This book describes the way of life of the Tuaregs, a nomadic culture that presently exists in the Sahara, the world’s largest desert.
Sahara: Vanishing Cultures
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Who Said What?
Four little girls were playing in the sand. They were also talking. Find out how simple conversation can turn into juicy gossip. In the end, everyone gets so puzzled and confused, no one remembers who said what.
T Is for Turkey
With a history going back 4,000 years, Turkey has been the homeland to many civilizations — Greeks, Romans, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, and Hittites — each of whom has left their cultural, social, and religious marks. Turkey also has some of the best cuisine in the world. Each region offers its own specialties, and the Turkish people have a well-deserved reputation for hospitality. Divided by the Bosphorus strait and bordered by the Aegean Sea, The Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey bridges the two great continents of Europe and Asia. Its varied terrain is rich in Roman ruins, mosques, and Greek and Armenian churches, and due to its geographical position, while some Turks are skiing in Erratum, others are swimming in Natalya.
Aziz the Storyteller
Although he wants to please his father and earn money selling carpets, Aziz finds himself drawn to the storytellers in the marketplace, including one who has a special gift meant just for him.
The Three Princes
A princess promises to marry the prince who finds the most precious treasure.
Ali, Child of the Desert
On a trip to the Moroccan market town of Rissani, Ali becomes separated from his father during a sandstorm.
Caravan
A ten-year-old boy accompanies his father for the first time on a caravan trip through the mountains of Afghanistan to the city below where they will trade their goods at market.
The Earth Shook
Little Parisa-Farsi, left alone after an earthquake demolishes her home of Bam, Iran. She doesn’t despair. She does what any little girl would do. She dances. She laughs. She shares. She reveals our common humanity.
Sitti’s Secrets
A young girl describes a visit to see her grandmother in a Palestinian village on the West Bank.
Azad’s Camel
In a big Arabian city, an orphan boy is forced to work as a camel jockey — a dangerous job he doesn’t like. But a new friendship and a magical escape into the desert are about to change his life.
Camel racing is a popular sport in the Gulf states of the Middle East, where child jockeys from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Mauritania, and Eritrea are used to ride the camels. Some impoverished families are persuaded to sell sons as young as five years old, who are taken away to be trained and often badly treated. Accidents are common, and when a little jockey falls off a racing camel, he can receive serious injuries. Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have all banned the use of child jockeys and are returning children to their families so that they can go to school and live a normal life.