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There were some fun factoids that I enjoyed, like how there are other important mountain-top sites that might be even more interesting than Machu Picchu but possibly not as breathtaking , that Tupac Shakur's name comes from an ancient Incan leader, and even learning more about the development of National Geographic. There are two people mentioned in this book that I think have more interesting connections with Machu Picchu. The first is John, who has guided people through this area for decades and some of his story is here.

The other is Johan Reinhard, who has researched extensively about the meaning of the sites, and I plan to read his book, Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center. No matter the tone or reason, this book makes me want to join the many who trek the Inca Trail.

I'm not sure I'd ever be physically capable, but it is a nice dream! View all 4 comments. Jan 14, Grace Komjakraphan rated it really liked it. Dec 16, MaryG2E rated it really liked it Shelves: I greatly enjoyed this well-written travel adventure by Mark Adams. A New York resident, Adams worked for many years in travel publishing, and his writing style reflects his journalistic skills.

It is also an affectionate portrait of a remarkable man, John Leivers, the Australian ex- I greatly enjoyed this well-written travel adventure by Mark Adams. It is also an affectionate portrait of a remarkable man, John Leivers, the Australian ex-pat guide, with his laconic style, meticulous planning and profound knowledge of the Inca sites around Cusco.

It is largely thanks to Leivers' skills that Adams survives, humping his heavy backpack hundreds of kilometres in rugged mountain countryside to re-visit the numerous locations identified by Bingham a century earlier. Even before the end of his long life, Bingham's claims to have discovered the lost capital city of the last Inca Emperor were being disputed. His reputation was also tarnished by allegations of looting Peruvian national treasures. His highly-readable book Lost City of the Incas captured the public imagination, and he remained a hero in popular culture, despite the misgivings voiced in academia.

One of Adams' self-appointed tasks was to examine the criticisms, to see if they hold up today.

He also wanted to see with Bingham's eyes the nature of the landscape and the endeavours of the lost Inca empire. I think he succeeded very well - the structure of his narrative swings between chapters about Bingham's original journeys and accounts of his own experiences hiking along rough trails in the company of a bevy of quirky characters. If there is one key character in this book that never talks, but speaks volumes, it is the stunning beauty and grandeur of the landscapes in which the adventurers travel.

With the expertise of Leivers at his elbow, Adams gradually came to the realisation that the Incas viewed their environment on a grand scale, which embraced and interconnected large areas of the landscape in an harmonious and spiritual domain. His final steps on the Inca Trail revealed to him the magnificence of that vision, lost over year earlier with the bloody Spanish invasion. I had previously read Bingham's book Lost City of the Incas , and it greatly added to my reading enjoyment, to recognise sections of the original text being discussed by the modern-day author.

A great self-promoter, Bingham's claims need to be viewed cautiously nowadays. Despite this, Adams gives full credit to the original adventurer in terms of his scientific methodology and meticulous planning. While Machu Picchu has been comprehensively disproved as the last capital city of the Incas, it remains a magnificent testament to the powers of that lost culture. Jun 12, AngryGreyCat rated it it was ok Shelves: I read this book for a book club I belong to that is currently following a travel theme. This should have been a great travel adventure but there were some issues with the book.

The I read this book for a book club I belong to that is currently following a travel theme. The switching back and forth is done erratically and is often disruptive. He seemed like a fascinating person and I would probably have loved a story about him. There is also information about the controversies surrounding Machu Picchu and antiquities in general that was all very interesting.

It seems to me that the book had an identity crisis. It tries to be a little bit of everything, a biography of Hiram Bingham, a travelogue, a historical text of Peru, and some ethics essays about antiquities. In trying to do too much , if succeeds at nothing. May 23, Jeanette rated it it was amazing Shelves: With a light, and often humorous touch, Adams covers over years of Incan history, major Inca sites such as Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Vitcos, Vilcabamba, Choquequirao, Llactatpata and, of course, Machu Picchu itself once in October and then in June, at the Winter solstice.

He canvases theories and controversies, tracks down elusive experts, treks up and down precipitous and sometimes jungle-choked trails, admires Incan monuments and mountain landscapes and brings to life the people he interacts with and the Incas, who build the timeless cities with exquisite skill and imagination.

Maps, glossaries, photographs, timeline and index is included for easy reference. His style unlike Bingham's apparently is engaging and easy to read. This is a great book for the scholar, the traveller or just anyone who is fascinated by the sublime beauty and mystery of Machu Picchu. The best thing about this book, besides the cover, is the fact that Adams, paradoxically, manages to demystify Macau Picu while making it an even powerful symbol of mystery and discover.

Adams has a great since of humor. Sep 01, Jim rated it it was amazing Shelves: Most travel books tend to be rather mediocre: There is no sense of wonder, no reason why anyone would envy the traveler and dream of following in his footsteps. The author, Mark Adams , spent much of his life writing for outdoor magazines, but never had caught the travel bug himself It help Most travel books tend to be rather mediocre: It helped being married to a Peruvian woman, but it was the author himself who found himself a capable guide -- an Aussie named John Leivers -- who was both a personable traveling companion and an extremely knowledgeable one.

Throughout his book, Adams cuts back and forth to Bingham's own experiences a hundred years ago. Whether Bingham actually discovered Machu Picchu was immaterial: It was his promotion of the Inca sites, with the help of Gilbert Grosvenor of National Geographic magazine that helped preserve dozens of ruins for posterity, together with his book The Lost City of the Incas. Again it doesn't matter whether it was "lost" or not. Bingham helped to make sure it never would be lost. I myself hope to visit Peru next year, and I luckily chose this book as the first step in a rather extensive reading program.

Because of my age, I will never take the Inca Trail, or climb to Machu Picchu or any of the other Inca mountain cities or shrines. Whether or not you are interested in going to Peru, you will find yourself feeling a sense of wonder as you read these pages. An excellent read not only for real travelers, but also the armchair variety.

Jan 09, Gerry Claes rated it liked it. For most of my life I have been fascinated with Machu Picchu and have always had a desire to hike to this famous lost city of the Inca's. My daughter who is 33 years younger than me hiked to Machu Picchu a few years ago and the two of us have a competitive history of visiting the most locations. I have her beat in states 48 to 46 but she left me in the dust a number of years ago in number of foreign countries visited.

I decided to read this book to live my daughter's hike vicariously and perha For most of my life I have been fascinated with Machu Picchu and have always had a desire to hike to this famous lost city of the Inca's. I decided to read this book to live my daughter's hike vicariously and perhaps a hike to Machu Picchu is still in my future. The book tells the story in two different times. Mark Adams decided to retrace Hiram Bingham's " expedition in the early 's when he "discovered" Machu Picchu.

Bingham ended up taking some relics from the sight that he gave to Yale University and the battle by Peru to recoup these "stolen" goods is covered in the book. I found the book quite interesting but I must admit that the names of some of the sites and Inca leaders caused me some confusion. Same goes for some of the Inca emperors, Atahualpa could become "Ata" and Manco Inca Yupanqui could become "Yuppie" This would have made it much easier for me to keep track of everything and I am sure the Peruvians would be quite agreeable to these changes. The book is a good adventure read and if you have any interest in Machu Picchu I think you will find it most enjoyable.

I found Mark Adam's guide John Leivers a very interesting character. I think a separate book could be written just about his life. Sep 26, Susy rated it liked it. At the suggestion of a friend who said she "was LOLing" while reading this book and praised it as being written in the manner of Bill Bryon's A Walk in the Woods, I decided to be an armchair traveller to Machu Picchu. Adams does have the same self deprecating style as Bryson; he's an ah shucks writer about his own lack of skill, but let's face it - he made it to all the sites supposedly discovered by Hiram Bingham whose travels of he decided to follow.

Along for the trek and leading the way At the suggestion of a friend who said she "was LOLing" while reading this book and praised it as being written in the manner of Bill Bryon's A Walk in the Woods, I decided to be an armchair traveller to Machu Picchu.

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Along for the trek and leading the way is the requisite gruff but knowlegable guide as well as local porters who also serve as guides, interpretors and who can fend off any near disaster. He travelled in good company and the tales of the trek were by far my favorite part of the book. I occasionally got bogged down in the details of Bingham's explorations and Adams' attempts to validate his conquests.

It was also difficult to keep track of all the place names but overall I'm impressed by Adams' research not to mention his ability to hike at elevation. Still not interested in making the journey myself.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time

May 19, Jason Golomb rated it it was amazing Shelves: All at once, it's a serious and seriously funny travelogue; a smart and tightly written history; and an investigative report into the greatest archaeological discovery of the last century. Author Adams spent time writing and editing for the now defunct National Geographic Adventurer magazine and despite working with and alongside some of the world's hardest core adve Mark Adams' "Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Author Adams spent time writing and editing for the now defunct National Geographic Adventurer magazine and despite working with and alongside some of the world's hardest core adventure travelers, he admits to not being much of one himself.

He'd visited Machu Picchu with his son, but he'd done it the tourist way. He wanted to hike, climb, slog, tent and explore his way through the Vilcabamba region of Peru and finish at the site that was recently named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Adams doesn't camp and hadn't been in a tent for years leading up to his Peruvian excursion. His preparation for the trip was extensive, including dressing the part of adventurer. He's the fellow who strides through international airports dressed like he's flying off to hunt wildebeests - shirt with dozens of pockets, drip-dry pants that zip off into shorts, floppy hat with a cord pulled tight under the chin in case a twister blows through the baggage claim area.

All of this describes exactly what I was wearing. I could have been trick-or-treating as Hemingway. Adams trip was an uncompromising adventure. There were no soft train rides, or helicopter drops into the jungle. Adams hiked, slept in tents, climbed miles of off-the-beaten-path terrain, and used the same bathroom facilities as Bingham had almost years earlier - nature.

His only chance at being successful in this endeavor was to surround himself with quality guides and support. He emphasized when he hired his guide, experienced explorer and discoverer in his own right John Leivers, that he wanted his trip to be about walking in Bingham's footsteps.

The real joy in reading "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" is the frank and insightful humor Adams embeds within his adventurous tales. While Leivers was his primary guide, Adams was surrounded by a colorful and interesting crowd, some of which speak only the ancient language of the Inca - quechua. One guide genuinely feared a man-eating devil goat that guarded the entrance to a farm used as a campsite. Adams points out that rumors and ghosts are abound in Peru and particularly in the Andes where "the mischievous twins of Superstition and Legend tend to thrive.

Adams finally strikes a note of commonality when a fairly severe bout of bowel issues made his adventurer guide reminisce about his own time with the same problem. He takes seemingly meaningless interactions and with only a few words turns them into something substantive, funny and culturally eye-opening. This is the code, indecipherable to North Americans, by which Peruvians determine the latest possible moment that it is acceptable to arrive for an appointment. The statement "I'll be right back" can mean just that, or it can mean that the speaker is about to depart via steamship for Cairo.

The habit drove Bingham bananas and hasn't improved over time, despite a widespread government campaign to combat tardiness a few years ago. Where Bingham went, so went Adams. What Adams sees, so wrote the famed explorer. Throughout the book, Adams provides a very smartly written and readable examination of Bingham's extensive and dramatic expeditions. His chapters are short and each thread of his story - his own travel, the history of the Inca Conquest and Bingham's parallel journeys - are woven as seamlessly, intricately and colorfully as a prototypical Andean poncho.

In Adams' parallels with Inca history, he points out the difficulty in separating fact from fiction "because virtually all the sources available are Spanish accounts of stories that had already been vetted by the Inca emperors to highlight their own heroic roles. Imagine a history of modern Iraq, written by Dick Cheney and based on authorized biographies of Saddam Hussein published in Arabic, and you'll get some idea of the problem historians face. It was the last Inca holdout that Bingham was seeking.

The historical record is confusing, but consistently pointed to a location called Vilcabamba. It was unclear whether Vilcabamba was a town, city, or region, and Bingham's search was further muddied by the historical record pointing to several "final" Inca strongholds. But search he did, and Adams followed. The first major site on Adams' agenda was Choquequiro, known as the "Cradle of Gold".

The site is far less accessible than Machu Picchu despite stop-and-start initiatives by the Peruvian government to create easier tourist access through the Peruvian jungle. It's estimated that only percent of the site has been cleared and Adams quotes his guide Leivers suggesting that "When this is all cleared, it'll be one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world.

Leivers and his ever-present handheld GPS would pinpoint locations of buildings and objects throughout the trip and started to pull together the connective thread of the regions' ruins. Upon climbing to the mountain peak that overlooks the Machu Picchu ruins, Adams wrote, "I had to admit when I Adams followed miles of Inca trail throughout his trip, but needed a second trip with Leivers to explore the Inca Trail itself, and discover the trails' relationship with Machu Picchu.

The Inca Trail is dotted with ruins of various sizes. Each ruin, whether placed within a terraced valley, or providing a dramatic overlook across jungle and mountains, in its own way, builds dramatically to the point at which it connects with Machu Picchu. As Leivers and Adams started their ascent of Mount Machu Picchu, Leivers starts to make a walking stick for himself, but finds that he's left his large hunting knife at their hotel in Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu.

Adams unzipped his pack, dug around for a moment and then handed his knife to Leivers. The world-wide traveler and adventurer who's led trips across deserts and mountains said "That's good preparation, Mark. Nice sharp blade on it, too. May 30, Caroline rated it liked it Recommended to Caroline by: I was expecting to read about a first-time hiker's experience on the Inca Trail. Instead, I found myself in the middle of a page bromance. I liked hearing about Mark's trip, and getting to know John, and learning about Hiram Bingham, and hearing how Mark met his wife, and reading some of the theories about Macchu Picchu's significance, but maybe not all in the same book.

I looked across the water toward Peru and vowed to return one day. Then an old man with a cane picked my pocket. Even though I wasn't crazy about the construction, I would still recommend to people who hope to hike the Inca Trail. He does have some good tips buried in there. Take bus to Santa Maria, transfer to smaller bus at Santa Teresa, flag down combi bus to train station and Hidroelectrica and walk along the tracks.

Obviously, I had not. I experienced so many amazing things in Peru, and what I experienced at Machu Picchu was breathtaking and truly indescribable. I was hoping to retrieve done if those awe-inspiring feelings as I read this. Instead, I was disappointed. The writing was lackluster and shifty. The bouncing through history appe I went to Peru in the Summer of , and while I was there, I was asked if I had read this book. The bouncing through history appeared awkward at times and uncomfortable at certain moments.

I'm a huge history fan, and this seemed disjointed. He didn't capture the essence of the culture, places, or spirituality at all. It left me wanting. Jul 30, Sook-Yi rated it it was ok. This book sounded promising. However, I was unable to get into the author's writing style, particularly with him switching back and forth between Hiram Bingham III's journey to Machu Picchu and his own journey of mapping Bingham's steps. For his part of the journey, I don't think he did the place justice as he sort of skipped the finer details.

It just wasn't a very engaging read. That bein This book sounded promising. That being said, the book did provide some interesting information about the Inca ruins in Peru. Oct 01, edj rated it it was amazing. Mark Adams, working a desk job editing adventure travel stories, decided to find out the truth for himself, at least as much as possible. I really, really liked this book. Although I was thankful for the historical parts which gave me background, my favorite parts were the first person travels.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of his travels all over Peru, and the characters with whom he was traveling. First off, there was Australian guide John Leivers, who wears the same clothes every day no matter the weather, always has a machete on hand, and has no permanent address. He just has a different way of looking at the world, due to his experience of it. Then there were the muleteers and cooks, with their coca leaves to combat altitude sickness and bags of sweet snacks and sugary soft drinks, telling crazy tales and responding to events with stoicism and humour.

There are the people he meets along the way, both locals and other travelers. I loved the story of the two Quechua kids, asking Adams where he was from. Because, although I have confessed to enjoying the modern bits best, the history is actually fascinating—gory and bloodstained and full of excitement, lots of double-crossing from both sides, fleeing Inca warriors and kings, and pursuing Spainards in search of legendary gold.

Adams is a good writer, and he makes his subject matter live, infusing all with a subtle humour and wry turn of phrase. Mar 21, David rated it really liked it Shelves: As an adventure travelogue, Turn Left is highly successful due to Adams' insightful, clever writing, based on meticulous research, and his subtle, self deprecating humor. The short chapters keep the tale moving along, as do the honest portraits of the Turn Right at Machu Picchu: The short chapters keep the tale moving along, as do the honest portraits of the people he meets, along with guide John Leivers, explorer Juvenal, and the muleteers who accompany Adams.

I frequently burst into laughter while reading this. I found the points about Machu Picchu as the central one of many interrelated sites insightful. Adams weaves the history of the Incas, the Spanish Conquest, more recent Peruvian history, and the travels of Bingham and other explorers into a very readable account. The gore in the Inca and Spanish sections may both repel and fascinate. The difficulty of place names and given names is somewhat alleviated by the six page glossary which I referred to often.

I would suggest reading this glossary first before reading the book to begin to get names and places into your head. Four pages of maps at the front, a chronology at the back, and the index will help readers. A note on sources and a selected bibliography give those interested in further reading many options. Adams gives a balanced account of Bingham's explorations, actions and writings. Bingham gave himself too much credit in some writings, was guilty of taking artifacts, tried to do to much sometimes, and made incorrect suppositions at times. Bingham did, however, succeed in publicizing Machu Picchu, which ultimately helped keep it from being destroyed.

I strongly recommend Turn Left to those who love history, particularly that of South America and those who enjoy travel adventure, especially if they enjoy Bill Bryson. For geography, humor, Machu Picchu and fans of Mark Adams. I read this in preparation for my trip to Machu Picchu next week and I don't know that I would recommend getting it unless you have imminent plans to go there. Mark Adams is quite funny and I appreciate that it sounds like we have a similar fitness level mostly sedentary. But jokes aside, I found the narrative to be a bit rambly, jumping around from the locals' personal lives, to facts about Peru, to the history of Hiram Bingham III "discovering" the famous ruins.

I love that I have a better un I read this in preparation for my trip to Machu Picchu next week and I don't know that I would recommend getting it unless you have imminent plans to go there. I think it would have been better as a feature article, or at the very least should have been edited down because it felt like there was so much filler that didn't actually tell me anything.

Curious about the Inca trail? Want to know what was up with Hiram Bingham? Like to read about places you're planning on seeing? If yes, pick this up. Otherwise, save it for another time. Apr 08, Marisa rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a book that couch- and world-travelers alike will enjoy. Adams does a fantastic job weaving history with his personal experiences in Peru. When wanderlust strikes, even the most unprepared are willing to start a new adventure — often with hilarious results. I particularly enjoyed reading this novel in advance of my own trip to Machu Picchu. I had learned a little about Machu Picch This is a book that couch- and world-travelers alike will enjoy.

I had learned a little about Machu Picchu in school, this book does a good job explaining why many assumptions are wrong. Most of all, this book will give you a sense of wonder and awe at the ancient architects who designed the ancient city and the surrounding area. Who should read it?

Lovers of couch-traveling or anyone planning to go to Machu Picchu one day! See all my reviews and more at www. A nicely written account of the author's journey to Macchu Picchu to retrace the steps of the Yale professor, explorer, Hiram Bingham. The book recounts Bingham's travels as well as his own. The food creatures, made from bananas, peppers, che Did you know that sometimes, the strangest things can happen just by stepping outside your own house to pick up some milk?

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Clans of cats roam forests and marshlands, battling enemy clans for control over their scarce prey. When Rusty, a kittypet, owned by a pair of Twolegs and living on bland kitty food, ventures into the n Ivy is intellectual, quiet, and loves to read books and wear skirts and dresses. Bean is rambunctious, adventurous, and even devious at times, and she hates dresses. But when Bean learns that In this second installment of the Jacky Ha-Ha series, Jacky leads the reader through a summer in Seaside Heights, her small town along the New Jersey coast. With carnival games, junk food, and plenty of leisure time, school is out and antics on the tourist-lined boardwalk are in!

After his dear parents are eaten by an enormous and angry rhinoceros, escaped from the London Zoo, James Henry Trotter spends his next four years doing the bidding of the most odious and awful of relatives, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. His life seems hopeless until the day he encounters a strang With the assistance of the Underground Railroad, eight-year-old Sadie Crosswhite and her family make it from Kentucky, across the Ohio River, and travel for days until they reach Marshall, Michigan, a place where they should be safe.

Sixty of the 2, residents are Negroes, but the family is wa Kids might not read this whole big compendium cover to cover, but as a book to dip into for truly funny and classic jokes, riddles, practical jokes, spotlights on major comedians, and advice on becoming a comedian, it's an endless source of material. There are more than 1, jokes here, includi Joshua Dread is having a rough year in middle school. Bullies pick on him, and he seems to be causing pencils to explode, leaving burning handprints in his wake.

To top it off? The supervillains — The Dread Duo — are his parents, and they're trying to destroy the world. Along with her new governess, Miss Minton, orphaned Maia Fielding is sent from her posh London boarding school in to live with her aunt and uncle and twin cousins on the Amazon River the "River Sea" of the title , near the city of Manaus, in Brazil. On board their ship, The Cardinal, Maia Your readers who don't know Judy yet will dive for the rest of the series, with its good-natured wordplay, riddles, and an ear That is the only word that can possibly describe the treatment I have received on this pathetic little planet!

Look no further if you've been wanting to buy a gift-worthy anthology of poetry, not just for your classroom or library, but for all the kids in your life. Julie Andrews, author of many children's books, including two splendid fiction books children continue to read and love-Mandy and The Last o The story takes place near a house by the water: Cheater Pants Junie B.

The irrepressible Junie B. Jones is in first grade now, and we continue to laugh and relate to her Alice and her family travel from Wisconsin to Florida's Sanibel Island for their winter vacation each When Corey was three years old, his famil Just Behave, Pablo Picasso! The illustration of Picasso towering over Paris, stepping towards the viewer with a grin on his face makes clear that he is not going to heed the call to Just Behave, Pablo Picasso! His name is Justin Krzeszewski.

Not so easy to pronounce. Until some kids give him a nickname: Kate and the Beanstalk ReadKiddoRead. Like Jack of old, she sets out to sell the cow and ends up trading it f Throw in a dragon, a sword and a castle, and it is a no-brainer. This is the perfect book to hook a young boy and introduce him to the power of his imaginati She jumps at it, and chases it, and climbs a tall tree all the way to the top, but still she can't reach it, poor Kitten. When she sees it See that helmeted soldier coming up from the hatch, his fist pumping the air triumphantly?

Hold on a minute—that soldier looks like a kid. Hey, it is a kid—it's Jon S Listeners will notice the face of the stuffed rabbit that Dad has just inadvertently loaded into the washing mach Larklight is a rambling, ramshackle house that spins on its own remote orbit out in the deeps beyond the moon. It was constructed in the early s, which, if you recall your history, was just a few years after Sir Isaac Newton's discoveries made it possible for people to travel and then live i In this roughly historical take on the Great War, Scott Westerfeld delivers thrilling adventure as he creates an intriguing world It's been more than two centuries since Meriwether Lewis and William Clark undertook their famed expedition with the Corps of Discovery to chart the lands west of the Mississippi in They spent two and a half years, journeying 7, miles to the Pacific Ocean and back.

Along with their m For the first time in her ten years, she's spending her annual summer vacation at the Jersey Shore without her mom. Although she looks forward to having some quality time with her dad, everything just fee We meet her as a strong, book-toting tyke who, by age eight, had read all the Slinger, reveals to his class of mice that he is going to marry Ms. Shotwell, the school nurse. Although Abraham Lincoln is one of the most written about historical figures for both children and adults, this part of his story is little known; it in Emory and Hannah were lifelong best friends and neighbors, with only 36 steps between their homes.

That is, until an intense fight and a troubling secret rips their friendship apart. Everyone calls him Little Pig.

They don't even hear when he tries to remind them: At a visit to Grandpa's, his brothers and sisters find Grandpa's old m Enchanted with the sound of other young rats playing tiny violins at the Community Hall, Little Rat can't wait to take lessons. Her new teacher, a short-tempered rabbit named Miss Wingbutton, has "little tolerance for silliness. There are four pages of red animals, with two or three profiles on each page, and an explanation of how the color red helps tha Time to Share expands that world a little, allowing Nelly If you and your teen reader are squeamish, violence-averse, or are looking for something light-hearted or romantic, please go look elsewhere at ReadKiddoRead for a great book tip.

Otherwise, if you — or that teen — can stand a gripping, action-packed, downright scary thrille Looking at Lincoln ReadKiddoRead. This unusual profile, narrated by a curious child and illustrated with gouache paintings as colorful as a count Crayola Crayon package, invites youngsters to find out. The zealous young researcher visits the library I've been a Pinkwater fan forever.

Or at least since the s when he started publishing bizarrely comical children's fiction books like Lizard Music and Fat Men from Space and one near and dear to New Jersey's little heart, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. Who could forget young Arthur Bobowicz Throughout his earliest years at school, exuberant Donald Zinkoff smiles and laughs like crazy, even when a big kid steals his giant giraffe hat on the first day of first grade, and when his second grade teacher tells him his handwriting is atrocious and kicks him out of class just because he th The girls' teacher Ms.

Clavel leads Madeline and her peers in two straight lin This is England imagined as if the Na Harry, a winsome and contented diaper-clad bab There was also a glasses-wearing elderly iguana, a grumpy fish who could spell, a ghost in the clock tower, a secret message in the library, and a twisted evil that lived on the fourth floor of our school.

First, there was a rat: With his mother away for the evening, he's invited her over to share a secret. When he pulls the sealed rectangle of black wax paper from his desk drawer, though, she feels herself go cold. Jeffrey Magee, orphaned at three years old, runs away from his aunt and uncle's house once he hits eleven. And literally runs—he runs for days and finally slows down when he gets to the town of Two Mills, Pennsylvania. He wows the residents of Two Mills with his extreme athletic prowess an Get to know the man behind the legend and the famous ride in a clearly written and handsomely laid out biography amply illustrated with stately brown-toned portraits, paintings, reproductions, maps, and photographs.

As an apprentice to his French-born father, a master silversmith, Paul learned t Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: Abuela, her Cuban grandmother, g The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There's not even a title or author or illustrator listed; you have t Marvin, a resourceful and talented beetle with a shiny black shell, lives with his parents in a damp cupboard below the kitchen sink of a New York City apartment.

While Marvin doesn't much care for the human owner, sharp-tongued Mrs. Pompaday, a high-powered real estate agent, he does like her q She wants for nothing. The Society provides her with the exact amount of food she needs for proper nutrition for her optimal weight, height, and age. She will live until her 80th birthday 80 being the optimal age for having a full life without fall Max Einstein is no ordinary girl.

At age 12, she's a student at NYU. She's working to ease the life of the homeless. And she's been tapped by a mysterious organization, The Change Makers Institute, to help solve some of the world's biggest problems. This thrilling adventure will have your young May I Pet Your Dog?: Others are not afraid enough.

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How should we behave when we encounter a strange dog? Harry, a longhaired, chocolate-dappled dachshund, encounters a young By that afternoon, I had an irresistible urge to shake my head—continually—and the course of my life changed in ways few people had ever seen or could begin to understand. Watson's bed broke and Mercy ran off to find some sugar cookies and The whole family will squeeze into Rosa Maria's tiny casita for the party.

Each day of that week, she plans the menu: In an affecting novel almost too heartbreaking to read out loud, though it alternates between tragic and comical, eighth grader Phoebe takes us through the harrowing days following her adored brother's death in a bicycle accident. Mick, only ten months younger than Phoebe, was a funny kid and Ph Rafe gets a chance to leave behind his troubled sixth grade year chronicled in Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life when the di Miss Nelson Is Missing! Paper planes whizzed through the air. They were the worst behaved class in the whole school. Reading this biographical novel, narrated by Anne Sullivan and based on her many letters, I was reminded once again why I, like so many others, have always been captivated by the story of Anne and Helen Keller, the little girl whose life she transformed.

It starts in with year-old Anne o To commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, this substantial-sized volume is filled with conversational and quote-filled accounts of all 12 of the piloted Apollo missions. The text is full of surprising facts, heroic actions, and life-threatening moments. Maximilian Starling is not your average twelve-year-old boy. Both of his beloved parents are flamboyant, dedicated to their craft, and unpredictable.

Award-winning author Polly Horvath sets up a perfectly preposterous premise and a romping pace that will keep readers hooked. Madeline, a human child, finds her ordinary world intertwining with the local animal societies when she comes home to discover that her spacey hippie parents have be Maxine and Nick actually do when they discover the cozy abode of Mrs. Noodlekugel, her cat Mr. Fuzzface, and four farsighted mice hidden behind their apartment building. Maxine and Nick h When should you start sharing books and stories with your children? As soon as they're born.

Some studies have shown that babies in utero respond to being read to, especially rhythmic and rhyming books like early Dr. Here, then, is a board book for newborns who will appreciate the stark c The narrator, six-year-old Lily, yearns to be noticed by seven-year-old Tamika at the neighborhood pool on Wednesday playgroup day. Lily is ever hopeful, claiming, "Tamika is my best friend.

There goes Ernest walking to the bus stop with his pet on a leash, hoping to win the annual school pet show. Three classmates stand by holding their pets: And, oh yes, Cindy Lou and her dog are there, too, snooty and sure that they are going to win. How delicious, how delightful, how utterly sensational it is to have a chunky-sized new book of Prelutsky poems. A talking alley cat persuades Elmer to undertake a journey to a dangerous island.

You'll get to know all of them: My Senator And Me: While there are loads of wonderful Mother Goose collections out there, this oversized book will quickly become a home and classroom treasure with its 68 well-chosen verses and personable entourage of typical Wells bunnies, pigs, and cats, rendered in grand and colorful watercolors.

Nate the Great ReadKiddoRead. He hoped it would be someone calling about missing diamonds or a million dollars, but it's just Annie. She has lost a picture of her dog, Fang. Nate tells Annie that he'll be over in five minutes. Think of a subject — any subject: Navigating Early is a survival story in every sense, physically and emotionally. Jack is adrift after his mother dies and his dad, just back from WWII, enrolls him in a boarding school in Maine. When he befriends Early Auden, a strange loner who rarely attends classes, Jack knows he'll be la The details are mesmerizing, from its glossy black eyes 5 of 8 are visible; most spiders have Camping with his Boy Scout troop on a remote beach on the Big Island of Hawaii on November 29, , Graham Salisbury's cousin, then 13, survived a massive earthquake followed by a tsunami.

Now the author has retooled that momentous experience into a fine and thrilling adventure novel narrated b Meet fifth grader Dave Parker, a known loudmouth who is in the middle of his fourth hour of not talking. In spite of being called on to give his oral social studies report on India, he is determined to stick with his experiment of staying silent for an entire day.

Reading a book about Mahatma Ga Terra Rose Cooper can't seem to escape. A permanent port-wine stain birthmarks her face, which causes stares from any and everyone she meets. Friends and family are no help. Her map-maker father discourages her from any surgery, but als Did you ever notice how serious, somber, and edgy so many YA books are, with all those screwed up teens, life and death dystopian situations, not to mention never-ending angst and alienation? When's the last time you laughed out loud while reading a YA novel?

Oh, right, Sherman Alexie's The Abso With the dubious help of a shifty friend, his father h She is good at lots of things. She is very good at wearing people out. She even wears herself out. Mike picks up a hitchhiker and is lured to a graveyard for those who died too young. As the specters rise, he hears hair-raising stories about their untimely deaths.

Set outside of Chicago, Mike is driving home one night long past his curfew w She feels guilty that her older sister Agatha ran away in the first place There are many poignant and inspirational middle grade novels about the civil rights era - The Watsons Go to Birmingham, is one outstanding example - but until now, almost none about its more radical aftermath. Are you looking for a new twisty, addictive YA book? One of Us Is Lying fits the bill.

Reminiscent of The Breakfast Club, this book is a mustread for fans of E. Lockhart and Sara Shepard. Similar to the cult classic, the book starts off with five students in detention—the When children are encouraged to open this book, they will be irresistibly drawn deeper into a die-cut series of ever smaller books that work together as a playful cumulative tale about friends who read together. Youngsters, eager to become one of this circle of friends, will revisit this book ag The 35 tangue-tungling poems in this seriously silly book are rhyming tributes to tongue twisters like "Unique New York" which no one can say fast , about which Agee writes: Melody describes herself as a little girl with short, dark, curly hair; brown eyes, one of which is slightly out of wack; a head that wobbles a little; thin legs that have never been used; and feet that sometimes kick unexpectedly.

The Big Easy has been anything but easy on Josie. Josie has tried distancing herself from her mother, Louise. Moved by the story of Owen, the orphaned b He stayed, hopping aboard the mail wagon each day for a ride to the train depo The Gaither sisters — Delphine, who narrates their story, Vonetta, and Fern -- are returning to Brooklyn after spending the summer of with their formerly estranged mother, Cecile, a poet who lives in Oakland, California and is active in the Black Panther Party.

Bird watchers were i Mother pandas often have twins but can only care for one cub at a time, so the workers at the panda nu The Prologue of this nifty, tongue-in-cheek little novel explains how, during the golden age of men and gods, Zeus became enraged at the lazy humans who took the gods for granted and removed fire from the earth as punishment. Prometheus, the Titan, stole the fire from Mount Olympus to give back This book follows the beginning of a not-so-typical love story that involves the two main characters named Margo and Q.

These two characters experienced something that bonded them together; however, as years passed, they had drifted apart. The novel not only has a love story, but also involves a When his best friend goes on vacation, year-old Victor Vollmer agrees to take over his paper route for a month. But having to ring doorbells and spe When he gets to school, his best friend Pearl, a gray rabbit, tells him their teacher, Ms In this electric picture book biography, written in both English and Raven-haired Persephone is gathering spring flowers in the fields when the ground opens up, and Hades, King of the Underworld, ascends in his chariot and abducts her.

Into the Underworld they race, while Persephone's friends r Children are sure to eat-up Pie, a light mystery with a heavy dollop of familial love. When he grows up, Liam wants to be the Easter Bunny. But can a pig become the Easter Bunny? Can't you just hear your children answering: But don't tell Liam that. Liam knows he has to work hard to make his dreams come true. He practices hopping, eating salad and delivering eggs, with They meet on the high seas, and the competition begins. Each demands, and refuses, to give way to the other Whoopee cushions are the types of things that bring elated smiles to every little boy and girl.

What eight year old would not roll over in uncontrollable laughter when their parent innocently sits down on a couch and an explosive sound originates from what appears to be their backside? Press Here is the ultimate book for engaging very young children and holding their attention. It is so clever and simple; you'll wish you had thought of it yourself! The book begins with a simple yellow dot in t Alan Gratz presents an utterly riveting story of survival and perseverance captured through the eyes and voice of a boy forced to grow up before his time during World War II in Poland.

Based on the true story of Jack Gruener, Prisoner B lays bare the torture one boy endured for six long yea Sixteen-year-old twins Lia and Alice Milthorpe are horrorstruck to find their father dead by unknown causes in their house's Dark Room, the room in which their deceased mother used to live. But his death pales in comparison to the dark events that follow Lia the next few days: Kenny Wright lives in a bad area of Washington, D. His middle school, Anacostia, is a wreck.

Luckily, he is being raised by his grandmother, who taught elementary school for 62 years and keeps a close eye on him. But, poor Kenny is also confronted with a group of bullies in his school, and his cl Nicknamed "Qwerty" after the six letters on the top left side of a keyboard, year-old Robert Edward Stevens, a computer-loving boy, digs up a mysterious box labeled "Thomas A. Edison" in his West Orange, New Jersey back yard. Inside is an unusual machine which appears to have been buried for Twelve-year-old Randi Rhodes has a big secret: Intriguingly, the cover of the book he finds appears to be the same as the actual book,Redwoods, with the selfsame boy on the cover.

In a new series, Eoin Colfer Artemis Fowl introduces two gutsy new heroes in an action-adventure blend of sci-fi, steampunk, horror, and humor that will leave readers gasping for more. In the same city, in the same house, unbeknownst to each other, two teens are being tested — one is Fifth and sixth graders who think they like scary books are going to clamor for this one, the first in a series of five, once they see the dark and foreboding moonlit cover, but let me warn you—it's really scary.

Ling's father, a respected sur The little mongoose is first rescued from a roadside flood by Teddy's In a wordless graphic novel, a gray dog assembles, from a mail-order Tin Robot Kit, a new robot companion. Together, the dog and robot check books out at the library, cook popcorn, watch TV, and take a Greyhound bus to the beach where they cavort in the water and fall asleep on beach towels in t Iliona is starting a new diary on the advent of her family's journey from their home on the Greek island of Mytilini, and across the Aegean Sea to Alexandria, Egypt.

It is Year 3 of the st Olympiad or what we would call AD , and while she is excited to be setting off on an adventure with Roxie and the Hooligans ReadKiddoRead. She has virtually memorized the text of that famous book, Lord Thistlebottom's Book of Pi At thirteen, twins Florida and Dallas are the oldest kids in the ramshackle Boxton Creek Home for Children, a place where rules are king. The two siblings—daydreamy Dallas and his spitfire of a sister, Florida—have broken all those rules many times, spending untold hours in the damp, In , with more of the children falling ill in their isolated little village of Clifton, Indiana, Jessie's ma takes her into the woods to look for herbs.

Ma has been acting secretive and strange, but what she now tells Jessie is incomprehensible. It seems that Clifton isn't an ordinary villag Fut a whunny bew nook! There are tworty-foo feally runny pyming rhoems about Runny Babbit and pots of his lals in this bazy crook. Didn't understand those last sentences? They are filled with Spoonerisms, where consonants are switched for pairs of words. Or, as the introductory poem says, "If yo In a book that looks more like an old and treasured leather souvenir box than it does a traditional book, travelers will find the vivid experience of a safari.

The photicular image of a cheetah races to life as the cat runs across the grasslands when you lift open the cover. You eagerly turn t Samantha on a Roll ReadKiddoRead. Sammy cannot wait to try her new skates, but Mama tells her, "No Samantha. Shari, Michael, Bird and Greg have nothing to do in the boring, remote town of Pitts Landing, and decide to explore the creepy ramshackle Coffman house down their street.

After pillaging the basement, they find old treasures: Greg takes a pho This isn't a playground. And, "You have to ask before you use glitter. On the American Library Association's list of the most-challenged books of the 's, Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is number one with a bullet. The first volume in Schwartz's three-part Scary Stories series is, in film terms, the Citizen Kane of books that parents have Nick's biology teacher, Mrs.

Bunny Starch, nearly six feet tall, with died blonde hair, bright violet eye shadow, and polyester pantsuits, is the most feared teacher at the Truman School in Naples, Florida. Nick's friend, Marta, still has nightmares since she threw up in class and Mrs. Adventures at the Harvey N. Scooter in the Outside ReadKiddoRead. It makes Scooter so happy he wags his tail: Scooter is a plump, sunny yellow dog.

He lives in the suburbs with Lucy and the highlight of his day is their walk. After eight dangerous and daring missions, the teen spy has come to his last. But this mission is like no other. The danger is greater, the stakes higher, the villains deadlie Once finished, her mother asks: Seraphina is a first novel by a comic book creator and it is astonishingly good; intelligent, original, heartbreaking, and I say this even though I am not a big fan of dragon fantasies, which this is at least in part. As he laments his life underwater he wishes for more colorful friends while swimming past beautiful coral and tropical fish , endless possibilities while in the midst Filled with intriguing details and written with dramatic intensity, this riveting account of the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition reads like a gripping adventure novel.

In , Sir Ernest Shackleton attempted to be the first explorer to cross Antarctica by foot "from sea to sea. Nolan is half Bubba's s Captain Amazing decides he needs a sidekick when, while trying to collar four supervillains, he falls and crashes into a peanut vendor, trigge There are strange things afoot on the thirtieth story of Wayside School.

Gorf, turned all her children into apples, but had to be replaced when they reversed her spell, turned her into an apple, and she accidentally was eaten by Louis, the sch Younger children with a bat phobia learn to get over it and love the flying mice when they read Janell Cannon's classic picture book, Stellaluna. Older readers are enthralled when they meet Shade, the rebellious and nonconformist bat in Kenneth Oppel's trilogy, starting with Silverwing.

On the first heavystock page is an illustration of what appears to be Bea is fresh out of rehab, fending off her former drug dealer and struggling to stay straight. Their vigilance, suspicions and over-protectiveness are unnerving. In , there were 42, cases reported in the United States. One of those was a twelve-year-old girl in Austin, Minnesota: On her walk to school, fifth grader Amy Prochenko encounters a medium-sized, long-furred brown, white, and black dog with floppy ears.

Could you please help me? The dog's name is F Snake and Lizard ReadKiddoRead. Through 15 delightful short stories, rich with dialogue and illustrated with diminutive pen Kindergarten is closed, the school bus is stuck, and Daddy's flight has been canceled. Mama doesn't want her little one to catch cold, but the bunny sneaks outs His new teacher, Mrs. Halley, has put him in the slow group with two strange new kids.

The new girl just ate ha Clear the webs from my room with the bristliest broom.

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Now he is not-Patrick. Justice, redemption and salvation all come into play in this gripping mix of gothic horror and historical fantasy. In a Dickensian London made eerie by evil and magic, two orphans, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall, live with the puppeteer Grisini. Their lives are grim enough when they make a sinist When the doorbell rings during his first dinner with the very talkative, incredibly loud, Blythe family, Prez goes to answer it even though the recent Because he's just flunked sixth-grade English, Stanford Wong, who thinks of himself as "the only stupid Chinese kid in America," won't be able to go to basketball camp this summer.

Instead, he'll be taking a summer school English class with Mr. If he fails it, he'll Straight to the Pole ReadKiddoRead. Pressing on through the snow. Wearing a stocking cap and a scarf tied around his or her-the gender is never specified Don't let bullies kick sand in your face! Did you know he was a real guy? An inspiration for all us flab-filled folks, this peppy Much to Tom's horror, Ketchvar crawls o Ethan Feld hates baseball. The whole league calls him "Dog Boy," because he's always wanting a walk-he's the worst player in the history of baseball. The day the Roosters face the Angels, the only people holding Ethan back from quitting for good are his father and the team's star, Jennifer T.

Readers will find it as compelling, eye-opening and exciting as its feline counterpart. Lucky, a sheltie-retriever mix, wakes from a dream of his mother telling him the stor Sixth grader Griffin Bing is known as the Man with the Plan. But out of the 29 kids he invited to his secret sleepover at the old Rockford house the night before it is to be torn down, only Griffin and his best friend Ben Slovak show up. Just because it's dusty and dark and supposedly haunted is This rhyming, interactive, lift-the-flap, elongated board book introduces the Goodnight, Moon and Dear Zoo set to dozens of smiling animal parents and their little ones, all proudly displaying their singular tails.

Tired of living in suburbia or wherever you are? Why not try an alternate reality with the bizarre stories, poems, and musings, accompanied by even more surreal drawings, doodlings, and full-color paintings from the strange brain of Shaun Tan. Tan is the innovative Australian artist who brought Peter Hatcher has an almost-three-year-old brother named Fudge, who not only receives all their parents' attention, but gets away with everything.

The only time Peter likes him is when Fudge is sleeping, sucking his thumb and making a slurping sound. Peter walks home to his family's apartment on When reading nonfiction, it's grand to discover something new. Tell me something I don't know! Or tell me something I do know, but present it in such a way as to make it feel brand new. In , we celebrated the fortieth anniversary of a most memorable summer. Here on Earth, the New York Thruwa This has been Timmy Bear's playground throughout t And another who was born on the very next day. And both of those babies, as everyone knows, had ten little fingers and ten little toes.

Pearl keeps a chart about just how unfair it is: The aliens opening move is to You saw it here first! This amazing comic book actuallybreaks down the events of and events leading up to the unforgettable attacks of September 11th He lays out his limitations straight off: Desperate to find a nanny for his three children—eleven-year-old Derrick, nine-year-old Samantha, and seven-year-old Michael—Mr.

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Green, a parsimonious and dreadfully boring lawyer, pounds a sign for a nanny on his front lawn. After three weeks with no response, he is only too willing Harry Potter fans, rejoice. Here's the first of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, a crackling and original English fantasy that takes place in an alternate London. The viewpoint alternates between the overblown, self-possessed, wisecracking and sometimes put-upon narrative of a 5,year-old djinni, Bart Many kids daydream about having wings and being able to soar across the sky. Be careful what you wish for. When you first pick up this very brown and battered-looking wordless picture book graphic novel with the sepia-toned photograph on the cover, of a man in a suit and s-style fedora, carrying an old suitcase, it looks like an old photo album you found up in your grandparents' attic.

Leigh Chen Sanders knows her mother is a bird. Then one night, the bird delivers a box full of artifacts from her Brace yourselves to meet Awesome Man. This young superhero is totally dedicated to vanquishing crime. His nonstop, fantastic fantasy adven It stars characters such as "a mixed up cow which flaps its wings and says meow" and "Noel -- the hole-dwelling, coal-eating, Now you don't have to wait until you're older to appreciate the dark, hip, wiseguy first person detective style of Dashiell Hammett in The Maltese Falcon and Raymond Chandler in The Big Sleep.

Maybe you had to read too many serious anth I got a present! It's a box as big as he is, wrapped in polka dotted paper and ribbon. A big brown box!

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