Most Popular Books by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Set in ancient Japan, a struggling artist’s life is transformed when a calico cat brings him good fortune. Commissioned to paint a scene of the Buddha’s death, he contemplates the connection between humans and animals and defies Buddhist tradition by including the cat in the painting. Beautifully illustrated by Lynd Ward.

Quiet courage of a young woman who chooses to stay on her Maine farm rather than migrate to new lands with neighbors.

This is first full account of the most portrayed figural subject in Anglo-Saxon sculpture: the Crucifixion. It brings together in a single volume a record of every known stone depiction related to the Crucifixion from the pre-Conquest kingdoms, from South West Scotland to the tip of Cornwall, each illustrated along with contemporary manuscript images and ivory carvings. It is an analytical study based on fieldwork over several decades with the objective of providing a central resource for scholars who may not have direct access to the dispersed and fragmentary material.

John Singleton Copley''s artistic talent was discovered during the Knowles riot in the early days of Boston. Grades 3-5.

Story about a Maine farmer who loses all his desire to live.

A book of anecdotes, impressions and descriptions of Maine country life in the middle of the twentieth century, gathered and told by the owner of a Maine farm. Included are stories of sea captains, hermits and tramps about everyday life, special days, folklore and humor.

Ronnie kidnapped in Africa in retaliation for the death of a chief''s son, escapes into a remarkable journey with the great herd of shy swift antelopes.

While the majority of Internet users reside in industrialized nations, online access in the developing world has risen rapidly in recent years. As emerging technologies increasingly permit inexpensive and easy online access, the number of Internet users worldwide will only continue to expand. Computer-Mediated Communication: Issues and Approaches in Education examines online interactions from different national, cultural, linguistic, legal, and economic perspectives, exploring how the increasingly international and intercultural Internet affects the ways users present ideas, exchange information, and conduct discussions online. Educators, researchers, and practitioners will discover ways to effectively use Web-based technologies, transcending barriers to participate and collaborate in international projects that reflect the scope and scale of today''s global interactions.

Comprises ninety-four selections from her private journals with new pieces written for this book.

A Guatemalan peasant lad becomes a peddler, acquires a parrot with his first earned quetzals, peddles his wares successfully, and buys his mother a sewing machine.

In 1360 AD, King Magnus Eirikson rules over a united Sweden and Norway—a Christian Scandinavia. Dark rumor has reached the king that the colonies in Greenland have fallen back into pagan ritual, along with an alarming report that the inhabitants of the Western Settlement have mysteriously disappeared, with farmsteads and churches left deserted. Magnus entrusts Paul Knutson with a ship and forty strong men to make contact with Greenland and to verify the truth of these stories. Among these men are Olav Sigurdsson—a young man sailing to prove his bravery to the king and to reclaim his father’s lost honor—and Eirik the Laplander, deeply loyal to Olav’s family, but a pagan viewed with suspicion by the other Christian Scandinavians. Upon confirming the disappearance of a whole settlement, Paul and his party follow a sparse trail of clues south across the seas toward “Vinland”—convinced that some of the colonists may still be alive. As the valiant band perseveres in the pursuit of answers for its king, going ever deeper south and westward into an unknown continent, Olav’s desire for justice for his father finally merges with the desire for success in their difficult quest. The Door to the North is another stirring example of Elizabeth Coatsworth’s authentic and captivating historical storytelling.

As her mistress becomes poorer, a little Mexican girl seeking a way to help takes their last valuable possession to pray before the statue of Saint Francis.

Captured by pirates while sailing from Maine to Genoa in the years following the American Revolution, Sally and Andrew plan their escape after being sold to the sultan of Morocco.

In the 1930 first edition (awarded the 1931 Newbery Medal) Illustrated by Lynn Ward, the story unfolds in ancient Japan through the eyes of an impoverished artist and his gentle housekeeper. Their meager existence is challenged when the housekeeper returns from the market with a tricolor cat named Good Fortune instead of the food they desperately need. Though the artist initially views the cat as a "devil" and a burden, he is slowly won over by the creature''s meditative nature and seemingly prayerful devotion, eventually coming to believe she is a true blessing in their home. The narrative is structured around the artist''s prestigious commission to paint a silk scroll of the Death of the Buddha for the local temple. As he works, the book introduces a series of lyrical interludes and "songs" by the housekeeper, which recount the stories of various animals-the snail, the elephant, the horse, and others-that were blessed by the Buddha. The 1931 edition is uniquely defined by Lynd Ward''s original brush-style illustrations, which were designed to mirror the ukiyo-e aesthetic of the artist''s own masterpiece, emphasizing the spiritual weight of each animal''s inclusion. The emotional core of this version lies in the artist''s internal struggle with the "curse" of the cat, who was traditionally excluded from heaven due to its ancient pride. Despite knowing that including a cat in a sacred painting is forbidden and could lead to the temple''s rejection, the artist is moved by Good Fortune''s silent, soulful longing. In a final act of profound compassion, he paints her into the scene, leading to a quiet and startling miracle that transforms the silk scroll and validates his sacrifice.

A little Norwegian girl discovers the truth about trolls.