The Life Of The Scorpion

Newberry Honour Award Winner & National Book Award Winner. Matt is six years old when he discovers that he is different from other children and other people. To most, Matt isn't considered a boy at all, but a beast, dirty and disgusting. But to El Patron, lord of a country called Opium, Matt is the guarantee of eternal life. El Patron loves Matt as he loves himself - for Matt is himself. They share the exact same DNA. As Matt struggles to understand his existence and what that existence truly means, he is threatened by a host of sinister and manipulating characters, from El Patron's power-hungry family to the brain-deadened eejits and mindless slaves that toil Opium's poppy fields. Surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards, escape is the only chance Matt has to survive. But even escape is no guarantee of freedom . . . because Matt is marked by his difference in ways that he doesn't even suspect. Praise for The House of Scorpions: 'It's a pleasure to read science fiction that's full of warm, strong characters... that doesn't rely on violence as the solution to complex problems of right and wrong. It's a pleasure to read.' Ursula K. LeGuin 'Fabulous' Diana Wynne Jones Also by Nancy Farmer: The Sea of Trolls Land of the Silver Apples The Islands of the Blessed The Lord of Opium

We have been taught to fear scorpions in any form. But scorpions usually sting either to subdue their prey or to protect themselves. In fact, Earth has two thousand scorpion species, but only a few dozen are deadly to humans. With vivid descriptions of scorpions' life cycle, body structure, habits, and habitat and beautiful, realistic illustrations, this new entry in the popular Strange and Wonderful series explores one of nature's feared and misunderstood creatures.

This is the story of my life doing business amid murders, jailings, kidnappings, bombings, arson, hold-ups, betrayals and love. From the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon to hot Tashkent in Uzbekistan, passing through the charming cities of Georgia, wealthy Azerbaijan and the Chinese borders of Kyrgyzstan, this has been a life spent dealing with the KGB, Mafia, sharks, governments, crooks and criminals. Fights, challenges and tears made easier thanks to the beautiful women who stood steadfastly beside me.Business the way no one will ever teach you at Harvard, lessons that you can only learn with your own sweat, blood and adrenaline rush.Put on your helmets and enjoy the ride!

Evil Pharaoh Oba has imprisoned the gods who protect Egypt, and now bloodthirsty monsters roam the land. Only one boy can stop them: Akori, an orphaned farm-boy with a huge destiny. For his first quest, Akori must risk his life, fighting giant scorpions and a deadly Snake Goddess.

A fine-looking chestnut bronc receives the name Scorpion when he explodes unexpectedly after several days of unusually good behavior. "That horse, " a cowboy says, "is going to be either mighty good or mighty bad." Tim, an outlaw on the run, trades his tired horse for Scorpion. The horse acts truly wicked only when Tim makes poor decisions--keeping him out of trouble. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

"Based on the classic fable, a crocodile and a scorpion attempt to cross a river without giving in to their natural instincts"--

A desert castle. An evil presence. A thirst for vengeance. Four teenagers are about to have a vacation they'll never forget. When Layla, her brother Adam, and their friends Zaid and Zahra, arrive at Dukhan Castle, they anticipate an exciting time exploring the mysteries of nature. They soon find themselves delving into mysteries of a different nature. A cloaked figure, spooky midnight screams, incense being burned in the eerie lookout tower, and startling secrets are just a few. The clues can only lead to one conclusion. Something sinister is simmering beneath the surface and it's just a matter of time before it breaks loose. A chance encounter with a gypsy woman begins a guessing game of intrigue, pitting the teenagers against a shadowy foe known as Al-Aqrab, the Scorpion. As danger draws closer to the castle, they must race against time to unmask the Scorpion and foil a demonic scheme of revenge. The Sign of the Scorpion is the thrilling second book in The Moon of Masarrah Series.

Matt has always been nothing but a clone - an exact replica, grown from a strip of old El Patron's skin. Now, age fourteen, Matt suddenly finds himself thrust into the position of ruling over his own country, Opium, on the one-time border between the US and Mexico, stretching from the ruins of San Diego to the ruins of Matamoros. But while Opium thrives, the rest of the world has been devastated by ecological disaster… and hidden somewhere in Opium is the cure. And that isn't all that's hidden within the depths of Opium. Matt is haunted by the ubiquitous army of eejits, zombie-like workers harnessed to the old El Patron's sinister system of drug growing... people stripped of the very qualities which once made them human. Matt wants to use his newfound power to help stop the suffering, but he can't even find a way to smuggle his childhood love Maria across the border and into Opium. Instead, his every move hits a roadblock - both from the traitors that surround him and from a voice within himself. For who is Matt really but the clone of an evil, murderous dictator?