Piri is a city girl, but every year she goes to visit her grandmother Babi on her farm in the Ukrainian village of Komjaty. There is a lot that Piri finds strange, even scary, in Komjaty, such as the ghost in the form of a rooster who supposedly haunts the cemetery! But Piri loves country life: making corn bread, eating plums right off the tree, venturing out with her grandmother in the early morning to hunt for mushrooms. And during her time with Babi, Piri learns lessons that will stay with her all of her life, about the importance of honest hard work, of caring for the less fortunate, and of having the courage to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. In these nine stories, Aranka Siegal paints a tender portrait of the love between a grandmother and granddaughter, inspired by her own experiences with her grandmother.
Age
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Holly’s Red Boots
A little girl, a snowy day, and a pair of red boots add up to a cozy story with interactive art that is certain to charm the lap-sit crowd. It’s finally snowing! Holly wants to play outside, but Mom says Holly must wear her red boots. Holly and her cat, Jasper, decide to search for everything red. They find a red car, a red hat, and a red bathrobe, but no red boots. When Holly finally finds them, the snow has melted; but her boots are still perfect for splashing in the puddles left behind.
Po’s Story
As a member of the Kin, a band of people living in prehistoric times, young Po wants to prove his bravery but finds that doing so requires overcoming great obstacles.
Wombat & Fox: Tales of the City
In the big city, Wombat and Fox have many adventures. They don’t go looking for trouble, but the city is a surprising place and trouble and mishaps have a way of finding them, changing the course of the day for Wombat and Fox, Croc, Bandicoot, the Hippo Sisters and the mischievous Five Monkeys. These are their stories.
A Babysitter for Billy Bear
It’s almost bedtime and for the first time, Mama won’t be putting Billy Bear to bed. Lucy the babysitter will be looking after him instead. They read and sing songs together, but when it’s time for bed, Billy and his stuffed rabbit just can’t fall sleep. What can be bothering them?
Medusa Jones
In ancient Greece lived a little girl called Medusa Jones. Medusa was a Gorgon, but apart from that, pretty normal. So she has snakes for hair instead of gorgeous blond ringlets like Cassandra. So her best friend is half horse. Is that any reason for the popular kids to be SO mean? Medusa’s sure the school camping trip is going to be a nightmare. But a rock fall puts the popular kids in peril, and Medusa’s the only one who can help. Will she be a hero — or is her monster side finally going to come out?
Marooned: The Strange But True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk
In 1704, Alexander Selkirk was voyaging across the South Pacific when, after arguing with the ship’s captain, he was put ashore—alone—on an uninhabited island. Equipped with little more than a musket and his wits, Selkirk not only survived in complete solitude for more than four years, but came to be quite comfortable and happy. After being rescued by a British privater in 1709, he took a leading role in several dramatic captures of merchant ships. Although he returned to civilization a rich man,he couldn’t find a place in society and always longed to return to the paradise of his island. Selkirk’s well-documented adventures so inspired Daniel Defoe that they became the basis for his perennial classic, Robinson Crusoe. Author’s note, glossary, bibliography,index.
Nursery Tales around the World
An international collection of 18 nursery tales for young children, grouped by theme, such as “Runaway Cookies,” “Slowpokes and Speedsters,” and “Chain Tales”.
Chad
Provides comprehensive information on the geography, history, governmental structure, economy, cultural diversity, peoples, religion, and culture of Chad.
Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the Cultural Revolution
Moying Li is twelve-years-old when Cultural Revolution sweeps China. In 1966 Moying, a student at a prestigious language school in Beijing, seems destined for a promising future. Everything changes when student Red Guards begin to orchestrate brutal assaults, violent public humiliations, and forced confessions. After watching her teachers and headmasters beaten in public, Moying flees school for the safety of home, only to witness her beloved grandmother denounced, her home ransacked, her father’s precious books flung onto the back of a truck, and Baba himself taken away. From labor camp, Baba entrusts a friend to deliver a reading list of banned books to Moying so that she can continue to learn. Now, with so much of her life at risk, she finds sanctuary in the world of imagination and learning.This inspiring memoir follows Moying Li from age twelve to twenty-two, illuminating a complex, dark time in China’s history as it tells the compelling story of one girl’s difficult but determined coming-of-age during the Cultural Revolution.