In their unique style, the d’Aulaires have created a wonderful picture book about these strange long-ago inhabitants of the wild Norwegian mountains.
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
The White Ballets
The term Ballet Blancs, or white ballets refers to the identical white costumes worn by the dancers in the corps de ballet. There are several white ballets, but the most significant among them are Swan Lake, Giselle, and La bayadere. Lucky indeed, is the yong dancer who performs in some of them during her career.
Rajka Kupesic was one such ballerina. Now she is an author, artist, and dance school director who love to introduce young people to the magic of performance, staging, music, and artistry of this Romantic style. Here, she tells the stories behind the ballets, and as well, adds her own experiences and thoughts on her art, to bring readers onto the state and into the studio with her. Four years in the making, The White Ballets is a keepsake edition for anyone, especially aspiring dancers, first-time theatergoers, and recital debutants.
Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren’s story of feisty, red-haired Pippi has been given a sparkling new translation by award-winning Tiina Nunnally and engaging pictures by acclaimed Lauren Child.
Red Ridin’ in the Hood: And Other Cuentos
Eleven classic tales are retold with an injection of Latino culture, providing a twist on the traditional forms while sustaining a freshness all their own. The title story, “Red Ridin’ in the Hood,” moves the setting to the barrio, where Red decides to brave dangerous Forest Street in order to reach her abuelita and encounters the menacing wolf in a thumping Chevy lowrider. Some stories are set in the Mexican countryside; in “Belleza y La Bestia,” the beautiful heroine is a defender of the Revolution and teaches the beast about the righteousness of the freedom fighters. “El Día de los Muertos,” a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, takes place in the time of the Aztecs and casts Orpheus as the feather-maker Nochehuatl.
These and the other cuentos in this book are further brought to life by abundant illustrations, by turns comical and poignant.
The Little Mermaid
A little sea princess, longing to be human, trades her mermaid’s tail for legs, hoping to win the love of a prince and earn an immortal soul for herself.
Django: World’s Greatest Jazz Guitarist
Born into a traveling gypsy family, young Django Reinhardt taught himself guitar at an early age. He was soon acclaimed as the “Gypsy Genius” and “Prodigy Boy,” but one day his world changed completely when a fire claimed the use of his fretting hand. Folks said Django would never play again, but with passion and perseverance he was soon setting the world’s concert stages ablaze. Bonnie Christensen’s gorgeous oil paintings and jazzy, syncopated text perfectly depict the man and his music.
Hercules: The Man, the Myth, the Hero
Based on the Greek myth, here the legendary Greek hero Hercules recounts his daring adventures. Award-winning children’s book author Kathryn Lasky takes readers on a tour of Hercules’ incredible life, from his prodigious infancy, through his twelve labors, and ending with his heroic ascent to Mount Olympus.
Around The World
As the nineteenth century wound down, a public inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Around the world in Eighty Days clamored for intrepid adventure. The challenge of circumnavigating the globe as no one ever had before attracted toe fearless in droves. Three hardy spirits stayed the course. In 1884, former miner Thomas Stevens made the journey on a bicycle…the kind with a big front wheel. In 1889, pioneer reporter Nellie Bly embarked on a global race against time that assumed the heights of spectacle. And in 1895, retired sea captain Joshua Slocum quietly set sail on a thirty-six-foot sloop named the Spray, braving pirates and treacherous seas to become the first person to sail around the world alone.
With cinematic pacing and deft, expressive art., acclaimed graphic novelist Matt Phelan weaves a trio of epic journeys into a single bold tale of three visionaries who set their sights on nothing short of the world.
Charles Dickens: England’s Most Captivating Storyteller
See the world of Charles Dickens spring to life in his fascinating notebook. Excerpts from his personal letters, guides to his major works, and enthralling facts about his life and times—including Dickens’s own amazing rags-to-riches story—are accompanied by fascinating new illustrations, drawings from the original books, and photographs from the period.
The Last Musketeer
In Paris with his parents to sell family heirlooms, fourteen-year-old Greg Rich suddenly finds himself four hundred years in the past, and is aided by boys who will one day be known as “The Three Musketeers.”