In this shrewd and fascinating book, the renowned scholar and former foreign minister Jorge Castañeda sheds much light on the puzzling paradoxes of politics and culture of modern Mexico. Here’s a nation of 110 million that has an ambivalent and complicated relationship with the United States yet is host to more American expatriates than any country in the world. Its people tend to resent foreigners yet have made the nation a hugely popular tourist destination. Mexican individualism and individual ties to the land reflect a desire to conserve the past and slow the route to uncertain modernity. Castañeda examines the future possibilities for Mexico as it becomes more diverse in its regional identities, socially more homogenous, its character and culture the instruments of change rather than sources of stagnation, its political system more open and democratic. Mañana Forever? is a compelling portrait of a nation at a crossroads.

So easily could one imagine this story infused with the rich detail of character, setting, and motivation that would transform it into a memorable work of brilliant insight. Clarion Review Throughout this compelling story, Fawcett makes fascinating inquiries about life, evolution and the true nature of man, proving that with all of our technology, the human mind still remains the most powerful and mysterious tool. Kirkus Review Faced with imminent death after a grim cancer diagnosis, sixty-eight-year-old Dr. Ian Farrell decides that he and his wife, Caitlin, should live life fully and appreciate every moment he has left together. After Ian and Caitlin return to Chicago from a spontaneous trip to Santa Fe, Ian has no idea that he will soon have a tempting carrot dangled in front of his nose: the chance to live forever. When Ian lands back in the hospital for more tests, two agents from a governmental research agency ask him to submit to an attempted transfer of his mind to an electronic chip. With very little time left to live, Ian accepts. He flies to Project Phoenix the next day with Caitlin and Colonel Wild Bill Clausen, the head of Project Phoenix. After he bids his wife good-bye, Ian swears his allegiance to the United States, lies on a table, and heads into the bowels of a machine that will change his destiny forever. In this intriguing novel, a dying man now left with nothing but his consciousness must create a new identity and partner with a brilliant neurophysicist in order to save humankind from a destructive technology.

By the time he was killed in the jungles of Bolivia, where his body was displayed like a deposed Christ, Ernesto "Che" Guevara had become a synonym for revolution everywhere from Cuba to the barricades of Paris. This extraordinary biography peels aside the veil of the Guevara legend to reveal the charismatic, restless man behind it. Drawing on archival materials from three continents and on interviews with Guevara's family and associates, Castaneda follows Che from his childhood in the Argentine middle class through the years of pilgrimage that turned him into a committed revolutionary. He examines Guevara's complex relationship with Fidel Castro, and analyzes the flaws of character that compelled him to leave Cuba and expend his energies, and ultimately his life, in quixotic adventures in the Congo and Bolivia. A masterpiece of scholarship, Companero is the definitive portrait of a figure who continues to fascinate and inspire the world over.

When Antonio sees the members of the Mariachi band play, he wants nothing more than a guitar of his own. But guitars cost money, explains his father, who hands Antonio a stick instead. Confused and upset, Antonio resentfully accepts his father’s gift. He heads off, unknowingly starting a chain of exchanges that may, miraculously, earn him what he wants most.

Get to know Alpha Betty’s class in the award-winning, 26-book alphabet series ANIMAL ANTICS A TO Z! From Alexander Anteater to Zachary Zebra, it’s one adventure after another. Zip along with these zany characters as they find new friends, test their talents, and have a rip-roaring good time! Alexander wants to have an amazing act for the talent show. He can already stand on his hands—but can his pals help make his act even more fantastic? This series is a perfect read-aloud choice to help kids discover the joy of letter sounds and give them the phonics building blocks they need for reading success. With delightful illustrations by Paddington Bear illustrator R.W. Alley, ANIMAL ANTICS A TO Z is an excellent resource for parents and educators alike. Activities in each book plus free activities online add to the fun.

From one of the great creative teams in picture books, On the Other Side of the Garden is about a city girl learning to accept the change brought about by her parents’ separation when she is taken to her grandmother’s house in the country and befriended by an owl, a frog and a mouse. When her father leaves her at her grandmother’s house, the young girl at the center of this story feels abandoned and lonely. Her mother has moved to another country, and the girl wasn’t paying attention when her father explained what was happening. And she hardly remembers her grandmother. After going up to her room she decides to venture out into the nighttime garden where she meets an owl, a frog and a mouse. They take her on a tour of her extraordinary new world. When she gets back in the morning, her grandmother explains that her father won’t be back for a long time. The girl tells her that she wants to be able to spend time in the garden with the plants and animals of this new world, and her grandmother doesn’t seem to be either surprised or alarmed by her nighttime adventures. And she is very happy that the girl and she will get to know each other. Buitrago’s stories are noted for conveying large truths through understatement and suggestion. This story, beautifully illustrated by Yockteng, shows how a child can use her own bravery and curiosity to confront frightening and potentially destructive realities such as a parents’ separation and being left with an almost unknown relative through what we must assume is a situation where her father had no choice. There is an endnote about the plants and animals that might be found in such a garden.

The bear, the moose and the beaver are the best of friends, even though they often disagree. On a canoe trip, the trio’s squabbling leads them into rough waters. Can they agree on a plan before it’s too late?

A vibrant, moving memoir of prizewinning journalist and New York Times reporter Mirta Ojito and her departure from Cuba in the Mariel boatlift—an enduring story of a family caught up in the tumultuous politics of the twentieth century. Mirta Ojito was one teenager among more than a hundred thousand fellow refugees who traveled to Miami during the unprecedented events of the Mariel boatlift. Growing up, Ojito was eager to fit in and join Castro’s Young Pioneers, but as she grew older and began to understand the darker side of the Cuban revolution, she and her family began to aspire to a safer, happier life. When Castro opened Cuba’s borders for those who wanted to leave, her family was more than ready to go: they had been waiting for the opportunity for twenty years. Now an acclaimed reporter, Ojito tells her story and reckons with her past with all of the determination and intelligence—and the will to confront darkness—that carried her through the boatlift. In this stunning autobiography, she sets out to find the people who set this exodus in motion, including the Vietnam vet on whose boat, Mañana, she finally crossed the treacherous Florida Strait. In Finding Mañana, Ojito and tell the stories of the boatlift’s key players in superb and poignant detail—chronicling both individual lives and a major historical event.

Welcome to Hilary’s tea party—but be careful: this rude little girl has lots of rules to follow. Maybe that’s why no one except her stuffed animals, Mr. Big Arms and Stuffy Bear, stays very long. She’s just no fun. Enter a giant yet timid chameleon, all ready for tea and cookies. But when he finds out how bossy Hilary can be, will he run out the door, too?

The 24-page book, Goldie Duck and the Three Beavers, introduces early learners to teacher-focused concepts that will help them gain important reading comprehension and social skills. The vibrant illustrations and engaging leveled text in the Little Birdie Books’ Leveled Readers work together to tell fun stories while supporting early readers. Featuring grade-appropriate vocabulary and activities, these books help children develop essential skills for reading proficiency.