War Horse

War Horse

by Michael Morpurgo

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Book Description
In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?

About the Author
Michael divides his time between his writing and running Farms for City Children, a charity which each year takes up to 3,000 children to a working farm for a week. Michael and his wife Clare were awarded MBEs this year for their work with the charity. Before the first farm opened 22 years ago, Morpurgo was a teacher and his knowledge of children's experiences, plus his experience of Farms enrich his writing enormously. Michael Morpurgo has won the Whitbread Children's Book Award, and the Smarties Book Prize.

The 39 Clues

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Book 2: A King's Ransom

by Jude Watson

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Book Description
Amy and Dan are in a race for their lives . . . and the enemy may be even closer than they think.

When seven members of their family were kidnapped by a sinister organization known as the Vespers, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, vowed they'd stop at nothing to bring the hostages home. But then the ransom comes in and the Vespers demand the impossible. Amy and Dan have just days to track down and steal an ancient map. The only catch? No one has seen the map for half a century.

Now Amy and Dan are on a desperate search that will lead them to the Nazis, spies, a mad king and some of history's dirtiest secrets. It's the race of their lives . . . and one misstep will mean certain death for the hostages.

About the Author
Jude Watson is the author of two 39 Clues books, BEYOND THE GRAVE and IN TOO DEEP, and the bestselling Star Wars: Last of the Jedi and Jedi Quest series. As Judy Blundell, she wrote WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED, the 2008 winner of The National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She lives in Katonah, New York.

The Story of Christmas

The Story of Christmas

by Pamela Dalton

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Book Description
Pamela Dalton s exquisite, intricate scissor-cut illustrations wonderfully illuminate The Story of Christmas. Deeply reverent, richly detailed, and teeming with life, Dalton s images follow the story of the Nativity from the appearance of the Angel, to the shepherds who came from the fields, and to the three wise men who followed the star to pay respect for their new king. Working in a Pennsylvania-German folk-art tradition, rich with lovingly rendered animals and figures, Pamela Dalton has created a book that takes a deserved place among the finest celebrations of Christmas.

About the Author
Pamela Dalton's cut-paper artwork has delighted collectors worldwide for almost twenty-five years. Her work is created in the tradition of early American paper cutting popular in the Pennsylvania German regions of this country in the early nineteenth century. Her original designs are influenced by popular historical themes: patriotism, biblical and religious motifs, and scenes from rural life. Each piece is sketched freehand by the artist and then cut by hand, so no two are exactly alike.

The Lion Encyclopedia of Christianity

The Lion Encyclopedia of Christianity

by David Self

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Book Description
Designed for enquiring young minds, this comprehensive resource takes a thematic approach to explaining the basic aspects of Christianity. Useful, article-length features cover all key aspects of the Christian faith including its history, festivals, tenets, and symbols, as well as church buildings, worship ceremonies, the Bible, and personal prayer and piety. A clear layout filled with informative maps, diagrams, and illustrations make this an engaging and educational reference.

Technically, this is not an encyclopedia but rather, as the back cover states, "an illustrated introduction to the beliefs, traditions and practices of the Christian faith." Instead of alphabetical entries, its 57 chapters are organized by themes such as "The Origins of Christianity," "Christian Teachings," "The Church," and "Worship." This is a beautiful production, appealing and attractive, with numerous color photos, maps, and graphs. However, there is no glossary, the time line is limited, and the index is incomplete. The book's British origins are apparent in spellings. There are only a couple of sentences on selected Protestant denominations, but Self discusses Christianity around the world and tackles issues such as suffering, war, and the environment. No other titles for this age come close to this work's appeal or thoroughness.

About the Author
David Self is the author of several books on religion for children, including The Lion Children’s Treasury of Classic Verse, The Lion Treasury of Saints, and The Loyola Treasury of Saints.

Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography

Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography

by William Anderson

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Book Description
From her pioneer days on the prairie to her golden years with her husband, Almanzo, and their daughter, Rose, Laura Ingalls Wilder has become a friend to all who have read about her adventures. This behind-the-scenes account chronicles the real events in Laura's life that inspired her to write her stories and also describes her life after the last Little House book ends.

About the Author

William Anderson is an award-winning historian and author whose interest in the “Little House” books began in elementary school. Much of his research for this book was conducted on-site at the locales of the Ingalls and Wilder homes. He has been active in the preservation and operation of the Wilder sites in De Smet, South Dakota, and Mansfield, Missouri, and edits the newsletter, Laura Ingalls Wilder Lore.

Among Mr. Anderson’s other writings about the people and places of the “Little House” books are LAURA INGALLS WILDER COUNTRY, A LITTLE HOUSE SAMPLER, PRAIRIE GIRL, and LAURA’S ALBUM.

13 Art Inventions Children Should Know

13 Art Inventions Children Should Know

by Florian Heine

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Book Description
From the use of perspective to the invention of the paint tube, 13 examples of some of the most important breakthroughs in artistic technology offers kids an exciting new perspective on the world of art. This new volume in the highly successful "13" series uses colorful reproductions, glossaries, and a timeline to explore milestones in the history of art. Kids will learn about important innovations in art while they discover answers to questions such as: Why was oil painting invented? What were the subjects of the first photographs? How do you depict the world on a flat canvas? Filled with accessible, fascinating facts as well as creative suggestions for independent art projects, this unique introduction to art history shows young readers how art is made as well as how to enjoy it.

About the Author
FLORIAN HEINE is a photographer and writer, and the author of The First Time: Innovations in Art. He lives in Munich.

World Mythology

World Mythology

by Donna Rosenberg

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Book Description
This volume offers 59 of the world's great myths including selections from The Iliad and the Odyssey, Beowulf, King Arthur and Quetzalcoatl. Each myth is accompanied by an introduction that offers historical background and suggests avenues for literary analysis.

Put Bullfinch aside and hide Hamilton...Donna Rosenberg's "World Mythology" tells it all in captivating storytelling to bring myths from all over the world alive. This is the ideal textbook for a survey of mythology course in high school and college. Creation myths of a broad range of cultures convey the remarkable links to mankind's beginnings, while great epics reveal the heroes and dreams of diverse worlds.

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide.

The Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis & Clark Expedition

Sacajawea: The Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

by Joseph Bruchac

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Book Description
Captured by her enemies, married to a foreigner, and a mother at age sixteen, Sacajawea lived a life of turmoil and change. Then in 1804, the mysterious young Shoshone woman known as Bird Woman met Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Acting as interpreter, peacemaker, and guide, Sacajawea bravely embarked on an epic journey that altered history forever. Hear her extraordinary story, told by Sacajawea and by William Clark, in alternating chapters and including parts of Clark's original diaries.

• Authentic telling by an American Book Award winner and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Writers Circle of The Americas
• Includes a black-and-white map showing Lewis and Clark's trail
• Told in the compelling voices of Sacajawea and William Clark in alternating chapters for two unique viewpoints
• Sacajawea will be commemorated in the year 2000 with a U.S. Treasury dollar coin bearing her likeness

Review
Grade 6 Up-This intelligent, elegantly written novel weaves Sacajawea's recollections of the Lewis and Clark expedition with those of William Clark, the American captain who developed a deeply spiritual bond with her and became a surrogate uncle to her son. Beyond recounting the thrills and hardships of the legendary two-year mission, the alternating first-person narratives show the respect that develops between the young "Bird Woman" and the Corps of Discovery. Sacajawea begins her chapters with excerpts from Native American folktale, providing insight into her religious and cultural upbringing and its impact on her interpretation of events. Clark begins his with entries mostly from his journal, underscoring his keen awareness of the importance of the expedition and his desire to record even its most mundane details. Balancing the eyewitness accounts of these two people is not just a clever literary device. Clark's account is crucial to supplying information about Sacajawea that she herself cannot provide. Her narrative is devoid of self-praise and self-promotion; they would be unnatural impulses for a Shoshone female. So Bruchac uses Clark to chronicle Sacajawea's extraordinary bravery and endurance, and his voice repeats what she cannot even attempt to mention: that the mission would have been a certain failure without her. This is an engaging book to share with young adults, who will find it all the more fascinating to learn that Sacajawea was a teenager when she made history with Lewis and Clark.

About the Author
JOSEPH BRUCHAC is a poet, storyteller, and author of more than sixty books for children and adults who has received many literary honors, including the American Book Award and the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award. He is of Abenaki and Slovak heritage, and lives in Greenfield Center, New York.

Elijah Of Buxton

Elijah Of Buxton

by Christopher Paul Curtis

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Book Description
Eleven-year-old Elijah lives in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves near the American border. He's the first child in town to be born free, and he ought to be famous just for that. Unfortunately, all that most people see is a "fra-gile" boy who's scared of snakes and talks too much. But everything changes when a former slave steals money from Elijah's friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Now it's up to Elijah to track down the thief and his dangerous journey just might make a hero out of him, if only he can find the courage to get back home.

About the Author
Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan. After high school graduation, he worked on the assembly line of the Fisher Body Plant for 13 years, until Christopher took a year off work to write his first novel. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 won a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor book citation in 1996. Bud, Not Buddy received the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award in 2000. His most recent book, Elijah of Buxton, has garnered multiple awards, including a Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the TD Children’s Literature Book Award and the CLA Book of the Year, and was a finalist in the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature. "This novel came to me in a way that was far different than any other," says Curtis. "From the word 'go' Elijah and I became close friends. When I'd go to the library to write, it was as if he were anxiously waiting for me, waiting to tell about his life, his worries, his adventures."

This Thing Called the Future

This Thing Called the Future

by J.L. Powers

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Book Description
Khosi lives with her beloved grandmother Gogo, her little sister Zi, and her weekend mother in a matchbox house on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. In that shantytown, it seems like somebody is dying all the time. Billboards everywhere warn of the disease of the day. Her Gogo goes to a traditional healer when there is trouble, but her mother, who works in another city and is wasting away before their eyes, refuses even to go to the doctor. She is afraid and Khosi doesn't know what it is that makes the blood come up from her choking lungs. Witchcraft? A curse? AIDS? Can Khosi take her to the doctor? Gogo asks. No, says Mama, Khosi must stay in school. Only education will save Khosi and Zi from the poverty and ignorance of the old Zulu ways.

School, though, is not bad. There is a boy her own age there, Little Man Ncobo, and she loves the color of his skin, so much darker than her own, and his blue-black lips, but he mocks her when a witch's curse, her mother's wasting sorrow, and a neighbor's accusations send her and Gogo scrambling off to the sangoma's hut in search of a healing potion.

Publisher's Weekly
For 14-year-old Khosi, life has become far more complicated than she would like. She lives with her mother, her grandmother “Gogo,” and her younger sister, Zi, in a Zulu shantytown in South Africa, where conditions are dismal: no one has money, and there are weekly funerals for AIDS victims. On top of everything, a neighbor accuses her mother (who becomes violently ill) of stealing, and Khosi’s developing body is drawing unwanted attention, particularly from a drunken neighborhood man who attacks Khosi on multiple occasions. Despite her circumstances, Khosi is resilient; her passions are science and her unshakable connection to the spirit world. “Science is important,” she reflects. “So are the old ways. But because they are so stubborn, it makes it really difficult to navigate a path between them to be my own person.” Through the eyes of a conflicted teenager, Powers (The Confessional) composes a compelling, often harrowing portrait of a struggling country, where old beliefs and rituals still have power, but can’t erase the problems of the present. Readers will be fully invested in Khosi’s efforts to secure a better future.

J.L. Powers holds an MA in African history from State University of New York-Albany and Stanford University. She won a Fulbright-Hays grant to study Zulu in South Africa, and served as a visiting scholar in Stanford's African Studies Department. This is her second novel for young adults.

Jane Addams: Champion of Democracy

The Fradins present a complex woman whose ideas are enduring and particularly timely in our day.

Jane Addams: Champion of Democracy

by Dennis Brindell Fradin, Judith Bloom Fradin

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Book Description
Most people know Jane Addams (1860-1935) as the force behind Hull House, one of the first settlement houses in the United States. She was also an ardent suffragist and civil rights activist, co-founding the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union. But it was her work as a pacifist that put her in the international spotlight. Although many people labeled her “unpatriotic” for her pacifist activities, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 and, at the time of her death, Jane Addams was one of the most respected and admired women in the world. In this well-researched and inspiring account, acclaimed husband-and-wife team, Dennis Brindell Fradin and Judith Bloom Fradin, draw upon hundreds of historical documents and archival photographs to create a revealing portrait of the woman whose very way of life made her an American icon.

About the Author
Dennis Brindell Fradin is the author of many books for young readers, including the well-received SAMUEL ADAMS: THE FATHER OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE and, with coauthor and wife Judith Bloom Fradin, IDA B. WELLS: MOTHER OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.

My Name Was Keoko

“This powerful and riveting tale of one close-knit, proud Korean family movingly addresses life-and-death issues of courage and collaboration, injustice, and death-defying determination in the face of totalitarian oppression.”

When My Name Was Keoko

by Linda Sue Park

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Book Description
Sun-hee and her older brother Tae-yul are proud of their Korean heritage. Yet they live their lives under Japanese occupation. All students must read and write in Japanese and no one can fly the Korean flag. Hardest of all is when the Japanese Emperor forces all Koreans to take Japanese names. Sun-hee and Tae-yul become Keoko and Nobuo. Korea is torn apart by their Japanese invaders during World War II. Everyone must help with war preparations, but it doesn’t mean they are willing to defend Japan. Tae-yul is about to risk his life to help his family, while Sun-hee stays home guarding life-and-death secrets.

From School Library Journal
Grades 6-9. Living in Korea in the 1940s was difficult because the Japanese, who occupied the country, seemed determined to obliterate Korean culture and to impose their own on its residents.

Sun-hee and her older brother, Tae-yul, still go to school every day, but lessons now consist of lectures and recitations designed to glorify Japan. To add to their unhappiness, everyone, adults and children alike, must give up their Korean names and take new Japanese ones. Sun-hee, now called Keoko, and Tae-yul, newly named Nobuo, tell the story in alternating narrative voices. They describe the hardships their family is forced to face as Japan becomes enmeshed in World War II and detail their individual struggles to understand what is happening. Tension mounts as Uncle, working with the Korean resistance movement, goes into hiding, and Tae-yul takes a drastic step that he feels is necessary to protect the family.

What is outstanding is the insight Park gives into the complex minds of these young people. Each of them reacts to the events in different ways-Sun-hee takes refuge in writing while Tae-yul throws his energies into physical work. Yet in both cases they develop subtle plans to resist the enemy. Like the Rose of Sharon tree, symbol of Korea, which the family pots and hides in their shed until their country is free, Sun-hee and Tae-yul endure and grow. This beautifully crafted and moving novel joins a small but growing body of literature, such as Haemi Balgassi's Peacebound Trains (Clarion, 1996) and Sook Nyul Choi's The Year of Impossible Goodbyes (Houghton, 1991), that expands readers' understanding of this period.

About the Author
Linda Sue Park is the author of the Newbery Medal book A Single Shard, many other novels, several picture books, and most recently a book of poetry: Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems). She lives in Rochester, New York, with her family, and is now a devoted fan of the New York Mets.

Jane Eyre (Scholastic Classics)

Jane Eyre (Scholastic Classics)
by Charlotte Bronte & Meg Cabot

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From the Publisher
In conjunction with the New York Public Library, Doubleday is proud to introduce a very special collector's series of literary masterpieces. Lavishly illustrated with rare archival material from the library's extensive resources, including the renowned Berg collection, these editions will bring the classics to life for a new generation of readers. In addition to original artwork, each volume contains a fascinating selection of unique materials such as handwritten diaries, letters, manuscripts, and notebooks. Simply put, this series presents the work of our most beloved authors in what may well be their most beautiful editions, perfect to own or to give. Published on the occasion of Doubleday's 100th birthday, the New York Public Library Collector's Editions are sure to become an essential part of the modern book lover's private library.

Our edition of Madame Bovary, which Vladimir Nabokov called "one of the most perfect pieces of poetical fiction known", features etchings from a rare 1905 French edition and a sampling of Nabokov's handwritten commentary on Flaubert's work. These rare materials from the archives of the New York Public Library will make our edition stand out from all other available versions.

Editorial Reviews
Early responses to Jane Eyre, first published in 1847, were mixed. Some held the book to be anti-Christian, others were disturbed by a heroine so proud, self-willed, and essentially unfeminine. The modern reader may well have trouble understanding what all the fuss was about. On the surface a fairly conventional Gothic romance (poor orphan governess is hired by rich, brooding Byronic hero-type), Jane Eyre hardly seems the stuff from which revolutions are made. But the story is very much about the nature of human freedom and equality, and if Jane was seen as something of a renegade in nineteenth-century England, it is because her story is that of a woman who struggles for self-definition and determination in a society that too often denies her that right. But self-determination does not mean untrammeled freedom for men or women. Rochester, that thorny masculine beast whom Jane eventually falls for, is a man who sets his own laws and manipulates the lives of those around him; before he can enter into a marriage of equals with Jane he must undergo a spiritual transformation. Should the lesson sound dry, it's not. Jane Eyre is full of drama: fires, storms, attempted murder, and a mad wife conveniently stashed away in the attic. This is very sexy stuff.