Europe

Materials from Europe

Ada’s Ideas

Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) was the daughter of Lord Byron, a poet, and Anna Isabella Milbanke, a mathematician. Her parents separated when she was young, and her mother insisted on a logic-focused education, rejecting Byron’s “mad” love of poetry. But Ada remained fascinated with her father and considered mathematics “poetical science.” Via her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage, she became involved in “programming” his Analytical Engine, a precursor to the computer, thus becoming the world’s first computer programmer.

The Book Thief

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel–a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

We Will Not Be Silent

In his signature eloquent prose, backed up by thorough research, Russell Freedman tells the story of Austrian-born Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie. They belonged to Hitler Youth as young children, but began to doubt the Nazi regime. As older students, the Scholls and a few friends formed the White Rose, a campaign of active resistance to Hitler and the Nazis. Risking imprisonment or even execution, the White Rose members distributed leaflets urging Germans to defy the Nazi government. Their belief that freedom was worth dying for will inspire young readers to stand up for what they believe in. Archival photographs and prints, source notes, bibliography, index.

When I Am Happiest

A standalone follow-up to My Happy Life and My Heart is Laughing. Dani is very happy it is the last day of school, and summer is about to start. But then there’s a knock on the classroom door, and Dani is told her father has been in an accident. He’s in the hospital! How can she possibly be happy now? A warm and heartfelt story about Dani’s love for her dad and her ongoing friendship with Ella. It’s a story about sorrow and joy and how life really is.

The Big Monster Snorey Book

The sleeping monsters are making an awful lot of noise — snoring and grumbling, tapping and chattering. After such a long sleep, what happens if they wake up feeling hungry? Any little monsters around better watch out! With masses of monsters to spot and an awesome onomatopoeic text, children will ask for this hilarious, inventive book over and over again. While the text introduces readers to a cast of curious characters, including knobbly-kneed Norris, Flora the fussy fidget, and snotty Stanley, the illustrations suggest that something pretty monstrous might be going on.

Nadia

Nadia Comaneci was a feisty and fearless little girl who went from climbing trees in the forests of Romania to swinging into history at the 1976 Olympic Games, where she received an unprecedented seven perfect scores in gymnastics. But as readers will see in this first-ever illustrated picture book about Nadia’s journey to Olympic gold, the road from small-town girl to world-class athlete was full of many imperfect moments.

Rex

Once upon about 65 million years ago, a terrifying tyrannosaurus roams the earth. He spends his days raging through the jungle, scaring every other dinosaur in sight with his fierce roar. Then, one night while he is sleeping, an abandoned egg cracks open and out pops a tiny dinosaur who decides right then and there that this scary tyrannosaurus is his father. And so begins the touching story of a little dino and his search for a dad—a tale sure to resonate with families of all stripes.