Books with author Nancy Van Laan

A humorous, educational mystery book for ages 7-9. A White House crime has been committed, and the President of the United States discovers it! Someone has stolen his favorite portrait of George Washington from the White House East Room. Now, the President must take action. Does he call the FBI and the Secret Service? No! He calls the person he knows can solve the mystery in record-breaking time: MAX! Follow MAX, the world's most famous koala detective, and his four sly sleuths (an obnoxious, lovable bird, a fearless squirrel, a karate-kicking kangaroo and a super-snoop mouse with stinky cheese breath) as they travel from Australia to Washington, DC to crack the case. Kids meet the President, learn the history of this awesome house and tour White House rooms! Funny, fast-paced and filled with engaging illustrations, this book is a huge hit with kids, parents and teachers! For younger children who need reading assistance, you can purchase this book in audio book CD format. The audio book CD has narration (may be turned on and off) and awesome sound effects. Check out MAX’s other mystery books (Mystery at the Statue of Liberty and Mystery at the Baseball Hall of Fame) and his activity book series about American government and civics titled Travels with MAX® (Travels with MAX to Washington, DC; Travels with MAX to the White House; Travels with MAX to the US Capitol Building; Travels with MAX to the Supreme Court; Travels with MAX: How a Bill Becomes a Law; and Travels with MAX: How American Citizens Elect Their Leaders.) All of MAX's books are available in e-reader and audio book CD formats.

Written with the assistance of the Associate White House Curator in 1994, the activities and images for the e-reader book have been modified from the original paperback edition to conform to e-reader format. Recommended for ages 7-10, kids will learn about the founding of America and the history of the White House, meet the President, tour the White House, read fun facts about the U.S. Presidents, and much more! Filled with engaging illustrations, easy-to-understand text and educational activities, this book will enhance children's knowledge of American government and the executive branch. To teach kids more about Washington, D.C ., and the three branches of government, purchase the Travels with MAX® series that includes: Travels with MAX to Washington, D.C.; Travels with MAX to the U.S. Capitol Building; Travels with MAX to the Supreme Court; How a Bill Becomes a Law; and How American Citizens Elect Their Leaders. Also check out MAX’s Mystery Travels© series (Mystery at the White House; Mystery at the Baseball Hall of Fame; Mystery at the Statue of Liberty). In addition to the e-reader series, MAX's books are also available as audiobook CDs, which have cool sound effects, interactive activities and narration that can be turned on and off for younger children.

Long-legged Moose has good friends in the woodland: Beaver, Squirrel, Rabbit, and Mouse. Together they count snowflakes, help one another wiggle out of fixes, and make practically perfect creatures out of snow. Set in the secure world of the woods, these tender, funny stories for beginning readers celebrate friendship and cooperation. And the delicately silly illustrations, from Moose's skinny legs to Rabbit's long floppy ears, capture the foibles and idiosyncrasies of each wooodland creature. Nancy Van Laan has written many delightful stories for children, including Possum Come A' Knockin, Rainbow Crow, and Shingebiss: An Ojibwe Legend. Ms. Van Laan lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where she tries to visit the woods and its creatures as often as she can

Shingebiss, a little merganser duck, can always find plenty to eat. In all seasons, the Great Lake is full of fish. But one cold year the lake freezes over, and Shingebiss has to find a way to fish through the thick ice. To do that, he must face the fierce Winter Maker. Gracefully told and illustrated with vigorous woodcuts, this ancient Ojibwe story captures all the power of winter and all the courage of a small being who refuses to see winter as his enemy. This sacred story shows that those who follow the ways of Shingebiss will always have plenty to eat, no matter how hard the great wind of Winter Maker blows.

Moose has good friends in the woodland: Beaver, Squirrel, Rabbit, and Mouse. Together they count snowflakes, help one another out of fixes, and make practically perfect creatures out of snow. Set in the secure world of the woods, these tender, funny stories for beginning readers celebrate the simple joys of having friends both trusty and true. And the delicately silly illustrations capture the foibles and idiosyncrasies of each woodland creature, from Moose’s skinny legs to Rabbit’s long, floppy ears.

Written with the assistance of the Associate White House Curator in 1994 and originally published in paperback format, this fun and educational book is now available as an audiobook CD for ages 6-10. Kids will learn about the executive branch and the history of the White House, the founding of America, meet the President, tour the White House, read fun facts about the 44 U.S. Presidents, and much more! Filled with interactive flash activities that include fun, educational mazes, puzzles and brain teasers plus color, sound effects and narration (kids can read along or on their own), this audiobook is perfect for home, school and gift-giving. To teach kids about the other two branches of government, purchase Travels with MAX to the U.S. Capitol Building and Travels with MAX to the Supreme Court. To learn more about American government and civics, purchase MAX's #1 selling book: Travels with MAX: How a Bill Becomes a Law, available with a Teacher's Guide. Travels with MAX to the White House is also available in paperback (spiral bound). Also check out MAX's Mystery Travels© series (A President is Missing!), available as an audiobook CD. MAX's books are also available in Kindle edition.