Books with author Dennis Pernu

When your family gets together at Christmastime, this book will prove to be the most treasured gift, bringing together children and parents, young and old. All the great stories of the holidays, along with some wonderful surprises, are waiting to be read aloud around the tree. This superb treasury of 30 seasonal tales, 10 of which were specially commissioned for this collection, brings together all the traditional Christmas characters and customs that children of all ages know and love--Grandfather Frost, Mr. Pickwick, the Snowman, carol-singing, and the birth of Jesus. Some of the stories--by authors such as Charles Dickens, Shirley Jackson, and Sue Townsend--will be familiar to young readers and their parents. Others--by modern writers including Robert Swindells and Philippa Pearche--will quickly become newly-discovered favorites. The selection presents a wide-ranging view of Christmas and its celebrations.

Yakabou, like every other boy in the small African village of Kolokonde, wants two things - a radio and a motorbike. After Yakabou gets a radio by working as an apprentice mason for his father he has to have batteries to play the radio. Yakabou and his friends Assume and Assume's sister Ataja go to work in the Kolokonde marketplace so he can buy batteries. But they are lured by two truck driver's helpers into a scheme to steal batteries from a Bon Femme (Market Woman). When Yakabou is unfairly blamed for stealing batteries the Village Chieftain banishes him from the village and he must choose to either run away or to live like the "Old Africans." Yakabou's final decision is only made after several adventures, with the help of his friends and in spite of his village enemy Mammadou.

Christmas has always been a time for telling stories, and this collection draws on that tradition to create a wonderful mixture of stories for the festive season. It includes stories about presents and surprises; about family quarrels and loneliness; about both happy and sad times - and, ofcourse, about ghosts. It all adds up to a thought provoking and absorbing collection which brings together stories about all the different faces of Christmas, and what it means to us.

Stories about robins, trees, bells, cakes, puddings, presents, snowmen, goblins, carol-singers, the Wise Men, Father Christmas (and his dog) -- they're all here. This beautifully illustrated treasury of nineteen stories -- fifteen of which are totally new and appear here for the first time -- are written by such well-known children's authors as Geraldine McCaughrean, Rachel Anderson, and Joel Chandler Harris, among others. Their stories span many times and many places but all serve to tell the Christmas story and evoke the magic and joy of the holdiay's celebrations, both religious and secular. A storybook perfect for both read-aloud or for private reading, children will find surprises and delights in the colorful illustrations and the simple and direct text. This should keep young bookworms happy throughout the holiday season and beyond.

The students in Room 26 at Jonas Salk Elementary have lost their pet hamster, Henretta. Henretta disappeared into the school’s heating and air-conditioning ducts. The computer run heating and air-conditioning system is allergic to Henretta and sends the students of Room 26 e-mail clues to help them find Henretta. The school custodian sets out traps, the school Principal hires his brother-in-law to exterminate Henretta and the students of Room 26 and their teacher, Mrs. Mabbit, are doing everything they can to get Henretta back before something bad happens to her.

Find out all you need to know about hockey in this new title from the exciting In Focus: Sports series. Where did hockey come from and how long has it been around? What kind of equipment is used? What's the main role of the defensemen? Who is "Mr. Hockey"? With plenty of detail, star profiles, full-color photographs, straightforward text, and lots of fun facts, this is the only guide you'll ever need for hockey.