The Enchanted Kite: A Tale from Ancient Lands


Book Description

Dive into the heart of a timeless village nestled within the mystical embrace of the ancient lands, where daylight is eternal, and legends come to life. "Guardians of the Eternal Light" tells the extraordinary tale of Anaya, a young guardian, and her magical companion, Kavi, the Enchanted Kite. Their destinies entwine as they embark on a daring quest to protect their village from the encroaching darkness. As the Heart of Dawn, a powerful artifact, casts its perpetual light upon the village, the duo faces daunting challenges. Battling malevolent sorcerers, deciphering ancient prophecies, and overcoming their deepest fears, Anaya and Kavi epitomize the indomitable spirit of friendship and bravery. Through their adventures, they learn profound lessons about the significance of cultural values, unity, and the unwavering light that resides within every soul. "Guardians of the Eternal Light" is more than a fantastical tale—it's a celebration of cultural heritage, an exploration of timeless wisdom, and a reminder that the greatest magic lies within the hearts of those who dare to believe. Rich dialogues, vivid landscapes, and unforgettable characters breathe life into every page, captivating readers and leaving them spellbound until the very end. This enchanting book is a treasure trove of inspiration, where readers young and old can immerse themselves in a world where bravery knows no bounds, friendships are forged in the crucible of adversity, and the light of hope shines brightly, banishing even the deepest shadows. "Guardians of the Eternal Light: Tales from the Ancient Lands" is a literary masterpiece that will kindle the imagination and warm the hearts of readers, inviting them to become guardians of their own eternal light.




In the Land of Happy Tears: Yiddish Tales for Modern Times


Book Description

You don't need to be Jewish to love Levy's rye bread, nor do you need to read Yiddish to appreciate these wise tales. This engaging collection offers access to modern works--translated for the first time into English--for anyone who appreciates a well-told story rich with timeless wisdom. A year-round book for families. Includes a comprehensive introduction on Yiddish culture. Largely overlooked or forgotten, these hidden treasures from the early and middle twentieth century by some of the most respected Yiddish writers of their time—including Jacob Kreplak, Moyshe Nadir, and Rachel Shabad—remain surprisingly resonant for a contemporary audience. Folktales can be scary, as wrongdoers often get their comeuppance in unsuspected or even macabre ways, but the reinvigoration of values sometimes perceived as quaint makes for a stimulating read. In this collection you’ll meet a king who loves honey so much that instead of ruling over his people, he licks honey all day. You’ll ponder the conundrum of the moon, who longs for a playmate—but where to find a child who isn’t fast asleep at night? You’ll enter a forest in which the king of mushrooms and the queen of ants coexist autonomously but face the same threat: the little hands and trampling feet of children at play. And you’ll learn how flavoring food with the salt from tears can pose a challenging dilemma. "Collected and arranged with the lightest of touches by David Stromberg, this gathering of little-known Yiddish tales enchants with an always-new old-world magic. In the Land of Happy Tears is utterly and actively refreshing, for the wide-eyed child in every grownup and children wising up everywhere." —poet, translator, and MacArthur Prize winner Peter Cole







Enchantment


Book Description

In Enchantment, Orson Scott Card works his magic as never before, transforming the timeless story of Sleeping Beauty into an original fantasy brimming with romance and adventure. The moment Ivan stumbled upon a clearing in the dense Carpathian forest, his life was forever changed. Atop a pedestal encircled by fallen leaves, the beautiful princess Katerina lay still as death. But beneath the foliage a malevolent presence stirred and sent the ten-year-old Ivan scrambling for the safety of Cousin Marek's farm. Now, years later, Ivan is an American graduate student, engaged to be married. Yet he cannot forget that long-ago day in the forest—or convince himself it was merely a frightened boy’s fantasy. Compelled to return to his native land, Ivan finds the clearing just as he left it. This time he does not run. This time he awakens the beauty with a kiss . . . and steps into a world that vanished a thousand years ago. A rich tapestry of clashing worlds and cultures, Enchantment is a powerfully original novel of a love and destiny that transcend centuries . . . and the dark force that stalks them across the ages.







Many Peoples, One Land


Book Description

Celebrating the wealth of quality multicultural literature recently published for children and young adults, this valuable resource examines the fiction, oral tradition, and poetry from four major ethnic groups in the United States. Each of these genres is considered in turn for the literature dealing with African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native-American Indians. Taking up where their earlier volume This Land is Our Land left off, Helbig and Perkins have teamed up once again to identify and expertly evaluate more than 500 multicultural books published from 1994 through 1999. Both considered authorities in the field of children's literature, the two of them personally selected, read, and evaluated all the books included here. Their insightful annotations help readers carefully consider both literary standards such as plot development, characterization, and style, as well as cultural values as they are represented in these cited works. Each entry also indicates the suggested age and grade level appropriateness of the work. With the proliferation and ever increasing popularity of multicultural literature for children and young adults, this sensitively written volume will serve as an invaluable collection development tool. Teachers, as well as librarians, will find the comprehensiveness and organization of this bibliography helpful as a guide in selecting appropriate materials for classroom use. Even students will find this book easy to use, with its five indexes identifying works by title, writer, illustrator, grade level, and subject. Public libraries and school media centers will find much use for Many Peoples, One Land.




The Kite Runner


Book Description

Traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant's son in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.







The Musical Herald


Book Description




Kandinsky's Quest


Book Description

This book studies Vasily Kandinsky's (1866-1944) pre-1908 figurative art that formed the basis for his later abstractions. It analyzes many published and unpublished facts of the artist's life and work and brings together numerous historical comparative data from painting, literature, the social sciences, ethnography, folklore, esthetics, and philosophy. This study penetrates deeply into Kandinsky's inner world and breaks new ground by interpreting the artist's enigmatic early imagery as his personal many-layered symbolism that expresses his complex personality, his internal responses to Russian and Western European life and culture, and his quest for spiritual truths.