Catalog sorted by genre
Lisbeth Zwerger, winner of the 1990 Hans Christian Andersen Medal, brings her distinctive talent to this classic Andersen fairy tale of a foolish Prince who seeks to marry the Emperor’s daughter, and the even more foolish Princess who fails to recognize his true worth. When the Princess refuses him, he disguises himself as a swineherd and plays her favorite songs. By the time she warms up to him it’s too late; he reveals his true identity and leaves her all alone.
A mysterious new teacher, thought by some to be a witch, changes the worst class in the school into the best with some strange and wonderful tricks.
Examines the Islamic religion, including its major beliefs, scriptures, worship practices, and festivals.
One day a young girl named Feng Huang finds a phoenix feather that has fallen from the sky. When she tries to draw the magical bird and share her inspiration, no one is able to tell what it is. Luckily for Feng Huang, the Queen Phoenix sees her troubles and swoops down from the heavens to offer her help. A phoenix’s powers are not easily revealed, however, and Feng Huang embarks on a journey of thought, wonder, and self-discovery. Wisdom, Clear Sight, Equality, Generosity, and Right Judgment are worthy qualities indeed, but Feng Huang finds that they are only truly powerful when shared. Brilliant sweeps of plumage and flourishes of sparkles and stars accentuate award-winning artist Demi’s interpretation of one of the most intriguing and elegant creatures of ancient myth.
Twelve-year-old Ambrose is a glass-half-full kind of guy. A self-described “friendless nerd,” he moves from place to place every couple of years with his overprotective mother, Irene. When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich — even though they know he has a deathly allergy — Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not and decides that Ambrose will be home-schooled.Alone in the evenings when Irene goes to work, Ambrose pesters Cosmo, the twenty-five-year-old son of the Greek landlords who live upstairs. Cosmo has just been released from jail for breaking and entering to support a drug habit. Quite by accident, Ambrose discovers that they share a love of Scrabble and coerces Cosmo into taking him to the West Side Scrabble Club, where Cosmo falls for Amanda, the club director. Posing as Ambrose’s Big Brother to impress her, Cosmo is motivated to take Ambrose to the weekly meetings and to give him lessons in self-defense. Cosmo, Amanda, and Ambrose soon form an unlikely alliance and, for the first time in his life, Ambrose blossoms. The characters at the Scrabble Club come to embrace Ambrose for who he is and for their shared love of words. There’s only one problem: Irene has no idea what Ambrose is up to.In this brilliantly observed novel, author Susin Nielsen transports the reader to the world of competitive Scrabble as seen from the honest yet funny viewpoint of a boy who’s searching for acceptance and for a place to call home.
One family’s story of survival in postwar Hungary, 1948. In Budapest after the war, when Kata’s family first returns from hiding, they are glad to be alive and hopeful that life will improve. But the secret police is questioning everyone about their loyalty to the Hungarian Workers Party, and conditions seem to be worsening. The eleven-year-old doesn’t understand why her brother Bela is acting so differently or why he hasn’t come home from his recent excursion. Her father used to own the factory, but now, as an employee, his wages continue to fall. She helps her mother sew the bears they will sell on the black market, but when Kata learns that Bela has escaped the country, she grows angry and sad. In time, she hopes that Bela will make it to America and will send for his family.
Spiders: Little Mouse is afraid of them (arachnophobia).Shadows: Little Mouse is afraid of those (sciaphobia).In fact, Little Mouse is afraid of everything. Join her as she faces her fears and records them in her journal – and discovers that even the biggest people are afraid of some things.
There are one hundred orphans at the Russian orphanage, but Nikolai is the only bear. He growls when he speaks and claws the air when he plays. “Play nice, Nikolai,” the keepers say. No one wants to take Nikolai home. Until one day, when a fur-faced man and a smooth-faced woman come to visit from America. They growl with him and play with him, and sing songs that make him feel soft-bearish. And when it’s time for them to go home, Nikolai knows that he has found the right family at last.
Come and explore Mr. Kringle’s special little toy shop, where he spends his days helping every customer find just the right toy. When a box arrives at the shop with a small stuffed bunny inside, Mr. Kringle determines to find him a loving home in time for Christmas. Could the little girl who peers through the toy-shop window be the one who provides just the home he seeks?Meet Teddy, the stuffed bear who befriends Bunny, and watch their friendship deepen as, one by one, the other toys leave the shop. Will the little girl who stared at Bunny through the window ever come back to claim him?Frances Wolfe’s vibrant paintings complement her poignant prose in this heartwarming tale of love lost and found for the young and the young at heart.
Hinduism is at least five thousand years old. It is the oldest religion still practiced today. Hinduism began in India and is still India’s main religion. Hidus believe that people are reincarnated after they die. Hindus believe the way they behave in this life will affect the way they live in the next. The aim of Hinduism is to lead such a good lie that they can escape the cycle of reincarnation and go to heave.