Read this as a book or sing it as a song. This beloved calypso song leads reluctant readers to read as they sing. The illustrations are as bright and attractive as the lyrics.
When seven babies are born without shadows, the fairies fear that humankind might be losing its closest companions! Cinnabar and her friends have to travel by elf magic to reach the mysterious and secret Island of Shadows to try and locate the lost shadows. But, as if that is not hard enough, Madam Toad fears the shadows are not just misplaced, but stolen! Fortunately, the King and Queen of the Shadowmakers-and even their Griffin-are ready to help fight whatever is responsible. But the fairies will have to work fast. Without the magical protection of shadows, all of mankind will soon be defenseless.
A girl. An iguana. An island. And e-mail. Meet Nim--a modern-day Robinson Crusoe! She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees, and start a fire with a piece of glass. So she's not afraid when her scientist dad sails off to study plankton for three days, leaving her alone on their island. Besides, it's not as if no one's looking after her--she's got a sea lion to mother her and an iguana for comic relief. She also has an interesting new e-mail pal. But when her father's cell-phone calls stop coming and disaster seems near, Nim has to be stronger and braver than she's ever been before. And she'll need all her friends to help her.
The Greek islands, sun-drenched and tranquil, evoke pictures from a tourist brochure. It takes a special imagination to dredge their blood-soaked history when, as a subject land in WW II, island revolts were crushed by the occupying Germans. In those days, Hugh Lomax was sent by the British to aid the Greeks in their struggle. He succeeded brilliantly, but on leaving for another assignment was betrayed. Those who collaborated with him were executed and survivors, not unnaturally, held Lomax responsible for the carnage.
Chellie loves the big green turtles in their secret pool on the island where she lives. Every day, when the tide is right, she goes to be with her turtle family, and when she learns their scientific name, Chelonia, she decides to call herself Chelonia Green. One day she is devastated to find Caretta, the only loggerhead turtle in the pool, choked to death on discarded fishing line. Chellie decides to take action and begins cleaning up all the flotsam and jetsam along the island’s beaches; she even begins a campaign to persuade fishermen not to throw their garbage into the sea. Her efforts help bring together her island community, and produce some surprising results!
