"The Empire Strikes Back" meets beetles in the chilling, darkly funny second book of a series about one amazing boy, his loyal friends, and some amazingly intelligent beetles.

Cruel beetle fashionista, Lucretia Cutter, is at large with her yellow ladybird spies - and she has a devious plan. Darkus, Virginia and Bertolt are determined to stop her, but Darkus's dad is dead set against their involvement. Hope rests on Novak, Lucretia's daughter and a Hollywood actress, but the beetle diva is always one scuttle ahead ...

During the great war between the ancient Lich, the Eastern Emperor, along with the twelve Ancestral Mages, perished together. A tiny bit of his truesoul was protected by the Primal Chaos Bell, preventing it from perishing completely.However, the True Spirits within the Primal Chaos Bell were being targeted by the Jade Emperor, who had found the Chaotic Bell.With no better option, Taiyi could only send his Imperial Censor, the Chaos Bell, to break through space and escape into chaotic space.Seeing that his True Spirit was about to dissipate, the Primal Chaos Bell was anxious. It chose the corpse of the youth from another world, Lu Feng, and assisted in the rebirth of the True One's body.After being reincarnated, he had been very lucky. He had borrowed the name of Lu Feng to begin his own path of cultivation ...

For centuries, the beauty of fireflies has evoked wonder and delight. Yet for most of us, fireflies remain shrouded in mystery: How do fireflies make their light? What are they saying with their flashing? And what do fireflies look for in a mate? In Silent Sparks, noted biologist and firefly expert Sara Lewis dives into the fascinating world of fireflies and reveals the most up-to-date discoveries about these beloved insects. From the meadows of New England and the hills of the Great Smoky Mountains, to the rivers of Japan and mangrove forests of Malaysia, this beautifully illustrated and accessible book uncovers the remarkable, dramatic stories of birth, courtship, romance, sex, deceit, poison, and death among fireflies. The nearly two thousand species of fireflies worldwide have evolved in different ways—and while most mate through the aerial language of blinking lights, not all do. Lewis introduces us to fireflies that don't light up at all, relying on wind-borne perfumes to find mates, and we encounter glow-worm fireflies, whose plump, wingless females never fly. We go behind the scenes to meet inquisitive scientists who have dedicated their lives to understanding fireflies, and we learn about various modern threats including light pollution and habitat destruction. In the last section of the book, Lewis provides a field guide for North American fireflies, enabling us to identify them in our own backyards and neighborhoods. This concise, handy guide includes distinguishing features, habits, and range maps for the most commonly encountered fireflies, as well as a gear list. A passionate exploration of one of the world's most charismatic and admired insects, Silent Sparks will inspire us to reconnect with the natural world.

Includes summarized reports of many bee-keeper associations.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the dangers of garden chemicals. "The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control" offers a reliable and comprehensive guide that makes it easy to garden without the use of pesticides.

Forty-nine fairy tales by the Danish author whose name is synonomous with stories for children and adults.