Amazon Journey, Cruising the Rainforest  •  Gare Thompson NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 48 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A volume in the National Geographic Science Chapters series, this reference book for 2nd and 3rd graders is a playful, informative look at the wildlife of the Amazon rainforest. (AMZ100, $17.90)
Amazon River Rescue, Adventures of Riley  •  Amanda Lumry NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 36 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) The most dramatic title yet in the Adventures of Riley children's book series! While visiting his Uncle Max (a world-famous biologist), Aunt Martha and Cousin Alice in the Amazon Rain Forest, the unthinkable happens. Riley and Alice wander too far from camp and become hopelessly lost! (AMZ111, $15.95)
Biodiversity  •  Dorothy Hinshaw Patent NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A photo-essay for kids ages 10-12 on the concept of biodiversity and its meaning and significance, featuring 85 color photographs. (NAT96, $7.95)
Brazil, A True Book  •  Ann Heinrichs CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) An overview of Brazil -- landscapes, citizens and history -- for children 6 to 8. With its large color photographs, large-scale maps and focus on kid-friendly topics, this book is an engaging primer. (BZL32, $6.95)
City of the Beasts  •  Isabel Allende LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS Part coming-of-age narrative, part adventure story, this young adult novel set in the depths of the Amazon jungle oozes the magical realism for which the acclaimed Chilean author is famous. 15-year-old Alexander accompanies his reporter grandmother on assignment in the jungle where she searches for a legendary beast. Appropriate for ages 12 and up. (AMZ93, $7.99)
Explorers Wanted! In the Jungle  •  Simon Chapman EXPLORATION •  2005 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Kids go on a journey in search of a lost city in the Amazon rain forest. Chapman's book is chock full of activities, black-and-white illustrations, explorer's accounts and informative sidebars on natural history and other topics of interest. In the Explorers Wanted series geared for middle schoolers. (AMZ101, $5.99)
Face to Face With Frogs  •  Mark Moffett LITERATURE •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) You're two inches away from a poison dart frog. You're lying on the rainforest floor as she hops toward you, utterly fearless. This deadly terribilis frog has nothing to fear; your fear is that any accidental contact with your skin could mean death! Let Mark W. Moffett, winner of the 2006 Lowell Thomas Medal for Exploration, show you around the diverse world of frogs. Get the expert view on our amphibian friends, from metamorphosis to diet, from habitat to distinctive features; and learn why we urgently need to foster a healthier planet for these sensitive creatures. (NAT140, $16.95)
Go and Come Back  •  Joan Abelove LITERATURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 177 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS In this young adult novel, Joan Abelove, an anthropologist who spent two years among the people of the Peruvian Amazon, tells the fictional story of two anthropologists in Peru. The tale is narrated by a young woman of the fictitious Isabo tribe who's reluctant to like the American women, whom she finds stingy and obtuse. It's an unusual novel about cultural differences, geared for readers ages 12 and older. (AMZ80, $5.99)
The Great Kapok Tree, A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest  •  Lynne Cherry NATURAL HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 36 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) With lush full-page watercolors and a simple message about conserving natural resources, this best-selling book is a favorite for young readers ages four to eight. It's a fable in which forest animals convince a man not to chop down the magnificent tree that provides them with food and shelter. (AMZ53, $7.00)
Here Is the Tropical Rain Forest  •  Madeleine Dunphy  •  Michael Rothman FIELD GUIDE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) From swinging monkeys and hanging sloths to graceful caimans and stalking jaguars, Dunphy presents the whole rainforest web of life in simple rhymes, with Rothman's deeply hued illustrations. (AMZ99, $9.95)
Journey to the River Sea  •  Eva Ibbotson LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) In this excellent and right-minded novel, a spunky English schoolgirl finds adventure aplenty in the Brazilian Amazon -- no thanks to her boring, unimaginative cousins, who douse themselves in insect repellant and refuse to budge from indoors. Eva Ibbotson is well-known as an author of children's fantasy books, and a boundless energy also infuses this more realistic (set in 1910) novel. Ages 9-12. It's got great characters, a fantastic setup and plenty of drama, not to mention some fully realized descriptions of actual flora and fauna. (AMZ79, $6.99)
One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest  •  Jean Craighead George NATURAL HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 66 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) The Newbery Medal-winning author of "Julie of the Wolves" goes south for this brief and gripping nonfiction portrait of the Amazon. It's a race against time, as Dr. Rivero and his young native guide save the rain forest from a lumber company. In the course of their search for a prize butterfly, they encounter sloths, army ants and birds -- all vividly described. A slim chapter book geared for children about age eight. (FST08, $4.99)
Peru, A True Book  •  Elaine Landau CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2000 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) An engaging, illustrated primer on the geography, citizens and history of Peru. For ages 6-8, with large color photographs, large-scale maps and accessible text. (PRU45, $6.95)
Peru, A True Book  •  Elaine Landau CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2000 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) An engaging, illustrated primer on the geography, citizens and history of Peru. For ages 6-8, with large color photographs, large-scale maps and accessible text. (PRU45, $6.95)
Rain Forest Revealed  •  DK Publishing EXPLORATION •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 48 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A colorful illustrated children's guide to the plant and animal life of tropical rainforests, featuring transparent pages that allow young readers to explore the subject from many angles. (NAT66, $12.99)
Secret of the Andes  •  Ann Nolan Clark  •  Jean Charlot LITERATURE •  1970 •  PAPER  • 120 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) In this novel for pre-teens, a native boy in Peru goes on a magical discovery of his roots, learning much about Inca tradition. A Newbery Award-winning book first published in 1952. (AND19, $5.99)
The Shaman's Apprentice  •  Lynne Cherry  •  Mark Plotkin LITERATURE •  1998 •  HARD COVER  • 40 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A tale of the Amazon rain forest for young readers, this book by the outstanding team of illustrator Cherry and ethnobotanist Plotkin tells of a young boy's fascination with the magical world of the shaman and the foreign scientist who helps him find a cure for a mysterious illness that besets the tribe. With lush full-page watercolor paintings by Cherry and well meaning text. (AMZ24, $16.00)
The Snake Scientist  •  Sy Montgomery SCIENCE •  2001 •  PAPER Jammed packed with information about the work of Bob Mason, a famous snake scientist, this book follows his research, providing general background, full color photos and an excellent list of unanswered questions for young snake enthusiasts. (NAT125, $6.95)