Books published by publisher First Avenue Editions (2001-01-01)

Young children usually think of their home as the structure in which they live. In Our Big Home, the author and illustrator present a much larger vision of home as the planet Earth. Linda Glaser's beautiful poem is a wonderful way to gently lead children toward the all-important understanding of caring for our environment. In her lyrical, child-oriented style, she presents the idea that our big home is shared not only with all people but with all plants and animals as well. She shows that we share the air, the water, the soil, and other elements that affect and sustain all of us who live on Earth. Elisa Kleven's vibrant art enhances the concept as she takes young readers to an African plain, a Caribbean island, a South American mountain, and around the world to see people and animals reveling in the beauty and abundance of our shared home.

What do you think of when you hear the name Albert Einstein? Perhaps you picture an old man with rumpled clothing, a halo of wild white hair, and an impish grin. You might know that he developed two of the most important and complex theories in science, the theories of relativity. You probably think of the word genius. Albert Einstein may have been a genius--but he was also much more than that. Einstein was a man who hated violence and took a stand for peace in the world. He was a man who was proud to be Jewish and worked to ensure a better life for his people. And he was a man who never took himself--or his fame--too seriously, and only wanted to be treated like an ordinary person and live an ordinary life.

What do you think of when you hear the name Albert Einstein? Perhaps you picture an old man with rumpled clothing, a halo of wild white hair, and an impish grin. You might know that he developed two of the most important and complex theories in science, the theories of relativity. You probably think of the word genius. Albert Einstein may have been a genius--but he was also much more than that. Einstein was a man who hated violence and took a stand for peace in the world. He was a man who was proud to be Jewish and worked to ensure a better life for his people. And he was a man who never took himself--or his fame--too seriously, and only wanted to be treated like an ordinary person and live an ordinary life.

The identity of Mother Goose may remain a mystery, but the timeless appeal of the fairy tales and nursery rhymes associated with this cherished imaginary author has lasted for generations of young readers. This collection includes more than three hundred of Mother Goose's best-known and best-loved nursery rhymes for children. Here, Humpty Dumpty has a great fall, Jack and Jill go up the hill, and the dish runs away with the spoon. Peter Piper picks a peck of pickled peppers, little Miss Muffet sits on a tuffet, and Mother Goose herself rides through the air on a very fine gander. Also included are favorites such as "Three Blind Mice," "Little Bo-Peep," "Hot Cross-Buns," and "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary." This collection, taken from the 1916 copyright edition, features charming full-color illustrations by Blanche Fisher Wright.

Eleven-year-old Willie McLean knows that General Lee will defeat the Yankees and win the Civil War, he just knows it. When a battle moves to the fields near his home in Appomattox, Virginia, Willie’s thrilled―especially when General Lee, himself, comes to Willie’s house! But then General Grant comes, too. Overhearing the two men talk, Willie hears one word: Surrender. Is the war really over?

Bronco Charlie longs for a life of adventure. By the time he turned eleven, he’d been a sailor, a cowboy, and could tame wild bucking broncos. But Charlie was always itching for new challenges, and when a Pony Express horse shows up riderless, Charlie gets his big chance. The next station is fifty miles away, and Charlie will have to ride through rocky mountains in the blinding rain to safely deliver the mail. With the threat of hostile Indians, wild animals, and the dangers of riding at night, will Charlie find the courage to face his fears and prove that you’re never too young to be brave?