Europe

Materials from Europe

Most Beloved Sister

Barbara has a secret friend who lives in the garden. It’s her twin sister, Lalla-Lee, and Barbara doesn’t have to share her with her papa or mama or brother. What’s even better is that Lalla-Lee calls Barbara her “Most Beloved Sister.” Together, the girls bravely ride their horses through the Great Horrible Forest, where the nasty Frights live, to visit the Kind Ones in the meadow. The Kind Ones always give them cookies and caramels. And best of all, Barbara and Lalla-Lee go to the Most Beautiful Valley in the World, where the trees and the flowers sing. At the end of this particular adventure, Barbara knows that she must say goodbye to Lalla-Lee for the final time. But when she arrives home, there is a wonderful surprise waiting for her.

My Secret Camera: Life In The Lodz Ghetto

Photographs taken secretly by a young Jewish boy document the fear, hardship, generosity, and humanity woven through the daily lives of the Jews forced to live in the Lodz ghetto during the Holocaust.

Pippi Longstocking in the Park

The tiny town where Pippi Longstocking lives is really peaceful. But it’s different in the big city. The city park is teeming with bad guys, and the police seem powerless to stop them. So Pippi decides to move to the park with her friends, Tommy and Annika, her monkey, and her horse — and Villa Villekulla. Pippi simply brings the boards and rebuilds the house in an afternoon. The very first evening, as the three friends gaze happily out at the city’s twinkling lights, the bad guys show up to begin their usual fun. They pull men’s mustaches and grab women’s purses. But that’s only until they come face-to-face with Pippi, the world’s strongest girl!

Today I Feel . . .

Beautifully illustrated by Madalena Moniz’s subtle watercolors, Today I Feel . . . follows a child through a whole range of emotions, from adored to curious to strong. Not all of the emotions are positive and not all of them are simple, but they are all honest and worthy of discussion with a young child.

Gifts From The Enemy

Gifts from the Enemy is the powerful and moving story based on From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography by Alter Wiener, in which Alter recalls his loss of family at the hands of the Nazis and his internment in five prison camps during World War II. This picture book tells one moving episode during Alter’s imprisonment, when an unexpected person demonstrates moral courage in repeated acts of kindness to young Alter during his imprisonment.