obstacles

Watch Out for Flying Kids!

Levinson follows the participants of two specific circuses that also work together periodically: Circus Harmony, in St. Louis, whose participants are inner-city and suburban kids, and Circus Galilee in Israel, whose participants and Jews and Arabs. As the kids’ relationships evolve over time, the members learn how to overcome assumptions, animosity, and obstacles both physical and personal.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 2

Francisco’s Kites

Francisco misses his village in El Salvador, and especially flying a kite with his friends, but Mamá cannot afford to buy a kite so he gathers discarded materials around his apartment building and makes his own, which catches the eye of a store owner and leads to a wonderful project.

The White Bicycle

The White Bicycle is the third stand-alone title in the Wild Orchid series about a young woman with Asperger’s Syndrome. This installment chronicles Taylor Jane’s travels to the south of France where she spends a summer babysitting for the Phoenix family. Including flashbacks into Taylor’s earliest memories, along with immediate scenes in Lourmarin, a picturesque village in the Luberon Valley, The White Bicycle results in a journey for independence both personal and universal, told in Taylor’s honest first-person prose.

Sundiata: Lion King of Mali

The story of Sundiata, who overcame physical handicaps, social disgrace, and strong opposition to rule Mali in the thirteenth century.

Stretch, Swallow & Stare

Stretch was not like other people. She could stretch her body taller than the tallest tree. People didn’t trust her because she was different. That’s why she lived in the forest. Swallow could eat more food than anyone. The villagers made fun of her because she was short and fat. That’s why she left town. Stare’s eyes were so strong they could burn through anything she looked at. Everyone was afraid of her. That’s why she stayed alone. And then there was Ira – small, skinny, and short-sighted – with nobody in the world to help him search for his missing sister. Somehow these four unlikely characters come together and overcome all obstacles – even the most evil magic in the land.

The Odyssey

With bold imagery and an ear tuned to the music of Homer’s epic poem, Gareth Hinds reinterprets the ancient classic as it’s never been told before. “Gareth Hind brings THE ODYSSEY to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this graphic novel is a worthy new interpretation of Homer’s epic.” Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series Fresh from his triumphs in the Trojan War, Odysseus, King of Ithaca, wants nothing more than to return home to his family. Instead, he offends the sea god, Poseidon, who dooms him to years of shipwreck and wandering. Battling man-eating monsters, violent storms, and the supernatural seductions of sirens and sorceresses, Odysseus will need all his strength and cunning and a little help from Mount Olympus to make his way home and seize his kingdom from the schemers who seek to wed his queen and usurp his throne. Award-winning graphic artist Gareth Hinds masterfully reinterprets a story of heroism, adventure, and high action that has been told and retold for more than 2,500 years though never quite like this.

Young Pele: Soccer’s First Star

A poor boy named Edson, who kicked rocks down roads and dribbled balls made from rags, went on to become the greatest soccer player of all time. While other kids memorized letters, Edson memorized the scores of soccer matches. And when Edson finally played in a youth soccer tournament in Bauru, Brazil, he focused on only one thing from the moment the whistle blew–the goal. The story of the boy who overcame tremendous odds to become the world champion soccer star Pelé.