Nonfiction World

Emmy Award-winning storyteller Bobby Norfolk brings his electrifying energy to world folktales (African, Eastern European, Appalachian, and Irish traditions), to the delight of all ages. From Anansi, the African trickster, to Jack, the bumbling, lucky, persevering Everyman of traditional stories, Norfolk's characters instruct while they entertain.

The author of My Name Is Maria Isabel offers an inspiring look at her childhood in Cuba in this collection that includes "Where the Flame Trees Bloom", "Under the Royal Palms", five new stories, and more. These true autobiographical tales from renowned Hispanic author and educator Alma Flor Ada are filled with family love and traditions, secrets and deep friendships, and a gorgeous, moving picture of the island of Cuba, where Alma Flor grew up.

James Marsh tells of his evolution from a troubled childhood to a long career in publishing that culminated in the creation of The Canadian Encyclopedia—what one reviewer called “the intellectual equivalent of the building of the CPR.” Through friendships, curiosity, the insights of a charismatic psychiatrist, his passion for books, and the intimate encounters with the authors he met, he championed a diverse and inclusive view of Canada, which was used to draw the great minds of an impossible nation together in a common national enterprise.

This lyrical biography explores the life and art of Yoko Ono, from her childhood haiku to her avant-garde visual art and experimental music. An outcast throughout most of her life, and misunderstood by every group she was supposed to belong to, Yoko always followed her own unique vision to create art that was ahead of its time and would later be celebrated. Her focus remained on being an artist, even when the rest of world saw her only as the wife of John Lennon. Yoko Ono's moving story will inspire any young adult who has ever felt like an outsider.

Paris in the 1940s was a place of fear, power, aggression, courage, deprivation, and secrets. During the occupation, the swastika flew from the Eiffel Tower and danger lurked on every corner. While Parisian men were either fighting at the front or captured and forced to work in German factories, the women of Paris were left behind where they would come face to face with the German conquerors on a daily basis, as waitresses, shop assistants, or wives and mothers, increasingly desperate to find food to feed their families as hunger became part of everyday life.

Native American tribes from the Northwest Coast learned to use the wood of cedar trees for many of their daily needs. Tribes used recycling to conserve resources hundreds of years ago. Pounding bark until it was fluffy to make diapers and with special thin branches called withes, cedar trees were soaked and used to make rope. What special technique did tribes use to take down big cedar trees?

What is it like to live in or visit Egypt? What makes Egypt’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of Egyptian people.

What is it like to live in or visit South Africa? What makes South Africa’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of South Africans.

What is it like to live in or visit Japan? What makes Japan’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of the Japanese people.

The national soccer teams of Mexico and the United States have a rivalry spanning decades. What made the teams fierce competitors? How are both country’s fans involved in keeping this rivalry going?

What is it like to live in or visit South Korea? What makes South Korea’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of South Korean people.

What is it like to live in or visit Turkey? What makes Turkey’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of Turkish people.

What is it like to live in or visit Sri Lanka? What makes Sri Lanka’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of Sri Lankan people.

What is it like to live in or visit Argentina? What makes Argentina’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of Argentinian people.

What would it be like to live in Iran? How is Iran's culture unique? Explore the sights, traditions, and daily lives of Iranians!

What would it be like to live in Ecuador? How is Ecuador's culture unique? Explore the sights, traditions, and daily lives of Ecuadorians!

What would it be like to live in Ethiopia? How is Ethiopia's culture unique? Explore the sights, traditions, and daily lives of Ethiopians!

What would it be like to live in China? How is China's culture unique? Explore the sights, traditions, and daily lives of the Chinese!

What would it be like to live in Peru? How is Peru's culture unique? Explore the sights, traditions, and daily lives of Peruvians!

Alexander Chee, an essayist of “virtuosity and power” (Washington Post), selects twenty essays out of thousands that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year.