Showing titles in Geography & Cultures

In 1692, a few paranoid Puritans accused their neighbors of being witches sending the town flying off the (broomstick) handle. Before it was all over, dozens of women in Salem, Massachusetts were executed—burned at the stake. RIGHT? WRONG! There was some serious witch worry, but no one in the United States was put on a pyre (though the truth isn't much better). And women weren’t the only ones caught in crossfire…maybe don’t tell your dog about this one.

An alphabetical exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of France.

Travel to Afghanistan. Find out the facts about this country in Asia.

This humorous retelling of a favorite folktale recounts how the Chinese came to give their children short names. This perfect listen-together storybook is one adults and children will enjoy sharing together again and again. When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

What would it be like to live in Russia? How is Russia's culture unique? Explore the sights, traditions, and daily lives of Russians!

Sunny Nwazue vive en Nigeria, pero nacio´ en Nueva York. Sus facciones son corrientes, pero es albina. Se le dan muy bien los deportes, pero no puede practicarlos bajo el sol. En resumen, no parece encajar en ningu´n sitio... Hasta que un di´a sucede algo increi´ble: ve el fin del mundo en la llama de una vela. Lo que pareci´a ser una alucinacio´n es lo que la acaba uniendo a otros tres chicos en su misma situacio´n: tiene habilidades ma´gicas.

Leonard is shocked when he arrives with his mother in the port of Southampton. His father is a stranger to him, it's cold and even the Jamaican food doesn't taste the same as it did back home in Maroon Town. But his parents have brought him here to try to make a better life, so Leonard does his best not to complain, to make new friends, to do well at school - even when people hurt him with their words and with their fists. How can a boy so far from home learn to enjoy his new life when so many things count against him?

From smelly ships to violent wars and icky battle wounds, life was rough for Vikings. Get ready to explore the nasty side of Viking life.

In an immersive, exciting narrative nonfiction format, this powerful book follows a selection of people who experienced the 2010 Haiti Earthquake.

When Lotty, a brave, young orphan, and her cheeky dog, Mr. Jacks, are shipwrecked, they encounter ruthless pirates, hidden treasure, and discover the exciting truth about Lotty’s golden locket. The mystery will change her life forever!

African penguins waddle around nesting colonies in lower numbers than ever before. Despite South African government efforts to protect the penguin colonies and their ocean fish supply, young penguins still struggle to survive. Fuzzy chicks waiting for food in open nests may overheat in the sun or become prey. Others simply may not get enough food to survive on their own once their parents leave.

From the palaces of Austria to the mirrored halls of Versailles, Marie Antoinette led a charmed life. She was born into royalty in 1755 and married the future king of France at age 15. By 21, she ascended to the throne and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of masquerade balls, sky-high wigs, and extravagant food. But her taste for excess ruffled many feathers. The poor people of France blamed Marie Antoinette for their poverty. Her spending helped incite the French Revolution. And after much public outcry, in 1793 she quite literally lost her head because of it.

Judy Moody has a double! Amy Namey is exactly like Judy - same-same - and she's a member of the "way-cool" My-Name-Is-A-Poem Club. Judy is meant to be doing an Around-the-World class project with Rocky and Frank Pearl. But with so much time spent thinking about Amy, Judy's old friends start to feel left out...

Born in Austria in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his first piece of music, a minuet, when he was just five years old! Soon after, he was performing for kings and emperors. Although he died at the young age of 35 Mozart left a legacy of more than 600 works. This fascinating biography charts the musician's extraordinary career and personal life while painting a vivid cultural history of 18th-century Europe.

Brida is content in her small village of Oak Hollow. There, she’s plenty occupied trying to convince her fickle magic to actually do what it’s meant to in her work as a hedgewitch’s apprentice - until she accidentally catches the attention of the wicked queen. On the run from the queen’s huntsman and her all-seeing Crow spies, Brida discovers the truth about her family, her magic, and who she is destined to be - and that she may hold the power to defeating the wicked queen and setting the kingdom right again.

This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called "Seller of Dreams". The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey's life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir— furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life—as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he'll be a free man...but will they all survive that long?

Prince Siegfried comes of age and celebrates his 21st birthday in the palace gardens. The next day he is to finally choose his future bride at the court ball. Near the castle, on the shores of Swan Lake, the beautiful swan girl Odette emerges from the water in the moonlight. She is actually a princess transformed by the magician Rothbart. Siegfried is overwhelmed by her beauty and immediately swears his eternal love and loyalty. The curse of the evil wizard Rothbart is now supposed to be broken, but he has his own plans for Odette.

At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic, the largest passenger steamship of this time, met its catastrophic end after crashing into an iceberg. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew onboard, only 705 survived. More than 100 years later, today's listeners will be intrigued by the mystery that surrounds this ship that was originally labeled "unsinkable".

Tash has to follow many rules to survive in Tibet, a country occupied by Chinese soldiers. But when a man sets himself on fire in protest and soldiers seize Tash's parents, she and her best friend Sam must break the rules. They are determined to escape Tibet - and seek the help of the Dalai Lama himself in India. And so, with a backpack of Tash's father's mysterious papers and two trusty yaks by their side, their extraordinary journey across the mountains begins.

Explore the magic of Germany and learn a little something along the way about this European country. The people, the history, the music, the places to visit, and much, much more. A perfect book for you to use in a book report for school. Best for ages five to 12.