Matt Bates

"Have you ever heard someone described as having "hawk eyes?" That description is taken from a unique raptor whose extraordinary eyesight makes it one of the best hunters in the bird world. It's the hawk! This book covers everything about this bird of prey, including its appearance, behavior, and survival techniques. Readers also learn how to use their life science knowledge to identify hawks in the wild. Colorful photographs, interesting fact boxes,...

"A fragile peace governs the kingdoms of Wessex, East Anglia, under the rule of the late King Alfred's son, King Edward, and Mercia, under his daughter Aethelflaed. Uhtred, her formidable champion and greatest warrior, controls the northern parts from the strongly fortified city of Chester. But no one can prepare them for the storm that is about to descend. The Northmen, allied to the Irish, come in force under the cover of night, up the Mersey, perhaps...

"Britain, early tenth century AD: a time of change. There are new raids by the Vikings from Ireland, and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of Mercia. A younger generation is taking over. AEthelred, the ruler of Mercia, is dying, leaving no legitimate heir. The West Saxons want their king, but Uhtred has long supported Athelflaed, sister to King Edward of Wessex and widow of Aethelred. Widely loved and respected, Athelflaed has all the...

A teenage girl has gone missing and everyone is called upon to join the search. The villagers fan out across the English moors as the police set up roadblocks and news reporters descend. Meanwhile, there is still work that must be done: cows milked, fences repaired, stone cut, pints poured, sermons written, a pantomime rehearsed. As the seasons unfold and the search for the missing girl goes on, there are those who leave the village and those who...

Amy explains to Ben the origins of Thanksgiving Day.

Describes the life of the civil rights worker who is honored on Martin Luther King Day.

"Sergeant Lester Ferris is a good man in need of a rest. After a long career of being shot at, he's about to be retired. The mildly larcenous, backwater island of Mancreu is the ideal place to serve out his time, a former British colony in legal limbo, belching toxic clouds of waste and facing imminent destruction by an international community concerned for their own safety. The perfect place for Lester is also the perfect location for a multinational...

"In the crime-ridden back alleys of Krondor a rival gang has sprung up to threaten the Upright Man's Mockers. Does the Crawler control the rival gang? Where does his power come from? And does it threaten the peace of the Kingdom? James, personal squire to Prince Arutha of Krondor, but in the underworld known as the thief and trickster Jimmy the Hand, must travel to Kesh in disguise. There, working with William, lieutenant of the prince's household...

Jimmy the Hand, boy thief of Krondor, was a pickpocket with potential... until the day he met Prince Arutha, and ran afoul of Black Guy's secret police. His youthful bravado and courage will plunge him deep into the maw of chaos... and perhaps even death.