In 1939, nine-year-old Piri is happy to spend her spring vacation at her grandmother Babi's house in the Ukrainian countryside. There, Piri freely enjoys the meadows, rivers and wildflowers. In her busy household, Babi makes sure her granddaughter continues to speak Yiddish and observe the Sabbath. But there is a darker side to this paradise. The Hungarian soldiers riding through the beautiful landscape are a threat not only to the Ukrainians but also to Jews. And when Piri returns to Hungary, she hears rumors of the ghettos. Gradually, the young girl realizes that the world she loves has changed forever. Aranka Siegal's powerful story is drawn from her own life. She was a survivor of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. A Newbery Honor Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Upon the Head of the Goat creates a personal view of the Holocaust that was mirrored in countless lives during that ominous time.
There was once a time, nearly four thousand years ago, when the tall towers of a city called Troy reached gleaming into the sky; when its proud king fought against an invading army in a desperate siege. The Tale of Troy was so important to the ancient Greeks that its author, Homer, became a kind of hero. Long after his death artists, thinkers and ordinary people still look to his tale for inspiration. This exciting version of the famous story is retold especially for eight- to thirteen-year-olds.
Five tales which range from the jungles of India to the frozen emptiness of the North... In all of them, Kipling's extraordinary powers of description and ability to identify with human aspiration and animal survival are vividly shown. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi must battle with Nag, the cobra, in his territory; Toomai has a unique glimpse of the elephant world; Kotick, the White Seal, searches for sanctuary, while Kotuko has to find food for his starving Eskimo village. Above all, Kipling's love of life in all its variety shines through.
The tales of the Norse gods, of the giants, demons, trolls and dwarves, still have the power to fascinate more than a thousand years after they were first told. Here are the stories of the one-eyed god Odin, the all-seeing, who from his throne in Asgard the home of the gods, has to prepare for Ragnarok, the final conflict between good and evil. There are tales too of Tyr the god of war, of the cunning Loki, of Thor the mighty thunder god and a host of others. These retellings of the old tales are given extra dramatic perspective by the music of Mahler, Grieg, Smetana. They come to life as never before.
The great myths of Ancient Greece have inspired mankind for centuries. Each of the heroes has to undergo trials of strength and courage to prove his valour against a host of monsters - the Minotaur, half man, half bull; Hydra, the many-headed serpent; Medusa the Gorgon. Meanwhile, the gods, lead by Zeus the Thunderer from his seat on Mount Olympus, watch, encourage, help - and sometimes hinder. In this new retelling, the tales come alive more vividly than ever with the added drama of popular music by Holst, Wagner and others.
A new idea always in his mind, Ben Franklin's joy of living, his humor and gentleness will capture children's attention and spark their interest in American history. Narrated by Jean Fritz.
Thirteen-year-old Catherine Cabot Hall put ink to the first unblemished page of her diary on October 17, 1830, the day after her father returned from Boston with the diary tucked conspicuously under his arm. Catherine's mother had died of fever four years before, and now Catherine performs the duties of housewife and mother, living contentedly with her father and younger sister Matty on their New Hampshire farm. In spite of the daily hardships, Catherine has much to be thankful for, especially for Cassie, her dearest friend. But when Catherine receives a disturbing note from a stranger, she isn't sure what she should do or who she should tell. Only her diary knows the anguish in her heart. Will her secret drive a wedge in her friendship with Cassie, or bind them together forever?
"I looked over the edge of the ravine to see somebody there, helpless, barely moving. She lifted her head to look at me and I fled, stumbling, back to my room in Mr. Thiel's house. Something had followed me there. Something, somebody, tall and dark, wrapped in a cloak, able to move soundlessly through the house."-from The Callender Papers Jean Wainwright, ward of Wainwright Academy's strict but affectionate headmistress, Miss Constance, was quite unprepared for the strange happenings of that memorable summer, 1894. The school's most generous patron, Mr. Daniel Thiel, had written requesting that a young girl be sent from the school to his home in Marlborough. The lucky girl was to spend the summer sorting through the memorabilia associated with Thiel's late wife Irene, and her wealthy family, the Callenders. Jean, fascinated by the stories her aunt has told her about the flamboyant Callender family, accepts the challenge. But she takes an immediate dislike to her sullen new employer and is certain he is hiding something. Think carefully has been the guiding principle of Jean's upbringing. But is careful thought enough to protect her from the hidden secrets in the Callender Papers?
Jean Fritz'a lively narration provides a colorful portrait of the man who staunchly led his men across the Ocean Sea to "learn the secrets of the world." And the best-kept secret in all the world turned out to be America!
'The excitement of a near tragedy in 1865, averted by the heroic actions of young Kate Shelley, comes alive in this readalong production. Stirring music frames a story rich with the sound effects of a wild storm.' - AudioFile
From the 1880's to the present, how the pledge came about and how and why it has changed since its original version, are all part of the history of this American symbol in this recently updated readalong.
The story of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, James Madison and many others who traveled to the 1787 Summer Convention in Philidelphia to draft a plan that would unify their states while preserving their sovereignty.
