Books published by publisher Merkos Publications

This is Volume One of a planned trilogy. One morning in Han dynasty China (206 BC - 220 AD), a girl of eleven is waking up... The day Meike grew up started out like most. She woke to the songs of mockingbirds in the camellia tree. She could hear Ahmei, the cook, in the forecourt bang a pot over the stove. She could smell smoke from Ahmei’s fire and from a hundred others in their crowded district. If she concentrated, she could smell other things too – earth still damp from last night’s rain, peppers soaking in a vat, and something she couldn’t quite name riding the breeze that stirred the bamboo in the courtyard and trickled in through her latticed window. The first light that peeked over the roof-tiles of the east wing of the family compound made the soft green of the spring bamboo almost glow. A softer light caressed the petals of the plum blossom sprig in the vase on the table beneath her window. Her name, Meike, with its soft “may” and harder “kuh,” meant Plum Blossom – soft petals, hard branch – and every Spring, on Meike’s birthday, her mother placed a cutting in her room. In a few minutes, Ahmei would call her name, then call again when Meike didn’t hop out of bed as ordered. She knew that if she waited, her father would creep in, slowly lift her cover, then grab her belly in a tickling claw. But then, all of a sudden, she had this unsettling feeling that today would be different.

Pissarro's weekly letters to his son Lucien, covering the dramatic period of Impressionism from 1883 to the painter's death in 1905, form what might be called a diary of the Impressionist school. In these wise, reflective, warmhearted missives, Pissarro, called the father of Impressionism, presents the growth and development of Impressionism and the struggles of its practitioners, as well as pungent and evocative observations on the politics, literature, and daily life of France in the late 19th century. But more than anything, these letters reveal an artist elucidating the inner resources of his craft: Lucien Pissarro, a contemporary of van Gogh, Seurat, and Toulouse-Lautrec, was himself a student of painting, and it was to the young artist above all that his father communicated the unique and illuminating perspectives on art contained in these documents. Brilliantly annotated and introduced by the renowned art historian John Rewald, and featuring a new preface by Barbara Stern Shapiro, Curator for Special Projects at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this edition of the Letters restores to print one of the most intimate and enjoyable views ever offered of the Impressionist period.

Look and Find: Disney Fairies invites children to journey to the enchanted world of Pixie Hollow, home of the Never fairies and the setting of eight magical look-and-find adventures. Prilla, Never Land s newest fairy, is trying to discover her special talent. Will she find it? Children ages 4 to 7 can search colorful, captivating scenes for dozens of hidden characters and objects, having fun and developing their powers of observation with this beautifully illustrated picture book. Children will delight in seeking out cleverly hidden fairies and magical Pixie Hollow items such as flowers, treats, and animals, and animals in each vividly drawn scene. Look and Find: Disney Fairies prompts children to: Locate gifts from the fairies in the Home Tree. Spot fairies frolicking in Never Land. Track down the treats in Dulcie s kitchen. Hunt for tools in Tinker Bell s workshop. Find the flowers Lily has planted in her beautiful fairy garden. Spot the water plants and animals in Havendish Stream. Look for chipmunks in the Never forest. Search the night sky for fireflies.A section at the back of the book challenges children to find dozens of additional items, providing hours of additional look-and-find fun. The pictures on the 10-inch x 12-inch pages are big, bold, and filled with detail. The sturdy hard-cover binding stands up to repeated use, so children can enjoy searching these look-and-find pictures again and again.

One rainy night in 1888, a stray dog wandered into the U.S. Post Office in Albany, New York. Workers found him the next morning asleep on a pile of mail pouches. The dog seemed to like the post office and the smell of the mailbags and the men's wool uniforms. When no one came to claim him, they named him Owney and made him their pet. However, Owney's loyalty and sense of adventure soon made it clear he wasn't just an average mutt. Over the course of nine years, Owney guarded the mail―not only in Albany but on mail trains that traveled all over the United States.

If you want to discover the captivating history of Attila the Hun, then keep reading...In the popular imagination, Attila the Hun is among the most barbaric leaders ever. His warriors have the reputation of being ruthless, cruel, and bloodthirsty, as the Huns are believed to have been savages lacking any semblance of civilized culture.The Huns raped and pillaged with abandon whenever the opportunity arose, and their raids into lands poorly protected by military outposts in the crumbling Roman Empire became legendary. The Huns under the command of Attila are thought to have been largely responsible for the collapse of the Roman Empire and the commencement of the Dark Ages in Europe.The reputation of Attila and his people, the Huns, is at odds with reality. But examining the few historical records of his character and deeds reveal quite a different story. It is true that he was a calculating leader who was skilled at unleashing his fierce fighters when necessary. It is also recorded in history that he was a continual thorn in the side of the Romans. However, placed in historical context, Attila acted in ways that were common among leaders, both Roman and barbarian, in the first half of the 5th century. What is extraordinary about him were his uncanny abilities in negotiations with superior powers, his capacity for matching and exceeding his enemies in duplicitous behavior, and his successes as a military tactician on the battlefield.In Attila the Hun: A Captivating Guide to the Ruler of the Huns and His Invasions of the Roman Empire, you will discover topics such asThe Origins of Attila and the HunsThe Wars of the Huns Before AttilaAn Alliance Between the Huns and the RomansAttila Attacks the ByzantinesAttila Attacks the Byzantines AgainAttila Foils a Byzantine PlotAttila’s Diplomatic Strategy Evolves in the WestAttila Raids GaulAttila Raids ItalyThe Disintegration of Attila’s KingdomAnd much, much more!So if you want to learn more about Attila the Hun, scroll up and click the "add to cart" button!

The "The Day After" is the sequel to the popular preparedness fiction adventure "The Road Home". Robbie survived the earthquake, but surviving the day after is another story. After learning that his neighbor Katy is injured, alone, and needs help, Robbie ventures out. Neither of them expect that a short trip across the city will turn into a terrifying race for survival. Changes in the urban landscape complicate the journey, but changes in the people make it far worse. “This book would be gripping enough from the story alone. That it cleverly illustrates useful emergency preparedness lessons at the same time doubles its value, particularly the importance of communication and thinking ahead. A fun read that delivers great lessons along the way - hard to pull off but nicely done!” - H. Ward Silver, Ham Radio for Dummies “This fast-paced adventure highlights the importance of preparedness through a compelling tale of good and evil.” - Arthur Bradley, PhD, Survivalist Series

CAN A DOG FLY? Anything is possible in our imagination. It is where creativity and thinking “outside the box” begins. As Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. It is the door to possibilities.” In today’s world, technology is taking precedence over the simple pleasure of reading a book. Watching television or spending hour upon hour playing computer games is not the same. Books on the other hand, can spark the magic of invention and fantasy that will allow a child to explore their own world of dreams. We hope The Flying Dachshund will help on that journey. —Debra & Talya

Aircraft Pictures Vol. 7 contains 58 images from the photo collection of the author, of Northwest Airlines and Northwest Airlink aircraft during the 1990s, when the author was employed as a mechanic for the airline. This book is for the lovers of Aviation History, particularly airline historians and airplane spotters, and those who like to look at airplane pictures. Young and old alike will love these awesome pictures. Complete with captions that contain information about the aircraft, with location, and other pertinant information. Aircraft included in this book are the DC-9, DC-10, 727, 747, 757, A320, Metro III, Dash 8, and Saab 340.This book is the seventh in a series of photo books that deal with Aviation and Aviation History. They will touch all aspects of the Aviation World, from Military aviation and Civil aviation. Be sure and pick them all up as they become available.

From a hiding place behind the courtyard moon gate, eleven-year-old Zhong Mei Lin hears her father defend her as "a daughter of a thousand pieces of gold" to corrupt village leader, Liu Long Tang. This expression, highest praise for a Chinese daughter, means she is a valuable as a son. Little do any of them realize that she will soon prove this worth not only to her parents and Liu Long Tang, but to provincial government authorities and to a whole new world she hasn't even dreamed of yet! Set against the rapidly changing social landscape brought on by the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping and China's one-child family planning policy, Mei Lin's journey is one the reader will not son forget. Rich in details of Chinese culture and tradition, this is a story about standing up for oneself, and about holding on to the good in the past while also making room for the future.

The life of an ordinary man is a life of consumptions. From something as tangible as a heavy meal, to something as subtle as an orgasm, it is nothing but a hunger and a gratification; a desire and a consumption. During most of the day, if he is not eating or drinking something then he is reading, watching or listening to something and thus feeding his senses on subtle diets. He is always consuming something or the other and when he is tired of all these consumptions, he finally shuts off everything and settles down to consume sleep. The momentum of the day frequently expresses itself in the form of dreams and the subconscious creates new ways of feeding the senses.