A brother and sister's search for a new life and new home . . . 5,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia during a terrible drought, Jomar and Zefa's father must send his children away to the city of Ur because he can no longer feed them. At fourteen, Jomar is old enough to apprentice with Sidah, a master goldsmith for the temple of the moongod, but there is no place for Zefa in Sidah's household. Zefa, a talented but untrained musician, is forced to play her music and sing for alms on the streets of Ur. Marjorie Cowley vividly imagines the intrigues, and harsh struggle for survival in ancient Mesopotamia.

The Golden Bull of 1356 (German: Goldene Bulle, Latin: Bulla Aurea) was a decree issued by the Imperial Diet at Nuremberg and Metz (Diet of Metz (1356/57)) headed by the Emperor Charles IV which fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire. It was named the Golden Bull for the golden seal it carried.

An epic tale of ancient Crete that depicts the curse of the Minotaur from its inception to conclusion, as told from the point of view of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae. Stepping back into this visceral telling of an ancient myth, Crete and the palace of Knossos become vivid with color and life. The royal family, the gods, and Ariadne and the Minotaur are born fully formed, as the goddess Athena from Zeus’ head. It begins when she’s thirteen, on the day she is given by her parents to the shrine of Dionysus, the god of wine, to become his high priestess. Dionysus hears her Call, after generations of neglect, and he comes to her on the altar, promising to bless the island’s vines and grapes, and ignites desperate emotions in powerful people, jealousy, envy, fear—along with her family’s greed, that turn a god’s wrath against them. Thus, the curse of the Minotaur is born, a deformed babe, a monster, and Ariadne’s half-brother. She is the only person who feels the slightest compassion and tenderness towards the poor creature, caring for it when no one else will. He grows into a huge beast with the mind of a child, and the temper of a god, who will only obey Ariadne. Learning the ways of her god Dionysus, and through him the ancient gods of Olympus, Ariadne becomes a powerful force, capable of controlling her beautiful and kind, yet jealous and wrathful god.

A former FDIC chairwoman, who was among the first individuals to acknowledge the full risk of subprime loans, shares expert and insider perspectives on the economic crisis to assess contributing causes and ultimate ramifications.

A young boy living 15,000 years ago in southeastern France is initiated into manhood by his clan and sets off on a journey to trade his valuable fire rocks for an ivory spear thrower.

Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox meets Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever in this stylish picture book about a quest for a rare and mysterious plant. Fox loves nature. There's nothing he enjoys more than reading about and picking flowers. One evening, he comes across a rare specimen in his old botany book -- the golden glow, a plant from the Wellhidden family, found only in the mountains . . . a plant that has yet to be described. Fascinated, Fox decides to set off on a quest in search of the mysterious golden glow. He packs his knapsack, a map, a compass, a flashlight, a sleeping bag and other items for his hike. Along the way, Fox observes many different kinds of trees and plants. He also encounters woodland friends who help him make it to the summit of the mountain. But when Fox eventually stumbles upon the object of his quest, he makes a surprising decision. With spreads of educational content interspersed throughout, The Golden Glow is a charming story that details the simple pleasures of a nature hike and celebrates observing the beauty of nature.