Writer Dan Panosian (Slots) and artist Marianna Ignazzi present a supernatural mystery, where not all the witches burned during the Salem Witch Trials—and the ones that survived did so together, protecting the ancient secrets entrusted to them for generations. They call themselves the Ravens. Wilma is the new girl in school, and she plans to go completely unnoticed—except that she bears an eerie resemblance to the Raven member Waverly, who just went missing. The truth behind Waverly’s disappearance will put the entire coven in danger—and Wilma will have to rely on power she never knew she had to save her new friends.

'A thoroughly entertaining and absorbing little publication, set out in an accessible and easy-to-read style' - The Bookbag Why are geese in a gaggle? Are crows really murderous? And what makes lions so proud? Collective nouns are one of the most charming oddities of the English language, often with seemingly bizarre connections to the groups they identify. But have you ever stopped to wonder where these peculiar terms actually came from? Most of those found in this book have their origins in the Medieval Books of Courtesy, among the earliest works to be published in this country. Despite originating as a form of social etiquette reserved for the gentry, many of these collective nouns have survived to become a curious feature of today's everyday language. This absorbing book tells the stories of these evocative phrases, many of which have stood the test of time and are still in use today. Entertaining, informative and fascinating, An Unkindness of Ravens is perfect for any history or language buff.

Librarian Greer Hogan matches wits with a deviously clever killer in M.E. Hilliard's chilling series debut, ideal for fans of Louise Penny and Dorothy L. Sayers. Greer Hogan is a librarian and an avid reader of murder mysteries. She also has a habit of stumbling upon murdered bodies. The first was her husband's, and the tragic loss led Greer to leave New York behind for a new start in the Village of Raven Hill. But her new home becomes less idyllic when she discovers her best friend sprawled dead on the floor of the library. Was her friend's demise related to two other deaths that the police deemed accidental? Do the residents of this insular village hold dark secrets about another murder, decades ago? Does a serial killer haunt Raven Hill? As the body count rises, Greer's anxious musings take a darker turn when she uncovers unexpected and distressing information about her own husband's death...and the man who went to prison for his murder . She is racked with guilt at the possibility that her testimony may have helped to convict an innocent man. Though Greer admires the masters of deduction she reads about in books, she never expected to have to solve a mystery herself. Fortunately, she possesses a quick wit and a librarian's natural resourcefulness. But will that be enough to protect her from a brilliant, diabolical murderer? And even if Greer manages to catch the Raven Hill killer, will living with her conscience prove a fate worse than death?

The thirteenth book to feature the classic crime-solving detective, Chief Inspector Wexford. The raven: not a particularly predatory bird, but far from soft and submissive, adopted as the symbol of a militant feminist group... Detective Chief Inspector Wexford thought he was merely doing a neighbourly good deed when he agreed to talk to Joy Williams about her missing husband. He certainly didn't expect to be investigating a most unusual homicide. Rodney Williams was neither handsome nor wealthy – but he had an unerring eye for a pretty girl and when he disappeared and two other men were later attacked by a young woman, Wexford couldn't help wondering if there was a connection. If there wasn't, where was Rodney Williams and why had he vanished? He had committed no crime – apart from telling his wife the occasional lie...

Rufus has returned to Grammy's for the weekend, and he's brought along the wooden Q'achi totem he uncovered on his last visit. After setting out to find his pal Penny in the woods and losing his way, Rufus once again turns to the totem for help. Unfortunately, Talon and Beak, a pair of greedy ravens, are watching from the trees as Rufus uses the powerful totem to transform into Bigfoot Boy. Imagining ?the things we could do with that totem,? Talon decides his flock of ravens must steal the totem. Though Rufus and Penny desperately try to thwart their plans, the ravens are tricky, deceitful and determined to do whatever it takes to get what they want. Will Rufus, Penny and their squirrel friend, Sidney, find themselves outsmarted by a bunch of birds? This is the second book in the terrifically entertaining trilogy of graphic novels by award-winning author J. Torres. Here, the mystery surrounding the totem deepens as readers learn of its origins and Rufus's connection to its creator. The artwork by the renowned Faith Erin Hicks is rich with depictions of the Pacific Northwest landscape and its legends and mythology, which underlie and set the tone for the premise of the series. These books work well for teaching environmental awareness, as saving the woods from development becomes a central mission for Rufus and Penny. There are also important lessons to be gleaned on solving problems and on forming and maintaining friendships.

In An Unkindness of Ravens, Meg Kearney's poems weave voices of estrangement and redemption: mothers, daughters, lovers of gin and dead things. In the middle poems, the protagonist confronts "Raven": a figure of guises and disguises, revealing the speaker's fears and angst. National Book Critics Circle Award-winning poet Donald Hall has written the Foreword. Meg Kearney is the Associate Director of the National Book Foundation. She was the recipient of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and New York Times fellowships and received the Alice M. Sellers Academy of American Poets Prize in 1998. She lives in New York City.

Wilma doesn’t know whom to trust in town - not even the Ravens, who have revealed truths about her past that she never imagined. But when Wilma spends more time with the enigmatic Scarlett, she has no clue that she’s been drawn further into the conspiracy that’s already destroyed one life - and may have targeted Wilma next!