In the tradition of the Native American storyteller, Jamake Highwater weaves generations of legends and stories into the haunting legend of a handsome young brave named Anpao. When Anpao falls in love with the beatuiful Ko-Ko-mik-e-is, she tells him she belongs to the Sun alone. Before they can marry, Anpao must complete a dangerous journey to the house of the Sun to get permission to wed his beloved. As a sign of the Sun's approval, the scars will be melted from Anpao's tawny cheek. This journey takes him backwards and forward in time and space, from the dawn of time to his eerie meeting with the deathhorse and its horrific rider, Smallpox. In translating ancient legends into a modern folktale, Highwater allows the non-Indian listener rare insights into a Native American view of history. In presenting the images that are uniquely Indian, Highwater does not revert to symbols of white culture. He retains the other-worldly, magical quality of Indian tradition, making Anpao a uniquely enriching and unforgettable listening experience.
Growing up Mexican-American in Fresno, California in the 1950's and 60's might not have been easy, but it was certainly never boring for young Gary Soto, his brother Rick and sister Debra. As this compilation of 21 short stories and articles illustrates, there is no limit to the amount of fun a child can have, or how much he can terrorize siblings and neighbors if his imagination is active. Whether it's beating the new neighbor kids with bagged cats, or staring into a fan for an hour without blinking while imagining he is a World War I biplane pilot, Soto passes along humorous and compelling life lessons and tales of coming of age. Gary Soto, author of The Skirt , teaches creative writing at the University of California, Berkeley. He often writes about what it is like growing up Mexican-American, and has produced two short films for Spanish-speaking children. Stories include: Being Mean, Looking for Work, The Beauty Contest, Saturday with Jackie, The Small Faces, Bloodworth, One Last Time, Being Stupid, and Getting By.
Henry Huggins can't wait until he turns eleven years old, so he can have a paper route like his friend Scooter McCarthy. Henry wants to prove to the route manager that he is responsible enough to handle the job right now. First he thinks of giving away free kittens with newspaper subscriptions, and then his advertising scheme helps his class win the newspaper drive. But he still doesn't have a paper route. Will Ramona Quimby, making a real pest of herself, help Henry get the job he wants so much?
Littlest One is a tiny creature slowly learning her job of giving dreams to humans. Each night she and her teacher, Thin Elderly, visit an old woman’s home where she softly touches beloved objects, gathering happy memories, and drops of old scents and sounds. Littlest One pieces these bits together and presents them to her sleeping human in the form of pleasant dreams. But the dreaded Sinisteeds, dark fearsome creatures that plague their victims with nightmares, are always at work against the dreamgivers. When the old woman takes in John, an angry foster child with a troubled past, the Sinisteeds go after him with their horrifying nightmares. Can Littlest One, and her touch light as gossamer, protect John’s heart and soul from the nightmare of his dark past?
Meet the World's Funniest First Grader Junie B. Jones!
It's a week in'Pair-o-Dice!" With over 50 million books in print, Barbara Park's New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, is a classroom favorite and has been keeping kids laughing and reading for over 20 years! In the 26th Junie B. Jones book, Junie B. and her family are going on a vacation to Hawaii! And ha! Mr. Scary is giving Junie a real, actual camera to keep a photo journal of her trip! But taking good vacation pictures is not always easy. 'Cause what if there is an unfortunate inner tube incident at the swimming pool? (And, oh my! Let's not even mention what happens if a tropical bird gets tangled in your hair!) Will Junie B.'s vacation end up picture perfect? Or will her trip to Hawaii be aloha-horrible?
USA TODAY
'Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set.'
Publisher's Weekly
'Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B. and reading are lots of fun.'
Kirkus Reviews
'Junie's swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world….A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud.'
Time Magazine
'Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty.'
In the center of Luster towers an enormous tree that is the Heart of the World. Now the tree is wounded, pierced by a tunnel that connects it to Earth. Through that tunnel strides Beloved, the ancient enemy of the unicorns, followed by an army of Hunters eager to destroy every last unicorn.
At the center of this great struggle is the human girl, Cara Diana Hunter, who sets out with her friend, the gryphon Medafil, to ask a dragon to aid the unicorns. As she travels Cara meets not only the dragon, but a mysterious stranger who may hold the key to Luster's secrets.
As the threads of destiny weave about her, Cara will discover at last the truth about the unicorns-- a truth that brings hard choices for everyone she loves as this magnificent, mutli-stranded saga thunders to its astonishing conclusion.
Warnings had been printed in the Bean Home News and the Centerboro Guardian, but nobody paid much attention to them. An animal revolt? "Preposterous!" said the Beans and all the other humans. But it's true-and the outrages begin: cars are stopped and overturned all over the county, farmers starting out to do their morning chores are driven back into the house, and the cows refuse to come in at milking time. In Centerboro, cats are insolent to their mistresses and horses go out of their way to insult people on the street. Simon the rat is determined to turn the farm into a dictatorship and Mr. Camphor has been persuaded (much against his better judgment) to run for governor of New York State. Herb Garble shows up, Jinx defects to the enemy (or does he?), and Freddy-that inimitable pig!-goes to work as the political boss of Otesaraga County. Freddy and Simon the Dictator is classic Brooks, in which the master of barnyard hilarity has a lot of fun satirizing politics and-especially-politicians.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue
To Mr. & Mrs. Watson, Mercy is not just a pig–she's a porcine wonder. And to the portly and good-natured Mercy, the Watson's are an excellent source of buttered toast, no to mention that buttery-toast feeling she gets when she snuggles in to bed with them. This is not, however so good for the Watsons' bed. BOOM! CRACK! Welcome to the wry and endearing world of Mercy Watson.
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride
Mr. and Mrs. Watson's porcine wonder, Mercy, loves nothing more than a ride in the car. It takes a fair amount of nudging and bribing and a "You are such a good sport, darling" to get the portly pig out of the driver's seat, but once the convertible is on the road, Mercy loves the feel of the wind tickling her ears and the sun on her snout.
Irene has always dreamed of owning a beauty salon in sunny Los Angeles where she will re-create the hairstyles of Great Women of Literature. But she's just been fired from her own mother's salon for shampooing techniques that left patrons in tears. Now, forced to babysit while everyone else spends a glamorous summer at the beach, Irene wonders when real life will begin. Then she meets beautiful lifeguard Starla-and one of Starla's admirers starts noticing Irene. Things are getting complicated. Maybe its time Irene becomes the heroine of her own literary drama!
