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Desk Wars: Make secret weapons from stationery with 30 models to build yourself (Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction)
by John Austin'Cubicle farms are full of enemy combatants begging to be taken out.' WIREDAchieve clandestine ends practically and inexpensively with Desk Wars - perfect for do-it-yourself spy enthusiasts. Follow fully illustrated step-by-step instructions to build 30 miniature secret weapons and surveillance tools from stationery, transforming common household items into uncommon gadgets and sidearms.Assert dominion over the desktop with these cunning contraptions:>>> Paper-Dart Watch>>> Pen Blowgun>>> Mint-Tin Catapult>>> Rubber-Band Derringer>>> Toothpaste Periscope>>> Bionic Ear>>> Cotton Bud .38 Special>>> Paper Throwing Star>>> 44 marker magnum>>> And more!
Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction: Build Implements Of Spitball Warfare (Mini Weapons Of Mass Destruction Ser.)
by John AustinWe've come a long way from the Peashooter Era: with the advent of modern household products and office supplies - foldback clips, clothespins, rubber bands, ballpoint pens, toothpicks, paper clips and plastic utensils - the everyday junk drawer can hold all the materials needed to create pocket-sized weaponry. Whether you're slowing dying of boredom in a stuffy office, plotting revenge on your older siblings or simply looking for a wonderful way to kill some time, this book is for you. Toy designer John Austin provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for each project, including materials and ammo lists, clear pictures, and construction tips, for mayhem-loving MacGyvers. The 35 devices include catapults, slingshots, darts, crossbows, and combustion shooters. Build a tiny trebuchet from paper clips and a D-cell battery. Wrap a penny in a string of paper caps to create a surprisingly impressive "bomb." Several of the projects even include variations where combatants mount laser pointer sights to their shooters to increase their accuracy. The instructions are simple so that anyone can make these wacky innovations in minutes whilst also learning about mechanics and physics in a fun, hands-on way.
Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction: Make mayhem from your stationery with 35 models to build yourself (Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction)
by John AustinWe've come a long way from the Peashooter Era: with the advent of modern household products and office supplies - foldback clips, clothespins, rubber bands, ballpoint pens, toothpicks, paper clips and plastic utensils - the everyday junk drawer can hold all the materials needed to create pocket-sized weaponry. Whether you're slowing dying of boredom in a stuffy office, plotting revenge on your older siblings or simply looking for a wonderful way to kill some time, this book is for you. Toy designer John Austin provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for each project, including materials and ammo lists, clear pictures, and construction tips, for mayhem-loving MacGyvers. The 35 devices include catapults, slingshots, darts, crossbows, and combustion shooters. Build a tiny trebuchet from paper clips and a D-cell battery. Wrap a penny in a string of paper caps to create a surprisingly impressive "bomb." Several of the projects even include variations where combatants mount laser pointer sights to their shooters to increase their accuracy. The instructions are simple so that anyone can make these wacky innovations in minutes whilst also learning about mechanics and physics in a fun, hands-on way.
Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist
by John B. SeveranceA vivid portrait of a unique leader who both experienced and influenced the great social and political changes of the first half of the twentieth century.
We Visit Rwanda
by John BankstonThe Great Lakes Region of Central Africa has been called paradise. Most of the region is over 3,200 feet (975 meters) above sea level. The mosquitoes and tsetse flies plaguing much of the continent rarely fly so high. Winds crisscrossing the region are damp, carrying moisture from low-lying clouds.
How the Just So Stories Were Made: The Brilliance and Tragedy Behind Kipling's Celebrated Tales for Little Children
by John BatchelorA fascinating, richly illustrated exploration of the poignant origins of Rudyard Kipling&’s world-famous children&’s classic&“In this concise and remarkable book . . . Batchelor guides us expertly . . . drawing on multiple sources and making intriguing connections between Kipling&’s stories for children and for adults.&”—John Carey, The Sunday Times From "How the Leopard Got Its Spots" to "The Elephant&’s Child," Rudyard Kipling&’s Just So Stories have delighted readers across the world for more than a century. In this original study, John Batchelor explores the artistry with which Kipling created the Just So Stories, using each tale as an entry point into the writer&’s life and work—including the tragedy that shadows much of the volume, the death of his daughter Josephine. Batchelor details the playful challenges the stories made to contemporary society. In his stories Kipling played with biblical and other stories of creation and imagined fantastical tales of animals' development and man's discovery of literacy. Richly illustrated with original drawings and family photographs, this account reveals Kipling&’s public and private lives—and sheds new light on a much-loved and tremendously influential classic.
At the Seven Stars
by Patricia Beatty John BeattyRichard Larkin, fifteen-year-old orphan from Philadelphia, thought his luck had changed when the famous literary figure Samuel Johnson found him work at an "eating house" called the Seven Stars. As a Colonial, ignorant of the secret Jacobite movement to dethrone King George II, Richard was puzzled by the guarded political conversations at the tavern. Then one night, while serving a gathering of aristocratic men clad in silks and satins, he overhears a dark plot, coded with mysterious names and allusions —and witnesses the cold-blooded murder of the one dissenting voice. The story moves on, as swiftly and as deftly as the spies and counter-spies who hunt Richard down, involving him deeper and deeper in their dangerous and separate causes. Samuel Johnson, William Hogarth and David Garrick come alive in flesh and blood terms as Richard moves in and out of the intrigues of the famous Elibank Plot of 1752. Re-created in full costume, are the lords and ladies, the street urchins, the men of arts and letters, who peopled the flowering of the Age of Reason. With cloak-and-dagger overtones, a history adventure that is vivid, authentic, and hard to put down.
Campion Towers
by Patricia Beatty John BeattyLanding in England in 1651 to an unfriendly welcome after the long ocean voyage from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, fifteen year old Penitence Hervey expects a warm welcome from her English relatives, the Killingtrees of Campion Towers. Instead, she is greeted with a reserve as impenetrable and mysterious as the dark silent halls of Campion Towers. There she becomes deeply involved in the conflict between Oliver Cromwell's Puritans and the Cavaliers loyal to the King.
The Autobiography of St. Therese Of Lisieux: the Story Of A soul
by St. Therese of Lisieux John BeeversSt. Therese presents her doctrine "the little way of spiritual childhood," and it is based on complete and unshakeable confidence in God's love for us. This confidence means that we cannot be afraid of God even though we sin, for we know that, being human, sin we shall but, provided that after each fall, we stumble to our feet again and continue our advance to God, He will instantly forgive us and come to meet us. St. Therese does not minimise the gravity of sin, but she insists that we must not be crushed by it." This autobiography is a letter written to three people. To Sister Pauline, she recounts her childhood: the suffering caused by the loss of her mother, her frustrations at school, her trip to see the Pope, her entry into the convent, and how she felt and developed during those approximately twenty years. She then writes of her spiritual insights to the Prioress, and finally a chapter to her Sister Marie in which she reveals her innermost intimacies with Jesus. Written during the last two and a half years of her life, Therese shows us how she managed full-time work and full-time illness. Her writing is simple, clear and beautiful. This translation more accurately reflects Therese's own writing than her book as edited by Mother Agnes (also available from Bookshare).
The Chessmen of Doom: Book Seven) (Johnny Dixon #7)
by John BellairsIn a thrilling adventure, a young sleuth and his professor friend are challenged to solve a riddle and win a fortune Professor Roderick Childermass may be the strangest person Johnny Dixon has ever met, but compared to his brother Peregrine, the professor is practically normal. Peregrine is a born trickster, and when he knows his death is near, he sends a letter promising the professor his entire $10,000,000 estate—assuming he can solve one final riddle. The professor feels that his brother is mocking him from beyond the grave. If Peregrine were alive, he says, he&’d kill him. To crack the puzzle and claim the fortune, Johnny and the professor head north to the wild countryside of far-off Maine. They&’ll find that the riddle is the least of their problems. To inherit the money, the professor must stay alive until the end of the summer, and since everyone in Maine seems to want Peregrine&’s heir dead, survival will be no easy task. From the author of the Lewis Barnavelt novels, including The House with a Clock in Its Walls, the Johnny Dixon series is full of fun, adventure, and supernatural chills, along with &“believable and likable characters&” who are a delight to spend time with (The New York Times).
The Curse of the Blue Figurine: Book One) (Johnny Dixon #1)
by John BellairsA boy sneaks into an old church to confront a mad ghost in this adventure by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls It&’s the 1950s when Johnny Dixon&’s mother dies, his father goes to fight in the Korean War, and he goes to live with his grandparents. Although life in a new house is strange, Johnny&’s &“Grampa&” listens to his favorite ballgames, takes him on long walks, and tells him stories of the strange mysteries that lurk in the shadows. Best of all, he&’s friends with Professor Childermass, an eccentric academic who&’s about to take Johnny on the adventure of a lifetime. When the professor learns Johnny loves ghost stories, he tells the boy the spookiest legend in Duston Heights, Massachusetts—the tale of the haunted church on the edge of town, with demonic carvings on its altar, and the troubled spirit of mad Father Baart, who is said to have killed two people before vanishing long ago. With the professor as his guide, Johnny sets out on a quest that will put him face-to-face with the crazy, long-dead priest. The first book in the delightful Johnny Dixon series by the author who provides &“suspense and action aplenty&” (Booklist), The Curse of the Blue Figurine is a good old-fashioned Gothic adventure.
The Eyes of the Killer Robot: Book Five) (Johnny Dixon #5)
by John BellairsA boy tries to stop a rampaging robot in this &“deliciously wicked fun&” tale by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls (School Library Journal) When feared Yankees slugger Cliff Bullard goes barnstorming around the northeast, offering $10,000 to any local pitcher who can strike him out, Professor Childermass and Johnny Dixon get a sneaky idea. There&’s a local legend about a crackpot inventor who once built a robot capable of throwing a baseball 110 MPH, and the professor thinks that if they find the machine, they can win Bullard&’s prize. They discover the rusted old monstrosity in an abandoned workshop and put it back together, piece by piece. But when they screw in the robot&’s eyes and it comes to life, they realize they have made a terrible mistake. As soon as it&’s activated, the robot attacks, trying to kill Johnny and the professor. Was it made to be a killing machine, or have its circuits been corroded? To save the town and get a crack at the $10,000, Johnny and the professor will have to tame the steel beast. The adventure stories featuring Johnny Dixon, from the award-winning author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls, are a delightfully imaginative treat, and this book in the popular series features &“a unique plot, marvelous characters, and non-stop suspense&” (School Library Journal).
The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt (Johnny Dixon #2)
by John BellairsA clever young man and an eccentric professor search for a missing fortune, in this spooky adventure full of &“marvelous surprises&” (Publishers Weekly) H. Bagwell Glomus built an empire out of cereal. In the 1920s, his Oaty Crisps were the most popular breakfast in the United States, and Mr. Glomus was the wealthiest man in the little town of Gildersleeve, Massachusetts. But he was not a happy man. In 1936, he took his own life and his will was never found. Legend has it that his last will and testament is hidden somewhere in his office, but so far, no one has been able to find it and claim the $10,000 reward. Yet, no one has looked as hard as Johnny Dixon. A precocious young boy who&’s happier reading old books than playing outside, Johnny has a best friend in the eccentric old Professor Childermass, who knows every detail of Mr. Glomus&’s story—except the location of the will. Together, along with a new pal from Boy Scout camp named Fergie, they intend to crack the puzzle—but before they can claim their prize, they must defeat an ancient evil force: a living mummy intent on destroying them. From the award-winning author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls, the Johnny Dixon stories are a refreshingly old-fashioned series of adventure and supernatural mystery. In the world of young adult suspense, few authors have the magic touch of John Bellairs.
The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost (Johnny Dixon #4)
by John BellairsA young man is possessed by an evil spirit in this &“gothic spine-chiller&” by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Booklist) The abandoned schoolhouse sits just outside the town of Duston Heights, Massachusetts, and Johnny Dixon is not sure what called him there. Inside the darkened building, he finds three chilling stained glass windows which show a hooded monster, a vengeful angel, and the hateful, staring face of Zebulon Windrow. Impossibly, the old man speaks to Johnny, threatening revenge on behalf of one of his descendants—and then the room is filled with horrible insects. As they cover Johnny&’s body, moving closer toward his mouth, he awakes and escapes the nightmare. But is Johnny&’s vision of the schoolhouse really just a dream, or is it a warning? When Johnny falls into a strange trance from which he cannot be awakened, his friend Professor Childermass races to save him. To rescue the young boy, the professor must unlock the secret of the dream, and delve into the terrible mysteries of the Windrow estate. The Revenge of the Wizard&’s Ghost is suspenseful, spooky reading for fans of R. L. Stine or anyone looking for a story featuring a middle-school-aged hero facing down grown-up-sized scares.
The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost (Johnny Dixon #4)
by John BellairsA young man is possessed by an evil spirit in this &“gothic spine-chiller&” by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Booklist) The abandoned schoolhouse sits just outside the town of Duston Heights, Massachusetts, and Johnny Dixon is not sure what called him there. Inside the darkened building, he finds three chilling stained glass windows which show a hooded monster, a vengeful angel, and the hateful, staring face of Zebulon Windrow. Impossibly, the old man speaks to Johnny, threatening revenge on behalf of one of his descendants—and then the room is filled with horrible insects. As they cover Johnny&’s body, moving closer toward his mouth, he awakes and escapes the nightmare. But is Johnny&’s vision of the schoolhouse really just a dream, or is it a warning? When Johnny falls into a strange trance from which he cannot be awakened, his friend Professor Childermass races to save him. To rescue the young boy, the professor must unlock the secret of the dream, and delve into the terrible mysteries of the Windrow estate. The Revenge of the Wizard&’s Ghost is suspenseful, spooky reading for fans of R. L. Stine or anyone looking for a story featuring a middle-school-aged hero facing down grown-up-sized scares.
The Secret of the Underground Room: Book Eight) (Johnny Dixon #8)
by John BellairsA young hero and his professor friend set out to save a priest from a ghost, in this novel by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls Aside from the eccentric Professor Childermass, young sleuth Johnny Dixon&’s best friend may be Father Higgins, the kindly priest at the local church. When Higgins is transferred to the congregation in the tiny town of Rocks Village, Johnny and the professor are afraid they won&’t see their old friend ever again. But they&’ll be reuniting with Father Higgins sooner than they think—and the thing that brings them together will be positively out of this world. No sooner has Father Higgins moved than he begins seeing a ghost lurking around the church. The apparition is a young girl who never speaks, but has a habit of leaving cryptic notes around Higgins&’s house. When Higgins disappears, Johnny and the professor follow his trail, embarking on a haunting quest that will lead them all the way to England. In The Secret of the Underground Room, this multimillion-selling, Edgar Award–winning author offers a good old-fashioned ghost story packed with adventure and suspense.
The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull: Book Three) (Johnny Dixon #3)
by John BellairsA bookish boy searches for his missing best friend in this spooky tale by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls On a country lane in snowbound 1950s New Hampshire, a car goes skidding off the road. Professor Childermass and Johnny Dixon escape unscathed, but their car is stuck, and they are forced to walk into town. Johnny doesn&’t mind. A curious young man, he has fun anytime the professor takes him out, because he&’s treated like an adult. Together they&’ve gotten into all sorts of supernatural scrapes, and this winter night, they&’ll face their toughest challenge yet. When Childermass suddenly vanishes, Johnny is the only one who can find him. The mystery is linked to a tiny skull taken from a child&’s dollhouse, which seems to have powers too terrible to guess at. With the help of a crusty old Irish priest, Johnny chases the clues to his friend&’s disappearance all the way to the rocky coast of Maine, where something evil hungers for revenge. From the author of the series featuring Lewis Barnavelt and Anthony Monday, the Johnny Dixon novels are charmingly old-school and shot through with suspense, and The Spell of the Sorcerer&’s Skull may be the most chilling of them all.
The Trolley to Yesterday: Book Six) (Johnny Dixon #6)
by John BellairsA &“spooky[,] spine-tingling&” time travel adventure that takes a boy and his eccentric professor friend to the mysterious Byzantine Empire (Publishers Weekly) . . . [Description] Johnny Dixon is worried about Professor Childermass. The professor has always been an odd duck, but lately his behavior has been positively bizarre. He&’s been talking to himself and stalking down the street with his collar turned up and his hat over his eyes, and now he won&’t return Johnny&’s calls. Johnny&’s afraid that the professor&’s old age is starting to get to him, but he will soon find it&’s something far more amazing—and far more dangerous. The professor has discovered a trolley that can carry them five hundred years back in time, to the last days of the Byzantine Empire. In the dark and winding streets of Constantinople, he and Johnny confront crusaders, mystics, and thieves as they attempt to save the ancient empire from destruction at the hands of the advancing Turkish armies. Created by the award-winning author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls, Johnny Dixon is one of the most charming young heroes in literature—a spunky, bespectacled young man whose curiosity often gets him into trouble—and his &“wonderfully warming friendship with cantankerous old Professor Childermass makes them an endearing detective team&” (The New York Times).
100 Fathoms Under (Rick Brant, # #4)
by John BlaineTREASURES OF ANTIQUITY, long hidden in the sea, yield at last to modern electronic inventions when Rick Brant, his pal Scotty, and Chahda, the Hindu boy, share another hair-raising adventure this time in the far Pacific, off the tiny island of Kwangara. Under the leadership of Rick's father, a famous scientist, the members of the expedition set out with their astonishing invention, the Submobile, in which they hope to conquer ocean depths as yet unplumbed and bring to light traces of a civilization hidden for centuries under 100 fathoms of water. But the irresistible lure of sunken treasure causes treachery in the crew, and age-old superstitious fear brings to a head the hostility of the island natives. Caught between these two forces, Rick and his friends find themselves facing danger equally as imminent as that of the terrific atmospheric pressure which constantly threatens their Submobile. Packed with action, suspense, and excitement, here is a story that is well equipped to take its place with The Rocket's Shadow, The Lost City, and Sea Gold.
Sea Gold (Rick Brant, # #3)
by John BlaineToday's pioneers find their frontiers in the tremendous achievements of modern science. Rick Brant is no exception and his interest in electronics, as readers of The Rocket's Shadow and The Lost City well know, often leads Rick and his friend Scotty into adventures both amazing and perilous. This summer the boys decide to get jobs at the new sea mine plant where minerals are being extracted from sea water. From the start they encounter inexplicable opposition to their plan - opposition that seems to have a peculiar element of personal malice. In spite of this they manage to land jobs at the plant, but it soon becomes apparent that not only is the sea mine being systematically sabotaged but that also the unknown enemies are determined to liquidate Rick and Scotty themselves. Finally, after Rick foils a murderous attempt on their lives, the boys are fired - for their own good. But Rick and Scotty sense that the climax of the diabolical plot is not far off and refuse to stay fired. Sea Gold is a trigger-paced story in which the mounting suspense culminates in a surprise ending that will catch the reader off guard and gain a new host of friends for this brand-new electronic series.
Smuggler's Reef (Rick Brant, # #7)
by John BlaineSmuggler's Reef finds Rick Brant and Don Scott tracking down a band of smugglers, operating in the north Atlantic. Using an infrared camera and sniperscope Rick traces the criminals, but each time they elude the grasp of the police: somehow the stolen goods vanish before they can be nailed. How Rick and Scotty are at last able to track down the smugglers makes for some fantastic, fast-paced reading.
Stairway to Danger (Rick Brant, # #9)
by John BlaineIn the ninth Rick Brant book, a famous mobster known as Soapy Strade gets in a hit-and-run accident with Rick's sister Barby, injuring her. Rick vows to hunt him down and the chase soon leads to an abandoned amusement park, adjacent to a scientific laboratory engaged in cybernetic experiments. In the climax of the book, Rick and Scotty battle Soapy Strade in the long-abandoned amusement park, but even the help of an intelligent robot doesn't seem to be enough to win the battle...
The Blue Ghost Mystery (Rick Brant, # #15)
by John BlaineRick Brant and buddy Donald Scott (Scotty) are called back from a summer science research project to Virgina. There is a Civil War ghost haunting a picnic area and they are challenged to debunk it.
The Caves of Fear (Rick Brant, # #8)
by John BlaineThe eighth Rick Brant book starts with Rick Brant and Don Scott receiving a coded telegram, begging for them to go to the Far East and help a friend in danger. The pair leaves for Hong Kong and quickly becomes entangled with a dangerous spy known only as the Long Shadow. The attempt to capture the Long Shadow and rescue their kidnapped friend takes them to the dark caves of Tibet, where Rick becomes hopelessly lost. What happens to him in the caves and the finale with the Long Shadow makes for an outstanding piece of reading.
The Egyptian Cat Mystery (Rick Brant, # #16)
by John Blaine"My proposal is this," Winston concluded. "The Egyptians are short of technicians and we may need help. I'll leave the day after Christmas, returning within ten days. If you two can pay half your expenses, and help me half the time, I'll take you with me." Both boys jumped to their feet. Rick looked anxiously at his father. Hartson Brant smiled. "According to Parnell's schedule, you'll be back just in time for school at the end of the holidays. If you want to go, of course."