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"As Tom Hassler, Hope of the Sea People, races to an oil spill from a wrecked ship to help the terrified, oil-soaked birds, his mind is already on a holiday. Somewhere nice and warm. After all, his grandmother has promised - and he knows he's earned it. But when he finds himself ...on a tropical island with his best friend Lydia and an aunt he's never met, it all seems too good to be true. And it is. Just offshore is Illiya Island - Snake Haven, home to a secretive snake-worshipping cult. Mysterious giant saltwater crocodiles lurk, and when raiders strike, Tom must draw on every bit of courage and skill to save his friend from the evil snake-worshippers"--Publisher's website.
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"Tom Hassler is no ordinary boy. He can fly, for a start, and talk to sea creatures. But can he stop the slaughter of innocent whales and their calves in the Great Southern Ocean? Is he brave enough to stand in front of their harpoons, if that's what it takes? In the Antarctic, a... group of dastardly whale hunters are on the prowl"--Back cover.
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New Zealand author.
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Twelve-year-old Sam is hiding with a friend in an inflatable life raft on a luxury yacht on a holiday in the Indonesian archipelago. Pirates attacked the boat and killed everyone, including Sam's family, and sank the yacht. Sam is the only survivor and struggles over three days t...o reach land. It's an isolated island, and he first escapes crocodiles and pythons. He finds a very isolated native community, who decides he is the next best feast. He escapes that outcome, befriends one of the local girls, and helps the village build defenses against invasion. Then some priests from an ancient culture on the island attend to select their annual sacrifice. Sam's girlfriend is selected and is whisked away. Sam races to save her, and both will be sacrificed. One option to escape is to win an annual race around the island and find a long-lost treasure at the end. Sam and his friend win the race. Sam has to dive to find the final treasure, which has been lost for hundreds of years. It turns out to be Aladdin's lamp. And before the evil priests could snatch it, the girl brushes the lamp, and the genie arrives to help. His name is Abufazel, and he sets out with Sam to prove that the pirates who killed his parents were in agreement with his father's business partner, who wanted life insurance money. His parents' killer fights back, but no one knows the genie is helping.
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Peter, a thirteen-year-old loner, is forced by his mother in England to spend two weeks of holiday with his recently widowed aunt on the Irish island of Inishbofin, or the Island of the White Cow. On the ferry across, he meets Siobhan. She's a year older. The island is suddenly s...truck by two tragedies, as two islanders have gone missing. On a walk, Peter meets two small men, who turn out to be the Irish fairy leprechauns. They inform Peter and Siobhan that they too are changelings, having been substituted at birth for normal babies. It is a time of great evil, and the Miasma of Evil is moving on to God-fearing citizens. The Miasma has recruited the terrifying Irish fairy horses, or Dullaghans, with their headless black riders. Peter and Siobhan become leaders in the fight, together with historic characters, including the sixteenth-century female pirate Grace O'Malley. They are transported by a Time Rail, which places them in the sixteenth century, where Peter has to rescue himself from Grace's pirates. The battle against the dreaded Miasma is getting close. Siobhan is found to be the incarnation of one of the Irish fairy's greatest warriors from the past. In a frightening climb on a storm-ravaged rock in the ocean, Peter has to rescue a magic harp to help defeat the evil invaders. Merriline, the great wizard, is seeking books of necromancy and their spells to defeat the Miasma. Siobhan has to fight the Miasma chief.
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By Wilson, Doug
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- RRP: $39.99
- $31.99
- Save $8.00
- In Stock At Publisher
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The world we know has changed dramatically and what the future might look like is harder and harder to assess. For those entering the twilight years, this uncertainty is ever more challenging to navigate.
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Bushido, the way of the warrior, is deeply bound to the rich history of the martial traditions of Japan, which have drawn generations of devotees, as well as awe and respect worldwide. Of all the martial arts, bo-jutsu, or stick fighting, is one of the least understood and most i...ntriguing, having been largely hidden for centuries. In Advanced Stick Fighting, Masaaki Hatsumi, the most renowned budo and ninja grandmaster in the world, and author of Stick Fighting and The Way of the Ninja, reveals some of the secrets surrounding this revered fighting art. Hatsumi offers the reader thoughtful reflections on bushido, its venerable history, and its role in today's world. He also discusses the origins of bo-jutsu, which he sees as inexorably linked to the evolution of humankind; it is both universal and timeless. While the highly acclaimed and long-selling Stick Fighting dealt mainly with self-defense using short sticks, this book reveals to the reader a number of advanced techniques using medium and long sticks that were originally used by samurai swordsmen and military commanders. Lavish illustrations accompany the explanations and help further demonstrate the graceful, mysterious movements of stick fighting. The original Japanese text is also included in the appendix. This book will be an important addition to the libraries of readers who are seriously interested in pursuing the more advanced applications of stick fighting. It will also deepen readers' understanding of bushido in general, and bring them closer to Hatsumi's personal philosophy -- that only through complete devotion to the martial arts as a way of life can self-enlightenment be attained, and that the wisdom gained through this can promote a true and lasting world of peace.
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Twelve-year-old Sam is hiding with a friend in an inflatable life raft on a luxury yacht on a holiday in the Indonesian archipelago. Pirates attacked the boat and killed everyone, including Sam's family, and sank the yacht. Sam is the only survivor and struggles over three days t...o reach land. It's an isolated island, and he first escapes crocodiles and pythons. He finds a very isolated native community, who decides he is the next best feast. He escapes that outcome, befriends one of the local girls, and helps the village build defenses against invasion. Then some priests from an ancient culture on the island attend to select their annual sacrifice. Sam's girlfriend is selected and is whisked away. Sam races to save her, and both will be sacrificed. One option to escape is to win an annual race around the island and find a long-lost treasure at the end. Sam and his friend win the race. Sam has to dive to find the final treasure, which has been lost for hundreds of years. It turns out to be Aladdin's lamp. And before the evil priests could snatch it, the girl brushes the lamp, and the genie arrives to help. His name is Abufazel, and he sets out with Sam to prove that the pirates who killed his parents were in agreement with his father's business partner, who wanted life insurance money. His parents' killer fights back, but no one knows the genie is helping.
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Peter and Siobhan are reunited, as their growing skills can benefit serious crises of the past. For this they are wanted at Lindisfarne when the Vikings attack in AD 796. The Time Road takes them back from today, with a pause to improve their fighting skills with William Sargent,... the greatest knight of all, and their bowman ship with an aging Robin Hood. By the time they reach Lindisfarne, the Vikings have killed many of the monks and stolen treasures. The two young warriors travel by Grace O'Malley's galleon to Viking land. There they have to fight their way through to a prison where Merriline has been captured. The battles are terrifying, but with their skill to become invisible and their enhanced fighting talents, Peter and Siobhan eventually rescue the great, but not necessarily grateful, wizard. Meantime, the battle between good and evil is heightening up. The next target is the late fourth-century England, where Saxons continue to invade and kill.
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Peter and Siobhan are transported by the sea division of the Time Road back to England, where the Romans had just departed and the Saxons are in control. That was where Merilyn has been scoping a local town, which is heavily controlled by the evil Saxons. He still has to find the... book of necromancy, which has the final spells needed to defeat the Miasma. In an astonishing turnaround, the hilt of a large sword appears mysteriously and is fixed in the wall of a small chapel. The wizard announces that great power will come to anyone who can remove the sword. The chief of the Saxons failed miserably, but Peter easily removes the sword, which turns out to be his own, from the time he fought the Vikings. The Saxons had built a great army at their castle, and representatives of the evil Miasma were helping. Siobhan meets an attractive French knight, who has agreed to help their battle. Peter falls for a striking young witch, and her family also agree to join the battle. A Roman legion is resurrected, and the battle commences, with magic and fear abounding. The Saxons are defeated. But the Dark Lord, the true head of the evil Miasma, is determined to destroy Peter, who is now recognized as the rightful king of England and the inheritor of the crown of Arthur. This battle is far more dangerous than the one for Saxon castle. Toward the end of the book, the necromancy appears, so Merlyn can bring his full powers to bear on the final onslaught. But there is a terrible price to pay. Even Merilyn does not want to go there. But there's no choice.
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