Growing up on the Indonesian island of Sumatra with its cooling lakes and refreshing mud holes, Anju loved being an elephant. Loving cared for and proetected by her mother and herd family, there was nowhere else Anju would rather be. That all changed when she was stolen and sold to an American circus. Anju spends decades traveling across the country, entertaining crowds. After the circus, she's then moved to a small zoo for 23 years, their lone elephant. Anju no longer loved being an elephant. She was old and tired. Will Anju ever love being an elephant again?
Eight-year-old Zulviya, her sister and her cousin, her mother and her grandmother... they all belong to the loom. For generations the women of Zulviya's family have earned their living by weaving rugs by hand. The rugs are valuable and the women are proud of their beautiful handiwork. But the work is hard. It takes months to weave a rug; each one contains hundreds of thousands of knots. Before one work day has passed, Zulviya will tie thousands of knots. As she sits at her work, Zulviya weaves not one but two patterns. The pattern on the loom will become a fine rug. She weaves a second pattern in her mind. There she sees the green of the Afghani hills, the bright blue of the nearby lake, and the vivid orange of the setting sun. And Zulviya takes comfort in the landscape in her mind.
One student from Mrs. Wallace's second grade class will be chosen to tell a special Christmas story at the school assembly. When Redheaded Robbie's name is pulled from the hat, the class groans. Poor Robbie! Whenever he is excited or nervous, his words come out all twisted and confused. How will he be able to tell his Christmas story at the assembly? Won't everyone laugh? With a little help from some friends, Robbie learns that it is not so much how a person speaks but what is said that matters the most.
Holly's family lives a simple life in northern Michigan, enjoying the bounty of the earth and very much in step with the rhythm of the changing seasons. But times are hard and a cold winter is coming. Without a warm coat, Holly might not be able to start school. Readers will delight in Mama's solution to Holly's predicament.
Ten-year-old Dandi (affectionately called "Dan" by family and friends) lives and breathes baseball. She may not be a fence buster but she can "hit 'em where they ain't" in the neighborhood pick-up games. The boys know she's a contender. And there's no bigger fan of the 1961 Kansas City A's. So when Charlie Finley, the A's new owner, announces an essay contest to get batboys, there's no doubt Dandi will enter the contest. Dandi not only enters the contest--her essay wins! However, her joy is short-lived when the contest officials enforce the For Boys Only rule. Long before the boundary-breaking ruling of Title IX, young women across the country used grit and determination to prove that barriers of gender have no place on a level playing field.
To nine-year-old Willie Powell, there was no prettier sight than the smooth grass lawns of Edgewater Golf Cource. He had been so eager to see them that he'd run seven miles to where the course was situated outside of town. But his elation didn't last. When he asked two golfers if they'd teach him the game, one man responded by saying, 'Son, didn't anyone ever tell you that your kind is not welcome here?' In the 1920's there was no place for Willie, or any black person, on a golf cource. It was a game for white people only, at least in America. But his enthusiasm for golf and his belief in what he knew to be right drove Willie Powell to change that, and to change minds.
The books in the Community Connections Library help kids understand the world around them. What Do They Do? Judges, gives young readers an idea of the role that Judges play in keeping their community safe.
The books in the Community Connections Library help kids understand the world around them. What Do They Do? Police Officers, gives young readers an idea of the role that Police Officers play in their community.
Level 3 guided reader that helps educate young readers on the importance of recycling and what they can do to help protect the earth's resources.
Level 3 guided reader that helps kids understand the importance of consuming less and the impact that has on keeping the earth healthy.
Level 3 guided reader that teaches kids the importance of cleaning up trash and the impact that has on keeping the earth clean.
Level 3 guided reader that helps students understand the importance of keeping air clean and give idea's of things they can do help improve the environment.
Level 3 guided reader that helps teach students the importance of keeping water clean and gives practical ideas on things they can do to pitch in.
Discover how windmills work and how they can be used to create electricity without causing pollution.
Readers will discover the proper way to react when encountering stray animals and what to do if they are attacked.
Readers will learn how to stay safe by avoiding strangers as well as what they can do if strangers approach them.
Learn the importance of speaking in the right volume with this easy-to-read story.
Learn the importance of following rules with this easy-to-read story.
Learn the importance of saying please and thank you with this easy-to-read story
Learn the importance of speaking loudly and clearly with this easy-to-read story
Learn the importance of keeping your things neat and organized with this easy-to-read story.
Learn the importance of waiting your turn with this easy-to-read story.
Learn the importance of being prompt with this easy-to-read story.
Young readers will be introduced to the types of housing, the landscape, and the experiences and opportunities representative of living on a farm. Prompts, call-outs, and questions within the text encourage children to compare and contrast their own day-to-day life experiences with the information presented about farms and living on them. Text features such as captions, bold print, a glossary, and an index help readers locate key facts and information efficiently.
Young readers will be introduced to the types of housing, the landscape, and the experiences and opportunities representative of living in a big city. Prompts, call-outs, and questions within the text encourage children to compare and contrast their own day-to-day life experiences with the information presented about big cities and living in them. Text features such as captions, bold print, a glossary, and an index help readers locate key facts and information efficiently.
