Middle World

The key to understanding the calamitous Afghan war is the complex, ultimately failed relationship between the powerful, duplicitous Karzai family and the United States, brilliantly portrayed here by the former Kabul bureau chief for The Washington Post.

Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal. The cook's daughter, Sakina, still hasn't told her parents that she'll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score - but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family's kitchen?

Meet Milo Mischief: ten years old, utterly uncontainable, and genetically cursed with the Naughty Itch—a twitchy, tingly compulsion to prank that runs deep in the Mischief bloodline. When a single squirt of ancient, glowing Gloop-Galoo threatens to glue Troubleton Academy, its pigeons, and the entire mayoral staff into one big sticky mess, Milo’s reputation hits rock bottom (and bounces). Expulsion looms. The town turns on him. Even his sister Penelope starts sharpening her clipboard. But Milo has one chance to save his family, his school, and his gleefully disastrous legacy… Throw ...

Johnny didn't intentionally mean to get involved with, Maisie, the old lady next door. Rumours around the playground claimed she was a witch and children threw stones at her windows. But Johnny wasn't like other kids, he found her kind and caring, if not just a little weird. She claimed he had a gift and made him feel special. That was until the 'incident'. Waking up in hospital without any memory of what happened to him, Johnny started to see things. Incredible things. But upon returning home he was horrified to discover even his own parents had turned against this sweet old lady. Had the ...

A fun and exciting fantasy adventure novel for kids and preteens! Girls really can be heroes, and a little magic helps too.Katie is a normal girl living a normal life, until she falls through a glowing crevice in the sidewalk. She makes a note to herself to avoid glowing crevices in the future.On the other side of the crevice lies Dreamland, a realm of fantasy and magic, a place where she can let her imagination soar and develop new powers. Katie has no idea why she's there or what she's supposed to do, and she meets other kids also stunned to find themselves in the same realm of mystery. ...

The first fundamental truth about the "Arab Spring" is that there never was one. The salient fact of the Middle East, the only one, is Islam. The Islam that shapes the Middle East inculcates in Muslims the self-perception that they are members of a civilization implacably hostile to the West. The United States is a competitor to be overcome, not the herald of a culture to be embraced.

Since the end of World War II, the United States has set out to oust governments in the Middle East on an average of once per decade - in places as diverse as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan (twice), Egypt, Libya, and Syria. The reasons for these interventions have also been extremely diverse, and the methods by which the United States pursued regime change have also been highly varied, ranging from diplomatic pressure alone to outright military invasion and occupation

CRETE 1941 - A LOST SECRET IS DISCOVERED During the German invasion of Crete, an air raid destroys a church revealing an ancient Christian scroll buried under its foundations. It is discovered by Callidora, a young Cretan shepherdess. She meets Hans, a German paratrooper who helps her understand the significance of the scroll. Callidora’s family accuse her of collaboration with the enemy and disown her. While Hans’ commanding officer, Captain Wolfgang Kohlenz, will stop at nothing to force Callidora to reveal the scroll’s secret. LONDON 2005 - A GLOBAL CONSPIRACY Richard Helford, an ...

Twelve-year-old Kai Nguyen is a nobody at school—but in StarForge, he’s NebulaKnight: fearless, famous, and almost cool enough to wear a cape. When a cruel prank turns his gamer glory into public humiliation, Kai retreats from reality… until a mysterious arcade cabinet, a glowing token, and a tabletop roleplaying game start to blur the line between game and life. With bullies on his trail, friendships on the edge, and a magical trial unfolding, Kai must find the courage to fight back—not with laser axes, but with loyalty, imagination, and one very unexpected team. It’s game on—...

A CIA station chief, later Jordan's lawyer in Washington, reveals the secret history of a lost peace.

Jack O'Connell possessed an uncanny ability to be at the center of things. On his arrival in Jordan in 1958, he unraveled a coup aimed at the young King Hussein, who would become America's most reliable Middle East ally. Over time, their bond of trust and friendship deepened. His narrative contains secrets that will revise our understanding of the Middle East.

Buckle up for a wild ride with Lili Gray, a ten-year-old with a super-secret power so bizarre, it could either be the most cringe-worthy thing ever or the coolest trick up her sleeve. Lili's about to learn that what makes you different can also make you mighty. The plot thickens with a twisty mystery—Lili's dad has vanished into thin air! Is he just pulling the world's longest coffee break, or is something more sinister afoot? Lili's on the case, and she's got her eyes on her stepmom, who Lili suspects is the supervillain behind it all—though she might be more misunderstood than truly ...

In the time period between the fall of Rome and the spread of the Renaissance across the European continent, many of today's European nations were formed, the Catholic Church rose to great prominence, some of history's most famous wars occurred, and a social class system was instituted that lasted over 1,000 years.

This young listeners edition of the worldwide best seller Three Cups of Tea has been specially adapted for younger listeners and updated by Greg Mortenson to bring his remarkable story of humanitarianism up to date for the present.

In this recording are presented readings of all five editions of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat, translated by scholar Edward Fitzgerald, as well as biographical material about Fitzgerald and Omar Khayyam and a laudatory poem by Andrew Lang.

Independent bookstore owner Sophie Bernstein is burned out on books. Mourning the death of her husband, the loss of her favorite manager, her only child’s lack of aspiration, and the grim state of the world, she fantasizes about going into hiding in the secret back room of her store. Meanwhile, renowned poet Raymond Chaucer has published a new collection, and rumors that he’s to blame for his wife’s suicide have led to cancellations of his publicity tour. He intends to set the record straight—with a fine-point Sharpie—but only one shop still plans to host him: Sophie’s.

Travel to Afghanistan. Find out the facts about this country in Asia.

In this, his final work, finished only weeks before his passing, Peres offers a long-awaited examination of the crucial turning points in Israeli history through the prism of having been a decision maker and eyewitness. Told with the frankness of someone aware this would likely be his final statement, No Room for Small Dreams spans decades and events, but as much as it is about what happened, it is about why it happened.

All the magic of a faraway time and place are captured in this enchanting tale about a young rogue and the genie who helps him win the love of the Sultan's daughter. Actor John Hurt narrates an artful interpretation of Aladdin's quest, faithful to the classic story from 1,000 and One Nights that has been entertaining audiences for thousands of years.

She grew up in a world where women were supposed to be quiet. But Malala Yousafzai refused to be silent. Discover Malala's story through this powerful narrative telling, and come to see how one brave girl named Malala changed the world.

Zeke Stahls is not the best kid in the world. Some days he struggles just to be good. He'd rather be pulling pranks than doing extra credit, and he's too busy performing experiments on his little brother, Nate, or tormenting his older sister, Jackie, to volunteer for charity. Which is why Zeke and his entire family are shocked when they receive word that he has been selected as a contestant in an online competition to find the World's Greatest Kid.