Book picks similar to
Akimbo: The Elephants, The Lions & The Crocodile Man by Alexander McCall Smith
audio_wanted
animals
children
exploring-countries-and-cultures
The Michael Crichton Collection: Airframe / The Lost World / Timeline
Michael Crichton - 2000
Fifty-six are injured. The interior cabin is virtually destroyed but the pilot manages to land the plane… Airframe combines a realistic situation with heart-pounding suspense to keep the listener captivated until the very last word. The Lost World
It is now six years since the secret disaster at Jurassic Park, six years since the extraordinary dream of science and imagination came to a crashing end–the dinosaurs destroyed, the park dismantled, the island indefinitely closed to the public.There are rumors that something has survived. . . . Timeline
In a world of unforeseen technological advances, a group of historians finds its way to the medieval past. The journey, while ground-breaking, carries the listener also into a realm of unexpected suspense and terror, twisting our most basic ideas of reality.
The Second Life of Abigail Walker
Frances O'Roark Dowell - 2012
That’s the difference between Abigail Walker and Kristen Gorzca. Between chubby and slim, between teased and taunting. Abby is fine with her body and sick of seventeen pounds making her miserable, so she speaks out against Kristen and her groupies—and becomes officially unpopular. Embracing her new status, Abby heads to an abandoned lot across the street and crosses an unfamiliar stream that leads her to a boy who’s as different as they come.Anders is homeschooled, and while he’s worried that Abby’s former friends are out to get her, he’s even more worried about his dad, a war veteran home from Iraq who is dangerously disillusioned with life. But if his dad can finish his poem about the expedition of Lewis and Clark, if he can effectively imagine what it is to experience freshness and innocence, maybe he will be okay. As Abby dives into the unexpected role as research assistant, she just as unexpectedly discovers that by helping someone else find hope in the world, there is plenty there for herself, as well.
Adam of the Road
Elizabeth Janet Gray - 1942
"That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle."And Adam, though only eleven, was to remember his father's words when his beloved dog, Nick, was stolen and Roger had disappeared and he found himself traveling alone along these same great roads, searching the fairs and market towns for his father and his dog.Here is a story of thirteenth-century England, so absorbing and lively that for all its authenticity it scarcely seems "historical." Although crammed with odd facts and lore about the time when "longen folke to goon on pilgrimages," its scraps of song and hymn and jongleur's tale of the period seem as newminted and fresh as the day they were devised, and Adam is a real boy inside his gay striped surcoat.
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict
Trenton Lee Stewart - 2012
Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments. Now he's being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances – and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he does have one thing in his favor: He's a a genius.On his quest to solve the mystery, Nicholas finds enemies around every corner, but also friends in unexpected places – and discovers along the way that the greatest puzzle of all is himself.
Upside-Down Magic
Sarah Mlynowski - 2015
Nory Horace is nine years old. She's resourceful, she's brave, she likes peanut butter cookies. Also, she's able to transform into many different animals. Unfortunately, Nory's shape-shifting talent is a bit wonky. And when she flunks out of her own father's magic academy, Nory's forced to enter public school, where she meets a group of kids whose magic is, well, different. This new, offbeat series from hit authors Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins chronicles the misadventures of Nory and her oddball friends, who prove that upside-down magic definitely beats right side up.
Minecraft: The Island
Max Brooks - 2017
In the tradition of iconic stories like Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island, Minecraft: The Island will tell the story of a new hero stranded in the world of Minecraft, who must survive the harsh, unfamiliar environment and unravel the secrets of the island.From the Hardcover edition.
THIS is Africa
Mat Dry - 2012
THIS is Africa is a compilation of stories that defines the maxim "Truth is sometimes stranger, and more wondrous than fiction." From a place known for its continent-wide diversity, notorious for its dramatic turbulence, and beloved for its animals and untamed wildness, Mat Dry, brings his incredible true tales of living and working in Africa as a Safari Guide.
See You in the Cosmos
Jack Cheng - 2017
All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. From Colorado to New Mexico, Las Vegas to L.A., Alex records a journey on his iPod to show other lifeforms what life on earth, his earth, is like. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he'll uncover—from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew.Jack Cheng's debut is full of joy, optimism, determination, and unbelievable heart. To read the first page is to fall in love with Alex and his view of our big, beautiful, complicated world. To read the last is to know he and his story will stay with you a long, long time.-from the publisher
The Nerviest Girl in the World
Melissa Wiley - 2020
She has three older brothers, who don't coddle her at all. And she knows a thing or two about horses, too.One day, Pearl's brothers get cushy jobs doing stunts for this new form of entertainment called "moving pictures." They're the Daredevil Donnelly Brothers, a Death-Defying Cowboy Trio. Before she knows it, Pearl has stumbled into being a stunt girl herself--and dreams of becoming a star. The only problem is, her mother has no idea what she's up to. And let's just say she wouldn't be too happy to find out that Pearl's been jumping out of burning buildings in her spare time.
Rescue Squad Mater (Cars Toons)
Walt Disney Company - 2011
If there�s a fire in Radiator Springs, Rescue Squad Mater is on the job! One day his best friend Lightning McQueen gets trapped in a burning building, and it�s up to Mater to save him.
Kenny & the Dragon
Tony DiTerlizzi - 2008
When the simple folks in the sleepy little village of Roundbrook catch wind that there's a dragon running loose in the countryside, they get the wrong idea and the stage is set for a fight to the death. So it's up to Kenny to give his neighbors front-row seats to one of the best-known battles in history -- the legendary showdown between St. George and the dragon -- without losing a friend in the fray.
A Million Shades of Gray
Cynthia Kadohata - 2009
A boy and his elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam war.
The Story of Diva and Flea
Mo Willems - 2015
For as long as he could remember, Flea also lived in Paris, France-but at no fixed address. When Flea flâneurs passed Diva's courtyard one day, their lives were forever changed. Together, Diva and Flea explore and share their very different worlds, as only true friends can do.
Kingdom Keepers boxed set: Featuring Kingdom Keepers I, II, and III
Ridley Pearson - 2011
Using a cutting-edge technology called DHI--which stands for both Disney Host Interactive and Daylight Hologram Imaging--Finn Whitman, an Orlando teen, and four other kids are transformed into hologram projections that guide guests through the park. The new technology turns out, however, to have unexpected effects that are both thrilling and scary. Soon Finn finds himself transported in his DHI form into the Magic Kingdom at night. Is it real? Is he dreaming?In book two, the mystery deepens as Finn is contacted by Wayne, an old man he hasn't heard from in months. Wayne tells Finn that there's trouble at the Animal Kingdom: the evil Overtakers have gained control of one of the computer servers that will be used to operate Daylight Holographic Imaging there. That means that if any of the holographic hosts fall asleep, they will go into comas—permanently.Then in book three, Finn, Philby, Willa, Charlene, and Maybeck search to find Wayne, who has mysteriously gone missing. Concerned that Wayne has been abducted by the Overtakers, the five kids pick up a major clue from their close friend whose dreams (nightmares, really) often accurately predict the future. Clues from a dream lead the kids into Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Each clue seems tied to the last, and with the stakes growing ever higher, what starts out as a puzzle ends up as a fight for survival.Read the entire New York Times Best-Selling series!Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark (book 1)Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn (book 2)Kingdom Keepers: Disney in Shadow (book3)Kingdom Keepers: Power Play (book 4)Kingdom Keepers: Shell Game (book 5)Kingdom Keepers: Dark Passage (book 6)Kingdom Keepers: The Insider (book 7)
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
Jonathan Auxier - 2011
One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher—a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue a people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick—a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of horse and cat—and the magic eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny.Be sure to read the companion book, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard.