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In some places, bar and bat mitzvahs are rivaled only by proms as the most important social event in many teens' lives. Parties celebrating the occasion can range from humble cookies-and-punch receptions to lavish catered affairs with elaborate themes and celebrity guests. But more important, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs are serious religious ceremonies, with rich histories and deep significance to the participants.Here is a warmly written discussion of these important Jewish coming-of-age rituals, their historical backgrounds and evolution. A special chapter features the reminiscences of well-known actors, television personalities, and sports figures about their own bar and bat mitzvahs. Joan Reilly's lively black-and-white drawings perfectly illustrate the details of the event and the celebrations. This concise, informative book will help children preparing for their bar and bat mitzvahs—as well as their families and friends—understand and appreciate this rich, spiritual occasion.

Pierre Corneille, in his original dedication for The Theatre of Illusion, described the play as a "strange monster." He first called these five acts a comedy; later, a "caprice" and an "extravagant trifle." Written in 1635 and staged in 1636, the play vanished from the stage for the next three hundred years-to be revived in 1937 by Louis Jouvet and the Comédie Française. Since then it has been widely considered, in Virginia Scott's words, "Corneille's baroque masterpiece."Today this brilliant piece of wit and drama is available in a new translation from one of America's finest poets and translators of French, Richard Wilbur. Widely praised for his translations of plays by Molière and Racine, Wilbur now turns his poetic grace to this work, which remains as much a celebration of the comedy of humanity and the magic of life as it was when Corneille wrote it.

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, taking lives and livelihoods and displacing thousands. Because the hurricane struck at the beginning of the school year, the city's children were among those most affected. Michael Tisserand, former editor of the alternative cultural newspaper Gambit Weekly, evacuated with his family to New Iberia, Louisiana. Then, rather than waiting to find out when--or if--schools in New Orleans would reopen, Tisserand and other parents persuaded one of his children's teachers, Paul Reynaud, to start a school among the sugarcane fields.So was born the Sugarcane Academy--as the children themselves named it--and so also began an experience none of Reynaud's pupils will ever forget. This inspiring book shows how a dedicated teacher made the best out of the worst situation, and how the children of New Orleans, of all backgrounds and races, adjusted to Katrina's consequences.

Every four years the thirty-two-team, sixty-four-game World Cup captivates the planet's populace for a month. Work absenteeism skyrockets. Political campaigns grind to a halt. Fans mortgage their houses to buy tickets. And teams employ every means possible-even consulting witch doctors and astrologers-in their quest for national glory. Veteran soccer commentator Jamie Trecker traveled to Germany for FIFA World Cup 2006. Here, reported from the restaurants, trains, bars, town squares, hostels, press boxes, and brothels, is his unvarnished account of the games and parties, great plays and fistfights, gossip and tacky souvenirs that turn the largest sporting event on earth into a true world bazaar. With equal measures insight and irreverence, Trecker captures the passion, politics, controversies, and economics that make soccer a reflection of the world.

Of all the great seafaring vessels of the Age of Discovery, not one has been recovered or even-given the lack of detailed contemporary descriptions-accurately represented. Then, in the mid-1990s, a sunken ship was found in a small, shallow gulf off the coast of Panama. Chronicling both dramatic history and present-day archaeological adventures, Klaus Brinkbäumer and Clemens Höges reveal this artifact to be not only the oldest shipwreck ever recovered in the Western Hemisphere but also very likely the remains of the Vizcaína, one of the ships Christopher Columbus took on his last trip to the New World. The Voyage of the Vizcaína gives us an exciting tale of exploration and discovery, and the startling truths behind Columbus's final attempt to reach the East by going west.

Blip Korterly kicks off a game of graffiti tag on a local overpass by painting a simple phrase: "Uh-oh." An anonymous interlocutor writes back: "When?" Blip slyly answers: "Just a couple of days." But what happens in just a couple of days? Blip is arrested; his friend, Dr. Flake Fountain-a molecular biologist-is drafted into a shadow-government research project conducting experiments on humans. The virus being tested-cleverly called "the Pied Piper"-renders its victims incapable of symbolic capacity; that is, incapable of communication. Is this biological weaponry? What would happen if it were let loose on the world? Does a babbling populace pose a threat or provide an opportunity for social evolution? This novel's absurd, larger-than-life characters speak in exuberant prose that is as satirical as it is playful, as full of implications as it is full of mirth. It's no wonder Just a Couple of Days has become an underground cult classic. This grassroots phenomenon will reach even more soon-to-be fans in its newly updated Harvest edition-- complete with an excerpt from the author's next book!

Boris is a big gray cat who loves sleeping and playing and exploring and hunting. And his owner loves him for all of his simple cat ways.But Boris, typical as he may be, is part of a much larger story in this moving exploration of love, longing, compassion, and most of all, the continuous give-and-take of companionship.Newbery medalist Cynthia Rylant's powerful collection of poems is sure to find its place in the hearts of readers of all ages, especially those who have been lucky enough to experience the many joys and hardships that come with true friendship.

Paul Bunyan was never "stumped," and no job was ever too big for him and his blue ox to handle. From Michigan to Minnesota, from North Dakota to the Pacific Northwest, wherever Paul went, he liked to do things in a big way. In Esther Shepard's classic collection, originally published in 1924 and now available in this handsome new edition, the Paul Bunyan stories are superbly told in folksy narrative and robustly illustrated with Rockwell Kent's line drawings. These twenty-one tales about the super lumberjack are a unique American contribution to the world's folklore. Includes an introduction by the author.

William H. "Billy the Kid" Bonney Jr. loves to take risks. But Billy's luck runs out when, during a train heist, a passenger recognizes the nineteen-year-old outlaw. Fed up with his bad ways, Sheriff Willis Monroe, Billy's own cousin, decides to track him down. The Kid's two-timing partners are hunting him, too--and a posse wants Billy (and the sheriff) dead. This gripping fictional tale imagines William Bonney's fate had his life of crime taken a very different turn. Fans of adventure will be riveted by Theodore Taylor's fresh take on a legendary character. Includes an author's note about the real Billy the Kid.

An essential guide for today's traveler: timesaving tips to navigate, book, and troubleshoot your travel planning, on and off the Web. If you've ever tried to find a sale fare you saw advertised for a flight, only to turn up much higher prices, or discovered that the hotel you booked wasn't exactly "steps away from the ocean," you know that the do-it-yourself era of travel can mean something else entirely: you're on your own. Now Susan Stellin, a regular contributor to the New York Times, offers the ultimate guide to the sometimes overwhelming logistics of travel, from researching trip plans to avoiding pitfalls on the road. This comprehensive guidebook presents practical advice on the most useful Web sites, strategies for finding the best deals, and resources to help you decide where and when to go. It also provides crucial tips to ensure your trip doesn't disappoint, includingwhat you should research before you book your hotelhow to avoid hidden fees and expensive change penaltieswhat your credit card covers when you rent a carwhom to call if you need a doctor far from homeNo matter what type of trip you're planning-business or pleasure, domestic or international, budget or splurge, exotic getaway or family visit-How to Travel Practically Anywhere will be an indispensable resource.

Beloved for his hilarious and unexpectedly moving novels, Bruce Coville is also a master of the short story. These two collections, in one volume for the first time, feature eighteen tales of unusual breadth and emotional depth. This omnibus is a perfect introduction to Bruce Coville's magic for the uninitiated.Includes an introduction by Jane Yolen.

The complex web of relationships that make up a major-league baseball team is the heart of this story about a rookie pitcher who becomes a threat to his team's chances for the pennant.

Shortly before a serious accident ends his dream of pitching, Roy Tucker is called up from a small-town team in Connecticut to help the Brooklyn Dodgers out of a slump.Includes an introduction by Bruce Brooks.