Mike Lawrence

A master presents, analyzes, and comments on various hands and combinations

In this high-octane Dungeons & Dragons–inspired middle-grade graphic novel, the Lionhart brothers must save their parents and uncover the truth behind their legendary adventuring family! Adventuring isn’t just in the Lionhart family’s blood—it’s the family business. Grammy and Baba Lionhart were once a famous questing duo—slaying dragons and fighting monsters, they were legends throughout the land. Now, their daughter, Lenna, has taken over the business, questing under the famous Lionhart name with her husband, Gerard, and their young sons, Alder and Flynt, are desperate to be included! When their parents go missing after accepting an unusually high–paying job from a mysterious woman, the boys set out to find them, eager to prove they’re ready to carry on the family legacy. Nothing can shake a Lionhart, right? But Grammy and Baba know better and swiftly catch up with the boys, who have already gotten themselves in heap of trouble. Along the journey, Alder and Flynt tackle big challenges and discover new skills, but as they get closer to finding their parents, they also unearth a secret that could tear their family apart and, even worse, bring the Lionhart name to ruin. From Mike Lawrence, creator of the Star Scouts series, comes book 1 in a fast-paced and adventurous middle-grade graphic novel duology sure to appeal to fans of Lightfall, 5 Worlds, and Dungeon Critters.

In this high-octane Dungeons & Dragons–inspired middle-grade graphic novel, the Lionhart brothers must save their parents and uncover the truth behind their legendary adventuring family! Adventuring isn’t just in the Lionhart family’s blood—it’s the family business. Grammy and Baba Lionhart were once a famous questing duo—slaying dragons and fighting monsters, they were legends throughout the land. Now, their daughter, Lenna, has taken over the business, questing under the famous Lionhart name with her husband, Gerard, and their young sons, Alder and Flynt, are desperate to be included! When their parents go missing after accepting an unusually high–paying job from a mysterious woman, the boys set out to find them, eager to prove they’re ready to carry on the family legacy. Nothing can shake a Lionhart, right? But Grammy and Baba know better and swiftly catch up with the boys, who have already gotten themselves in heap of trouble. Along the journey, Alder and Flynt tackle big challenges and discover new skills, but as they get closer to finding their parents, they also unearth a secret that could tear their family apart and, even worse, bring the Lionhart name to ruin. From Mike Lawrence, creator of the Star Scouts series, comes book 1 in a fast-paced and adventurous middle-grade graphic novel duology sure to appeal to fans of Lightfall, 5 Worlds, and Dungeon Critters.

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic - dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you! In this volume, you'll see real-life sea creatures like giant isopods, colossal squids, blood-sucking lampreys, horrific anglerfish, and many more! Unravel the mysteries of how they evolved to survive where there is no light, hardly any food, and water pressure so intense it would squash you like a sea slug! Turn the page and prepare to go deep!

Take the plunge with Science Comics: Deep-Sea Creatures Science Comics is a popular STEM graphic novel series with over a million copies in print Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more In this volume, you'll see real-life sea creatures like giant isopods, colossal squids, blood-sucking lampreys, and horrific anglerfish. Unravel the mysteries of how these creatures evolved to survive where there is no light, hardly any food, and water pressure so intense it would squash you like a sea slug Turn the page and prepare to go deep

Mini-lessons--complete with insights and advice you can count on. Start on the path of becoming a good player and a good partner. The third installment of the Insights on Bridge series, the first two of which won the prestigious ABTA Book of the Year Award, contains a multitude of carefully crafted mini-lessons designed to turn aspiring bridge players into good bridge players. The material in this book is devoted to situations and problems you will see at the table but are hard to find in books.

In this volume of Maker Comics, First Second's DIY graphic novel series, you'll find step-by-step instructions for seven projects that will help you survive in the wild Sophia and Alonso have been packed off to their grandpa's for a fishing trip, and they're dreading spending a whole day in the woods without any cell service. But Grandpa opens their eyes to the wonders of the outdoors, and its dangers--from tick bites to hypothermia. And when a sprained ankle delays their return to civilization, the kids have to learn not only how to perform forest-friendly first aid, but how to safely spend the night in the woods when you don't have a tent Prepare yourself before you set off on your next adventure Whether you're hiking in the wilderness or camping in your own backyard, Survive in the Outdoors will equip you with the know-how you need. In this book, you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to build a campfire, catch and clean a fish, make a shelter, and more

Avani has found the one place in the universe where she fits in: Star Scouts. The Invasion of the Scuttlebots is the third and final volume of this action-packed graphic novel series by Mike Lawrence. In Star Scouts, oxygen breathers and methane breathers rarely get along. Avani and Pam were no different, at least at first. But these one-time rivals have become good pals. Mabel isn't too happy about that--Avani is supposed to be her best friend! Feeling jealous and left out, Mabel wishes aloud for the destruction of Avani and Pam's friendship. Unfortunately, a robot minion who happened to be in earshot takes this as a direct order! Now an army of robots bent on world domination has infiltrated planet Earth. Avani needs Mabel's help to defeat the scuttlebots--but can she ever forgive her friend for unleashing a robot invasion on her hometown?

Douglas Kane, an American politician and economist, offers readers a straightforward, personal account of what it is like to run for and hold public office—the demands, conflicts, temptations, and rewards created by political, economic, and social forces. Throughout the book, Kane references Illinois and Wisconsin politics. The campaigns of his wife, Kathleen Vinehout, and her years in the Wisconsin senate show that the centralization of political power, the structure of campaign organizations, and the policy decisions that Kane experienced as an Illinois legislator are not unique to any one state. Our Politics is different from the typical political memoir in that its primary focus is on the forces that have shaped and continue to shape politics. Kane outlines personal and public perceptions of politics and politicians in Illinois; explores the fundamental contradictions underlying the concept of democracy and how they must be dealt with by every politician; and describes the essential nature of politics and how and why the political power structure has shifted. He explores the personal experiences of being a legislator: how a politician decides which way to vote; their relationship to party leaders, fellow legislators, the governor, and voters in their district; and the possibility of change, how it might happen, and the steps that candidates, political parties, activists, and others might take to better our politics with results more to our liking. While many journalists record politics from the outside, and numerous political memoirs focus on personalities and what happened to whom and when, this book gives an insider’s view of politics at the level of state government. This book is not about those politicians but about our politics, which together we have created and together we must deal with.

The first in a series of books designed to turn aspiring players into good players. This series includes hundreds of mini-lessons, complete with advice you can count on. The material is devoted to situations and problems you will see at the table, but not in other books. Start on the path of being a good player and a good partner.

Avani has found the one place in the universe where she fits in: Star Scouts. The League of Lasers is the second volume of this action-packed graphic novel series by Mike Lawrence. During a troop meeting, a robot messenger delivers Avani some exciting news: she has been invited to join a secret society of elite scouts known as the League of Lasers. She is eager to join their ranks, but first she has to survive her initiation challenge. Stranded on an uncharted planet, Avani must contend with the methane atmosphere, hostile frog-like inhabitants, and her dwindling supplies of food and water. But even worse: her arch nemesis, Pam, is stranded there, too.

My second book was Judgment at Bridge, a book that looked at judgment, a quality that goes beyond mere rules. It's something that you learn in bits and pieces, not in great gobs all at once. In Judgment at Bridge, I took my 16 years of experience and put them into the book, hopefully making the introduction to judgment easier than if you had to get it one bid, one card, one disaster, and one success at a time. It was nice to have Alfred Sheinwold write an introduction to it. Things change and today, more and better judgment is needed to keep up with changes in bidding and play. Well, not so much in play and defense but there definitely have been changes in bidding. Judgment at Bridge 2 is more than a sequel. It takes all of Judgment at Bridge and adds to it. Bridge is still not a game of rules. It wasn't back in 1976 and it isn't now. It won't be in 2040, either. Bridge is a game of guidelines and ongoing experiences. In Judgment at Bridge 2, I will show you how to approach the game. What do you need to be a better player? What do you need to be a more difficult opponent? There are a lot of things you can do to achieve both. In addition, I am including a chapter offering opinions on various conventions that you should consider now, conventions you should consider shortly, and conventions and treatments that should be removed from your convention card. There are many aspects to bridge and each comes with different issues.

Avani is the new kid in town, and she's not happy about it. Everyone in school thinks she's weird, especially the girls in her Flower Scouts troop. Is it so weird to think scouting should be about fun and adventure, not about makeovers and boys, boys, boys? But everything changes when Avani is "accidentally" abducted by a spunky alien named Mabel. Mabel is a scout too - a Star Scout. Collecting alien specimens (like Avani) goes with the territory, along with teleportation and jetpack racing. Avani might be weird, but in the Star Scouts she fits right in. If she can just survive Camp Andromeda, and keep her dad from discovering that she's left planet Earth, she's in for the adventure of a lifetime.

With step-by-step practical techniques and projects, this book is aimed at everyone, from the novice home decorator to the experienced enthusiast. It includes practical instruction on home maintenance and repairs, painting, paperhanging, tiling, laying floor coverings, bedding, soft furnishings, curtains, insulation, storage, and building features and fittings. Every home needs repainting, updating or repair work to keep it looking fresh, stylish and in good condition. This book explains how best to assess the existing decor and condition of your home, and how to plan the work and choose new decorating materials. There are chapters on every room of the house, each with step-by-step photographs and instructions, charts, checklists and explanatory diagrams. Every technique is easy to follow, and there is also expert advice on materials, tools and equipment. Aimed at everyone from the novice home decorator to the experienced enthusiast, the book will help you to make the very best of your home.

20 years ago, bridge writer Mike Lawrence published a series of short pamphlets for intermediate players with advice on various aspects of bidding and card play. Long unavailable, this material has now been revised, updated, and republished in three anthology volumes, each comprising about 10 of the original booklets. The topics here include: defence, including opening leads, signalling and third hand play, declarer play including endplays, simple squeezes, loser on loser plays, and timing. There is also a general discussion of the mistakes we all make in cardplay but need to avoid. This is the third volume in a three-volume series, 'Mike Lawrence Bridge Tips', based on bridge tips for intermediate players first published twenty years ago.