Africa is home to some of the animal kingdom’s most ferocious hunters and savages. Whether screeching through the rainforests, prowling the wide savannas, or lurking along rivers, these brutes make shrot shrift out of all who dare cross their paths. To dominate their realms and evade attackers, some beasts use massive strength and vicious claws while others rely on impressive speed and cunning tricks. What equipment and skills would you need to survive? Jump in and find out!
Age
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Fossa: A Fearsome Predator (Uncommon Animals)
For years, people on the secluded island of Madagascar told scary stories about a mysterious creature called the fossa. According to some, this vicious killer crept out of the forest at night to steal babies from their cribs. Few people, however, had actually seen this rare animal. Were the stories true? Scientist Luke Dollar was about to find out. In 1996, he set up camp in Madagascar to study these mysterious and misunderstood creatures– and finally learn the truth. In Fossa: A Fearsome Predator, kids follow Dollar as he discovers the secrets of this fascinating, uncommon animal. Large, full-color photos and a narrative format will keep readers turning the pages for more.
We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey through Tanzania
Follows a Tanzanian family through the African grasslands as they count the animals they see, from one leopard to ten elephants; includes information about Tanzania and Swahili names and numbers.
Amadi’s Snowman
As a young Igbo man, Amadi does not understand why his mother insists he learn to read, since he already knows his numbers and will be a businessman one day, but an older boy teaches him the value of learning about the world through books.
The Star-Bearer: A Creation Myth from Ancient Egypt
A five-thousand-year-old story.When the godchild Atum emerges from inky silence to begin his work of creation, he first conjures up the passionate gods of air and rain, followed by Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. But earth and sky cling to each other, sharing whispered secrets and laughter, leaving Atum no room to complete his creation. So Atum has no choice but to force them apart, infuriating Geb and leaving Nut sad and lonely . . . until Thoth, the god of wisdom, takes pity on her.
Cesar Chavez
Who was César Chávez? Here, an essay and photographs restore this man to his place in American history.The real César Chávez got lost in the hoopla. Many think he was a Mexican boxer. Young people think he’s that guy on the stamp or that statue in the park. No wonder it’s difficult, especially for our young people, to understand his human complexities and the struggles to which he gave his life.Esteemed Latin American scholar and writer Ilan Stavans, supported by more than forty photographs from archival collections at the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, restores this man’s humanity so that readers can understand his struggles as a labor organizer and civil rights activist for farm workers. The book discusses his growing up and his family; his comadre Dolores Huerta, who stood with him from the beginning; his relationship with Dr. King and other activists in the broader struggles for civil rights for all people of color; and his insistence on being an activist for the rights of farm workers when so much media attention was given to the civil rights activists in the cities.Ilan Stavans is a nationally respected Jewish Latino writer and scholar. His story “Morirse está en hebreo” was made into the award-winning movie My Mexican Shivah, produced by John Sayles. His books include An Organizer’s Tale (Penguin Classics, 2008), Dictionary Days (Graywolf Press), The Disappearance (TriQuarterly), and Resurrecting Hebrew (Random House). Stavans has received numerous awards, among them a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Jewish Book Award, the Latino Book Award, and Chile’s Presidential Medal. He is a professor in Latin American culture at Amherst College.
Rudy’s Memory Walk
As high school senior Rudy adjusts his attitudes toward the elderly when his senile grandmother has to move in with his family, his girlfriend encourages him to talk with a friend’s mother who has similar problems with her own mother.
Marcelo in the Real World
Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.
We Were Here
After “it” happens, Miguel is sent to juvenile hall for a year. The judge had no idea he was doing Miguel a favor. Ever since “it” happened, his mother can’t even look at him. “Any” home besides his would be a better place to live.
Secret Saturdays
Twelve-year-old boys living in a rough part of New York confront questions about what it means to be a friend, a father, and a man.