South Central

Born into the household of a wealthy slave owner in Cuba in 1797, Juan Francisco Manzano spent his early years by the side of a woman who made him call her Mama, even though he had a mama of his own. Denied an education, young Juan still showed an exceptional talent for poetry. His verses reflect the beauty of his world, but they also expose its hideous cruelty.

The trouble started when Pepe the parrot fell in love with . . . a CAT! Hoping to win her paw, he invited her to his house for dinner. But within moments of arriving—with a gobble and a gulp—Carina swallowed that love-sick parrot whole! And he was just the appetizer!

Greater Than a Tourist - Atitlán Guatemala, by Renee Schräder, offers the inside scoop on the towns surrounding Lake Atitlán.

Are you excited about planning your next trip? Do you want to try something new? Would you like some guidance from a local? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this Greater Than a Tourist book is for you.

This Highlights Listen & Learn! Audio Study, intended for those in grade four, introduces listeners to the rich culture and long history of El Salvador, a country in Central America. In addition to learning about El Salvador, listeners will be introduced to comprehension skills that will help them better understand the story. These skills include cause-and-effect, identifying sequence of events, and vocabulary-building.

Rosalba is a nine-year-old Mayan girl living in rural Mexico. Like her mother and grandmother, she weaves stories of her people onto blouses, ensuring that the age-old traditions continue. But new influences are entering her life. A ladina girl from the city, visiting with her scientist father, passes on the astonishing news that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012. Rosalba knows nothing about that, but her village is faced with a bulldozer tearing through the forest, dying wildlife, and cornfields in danger.

Pack your bags! We're headed to Jamaica. On this whirlwind tour, you'll learn all about the country's landscape, culture, people, and more. We'll explore Jamaica from its bustling cities to its sandy beaches and jutting mountains. We'll also find out what kind of food people eat and learn about reggae music and dub poetry. A special section introduces Jamaica's capital, language, and population. Hop on board and take a fun-filled look at your world.

Peru could be far from home, but what happened in its historic past has greatly influenced your present. Peru was once the home of the Inca Empire, one of the early tribes that helped shape the world. But have you ever wondered who lived in Peru before the Inca Empire? This book holds the answer. Secure a copy, and listen to this book today!

Greater Than a Tourist: Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico by Veronica Rudich offers the inside scoop on Queretaro. Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. As part of the Greater Than a Tourist series, this book will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination. You will discover advice that will help you throughout your stay. This book will not tell you exact addresses or store hours but instead will give you excitement and knowledge from a local that you may not find in other travel books.

What is it that makes New York so unique? Which 10 landmarks should be on every tourist’s list of sights to see? What is the history of the city’s subway and of the Statue of Liberty, which has greeted generations of people seeking a new life? Narrator Charles King answers all of this and more as he talks us through 101 Amazing Facts About New York. So whether you’re thinking of visiting the Big Apple or you’re more of an armchair tourist, this is the perfect audiobook for you!

Together, a boy and his parents drive to the city of Havana, Cuba, in their old family car. Along the way, they experience the sights and sounds of the streets - neighbors talking, musicians performing, and beautiful, colorful cars putt-putting and bumpety-bumping along. In the end, though, it’s their old car, Cara Cara, that the boy loves best.

In the early 1500s, Ponce de Leon was one of the most important Spanish military figures in the Caribbean. He made his first voyage across the Atlantic with Christopher Columbus and then, after years of battle with the native Taino, became the first governor of Puerto Rico. Although the story of his search for the Fountain of Youth is entirely fictional, his noteworthy expedition to—and naming of—Florida is one of his greatest legacies.

Explora las maravillas de la Amazonía con Zonia, una niña asháninka, cuyas alegres aventuras en la selva se interrumpen un día por un misterioso y desconcertante descubrimiento. La selva es el hogar de Zonia. Es su jardín y su patio, su vecindario y su parque. Cada mañana, la selva llama a Zonia. Cada mañana, ella responde: le dice “hola” a la familia de perezosos, saluda al oso hormiguero, da una carrera con el veloz jaguar....

Set in 1981 Guatemala, a lyrical debut novel tells the powerful tale of a boy who must decide what it means to be a man during a time of war. Carlos knows that when the soldiers arrive with warnings about the Communist rebels, it is time to be a man and defend the village, keep everyone safe. But Mama tells him not yet - he’s still her quiet moonfaced boy. The soldiers laugh at the villagers, and before they move on, a neighbor is found dangling from a tree, a sign on his neck: Communist.

The Kushans began as nomadic steppe warriors who eventually grew tired of constantly migrating and subsequently put their skills and experience to use by conquering Bactria and creating a kingdom that was stronger economically than it was militarily. Taking advantage of their location on the Silk Road trade routes, the Kushan kings charged fees and tolls for goods passing through. But silk, textiles, gold, silver, and other commodities were not the only things that entered the Kushan Empire from the East and West; it was a focal point for the spread of ideas, diplomats, and diseases.

With travel tips and culture in our guidebooks written by a local author, it is never too late to visit Antigua. Greater than a Tourist - Antigua and Lake Atitlán, Guatemala by Dita Žáková offers the inside scoop on the charming old colonial city and one of the most beautiful lakes around the world. Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. Although there is nothing wrong with that, as part of the Greater than a Tourist series, this audiobook will give you candid travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Greater Than a Tourist - Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil by Theo Caldas - offers the inside scoop on Florianópolis island.... Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. Although there is nothing wrong with that, as part of the Greater Than a Tourist series, this book will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Cuba has fought three wars for independence, and still she is not free. Her people have been rounded up in reconcentration camps, where there is always too little food and too much illness. Rosa knows how to heal sickness with medicines made from wild plants. But with a price on her head for helping the rebels, Rosa dares not go out in the open. Instead, she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her.

Celia es una niña como muchas otras de su edad: es alegre, le gusta tener amigos y le encanta aprender y conocer lugares nuevos. Sin embargo, tiene algo especial: sabe hablar con las manos y escuchar con los ojos, porque sus oídos no funcionan, es sorda. Celia es colombiana y llegó a Santiago de Chile a vivir con sus tíos; acompañemos a Celia en su proceso de inclusión en una escuela pública chilena.

Ana Rosa is a blossoming young writer growing up in a poor seaside village in the Dominican Republic. At the young age of 12, she finds herself faced with turning points that will make up who she is, watching her brother's search for a future, learning to dance and to love, and finding out what it means to be a part of a community.