New in Stock!
Girls at War and Other Stories by Chinua Achebe is back in stock and we are happy! This is a collection of Achebe's short stories that display the heart and soul of life in Nigeria by revealing the the essence of life in this country and tracing twenty years in the literary career of one of this century's most acclaimed writers.
Here we read of an ambitious farmer who is suddenly shunned by his village when a madman exacts his humiliating revenge; a young nanny who is promised an education by her well-to-do employers, only to be cruelly cheated out of it; and in three fiercely observed stories about the Nigerian civil war, we are confronted with the economic ethnic, cultural and religious tensions that continue to rack modern Africa. Displaying an astonishing range of experience, Chinua Achebe deftly takes us inside the heart and soul of people whose pride and ideals must compete with the simple struggle to survive.
Read with us.
Here we read of an ambitious farmer who is suddenly shunned by his village when a madman exacts his humiliating revenge; a young nanny who is promised an education by her well-to-do employers, only to be cruelly cheated out of it; and in three fiercely observed stories about the Nigerian civil war, we are confronted with the economic ethnic, cultural and religious tensions that continue to rack modern Africa. Displaying an astonishing range of experience, Chinua Achebe deftly takes us inside the heart and soul of people whose pride and ideals must compete with the simple struggle to survive.
Read with us.
Something for Everyone
Recommended Books for Children
In Book One of the series, Feyi is needed in England to help a little boy with a mysterious case. There’s a wicked woman wearing red shoes in town. She frightens kids at night and stops them from having fun ever again. She must be stopped. Armed with glitter that makes you invisible, chocolate chip cookies that make you giant-sized and a stick that shrinks you as tiny as an ant, Feyi Fay arrives on the scene and saves the day.
We will be organizing a reading club for this book for children ages 8-12. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/simisayo-brownstone/feyi-fay-and-the-case-of-the-mysterious-madam-koi-/ |
Galimoto is a story of creativity and perseverance! Kondi is determined to make a galimoto—a toy vehicle made of wires. His brother laughs at the idea, but all day Kondi goes about gathering up the wire he needs. By nightfall, his wonderful galimoto is ready for the village children to play with in the light of the moon.
This Reading Rainbow book is a school and library favorite that offers a view of life in the southeast African nation of Malawi. |
The late “starchitect” Zaha Hadid should be a role model to many beyond the world of architecture—but her genius is often hidden in the dry and impenetrable language of architecture textbooks. The first solo female architect to receive her field’s highest prize, Hadid punched through all sorts of glass ceilings and stereotypes.
In “The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid,” the 78-year-old writer and illustrator depicts Hadid’s upbringing in Iraq, her studies in London, and her travails as a boundary-breaking visionary. It is the first children’s book about Hadid. |
Loving YO SOY MUSLIM
The shelves at Chez Alpha are more beautiful with this book in place. YO SOY MUSLIM by Muslim and Latino poet Mark Gonzales is a touching and lyrical picture book about a parent who encourages their child to find joy and pride in all aspects of their multicultural identity. A lovely and lush celebration of intersectionality and identity. In this lyrical letter, a father shares with his young daughter the different questions she will encounter as she grows up as a Muslim and a Latina—some positive and some negative. But, he tells her, "No matter what they say, know you are wondrous." Her father highlights the aspects of her multicultural heritage and roots that she should be proud of. As the pair fly across the night sky, they see angels and hummingbirds, majestic skyscrapers and mosques, and the fields of the girl's ancestors. In times of tribulation, the father advises his daughter, "Say it with me: Yo soy Muslim. Our prayers were here before any borders were." Muslims of different racial and ethnic identities are pictured throughout in prayer, emphasizing the diversity of the community. Shelley M. Diaz, from the School Library Journal declares this is strong choice for all picture book collections and We Concur!!
GIRL POWER - Celebrating nine good coming of age stories about girls on the road to self discovery.
