Materials from the Americas
In early August 2010, the unthinkable happened when a mine collapsed in CopiapÓ, Chile, and 33 miners were trapped 2,000 feet below the surface. For sixty-nine days they lived on meager resources and increasingly poor air quality. When they were finally rescued, the world watched with rapt attention and rejoiced in the amazing spirit and determination of the miners. What could have been a terrible tragedy became an amazing story of survival.
In ancient Mexico, beautiful Maya’s children are endangered by the threat of Senor Tiempo who, jealous of their immortality, plots to destroy them.
While big changes are coming to her Mexican village, nine-year-old Rosalba hears that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012 and she dreams of an ancient Mayan boy, eyes bound in a shamanistic ritual, who hints at what Rosalba can do.
Presents a photo essay about boys and girls who live and work on their families’ cattle ranches, taking part in many activities including calving, branding, and rounding up the herd.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 1
Having traveled with her family to see a newly born white buffalo and give her gifts, Sarah Bearpaw experiences a magic moment with the special calf. Includes a legend of the white buffalo and instructions for making a dreamcatcher.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 1
A brief fictional recounting of legendary epidemics that struck the American Southwest–the smallpox epidemics of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the influenza epidemic during World War I–which ravaged many rural communities throughout the West. Includes author’s notes about the characters.
Sixteen-year-old Carlos Duarte is on the verge of realizing his dream of becoming a famous make-up artist, but first he must face his jealous boss at a Macy’s cosmetics counter, his sister’s abusive boyfriend and his crush on a punk-rocker classmate.
When Manny moves on to Raleigh Middle School, he’s relieved that he’ll be with his other Latino friends from elementary school. Hanging out with his vatos is great; but before Manny knows it, kids are calling the clique the Emperors and saying that they are a gang. Gradually Alex, whose older brother is in prison, starts calling the shots; and the pressure is on Manny ”first to shave his head and eventually to get drugs for the vatos. Close calls with the authorities become more and more frequent, and Manny can see where it’s all headed. Does he have the guts to turn his back on his oldest friends so he can keep clean? This riveting novel about peer pressure and core values highlights a hot-button topic.
When he was nine, Kip set another child on fire. Now, after years in a juvenile ward, he is ready for a fresh start. But the ghosts of his past soon demand justice, and he must reveal his painful secret. How can Kip tell anyone that he really is–or was–a murderer?
Fifteen-year-old Jason has fallen upon bad times: his mother has died and his father has succumbed to mental illness. As he tries to hold his crazy father and their crumbling home together, Jason relies on a host of imaginary friends for guidance as he stumbles along trying not to draw attention to his father’s deteriorating condition. Both heartbreaking and funny, CRAZY lives up to the intense and compelling characters Han Nolan is praised for. As Jason himself teeters on the edge of insanity, Nolan uncovers the clever coping system he develops for himself and throws him a lifeline in the guise of friendship.