Fourteen-year-old Patrik rebels against the communist regime in small ways whenever he gets the chance: spray-painting slogans, listening to contraband Beatles records, even urinating on a statue of Lenin under cover of night. But anti-Party sentiment is risky, and when party interference cuts a little too close to home, Patrik and his family find themselves faced with a decision — and a grave secret — that will change everything. As the moments tick toward too late, Patrik takes his family’s fate in hand, risking everything for a chance at freedom. Examining the psychological toll of living under an authoritarian regime, Carolyn Marsden allows readers to experience both Patrik’s persistent worry and his hope for better things.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
Island of Doom
Modo, the shape-shifting, masked spy, and fellow spy Octavia Milkweed learn that Modo’s biological parents are still alive but when the Clockwork Guild find Modo’s parents first, Octavia and Modo chase them across Europe and North America to the Island of Doom.
One Year in Coal Harbor
In a small fishing village in British Columbia, twelve-year-old Primrose tries to be a matchmaker for her Uncle Jack, befriends Ked, a new foster child, tries to decide if she is willing to go to jail for her convictions, and together with Ked, publishes a cook book to raise money for the Fisherman’s Aid. Includes recipes.
These Hands
Joseph’s grandpa could do almost anything with his hands. He could play the piano, throw a curveball, and tie a triple bowline knot in three seconds flat. But in the 1950s and 60s, he could not bake bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Factory bosses said white people would not want to eat bread touched by the hands of the African Americans who worked there. In this powerful intergenerational story, Joseph learns that people joined their hands together to fight discrimination so that one day, their hands Joseph’s hands could do anything at all in this whole wide world.
Little Treasures
All over the world, people express their love for their children through endearments, such as sweetie pie or peanut. A child might be called little angel, angelito, in Spanish or precious, bao bei, in Chinese or my sweet little moon, mera chanda, in Hindu. Little Treasures offers a wealth of endearments in fourteen languages to share with your own beloved poppet and petit chou.
Animals around the World
With warm and friendly artworks from award-winning artist Anthony Lewis,Animals Around the World contains more than 70 flaps to open. It is the perfect interactive introduction to animal habitats for young children, who will delight in the scene changes that are revealed as they open the flaps.
Be My Neighbor
A simple introduction to the characteristics of a neighborhood includes words of wisdom from the late Fred Rogers.
Earth
Each two-page spread introduces an animal whose habitat is threatened by global warming, in a title that identifies people as the sole help for these animals and provides practical suggestions for kids to practice conservation in their daily lives.
Grandma Went to Market
Grandma travels around the world picking up items, from one flying carpet to ten ribbons for a pony’s mane, representative of the places she visits.
My Clothes
Simple everyday words are presented in English, Spanish, French and German, translated phonetically and color-coded by language.