Books with title The Ratastrophe Catastrophe

To save the future of their homeland, a young herald and petty thief must face off against a boy consumed by dark magicIllmoor’s capital has a problem: rats. And lots of them. Desperate for a solution, the chairman of the Dullitch Council seeks the help of Illmoor’s roving mercenaries, hoping to find someone who can tame the ever-swelling tide of rodents. Jimmy Quickstint, the chairman’s grandson and junior thief in training, returns to Dullitch with the hulking Groan Teethgrit and his angry dwarf sidekick, Gordo Goldeaxe. Together, they are Dullitch’s best hope to eradicate the rats—until Diek Wustapha arrives.Diek, still just a boy, has been possessed by a magical power that gives him the uncanny ability to control not just animals, but also people. He gets rid of the rats in town, but the relief in Dullitch is short lived. The city refuses to pay Diek, and he does not take the insult lightly. He is determined to strike back at Dullitch by kidnapping all of the capital city’s children. That is, unless Jimmy Quickstint and his two new friends can find a way to stop him.

From revered nature writer Brenda Peterson and told through striking and vibrant mixed-media collages by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young, Catastrophe by the Sea is a poignant story of redemption through empathy and compassion found in the most surprising places, and also provides a rich understanding of small creatures that live in a dangerous tidal zone.A lost cat roams the tide pools, pawing relentlessly at the small creatures that live there. One day an anemone confronts him and asks why he is alone and befriends him. In partnership with the Seattle Aquarium, Catastrophe by the Sea delivers a powerful message of finding understanding and friendship, and at the same time educates on the varied wildlife brimming in tide pools.“For several years, the Seattle Aquarium has studied the role of empathy in promoting conservation. Empathy is the ability to perceive, understand and care about the experiences or perspectives of another person or animal. We most often feel empathy for other people, but we can also feel empathy for animals. This led us to the idea of a children’s book. Animals are regular protagonists in children’s books, but these characters are primarily vertebrates and often charismatic mammals. Could we create a book that would allow kids and their caregivers to empathize with strange and exotic marine animals, like sea anemones or barnacles? We hope this book strikes a chord with audiences and fosters empathy for animals less like us.” --Jim Wharton, director of conservation engagement and learning at the Seattle Aquarium

Diek Wustapha is a normal shepherd boy-until a dark, evil magic instills him with the power to charm man and beast with his magic flute. When the ancient town of Illmoor is plagued by an infestation of giant rats, Diek offers to lead the rodents to their doom. But when the dim-witted Duke of Illmoor refuses to reward him, Diek seeks revenge by kidnapping the town's children. Just when it seems the children are gone for good, a team of misfit mercenaries-Groan, a buck-toothed Giant, Gordo, a wise-cracking dwarf, and Tambor, a has-been sorcerer-set out on a bumbling journey to stop Diek, and save the children. But will they be too late?

From revered nature writer Brenda Peterson and told through striking and vibrant mixed-media collages by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young, Catastrophe by the Sea is a poignant story of redemption through empathy and compassion found in the most surprising places, and also provides a rich understanding of small creatures that live in a dangerous tidal zone.A lost cat roams the tide pools, pawing relentlessly at the small creatures that live there. One day an anemone confronts him and asks why he is alone and befriends him. In partnership with the Seattle Aquarium, Catastrophe by the Sea delivers a powerful message of finding understanding and friendship, and at the same time educates on the varied wildlife brimming in tide pools.

"...an apocalyptic survival story that moves with the speed of a raging river..."What does it have to take to change who you are?Donald Kerston's life up to now could only be described as a nightmare. But what he wakes up to suddenly becomes much worse.Struggling for survival, for the first time he finds friends and a future - only to be confronted with the one thing he didn't ever want to face.Gutshot: The Catastrophe is a 17,000 word story which takes place 1899 years before The Jacq of Spades: Part 1 of the Red Dog Conspiracy. There are no spoilers for the Red Dog Conspiracy series in this book, and it can be read at any time.From the author:Why write Gutshot: The Catastrophe?I've had several requests for a story about the Catastrophe from fans of the Red Dog Conspiracy series. So I decided to write one!Although I know what happened, I chose to write not about the scientists or the government, but from the point of view of a homeless vet caught up in the middle of The Catastrophe.Scroll up, click to order, strap in, and enjoy the ride!

Hattie the Hat Lady is known for one thing: that she buys out every hat store in town before any other woman or girl has a chance to get a hat of her own. When the other women in Summerville insist that she cannot possibly use all those hats, Hattie goes to great (and ridiculous) lengths to prove that she does not own too many. But when a disaster of hatastrophic proportions strikes, Hattie discovers that there is as much joy in letting go of her hats as there is in keeping them.

Diek Wutspah is a normal shepard boy. That is until a dark, evil magic roots itself within him instilling him with the power to charm man and beast with his magic flute. When the ancient town of Illmoor is plagued by an infestation of giant rats, Diek offers to lead the rodents to their doom. But when the dim-witted Duke of Illmoor refuses to reward him, Diek seeks revenge by kidnapping the town's children. Just when it seems the children are gone for good, a team of misfit mercenaries - Groan, a buck-toothed Giant, Gordo, a wise-cracking dwarf, and Tambor, a has-been sorcerer - set out on a bumbling journey to stop Diek, and save the children. But will it be too late?

The Duke of Dulwich is in distress--several reports are coming in that the city is beginning to be overrun by a plague of rats. Naturally he has killed off all witnesses, but daily the problem is becoming more obvious. His corrupt council, led by the hapless ex-wizard Tambor, has no solutions. He must send for mercenaries to rid his city of the rampant rodents.Heralds ride out from every gate, each hoping to bring back the savior of the city. Part-time herald, full-time thief, and grandson to Tambour, Jimmy Quickstint is the lucky man--falling haphazardly upon the skills of Diek Wustapha--a charmer--recently inhabited by magic and suddenly irresistible to girls, sheep--and rats.Diek fulfills his task and is promised $500 for his troubles. But once the rats have gone, the council reneges on their deal. Full of anger (and magic), Diek charms the children of Dulwich out of the city, playing on his mouth organ, where he disappears into the caves ad woodland of the surrounding area.The Duke is now in despair and has to resort to mercenaries to track him down. These include Groan Teethgrit (a man-mountain with more fingers than brain cells), Gordo Goldaxe (a dwarf who takes offence at people looking down on him) and Jimmy Quickstint (the only thief in history to go into a house with more than he came out with). It's not looking good.

Two years ago, Catarina Perez woke up in alley during the worst night of her life. She was covered in blood and lying next to the corpse of a complete stranger, and she had no idea how she got there or what happened to him. That night, though, Catarina discovered that whatever happened in that alley changed who she was. She was faster, stronger and more powerful than any other human she’d ever met. But the more she used her abilities, the stronger her impulse to hurt people became. Refusing to abandon her new gifts, she instead focused on hunting down the most evil people she could locate and unleashing her rage upon them. One year ago, Catarina met Ren who was the only person she’d ever encountered who was immune to her impulse to inflict pain on others, and together they worked to take down as much of the human scum infecting their city as they could. It was a perfect plan until they met Chadwick Morin, a genius more diabolical than they were prepared for. A man who was personally responsible for the death of Catarina’s younger sister. Now, Catarina and Ren are prepared to risk everything to bring Chadwick to justice and end the drug cartels’ reign over their city. It is a journey that may ultimately destroy more than anybody is prepared to lose.

Devastating natural disasters have profoundly shaped human history, leaving us with a respect for the mighty power of the earth -- and a humbling view of our future. Paleontologist and geologist Donald R. Prothero tells the harrowing human stories behind these catastrophic events.Prothero describes in gripping detail some of the most important natural disasters in history:? the New Madrid, Missouri, earthquakes of 1811--1812 that caused church bells to ring in Boston? the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people? the massive volcanic eruptions of Krakatau, Mount Tambora, Mount Vesuvius, Mount St. Helens, and Nevado del RuizHis clear and straightforward explanations of the forces that caused these disasters accompany gut-wrenching accounts of terrifying human experiences and a staggering loss of human life. Floods that wash out whole regions, earthquakes that level a single country, hurricanes that destroy everything in their path -- all are here to remind us of how little control we have over the natural world. Dramatic photographs and eyewitness accounts recall the devastation wrought by these events, and the people -- both heroes and fools -- that are caught up in the earth's relentless forces. Eerie, fascinating, and often moving, these tales of geologic history and human fortitude and folly will stay with you long after you put the book down.

Diek Wustapha is a normal shepherd boy-until a dark, evil magic instills him with the power to charm man and beast with his magic flute. When the ancient town of Illmoor is plagued by an infestation of giant rats, Diek offers to lead the rodents to their doom. But when the dim-witted Duke of Illmoor refuses to reward him, Diek seeks revenge by kidnapping the town's children. Just when it seems the children are gone for good, a team of misfit mercenaries-Groan, a buck-toothed Giant, Gordo, a wise-cracking dwarf, and Tambor, a has-been sorcerer-set out on a bumbling journey to stop Diek, and save the children. But will they be too late?