Fiction

Fiction genre

The River

A river takes a long and winding path on its way to the ocean. It begins as a humble trickle high in the moutains, and flows through a plethora of landscapes as it grows bigger. Here we witness this journey from the point of view of five little pinecones, who ride the current to find new homes. Along the way, they encounter a woodsy stream, a rushing waterfall, a marshy fork and a big-city delta. One by one, they choose to stop and stay in a particular spot, leaving the rest to continue the trip. Finally, one lone pinecone drifts out to sea, and washes up on another shore, where he begins to sprout. Perfect for introducing young children to ecology and geography, this book brings an original point of view to a little-studied subject.

Tibili: The Little Boy Who Didn’t Want to Go to School

After Tibili, a young African boy, follows Crope the spider’s suggestion as to how he can avoid starting school, he discovers he wants to go after all.

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.

The Best Beak In Boonaroo Bay

The birds of Australia’s Boonaroo Bay hold a contest to determine which of them has the best beak.

The Year Nick Mcgowan Came To Stay

Seventeen-year-old Rachel Hill is the girl most likely to succeed. And the girl most likely to have everything under control . . . that is, until her dad invites Nick McGowan, the cutest boy at school, to live with them. Rachel worries that this could only be a recipe for disaster, but her best friend Zoe thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for lurve. Sparks start to fly for all the wrong reasons. Nick finds Rachel spoiled and uptight and Rachel dismisses Nick as lazy and directionless. But a secret from Nick’s past draws them together and makes the year Nick McGowan came to stay one that Rachel will never forget.

Mcfig and Mcfly: A Tale of Jealousy, Revenge, and Death (with a Happy Ending)

From the unparalleled Henrik Drescher comes a wickedly funny story about the perils of runaway rivalry (with a happy ending). McFig lives with his daughter, Rosie, in a lovely little cottage far away from anywhere big and important. One day, McFly and his son, Anton, buy the land next door. At first McFig and McFly hit it off big-time and build McFly a cottage modeled exactly after McFig’s house. But then the two start to add things onto their houses — a medieval tower, a second-story playroom and soon McFig and McFly are in a lifelong competition to be bigger and better than each other.

A Promise Is a Promise

Bruno the marmot hibernates all winter, and upon waking in the spring, he discovers the most beautiful dandelion outside his burrow. The two quickly become friends, playing together every day. But when summer comes, the dandelion asks Bruno to trust her, so he obliges her request to blow her seeds away into the wind. Devastated that his friend is no longer with him, Bruno is lonely until next winter’s hibernation. When he wakes again, he discovers that an amazing surprise sprouted while he slept.