Book Description

Book Description

Discover the people and traditions of one of the most dynamic countries in the world.

Discover the rich diversity of the world's most populous democracy in this stunning guide. Witness the beauty of the Taj Mahal, learn how India gained its independence, discover the splendor of the Mughal dynasty, and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Heavy but Worth it!
These DK white books are uncommonly heavy. They don't have as much detailed information as the Blue Guides or Rough Guides, but are good for brief visits or first timers. Where they excell is their outstanding illustrations and diagrams, often cutaways. The maps are good, but the labeling system makes it difficult to locate things easily. Lots of full page color photos give a preview of the trip. It's a daunting task to try to cover India in a single guide, but this book almost does it. It's well organized, color coded by region. The picture of Palitana in the Gujarat section became the foundation for that section of our 2003 trip to India [ cascoly.com/trav/india.asp ], and the diversion provided one of the highlights of the entire 6 week trip.

Bottom line? Your best bet is to get the Rough and Blue Guides, then be sure that someone else on the trip is carrying the DK. Or buy the books you need, and then just scan the pages you need to bring with you. ... Read more

Book Description

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is unlike any other situation in theworld today. It's in the news daily, can spark intense emotionalarguments, and influences American foreign policy.

Yet, a real understanding of this heated conflict is hard to come by.

In Understanding the Holy Land, Mitch Frank offersstraightforward explanations. Answering questions from "What isintifada?" to "Why is peace sohard?" Frank carefully covers the significant developments of thiscomplex disagreement.

Written in a question-and-answer format for sixth-graders and up, andillustrated with black-and-white photos and maps, this book will helpyoung people understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and itssignificance to the world. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Understanding the Holy Land
This book should be read by anyone of any age who really wants to understand the full story of the conflict in the Middle East. Mr. Frank offers an empathic and stunninly clear explanation of the cultural and political background and beliefs of all parties to the conflict. He includes a tremendous amount of information, making this complicated subject accessible and shedding light on a situation most Americans know little about. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As she grieved over the "huge shadow [that] had been cast across the lives of so many innocent people and an ancient culture's pride" after September 11, 2001, poet and author Naomi Shihab Nye's natural response was to write, to grasp "onto details to stay afloat." Accordingly, Nye has gathered over four dozen of her own poems about the Middle East and about being an Arab American living in the United States. Devoted followers of the award-winning and beloved poet will recognize some of their favorites from her earlier collections (The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East, etc.), while absorbing themselves in her new haunting and evocative poems. Nye writes of figs and olives, fathers' blessings and grandmothers' hands that "recognize grapes, / and the damp shine of a goat's new skin." She writes of Palestinians, living and dead, of war, and of peace. Readers of all ages will be profoundly moved by the vitality and hope in these beautiful lines from Nye's heart. (Ages 9 to adult) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"There's a place in this brain where hate won't grow."
This collection is a perfect example of the ability of a gifted poet to communicate hard truths simply. Each piece is a work of art and sings in the voices of immigrants and immigrants' children and with the rhythms of life in the Middle East. Don't buy this book expecting to find a treatise on terrorism or the events of September 11. Buy it to see through another's eyes and sing in another's voice. This is a fantastic book in its own right and a great introduction to the talent and skill of Naomi Shihab Nye.

subtle stories
this book was recommended to me by a friend, so i wasn't sure what to expect.i am really glad to have bought it, the poems are like little stories someone tells you on the porch while it's getting dark.very vivid, i felt as if i knew these people...fathers, mothers, grandmothers, schoolchildren, old arab men selling crafts... ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Naomi Shihab Nye is a philanthropist, poet, educator...
We are living in a time where being Arab, Muslim, or Southeast Asian makes one a "terror suspect." In this age of fear and ignorance, it is more important than ever for educators and readers of poetry to take a look at Nye's touching portraits of Arab and Arab American life. If these poems reveal the beauty, intelligence, and vitality of Arab and Arab Americans, then -- to the seething reader from Denver, CO-- you may find Nye guilty of being truthful: All human life is precious, and all human beings are capable of exceeding our expectations.

I first fell in love with Nye's poetry through "The Words Beneath the Words" and recommend all of her works. Educators, activists, lovers of poetry, please read and share Nye's work. They are more important then ever in creating peaceful relationships for the future.

Looking at the space between our footsteps
This is a wonderful book. It is full of the imagery and feelings that in turn, delight, amuse and sadden. Naomi Nye has compiled a collection of writers from various countries within the Middle East. Although the writers come from many countries and competing nationalities, there is a common commitment to peace. Since the poems are translated,rather than presented in the original languages, the reader does not have the benefit of the natural rhythms of the languages the poems were taken from. What the translations lack in terms of rhyme is more than made up by the poets' use of Metaphor. One poet talks about "drinking in the melancholy of morning". Another talks about being passed by trains with eyes looking back at you. The language is effective and persuasive. Many of the poems deal with loss. They deal with the loss of loved ones, the loss of time, the loss of relationships, but more importantly, they deal with the loss of basic human rights and something as basic as a homeland. The book has many fine paintings that supplement the text. They are all very well done and add to the feeling of the book. The reader of this book will not only read, but will also have an experience. All the senses except hearing will be involved. I recommend this book to anyone, particularly to Young Adults.

Beautiful and sensitive collection not just for children
This book has room in its heart for the passions and longings of writers from all of the Middle East. It offers readers, in beautiful poetry, the longings for place, for a loved past, for a more secure future, felt by Lebanese, Syrians, Israelis, Turks, Palestinians, Iraqis, Saudis, Egyptians, and more. Meticulously designed and printed, it offers art from across the Middle East that illuminates these poems and helps us learn with our children important lessons about that part of the world.

An exquisite book, and not just for kids.
I bought this book from amazon.com, fell in love with it & wrote the following review for The Capital Times, Madison WI's afternoon newspaper:

That this exquisitely beautiful, painfully direct and ultimately joyful book, "The Space Between Our Footsteps,'' is published under the imprint of Simon & Schuster's Books for Young Readers is an example of how badly we adults need to learn the lessons we try to teach our children.

The poems and paintings of more than 100 writers and artists from 19 countries are loosely grouped by theme,without a condescending preface or explanations of how to feel when we read or view them...This book is an ideal gift for anyone old enough to read "The Diary of Anne Frank,'' and to know that just as, for Anne, life went on as war went on, so it does today. It is for anyone who thinks he or she understands the conflicts in the Middle East, and for anyone whose life needs a sudden rush of beauty.

(Lin Seagren teaches in Stoughton WI and for the UW-Extension.) ... Read more

Book Description

In the Spice Islands, where clove and nutmeg trees grow,
a girl named Damura lived long ago.

Damura is a beautiful girl, as kind and lovely as the little green parrot that perches on the nutmeg tree. But Damura's stepmother and stepsister mistreat her. They force her to rise before dawn, carry out all the chores, and sleep on the floor. One day, while down by the river, Damura calls out to the creatures of the wild for help. Rising from the waters, an ancient crocodile answers the call. This unusual fairy godmother, aptly named Grandmother Crocodile, outfits Damura in a sarong of gold, with slippers to match, and sends her to the palace to dance for the prince. Once he sees her, the prince knows that she will be his bride.

But the fairy tale isn't quite over. Damura's wicked stepmother and stepsister are so jealous that they push Damura into the river, where she is swallowed by a crocodile. Too bad they didn't know about Grandmother Crocodile....

The Gift of the Crocodile, a tale from the Spice Islands in Indonesia, offers a colorful and dramatic twist on the universally adored Cinderella story. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Spice
This Indonesian version of Cinderella hails from the Moluccas, or Spice Islands--the place to which Christopher Columbus was headed when he found the New World. In 1492 they were the only place in the world where cloves grew. The earliest written version of Cinderella is from China. As the author indicates in the afterward, no one knows where the story originated. But she speculates that Cinderella may have traveled West with the spices.

Damura was a child when her mother taught her to light a fire, cook, and to tend and harvest rice. But she still loved dolls when her mother died. The lorikeet and little green parrot outside in the nutmeg tree were not company enough for her. With a new doll, a neighboring widow bribed Damura into convincing her father to marry her. Her stepmother's two daughters were kind at first, but soon made Damura their servant. She cried at night that she had traded her happiness for a doll.

One day as she washed the family's clothes, she lost her sarong in the river. She called to the creatures of the wild for help, and a crocodile appeared. "Good morning Grandmother," she said to the crocodile.

The crocodile gave Damura her baby to care for, and returned with a silver sarong that sparkled like the night sky. She told Damura to take it and come to the river again if she ever needed anything.

Her stepsisters were naturally jealous of the sarong. But when they tried to entice the crocodile to help them, she saw through their façade. A year later, the village buzzed with excitement as the prince planned to hold a dance to choose his bride. Damura asked her stepmother if she might go, wearing her silver sarong. Of course her stepmother refused her.

The rest of this tale is very similar to that of Cinderella. But to find the unique ways in which it sparkles, you'll have to read this book. Alyssa A. Lappen

A fresh new spin on the cinderella stry
I Have never read such an interesting version of the cinderella story, i recomend that every one with children or who know those who have them buy this book and save it. It will provide pleasure to generations to come ... Read more

Book Description

In this unique interactive book, the reader becomes an archeologist exploring the tomb of an Egyptian woman named Nenufar.A paper "lamp" reveals the fascinating images hidden within acetate overlay pages, including a tunnel to the tomb, ancient paintings, dishes, and Nenufar's mummy! ... Read more

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Clever Book
A clever visual slight of hand makes this a fun book for children and adults. I couldn't get it away from my six year old long enough to really explore all the contents. ... Read more

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The rise of the first cultures in Mesopotamia
The Mesopotamia volume of the Cultures of the Past series, unlike those devoted to the Ancient Egyptians or Spain in the Age of Exploration, looks at a series of ancient cultures that flourished in the Fertile Crescent at what is essentially the beginning of recorded history. Pamela F. Service has to touch on the kingdoms of Sumer, Babylon, and Assyria, all of which held sway over the rich land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers ("Mesopomatmia" means "land between the rivers"). In doing so, Service is also telling young readers the story of how the first civilization was created when human beings made the revolutionary change around 10,000 B.C.E. that they could plant seeds, grow their own crops, and manage herds of animals for eating. Agriculture required group effort and groups required organization under religious precepts and political guidelines. The next thing you know human beings are walking on the moon.

Service's first chapter on The Cradle of Civilization traces these beginnings and looks at the History of the cultures that flourished in this area from Sumer, the first civilization, to the last glories of Babylon. Other chapters are devoted to the Cultural History of those who lived between the rivers, their Belief System in terms of the gods and demons they worshipped and feared, the relationship between Beliefs and Society in living out the life decreed by the gods, and the Legacy of the Mesopotamians in terms of the creation of literature, early technological developments such as the pottery wheel, metalworking, cloth making, and the arch. Scattered throughout the volume are informative sidebars on topics ranging from the historical hero Gilgamesh to the laws of Hammurabi. The format of these volumes allows Service to get into more detail than the standard elementary school World History textbook.

Consequently, while young readers might have trouble keeping the Assyrians distinct from the Babylonians, they will have an understanding of the key things these various ancient cultures had in common. Certainly there is not as much diversity among these particular cultures as you would find in Europe throughout most of its history. The book is illustrated with color photographs of ancient artifacts and archeological ruins. The back contains a chronology of events in Mesopotamia from the dog becoming the first domestic animal (which happened about a thousand years before farming began in the mountains north of Mesopotamia) to the capture of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia (which leads you to the volume on the Persian Empire), as well as a glossary, bibliography, and index. The Cultures of the Past series covers not only the standard topics such as the Ancient Greek and Ancient Romans, but also looks at the Ancient African Kingdom of Kush, the Ancient Maya, China's Tang Dynasty, and the Vikings. This look at Mesopotamia comes back farther than any other volume, but the series does come up to the time of Elizabethan England and the Aztec Empire. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the story of the Holy Land -- its geography, history, and the ancient civilizations of its peoples.

Here is an original and exciting look at the fascinating history of the Bible Lands. Stunning real-life photographs of everything from swords to statues and ships to seals offer a unique "eyewitness" view of the history of the lands of the Bible and the people who lived there until the time of Christ. See what Solomon's temple looked like, the earliest human statues ever found, armor from ancient Assyria, the treasure of the kings of Ur, and the plants, trees, and fruits of the Holy Land. Learn how the Phoenicians dyed their clothes, how the people of Abraham lived, what people ate in the Old Testament times, the story of Jericho, and how Canaanite women put on their makeup. Discover who the Israelites were, how the people of the Holy Land defended their cities, how bread and wine were made in Old Testament times, how the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and much, much more. ... Read more

Book Description

Deborah Ellis's enormously popular Breadwinner trilogy recounted the experiences of children living in Afghanistan; now Ellis turns her attention to the young people of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After visiting the region to conduct interviews, she presents their stories here in their own words. Twelve-year-old Nora, eleven-year-old Mohammad, and many others speak directly about their lives - which prove to be both ordinary and extraordinary: They argue with their siblings. They hate spinach. They have wishes for the future. Yet they have also seen their homes destroyed and families killed, and live amidst constant upheaval and violence.This simple, telling book allows young readers everywhere to see that the children caught in this conflict are just like them - but living far more difficult and dangerous lives. Without taking sides, it presents an unblinking portrait of children victimized by the endless struggle around them. ... Read more

Book Description

On a visit to Jerusalem, Bruce Feiler has a revelation: The stories of the Bible occurred in real places -- places he could visit today. So he sets out on a perilous ten-thousand-mile journey retracing the greatest stories ever told.

From the base of Mount Ararat, where he meets a mysterious man who claims to have found Noah's ark, to the edge of the Dead Sea, where he climbs salt pillars in the lost cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Feiler discovers that the Bible still lives in the landscape. He visits the desert outpost where Abraham first heard the words of God, and has an unexpected encounter alongside the legendary burning bush. And finally he climbs Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

In each place, Feiler eloquently explores how geography affects the Bible and how his journey has influenced his faith. Illustrated with graceful maps and Feiler's own photographs, walking the bible is both a heart-pounding adventure and an uplifting personal quest that will forever change your view of some of history's most memorable events.

Book Description

Reviews (2)

A Hero to Remember
In the month of December of the year 1994, there was a 12yr old boy honored as a hero. Iqbal Masih had been a child slave in a Pakastani carpet factory. Five months later Masih had been murdered in his own homeland. Though his life was taken, his actions live on as he inspired middle school students world-wide and adults to help free and educate the child laborers. This is a powerful story of a courageous boys life and death. Masih was a remarkable boy who lived a very full, inspirational life in a tragically short life spand of only twelve years.

Iqbal Masih and the Crusaders Against Child Slavery
The story of Iqbal changed my perception of a child's place in the world. Who would have thought a four-year-old could be sold for approximately twelve dollars and forced to work in a rug factory? Who could imagine that a twelve-year-old Iqbal could speak for the rights of children in Pakistan?

This book made me angry and it made me cry. Susan Kuklin describes the lives of poor Pakistani families who are forced to sell their children into a life of bondage. This compelling piece of creative non-fiction is aimed at the middle school market, but the story is universal, and the black and white photos allow the reader into a world that is not an urban tale--but all too real. A must read for anyone that is interested in the future of the world's children.

I'm a media specialist at BelleVue Middle School in Florida. A small group of students and I read this book together. My students were shocked that many villages in Pakistan are too poor to have schools. They compared younger brothers and sisters to Iqbal in the factory. They learned a great deal about mobility and what it would be like to not have it. This book has a helpful index and glossary of terms as well as descriptive side-bars that make research easy. ... Read more

Book Description

Simple and colorful, this book introduces the Persian New Year to young children. It includes 3 simple crafts which provide parents and teachers practical and easy ways to celebrate Norouz at home and at school. ... Read more

Book Description

A practical approach to the earth sciences, Ancient Egypt helps kids reach a deeper understanding of historical peoples by participating in the activities that shaped their lives. Discover the past by hands-on projects, facts, photographs, costumes, and maps. A comprehensive look at this topic for children ages 8-11. ... Read more

Book Description