winning novel, translated by Stephanie Smee, is unlike any other. Winner of the Swiss Literature Award, the Prix Michel-Dentan and the Prix du public de la RTS “Like all truly great literary allegories, The Rome Zoo is both innocent and wise, filled equally with tenderness and darkness. A gorgeous, dream-like fable of Italy's past and present.” —Ceridwen Dovey

When George Mottershead moved to the village of Upton-by-Chester in 1930 to realise his dream of opening a zoo without bars, his four-year-old daughter June had no idea how extraordinary her life would become. Soon her best friend was a chimpanzee called Mary, lion cubs and parrots were vying for her attention in the kitchen, and finding a bear tucked up in bed was no more unusual than talking to a tapir about granny's lemon curd. Pelican, penguin or polar bear - for June, they were simply family. The early years were not without their obstacles for the Mottersheads. They were shunned by the local community, bankruptcy threatened and then World War Two began. Nightly bombing raids turned the dream into a nightmare and finding food for the animals became a constant challenge. Yet George's resilience, resourcefulness and tenacity eventually paid off. Now over 80 years since June first set foot in the echoing house, Chester Zoo has achieved worldwide renown. Here, in her enthralling memoir, June Mottershead chronicles the heartbreak, the humour, the trials and triumphs, above all the characters, both human and animal, who shaped her childhood.

Mitch Rozier is a middle-aged environmental reporter in Seattle, estranged from the cyber-culture that surrounds him. A summons from his dying father, who has one last scheme up his sleeve, takes Mitch back to the family land and to the unanswered questions at the heart of the long-standing rift between them.

A learn-to-read book about places a cat goes around the house.

"The teen banter is quirky and amusing and keeps the reader interested...Readers who enjoy Stuart Gibbs's "Fun Jungle" series or Carl Hiaasen's novels might enjoy the environmental and animal rights aspects of this mystery."-School Library Journal "With characters who grab your attention, illustrations that invite you to play along, and a plot with more twists than a country road, get ready for a fast and fun mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. How do I sign up to join the Gemini Detective Agency?" - James Ponti, Edgar-award winning author of the FRAMED! mystery series "The North Star is mystery and intrigue at its best. I loved putting my observational skills to the test as I searched for clues in the illustrations at the end of every chapter. Captivating. Clever. Compulsively readable. A must-have for all emerging detectives!" - Lauren Magaziner, author of Case Closed series When Martin the red panda goes missing from the zoo, the Gemini Detective Agency takes it upon themselves to crack the case. Join them and help the teenage sleuths solve their next mystery! Twins Zach and Evie Mamuya and their friends Vishal Desai and Sophia Boyd make up the Gemini Detective Agency. They've helped solve the case of the stolen diamond necklace known as the North Star, and now they've got an even bigger mystery to solve. During a dinner at the zoo, Martin the red panda goes missing. And even worse, there's a bobcat's paw print located in his enclosure! But what first looked like an unfortunate incident in the animal kingdom starts to look more like foul play when the Gemini Detective Agency finds a crumpled flier that says "Free Martin." Then they learn about local dealings in an online exotic black market where people can buy rare animals. Could Martin have been set free by extreme animal activists, or is this the work of someone involved in the black market for rare animals and will they be able to find Martin before it's too late? The Gemini Detective Agency is on the case! Readers will love this interactive mystery where clues can be found in the illustrations that appear at the end of each chapter! The Gemini Mysteries is an action-packed series full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

READ THE COMPLETE SERIES! Detective Peter Murphy has been given a second chance when he is shot twelve times. He must return as Detective Alex Weller and solve strange and unexplainable crimes that will push him to the limits. If he successful he may be able to return to his wife and son. What he doesn't realize is there are hidden forces working to destroy him. HUNTING THEM GENTLY: 1 A woman is shot in the head while sitting in her car. Her baby is missing. Detective Weller must find who did it before any more babies are kidnapped. CHOPPING THEM GENTLY: 2 A man's body is found in the dumpster. His right arm has been sawed off. Detective Weller must investigate before any more dismembered bodies are discovered. BREAKING THEM GENTLY: 3 A family is missing from their home. They are eventually discovered buried in their backyard. Detective Weller must search before the killers strike again. TEARING THEM GENTLY: 4 A high school coach is found dead in a bloody swimming pool. Chunks of meat are missing from his body. Detective Weller must search for who or what is behind the killing. SLICING THEM GENTLY: 5 A jogger's headless body is found on a bridge. His head is later discovered down in a ravine. Detective Weller must find who is behind this before there are any more headless victims. BOILING THEM GENTLY: 6 A chef of an upscale restaurant is found dead in his condo apartment. He has apparently been poisoned. Detective Weller must search for the killer behind this senseless murder. BURNING THEM GENTLY: 7 A woman and man are found burned alive at a dollar store. The perpetrator is revealed to be the woman's husband. Detective Weller races to find the husband before there are any more murders. STABBING THEM GENTLY: 8 A woman is found drowned in the bathtub of a hotel. None of the witnesses saw anyone leave her room. Detective Weller must search for a killer that may or may not exist. BLEEDING THEM GENTLY: 9 A teenage girl is found with her face melted off.There is nothing in her room to indicate how it happened. Detective Weller must find who did it before there are any more faceless victims. RIPPING THEM GENTLY: 10 A young man is found ripped to pieces in his home. Bloody paw prints are discovered at the crime scene. Detective Weller races to find who or what is behind the killing. CUTTING THEM GENTLY: 11 A detective is discovered dead in a hospital bed.The sign 666 is written in blood across from him. Detective Weller is faced with the most dangerous case of his life. KILLING THEM GENTLY: 12 The man who shot Peter Murphy is still out there. The search begins to find him before he harms Peter Murphy's family. The stunning conclusion to the Gently Series. KEYWORDS: supernatural mystery, supernatural mystery thriller, supernatural detective series, supernatural detective mysteries, horror thriller novels, horror collections, crime thriller boxed set, ghost stories, crime fiction, detective fiction, police procedural