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| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale Lynda Rutledge, 2012-04-26 SOON TO BE CLAIRE DARLING—A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING CATHERINE DENEUVE! When a wealthy woman decides to sell all of her worldly possessions, she unearths the secrets of her family’s past in this charming debut. On the last day of the millennium, sassy Faith Bass Darling, the richest old lady in Bass, Texas, decides to have a garage sale. With help from a couple of neighborhood boys, Faith lugs her priceless Louis XV elephant clock, countless Tiffany lamps, and everything else in her nineteenth-century mansion out onto her long, sloping lawn. Why is a recluse of twenty years suddenly selling off her dearest possessions? Because God told her to. As the townspeople grab up five generations of heirlooms, everyone drawn to the sale—including Faith’s long-lost daughter—finds that the antiques not only hold family secrets but also inspire some of life’s most important questions: Do our possessions possess us? What are we without our memories? Is there life after death or second chances here on earth? And is Faith really selling that Tiffany lamp for $1? READERS GUIDE INCLUDED |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Relativity Antonia Hayes, 2016-04-07 Ethan is an exceptionally gifted young boy, obsessed with physics and astronomy. His single mother Claire is fiercely protective of her brilliant, vulnerable son. But she can't shield him forever from learning the truth about what happened to him when he was a baby; why Mark had to leave them all those years ago. Now age twelve, Ethan is increasingly curious about his past, especially his father's absence in his life. When he intercepts a letter to Claire from Mark, he opens a lifetime of feelings that, like gravity, will pull the three together again. Relativity is a tender and triumphant story about unbreakable bonds, irreversible acts, and testing the limits of love and forgiveness. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Secret Keeper Kate Morton, 2013-07-16 A cloth bag containing ten copies of the title. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Deal Of A Lifetime Fredrik Backman, 2018-10-18 It is Christmas Eve and a father and son are meeting for the first time in years. The father has a story he needs to share before it's too late. As he tells his son about a courageous little girl lying in a hospital bed a few miles away, he reveals even more about himself; his triumphs in business, his failures as a parent, his past regrets, his hopes for the future. Now, on this night before Christmas, the father has been given the unexpected chance to do something remarkable that could change the destiny of a little girl he hardly knows. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he must find out what his own life has actually been worth, and only his son can reveal the answer. With humour and compassion, Fredrik Backman's The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our legacies rest in how we share that gift with those we love. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Lost Hours Karen White, 2009-04-07 The New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street novels delivers a gripping tale of family, fate, and forgiveness. When Piper Mills was twelve, she helped her grandfather bury a box that belonged to her grandmother in the backyard. For twelve years, it remained untouched. Now a near fatal riding accident has shattered Piper’s dreams of Olympic glory. After her grandfather’s death, she inherits the house and all its secrets, including a key to a room that doesn’t exist—or does it? And after her grandmother is sent away to a nursing home, she remembers the box buried in the backyard. In it are torn pages from a scrapbook, a charm necklace—and a newspaper article from 1939 about the body of an infant found floating in the Savannah River. The necklace’s charms tell the story of three friends during the 1930s— each charm added during the three months each friend had the necklace and recorded her life in the scrapbook. Piper always dismissed her grandmother as not having had a story to tell. And now, too late, Piper finds she might have been wrong. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Story of Ferdinand Munro Leaf, 2017-09-05 Once upon a time in Spain, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand . . . Unlike all the other little bulls - who run, jump, and butt their heads together in fights - Ferdinand would rather sit under his favourite cork tree and smell the flowers. So what will happen when Ferdinand is picked for the bull fights in Madrid? Beloved all over the world for its timeless message of peace, tolerance and the courage to be yourself, this truly classic story has never been out of print in the US since its release in 1936. Hitherto unpublished in the UK and now a major motion picture. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Vanished Bride Bella Ellis, 2020-07-07 Before they became legendary writers, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, and Anne Brontë were detectors in this charming historical mystery... Yorkshire, 1845. A young wife and mother has gone missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood. Just a few miles away, a humble parson’s daughters—the Brontë sisters—learn of the crime. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are horrified and intrigued by the mysterious disappearance. These three creative, energetic, and resourceful women quickly realize that they have all the skills required to make for excellent “lady detectors.” Not yet published novelists, they have well-honed imaginations and are expert readers. And, as Charlotte remarks, “detecting is reading between the lines—it’s seeing what is not there.” As they investigate, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are confronted with a society that believes a woman’s place is in the home, not scouring the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril... |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The White Giraffe Lauren St John, 2010-05-14 The first book in the heart-warming White Giraffe series by Lauren St John, featuring the African adventures of Martine and her magical white giraffe. When tragedy strikes on a winter's night in England, Martine is sent to live with her grandmother on a game reserve in South Africa. Her wild, beautiful new home is riddled with secrets, but lonely Martine finds comfort in the legend of a white giraffe and in mysterious Grace, who believes Martine has a powerful gift. Defying her grandmother by entering the reserve alone, Martine is plunged into a world of danger, mystery and adventure. Who can she trust? And how far will she go to save the only friend she has ever known? |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Rust Eliese Colette Goldbach, 2020-03-03 Elements of Tara Westover’s Educated... The mill comes to represent something holy to [Eliese] because it is made not of steel but of people. —New York Times Book Review One woman's story of working in the backbreaking steel industry to rebuild her life—but what she uncovers in the mill is much more than molten metal and grueling working conditions. Under the mill's orange flame she finds hope for the unity of America. Steel is the only thing that shines in the belly of the mill... To ArcelorMittal Steel Eliese is known as #6691: Utility Worker, but this was never her dream. Fresh out of college, eager to leave behind her conservative hometown and come to terms with her Christian roots, Eliese found herself applying for a job at the local steel mill. The mill is everything she was trying to escape, but it's also her only shot at financial security in an economically devastated and forgotten part of America. In Rust, Eliese brings the reader inside the belly of the mill and the middle American upbringing that brought her there in the first place. She takes a long and intimate look at her Rust Belt childhood and struggles to reconcile her desire to leave without turning her back on the people she's come to love. The people she sees as the unsung backbone of our nation. Faced with the financial promise of a steelworker’s paycheck, and the very real danger of working in an environment where a steel coil could crush you at any moment or a vat of molten iron could explode because of a single drop of water, Eliese finds unexpected warmth and camaraderie among the gruff men she labors beside each day. Appealing to readers of Hillbilly Elegy and Educated, Rust is a story of the humanity Eliese discovers in the most unlikely and hellish of places, and the hope that therefore begins to grow. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Ordinary Grace William Kent Krueger, 2014-03-04 Includes an excerpt from William Kent Krueger's This tender land. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Learning to See Elise Hooper, 2019-01-22 “A fascinating and sometimes surprising” biographical novel of “a woman known for her iconic photographs but not her eventful life” (Library Journal). In 1918, a fearless twenty-two-year old arrives in bohemian San Francisco from the Northeast, determined to make her own way as an independent woman. Renaming herself Dorothea Lange she is soon the celebrated owner of the city’s most prestigious and stylish portrait studio and wife of the talented but volatile painter, Maynard Dixon. By the early 1930s, as the America’s economy collapses, her marriage founders and Dorothea must find ways to support her two young sons single-handedly. Determined to expose the horrific conditions of the nation’s poor, she takes to the road with her camera, creating images that inspire, reform, and define the era. And when the United States enters World War II, Dorothea chooses to confront another injustice—the incarceration of thousands of innocent Japanese Americans. At a time when women were supposed to keep the home fires burning, Dorothea Lange, creator of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century, dared to be different. But her choices came at a steep price . . . |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: We Hope for Better Things Erin Bartels, 2019-01-01 A 2020 Michigan Notable Book 2020 WFWA Star Award Winner 2019 Christy Award finalist *** In this powerful first novel . . . Bartels successfully weaves American history into a deeply moving story of heartbreak, long-held secrets, and the bonds of family.--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review A forbidden interracial marriage, an escaped slave, an expectant mother waiting for her Union soldier to return--all of these stories are deftly told by Bartels, as she explores the hard realities of racism and its many faces during various eras of American history. . . .Compelling characters make this winning debut also appealing for fans of general historical fiction.--Library Journal Bartels' debut tells the story of three Balsam women, each of a different era, told against the backdrop of racism and violence in America. . . .will appeal to fans of faith-based women's fiction authors like Colleen Coble.--Booklist ***** When Detroit Free Press reporter Elizabeth Balsam meets James Rich, his strange request--that she look up a relative she didn't know she had in order to deliver an old camera and a box of photos--seems like it isn't worth her time. But when she loses her job after a botched investigation, she suddenly finds herself with nothing but time. At her great-aunt's 150-year-old farmhouse north of Detroit, Elizabeth uncovers a series of mysterious items, locked doors, and hidden graves. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding. And as Elizabeth soon discovers, the past is never as past as we might like to think. Debut novelist Erin Bartels takes readers on an emotional journey through time--from the volatile streets of 1960s Detroit to the Michigan's Underground Railroad during the Civil War--to uncover the past, confront the seeds of hatred, and discover where love goes to hide. ***** We Hope for Better Things has it all: fabulous storytelling, an emotional impact that lingers long after you turn the last page, and a setting that immerses you. I haven't read such a powerful, moving story since I read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school. This book will change how you look at the world we live in. Highly recommended!--Colleen Coble, USAToday bestselling author of the Rock Harbor series and The View from Rainshadow Bay A timely exploration of race in America, We Hope for Better Things is an exercise of empathy that will shape many a soul.--Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials I applaud [Erin's] courage, her authenticity, her beautiful turn of phrase, the freshness of her imagery, and the depth of her story that speaks to a contemporary world where understanding is often absent. We Hope for Better Things is a remarkable debut novel.--Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of Everything She Didn't Say Erin Bartels's We Hope for Better Things shares the joys and sorrows of three women from different generations. A roller coaster of emotions awaits as you share the lives of these women and hope along with them for better things.--Ann H. Gabhart, bestselling author of River to Redemption Storytelling at its finest. Erin Bartels delivers a riveting story of forbidden love, family bonds, racial injustice, and the power of forgiveness. We Hope for Better Things is a timely, sobering, moving account of how far we've come . . . and how much distance remains to be covered. A compulsively readable, incredibly powerful novel.--Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Life List There is the Detroit we think we know, and there is the Detroit full of stories that are never brought to the forefront. With We Hope for Better Things, Erin Bartels brings full circle an understanding of contemporary Detroit firmly rooted in the past, with enthralling characters and acute attention to detail. It's a must not just for Detroit lovers but also for those who need to understand that Detroit history is also American history.--Aaron Foley, city of Detroit's chief storyteller and editor of The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Sophie's World Jostein Gaarder, 2010-07-15 The international bestseller about life, the universe and everything. 'A simply wonderful, irresistible book' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A terrifically entertaining and imaginative story wrapped round its tough, thought-provoking philosophical heart' DAILY MAIL 'Remarkable ... an extraordinary achievement' SUNDAY TIMES When 14-year-old Sophie encounters a mysterious mentor who introduces her to philosophy, mysteries deepen in her own life. Why does she keep getting postcards addressed to another girl? Who is the other girl? And who, for that matter, is Sophie herself? To solve the riddle, she uses her new knowledge of philosophy, but the truth is far stranger than she could have imagined. A phenomenal worldwide bestseller, SOPHIE'S WORLD sets out to draw teenagers into the world of Socrates, Descartes, Spinoza, Hegel and all the great philosophers. A brilliantly original and fascinating story with many twists and turns, it raises profound questions about the meaning of life and the origin of the universe. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Kitchen House Kathleen Grissom, 2014-10-21 In 1790, Lavinia, a seven-year-old Irish orphan with no memory of her past, arrives on a tobacco plantation where she is put to work as an indentured servant with the kitchen house slaves. Though she becomes deeply bonded to her new family, Lavinia is also slowly accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. As time passes she finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds and when loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare and lives are at risk.--Publisher's description. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The German Girl Armando Lucas Correa, 2016-10-18 AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Featured in Entertainment Weekly, People, The Millions, and USA TODAY “An unforgettable and resplendent novel which will take its place among the great historical fiction written about World War II.” —Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife A young girl flees Nazi-occupied Germany with her family and best friend, only to discover that the overseas refuge they had been promised is an illusion in this “engrossing and heartbreaking” (Library Journal, starred review) debut novel, perfect for fans of The Nightingale, Lilac Girls, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Berlin, 1939. Before everything changed, Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But now the streets of Berlin are draped in ominous flags; her family’s fine possessions are hauled away; and they are no longer welcome in the places they once considered home. A glimmer of hope appears in the shape of the St. Louis, a transatlantic ocean liner promising Jews safe passage to Cuba. At first, the liner feels like a luxury, but as they travel, the circumstances of war change, and the ship that was to be their salvation seems likely to become their doom. New York, 2014. On her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a mysterious package from an unknown relative in Cuba, her great-aunt Hannah. Its contents inspire Anna and her mother to travel to Havana to learn the truth about their family’s mysterious and tragic past. Weaving dual time frames, and based on a true story, The German Girl is a beautifully written and deeply poignant story about generations of exiles seeking a place to call home. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: All That I Can Fix Crystal Chan, 2019-06-11 “A superbly entertaining read.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Will win over teens.” —School Library Journal (starred review) A teen boy’s world gets turned upside-down when a zoo of exotic animals takes over his small town in this wickedly funny, heartbreakingly honest novel that’s perfect for fans of David Arnold. In Makersville, Indiana, people know all about Ronney—he’s from that mixed-race family with the dad who tried to kill himself, the pill-popping mom, and the genius kid sister. If having a family like that wasn’t bad enough, the local eccentric at the edge of town decided one night to open up all the cages of his exotic zoo—lions, cheetahs, tigers—and then shoot himself dead. Go figure. Even more proof that you can’t trust adults to do the right thing. Overnight, news crews, gun control supporters, and gun rights advocates descend on Makersville, bringing around-the-clock news coverage, rallies, and anti-rallies with them. With his parents checked out, Ronney is left tending to his sister’s mounting fears of roaming lions, stopping his best friend from going on a suburban safari, and shaking loose a lonely boy who follows Ronney wherever he goes. Can Ronney figure out a way to hold it together as all his worlds fall apart? From acclaimed author Crystal Chan comes an incisive tale of love, loyalty, and the great leaps we take to protect the people and places we love most. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Genre in a Changing World Charles Bazerman, Adair Bonini, 2009-09-16 Genre studies and genre approaches to literacy instruction continue to develop in many regions and from a widening variety of approaches. Genre has provided a key to understanding the varying literacy cultures of regions, disciplines, professions, and educational settings. GENRE IN A CHANGING WORLD provides a wide-ranging sampler of the remarkable variety of current work. The twenty-four chapters in this volume, reflecting the work of scholars in Europe, Australasia, and North and South America, were selected from the over 400 presentations at SIGET IV (the Fourth International Symposium on Genre Studies) held on the campus of UNISUL in Tubarão, Santa Catarina, Brazil in August 2007—the largest gathering on genre to that date. The chapters also represent a wide variety of approaches, including rhetoric, Systemic Functional Linguistics, media and critical cultural studies, sociology, phenomenology, enunciation theory, the Geneva school of educational sequences, cognitive psychology, relevance theory, sociocultural psychology, activity theory, Gestalt psychology, and schema theory. Sections are devoted to theoretical issues, studies of genres in the professions, studies of genre and media, teaching and learning genre, and writing across the curriculum. The broad selection of material in this volume displays the full range of contemporary genre studies and sets the ground for a next generation of work. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Beyond a Darkened Shore Jessica Leake, 2018-04-10 Vikings meets Frostblood in this romantic historical fantasy stand-alone from author Jessica Leake. The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores. The people of Mide have always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn but the entire world. Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle, the two might have a chance to save their world. With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love...even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Footprints of God Greg Iles, 2004 In this New York Times bestseller, Iles probes the terrifying possibility that the next phase of human evolution may not be human at all. Alarming, believable, and utterly consuming.--Dan Brown. Now available in a tall Premium Edition. Reissue. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Things We Cannot Say Kelly Rimmer, 2019-03-07 The New York Times bestseller - for everyone moved by All the Light We Cannot See. A searing page-turner of hope, family secrets and a love to defy all odds from bestselling Kelly Rimmer, inspired by the author's family history, perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 'Fans of The Nightingale and Lilac Girls will adore The Things We Cannot Say' Pam Jenoff 'Simply amazing book, so moving I couldn't put it down. A book that will remain in my heart for many years to come *****' A reader 'Captivating. I am in awe of this story *****' A reader 'I have never ever been so deeply moved by a book...the most amazing love story of hope and survival during the Nazi occupation of Poland... i just didn't want it to end *****' A reader It begins with the discovery of a tattered photo, a letter and a tiny leather shoe... World War Two, Poland. Alina and Tomasz are childhood sweethearts. The night before he leaves for college, Tomasz proposes marriage. But when their village falls to the Nazis, Alina doesn't know if Tomasz is alive or dead. 2019. Life changed beyond recognition for Alice when her son, Eddie, was born with autism spectrum disorder. She must do everything to support him, but at what cost to her family? When her cherished grandmother is hospitalised, a hidden box of mementoes reveals a tattered photo of a young man, a tiny leather shoe and a letter. Her grandmother begs Alice to return to Poland to see what became of those she held dearest. In Poland, separated from her family, Alice begins to uncover the story her grandmother is so desperate to tell, and discovers a love that bloomed in the winter of 1942. As a painful family history comes to light, will the struggles of the past and present finally reach a heartbreaking resolution? 'Alina and Tomasz's story is one of bravery, resilience, and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love' Sally Hepworth More praise for the heart-tugging novels of Kelly Rimmer 'Kelly Rimmer serves up a heart-pounding dilemma for fans of Jodi Picoult' Marie Claire 'A heartbreaking story... Her characters are captivating' Daily Telegraph 'Kelly Rimmer tears at the heartstrings' Herald Sun |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Tomorrow Will Be Better Betty Smith, 2020-11-24 A rediscovered treasure. — Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post From Betty Smith, author of the beloved classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, comes a poignant story of love, marriage, poverty, and hope set in 1920s Brooklyn. Tomorrow Will Be Better tells the story of Margy Shannon, a shy but joyfully optimistic young woman just out of school who lives with her parents and witnesses how a lifetime of hard work, poverty, and pain has worn them down. Her mother's resentment toward being a housewife and her father's inability to express his emotions result in a tense home life where Margy has no voice. Unable to speak up against her overbearing mother, Margy takes refuge in her dreams of a better life. Her goals are simple—to find a husband, have children, and live in a nice home—one where her children will never know the terror of want or the need to hide from quarreling parents. When she meets Frankie Malone, she thinks her dreams might be fulfilled, but a devastating loss rattles her to her core and challenges her life-long optimism. As she struggles to come to terms with the unexpected path her life has taken, Margy must decide whether to accept things as they are or move firmly in the direction of what she truly wants. Rich with the flavor of its Brooklyn background, and filled with the joys and heartbreak of family life, Tomorrow Will Be Better is told with a simplicity, tenderness, and warmhearted humor that only Betty Smith could write. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Masque of Honor Sharon Virts, 2021-02-09 In this coming-of-age tale set in early 19th century America, two sons of the Virginia aristocracy risk it all to defend their dreams and determine their own destinies. General Armistead Mason and John “Jack” Mason McCarty are brothers-in-law, second cousins and descendants of founding father George Mason IV. Ambitious and headstrong, together they set out to find love, acceptance and honor on their own merit. Armistead—by nature a politician—demands respect and strives for perfection. Jack—by inclination a rover—looks to forge his own path. When Armistead is challenged by corruption in the political machine and is denied a seat in the US Congress, the two become embroiled in a bitter dispute that sets in motion an irrevocable chain of events, leading them to the dueling grounds and an outcome that changes everything. Based on historical events of the 1819 Mason-McCarty duel, Masque of Honor is a story of courage, conviction, and the cost of sacrificing one life to forge another. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Everyone Brave Is Forgiven Chris Cleave, 2016-04-21 Winner of the 2017 Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 'Ian McEwan did this with Atonement, Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch, and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven... A compelling and finely crafted novel.' FT An extraordinary story of love and honour in extreme circumstances, from the multi-award-winning author of THE OTHER HAND. Instant New York Times bestseller Evening Standard top ten bestseller iBooks BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016 Irish Times summer reading pick 'A cracker' Stylist, 10 Exciting Books in 2016 'His best book to date' Esquire, 10 best novels of 2016 Guardian Literary Highlight of 2016 Independent Best Book to read in 2016 Irish News Top Picks for 2016 Washington Post 20 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2016 In a powerful combination of both humour and heartbreak, this dazzling novel weaves little-known history, and a perfect love story, through the vast sweep of the Second World War - daring us to understand that, against the great theatre of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs, that change us most. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Midwife of Hope River Patricia Harman, 2012-08-28 A remarkable new voice in American fiction enchants readers with a moving and uplifting novel that celebrates the miracle of life. In The Midwife of Hope River, first-time novelist Patricia Harmon transports us to poverty stricken Appalachia during the Great Depression years of the 1930s and introduces us to a truly unforgettable heroine. Patience Murphy, a midwife struggling against disease, poverty, and prejudice—and her own haunting past—is a strong and endearing character that fans of the books of Ami McKay and Diane Chamberlain will take into their hearts, as she courageously attempts to bring new light, and life, into an otherwise cruel world. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Juma the Giraffe Monica Bond, 2018-06-04 What happens when Juma the giraffe sees his reflection in a waterhole? Monica Bond's story, beautifully illustrated by Kayla Harren, will touch the hearts of children everywhere who a searching for what makes them special. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare Kimberly Brock, 2022-04-12 The fate of the world is often driven by the curiosity of a girl. What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke remains a mystery, but the women who descended from Eleanor Dare have long known that the truth lies in what she left behind: a message carved onto a large stone and the contents of her treasured commonplace book. Brought from England on Eleanor’s fateful voyage to the New World, her book was passed down through the fifteen generations of daughters who followed as they came of age. Thirteen-year-old Alice had been next in line to receive it, but her mother’s tragic death fractured the unbroken legacy and the Dare Stone and the shadowy history recorded in the book faded into memory. Or so Alice hoped. In the waning days of World War II, Alice is a young widow and a mother herself when she is unexpectedly presented with her birthright: the deed to Evertell, her abandoned family home and the history she thought forgotten. Determined to sell the property and step into a future free of the past, Alice returns to Savannah with her own thirteen-year-old daughter, Penn, in tow. But when Penn’s curiosity over the lineage she never knew begins to unveil secrets from beneath every stone and bone and shell of the old house and Eleanor’s book is finally found, Alice is forced to reckon with the sacrifices made for love and the realities of their true inheritance as daughters of Eleanor Dare. In this sweeping tale from award-winning author Kimberly Brock, the answers to a real-life mystery may be found in the pages of a story that was always waiting to be written. Praise for The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare: “From the haunting first line, The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare transports the reader to a mysterious land, time and family . . . the captivating women of the Dare legacy must find their true inheritance hiding behind the untold secrets.” —Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author Historical women’s fiction Stand-alone novel Book length: approximately 135,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen Sarah Bird, 2018-09-04 You'll be swept away by the passion and power of this remarkable, trailblazing woman who risked everything to follow her own heart. – Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author An epic page-turner. – Christina Baker Kline Named Best Fiction Writer in the Austin Chronicle's Austin's Best 2018 Named one of Lone Star Literary Life's Top 20 Texas Books of 2018 The compelling, hidden story of Cathy Williams, a former slave and the only woman to ever serve with the legendary Buffalo Soldiers. “Here’s the first thing you need to know about Miss Cathy Williams: I am the daughter of a daughter of a queen and my mama never let me forget it.” Though born into bondage on a “miserable tobacco farm” in Little Dixie, Missouri, Cathy Williams was never allowed to consider herself a slave. According to her mother, she was a captive, destined by her noble warrior blood to escape the enemy. Her chance at freedom presents itself with the arrival of Union general Phillip Henry “Smash ‘em Up” Sheridan, the outcast of West Point who takes the rawboned, prideful young woman into service. At war’s end, having tasted freedom, Cathy refuses to return to servitude and makes the monumental decision to disguise herself as a man and join the Army’s legendary Buffalo Soldiers. Alone now in the ultimate man’s world, Cathy must fight not only for her survival and freedom, but she also vows to never give up on finding her mother, her little sister, and the love of the only man strong enough to win her heart. Inspired by the stunning, true story of Private Williams, this American heroine comes to vivid life in a sweeping and magnificent tale about one woman’s fight for freedom, respect and independence. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Rainbow's End Lauren St John, 2013-01-31 A captivating and haunting memoir by celebrated children's author Lauren St John about her childhood spent in rural Africa. In 1978, during the final, bloodiest phase of the Rhodesian War, 11-year-old Lauren St John moved with her family to Rainbow's End, and idyllic farm and game reserve on the banks of the Umfuli River. Obsessed with horses, pop stars and her pet giraffe, Lauren lived in an African paradise until the brutal murder of a school friend and the coming of independence forced her to confront the past - to realise that almost everything she'd believed about her country and her life had been a lie. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Primary Grammar and Word Study , 2008 Designed to introduce students to parts of speech, ways to understand and choose words, punctuation and figure of speech. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Pope Joan Donna Woolfolk Cross, 2009-06-09 “Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama—love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets. Cross has written an engaging book.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review In this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie of the same name, Donna Woolfolk Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day. For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die—Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept. Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn. When her brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak—and his identity—and enters the monastery of Fulda. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. Eventually, she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest office in Christendom—wielding a power greater than any woman before or since. But such power always comes at a price . . . “Brings the savage ninth century vividly to life in all its alien richness. An enthralling, scholarly historical novel.”—Rebecca Fraser, author of The Brontës |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Invention of Wings Sue Monk Kidd, 2014-01-07 The newest Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 selection: this special eBook edition of The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd features exclusive content, including Oprah’s personal notes highlighted within the text, and a reading group guide. Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world. Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. Kidd’s sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other’s destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love. As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements. Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful’s cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better. This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved. Please note there is another digital edition available without Oprah’s notes. Go to Oprah.com/bookclub for more OBC 2.0 content |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Lake House Marci Nault, 2013-05-07 A heartwarming debut novel about the unlikely friendship between two outcasts of different generations who, in struggling to move on from the past, discover love, healing, and family in a charming New England lakeside community. Achingly tender, yet filled with laughter, The Lake House brings to life the wide range of human emotions and the difficult journey from heartbreak to healing. VICTORIA ROSE. Fifty years before, a group of teenage friends promised each other never to leave their idyllic lakeside town. But the call of Hollywood and a bigger life was too strong for Victoria . . . and she alone broke that pledge. Now she has come home, intent on making peace with her demons, even if her former friends shut her out. Haunted by tragedy, she longs to find solace with her childhood sweetheart, but even this tender man may be unable to forgive and forget. HEATHER BREGMAN. At twenty-eight, after years as a globe-trotting columnist, she’s abandoned her controlling fiancé and their glamorous city life to build one on her own terms. Lulled by a Victorian house and a gorgeous locale, she’s determined to make the little community her home. But the residents, fearful of change and outsiders, will stop at nothing to sabotage her dreams of lakeside tranquility. As Victoria and Heather become unlikely friends, their mutual struggle to find acceptance—with their neighbors and in their own hearts—explores the chance events that shape a community and offer the opportunity to start again. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Book of Lost Friends Lisa Wingate, 2020-04-07 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students’ lives. “An absorbing historical . . . enthralling.”—Library Journal Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away. Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope. Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt—until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: I Kill the Mockingbird Paul Acampora, 2014-05-20 Best friends Lucy, Elena, and Michael are excited to see To Kill A Mockingbird on their summer reading list. But not everyone in their class shares the same enthusiasm. So they hatch a plot to get the entire town talking about Harper Lee's classic novel. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: The Secret to Hummingbird Cake Celeste Fletcher McHale, 2016-02-09 Friends since kindergarten, Carrigan, Ella Rae, and Laine thought they'd been through everything together. But when cancer threatens to rip the trio apart, their world spins in a way they've never known before. Through it all, will they discover the secret to the divine taste of hummingbird cake—and to friendships that never end? In the South you always say “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am.” You know everybody’s business. Football is a lifestyle not a pastime. Food—especially dessert—is almost a religious experience. And you protect your friends as fiercely as you protect your family—even if the threat is something you cannot see. In this Southern novel brimming with wit and authenticity, Laine, Carrigan, Ella Rae first met on the playground when they were five years old. Now, as adults, they’re still almost inseparable as they handle the outrageous curveballs that life sometimes throws—from devastating pain to absolute joy. As the three friends navigate everything from a devastating medical diagnosis to the rocky path of marriage, their bond is tested. Through it all, you’ll experience the essence and the joy of true friendship. And if you’re lucky, you just may discover the secret to hummingbird cake along the way. Women’s fiction, focused on friendship, and set in the South Full length, stand-alone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Appalachian Reckoning Anthony Harkins, Meredith McCarroll, 2019 In Hillbilly elegy, J.D. Vance described how his family moved from poverty to an upwardly mobile clan while navigating the collective demons of the past. The book has come to define Appalachia for much of the nation. This collection of essays is a retort, at turns rigorous, critical, angry, and hopeful, to the long shadow cast over the region and its imagining. But it also moves beyond Vance's book to allow Appalachians to tell their own diverse and complex stories of a place that is at once culturally rich and economically distressed, unique and typically American. -- adapted from back cover |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Murder at the Book Group Maggie King, 2014-12-30 When her friend and fellow murder mystery book group member Carlene drops dead after drinking cyanide-spiked tea, Hazel Rose investigates Carlene's past, which she took great pains to hide, in search of a motive for murder. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Zoo Story Thomas French, 2010-05-25 This story, told by a master teller of such things, does more than take you inside the cages, fences, and walls of a zoo. It takes you inside the human heart, and an elephant's, and a primate's, and on and on. Tom French did in this book what he always does. He took real life and wrote it down for us, with eloquence and feeling and aching detail. -Rick Bragg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author An insightful and detailed look at the complex life of a zoo and its denizens, both animal and human. -Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi and Beatrice and Virgil Welcome to the savage and surprising world of Zoo Story, an unprecedented account of the secret life of a zoo and its inhabitants. Based on six years of research, the book follows a handful of unforgettable characters at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo: an alpha chimp with a weakness for blondes, a ferocious tiger who revels in Obsession perfume, and a brilliant but tyrannical CEO known as El Diablo Blanco. The sweeping narrative takes the reader from the African savannah to the forests of Panama and deep into the inner workings of a place some describe as a sanctuary and others condemn as a prison. Zoo Story shows us how these remarkable individuals live, how some die, and what their experiences reveal about the human desire to both exalt and control nature. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Dolphin Song Lauren St. John, 2008-05-01 The second exciting adventure in the dramatic Legend of the Animal Healer series! Martine is just getting used to her new life on the game reserve with her grandmother and the white giraffe, Jemmy, when she must go away. Her class is going on a trip?an ocean voyage to watch the sardine run, a spectacular natural phenomenon off the coast of South Africa. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Martine and several of her classmates are thrown overboard into shark-infested waters! They are saved by a pod of dolphins and end up marooned on a deserted island. Now the castaways must learn to work together, not only to survive but to help the dolphins who are now in peril. |
| discussion questions for west with giraffes: Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie Lisa Napoli, 2021-04-13 A group biography of four beloved women who fought sexism, covered decades of American news, and whose voices defined NPR In the years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, women in the workplace still found themselves relegated to secretarial positions or locked out of jobs entirely. This was especially true in the news business, a backwater of male chauvinism where a woman might be lucky to get a foothold on the “women’s pages.” But when a pioneering nonprofit called National Public Radio came along in the 1970s, and the door to serious journalism opened a crack, four remarkable women came along and blew it off the hinges. Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie is journalist Lisa Napoli’s captivating account of these four women, their deep and enduring friendships, and the trail they blazed to becoming icons. They had radically different stories. Cokie Roberts was born into a political dynasty, roamed the halls of Congress as a child, and felt a tug toward public service. Susan Stamberg, who had lived in India with her husband who worked for the State Department, was the first woman to anchor a nightly news program and pressed for accommodations to balance work and home life. Linda Wertheimer, the daughter of shopkeepers in New Mexico, fought her way to a scholarship and a spot on-air. And Nina Totenberg, the network's legal affairs correspondent, invented a new way to cover the Supreme Court. Based on extensive interviews and calling on the author’s deep connections in news and public radio, Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie will be as beguiling and sharp as its formidable subjects. |
When should I use "a discussion of" vs. "a discussion on" vs. "a ...
A discussion of a topic — this brings to mind a true discussion, going into all sorts of details of the topic (and only the topic). A discussion on a topic — here I picture the discussion to be …
Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom A Project of The Internet TESL Journal If this is your first time here, then read the Teacher's Guide to Using These Pages If you can think of …
ESL Conversation Questions - What if...? (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions What if...? A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. If you had only 24 hours to live, what would you do? If a classmate asked you for the answer to …
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Conversation Questions Food & Eating A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. Restaurants Fruits and Vegetables Vegetarian Diets Tipping About how many different color …
Country and Nationality Words- Discussion Questions
Personal conversation questions for speaking practice of country names and nationality adjectives, including discussing favourites and experiences.
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A list of questions you can use to generate conversations in the ESL/EFL classroom.
UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum
Oct 29, 2024 · Free English language forums and chat for EFL / ESL students and teachers with discussions covering issues such as grammar, exams, qualifications, academic/business …
"Centered on" or "centered around" - English Language & Usage …
Here is Merriam-Webster's original wording: Usage Discussion of center The intransitive verb center is most commonly used with the prepositions in, on, at, and around. At appears to be …
ESL Conversation Questions - Future (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions Future A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. Related: Plans, Goals, Dreams What does the future hold? What will the future be like? Who …
ESL Conversation Questions - Weather (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions Weather A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. What's your favorite season and why? Are there any special traditions associated with …
When should I use "a discussion of" vs. "a discussion on" vs. "a ...
A discussion of a topic — this brings to mind a true discussion, going into all sorts of details of the topic (and only the topic). A discussion on a topic — here I picture the discussion to be …
Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom A Project of The Internet TESL Journal If this is your first time here, then read the Teacher's Guide to Using These Pages If you can think of …
ESL Conversation Questions - What if...? (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions What if...? A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. If you had only 24 hours to live, what would you do? If a classmate asked you for the answer to …
ESL Conversation Questions - Food & Eating (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions Food & Eating A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. Restaurants Fruits and Vegetables Vegetarian Diets Tipping About how many different color …
Country and Nationality Words- Discussion Questions
Personal conversation questions for speaking practice of country names and nationality adjectives, including discussing favourites and experiences.
ESL Conversation Questions - Meeting People (I-TESL-J)
A list of questions you can use to generate conversations in the ESL/EFL classroom.
UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum
Oct 29, 2024 · Free English language forums and chat for EFL / ESL students and teachers with discussions covering issues such as grammar, exams, qualifications, academic/business …
"Centered on" or "centered around" - English Language & Usage …
Here is Merriam-Webster's original wording: Usage Discussion of center The intransitive verb center is most commonly used with the prepositions in, on, at, and around. At appears to be …
ESL Conversation Questions - Future (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions Future A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. Related: Plans, Goals, Dreams What does the future hold? What will the future be like? Who …
ESL Conversation Questions - Weather (I-TESL-J)
Conversation Questions Weather A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. What's your favorite season and why? Are there any special traditions associated with …
