Americas

Materials from the Americas

A Little Peace

The latest National Geographic Children’s Books title by Barbara Kerley, A Little Peace, gives a richly evocative and thought-provoking view of the world our children will inherit. Wise words and moving images offer a unique and enriching experience for every young reader. According to author Barbara Kerley, “I believe that peace doesn’t just rest in the hands of politicians and world leaders. We all have the power to make the world more peaceful.”The book juxtaposes photographs from around the world with a simple, reflective message about our responsibilities for finding and keeping peace on the planet. Like the highly acclaimed titles A Cool Drink of Water and You and Me Together, this beautiful children’s picture book features superb National Geographic images accompanied by a brief, poetic text on a subject of global importance. All the photography is reproduced in miniature at the back of the book with geographic, historic, and cultural context and details explained. A world map leads readers to the location of each image. A Little Peace offers a vital lesson for children everywhere.

Me, Frida

Artist Frida Kahlo finds her own voice and style when her famous husband, Diego Rivera, is commissioned to paint a mural in San Francisco, California, in the 1930s and she finds herself exploring the city on her own.

Thirteen Reasons Why

When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah’s voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

The Hunger Games

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlaying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has also resolved to outwit the creators of the games. To do that she will have to be the last person standing at the end of the deadly ordeal, and that will take every ounce of strength and cunning she has.

Switched

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn’t until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might’ve been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed – and it’s one she’s not sure if she wants to be a part of.

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle

Nubs, an Iraqi dog of war, never had a home or a person of his own. He was the leader of a pack of wild dogs living off the land and barely surviving. But Nubs’s life changed when he met Marine Major Brian Dennis. The two formed a fast friendship, made stronger by Dennis’s willingness to share his meals, offer a warm place to sleep, and give Nubs the kind of care and attention he had never received before. Nubs became part of Dennis’s human “pack” until duty required the Marines to relocate a full 70 miles away–without him. Nubs had no way of knowing that Marines were not allowed to have pets.

 

No Monsters Here

It’s bedtime.  This little boy is ready to climb the stairs and say goodnight.  But father isn’t ready at all.  He’s afraid of monsters;  he doesn’t want to be left alone downstairs.

This brave lad knows how to handle Father.  He’ll patiently lead his parent through the bedtime routine.  Naturally the boy won’t mind looking in the closet, behind the drapes and everywhere in between if it will make his anxious father feel better.  The boy will cheerfully hop into bed for a bedtime story.  And he’ll say, after a final hug, “I’ll hear you if you need me in the night.”  Father should feel much better now.  But what’s going to happen when he has to go downstairs alone?

Maybe there are monsters in the house after all.  But can you guess what they are really after? A reassuring story for confident children and timid parents everywhere.