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Around the World (1) slide show books 1-20

Around the World (1) slide show books 21-40

Around the World (1) slide show books 41-60

Around the World (1) slide show books 61-80

Book #1 - __The Hot Zone__ by Richard Preston (Virginia) This is real life bio-thriller about a 1989 incident when the deadly Ebola virus was found in a monkey house just a few miles outside Washington, DC. There are several strains of Ebola, one of which has a fatality rate of 90%. If it were to appear in a heavily populated area the effects could be catastrophic. Stephen King called the book, “One of the most horrifying things I’ve ever read.” Book # 2 - __Charlotte’s Web__ by E.B. White (New York) Author E.B. White lived in New York City where he worked as a writer and editor for The New Yorker magazine, but he is best remembered for this timeless classic about the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte. This is one of those rare pieces of literature that can be enjoyed by children, teenagers, and adults. Book #3 - __Where the Wild Things Are__ by Maurice Sendak (New York) Max is an excitable, young boy who gets in trouble for playing around the house in his wolf costume. His mother sends him to bed without supper. In his room a mysterious sea appears and Max sails to the land of the Wild Things. Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. The Wild Things where modeled after his real life relatives. Book #4 - __The Legend of Sleepy Hollow__ by Washington Irving (New York) Ichabod Crane is a schoolmaster who wants to marry the daughter of a wealthy farmer but he is scared off by one of his rivals masquerading as the Headless Horseman. First published in 1820, it is among the earliest examples of American fiction. Sleepy Hollow is a real town located along the Hudson River north of New York City. The high school sports teams are named “The Horsemen.” Book #5 - __Hatchet__ by Gary Paulsen (New York/Canada) 13 year old Brian is flying from New York to Canada to visit his father when the pilot of the small plane suffers a heart attack. Brian crash lands in a small lake and manages to get out of the plane before it sinks. He finds himself stranded alone in the foreboding Canadian wilderness and his only possession is a small hatchet. Book #6 – __The Sign of the Beaver__ by Elizabeth George Speare (Maine) 12 year old Matt and his father build a cabin in the woods of Maine in 1769. Matt is left to guard the cabin for a few weeks while his father goes back to Massachusetts to get the rest of the family, but months go by and his family never returns. The local Native Americans come to his aid and teach him how to survive in the back country. Book #7 - __Moby-Dick__ by Herman Melville (Massachusetts) The 1851 story of Captain Ahab’s obsession with a legendary white whale is in fact based on 2 real events: the sinking of a Nantucket ship by a sperm whale in 1820 and the killing of an albino sperm whale of the coast of Chile in the late 1830’s. Author Herman Melville grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, where his grandfather participated in the Boston Tea Party. Book #8 - __Uncle Tom’s Cabin__ by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Connecticut) This anti-slavery novel helped lay the groundwork for the American Civil War. Stowe, a Connecticut teacher and active abolitionist, focused the story around Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave. Viewed from a modern perspective, the writing is overly sentimental and melodramatic at times, but the message of racial injustice is so powerful that it continues to hold meaning for today’s readers.

Book #9 - __Raise the Titanic!__ By Clive Cussler (Atlantic Ocean) Super spy Dirk Pitt returns in this fictional adventure. It’s discovered that the Titanic’s hull contains a shipment of a rare mineral, the only available supply in the world large enough to power a top secret U.S. defense program. When no method can be found to extract the mineral under more than 12,000 feet of water, Pitt and his crew set out to do the impossible: Raise the Titanic! Book #10 - __Arctic Dreams__ by Barry Lopez (Greenland) This book takes a look at the frozen majesty of Greenland and other location in the Arctic Circle, one of our planet’s final frontiers. Based on 15 extended trips to the far north over a 5 year period, this frank documentary makes a stark case for the necessary defense of an Arctic wilderness that is threatened by the increasingly elusive pursuit of economic progress. Book #11 - __Treasure Island__ by Robert Louis Stevenson (Atlantic Ocean) Almost all of our modern imagery of pirate adventures can be traced to this 1883 classic. Young Jim Hawkins comes into possession of a map with an X indicating the location of a buried treasure. He sets out on a quest to find the gold and jewels, but little does he know that the ship’s cook is none other than Long John Silver, an evil one-legged pirate who has been searching for the treasure for years. Book #12 - __Angela’s Ashes__ by Frank McCourt (Ireland) This is a moving memoir of a difficult childhood in an extremely poor section of Ireland. Frank’s alcoholic father usually spent the family’s welfare payment before his mother, Angela, could get her hands on it. Despite the many hardships, the recollections are full of humor and charm and end on a bright note. Frank saves enough money to move to America when he is 19 years old. Book #13 - __Macbeth__ by William Shakespeare (Scotland) “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.” 3 witches foretell Macbeth some misleading truths about his future. Spurred by these prophecies and an overly ambitious wife, he murders his way to the throne of Scotland but remains plagued by his conscience. Book #14 - __The Black Cauldron__ by Lloyd Alexander (Wales) This is the 2nd of 5 books in a fantasy series known as the Chronicles of Prydain. Author Lloyd Alexander was stationed in Wales during WW II, and the ancient country with its majestic castles inspired him to write these books. Many of the characters and events are drawn from the Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh legends that was also the inspiration for the Lord of the Rings. Book #15 - __Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban__ by J.K. Rowling (England) Harry returns to Hogwarts and finds security has been tightened since the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban prison. The grounds are now guarded by Dementors: dark, sinister beings that drain the happiness of anybody nearby. He also meets Remus Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This is the 3rd and most intricately plotted book of the series. Author J.K. Rowling was born in Yate, England, near the border of Wales. Book #16 – __Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde__ by Robert Louis Stevenson (England) A London lawyer investigates the connections between his old friend Dr. Henry Jekyll, a prominent and well respected scientist, and Edward Hyde, a thoroughly evil wretch. Eventually he stumbles upon the astonishing fact that Jekyll and Hyde are actually the same person! This 1886 novel’s impact was so great that the expression “Jekyll and Hyde” has become part of our vernacular. Book #17 – __Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland__ by Lewis Carroll (England) In 1862, a math professor at Oxford named Charles Dodgson went on a boat ride down the Thames River in London with his friend’s 3 daughters. The oldest daughter, 10 year old Alice, asked him to make up a story. 3 years later he published the story under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. The book was an immediate success and has since been translated into 125 languages. Book #18 - __Brave New World__ by Aldous Huxley (England) Published in 1932, this dystopian novel is set in London in the far distant future. Author Aldous Huxley’s frightening vision originated on a trip to the U.S. in the 1920’s where he was appalled by American culture and fearful of its spread to the rest of the world. The title of the book is taken from a line in __The Tempest__, Shakespeare’s final play. Book #19 - __Snow Treasure__ by Marie McSwigan (Norway) During WW II, a Norwegian freighter reached Baltimore with over $9 billion of gold bullion. When the ship’s captain asked for a police escort while unloading the cargo, a strange story came to light. The gold had been slipped past Nazi guards by boys and girls who hid the bullion on their sleds in order to sneak it to a ship hidden in a fiord off the coast of Norway. Book #20 - __The Girl Who Played With Fire__ by Stieg Larson (Sweden) Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police story, and part piercing expose on social injustice, the 2nd part of the Millennium trilogy is a roller coaster ride. Genius hacker Lisbeth Salander’s fingerprints have been found on a murder weapon, but Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the Millenium magazine, is convinced that the girl is innocent and sets out to prove it. Book #21 - __Hamlet__ by William Shakespeare (Denmark) Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Prince Hamlet seeks to avenge his father’s murder by bringing his Uncle Claudius, the new king, to justice. Hamlet is one of the most analyzed characters in literature and one of the most coveted roles in theater. He is multi-dimensional, inconsistent, and prone to procrastination and these qualities make his character very believable. Book #22 - __Number the Stars__ by Lois Lowry (Denmark) This work of historical fiction about the Holocaust is set in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1943. 10 year old Annemarie and her family risk their lives to try and save her best friend Ellen, who is Jewish, from the persecution of the Nazi regime. The story’s title is taken from Psalm 147 and the symbolism of the stars is also related to Ellen’s Star of David necklace. Book #23 - __The Devil’s Arithmetic__ by Jane Yolen (Poland) Hannah is a Jewish girl living in the present day who is tired of listening to her elders talk about the Holocaust, but when she is transported back in time to Poland during WW II and sent to a Nazi concentration camp she begins to understand the importance of knowing about the past. Book #24 - __The Third Man__ by Graham Greene (Austria) An American goes to visit a friend in Vienna, Austria shortly after WW II. He finds the once beautiful city reduced to rubble and is shocked when he learns his friend is dead. He suspects foul play and soon finds himself caught up in political intrigue and international espionage. Many Hollywood spy thrillers can trace their roots back to this murder mystery. Book #25 - __The Iliad__ by Homer (Turkey) The 1st epic poem attributed to Homer focuses on the Trojan War. Paris, a Prince of Troy, falls in love with Helen and steals her away from her husband, setting the stage for a long and bloody conflict. Is there any truth to the story? Modern scholars generally agree that the remains of Troy have been found on the western shores of present day Turkey. Book #26 - __The Odyssey__ by Homer (Greece) The 2nd epic poem attributed to Homer focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus and his long journey home after the fall of Troy. Is there any truth to the story? In 2008, scientists used astronomical clues in the text – the sighting of Venus before dawn, a new moon, and a solar eclipse – to give an exact date for the return on Odysseus – April 16, 1178 BC. Book #27 - __The Prince__ by Niccolo Machiavelli (Italy) Though it is almost 500 years old, this political treatise fits right in with modern political talk radio. In this book, Machiavelli, a retired politician, created an educational program that would teach a young prince how to effectively run a country. Abstract ideals are set aside in order to face harsh realities. “Machiavellian” as a modern adjective is defined as “cunning and deceitful.” Book #28 - __Othello__ by William Shakespeare (Italy) Othello and Desdemona are deeply in love and have recently eloped. Othello is an outsider, a black Moor from Africa who serves the city of Venice, Italy as a general in its war against the Turks. Othello doesn’t know it but he has a bitter enemy. Iago hates him and secretly plots against him. Driven to a towering jealousy by Iago’s lies, Othello kills his wife but later learns that she was completely innocent. Book #29 - __Siddhartha__ by Herman Hesse (Germany) This philosophical novel by German author Herman Hesse tells the life story of the Buddha. After serving in the German army during WW I, Hesse became a devout pacifist and immersed himself in the study of eastern religions. Resonating with the peace movement, this book became very popular in the U.S. during the 1960’s. The Buddha’s name before his renunciation was Siddhartha Gautama. Book #30 - __The Wheel on the School__ by Meindert DeJong (Netherlands) A grade school class in a small Dutch town is trying to figure out why there are no storks in their village. Once they realize that the roofs in the village are pitched so steeply that the birds can’t find a place to nest, they set about solving the problem. This book was illustrated by Maurice Sendak who would go on to write and illustrate the children’s classic __Where the Wild Things Are__. Book #31 - __From the Earth to the Moon__ by Jules Verne (France) Jules Verne’s works made stunningly accurate predictions about the future and this is a great example. Published during the Civil War, over 100 years before the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969, it accurately predicted that a 3 man space crew from the U.S. would launch from a base in Florida, travel the distance to the Moon in four days, and return to splash down in the Pacific Ocean. Book #32 - __The Three Musketeers__ by Alexandre Dumas (France) The poor D’Artagnan travels to Paris where he hopes to join the city guard known as the Musketeers. In order to prove that he is worthy he must duel with each of the 3 Musketeers – Athos, Aramis, and Porthos – 3 brave men who live by the motto “All for one, one for all.” He eventually proves his worth and proudly serves his country as a member of the illustrious Musketeers. Book #33 - __The Little Prince__ by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (France) The author was a real life French pilot who, after crashing in the Sahara Desert, used his actual experiences as the basic plot for this story. Though ostensibly a children’s book, it contains many profound observations about life and human nature. It has been translated into 190 languages and sold over 80 million copies world-wide, making it one of the best-selling books off all-time. Book #34 - __Shadow of a Bull__ by Maia Wojciechowska (Spain) 12 year old Manola is the son of a famous bullfighter who was killed in the ring when Manola was 3 years old. The people in the town of Arcangel, Spain expect him to pursue his father’s legacy but he aspires to be a doctor. Which requires more courage – to follow in his father’s legendary footsteps or to pursue his own destiny? Book #35 – __I, Juan de Pareja__ by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino (Spain) This work of historical fiction follows the relationship between 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez and his slave Juan de Pareja. De Pareja desperately wants to be a painter, but slaves are forbidden to practice any type of art. Over a period of years he secretly learns the craft. When Velazquez accidentally discovers his slave’s paintings, he recognizes his special talents and grants him freedom. Book #36 - __Alentejo Blue__ by Monica Ali (Portugal) This series of short vignettes works together to describe a small village in the Alentejo region of Portugal in this 2006 novel. The individual stories are tied together by the much anticipated return of a man who left the village years ago and has since accumulated great wealth. Born in Bangladesh, author Monica Ali moved to England when she was 3 years old. Book #37 - __King of the Wind__ by Marguerite Henry (Morocco) Agba, a mute orphan, is a stable boy in ancient Morocco. The horse he tends to has given birth to a baby that is sickly and has been marked for death, but Agba’s passionate pleas save the colt and he is given the name Sham. Agba nurses Sham to health and through a series of trials and tribulations he becomes the greatest racehorse in all the land and the sire to all modern thoroughbred racehorses. Book #38 - __The Last Life__ by Claire Messud (Algeria) Author Claire Messud is a college English professor who has taught at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. Her father is from a wealthy French family. His life and experiences growing up in the African country of Algeria when it was under French rule form the basis for this fictional story. Book #39 – __Sundiata__ by D.T. Niane (Mali) Sundiata Keita was the founder of the empire of Mali and a celebrated hero of West Africa who lived during the 13th century. The story of Sundiata’s life, part history and part legend, is primarily known through oral tradition and has been passed from generation to generation in a manner similar to the Greek epics __The Iliad__ and __The Odyssey__. Book #40 – __Roots__ by Alex Haley (Gambia) A young African boy named Kunte Kinte is kidnapped from his homeland of Gambia and brought to the U.S. as a slave in the 1700’s. Haley follows Kinte’s family line over the next 7 generations, creating a moving historical novel that spans over 200 years. The book became a worldwide phenomenon when it was released in 1976 and it was soon turned into an extremely popular TV adaptation. Book #41 - __Long Walk to Freedom__ by Nelson Mandela (South Africa) In 1962 Nelson Mandela was imprisoned by the government of South Africa for his attempts to end discriminatory practices known as apartheid. He would spend the next 27 years of his life in jail. Ever increasing scrutiny finally forced the government to outlaw apartheid and release Mandela. In 1994 he was elected President of South Africa. Much of this autobiography was secretly written during his imprisonment. Book #42 - __King Solomon’s Mines__ by H. Rider Haggard (South Africa) Allan Quatermain is an English big game hunter who lives in South Africa. Following a mysterious map, he leads an expedition in search of the fabled treasure of King Solomon. Author H. Rider Haggard was stationed in Africa while in the British army. He wrote this book in 1885 on a bet from his brother that he could not write an adventure as good as __Treasure Island__ which came out 2 years earlier. Book #43 - __Gorillas in the Mist__ by Dian Fossey (Rwanda) Originally trained as an occupational therapist, Dian Fossey became fascinated with Mountain Gorillas and traveled to Rwanda hoping to see them in their natural environment. This true story documents the 18 years she spent interacting with them. She was murdered in 1985, likely by poachers who were illegally hunting gorillas. Today there are fewer than 650 mountain gorillas living in the wild. Book #44 - __Facing the Lion__ by Joseph Lemasolei Lekuton (Kenya) This is the amazing true story of Joseph Lekuton who grew up in a poor, nomadic tribe in Kenya. He was chosen to attend a missionary boarding school and eventually attended high school in Nairobi. His unlikely story continued as he went to college in the U.S., taught social studies in a high school in Virginia, and earned an MBA from Harvard before returning to Kenya to enter politics. Book #45 - __Antony and Cleopatra__ by William Shakespeare (Egypt) Marc Antony, one of the rulers of the Roman Empire, finds himself torn between his identity and duty as a soldier and his love for Cleopatra, the exotic Queen of Egypt. Shakespeare deftly uses Antony’s character to explore an inner struggle that all people face. Do we choose our Roman discipline or our Egyptian appetites? Book #46 - __The Prophet__ by Kahlil Gibran (Lebanon) Poet and artist Kahlil Gibran was born in modern day Lebanon in 1883. He spent his teenage years living with an uncle in Boston before returning to his native land. Published in 1923, this popular work of inspirational fiction is divided into 26 philosophical essays on topics such as love, marriage, children, freedom, friendship, pain, sorrow, beauty, religion, and death. Book #47 - __Babylon’s Ark__ by Lawrence Anthony (Iraq) In 2003 the U.S. invaded Iraq. Lawrence Anthony, a conservationist from South Africa, was worried about the defenseless animals at the Baghdad Zoo. Overcoming political and economic obstacles and winning allies with his determination, he made his way through war torn Iraq and spearheaded a movement that saved hundreds of animals from suffering and certain death. Book #48 - __The Places in Between__ by Rory Stewart (Afghanistan) In 2002, weeks after the toppling of the Taliban as part of the American response to the terror attacks of Sept 11, 2001, investigative journalist Rory Stewart entered Afghanistan. This book chronicles his long arduous trek on foot through the brutal landscape and his encounters with a people devastated by war, forgotten by time, and isolated by geography. Book #49 - __War and Peace__ by Leo Tolstoy (Russia) Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s famously long novel graphically depicts Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist Russia as seen through the eyes of 5 aristocratic families. Tolstoy incorporated extensive historical research and included almost 200 real people as characters in this massive and intricate book. Book #50 – __I, Robot__ by Isaac Asimov (Russia) This collection of 9 science fiction short stories by Russian born author Isaac Asimov was originally published separately in magazines in the 1940's, but when read together they tell a larger story about the changing relationships between humans and robots. Asimov was a professor of biochemistry and an extremely prolific writer. He wrote or edited over 500 books on numerous topics during his lifetime. Book #51 - __Crime and Punishment__ by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Russia) Raskolnikov, an unstable and desperately poor student, lives in a tiny rented room in St. Petersburg. He devises a plan to murder and rob an unscrupulous elderly pawn. Convincing himself that the good he can do with the money far outweighs the evil of the crime, he goes ahead with his plan. Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote the novel after spending 5 years in exile in Siberia. Book #52 – __The Art of War__ by Sun Tzu (Japan) Likely written in the 6th century BC, this treatise still remains one of the definitive texts on military strategies and tactics. Though there is some debate about whether or not Sun Tzu was an actual historical figure, there is no debate about the influence this tome has had on Asian culture. This volume of ancient wisdom has become increasingly popular in the western world as a book on leadership. Book #53 - __A Single Shard__ by Linda Sue Park (Korea) In 12th century Korea, master potter Min sends a young boy nicknamed Tree Ear to carry examples of his new celadon pottery style to the Royal Court in hopes of winning a commission. On the long trip Tree Ear is attacked by robbers and all the pots are smashed leaving the boy with just a single shard to show his master's skills. Will it be enough? Book #54 - __Red Scarf Girl__ by Ji-Li Jiang (China) When Ji-Li was a young girl Mao Tse-Tung and the Communist party ruled China. In 1966 they launched a program known as the Cultural Revolution which was mainly an attack on businesses and landowners who were lobbying for a more democratic government and an economic policy driven by capitalism. This memoir details the persecutions suffered by Ji-Li and her family because her grandfather was a landowner. Book #55 - __Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter__ by Adeline Yen Mah (China) Blamed for the loss of her mother who died shortly after giving birth to her, Adeline is an ostracized by her father and her 4 older siblings. Things don't get any better when her father remarries. She eventually finds escape at school but the awards she wins only serve to enrage her jealous siblings and cruel stepmother. Adeline courageously perseveres through a lifetime of heartbreaking neglect, eventually becoming a doctor and realizing her dream as a writer. Book #56 - __Goodbye, Vietnam__ by Gloria Whelan (Vietnam) 13 year old Mai is frightened when she learns that her family has decided to flee from Vietnam because of religious persecution. They survive a perilous boat trip to Hong Kong and find themselves amongst thousands of refugees all seeking a better life. This profound story of sacrifice and suffering is truly inspiring. Book #57 - __The Clay Marble__ by Minfong Ho (Cambodia) During a civil war in Cambodia 12 year old Dara and her family are forced to flee from their home and take safety in a refugee camp. At the camp Dara becomes friends with Jantu who has an uncanny ability to make toys from mud and scraps of clothes. The fighting spills into the camp and Dara is separated from her family. Jantu makes a "magic" clay marble that gives Dara the courage to find her family. Book #58 - __Peak__ by Roland Smith (Thailand) After numerous run-ins with the law, a judge sends 14 year old Peak Marcello to live with his real dad in Thailand. His dad owns and operates a mountain climbing company. Peak has a chance to become the youngest person to ever climb Mt. Everest but his excitement is soon dashed when he learns that his father is using him for publicity and personal gain. Book #59 - __Long Road to Freedom__ by Linda Barr (Laos) After losing to communist backed guerillas in a civil war during the 1970's, the Hmong people of Laos were forced to flee their war torn country and seek refuge in the United States and other free nations around the world. This book examines the unique cultural traditions as well as the strength of spirit of the Hmong people. Book #60 - __7 Years in Tibet__ by Heinrich Harrer (Tibet) This autobiography written by Austrian mountaineer and former Nazi SS officer Heinrich Harrer recounts his experiences in Tibet from 1944 to 1951. After being arrested at the end of WW II, Harrer escaped from a British internment camp in India and trekked across the Himalayas to the remote land of Tibet where he eventually became a tutor to the Dalai Lama. Book #61 - __The Jungle Book__ by Rudyard Kipling (India) Born in 1865, author Rudyard Kipling spent his childhood in British-ruled India where his father ran a school and museum. This collection of short stories was published in 1893. The best known stories are the ones which involve Mowgli, an abandoned "man cub" who was raised by wolves in the jungles of India. Book #62 - __Whale Rider__ by Witi Ihimaera (New Zealand) Koru, the chief of the Maori, a native tribe of New Zealand, has no male heir. But Kahu, his 8 yr old granddaughter, is convinced that she has what it takes to eventually claim the throne and the respected title of "whale rider." Kahu must overcome her grandfather's prejudices in this story interwoven with beautiful descriptions of native culture and mythology. Book #63 - __Call It Courage__ by Armstrong Sperry (Pacific Ocean) Mafatu's father is the chief of a seafaring tribe that lives on an island in the south Pacific. Mafatu is scared of the water because as a child he was washed out to sea during a hurricane and he saw his mother drown. He has been taunted and teased his whole life because of his fears. At the age of 15, no longer willing to put up with the ridicule, he paddles out to sea to face his inner demons. Book #64 - __Kon-Tiki__ by Thor Heyerdahl (Pacific Ocean) Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl thought it was possible that Pacific islanders originally came from South America. In 1947, to prove that his theory was possible, he sailed 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Peru, South America to the Polynesian Islands on a primitive raft that he named the Kon-Tiki. Book #65 – __The Remarkable Voyages of Captain Cook__ by Rhoda Blumberg (Pacific Ocean) Captain James Cook was an 18th century explorer who led 3 extended voyages through the Pacific Ocean. He was the 1st European to travel to eastern Australia and Hawaii, where he was eventually killed by natives. This meticulously documented account of his voyages reads like an adventure novel. Star Trek's Captain James Kirk was modeled after the real life Captain James Cook. Book #66 – __Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu__ by Ted Lewin (Peru) Indiana Jones is modeled after the real life Hiram Bingham who was a professor at Yale and a part-time explorer and treasure hunter. Later in life he served as a U.S. Senator. This book details his discovery of a fabled, lost Incan city in 1911. Bingham traveled to Cusco before plunging into the jungles of Peru. A local child led him to the mountaintop ruins of Machu Picchu. Book #67 - __Love in the Time of Cholera__ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia) Columbian author Marquez's story about an enduring love triangle was written in 1985. It gained popularity when it was featured in a 2001 romantic movie called __Serendipity__. Sparks fly between Jonathan and Sara but they are both in relationships. She writes her phone number on the inside cover of a used copy of this book and they leave it to fate. If they are meant to be together he will find the book. Book #68 - __Clemente__ by David Maraniss (Puerto Rico) Roberto Clemente was born in Puerto Rico in 1934. This biography tells the story of his rise from poverty in Puerto Rico where he was the youngest of 7 children, to his Hall of Fame major league career where he won 12 gold gloves and 4 batting titles, to his tragic death in 1972 when he died in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to survivors of a Nicaraguan earthquake. Book #69 - __Before We Were Free__ by Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic) In real life author Julia Alvarez and her family fled a ruthless dictator who ran the Dominican Republic when she was 10 years old, but in this novel of suspense and political intrigue she imagines what life was like for those who stayed behind and lived under a repressive regime where basic freedoms were denied and every movement was monitored by the secret police. Book #70 - __The Friends__ by Rosa Guy (West Indies) Phyllisia is the new girl in school and she's having a hard time adjusting to all the changes. Harlem is a lot different than the island she grew up on in the West Indies. The only person who will give her a chance is Edith, a poor girl who is trying hard to keep her family together while facing the hardships of poverty. Book #71 - __The Circuit__ by Francisco Jimenez (Mexico) Francisco Jimenez is a literature professor at Santa Clara University in California. This autobiography about his childhood days as a migrant farmer conjures up images of __The Grapes of Wrath__. Each chapter details one stop in a series of never ending migrations from one farm to the next in search of work as his family slowly makes its way from Mexico to California. Book #72 - __Barrio Boy__ by Ernesto Galarza (Mexico) This is a memoir of the childhood of political activist Ernesto Galarza. He spent his youth in a small town in western Mexico before the Mexican Revolution forced his family to flee to a barrio (Spanish speaking section) in Sacramento, California. Galarza went on to become one of the 1st Hispanic graduates of Stanford University and was instrumental in the formation of the United Farm Workers Union. Book #73 - __Of Mice and Men__ by John Steinbeck (California) George and Lennie are migrant workers eking out an existence in California during the Great Depression. George is an intelligent, cynical man who looks after Lennie who is big and strong, but not very bright. The two men have dreams of someday owning their own farm and tending rabbits, but those dreams are shattered when Lennie accidentally kills a girl. Book #74 - __New Moon__ by Stephenie Meyer (Washington) A new moon is the darkest period in a lunar cycle. The title of the 2nd novel in the Twilight series symbolically refers to the darkest time in Bella's life. In a chivalrous but naive attempt to protect her, Edward ends their relationship and leaves the small town of Forks, Washington. Overwhelmed with loneliness, Bella turns to her friend Jacob for comfort. Book #75 - __Woodsong__ by Gary Paulsen (Alaska) In 1925, there was a deadly diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska. Sled dogs were used to transport vital medicine from Anchorage. To commemorate this historic event there is an annual dog sled race along the same route called the Iditarod. This is an account of author Gary Paulson's real life experiences during the 17 days it took his team to complete the Iditarod. Book #76 - __Never Cry Wolf__ by Farley Mowat (Canada) In 1963, hordes of wolves were slaughtering endangered caribou in northern Canada and scientist Farley Mowat was sent to investigate. Mowat spent a summer on the tundra studying the wolves and he found that they were not marauding killers, but skillful hunters trying to protect and provide for their young. He developed a deep affection for the wolves and the local Inuit tribe. Book #77 - __The Shining__ by Stephen King (Colorado) After losing his job as a teacher, Jack takes a job as a winter caretaker in an isolated hotel in Colorado where his son's clairvoyant powers (aka "shining") begin to manifest themselves. The movie version stars Jack Nicholson in one of the most iconic roles in Hollywood history. Redrum. Redrum. Redrum. Book #78 - __Come Juneteenth__ by Ann Rinaldi (Texas) This fictional tale is built around historical fact. When Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Texas slave owners were afraid of an uprising so they kept the announcement a secret for over 2 years. They were finally forced to reveal the truth on June 19, 1865, a day which came to be known as Juneteenth. Book #79 - __Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry__ by Mildred Taylor (Mississippi) Set in Mississippi during the Great Depression this is the story of an African American family fighting to survive in the face of prejudice, illness, poverty, and betrayal. Author Mildred Taylor based the book on the lives of her parents and grandparents. Her vivid portrayal of racial injustice is often compared with __To Kill a Mockingbird__. Book #80 - __The Giving Tree__ by Shel Silverstein (Illinois) Author and illustrator Shel Silverstein was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1930. This popular tale of few words and simple drawings conveys the power of unconditional love. You can read this book in a few minutes, but the story will stay with you for a lifetime. And now we head home. It has been my pleasure to be your guide on this journey Around the World in 80 Books!