Americas

Materials from the Americas

Let’s Go for a Ride

A whimsical, quirky, and very personal history of cars. In the early days, cars were primarily a source of recreation. They shared unpaved roads with horses and wagons, and when they ran out of gas — which was often because there were few gas stations — horses had to pull them home. Driving mania soon began to shape the landscape. Cars begat gas stations, which sparked the popularity of family camping, going to the drive-in, and fast food. They even spawned bridges so that people could ford rivers in the comfort of their cars.

Black Stars In A White Night Sky

Black Stars in a White Night Sky, Lawson’s second book of poetry for children, includes fractonyms, concretes, as well as short lyrics and poems that don’t rhyme. Lawson stretches the boundaries of what is normally thought of as children’s poetry, but not at the expense of the books entertainment value or clarity. The poems are written within hearing of both children and adults; philosophy and tomfoolery are equally at home in this exemplary new tome.

Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor

This engaging biography of Jackson, a New Deal lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, and chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trial, details the personal journey of this extraordinary man who had never attended college nor earned a law degree.

Walking The Maze

Books can be dangerous, and so can imagination. This is the story of Annice, who has too much of both. Annice is fascinated by a picture in an art gallery. Taken by surprise, she finds herself going in to the picture, and watching the lives of the people there. She doesn’t realize the danger at first. Not until it’s too late. Annice finds herself sucked further and further into the world of the painting, until it becomes more real to her than real life. Like sleepwalking, like fantasy, she becomes part of other people’s lives, until she no longer knows what is real and what isn’t. Imagination, stories, and lies become so closely linked that Annice can’t distinguish between them. She’s told so many lies that she can no longer remember them all. Soon, she knows, she’ll be found out. And all the while, inside the world of the painting, there is an alternative life, a beautiful garden, and a tragedy waiting to happen. Interest age: 12+.

Adelina’s Whales

Adelina is a ten-year-old girl who lives in a quiet fishing village in Baja California, Mexico. Adelina has some very special friends-the gray whales-that come every year to spend the winter months and give birth to their calves in the protected lagoon near her home. This beautifully photographed photo-essay introduces young readers to a very special way of life, offering insights into the world of these giant mammals of the sea. Text and photographs by Richard Sobol.

Feathers Like a Rainbow: An Amazon Indian Tale

The birds in the forests surrounding the Amazon River all have dark feathers until they decide to steal some colors from the Hummingbird.

Nilo and the Tortoise (Dinofours)

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, near the Equator, lie the, Galapagos Islands- a tropical haven for sea lion, giants tortoises, and colorful birds. Nilo has visited these islands many times with his father. But when his father’s boat break down, the stranded boy encounters these amazing animals firsthand in an adventure he never forget. Although the island is familiar, the boy feels small and alone–especially after being chased by an angry sea lion. He finds some comfort, however, in the island’s birds and in a friendly giant tortoise that keeps him company until his father returns the next day.

Necklace of Stars

Miguel was not lonely so much as he was curious. And, when he asked his father to tell him about the city beyond the mountains, he didn’t know what would happen. Now by the shore of the Emerald Lake he must choose between his world and another. High in the Andes, surrounded by giants, Miguel learns that even a boy can stand tall enough to reach the stars. Veronika Martenova Charles crafts a mystic tale, mixing dreams with reality, humility with grandeur, folk lore with history, and presents it with the clarity of a crisp mountain breeze.

Wilderness

A novel of mothers lost and found. Grainne’s Mom disappeared years ago when her parents were divorced, and Mom moved to the U.S. Now, bafflingly, she’s reappeared and wants to meet. To get out of the way of this mysterious reunion, Grainne’s half-brothers, Johnny and Tom, go with their mother, Sandra, on an “adventure holiday” in Finland. But before they’re more than a few days into the snowy north, the boys are separated from Sandra, taking impossible risks to save her life.