Michael J Rosen

A family-a mother, a father, and their ten-year-old son-have come all the way from Florida to the Appalachian foothills to experience the wonder of a snowy weekend. But when a blizzard suddenly descends, the family finds themselves trapped outside, disoriented in the whiteout and the waist-deep snowdrifts. Panicked, exhausted, and freezing, they cry out for help. From off in the distance at a nearby farm, a cattle dog hears their faint cries,...

A fish that walks on land, a frog that makes its own sunscreen, and an insect that can become invisible? Whether to avoid predators, to stalk prey, or to withstand extreme temperatures, Earth's creatures have evolved some outrageous features and tricks to ensure survival. For example, did you know that the geoduck (nope, it's not a duck, it's a clam) can live as long as 160 years? And that the aye-aye, a nocturnal primate, uses echolocation and a...

For thousands of years, philosophers and scientists have searched for the keys to human personality. Today, personality testing is a multibillion-dollar business. Many people take personality tests online just for fun. Whether silly or serious, personality testing can be an eye-opening way to better understand yourself, your family, and your friends. Just My Type introduces readers to the history of personality profiling, ranging from ancient Chinese...

Learn about the many loopy landmarks that wild builders have put together such as a dog-shaped bed-and-breakfast, a house built like a shoe, and two towers that look like they're dancing.

A child describes how one family celebrates Hanukkah, including polishing the silver menorah, lighting the candles, having a special family dinner, and sharing gifts.

Dear flappable reader: Do you bristle at a handshake that resembles a limp fish? Do oblivious pedestrians bring you to the brink? What about museum gift shops, superfluous courtesy (do we need a gas pump to show us gratitude?), behemoth SUVS, or inexplicable operating manuals? Have you had it with screeching leaf blowers, beseeching telemarketers, escalating movie-ticket prices, or proliferating celebrity magazines? Is it children's choirs or karaoke...

More seriously funny writing from American's most trusted humor anthology Witty, wise, and just plain wonderful, the inaugural volume of this biennial, Mirth of a Nation, ensured a place for the best contemporary humor writing in the country. And with this second treasury, Michael J. Rosen has once again assembled a triumphant salute to one of America's greatest assets: its sense of humor. More than five dozen acclaimed authors showcase their hilariously...

Young Benjamin Franklin wants to be a sailor, but his father won't hear of it. The other trades he tries-candle maker, joiner, boot closer, turner-bore him through and through. Curious and inventive, Ben prefers to read, swim, fly his kite, and fly his kite while swimming. But each time he fails to find a profession, he takes some important bit of knowledge with him. That tendency is exactly what leads him to become the astonishingly versatile genius...

Sure, you know baseball, soccer, and basketball. But have you heard about kiiking, the Estonian swinging competition? Or chess boxing, the perfect combination of brains and brawn? What about watermelon skiing? Discover a range of entertaining sports from around the world!

Would you believe bee's venom could help you feel better? How about a candle in your ear, or a string running through your nostrils? People have used all sorts of kooky remedies to fight pain and illness. Some work. Others, not so much. Find out more about odd medical cures of past and present!