Europe

Materials from Europe

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Little Dog

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka were three little girls who lived in Sweden. They had blue eyes and yellow curls, and they looked very much alike. One rainy day, the girls found a wet little dog crying on their doorstep. They took him in and washed and fed him and wished out loud that they could keep him. But the next morning, Mother found a notice in the paper about a lost little dog. It looked as if their new friend already had an owner! The girls were very sad, but a wonderful surprise was just around corner.

You Can Go Home Again

The woman describes her childhood and her Aunt Anna and Uncle Billy, who lived in a wonderful mansion filled with beautiful carpets, vases, and paintings. Most special of all were four ebony elephants that she loved to played with. When World War II began, she was sent to live in Canada and, while she was gone, her aunt, uncle, and father died. After hearing the story, Annie wants to visit the old country, and her mother agrees that it is time. Annie is determined to find the elephants, but it is not until they visit a restaurant on their last night that she discovers the figurines in a glass case and hears the story of how Uncle Billy left them there for his niece to find.

Believing Is Seeing: Seven Stories

Here are seven tales — seven doorways to bizarre, yet strangely familiar worlds — to transport one and all. In these worlds are a child born to an ordered society but preordained to spread Dissolution; a girl who so loves the sun that she renounces her humanity for eternity; a cat and a boy, held captive by an evil magician until they can find a bigger magic of their own; a woman imprisoned in a strange country dominated by three ravenous wolves; and many other characters and stories just as exceptional.

Butterfingers

PRINCESS BELLA HAS been snatched from her secret garden by a terrifying monster, leaving behind nothing but a glittering golden ball. Not even the bravest knights in the kingdom can save her from the huge, dark, firebreathing creature with enormous wings, a great swishing tail, and deadly claws. But clumsy Ned, the stable boy, is determined to succeed where the gallant knights have failed. Can he defeat the dragon and get the girl? Or will he let the chance to become a hero slip through his butterfingers?

The Secret World of Hildegard

Hildegard was a scientist. She studied plants and made medicines. Hildegard was a musician. She wrote hymns and sang harmonies. Hildegard was a writer. She spoke to priests and popes and the people. But before all of that, Hildegard was a girl with a secret world. Flames danced. Flowers blossomed. God said, “Write what you see.” And she could only become all she was when she let her light shine.

 

 

Eye of the Crow: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case

Sherlock Holmes, just thirteen, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition and makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and their son, Sherlock, bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way.But what wits they are! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused — and in London, they hang boys of thirteen. Shane Peacock has created a boy who bears all the seeds of the character who has mesmerized millions: the relentless eye, the sense of justice, and the complex ego. The boy Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating character who is sure to become a fast favorite with young readers everywhere.

Sam Tells Stories

When Sam changes schools, he tells some pretty amazing stories about himself but after a few days, when he confesses that he is just boring, regular Sam, he finds that he still has friends–and a talent that makes him more interesting.