Americas

Materials from the Americas

Louis the Tiger Who Came From the Sea

What do you do with a tiger named Louis who came from the sea?One morning, Ali and Ollie are awoken by a beastly snore. They look out the window and what do they see? Is it a giant carrot? A pumpkin? No, it’s a tiger, soaking wet and fast asleep. They decide his name must be Louis and he must have come from the sea. Ali and Ollie agree that he’s hungry, so they venture outside with milk and cereal. When Mother and Father join them, Louis wakes up with a mighty roar. Everyone scampers inside — followed by Louis, who pads in through the open door. While the family huddles upstairs, Louis sleeps by the fire and luxuriates in the bathtub. Before long, Ali and Ollie come up with an ingenious plan to help Louis return to the sea.Readers will be captivated by Sholto Walker’s humorous illustrations, which heighten the charm and originality of Michal Kozlowski’s spirited tale.

50 Poisonous Questions

Poisonous snakes, toxic herbicides, noxious fumes — poisons in one form or another are all around us. An innocent-looking flower may be lethal, and smog can make it impossible to breathe. Poisons can be the death of us, but they can also cure disease. The second book in Annick’s 50 Questions series provides answers to many intriguing questions, such as: Should you pee on a jellyfish sting? No, douse it with vinegar! Why was the Mad Hatter mad? From working with mercury nitrate. Can venomous lizards cure diabetes? Yes, a drug used to treat the disease comes from the Gila monster’s venom. Poison Puzzles at the end of each chapter then test the readers’ knowledge. Young readers who want to avoid paint that kills or leaves that give blisters can explore the fascinating and dangerous world of poisons. And don’t be afraid! The killer cartoons and dead-funny text are venom-free.

The Never Weres

Late in the next century, the human race is on the verge of extinction. A mysterious virus has resulted in no births in almost a generation. Despite the impending doom, three urban teenagers try to live their lives with hope. Mia strives to preserve humanity’s compassion through her art and her volunteer work with Mrs. C and the other “oldies.” Tech-savvy Xian spends her time tinkering with the robots she’s sure will inherit the Earth. Jesse, the son of geneticists, is convinced the future lies with cloning, but society is reeling from the grotesque failures of previous attempts. When the friends stumble upon the 60-year-old mystery of a missing girl, it leads them back to Mrs. C, who, it turns out, is the world’s only successful clone — and the key to saving our species.

Amos Daragon #1: The Mask Wearer

Amos Daragon’s life changes forever the day a mermaid gives him a mask capable of harnessing the strength of the wind—and appoints Amos as the new Mask Wearer. His task: to find the masks for the other elements, earth, fire, and water. Only then will Amos be fully empowered to battle the evil forces that threaten to destroy the balance of nature and plunge the world into darkness.To fulfill his destiny, Amos must make his way to the mysterious woods of Tarkasis. But a wicked sorcerer is terrorizing the land, searching for a skull pendant that was stolen from him—a pendant that conceals a secret weapon. What will Amos do when the pendant falls into his hands? Will Beorf, a boy who can morph into a bear, and Medusa, a snake-haired gorgon, turn out to be friend or foe? And will Amos master any of his newfound skills as Mask Wearer in time to face a formidable enemy? His challenges are great . . .  and they’re just beginning.

A Good Long Way

“Stop it. The two of you, stop it!” Roelito howls at his father and older brother as their heated argument turns into a shoving match. Beto has again come home way past curfew, smelling like a cantina.When Beto Sr. tells his son that he either needs to follow the rules or leave, the boyza senior in high schoolzdecides to leave, right then, in the middle of the night. Once he has walked away, though, he realizes he has nowhere to go. Maybe his best friend Jessy can help.The story of Betozs decision to run away and drop out of school is told from shifting perspectives in which the conflicted lives of Roel, Beto, and Jessy are revealed in short scenes that reflect teen-age life along the Texas-Mexico border. Each one has a good long way to go in growing up. Roel fights the teachersz assumptions that hezs like Beto. Unlike his brother, Roel actually enjoys school. Jessy is smart too, but most of her teachers canzt see beyond her tough-girl façade. Her parents are so busy fighting with each other that they donzt notice her, even if shezs packing a suitcase to leave. And Beto z somewhere along the way he quit caring about school. And his teachers have noticed and given up too.René Saldana, Jr. once again writes a fast-paced, thought-provoking novel that will engage young adults in questions about their own lives and responsibilities to family, friends, and most of all, to themselves.