Books with author Jennifer Ann Mann

The popularity of motorsports hasnt waned since the advent of the automobile. In fact, some races began for the sole purpose of getting people interested in driving cars for the first time, such as the Peking-to-Paris race of 1907. This wide-ranging book, full of dynamic photographs, is an intriguing historical look at the world of racing, but also offers valuable information about the competitions of today, such as the Indy 500. Readers will love finding out about the famous figures of the racing circuit as well as learning about different kinds of races and racecars.

Masha can't wait for summer vacation with her dad. He's taking Masha and Sunny to a dude ranch and he has a big surprise for them. But Sunny has other plans. After some creative deception only an evil genius can pull off, Sunny rearranges the summer to include The Newton Camp of Mathematics. As always, Sunny's plans mean chaos for Masha. And who wants to spend the summer at a camp where afternoon activities include math problems indoors? Haven't these kids heard of canoeing and horseback riding?But it turns out camp is a little bit fun . . . until Sunny goes missing. When Masha finds her sister, she discovers that Sunny purposely ran away. She knows what dad's big surprise really is, and she doesn't ever want to go home. Sunny has now gotten them both lost, but surely Masha can push that aside so the sisters can deal with this "surprise" together, right?

Fourteen-year-old Jordan lives for basketball — she is a star player on her school team, and aspires to play women's college/pro basketball like her basketball heroes. But the people around her have been changing. Wyatt, the star of the boys' basketball team, and his teammates call her Jordan the Jock, hinting that she is less of a girl for being strong and athletic. The players on her team want their new uniforms to be short, tight and sexy, rather than the functional athletic wear Jordan wants. Her best friend is suddenly more concerned with how she looks — and attracting Wyatt — than basketball. Even Jordan's parents point out that boys don't like girls who are better at sports than they are.Jordan thinks she might have found an ally in a boy named Amin, who not only plays basketball, but clearly admires his older sister, who plays at the college level. But when Amin doesn't stand up for her against Wyatt and the teasing, she feels more alone than ever and wonders if she should just give up the game. But then she meets Amin's sister, who shows her that there is no shame in being a girl and a strong athlete.

This is the fantastic story of Henri Bell, a near-orphan who in 1890 is sent to live with his ancient great-aunt and her extensive button collection. One rainy afternoon, Henri strikes up a conversation with a friendly fly on the windowsill and discovers he possesses the astounding ability to speak with insects. Thus commences an epic journey for Henri as he manages a flea circus, commands an army of beetles, and ultimately sets out to British Malaya to find the mythical giant insect known as Goliathus hercules. Along the way he makes friends both insect and human, and undergoes a strange transformation of his own. Artist Jennifer Angus, known for her Victorian-inspired exhibits of insect specimens, brings her distinctive sensibility to the pages of her first novel.