Love in the time of the Tiananmen Square. Anna never imagined living in such a foreign place. Fresh out of high school, she has joined her father, who works in Shanghai. She’s eager to see China beyond the bicycle-crowded streets between their apartment, her father’s expatriate community and the art school she’s attending. That’s why she’s thrilled when her father hires a cute local student named Chenxi to be her translator and guide. Too bad Anna seems nothing but trouble for Chenxi. His ideas about art already rankle the authorities, and he could do without the added attention of being with a wai guo ren, a foreigner. Even so, he is intrigued by Anna’s brashness and the freedoms she takes for granted. But when Anna turns their friendship toward passion, her actions have consequences that are intensified by a watchful regime looking to get rid of disruptive artists. Set around the time of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and inspired by the author’s time spent in China as a teenager, Chenxi and the Foreigner crackles with emotion, ideas and authenticity.
Genre
Catalog sorted by genre
The Jungle Grapevine
In his children’s book debut, fine artist Alex Beard brings to life an African savanna filled with humor and misunderstandings. When Bird mixes up something Turtle says, he accidentally starts a rumor about the watering hole drying up. One misunderstanding leads to another, with animals making their own hilarious assumptions. No one is hearing anything right, and soon the animals are in an uproar from one end of the jungle to the other. Elephant is trumpeting, Croc is snapping, and the Flamingos are fleeing! Beard’s story will have every child wondering if peace can ever be restored in the animal kingdom.
Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Nelson Mandela’s autobiography offers a glimpse into the mind of a great leader, admired across the globe for his dedication to the struggles against apartheid in South Africa. Now the youngest readers can discover the remarkable story of Mandela’s long walk from ordinary village boy, to his dynamic leadership of the African National Congress, to his many long years in prison–and, at last, his freedom and astonishing rise to become the leader of his country.
Muktar and the Camels
Muktar lives in an orphanage on the border of Kenya and Somalia. He daydreams about his old life with his family and especially tending to camels. One day, visitors arrive bearing books, and Muktar’s friend Ismail is excited; so is Muktar, but for a different reason—the visitors are riding on camels. Muktar quickly discovers that one of the animals is injured and realizes this is his chance to prove himself. If there is anything Muktar knows, it is camels. Through the eyes of an endearing protagonist whose love and respect for animals shines, this beautifully told story introduces young readers to another part of the world and way of life.
Ancient African Town (Picture A Country)
The study of cultures of the past. A tour of Benin City, a West African town and capital of the Edo Empire, located in present-day Nigeria.
Black Man’s Grave: Letters From Sierra Leone
The memoir and the movie have only scratched the surface. Black Man’s Grave tells what happened to place the boy-turned-soldier in jeopardy and why Sierra Leone’s diamonds acquired their bloody tinge. Meet the greedy politicians who hijacked a fledgling democracy, the rebels who brought them down, and the villagers who struggled to survive the country’s chaotic descent. The cast includes Sierra Leone’s “big man,” Siaka Stevens; RUF leader Foday Sankoh, whose grandfatherly demeanor belied the viciousness with which he sought to impose his “revolution”; and one who aspired to the big man role, Charles Taylor from next-door Liberia. Taylor’s support for Sierra Leone’s rebel war expanded from initial hostility toward Stevens’s handpicked successor into a commercial venture that supplied arms in exchange for diamonds. In an offshoot of that pernicious trade, links between Sierra Leone’s diamonds and al Qaeda have been traced. The revelations of Black Man’s Grave help us understand the frustrations that simmer throughout much of the third world and threaten a peaceful future.
Shadow of the Leopard
Sofia, who lost her legs as a child, is now grown up with children in Mozambique, but when she discovers that Armando, the father of her children, is cheating on her, she leaves him, igniting his terrible rage.
Chief Rhino To The Rescue! (Whoops-A-Daisy World)
Chief Rhino is the bravest person in Whoops-a-Daisy World, so when he sees the flicker of flames in a window, he knows he must race to the rescue. If anyone can save the day, Chief Rhino can! In this new adventure from Whoops-a-Daisy World, children can spot their old friends from Doctor Meow’s Big Emergency in the background and make new friends, too. Sam Lloyd’s humorous, brightly colored art is thoroughly kid-friendly and will appeal to fans of Curious George and Richard Scarry’s Busytown books.
The Fairytale Cake
“We make a cake, We bake a cake, And send it on its way! “Beloved characters from classic nursery rhymes — everyone from Humpty Dumpty to Little Bo Peep to Old King Cole — collaborate to bake the most perfect, towering, delicious cake . . . and roll it along to its special recipient — the birthday boy or girl! Mark Sperring’s spare but sweet text combined with Jonathan Langley’s bright, timeless artwork make for a fun, read-aloud book that allows readers to pick out their favorite nursery rhyme characters in the illustrations. Ideal for birthdays . . . or any occasion!
In Nineteenth-Century London With Dickens (Come See My City!)
Presents young readers with a journey back in time accompanied by the author Charles Dickens as he provides a tour of nineteenth century London, discussing the everyday life of the people and visiting the famous landmarks of the city.