Pig Science

Jack loves his childhood toy Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens - DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life...even toys. And Jack’s newest toy - the Christmas Pig (DP’s annoying replacement) - has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost and to save the best friend Jack has ever known....

Perfect for gifting to lovers of philosophy or mining intelligent ice-breaker topics for your next party, The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten offers one hundred philosophical puzzles that stimulate thought on a host of moral, social, and personal dilemmas. Taking examples from sources as diverse as Plato and Steven Spielberg, author Julian Baggini presents abstract philosophical issues in concrete terms, suggesting possible solutions while encouraging listeners to draw their own conclusions.

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows offers an absorbing look at what social psychologist Melanie Joy calls carnism, the belief system that conditions us to eat certain animals when we would never dream of eating others. Carnism causes extensive animal suffering and global injustice, and it drives us to act against our own interests and the interests of others without fully realizing what we are doing.

Vilaya the Sable Quean, her henchman Zwilt the Shade, and their savage cronies have set their sights on Redwall Abbey. Spiriting away one unlucky Redwall youngster after another, the vermin hope to weaken the abbey’s resolve and soften it for a takeover. But what Vilaya and Zwilt don’t know is someone else is headed toward the abbey. Buckler, Blademaster of the Long Patrol, is among the bravest hares ever to set foot in Mossflower Wood.

On a moonless night, two rats follow hypnotic lights into the forest, never to be seen again. Such is the power of the Doomwytes, sinister ravens led by the deadly Korvus Skurr. And when the young mouse Bisky persuades the creatures of Redwall Abbey to go in search of a fabled treasure, hidden long ago by one of the abbey's most notorious thieves, they do not suspect Skurr and his ravens will be vying for that very treasure.

In Dimwood Forest, all the mice know that moving beyond Grey House requires the permission of the great horned owl, Mr. Ocax. No one but Mr. Ocax can guarantee protection against the horrible porcupines who lurk in the forest, waiting to grab innocent creatures. But Poppy is a curious mouse, and a little foolish. When she is caught dancing in the moonlight on Bannock Hill, she soon faces not only the great owl, but a huge porcupine, and an impossible challenge.

Ragweed the mouse is four months old and anxious to see the world. So he says goodbye to his family and friends in the Woodlands and, following the advice of a friendly vole, makes his way to the big city: Amperville. In Amperville, Ragweed sees things he’s never seen before - like cats! In particular, he comes face-to-face with Silversides, founder and president of F.E.A.R. (Felines Enraged About Rodents). Silversides wants to make sure mice know their place in the world. With new friends Clutch, a skateboarding mouse with green hair, and Blinker, a pet mouse longing for freedom, Ragweed takes a stand against F.E.A.R.

Squeal! Guinea pigs make fun pets. Some have long hair and some have almost no hair at all. Some have crests on their heads and others have droopy ears. Young listeners will learn about the appearance and behavior of guinea pigs, and discover why these playful rodents make great pets.

When Redwall was published in 1987 it catapulted author Brian Jacques to international stardom. And small wonder! This enthralling tale is jam-packed with the things we long for in a great adventure: danger, laughter, hairbreadth escapes, tragedy, mystery, a touch of wonder, a truly despicable villain, and a hero we can take to heart.

This is the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in darkness but covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl with a simple, impossible wish. These characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and ultimately, into each other's lives.

Princess Harriet has absolutely no interest in brushing her hair, singing duets with woodland animals, or any other typical princess activities. So when a fairy tells a very bored Harriet about 12 mice princesses who are cursed to dance all night long, she happily accepts the quest and sets off with a poncho of invisibility and her trusty battle quail. But when she arrives at the Mouse Kingdom, she discovers there's more to the curse than meets the eye, and trying to help is dangerous business...even for a tough princess like Harriet.

Everybody makes mistakes, but when an American president blunders, the results can be catastrophic. In an effort to put an end to Britain and France's policy of seizing American ships and sailors, Thomas Jefferson calls for an embargo. The result: 30,000 sailors put out of work; mercantile families bankrupted overnight; a nationwide economic depression; and the New England states, which depended heavily on international commerce, threaten to secede from the Union.All of these, and many more, incredible lapses in judgement are explained in this book.

Four children live on an island that serves as the repository for all the world’s garbage. Trash arrives, the children sort it, and then they feed it to a herd of insatiable pigs: a perfect system. But when a barrel washes ashore with a boy inside, the children must decide whether he is more of the world’s detritus, meant to be fed to the pigs, or whether he is one of them.

Every mouse knows of the dangers in the sewers, where bloodthirsty gangs of rats roam. But one curious mouse can't resist that perilous world and thus must face evil at its strongest - or the entire city of London could be destroyed.

Barry Estabrook, author of the New York Times bestseller Tomatoland, now explores the dark side of the American pork industry. Drawing on his personal experiences raising pigs as well as his sharp investigative instincts, he covers the range of the human-porcine experience. He embarks on nocturnal feral pig hunts in Texas. He visits farmers who raise animals in vast confinement barns for Smithfield and Tyson, two of the country's biggest pork producers.

Provocative political commentator Arianna Huffington yanks back the curtain on the unholy alliance of CEOs, politicians, lobbyists, and Wall Street bankers who have shown a brutal disregard for those in office cubicles and on factory floors.

From beloved author E. D. Baker comes the fourth book in her chapter book series about a spirited girl and magical creatures. Maggie loves taking care of the injured magical creatures at her friend Bob's stable. But her newest task isn't so easy - she has to look after some rowdy flying pigs! Meanwhile, her step-mother Zelia is trying to get Maggie's stepbrother Peter a job at Bob's stable. Peter working with Maggie? Yeah, right! Maybe when pigs fly....

Squeak! Tiny hamsters make fun pets. Some have a solid color and others have three different colors. Some have short tails and others have long tails. Young listeners will learn about the appearance and behavior of hamsters, and discover why these curious rodents make great pets.

A shadow has fallen on the shore of the Eastern sea, a shadow called Marshank. In this cold stone fortress, a stoat named Badrang holds dozens of innocent creatures as slaves, part of his scheme to build an empire where he will rule as unquestioned tyrant.

Welcome to Mossflower Wood, where the gentle mice have gathered to celebrate a year of peace and abundance. All is well…until a sinister shadow falls across the ancient stone abbey of Redwall. It is rumored that Cluny is coming—Cluny, the terrible one-eyed rat and his savage horde—Cluny, who has vowed to conquer Redwall Abbey! The only hope for the besieged mice lies in the lost sword of the legendary Martin the Warrior. And so begins the epic quest of a bumbling young apprentice—a courageous mouse who would rise up, fight back…and become a legend himself.