Books with author Robert Stanek

Curriculum-based and teacher-approved. This isn't your traditional addition fact book. It's fun. It's a bit irreverent. And it's designed to grow with your child's advancing skills. Inside you'll find essential addition facts presented as math equations, word problems, and visual problems. Built-in breaks, brain teasers, and challenge questions are included as well. It's all designed to make math practice easy and fun. Whether your child is starting to learn addition or is working to increase existing addition skills, this book will build on that foundation while making learning an adventure. Use this book to help your child learn essential math facts. The book focuses on addition facts for adding the numbers 1 through 3 to the numbers 1 through 12, and also helps your child develop an understanding of many other related concepts. Combine with Critter Addition Essentials Levels 2, 3 and 4 to cover all the math facts for adding the numbers 0 through 12 to whole numbers up to 12.

Join Buster and Lass for a special undersea counting adventure from 1 to 10! It's fun and different. Can your child find and count the new friends as they arrive? You bet! This Bugville Jr Learning Adventure, written by best-selling author Robert Stanek, is designed to build counting skills from 1 to 10 and grouping skills by 2s. For a child who has mastered counting to ten already, you may want to look for “Buster’s Undersea Fish Counting Expedition 1 to 20” instead. Includes parent tips for advancing skills and getting more out of subsequent readings.The Bugville Critters stories address all the major issues of growing up and are designed to appeal to the ever-growing interests of children everywhere. The wonderfully crafted stories are paired with energetic illustrations of a colorful cast of critters and playful scenes.Bugville Jr. is an imprint of developmentally appropriate, interactive books designed to provide lessons about life, friendship, family, and our natural world to children ages 6 months and up.

Our world isn't ours any more. It's theirs. The human survivors lead a hardscrabble life, scavenging what they can from the dead city, waiting and watching. Cedes isn't like Matthew and his regulars. She dreams. She talks. She questions. She wonders why Luke disappeared, where Luke disappeared to. She wants to know what we are to the machines. This is her story. This is our story. This is the story of us, the humans who survive.In the ruins of our world, a new order arose, an order controlled by the very machines humankind created. The end for us came not from a massive global war but from something unthinkable, incomprehensible. The machines simply replaced us and we let them, and so, in the end, humanity went out not with a bang, but with a whimper. No shots fired. No bombs dropped. No cities destroyed. We ended and the machines began—or at least that is what the few human survivors of the machine apocalypse believe. ### To the machines, we became nothing—except maybe outsiders, if they considered us at all. Outsiders looking in on their reality, for the machines weren’t bothered by our existence, or at least, if they were, they weren’t bothered enough to bother us. They certainly didn’t seem to require anything of us or have any need of us at all—if they had needed us, they probably would have enslaved us. But they hadn’t. Enslaved us that is. The machines hadn’t done anything to us really. Except take over the world—and it was their world now. It certainly wasn’t ours. We were outsiders, strangers really. We looked in on their world. They didn’t acknowledge us. They probably didn’t even consider us a part of their world. Just as we didn’t consider the small things that crawled beneath our feet as part of our world. Matthew told us it wasn’t the machines who killed us. Matthew being the only one here now who remembered when we drove the automobiles, flew on the airplanes, and rode on cars behind the locomotives. He said most of us just died. Us being the human race. I didn’t believe that. I believed we died of neglect. The neglect of the machines. The machines who cared not enough to kill or enslave us. Luke would have called it benign neglect. Luke being the one who taught me to read and write my letters and words. He knew all the fancy words. He taught me everything really. He remembered—I didn’t. Don’t, really. These words—his really as much as my own. But Luke was gone. Is gone really, if you don’t mind me slipping into the present. Luke said it’s wrong to slip from past to present or present to past, but I do. The present is—and Luke isn’t. The past was—and sometimes I can see it. ### After the Machines is a story unlike any other you’ve ever read. It’s the story of us, the humans who struggle to survive in a world we no longer control.

The 10th anniversary edition of the epic fantasy novel. Nearly a million people have read the Ruin Mist books -- available via Amazon, Audible, Playaway, OverDrive, and more than a dozen other retail and library partners. Discover a magical world and be swept away in the adventure of a life time! After the Great War that divided the peoples, the five kingdoms of men plunged into a Dark Age that lasted 500 hundred years. To heal the lands and restore the light, the great kings decreed that magic and all that is magical, be it creature, man or device, shall be cleansed to dust. From their thrones, the kings watched as creatures born of magic were hunted to extinction by heroes chosen to honor their clans in the blood games. The cleansing raged for so long that no human could recall a time without it and it is in this time that the Dark Lord Sathar returned from the dark beyond. The one hope of the peoples of Ruin Mist was Queen Mother, the elf queen of old. She saw a way out of everlasting darkness, a path that required the union of the divided peoples."Dramatic illustrations draw the reader into the Tolkienesque world of Ruin Mist, plunged into darkness after a Great War five hundred years past. Blaming magic for their demise, the Kings of Men have decreed that all things magical be destroyed. Yet despite their efforts, the magical Dark Lord is slowly returning to power. Another bloody battle is foreshadowed for Ruin Mist when Adrina, the spoiled and lonely princess of Imtal, is visited by a mysterious woman who predicts Adrina's ghastly future. Meanwhile in the kingdom of Elves, Seth, devoted First of the Red Order of the Queen Mother Elf, is sent on a journey across the Great Sea to prevent war. Stuck somewhere in the middle is Vilmos, a young magical boy-who-would-be-mage, abducted for his own safety by a Yoda-like guide named Xith. All three journey to an unknown fate against treacherous and sometimes supernatural foes. Stanek augments the beginning of this complex tale with illustrations that are sure to attract fans of graphic novels and classic Tolkien alike-the only weakness in the illustrations is their scarcity. Stanek will likely draw a cult following, but his work is not for the novice fantasy reader. A complicated glossary at the end includes twenty-two pages of "People, Places, and Things in Ruin Mist," complete with geographical references, family lineages, and extraordinary sketches. Despite the sophisticated plot, however, this cliffhanger guarantees fans, and those fans will be ready to wield their swords against the Dark Lord in Stanek's next installment." -- YA Librarian Staff at VOYA, February 1, 2007

The 10th anniversary edition of the #1 Bestselling epic fantasy series. "A breathtaking world and an excellent epic fantasy series! This wonderful adventure reminds me of a cross between J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Tad Williams, and C. S. Lewis.""Clear and simple prose. Swift, action-oriented scenes. Solidly built." --Foreword Magazine"This guarantees fans, and those fans will be ready to wield their swords against the Dark Lord in Stanek's next installment." -- VOYA, the leading magazine for YA librarians"Word of mouth turned it into a bestseller. Very satisfying." -- The Fantasy GuideBestselling Series! Over 1,000,000 Ruin Mist books sold! #1 Fiction Bestseller. In the Service of Dragons is the continuation of Robert Stanek's multilayered epic fantasy adventure for young adults that began with Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches. In the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books, Robert Stanek introduced readers to the story of Ruin Mist, an extraordinary world of magic, adventure, and intrigue. Now in the eagerly awaited follow-up, he once again proves himself a wonderful storyteller with a gift for fast pacing and believable storylines. Already hailed as a classic, Robert Stanek's powerful series has been enjoyed by readers all over the world. The Elves of the Reaches returned from exile, bringing grave news. War came to the Kingdoms, and many perished in the turmoil and unrest. An attempt was made to kidnap a princess and assassinate a king. Now, from the ancient past a dark power returns. "The Fourth Wind blows across the mountain tops," they say. And the Twelve Clans emerge from myth and memory. As prophecy becomes reality, the factions struggle for control only to further divide the lands. Some would say that it was foolish for King Andrew Alder to support the Elves of the Reaches and send men to aid their cause when Men in all lands were being put to the test of steel. And in the North, men back their words with action. Against a backdrop of treachery and intrigue, murder and mayhem, the price of freedom is high. Many will pay with their lives. Many will succumb to imprisonment and enslavement; for when alliances shatter, old hatreds rise anew and the plotting and scheming begin. Bold, inventive, brilliantly imagined, In the Service of Dragons is a novel of magic and wonder-a tale of pure excitement you will not soon forget.

Our World Is No Longer Ours... It's Theirs."Artificial intelligence may be our biggest existential threat." – Elon Musk, inventor"Robert Stanek is one of our most featured and respected Kids & Young Adults authors." – The Audio Book Store "Anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games, World War Z, or The Maze Runner is going to enjoy this." – Lisa Gardner, author Cedes thought she knew what we were to the machines but she was wrong, and the ragged band of human survivors must now learn to stay alive in a city under siege. But it’s not just the machines they must contend with—it’s human against human and machines against all.As Cedes and Luke struggle to survive, new and surprising leaders emerge. Leaders who want to tear each other and the broken city apart to find the hidden secrets that will reveal the story of the human race. The story of us.Will this path lead to redemption, the destruction of everything they hold dear, or will it lead to mankind’s final days on Earth?

Episode #2. Where were you when the machine apocalypse began?In the ruins of our world, a new order arose, an order controlled by the very machines humankind created. The end for us came not from a massive global war but from something unthinkable, incomprehensible. The machines simply replaced us and we let them, and so, in the end, humanity went out not with a bang, but with a whimper. No shots fired. No bombs dropped. No cities destroyed. We ended and the machines began—or at least that is what the few human survivors of the machine apocalypse believe. ### To the machines, we became nothing—except maybe outsiders, if they considered us at all. Outsiders looking in on their reality, for the machines weren’t bothered by our existence, or at least, if they were, they weren’t bothered enough to bother us. They certainly didn’t seem to require anything of us or have any need of us at all—if they had needed us, they probably would have enslaved us. But they hadn’t. Enslaved us that is. The machines hadn’t done anything to us really. Except take over the world—and it was their world now. It certainly wasn’t ours. We were outsiders, strangers really. We looked in on their world. They didn’t acknowledge us. They probably didn’t even consider us a part of their world. Just as we didn’t consider the small things that crawled beneath our feet as part of our world. Matthew told us it wasn’t the machines who killed us. Matthew being the only one here now who remembered when we drove the automobiles, flew on the airplanes, and rode on cars behind the locomotives. He said most of us just died. Us being the human race. I didn’t believe that. I believed we died of neglect. The neglect of the machines. The machines who cared not enough to kill or enslave us. Luke would have called it benign neglect. Luke being the one who taught me to read and write my letters and words. He knew all the fancy words. He taught me everything really. He remembered—I didn’t. Don’t, really. These words—his really as much as my own. But Luke was gone. Is gone really, if you don’t mind me slipping into the present. Luke said it’s wrong to slip from past to present or present to past, but I do. The present is—and Luke isn’t. The past was—and sometimes I can see it. ### After the Machines is a story unlike any other you’ve ever read. It’s the story of us, the humans who struggle to survive in a world we no longer control.

"Sure to attract fans of graphic novels and classic Tolkien alike. Stanek will likely draw a cult following. This guarantees fans, and those fans will be ready to wield their swords against the Dark Lord in Stanek's next installment." -- VOYA, the leading magazine for Young Adult librarians.The #1 Fiction bestseller!From #1 bestselling author Robert Stanek, the debut novel in a fantasy series that has been read and enjoyed by readers all over the world.Three unlikely heroes have the power to change everything and their names are Adrina, Vilmos and Seth. In Great Kingdom, thirteen-year-old Adrina believes she will never get to see the world beyond the walls of Imtal and she longs for adventure -- an adventure that comes in a way she never expects. In a tiny village far away, twelve-year-old Vilmos curses his strange, magical powers within him and fears the dark priests will come for him because he cannot control the magic. When the dark priests come for him, his life changes forever. Far across the great sea, a young elf named Seth is asked by his queen to begin learning the ways of men. He does so but begins to question everything he has known, for men and elves have not interacted for over a thousand years. This powerful fantasy novel will delight the young and the young at heart. Inside, you'll discover the breathtaking world of Ruin Mist where the mystical and the magical abound, and you'll fall in love with a boy who would become a mage, a princess who is fleeing a dying kingdom, and a warrior elf who undertakes an epic journey.Books #2 - #4 in the series are also available, as is the sequel series, In the Service of Dragons."Robert Stanek is one of our most featured and respected Kids & Young Adults authors." -- The Audio Book Store"Word of mouth turned it into a bestseller. Very satisfying."-- The Fantasy Guide"A breathtaking world and an excellent epic fantasy series! This wonderful adventure reminds me of a cross between J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Tad Williams, and C. S. Lewis.""Stanek [has] a penchant for clear and simple prose. He also prefers swift, action-oriented scenes. Solidly built. Stanek moves among his main characters with ease, always switching at a climactic moment to maintain suspense. The accessible, brisk language keeps things moving." --Foreword Magazine

Beginning with a thoughtful introduction, progressing through three detailed sections featuring fantastical beasts and faerie peoples, this long-awaited compendium to the Ruin Mist phenomenon delivers enough information to satisfy even the most demanding fantasy enthusiast. Not only will readers learn about beasts and faerie peoples featured in the #1 best-selling books, they'll also learn about many wonderful new creatures. Includes notes from Keeper Martin as well as illustrations of beastmen, king cats, king cat riders, dragons, dragons and their young, mystic dragons, dragonmen, dragon kings, dwarves, eagle lords, elves, dark elves, and dragonriders.

Explore emotions with Buster. Buster is sometimes silly, sometimes sad, and sometimes mad, but mostly he is happy.Print Length: 20 pages.The Bugville Critters stories address all the major issues of growing up and are designed to appeal to the ever-growing interests of children everywhere. The wonderfully crafted stories are paired with energetic illustrations of a colorful cast of critters and playful scenes.Bugville Jr. is an imprint of developmentally appropriate, interactive books designed to provide lessons about life, friendship, family, and our natural world to children ages 6 months and up.

"Word of mouth turned it into a bestseller. Very satisfying."-- The Fantasy GuideThe #1 Fiction bestseller!IN THE SERVICE OF DRAGONS #1 begins a new chapter in the epic fantasy adventure which began with THE KINGDOMS AND THE ELVES OF THE REACHES #1, a #1 Fiction bestseller for FOURTEEN WEEKS and a Kids & YA Top 10 Bestseller for THREE YEARS at Audible.com.In his acclaimed The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books, Robert Stanek introduced us to the story of Ruin Mist, an extraordinary world of magic, adventure, and intrigue. Now in the eagerly awaited follow-up, he once again proves himself a wonderful storyteller with a gift for fast pacing and believable storylines. Already hailed as a classic, Robert Stanek's powerful series has been enjoyed by readers all over the world. The Elves of the Reaches returned from exile, bringing grave news. War came to the Kingdoms, and many perished in the turmoil and unrest. An attempt was made to kidnap a princess and assassinate a king. Now, from the ancient past a dark power returns. "The Fourth Wind blows across the mountain tops," they say. And the Twelve Clans emerge from myth and memory. As prophecy becomes reality, the factions struggle for control only to further divide the lands. Some would say that it was foolish for King Andrew Alder to support the Elves of the Reaches and send men to aid their cause when Men in all lands were being put to the test of steel. In the North, men back their words with action. Against a backdrop of treachery and intrigue, murder and mayhem, the price of freedom is high. Many will pay with their lives. Many will succumb to imprisonment and enslavement; for when alliances shatter, old hatreds rise anew and the plotting and scheming begin. Bold, inventive, brilliantly imagined, In the Service of Dragons is a novel of magic and wonder-a tale of pure excitement you will not soon forget.Books #2 - #4 in the series are also available, as is the sequel series, the Guardians of the Dragon Realms."Robert Stanek is one of our most featured and respected Kids & Young Adults authors." -- The Audio Book Store"A breathtaking world and an excellent epic fantasy series! This wonderful adventure reminds me of a cross between J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Tad Williams, and C. S. Lewis.""Stanek [has] a penchant for clear and simple prose. He also prefers swift, action-oriented scenes. Solidly built. Stanek moves among his main characters with ease, always switching at a climactic moment to maintain suspense. The accessible, brisk language keeps things moving." --Foreword Magazine"Sure to attract fans of graphic novels and classic Tolkien alike. Stanek will likely draw a cult following. This guarantees fans, and those fans will be ready to wield their swords against the Dark Lord in Stanek's next installment." -- VOYA, the leading magazine for Young Adult librarians.