The Big Bad Wolf

In this thrilling novel from a New York Times bestselling author, Alex Cross battles the most ruthless and powerful killer he has ever encountered: a predator known only as the Wolf. Alex Cross's first case since joining the FBI has his new colleagues baffled. Across the country, men and women are being kidnapped in broad daylight and then disappearing completely. These people are not being taken for ransom, Alex realizes. They are being bought and sold. And it looks as if a shadowy figure called the Wolf-a master criminal who has brought a new reign of terror to organized crime-is behind this business. Even as he admires the FBI's vast resources, Alex grows impatient with the Bureau's clumsiness and caution when it's time to move. A lone wolf himself, he has to go out on his own in order to track the Wolf and try to rescue some of the victims while they are still alive. As the case boils over, Alex is in hot water at home too. His ex-fiancee, Christine Johnson, comes back into his life-and not for the reasons he might have hoped.

When Mr. Wolf is blown up to Godzilla proportions, the Bad Guys find themselves in monster-sized trouble. They must figure out how to stop an alien invasion and get Wolfie back to his old self before the world is totally destroyed. Good thing they have the International League of Heroes on their side, and some newly honed superpowers ready to put to the test...

Award-winning master etcher Arthur Geisert is back with the second installment in his trilogy about Clayton County, Iowa, which began with Pumpkin Island. A twist on the classic story of the big bad wolf and the three little pigs, Geisert's version re-imagines the pigs as considerably more resourceful, thanks to their mother's forewarning to be prepared for what the world has in store. Despite the wolf's best attempts to blow each pig's house down, some clever engineering and architecture foil his plans. Created with his signature style of etching and hand-coloring, the intricate illustrations create a world for inquisitive young readers to get lost in, finding new details to return to with each re-reading.

"Will Big Bad Wolf make friends and stop feeling lonely if he's not bad anymore? "I try and try to be useful and good, but no one gives me a chance! Why bother changing if everyone still expects to be frightened?" Well, he'll show them! But suddenly everything is different when the wolf decides whether or not to become a hero"--Page 4 of cover

A young girl describes what it’s like when her mom’s new friend comes to stay — a moving story about domestic violence that ends on a hopeful note. The young girl tells us that her mom’s new friend is just like the big bad wolf. At first the wolf is sweet and kind to her mom, though the girl notices the wolf’s cold eyes from the very beginning. When her mom arrives home late one day, the wolf suddenly hurls angry words and terrible names at her. From that day on her mother doesn’t smile anymore. The girl is careful to clean her room and brush her teeth and do everything to keep the peace, but the wolf is unpredictable, throwing plates on the floor, yelling at her mother and holding the girl’s arm so tightly she is left with bruises. Whenever the yelling begins, she hides under the covers in her room. How will she and her mom cope as the wolf becomes increasingly fierce? Valérie Fontaine and Nathalie Dion have created a powerful, moving story about violence in the home that ends on a note of hope. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Three little pigs save Little Red Riding Hood.