Books with author Ellen Rodger

Eight-year-old Etienne and his family live in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Kidnapped by a rebel army and forced to be a child soldier, Etienne finally escapes and is sent to a camp for freed child soldiers. He is reunited with his family who then flee the country, arriving as refugees in Canada. Interspersed with facts about the DRC and its people, this narrative tells a story common to many refugees fleeing the country. Readers will learn about the experiences of child soldiers and how they can help refugees in their communities and around the world who are struggling to find permanent homes.

This work is for ages 8-14. Empires were made from the growth and sale of spices and the age of discovery was launched in pursuit of them. Exciting text and historic images explain to children how spices were used to cure the sick, flavour foods, and make perfume. Other topics include: What is a commodity?; What is a spice?; where spices originated and where they are grown today; how different spices are harvested, manufactured, and processed; the historical and modern spice trades; ancient peoples and how they used spices, from flavouring and preserving their foods, to the mummification of bodies!; how the Crusades changed European tastes; how the spice trade encouraged explorers and colonies; slavery and the spice trade.

This book is intended for ages 8-14. In 1804, on their famous expedition to explore the uncharted American West, Lewis and Clark promised the Missouri Indians peace and prosperity if they didn't make war. This fascinating new book follows Lewis and Clark and the members of their Corps of Discovery expedition describing the effects of their encounters with various Native nations along the way. Its features include: full-colour maps of their routes; Sacagawea, the expedition's Native interpreter, and York, Clark's slave and childhood companion; the customs and cultures of the Shoshone, Teton Sioux, and Minitari nations; the many exotic plants and animals the explorers discovered; what daily life was like on an expedition, including how they cured illness and punishment used to keep discipline; an authentic recipe from life on the trail; and America's social and economic state after the expedition.

Eight-year-old Etienne and his family live in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Kidnapped by a rebel army and forced to be a child soldier, Etienne finally escapes and is sent to a camp for freed child soldiers. He is reunited with his family who then flee the country, arriving as refugees in Canada. Interspersed with facts about the DRC and its people, this narrative tells a story common to many refugees fleeing the country. Readers will learn about the experiences of child soldiers and how they can help refugees in their communities and around the world who are struggling to find permanent homes.

Zainab has never known peace in her homeland of Iraq. She and her family flee the country after her father is threatened by one of the many groups fighting against the government. Zainab's life is on hold as her family seeks safety in Jordan and, later, the United States. Interspersed with facts about Iraq and its people, this narrative tells a story common to many refugees fleeing the country. Readers will learn about the ongoing conflict in Iraq and how they can help refugees in their communities and around the world who are struggling to find permanent homes.

Follow along as a fictional researcher observes and makes journal entries about their field trip through North America's Great Lakes ecosystem. Outstanding photographs highlight the animals, plants, and people that inhabit the world's largest group of freshwater lakes. Simple graphs show facts about the lakes, and the final report describes efforts being made to preserve them.