2015 Schneider Family Book Award Winner * "A candid and deeply resonant account of a hard-fought battle against societal stigma, and an embrace of one's true talent and calling." —Publisher's Weekly, starred review Speaking for the animals he loves gives one boy’s life hope, purpose, and truth in this gorgeous picture book autobiography. Alan loves animals, but the great cat house at the Bronx Zoo makes him sad. Why are they all alone in empty cages? Are they being punished? More than anything, he wants to be their champion—their voice—but he stutters uncontrollably. Except when he talks to animals…then he is fluent. Follow the life of the man Time Magazine calls, "the Indiana Jones of wildlife conservation" as he searches for his voice and fulfills a promise to speak for animals, and people, who cannot speak for themselves. This real-life story with tender illustrations by Catia Chien explores truths not defined by the spoken word. Publishers Weekly Best Book Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2015 Winner of the 2015 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award 2015 Green Earth Book Honor book

This “extraordinary” novel of one man’s border crossing reveals “a human history of sorrow and suffering, all of it beginning with the thirst to be free” (NPR). Héctor is trapped. The water truck, sealed to hide its human cargo, has broken down. The coyotes have taken all the passengers’ money for a mechanic and have not returned. Héctor finds a name in his friend César’s phone: AnniMac. A name with an American number. He must reach her, both for rescue and to pass along the message César has come so far to deliver. But are his messages going through? Over four days, as water and food run low, Héctor tells how he came to this desperate place. His story takes us from Oaxaca—its rich culture, its rapid change—to the dangers of the border, exposing the tangled ties between Mexico and El Norte. And it reminds us of the power of storytelling and the power of hope, as Héctor fights to ensure his message makes it out of the truck and into the world. Both an outstanding suspense novel and an arresting window into the relationship between two great cultures, The Jaguar’s Children shows how deeply interconnected all of us are. “This is what novels can do—illuminate shadowed lives, enable us to contemplate our own depths of kindness, challenge our beliefs about fate. Vaillant’s use of fact to inspire fiction brings to mind a long list of powerful novels from the past decade or so: What is the What by Dave Eggers; The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif; The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.” —Amanda Eyre Ward, The New York Times Book Review “[A] heartbreaker . . . Wrenching . . . with a voice fresh and plangent enough to disarm resistance.” —The Boston Globe “Fearless.” —The Globe and Mail

Revel in the breathtaking fantasticality of We Became Jaguars—a picture book from bestselling author Dave Eggers. When Grandma comes to visit and a young boy's parents leave, the rules of the house—and the world—change: grandson and grandmother transform into jaguars! Readers follow their journey into the undiscovered world of nature, experience true freedom, and lose themselves in an exhilarating adventure. After a day of playing, running, and climbing through sumptuous landscapes, the ending will leave you wondering what's real and what's imagined. • A captivating, unusual story about a child and his grandmother • Full of lush illustrations of the natural world • Celebrates the power of love and storytelling Breathtaking and bold, We Became Jaguars is sure to give readers beautiful dreams. • Children's books for kids age 5–8 • Perfect for fans of Dave Eggers • Great for environmentally conscious families

Help Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose solve mysteries from A to Z! Kids love collecting the entire alphabet and super editions! With over 8 million copies in print, the A to Z Mysteries® have been hooking chapter book readers on mysteries and reading for years. Now this classic kid favorite is back with a bright new look! J is for Jewel . . . New York is the emerald city! Dink’s uncle’s museum there has a new treasure—a golden jaguar statue with an emerald between its paws. But someone swaps the jewel for a fake! Who stole the jaguar’s jewel? Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are sure to find out!

Describes the physical characteristics, habitat, and behavior of jaguars, large wild cats that live in Mexico, Central and South America.

Discusses the physical characteristics, behavior, and habitat of the jaguar, and describes the efforts to protect this endangered species.

Book 2 in the Heart of the Jaguar Series She's being pursued by everyone, in more ways than one. Even in an exotic world of humans, jaguars, and tantalizing creatures who shift between the two, Maya Anderson stands out from the crowd. Interest from human suitors is bad enough, but when male shifters give chase, the real trouble starts. Who's the hunter and who's the prey? Investigating the black marketing trade of exotic animals keeps Wade Patterson more than busy. When he and Maya both get entangled in a steamy jungle mission, it becomes impossible to tell who is being hunted or who the hunters are. Wade is desperate to survive this deadly game of cat and mouse. But it's Maya's piercing eyes that keep him awake at night. Heart of the Jaguar Series: Savage Hunger (Book 1) Jaguar Fever (Book 2) Jaguar Hunt (Book 3) Jaguar Pride (Book 4) Praise for Savage Hunger: "Dark, sultry, and primal romance...will leave readers breathless."—Fresh Fiction "Humor, tenderness, and pure hot loving...an awesome and exciting new world."—Long and Short Reviews, 5 stars "A sizzling page-turner, Terry Spear is wickedly talented."—Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick, 5 Stars "Spear paints a colorful, vivid portrait of the lush jungle and deadly beauty...of jaguars."—Publishers Weekly

A Washington fixer takes on a simple babysitting job for a powerful politician—that soon escalates into embezzlement and murder: “Excellent.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) Fifteen-year-old Cassie Russell, the only daughter of a mega-rich Boston couple, is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed her parents. She’s also the goddaughter of the Speaker of the House, John Mahoney, who’s now her legal guardian. Normally, Mahoney would send his kind-hearted wife to deal with his new ward, but she’s unavailable—so he dispatches his fixer, Joe DeMarco, to make sure the girl’s okay. DeMarco’s job is only to put things into a holding pattern until Mrs. Mahoney is able to step in—but DeMarco unintentionally flips over a rock and out from under it crawls a lawyer, the one managing Cassie’s vast estate. DeMarco learns the lawyer has been embezzling—and may have killed Cassie’s parents. What should have been a simple assignment soon unleashes murderous plots involving a Boston mob boss and his thugs, and DeMarco ends up chasing the scheming lawyer halfway around the world to save Cassie and ensure that justice is done—though he may ignore some of the legal niceties—in this fast-paced new mystery in the “consistently entertaining, well-crafted series” from the Edgar Award-nominated author (Booklist, starred review). “A writer who gets everything right.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer

This volume offers the first theoretical and experiential translation of Napo Runa mythology in English. Michael A. Uzendoski and Edith Felicia Calapucha-Tapuy present and analyze lowland Quichua speakers in the Napo province of Ecuador through narratives, songs, curing chants, and other oral performances, so readers may come to understand and appreciate Quichua aesthetic expression. Guiding readers into Quichua ways of thinking and being--in which language itself is only a part of a communicative world that includes plants, animals, and the landscape--Uzendoski and Calapucha-Tapuy weave exacting translations into an interpretive argument with theoretical implications for understanding oral traditions, literacy, new technologies, and language. A companion websiteoffers photos, audio files, and videos of original performances illustrates the beauty and complexity of Amazonian Quichua poetic expressions.