New Releases by John Stephens

Reprint of the original, first published in 1837.

I HAD before me a journey of nearly two thousand miles, through a country more than half barbarous, and entirely destitute of all accommodation for travellers. Southern Russia was the Scythia of Darius, "savage from the remotest time." "All the way," says an old traveller, "I never came in a house, but lodged in the wilderness by the river side, and carried provisions by the way, for there be small succour in those parts;" and we were advised that a century had made but little change in the interior of the empire. There were no public conveyances, and we had our choice of three modes of travelling; first, by a Jew''s wagon, in which the traveller stretches out his bed, and is trundled along like a bale of goods, always with the same horses, and therefore, of necessity, making slow progress; secondly, the char de poste, a mere box of wood on four wheels, with straw in the bottom; very fast, but to be changed always with the posthorses; and, thirdly, posting with our own carriage. We did not hesitate long in choosing the last, and bought a carriage, fortunately a good one, a large calêche which an Italian nobleman had had made for his own use in travelling on the Continent, and which he now sold, not because he did not want it, but because he wanted money more.

"Embark on a grand journey through the historical landscapes of Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Poland with John Lloyd Stephens in ''Incidents of Travel in Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Poland, Vol. I.'' Penned in the 19th century, this travel narrative provides readers with a detailed and immersive account of Stephens'' experiences as he explores the rich history, culture, and architecture of these European and Middle Eastern destinations. As Stephens encounters ancient ruins, delves into local customs, and shares his observations, ''Incidents of Travel'' is more than a travelogue—it''s a literary expedition that captures the spirit of discovery during a pivotal period. Join Stephens on this literary journey where each page unveils a new chapter of exploration, making ''Incidents of Travel in Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Poland'' an essential read for those captivated by tales of historical travel and cultural discovery."

"Embark on a captivating journey through the ancient wonders of Yucatan with John L. Stephens in ''Incidents of Travel in Yucatan.'' First published in the mid-19th century, this travel narrative recounts Stephens'' exploration of the Yucatan Peninsula, unraveling the mysteries of Mayan civilization. As Stephens traverses the lush landscapes, he encounters awe-inspiring archaeological sites and marvels at the intricate Mayan ruins. His vivid descriptions and detailed illustrations bring to life the grandeur of cities such as Uxmal and Copán, providing readers with a window into the rich cultural and historical tapestry of Yucatan. More than a mere travelogue, ''Incidents of Travel in Yucatan'' stands as a pioneering work that significantly contributed to the understanding of Mayan culture. Join Stephens on this literary expedition, where each page reveals the wonders and mysteries of Yucatan, making it an indispensable read for enthusiasts of ancient civilizations and archaeological exploration."

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

"El esperado desenlace de la trilogía Los libros del comienzo. Descubre cómo termina la alucinante aventura de Kate, Michael y Emma. Ahora que saben que quien consiga reunir los tres libros tendra un poder extraordinario, Kate, Michael y Emma deben darse prisa para encontrar el tercer y último Libro de los Origenes antes de que lo haga Magnus el Siniestro" -- Back cover.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Kate, Michael ed Emma sono stati strappati ai genitori durante una notte di Natale di molti anni prima, forse per proteggerli da un destino oscuro e misterioso. Ma il destino non si può ingannare. E il destino, per loro, ha la forma di tre libri antichissimi, dal potere immenso e oscuro, legati ai ragazzi da un’antica profezia. Gli stessi che il Ferale Magnus, il loro peggiore nemico, vuole riunire per portare a compimento il malvagio disegno che persegue sin dalla notte dei tempi: ottenere il potere assoluto sul mondo umano e sul mondo magico. È lui che ha fatto rapire la minore dei fratelli, Emma, la quale, secondo la profezia, è la Custode dell’Atlante di tenebra, l’unica che possa ritrovare il terzo Libro, quello della Resa dei conti. Il compito che aspetta la piccola Emma è arduo: discendere nel mondo dei morti per ritrovare il Libro, ed escogitare un criterio di giudizio capace di discriminare tra le anime dei trapassati. Ma Emma, dal carattere ribelle e solo apparentemente forte, rischia di non rivedere più la superficie e gli amati fratelli... Aiutati dal dottor Pym, che da quella lontana notte di Natale si prende cura di loro, dal gigante buono Gabriel e da una serie di personaggi indimenticabili, i ragazzi dovranno affrontare la più difficile delle battaglie. Riusciranno a sconfessare la profezia che ha decretato la loro morte, salvando, oltre al loro stesso futuro, le sorti dell’umanità?

Het spannende laatste deel van De boeken van het Begin! Veel fans kijken reikhalzend uit naar het laatste deel in deze onovertroffen en veelgeprezen trilogie. En nu is het eindelijk zover! De avonturen van Kate, Michael en Emma komen tot een verbazingwekkend einde als de kinderen moeten zoeken naar het laatste Boek van het Begin – het Boek van de Dood. Ze moeten het vinden voordat Magus Ominus dat doet, want als de drie boeken bij elkaar gebracht worden, is hun kracht onstuitbaar. Waar in Smaragd Kate een speciale band met de Atlas had en het in Robijn Michael was, draait het in Onyx om Emma’s connectie met de bijzondere Atlas.

The main character, William, is a boy born to a hopeless single parent in Glasgow, Scotland, unwanted and largely ignored. Life is always a struggle for her. In the course of time she dies, leaving William with the man she had been living with. William is mistreated and bullied, and eventually runs away from home, penniless and with no idea where to go. He hides in a lorry going to London, where he begs in the streets for money or food. One day he meets up with a couple who are planning to make a documentary world-wide on animals and creatures in their habitat. The two people he meets in London, Jim and Anne, can see a potential in William and agree to take him on as an apprentice. Anne is also a teacher and spends much time helping William with the education he has missed, and he proves a willing learner. They travel to many parts of the globe, Zambia, Botswana, Christmas Island and other places filming and making notes, during which time they have a series of adventures.

In this fascinating study, John Stephens inteprets the significance of the immense cultural change which took place in Italy from the time of Petrarch to the Reformation, and considers its wider contribution to Europe beyond the Alps. His important analysis (which is designed for students and serious general readers of history as well as the specialist) is not a straight narrative history; rather, it is an examination of the humanists, artists and patrons who were the instruments of this change; the contemporary factors that favoured it; and the elements of ancient thought they revived.

After the tumultuous events of last winter, Kate, Michael, and Emma long to continue the hunt for their missing parents. But they themselves are now in great danger, and so the wizard Stanislaus Pym hides the children at the Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible Orphans. There, he says, they will be safe. How wrong he is. The children are soon discovered by their enemies, and a frantic chase sends Kate a hundred years into the past, to a perilous, enchanted New York City. Searching for a way back to her brother and sister, she meets a mysterious boy whose fate is intricately—and dangerously—tied to her own. Meanwhile, Michael and Emma have set off to find the second of the Books of Beginning. A series of clues leads them into a hidden world where they must brave harsh polar storms, track down an ancient order of warriors, and confront terrible monsters. Will Michael and Emma find the legendary book of fire—and master its powers—before Kate is lost to them forever? Exciting, suspenseful, and brimming with humor and heart, the next installment of the bestselling Books of Beginning trilogy will lead Kate, Michael, and Emma closer to their family—and to the magic that could save, or destroy, them all.

Playtime for Truth is intended to amuse, entertain and occasionally to challenge some of the values we hold in life, including our relationship with God and with those around us. A sense or perspective, and a sense of humour, are very desirable. A balanced life is for living. Christians have a certain hope for better times ahead, whatever our present condition. Hopefully this book will strike an emotional chord with the reader, in good times or in bad. The ability to stand back, sometimes to have a good laugh at ourselves, may well help to relieve tension, and even our blood pressure!

En el segundo libro en los Libros de Trilog?a que Comienza, Michael y Emma deben detectar la Cr?nica de Vida, mientras Kate debe encontrar un camino atr?s presentando el d?a a partir del a?o 1899.

Tot i que la Kate, en Michael i l''Emma es van enfrontar a en Magnus l''Infame, no van aconseguir cap pista d''on eren els seus pares, desapareguts molts anys enrere. Quan els parlen d''un mapa d''un lloc misteriós que podria ser la clau per trobar-los, veuen el cel obert, però la Kate té cada dia una relació més estreta amb el Llibre del Temps i queda atrapada en el passat. Aleshores se submergiran en una perillosa aventura plena de riscos i desafiaments per intentar dominar la força dels Llibres de l''Origen. Si ho aconsegueixen, en tindran prou amb això per salvar-se?

What happens to traditional stories when they are retold in another time and cultural context and for a different audience? This first-of-its-kind study discusses Bible stories, classical myths, heroic legends, Arthurian romances, Robin Hood lore, folk tales, 'oriental' tales, and other stories derived from European cultures. One chapter is devoted to various retellings of classics, from Shakespeare to "Wind in the Willows." The authors offer a general theory of what motivates the retelling of stories, and how stories express the aspirations of a society. An important function of stories is to introduce children to a cultural heritage, and to transmit a body of shared allusions and experiences that expresses a society's central values and assumptions. However, the cultural heritage may be modified through a pervasive tendency of retellings to produce socially conservative outcomes because of ethnocentric, androcentric and class-based assumptions in the source stories that persist into retellings. Therefore, some stories, such as classical myths, are particularly resistant to feminist reinterpretations, for example, while other types, such as folktales, are more malleable. In examining such possibilities, the book evaluates the processes of interpretation apparent in retellings. Index included.

It''s been six months since Kate, Michael and Emma confronted the Dire Magnus, but the trail to their long-lost family remains cold. Then Michael and Emma find the man who was the last person to see them. He knows about a secret map of a distant, mysterious land - maybe this is the clue that will lead them to their parents... Meanwhile, Kate''s connection to the Book of Time grows ever stronger, and when a dangerous trick traps her in the past, she must find new friends to help her return home. Once more the children must embark on a daring and perilous quest to find the second Book of Beginning and harness its power. But will it be enough to save them all?

Over the course of many years, I have written various things to commemorate occasions, which included church activities, the wifes many birthdays, wedding anniversaries, holidays, Christmas and Easter times, to name but a few. These items seem to have had a life of their own and obeyed the call to go forth and multiply. I hadnt realised just how many there were. Writing them has given me much pleasure and satisfaction over many years, and their recipients seemed to have appreciated them, so I have been persuaded to offer them to a wider readership. I hope that readers will find a few chuckles, a few moments for thought, and, above all, encouragement in their Christian life.

This is a part of a collection of poems, stories, and short plays, written over many years to mark a particular occasion. Some were produced for use in church or church magazines, school events, and especially for birthdays, anniversaries, personal moments, and family happenings. As many a poet has discovered, once you embark on writing poems for the wifes birthday, wedding anniversaries, and so forth, it becomes an expected contribution, and there is no way out of itbut it is still good fun, and I would suggest readers should try it for themselves. I hope the reader will find some items for encouragement in their Christian walk with God, together with others to bring a smile on their face.

"A strong . . . trilogy, invoking just a little Harry Potter and Series of Unfortunate Events along the way."—Realms of Fantasy Siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about. Until now. Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world . . . a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is true—what they do can change history, and it's up to them to set things right. "A new Narnia for the tween set."—The New York Times "[A] fast-paced, fully imagined fantasy."—Publishers Weekly "Echoes of other popular fantasy series, from "Harry Potter" to the "Narnia" books, are easily found, but debut author Stephens has created a new and appealing read . . ."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

È la notte di Natale e Kate avrebbe voluto rimanere sveglia, ma i suoi occhi di bambina alla fine si sono arresi al sonno. Sono le mani di sua mamma a scuoterla e svegliarla di colpo: sta succedendo qualcosa. Qualcosa di brutto. Kate ha solo quattro anni, suo fratello Michael due, Emma è appena nata. Questa è l''ultima volta in cui vedranno i loro genitori. Dieci anni e moltissimi orfanotrofi dopo, i tre fratelli si imbarcano per quello che pare sia l''ultimo istituto disposto ad accoglierli: Cambridge Falls. Ma quando arrivano nella enorme casa tutta sbilenca, piena di torri, sotterranei e sale colme di bizzarrie, molte sono le domande che si affacciano alla loro mente. Come mai non ci sono altri bambini? Chi è l''enigmatico dottor Pym, il direttore di quello strano orfanotrofio? E soprattutto, cos''è quell''inquietante libro dalle pagine bianche e dalla copertina verde che sembra brillare di luce propria nel buio della camera segreta? Questa è la storia di Kate, che da sempre si prende cura dei fratelli, aggrappandosi alla disperata certezza che un giorno i suoi genitori torneranno a prenderli. Questa è la storia di Michael e della sua passione per le storie fantastiche. Questa è la storia della piccola Emma, che sembra non temere niente e nessuno al mondo ma ha nel cuore la paura più grossa di tutte: quella di perdere i suoi fratelli. Questa è la storia di tre bambini inseguiti da un potere oscuro e minaccioso. Questa è la storia di tre ragazzi e del libro che cambierà per sempre il loro destino.

Adéntrate en el mundo de «Los Libros de los Orígenes» y acompaña a Kate, Michael y Emma en su apasionante aventura. Kate es la mayor y más responsable. A sus catorce años, es la única que recuerda a sus padres, especialmente las últimas palabras de su madre pidiéndole que cuidara de sus hermanos. Michael, de doce años, es el empollón y el despistado de la familia. Ha perdido más gafas de las que pueda imaginar, aunque a veces el problema es que ni se acuerda de que las lleva puestas. Libro que encuentra, libro que devora, especialmente si habla de sus queridos Elfos. Emma, con solo once años, es pura dinamita. Decidida y directa, dice siempre lo que piensa, sin importarle las consecuencias. Suya es la frase: «Si quieres que te respeten, pelea». Desde que les apartaron de sus padres, diez años atrás, la vida de Kate, Michael y Emma ha transcurrido de orfanato en orfanato. Ahora acaban de llegar al último de su larga colección: situado en lo alto de una colina, parece un enorme castillo a punto de derrumbarse. Pero las sorpresas no acaban aquí: el orfanato está dirigido por el excéntrico doctor Pym -Michael no tiene ninguna duda de que es un mago- ¡y ellos son los únicos niños del centro! Por eso, muertos de curiosidad y sin nada que perder, dedican el primer día a inspeccionar todas y cada una de las habitaciones, y descubren pasadizos secretos, escaleras subterráneas y, lo más importante, un libro de color esmeralda que cambiará sus vidas para siempre... Juntos, los tres hermanos descubrirán que: La magia existe (Michael ya lo sabía). Hay libros muy, pero que muy peligrosos. Les guste o no, deben salvar el mundo. La crítica ha dicho... «Algunos lectores pensarán que es un libro muy largo..., pero cuando lo acaben desearán que lo hubiese sido más.» Kirkus Reviews «Con guiños a Harry Potter y a Narnia, los lectores esperarán impacientes el siguiente libro.» School Library Journal

The first thrilling book in the most exciting children's fantasy series since Harry Potter. They were taken from their beds one frozen night, when the world was covered in snow. The silhouette of a tall, thin man has haunted Kate ever since. Ten years on, Kate, Michael and Emma have grown up in a string of miserable orphanages, and all memories of their parents have faded to a blur. Arriving at Cambridge Falls, the children quickly realise there is something different about this place - and Kate feels sure she has seen the dark, crooked house before. As they explore, they discover an old, empty leather book. The moment they touch it, an ancient magical prophecy is set irrevocably in motion, and the children are thrown into a dangerous alternate reality of dark enchantments and terrifying monsters. Only they can prevent the terrible event that will ruin Cambridge Falls - and stop the world from falling into complete devastation.

"With Peace in Mind" is a collection of short stories and poems, sometimes with a light Christian angle, written over a period of years. The author habitually wrote a poem for his wife on her birthday, their anniversary, Christmas, Easter or any other notable occasion and this is a selection of them. Other items were written for use teaching school or simply for the pleasure of writing. Many of the pieces have appeared in magazines and newspapers. This is a book that you can delve into at any time for pleasure and amusement, reading parts aloud to family round the fire. Other items may cause you think more seriously about what life is all about.

ILPAC (Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry) is a comprehensive and flexible course of study. The series provides complete coverage of A level Chemistry while individual books can be used to support specific topics.

When children read fiction they are exposed to the beliefs which inform and structure their society. The books encourage child readers to internalise particular ways of seeing the world and help shape their development as individuals. Although this process forms a key part of their education, it remains largely invisible. As well as a story, fictions impart a significance to readers - often without revealing its presence or ground - and therefore have considerable potential to socialize their audience. John Stephens analyses this process and shows how fictions can work to constrain or liberate audience responses. He explores picture books as well as historical, realistic and fantastic fictions to show how both a character within the narrative and the implied reader are positioned within ideology. The author considers areas of ideology not previously examined and offers new perspectives on realism and fantasy. The book will be of interest to linguists and teachers as well as to the general reader.

A book for upper secondary and tertiary English students which analyses samples of poetry, journalism, fiction and drama through a study of the sign systems which represent the world. Includes a dictionary of technical terms, references and a comprehensive index.