The amazing true story of Mahani Teave, an award-winning pianist and environmental activist. After becoming an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, with tours around the world, Mahani never forgot the tiny island where she grew up, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, and one of the most remote. Aware of the islands environmental struggles and sustainability issues with pollution from tourism, Mahani was inspired to help save its environment and culture by creating a music school. The school was built using thousands of bottles, cans and tires in its walls, incorporating rain barrels, solar panels, and a food garden. Not only does Mahani help build a sustainable future for Rapa Nui, she also ensures the music will play on.
Island life
Snow Angel, Sand Angel
Claire has been surrounded by the deep blue waves of Hapuna Beach and the magnificent mountains of Hawai’i all her life, but has never, ever seen snow. When her father drives her and her family to the top of the Mauna Kea, she can’t help but to be disappointed…it’s not the winter wonderland she’s always dreamed of. And that’s what she wants, more than anything. But as Claire edges ever closer to the new year, she wonders if maybe– just maybe–she can delight in the special joys of winter in her own way–right there, on her Big Island of Hawaii.
Includes backmatter that captures the environmental culture of Hawaii, and will teach children not only about the local flora and fauna, but also the value of being environmentally friendly.
Elephant Island
Caught in a storm, Arnold the elephant washes up on a tiny island. Along comes Mouse in a little dingy and Arnold steps aboard…uh-oh They use the wreckage to make the island bigger. And here’s Dog–can this boat take Arnold’s weight? Uh-oh None of the animals can save the shipwrecked elephant but each broken vessel provides new materials for another intricate construction. Wheels and pulleys create a Ferris wheel, an elevator, a waffle maker. All the
Child Of St. Kilda
Norman John Gillies was one of the last children ever born on St Kilda, five years before the whole population was evacuated forever to the British mainland. People had lived on these islands for over four thousand years, developing a thriving, tightly-knit society that knew nothing of crime or money, and took care of its weakest members without hesitation. At the mercy of the seasons and the elements, a unique lifestyle evolved, based around resilience, mutual trust and caring.
Under The Moon & Over The Sea
A collection of poems about the wind, the sea, the people, and the animals of the Caribbean. Sparkling crystal waters and coral beaches, velvet-smooth dolphins and flying fish; the flavor of coconut water…
A Brief History Of Montmaray
On her sixteenth birthday in 1936, Sophia begins a diary of life in a fictional island country off the coast of Spain, where she is among the last descendants of an impoverished royal family trying to hold their nation together on the eve of the second World War. Includes “Author’s Note.” Originally published in Australia.
Penguin Island
This book tells the story of Little Penguin, a fairy penguin who lives in Port Phillip Bay, and what happened when oil was spilt into the Bay. Fortunately for Little Penguin, there are people who gather the dying birds, clean away the oil pollution, and care for them until they are able to be returned to their island home.
The Little Island
A little island in the sea is at the heart of this award-winning picture book told in rhythmic prose. As the seasons change, lobsters, kingfishers, and even a kitten come to the island to explore and learn its secrets. Full color.
Maui Goes Fishing
Måaui makes a fishing hook of great power and out of the sea he pulls land that becomes the islands of Hawaii.
The Meaning Of Consuelo: A Novel
La nina seria, the serious child. That’s how Consuelo’s mother has cast her pensive, book-loving daughter, while Consuelo’s younger sister Mili, is seen as vivacious–a ray of tropical sunshine. Two daughters: one dark, one light; one to offer comfort and consolation, the other to charm and delight. But something is not right in this Puerto Rican family. Set in the 1950s, a time when American influence is diluting Puerto Rico’s rich island culture, Consuelo watches her own family’s downward spiral. It is Consuelo who notices as her beautiful sister Mili’s vivaciousness turns into mysterious bouts of hysteria and her playful invented language shift into an incomprehensible and chilling “language of birds.” Ultimately Consuelo must choose: Will she fulfill the expectations of her family–offering consolation as their tragedy unfolds? Or will she risk becoming la fulana, the outsider, like the harlequin figure of her neighbor, Mario/Maria Sereno, who flaunts his tight red pedal pushers and empty brassiere as he refuses the traditional macho role of his culture. This affecting novel is a lively celebration of Puerto Rico as well as an archetypal story of loss, the loss each of us experiences on our journey from the island of childhood to the uncharted territory of adulthood.
Americas Award For Children’s And Young Adult Literature. Winner