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The Very Short, Entirely True History of Mermaids
by Sarah Laskow Reimena YeeFrom Ariel to the current craze for Sirens, mermaids have captivated our imaginations. But what's true and what's fairy tale? For centuries, mermaids have appeared in the folklore of cultures from around the world, including the Near East, Europe, Asia, and Africa. And Disney made everyone want to dive under the sea with Ariel when the movie The Little Mermaid hit theaters in 1989. But what are mermaid stories based on? Many myths say these creatures are half human and half fish, while others claim they are simply manatees mistaken for something more magical. Some grant wishes and fall in love, yet others have lured sailors to their doom. Although we can't say for sure where the tales of these elusive figures first originated, author Sarah Laskow separates the fact from the fiction. This full-color, fully illustrated book tells you all you need to know about the myths, science, and history that surround mermaids.
The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns
by Sarah LaskowFrom cuddly pool floats to rainbow-colored toast toppings, unicorns--the darlings of Instagram--have never been more exciting or more popular.Are unicorns real? Their popularity and enduring role in human culture certainly is. How can you win a fight against a unicorn? Why do some unicorns have wings? Why are unicorns often pictured with rainbows? Get answers to these questions and more in this fun look at unicorns throughout history. This four-color, fully illustrated book provides everything you always wanted to know about the myths, science, and history that surround the unicorn, a creature that has grown even more popular in the twenty-first century. With its stylish design and fresh, captivating illustrations, The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns will appeal to readers--children and adults alike--who can't get enough of the world's most elusive animal.
The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura
by Waka T. BrownIn this magical and chilling Coraline-esque retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku," one girl must save herself—and her loved ones—from a deceitful demon she befriended.Melony Yoshimura’s parents have always been overprotective. They say it’s because a demonic spirit called the Amanjaku once preyed upon kids back in Japan, but Melony suspects it’s just a cautionary tale to keep her in line. So on her twelfth birthday, Melony takes a chance and wishes for the freedom and adventure her parents seem determined to keep her from.As if conjured by her wish, the Amanjaku appears. At first, Melony is wary. If this creature is real, are the stories about its destructive ways also real? In no time, however, the Amanjaku woos Melony with its ability to shape-shift, grant wishes, and understand her desire for independence. But what Melony doesn’t realize is that the Amanjaku’s friendship has sinister consequences, and she quickly finds every aspect of her life controlled by the demon’s trickery—including herself.Melony is determined to set things right, but will she be able to before the Amanjaku turns her life, her family, and her community upside down?
The Very, Very Far North: A Story For Gentle Readers And Listeners (The Very, Very Far North)
by Dan Bar-el&“Wonderfully follows in the tradition of A. A. Milne&’s Winnie the Pooh stories...Endearing...Will win over young readers in a heartbeat.&” —Booklist (starred review) &“Quirky and imaginative—postmodern storytelling at its best.&” —Kirkus Reviews An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making.In the Very, Very Far North, past the Cold, Cold Ocean and just below the hill that looks like a baby whale, you&’ll find Duane and his friends. Duane is a sweet and curious young bear who makes friends with everyone he meets—whether they&’re bossy, like Major Puff the puffin, or a bit vain, like Handsome the musk ox, or very, very shy, like Boo the caribou. For these arctic friends, every day is a new adventure!
The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin
by Paula HayesWhen Lily Griffin finds a girl trapped inside a magic mirror, she uncovers a long-forgotten family secret and sets in motion a remarkable chain of events. Lily is a singular character, hilariously funny, sweetly poignant, and deeply daggy. Plagued by social doubts and her own peculiarities, she is the perfect person to investigate the many secrets of her grandfather's house and, along the way, mend some family relationships, discover enduring friendship, and learn to play netball.
The Victory Boys
by Jamal OrmeJunayd and his friends think madrasa is a waste of time, and older brother Saleem is fast becoming the black sheep of the family. That is, until the Imam of the mosque initiates an extra-curricular project outside his comfort zone. But can faith and football flourish side-by-side?
The Vietnam War: The Vietnam War (Profiles #5)
by Daniel PolanskyIt takes more than one person to bring about War. This book will follow the lives of six key players during one of the most controversial wars in history.Profiles is so much more than just your typical biography. This book in our six-in-one, full-color bio series will focus on the five W's of the Vietnam War--who, what, where, when, and why. Kids will learn all of the biographical information they need to know (background, family, education, accomplishments, etc.) about: Ho Chi Minh (prime minister of Democratic Republic of Vietnam) John F. Kennedy (US president 1961-1963), Lyndon B. Johnson (US president (1963-1969), Ngo Dinh Diem (president of South Vietnam), Henry Kissinger (US National security advisor), and William Westmoreland (US army general). This book will help illuminate one of the most controversial wars in American history for a new generation of readers.
The View from Saturday
by E. L. KonigsburgHow had Mrs. Olinski chosen her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they make such a good team? <P><P> It was a surprise to a lot of people when Mrs. Olinski's team won the sixth-grade Academic Bowl contest at Epiphany Middle School. It was an even bigger surprise when they beat the seventh grade and the eighth grade, too. And when they went on to even greater victories, everyone began to ask: How did it happen? <P> It happened at least partly because Noah had been the best man (quite by accident) at the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather. It happened because Nadia discovered that she could not let a lot of baby turtles die. It happened when Ethan could not let Julian face disaster alone. And it happened because Julian valued something important in himself and saw in the other three something he also valued. Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching after having been injured in an automobile accident, found that her Academic Bowl team became her answer to finding confidence and success. What she did not know, at least at first, was that her team knew more than she did the answer to why they had been chosen. <P> This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories -- one for each of the team members -- that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers.<P> Newbery Medal Winner
The View from the Cherry Tree
by Willo Davis RobertsThis bestselling classic mystery from Willo Davis Roberts is about a boy who witnesses a murder. Though Rob saw Mrs. Calloway fall to her death, strangled by the leather strap of her binoculars, he wants to believe that it was an accident. He wants to pretend he didn’t see the hands that pushed her out of her window. Then a flowerpot almost falls on him. And three bullets just miss him. And someone tries to poison his food. When he tries to tell his family that he thinks there has been a murder, they are too busy with his sister’s wedding to care. Will Rob be the murderer’s next victim?
The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7)
by Lemony Snicket Brett Helquist Michael Kupperman<P>Dear Reader, <P>You have undoubtedly picked up this book by mistake, so please put it down. Nobody in their right mind would read this particular book about the lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire on purpose, because each dismal moment of their stay in the village of V.F.D. has been faithfully and dreadfully recorded in these pages.<P><P> I can think of no single reason why anyone would want to open a book containing such unpleasant matters as migrating crows, an angry mob, a newspaper headline, the arrest of innocent people, the Deluxe Cell, and some very strange hats.It is my solemn and sacred occupation to research each detail of the Baudelaire children's lives and write them all down, but you may prefer to do some other solemn and sacred thing, such as reading another book instead.<P> <P>With all due respect, <P>Lemony Snicket
The Village by the Sea
by Paula FoxWinner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award:A young girl learns some hard truths about human nature in this thought-provoking, beautifully crafted novel. Tomorrow, Emma's uncle is coming to take her to his house on Long Island while her father undergoes surgery and her mother stays with him in hospital. For two whole weeks, Emma will be stuck with her father's half-sister: the strange, bossy Aunt Bea. Luckily, Emma makes a friend at the beach, Bertie, and the two girls begin building a village made entirely of shells. There's the mayor's house, constructed of sand dollars and with a roof of pinecones, and the main street with white bubble shells. Every day the girls add to their village by the sea. Then, just before Emma is to return home, something awful happens. In this thoughtful novel, Newbery Medal and Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Paula Fox offers an unflinching and candid depiction of forgiveness and unconditional love.
The Village by the Sea (A\puffin Book Ser.)
by Anita DesaiA classic survival story by one of India's most acclaimed authors, set in a quiet village outside of Bombay about two siblings who struggle to maintain their family's bond in difficult timesAnita Desai’s The Village by the Sea is an exciting and moving story about life in an Indian coastal village and life in the unimaginably big city of Bombay. It is the story of thirteen-year-old Lila and her twelve-year-old brother, Hari. As the book begins, Lila is wading into the sea to bring scarlet hibiscus, sweet-smelling lilies, and butter-yellow allamanda flowers to the sacred rock the fishermen’s wives pray to, just as her mother did before her father had to sell his boat to pay his debts and her mother fell ill. Now Lila and Hari must care for their ailing parents as well as their two younger sisters. Sensing adventure and a chance to save his family, and possibly his village, Hari impulsively joins a group of farmers and fishermen traveling to Bombay to protest the construction of a fertilizer factory that threatens to pollute the coastline and destroy their livelihood. Will the protest succeed? Can Hari survive in the city, and can Lila manage at home without him? Through their own resources, and the kindnesses of strangers, Hari and Lila must find a way to “Adapt! Adapt!” as their ornithologist friend urges, just as the birds and animals must do to survive.
The Vine Basket
by Josanne La ValleyThings aren't looking good for fourteen-year-old Mehrigul. She yearns to be in school, but she's needed on the family farm. The longer she's out of school, the more likely it is that she'll be sent off to a Chinese factory . . . perhaps never to return. Her only hope is an American woman who buys one of her decorative vine baskets for a staggering sum and says she will return in three weeks for more. Mehrigul must brave terrible storms, torn-up hands from working the fields, and her father's scorn to get the baskets done. The stakes are high, and time is passing. A powerful intergenerational story of a strong, creative young artist in a cruelly oppressive society.
The Violet Fairy Book (Dover Children's Classics)
by Andrew LangRoumania, Japan, Serbia, Lithuania, Africa, Portugal, and Russia are among the sources of these 35 stories that tell of a haunted forest, chests of gold coins, a magical dog, and a man who outwits a dragon. Perhaps the best English versions available of these classic stories. 74 illustrations.
The Viper's Nest (The 39 Clues #7)
by Peter LerangisThe most dangerous secret in Amy and Dan's past is unveiled in Book 7 of the #1 New York Times bestselling series. It's no longer a game. The body count is rising. Shaken by recent events, Amy and Dan flee to an exotic land and trace the footsteps of their most formidable ancestor yet: a military leader of mythic proportions. Yet just as the siblings begin to master the art of ancient warfare, they confront a dangerous enemy that can't be felled with a sword: the truth. With the stakes higher than ever, Amy and Dan uncover a devastating secret that changes everything
The Virginia Adventure
by Elisabeth Evans WrayThe Virginia Adventure is a 4th grade Virginia history textbook. The outline for this book is based on the History and Social Science Learning Curriculum Framework and teaches Virginia Studies, geography, civics, and economics. The book places the state's historical events in the context of our nation's history.
The Virginia Colony
by Brandy Bauer Julie RichterProvides an introduction to the history, government, economy, resources, and people of the Virginia Colony.
The Virginia Colony
by Kevin CunninghamA True Book--The Thirteen Colonies Are you thrilled by true adventure stories? do you wonder how our founding fathers conquered the wilds of North America to create the United States? You'll experience it all in these books that tell the story of the brave men and women who escaped tyranny from across the ocean to forge a new world in 13 colonies that led to the birth of the United States of America.
The Virtual Vandal: The Drone Pursuit; The Sonic Breach; Restricted Access; The Virtual Vandal (Tom Swift Inventors' Academy #4)
by Victor AppletonTom and his friends attend a science camp in this fourth novel in Tom Swift Inventors&’ Academy—perfect for fans of The Hardy Boys or Alex Rider. Every year, Swift Academy students go to a nearby summer camp to field-test their inventions. Tom and his friends have been working hard on all their projects, but they&’re most thrilled about Noah&’s new virtual reality simulation. They can&’t wait for it to go live, and everyone is looking forward to running tests at the camp. Nothing dulls their excitement, not even when a mysterious prankster starts messing with people&’s inventions. But things take a nosedive when the pranks turn into vandalism. To make matters worse, clues point to Tom&’s friend, Sam, as the one responsible. With Sam&’s reputation and student projects on the line, it&’s up to Tom and his friends to unmask the true vandal. And when Noah&’s simulation enters the arena, they quickly discover they&’re not the only ones meeting in virtual reality…
The Visit of Two Giant Pandas at the San Diego Zoo (Zoo World)
by Georgeanne IrvineRelates the story of Basi and Yuan Yuan, two giant pandas from China who visited the San Diego Zoo as goodwill ambassadors to help Americans learn about the plight of their species. Other books by this author are available in this library.
The Visitor: A Graphic Novel (Animorphs #2)
by K. A. Applegate Michael GrantThe wildly popular, bestselling sci-fi series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant returns in a new full-color graphic novel series, adapted by Chris Grine.Rachel is still reeling from the news that Earth is secretly under attack by parasitic aliens, the Yeerks. Now she and her friends are the planet's only defense -- five kids who, purely by chance, stumbled onto a downed spacecraft and were given the power to morph into any animals they touch.The team’s best lead is their assistant principal, Mr. Chapman, who is the human host to a high-ranking Yeerk official. It’s not much, but Rachel’s always been a daredevil, and she volunteers to infiltrate Chapman’s home.Rachel is tough. She’s fearless. But what she finds inside may be more than even she can handle.
The Visitor: The Visitor (Animorphs #2)
by K. A. ApplegateThe wildly popular books by K.A. Applegate are back! The Animorphs return in this update of the classic series.Rachel is still reeling from the news that the Earth is secretly under attack by parasitic aliens known as the Yeerks. And that she and her friends -- five kids who stumbled onto a downed spacecraft and were given the power to morph into any animal they touch -- are the planet's only defense. But Rachel has always been a daredevil. When it's suggested that they infiltrate the home of their assistant principal, who also happens to be a human host of the Yeerks, she volunteers. But what she finds inside may be more than even she can handle.
The Visual Guide: Preschool Through 5th Grade
by Pam GoodmanUnleash your visual learner's potential with this practical guide. Learn proven, easy to apply strategies for the specific way your child learns and processes information. This guide is packed with over 14 years of hands-on experience, examples, charts, and guides. By adopting the strategies presented, you'll enjoy watching your child blossom into a confident, successful and independent student because learning makes sense.
The Volcano of Fire: Geronimo Stilton And The Kingdom Of Fantasy #5 (Geronimo Stilton and the Kingdom of Fantasy #5)
by Geronimo StiltonGeronimo's fifth journey to the Kingdom of Fantasy!I, Geronimo Stilton, was amazed to find myself in the Kingdom of Fantasy for a fifth time. The elves had called me there. The Volcano of Fire had been mysteriously reawakened! On top of that, the Princess of the Fairies had been kidnapped. I knew I had to help - and my friends were ready to join me. We set off through new realms to rescue the princess and save the Kingdom from destruction. What an adventure!
The Volume of Possible Endings: A Tale of Fontania (Tales of Fontania #3)
by Barbara ElseDorrity is the only child in magic-free Owl Town. When she finds an enchanted book with dire predictions, she must face her enemies. And who is the strange boy who has appeared in the Beastly Dark? This stand-alone pre-teen adventure/fantasy novel is the third book in the Tales of Fontania series of novels, following The Traveling Restaurant (which received a starred review in Kirkus: "A heaping plateful of adventure, spiced to perfection with dangers, deft humor and silly bits.") and The Queen and the Nobody Boy. Filled with humor, action, adventure, and magic, this is a truly gripping read featuring a large and memorable cast of characters.