Books
Rescuing Einstein's Compass My husband was a young boy when he first met Albert Einstein. His father introduced professor Einstein to him as "the most famous man alive" and Einstein had been given a compass by his father when he was 5 years old and sick in bed. The rest of the story is fiction. Einstein was the best man at our wedding. During the ceremony, the ring dropped through a hole in Einstein's pocket. He stared straight ahead without a blink, not moving a muscle, while it was fished out! - more - |
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The Seaking The Sea King lives deep under the sea in an exquisite crystal palace. He rarely leaves his halls, except to search out a human victim. One day,
the Sea King does a very big favor for a king from the land above. In return, however, he extracts a promise. And without realizing it, the king of
the land has promised the Sea King his newborn son. |
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Yanni Rubbish Every morning Yanni and his donkey Lamia, whom he loves dearly, go through their village collecting trash. Their wagon is old and needs new wheels. Yanni's father works in Germany. "Keep the business going, take care of your mother," he said. But the village boys bully them."Ho Ho, your donkey's lame, and Yanni Rubbish is your name." How this hurts Yanni and Lamia. But THEN, Yanni comes up with a wonderful plan. - more - |
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The Fish Prince Mermen! Before there were mermaids, mermen swam the ancient waters of myth and folklore the world over. This is a comprehensive collection of mermen folk tales from just about every corner of the globe. - more - |
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Ali and the Magic Stew Ali ibn Ali loves his mother and father. But the spoiled and selfish boy has nothing but disdain for others, especially the beggar who sits at the palace gate. Why is the beggar allowed to sit there, Ali wonders. "he shall remain," says his father. Then one day Ali's father becomes seriously ill. Anger turns to wonder as Ali discovers that only with the help of the beggar can he save his father's life and change his own. - more - |
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What is the Full Moon Full Of? When a boy and his grandmother take an evening walk in the woods, he wonders what the full moon is full of. Friendly forest animals overhear the question and voice their opinions. Cow is certain the moon is full of milk, while bear believes the moon is full of honey. But the boy has an idea of his own. The story captures the moon's allure, while Cyd Moore's magical illustrations fill each page with celestial things. - more - |
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The Selchie's Seed Unknowingly descended from a line of seal folk, fifteen-year-old Marian living on a remote North Sea island finds herself spellbound by a mysterious white whale. - more - |
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And the Earth Trembled In this retelling based on Islamic tradition, God's loneliness is the impetus for the creation of humans. The Creator meets resistance first from the angels, who point out that a mind concealed in flesh will be "prey to ugly desires" and capable of greed, jealousy, hatred, and destruction. When God sends the archangels to gather clay, Earth objects. Only the angel of death takes the clay, and in return is given the power to take man's soul. Then, at the climax of the creative act, Soul, too, balks at entering Adam's body. In fury, God notes that Soul will both enter and leave the body unwillingly. Adam must be worshipped by the angels, and when the angel Iblis rebels, he is cast out of heaven. Eve is drawn from Adam's side while he sleeps, and both are led to Paradise, where, warned to avoid the wiles of Iblis, they live for 500 years. - more - |
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New paperback version now out! 
I Love You , Bunny Rabbit Bunny Rabbit has no fur. She has eaten applesauce. She has eaten dark chocolate milk. She has been thoroughly chewed. That's when Mama tells her son, Micah, that it's time to buy a new stuffed rabbit. But seeing all the new bunnies in the toy store does nothing to sway Micah into parting with Bunny Rabbit. He loves Bunny Rabbit just the way she is: worn, stained, and thoroughly chewed. - more - |
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The Hundredth Name Salah and his camel, Qadiim, are daily companions: they work together, eat together, and sleep together. Salah is sad, however, because his camel always seems so downcast. But in the middle of the night, he remembers what his father has told him--that mankind knows only ninety-nine names for Allah, while there are actually one hundred. What if Qadiim could learn the hundredth name? Under the stars Salah prays to Allah "with all his strength." The next day--a seeming miracle!--the camel carries his head high and has a knowing look. - more - |
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Iblis In the Islamic version of Adam and Eve's fall, Iblis (Satan) holds center stage. He has tried, readers learn, for 500 years, to sneak into Paradise. Finally, perceiving the serpent's vanity, Iblis promises her immunity from illness, old age, and death in return for being smuggled into Eden in the nick of her teeth. The same vanity is Eve's undoing. Iblis appears to her in dazzling splendor, claiming that his transformation from human to angel was wrought by the forbidden fruit (here a grain of wheat). God's retribution swiftly follows and punishments-pain and loss-are meted out to the humans, their animal companions, and Iblis himself. - more - |
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New paperback version out now! 
Fireflies for Nathan A boy is introduced to a familiar rite of summer -- and to some family history -- during a stay with his grandparents in this low-key picture book. Six-year-old Nathan enjoys hearing his Nana and Poppy tell about his father's childhood. So when he finds out that his father liked to catch fireflies, Nathan insists on giving it a try. Though it's a struggle for him to be patient, Nathan waits for dark and embarks on his adventure with delight. - more - |
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The Lily Cupboard In the early 1970s my husband was a Fellow at NIAS, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study. One afternoon we had tea with the woman who was the Assistant to the Director, Madame Van Loon. The conversation turned to the Second World War. Both Holland and Belgium were invaded by the Germans in May 1940. My husband had been in the Belgian Army and was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Albert Canal. Mrs. Van Loon told the following story. - more - |
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Waiting for Noah Nana tells Noah the story of the day her son called to say that Noah's mother had gone into labor. Now that he's older, Noah loves to hear this special story time and again; his face shines with pleasure and anticipation on every page. - more - |
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The World Invisible Magic! It lies beneath the hills, and below the waves that pound so fiercely on Scotland's shores. It is a world of beauty, of icy creatures, wondrous beyond imagination. But beware. Do not cross its boundaries or consort with its denizens, or you will never be content with the human world again... - more - |
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A Trio for Grandpapa In an old castle, up the tower stairs, past the trunk that was always locked, beyond the jack-in-the-box that was always open, there lay a violin, a viola and a cello. Their owners had gone off to war and never came back. But music comes from the hearts of those who play and those who listen, and there was no-one to play, until three children came bounding up the tower stairs... |
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