Cultural

[close] Win autographed copies of books 2 & 3 in the Langdon Prep YA mystery series.

"The Langdon Prep novels take a unique turn from the typical prep-school serial novel. Chanti is smart, self-reliant, and no one's fool. She balances friends, informants, homework, and her own curiosity with ease."-- VOYA Magazine

For a special offer on Book 1, MY OWN WORST FRENEMY, visit Amazon. [close]

[close] "His name was Carlos. Carlos Louis Salazar. And when his mother had troubles, I more or less stole him. Or that’s what I always said. He was the son I wanted, and I did get him for a while. "So begins A THOUSAND VOICES. At its deepest level, it is a love story about language. It traces the grand adventure, the whimsy, the confusion and sorrow of one boy’s third of a century, recounted by the woman who teaches him and takes him in. Tender without being sentimental, it is a book that changes people’s lives.
The story unfolds against the rich imagery of Utah’s high deserts and snow-swept mountains, the alpine forests of Idaho, and the wide boulevards of Montreal in the last decades of the last century. Jeri meets Carlos in Utah when he is ten and she is twenty-four. They interest each other. He is wildhearted and free-spirited, traits she applauds in herself and has only slightly subdued. He is a hellion; so was she. There are differences as well, and they point to the underlying themes of the book. He doesn’t know language; she teaches it. He was born deaf; she could always hear. He lives in a low-lying part of town she has never ventured into; she is up in the foothills, across several economic strata. Where his opportunities are circumscribed by ethnic background as well as economic disadvantage, hers are wide
Their acquaintance becomes an indispensable connection for both of them. She helps him learn to talk. In turn, she finds Carlos has much to teach her, and their communication is marked by a nuance, grace, and richness beyond words. The book closes on a note of compassion and acceptance as Jeri stands by Carlos as friend and guardian when the struggle for his life overtakes everything.
[close]

[close] In this first book of the bilingual Janjak and Freda series, cousins Janjak and Freda go with their godmother on an exciting adventure to Haiti's famous Iron Market. While there, they make many new friends, taste new fruits, and show the value of helping others when a runaway goat causes havoc in the market. The colorful text and beautiful illustrations will leave children dreaming up their own adventures.

This story is told in such a way that the characters, scenery, and plot will be meaningful to both English speaking children and Creole speaking children. Rather than a literal translation, the Creole text has been rewritten by Wally Turnbull to provide the most authentic experience for Creole speakers. [close]