Europe & Russia

Viking Ships At Sunrise (Magic Tree House 15, paper)

Jack and Annie are off in search of another story in jeopardy, this time at a monastery in ancient Ireland. Trouble arrives when Vikings land, and Jack and Annie must find a way to escape!  

Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (The Adventures of Tintin)

Little, Brown is celebrating 100 years of Hergé with 3 titles never before published in the U.S. Join traveling reporter Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy, along with well-known friends such as Captain Haddock, as they embark on extraordinary adventures spanning historical and political events, fantasy and science-fiction adventures and thrilling mysteries. These full-color graphic novels broke new ground when they were first released and became the inspiration for countless modern-day comic artists.

Number the Stars (Yearling Newbery)

Lois Lowry (1990). In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis. Paperback.

The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country. Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal.

The Story of Ferdinand (Puffin Storytime)

What else can be said about the fabulous Ferdinand? Published more than 50 years ago (and one of the bestselling children's books of all time), this simple story of peace and contentment has withstood the test of many generations. Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree-- just smelling the flowers--to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. This cow is no coward--he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under the cork tree (due to a frightful sting), is the selfsame day that five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid.

Ferdinand's day in the arena gives readers not only an education in the historical tradition of bullfighting, but also a lesson in nonviolent tranquility. Robert Lawson's black-and-white drawings are evocative and detailed, with especially sweet renditions of Ferdinand, the serene bull hero. The Story of Ferdinand closes with one of the happiest endings in the history of happy endings--readers of all ages will drift off to a peaceful sleep, dreaming of sweet-smelling flowers and contented cows.

Puffin continues to update the Puffin Storytapes™ audio program and convert the cassette tapes to compact discs.

This season, we’re adding two more titles to our list of Puffin Storytime™ packages.The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, is a classic all-time favorite. These Puffin picture books will be accompanied by a compact disc that features a professional reading of the unabridged story. Perfect for road trips or quiet bedtime reading, as well as story time, preschool, and home school,Puffin Storytime: The Story of Ferdinand is sure to please children and parents alike.

Le Petit Nicolas

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

Ages 12+

The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)

When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she finds it full of secrets. At night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. Outside, she meets Dickon, a magical boy who can charm and talk to animals. Then, one day, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary discovers the most mysterious wonder of all--a secret garden, walled and locked, which has been completely forgotten for years and years. Is everything in the graden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life

Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way, she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks; "It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine. The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of roses which were so thick, that they matted together.... 'No wonder it is still,' Mary whispered. 'I am the first person who has spoken here for ten years.'" As new life sprouts from the earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to sweeten. For anyone who has ever felt afraid to live and love, The Secret Garden's portrayal of reawakening spirits will thrill and rejuvenate. Frances Hodgson Burnett creates characters so strong and distinct, young readers continue to identify with them even 85 years after they were conceived. (Ages 9 to 12)

Eloise in Paris (Eloise Series)

Why is Eloise, 6-year-old resident of the Plaza Hotel in New York City, going to Paris? She and Nanny were summoned by a cablegram from Eloise's mother, and, as we all know, "If you are going to Paris France / you have to turn into French and absolutely go wild / and put adhesive tape on you / and fall down a lot and sklathe the window / and stretch into the curtain and..." Ahh, the deliciously mad logic of Eloise. She promptly gets on the phone to tell everyone--including room service--that she is Paris bound. There's so much to do--shots, passport pictures, packing ("Here's what else you have to take / Everything"), and of course the endless good-byes. Fortunately, "Sabena is the only airline / that will allow you to travel with a turtle" so Skipperdee comes along for the ride. At last, ils arrivent!

Hilary Knight captures familiar Parisian sights in his delicately hewn pen-and-ink illustrations of everything from the Arc de Triomphe to the Seine to the Champs Élysées to outdoor cafés. Children will study every detail of each rawther extraordinaire illustration, from Weenie's snout (such as it is) peeking out from under the hotel bed to the bandy-legged, bunchy-shirted Eloise with her necklace of champagne corks. Even if children don't understand half of the quirks and language directed toward precocious grownups ("Langoustines make very good fingernails"), they'll find more than enough to delight them down to their very toes. Adults, of course, will also revel in this fascinatingly eccentric romp. And if you know anyone who loves (or will love) Paris, this book is the perfect bon voyage gift. Eloise in Paris was first published in 1957, the sequel to the original Eloise, and is every bit as wondrous. If you're in search of more Eloise (and who isn't really?), don't miss The Absolutely Essential Eloise, the original Eloise book with an additional scrapbook that tells the whole story of this impish character and her devoted creators. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1957 by Kay Thompson. Reproduced with permission of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.) (Ages 5 to 105) --Karin Snelson

Bonjour!

Here's the thing of it: Paris has just been discovered by Eloise the little girl from the Plaza...

Here is what Eloise does in Paris: everything.

The effect is rawther extraordinaire. If you come to Paris with Eloise you will always be glad you did.

Eloise in Paris was first published in 1957, the second of the Eloise quartet, and an immediate bestseller. Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight traveled to Paris to research the book, and the illustrations are dotted with the celebrities they knew there: Richard Avedon takes Eloise's passport photograph; Christian Dior prods her tummy, while his young assistant, Yves Saint Laurent, looks on; Lena Horne sits at an outdoor café.

All four Eloise books by the late Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight -- Eloise: The Absolutely Essential Edition, Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime, and Eloise in Moscow -- are now being reissued by Simon & Schuster.

Adele & Simon

Birthday Machine (Disney's Little Einstein)