ICCAL » History

The Plant Hunters

Book Importer — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:23 +0000

Driven by an all-consuming passion, the plant hunters traveled around the world, facing challenges at every turn: tropical illnesses, extreme terrain, and dangerous animals. They battled piranhas, tigers, and vampire bats. Even the plants themselves could be lethal! But these intrepid eighteenth and nineteenth century explorers were determined to find and collect new and unusual specimens, no matter what the cost. Then they tried to transport the plants- and themselves- home alive. Creating an important legacy in science, medicine, and agriculture, the plant hunters still inspire the scientific and environmental work of contemporary plant enthusiasts.

Working from primary sources–journals, letters and notes from the field– Anita Silvey introduces us to these daring adventures and scientists. She takes readers into the heart of their expeditions to then-uncharted places such as the Amazon basin, China and India. As she brings a colorful cast of characters to life, she shows what motivated these Indiana Jones-type heroes. In The Plant Hunters, science, history, and adventure have been interwoven to tell a largely forgotten- yet fascinating- story.

The Crossing

Book Importer — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:59:55 +0000

This young, lyrical picture book reveals the adventure and natural wonders that Lewis & Clark encountered on their Western expedition in the early 1800s. Told from the point of view of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the baby on Sacagawea’s back, this story offers a fresh perspective of a young country and gives voice to a character readers will already be familiar with–at least visually (the baby is shown on the golden Sacagawea dollar).

The Wild Book

Book Importer — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:59:11 +0000

Fefa struggles with words. She has word blindness, or dyslexia, and the doctor says she will never read or write. Every time she tries, the letters jumble and spill off the page, leaping and hopping away like bullfrogs. How will she ever understand them? But her mother has an idea. She gives Fefa a blank book filled with clean white pages. “Think of it as a garden,” she says. Soon Fefa starts to sprinkle words across the pages of her wild book. She lets her words sprout like seedlings, shaky at first, then growing stronger and surer with each new day. And when her family is threatened, it is what Fefa has learned from her wild book that saves them.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 3

Latin Americans Thought of It: Amazing Innovations

Book Importer — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:37:26 +0000

Travel from the ancient hidden city of Machu Picchu high in the Andes, past Mayan ruins over 2,000 years old, to the bustling modern cities of Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. Along the way, readers will learn about the vibrant cultures and innovations of Latin Americans–rodeo, carnival, chocolate, coffee, piñata, tango, and salsa, to name only a few. Many of these have become part of the daily lives of people all around the world.

Russia: The Land

Book Importer — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:59:00 +0000

This new revised edition of Russia: the Land takes a fresh look at this country’s transformation over the past century. Russia’s recent economic growth has had an impact on the environment and on the ways of life of its peoples.

Russia: The People

Book Importer — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:59:00 +0000

After years of unemployment and crushing inflation, Russians are looking to the future with hope of a new prosperity. This colorful revised edition takes a look at the new middle class and how the culture has been changing since the country

The Food of Mexico

Book Importer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:13:35 +0000

Explore the flavor and culture of this colorful country in The Food of Mexico. What better way to study a country than through its geography, history, regions, customs, and celebrations as they relate to food. Dig right in by trying out one of the delicious recipes inside. Studying world cultures has never been so tasty!

The Aztecs

Book Importer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:13:13 +0000

The Aztecs built an advanced and dazzling empire that stretched across a large part of Mesoamerica. The Chuampa “floating gardens” system of farming is perhaps their most remarkable accomplishment. Other discoveries and inventions related to transportation, agriculture, architecture, science, and technology, enriched their culture and provide a way for us to experience parallels between ancient times and the world we know today.

The Holocaust

Book Importer — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:33:03 +0000

Great Escapes presents gripping accounts of narrow escapes to iluminate historical events from a distinct, personal perspective from a Holocaust survivor.

Meet Mindy

Book Importer — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:20:44 +0000

Details a day in the life of an Arizona girl of Hopi descent, looking at her family, the history of her tribe, and some traditional ceremonies and customs that are still observed today.