W. W. Norton proudly announces the Seagull Readers, a new collection of the most frequently taught essays. Ideal for genre or introductory literature courses, the Seagull Readers offer a compact and affordable alternative to larger anthologies. Each volume includes a wide selection of both classic and contemporary works, as well as a thorough introduction to each genre and biographies of the authors. An inexpensive and portable alternative to bulky anthologies, The Seagull Reader: Essays offers 35 essays, from time-honored classics such as Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" and George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" to contemporary classics by Maya Angelou, Barbara Ehrenreich, Brent Staples, and Amy Tan, among others. The Seagull Reader: Essays is lightly supplemented by editorial apparatus, including an introduction to the major concepts of the genre, brief headnotes, annotations where necessary, a glossary of terms, and biographical sketches of each author.

Product Description: The siege of Charleston by Union forces, the longest in American history, lasted almost two years, but this battle was the last in a century-long conflict for the soul of the nation. In America’s Longest Siege, historian Joseph Kelly captures the toxic mix of nationalism, paternalism, and wealth that made Charleston the center of the nationwide debate over slavery and the tragic act of secession that doomed both the city and the South...read more

Product Description: Featuring groups of animals from an army of ants to a herd of zebras, this book takes young children on a wildly imaginative tour through a zany animal kingdom. Each group of animals is described using a collective noun (for example, a skulk of foxes, a nest of vipers, a labor of moles)...read more

Martin Bridge returns for more slice-of-life adventures in this installment in the widely acclaimed chapter-book series. In ?Keyboard,? Martin's summer is off to an unharmonious start when his best friends Alex and Stuart are grounded for accidentally damaging Polar Pete's ice-cream truck. Meanwhile, Martin's Mother won't stop practicing on her new electronic keyboard --- and she's driving him around the bend. He's so grumpy that he doesn't feel like helping his friends when they come up with a water-sprinkler-symphony scheme to help pay for their accident. Will Martin change his tune and add some much-needed harmony to his summer?In ?Rope,? Laila Moffat joins the Junior Badgers, much to Martin's chagrin. A keener and know-it-all, Laila just wants to win more badges. Martin doesn't plan to make it easy for her.Though Laila ends up proving herself Badger-worthy, Martin sure doesn't treat her like a friend should. As the competition for more badges begins to heat up, Martin finds himself with conflicting loyalties.

Product Description: Written over a flavor of dreams, empty thoughts, and heightened awareness, JK dives into spellbinding moments that leave you on the brink of passion so deep and emotions so lost. Listen to the voice as his unpredictable pen plays with words we so often take for granted...read more

Martin Bridge and the rest of the Junior Badgers can't wait for the fireworks show on the weekend. When Martin's cousin Fletcher arrives to stay at his house, his guest is not so excited about fireworks, or about Martin's space hero Zip Rideout. All Fletcher wants to do is read thick books with no pictures. Do the cousins have more in common than it appears? In the second story, Martin is struggling to contain his excitement. He's sure he's due to receive his prize for the Zip Rideout Trivia Contest --- Zip's Space Race Game, deluxe edition. This must be what his Dad meant when he said that his parents have a surprise for Martin. He gets so carried away that he invites all his classmates over. Did Martin ever stop to think that the surprise might not be what he hopes? Join Martin Bridge as he reaches for the sky with two new stories and some activities to help kids explore the universe.

Product Description: Distilling the work of Father Vincent McNabb's years of preaching in London's Hyde Park, this challenging and entertaining book examines urbanized and industrialized life. The arguments claim that urban life has a deleterious effect on nature, community, family, and the spirit and offer a challenge to "flee to the fields," seeking a life not dominated by technology and artificial schedules but by the forces of God and nature...read more

Since he isn't the biggest fan of his classmate, Harper the fibber, Martin is disappointed to discover that Harper's astronaut costume is actually as good as he described, but when Harper gets into trouble at the big parade, Martin knows he must put his jealousy aside and lend a helping hand. Jr Lib Guild. Simultaneous.

Martin and his friend Stuart find a full-scale model of their space hero's rocket in a toy store and climb inside for a ride, but after landing back on Earth, they find the toy store closed with no way to get out. Simultaneous.

Martin and his friend Stuart find a full-scale model of their space hero's rocket in a toy store and climb inside for a ride, but after landing back on Earth, they find the toy store closed with no way to get out. Simultaneous.

In two separate stories, Martin must survive a Junior Badger overnight camping trip with his prankster best friend and help his father fix the old cranky lawnmower.

Product Description: A man surrenders to a path of silence and finds the deepest meanings of life—that we each are called to be spiritual beings walking an enlightened path to the truth of life; that we are all brothers and sisters, and regardless of culture, environment, or upbringing are interrelated in this web of life...read more

In three short stories, Martin plays with a friend who came to his birthday party a day late, misses the bus on a field trip to the dinosaur exhibit at the museum, and loses the class parakeet.

In three short stories, Martin develops a crush on his new bus driver, takes care of his friend's hamster with tragic results, and participates in a rocket exhibition that threatens a friendship.

Product Description: Less than half the price of full-length anthologies and more economical than most value editions, The Seagull Readers are a portable and inexpensive alternative to bulky anthologies. Each volume offers an inviting mix of classics and less familiar pieces, complemented by concise genre introductions, short headnotes and annotations, brief author biographies, and a glossary of terms...read more

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