Wesley the Owl by Stacy O'Brien

Age: Adult

about 200 pgs

Sarah recommended this book to me and I found it enlightening and very interesting. This a memoir written about a biologist who adopts an injured baby barn owl. Written from a scientists point of view, this book includes many insights to animal behavior. But what is surprising (even to the author) is the relationship that would develop between Stacy and Wesley.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong

The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance
Reading Level: Age 10+
Paperback: 134 pages
Publisher: Crown Publishers (Sept 2000)

It is 1916 and there have already been two exhibitions made to Antarctica, but Shackleton's mission is to cross they entire icy continent. He assembles a crew of sailors, scientists, and even a photographer and set out on an adventure, but they never make it to the continent. Disaster strikes and Captain 'Boss' must get his men united, or they might not survive. Against all odds, Shackleton and his crew survive on icepacks within 100 miles of Antarctica for over a year. This book is a vivid recount of the events of disaster and how a great leader kept his men together and alive.

The Diary of Ma Yan the Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl edited by Pierre Haski

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Collins; Tra edition (May 31, 2005)

In a poor rural area of Northern China, lives a young girl named Ma Yan who understands all too well that education is the difference between a life of crushing poverty and the hope of a better future. The low wages paid her family for back-breaking work aren't enough to pay for school fees for Ma Yan and her brother. Her diary begins with her mother telling Ma Yan that they can no longer afford to send her to school. What follows is the courageous and often heart wrenching account of her determination to become an educated young woman. The story of how her diary is passed off to a foreign journalist by her mother (who cannot even read) is captivating. This is a quick read that gives great insight to living conditions in rural China and a spunky little girl determined to live a better life. Proceeds from Ma Yan's diary are used to pay for education fees for Ma Yan and other children like her who live in rural China. Highly recommended for ages 10 and up.