Everything Under


Book Description

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 MAN BOOKER PRIZE An eerie, watery reimagining of the Oedipus myth set on the canals of Oxford, from the author of Fen The dictionary doesn’t contain every word. Gretel, a lexicographer by trade, knows this better than most. She grew up on a houseboat with her mother, wandering the canals of Oxford and speaking a private language of their own invention. Her mother disappeared when Gretel was a teen, abandoning her to foster care, and Gretel has tried to move on, spending her days updating dictionary entries. One phone call from her mother is all it takes for the past to come rushing back. To find her, Gretel will have to recover buried memories of her final, fateful winter on the canals. A runaway boy had found community and shelter with them, and all three were haunted by their past and stalked by an ominous creature lurking in the canal: the bonak. Everything and nothing at once, the bonak was Gretel’s name for the thing she feared most. And now that she’s searching for her mother, she’ll have to face it. In this electrifying reinterpretation of a classical myth, Daisy Johnson explores questions of fate and free will, gender fluidity, and fractured family relationships. Everything Under—a debut novel whose surreal, watery landscape will resonate with fans of Fen—is a daring, moving story that will leave you unsettled and unstrung.




Ursula, Under


Book Description

In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a dangerous rescue effort draws the ears and eyes of the entire country. A two-and-a-half-year-old girl has fallen down a mine shaft—"the only sound is an astonished tiny intake of breath from Ursula as she goes down, like a penny into the slot of a bank, disappeared, gone." It is as if all hope for life on the planet is bound up in the rescue of this little girl, the first and only child of a young woman of Finnish extraction and her Chinese-American husband. One TV viewer following the action notes that the Wong family lives in a decrepit mobile home and wonders why all this time and money is being "wasted on that half-breed trailer-trash kid." In response, the novel takes a breathtaking leap back in time to visit Ursula's most remarkable ancestors: a third-century-B.C. Chinese alchemist; an orphaned playmate of a seventeenth-century Swedish queen; Professor Alabaster Wong, a Chautauqua troupe lecturer (on exotic Chinese topics) traveling the Midwest at the end of the nineteenth century; her great-great-grandfather Jake Maki, who died at twenty-nine in a Michigan iron mine cave-in; and others whose richness and history are contained in the induplicable DNA of just one person—little Ursula Wong. Ursula's story echoes those of her ancestors, many of whom so narrowly escaped not being born that her very existence—like ours—comes to seem a miracle. Ambitious and accomplished, Ursula, Under is, most of all, wonderfully entertaining—a daring saga of culture, history, and heredity.




Over and Under the Snow


Book Description

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow exists a secret kingdom of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals that live through the winter safe and warm, awake and busy, under the snow. Discover the wonder and activity that lies beneath winter s snowy landscape in this magical book.




Over and Under the Canyon


Book Description

In this latest book in the acclaimed Over and Under series, a spectacular hike reveals the hidden wonders, rich colors, and layers of wildlife living within a thriving desert slot-canyon. Over and Under the Canyon takes young readers on a thrilling tour of a desert canyon ecosystem. Over the canyon, the sun scalds the air, baking desert mud to stone. But under the shade of the cliffs hides another world, where bighorn sheep bound from rock to rock on the hillside, roadrunners make their nests in sturdy cacti, and banded geckos tuck themselves into the shelter of the sand. Discover the wonders concealed in the curves of the canyon, the magic of a desert wildflower bloom, and all the unexpected creatures that bring the desert to life. DISCOVER AMAZING ANIMALS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals living in it—and the desert is FULL of amazing and surprising animals! CAPTIVATING NONFICTION: Like its predecessors, this latest offering in the Over and Under picture book series illuminates the magic of the natural world and its amazing inhabitants by telling the story of one family's hike through a real-world desert ecosystem in lyrical prose and color-drenched illustrations. Even the most reluctant readers will be drawn into a fact-filled story this compelling! GREAT FOR TEACHING: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize learning about animal habitats/biomes in K–2 curriculums, while later grades address topics like food chains, conservation, and endangered species. With a depth of research and an engaging, highly visual narrative, this book is an excellent resource for librarians and primary school educators. ENCOURAGES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS: Concern for and preservation of the wilderness is an increasingly talked-about topic. This book provides a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance and wonder of our world’s natural habitats and ecosystems. ACCLAIMED AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR TEAM: Kate Messner is an award-winning author whose books for kids have been New York Times Notable, Junior Library Guild, IndieBound, and Bank Street College of Education Best Book selections. In addition to his work on this acclaimed series, Christopher Silas Neal is an award-winning illustrator and author who regularly contributes to the New York Times and The New Yorker, and he has been awarded a medal from the Society of Illustrators. Perfect for: • Parents • Nature lovers • Fans of Kate Messner • Fans of Over and Under the Snow and previous books in the series • Educators and librarians seeking nonfiction books with STEM content




Over and Under the Rainforest


Book Description

Part of the critically acclaimed Over and Under series! Award-winning duo Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal take readers on a thrilling tour of one of the most diverse ecosystems on planet earth: the rainforests of Central America. Discover the wonder that lies hidden among the roots, above the winding rivers, and under the emerald leaves of the rainforest. • Features animals like the slender parrot snake to the blue morpho butterfly • Explores the canopies, where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call • Other animals include capuchin monkeys who swing from vines and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstorms Under the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world. This stunning read is perfect for kids who can't get enough of the rainforest and all the animals living in it. • Equal parts educational and beautiful, this book is perfect for parents and grandparents, as well as librarians, science teachers, and educators. • A great book for kids who love nature, rainforests, animals, and learning more about the world • Perfect for children ages 5 to 8 years old • You'll love this book if you love books like The Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zommer, The Animal Book by Lonely Planet Kids, and A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Aston.




London Under


Book Description

In this vividly descriptive short study, Peter Ackroyd tunnels down through the geological layers of London, meeting the creatures that dwell in darkness and excavating the lore and mythology beneath the surface. There is a Bronze Age trackway below the Isle of Dogs, Anglo-Saxon graves rest under St. Pauls, and the monastery of Whitefriars lies beneath Fleet Street. To go under London is to penetrate history, and Ackroyd's book is filled with the stories unique to this underworld: the hydraulic device used to lower bodies into the catacombs in Kensal Green cemetery; the door in the plinth of the statue of Boadicea on Westminster Bridge that leads to a huge tunnel packed with cables for gas, water, and telephone; the sulphurous fumes on the Underground's Metropolitan Line. Highly imaginative and delightfully entertaining, London Under is Ackroyd at his best.




Over, Under & Through


Book Description

Photographs demonstrate the spatial concepts expressed in twelve words such as around, across, between, against, and behind.




Under Earth, Under Water


Book Description

Hundreds of fascinating facts are waiting to be unearthed in this book from Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinski, the creative duo behind 'Maps'. Dive below the surface, and find out what happens under the earth and under the water. From early submarines and deep-sea life, to burrowing animals and man-made tunnels - you will never look at the world in the same way again!




Over and Under the Waves


Book Description

Explore the wonders and beauties of the ocean's kelp forests in this latest addition to the acclaimed Over and Under series. Award-winning duo Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal return in this latest addition to the Over and Under picture book series, this time exploring the rich, interconnected ecosystem of the ocean! Over the waves, the sea lions bark and seagulls wheel and call. The bay is smooth and bright in the sun. But under the waves, there's a whole hidden forest, full of whales and wolf eels, sardines and sea bass, leopard sharks and luminous jellies, as well as the waving kelp that shelters them all. Discover the magical depths of the kelp forest, and all the fascinating creatures living just a paddle's length away—over and under the waves. SO MANY FASCINATING FACTS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals and plants living in it—and the ocean is FULL of amazing and surprising life! ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS MADE WONDERFUL: Preservation of our wilderness—and of our oceans in particular—is essential, and this book makes such a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance and wonder of our world's natural habitats and ecosystems. THE GORGEOUS UNDERWATER WORLD: This new book in the Over and Under series illuminates the magic and amazing biodiversity of the kelp forest by telling the story of one family's kayaking trip through a real-world ocean ecosystem. Lyrical prose and color-drenched illustrations will draw even the most reluctant readers into the world. STRONG CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize learning about animal habitats/biomes in K-2 curriculums, while later grades address topics like food chains, conservation, and endangered species. With a depth of research and an engaging, highly visual narrative, this book is an excellent resource for librarians and primary school educators. FROM A FAVORITE AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR TEAM: Kate Messner and Chris Neal make nonfiction approachable and appealing! These two award-winning creators have received countless accolades and published books to critical acclaim, making them the perfect team to tackle any nonfiction topic. Perfect for: Those who loved Over and Under the Snow and other books in the Over and Under series Fans of Kate Messner Lovers of the ocean and marine life Parents and grandparents seeking beautiful books to read aloud together Teachers, educators, and librarians seeking illustrated nonfiction books with STEM content Anyone seeking a distinctive gift for a child who loves animals or nature




Over and Under the Pond


Book Description

In this gorgeous companion to the acclaimed Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal bring to life a secret underwater world. In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. Over the pond, the water is a mirror, reflecting the sky. But under the pond is a hidden world of minnows darting, beavers diving, tadpoles growing. These and many other secrets are waiting to be discovered...over and under the pond.