When The Clock Strikes Thirteen

Stage 4 book of Puddle Lane series; left-hand pages are read by older reader; beginning reader read right-hand pages.

"Tom is not prepared for what is about to happen when he hears the grandfather clock strike thirteen. Outside the back door is a garden, which everyone tells him does not exist."--Page 4 de la couverture.

Sick was she on Thursday, Dead was she on Friday, Glad was Tom on Saturday night To bury his wife on Sunday. Loved for the evocative power of his short fiction, Ruskin Bond is well-known for his riveting stories. Told in his distinctive style, this is an eclectic collection of fourteen stories-from humour and horror to warm and soul-stirring. Classics such as 'A Long Walk for Bina' and 'Grandfather's Earthquake' rub shoulders with tales of Fosterganj where lizards are chased to prepare magic oil, while spooks and haunted mansions give you goosebumps! Few writers can create as compelling stories and conjure up as eccentric characters, as Ruskin Bond can. When the Clock Strikes Thirteen is storytelling at its effortless best.

Sinister hooded riders are terrorizing farmers at night, and most of the farmers are reluctant to talk. Meanwhile, a man named Blake makes a generous donation to the Riverview orphan's camp and offers to buy their land, but Penny suspects that he is somehow trying to cheat the orphans. Penny links the hooded bandits to Blake and prevents the orphans from being cheated...

"What an amazing theme park," Dad exclaimed. "Let's go home." And so, ironically, begins the greatest family adventure of a lifetime! Ten-year-old Ben has arrived at that dreadful moment in life where one wonders whether having a childlike imagination is, well... just too childish. In fact, it wasn't long ago that he loved going to theme parks. Honestly, he really... did. But now: 1) Ben's favorite park has magically imprisoned him, 2) the attractions within it have become, shall we say, "alive," 3) their characters have put him on trial for a ridiculous yet perplexing shortcoming, 4) an alien vacuum cleaner intends to bulldoze Earth into a planetary theme park, and 5) if Ben, his sister, and his irritating cousin don't escape by the time the menacing clock tower strikes thirteen, they are doomed to become pieces of the park themselves. (Watch Out For) Thirteen O'Clock is a joyride of adventure, wordplay, and comedy meant for all ages but targeting the middle-grade reader. Set inside the many "lands" of the world-famous Spooky Times theme park, this rollicking odyssey features characters like the bumbling secret Agent Whoops, the decidedly unhelpful Annoying Seagull, the barbaric Flying Vikings (who love bashing in heads only a little less than singing a catchy chart-topper), the Wishy-Washy Witches (all of whom are sort of evil but not really...it just depends), the superhero Wormest (whose superpowers last only as long as nobody informs him he has them), and Prosto: the Automated-Vacuum-Cleaner-But-Aspiring-Intergalactic-Conqueror! Between the action and humor is a heartwarming story about what family means, whether growing up to "be cool" demands leaving your childlike imagination behind, and why you should never let seven proboscis monkeys represent you in a trial before the alligator queen. (Don't scoff. Ben found it quite made sense at the time.)

This is the story of Kaurna man Uncle Lewis O'Brien and his family, beginning with his great, great grandmother Kudnarto - the first Aboriginal woman to marry a white man in South Australia.

(Faber Piano Adventures ). ShowTime Piano Music from China is an exciting exploration of rhythmic dances, serene folk melodies, and original Chinese selections. The book is arranged for the elementary pianist and correlates with Level 2A in the Piano Adventures method. At this level, five-finger melodies with simple harmonies reinforce tonalities and intervals, and teacher duets offer inspiration and support. Students meet LeLe the musical panda, a furry friend who asks discovery questions to guide understanding. Creatively, a duet improvisation and a composition activity introduce the Chinese sound. Unique at each level of the series is a picture tour of China, a visual snapshot of history and culture. Songs include: Counting Toads * Crescent Moon * Foot Sloggers Tune * The Game * Nine Lotus Lantern * Rainy Day * The Toy.