New Releases by Priscilla Galloway

The fabled Silk Road conjures up the sights, smells and sounds of faraway lands: great and diverse cultures separated by deserts sands or windswept mountain passes. But traveling the Silk Road took years, often through bleak and rugged country with few inhabitants. Those who set out fought off bandits, battled starvation and survived treacherous storms. Adventures introduces readers to three great historical figures: Chinese Buddhist Xuanzang’s (travels 629 – 645AD), 16-year epic journey from China to India and back is the only source of information we have for huge chunks of the history and geography of this time. His successful search for Buddhist scriptures changed the course of two great nations and he remains an enduring hero of folklore. Mongolian Genghis Khan (war travels 1201 – 1227), bred from infancy to be a warrior, brought the Mongol clans together into a fighting nation to rule the Silk Road and establish the greatest empire the world had seen. Italian merchant Marco Polo (travels 1271 – 1295) journeyed through China for 24 years. His journeys changed the way Europe saw the world beyond its borders. His book even inspired Columbus to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of China. Stunning photographs and art depicting the ancient routes and peoples bring the stories to life. Maps, sidebars and an afterword that highlights the story of the Silk Road are also featured. In the end we too come to know the lands the three travelers explored, and how they were greeted—or cheated—by the folks along the way.

1863: Lisa and her friend Archie love mining for gold, so they couldn't be happier when Lisa's father purchases a claim in Cameronton, outside the village.However, it turns out there's a dispute regarding the ownership of the claim. Lisa's friend Greta--severely ill and very weak--has a claim to the same land. Before she succumbs to her illness, Greta generously signs her portion of the claim over to Lisa and her father so that Lisa and the rest of her family can stay in Cameronton, allowing Lisa to go to school to learn about mining.

Phano is almost 15, the traditional age for a woman to marry in ancient Athens. She is in love with Theo, who is 30-the traditional age for a man to marry. But marriage may not be an option for her. Her stepmother's enemy, Phrynion, claims that Phano is not really a free woman but a slave who belongs to him, and he is ready to sell her if he can get his hands on her. Phano, her father, and her stepmother must use every resource they have to try to restore her reputation and keep her safe. Even if they can keep Phrynion away, Phano may never be able to marry Theo, whose prominent family would expect a wealthy bride who would bring a good-sized dowry with her. Meanwhile, Athens faces the threat of war from Philip of Macedon. Once she turns 15, Phano must find her place as an adult in the turbulent society of ancient Greece. "From the Hardcover edition."

- 2000 Bologna Ragazzi Non-Fiction for Young Adults Award - 1999 Teacher Liberian Magazine, Best of the Best issue

A fascinating guide to strange-but-true jobs.

"Ten-year-old Jason ventures into the dramatic story of Hercules where he grows in bravery and compassion. A tight, character-driven narrative of friendship, loyalty and self-discovery" Cf. Our choice, 2000.

Emily Byrd Starr's mother died when Emily was just four years old, but Emily has never been lonely. She has her father, her imagination, her writing, and her cats. But when her father dies, her world is turned upside down. She is sent to live at New Moon farm with her stern aunt Elizabeth, who lets Emily bring only one of her cats and forbids her to write in her beloved journal. Emily is sure she'll be miserable, but she soon discovers new friends, the beauty of her surroundings, and an inner strength she never knew she had. Maybe it won't be so bad being Emily of New Moon after all.

Snake Dreamer is published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside.

The ancient tale of Daedalus is re-told in novel length, with illustrations.

The story that I intended to eat them is a fabrication. People will make up anything I did intend to observe them closely under conditions of stress, and more blood would have been very useful to me. In the end, I would probably have let them go back home. Their father, my husband, was making my life as wretched as his own. In the end, it would have been a choice between having the children back and pretending (for a while) to be a happy-ever-after fairy-tale family, or getting rid of all three of them and moving on. from "The Prince" Suddenly I looked down. The current damsel was gloriously attired in something with pearls and ermine trim.I hardly saw her dress. My eyes fixed on her feet. Glass! I could see right through her shoes! I stopped immediately. She almost fell. I steadied her. My eyes had not left her feet as they nestled like twin birds in their delicate little cages. Such feet! Oh, Stephen, you'd have loved them too. How I longed to put them into the footbath, to pour in the perfumed oil! The music stopped. Everything stopped.

Inspired by Homer's Odyssey, Aleta relates the feats of women whose stories equal the drama of that great epic. Twelve-year-old Aleta finds a way to help Queen Penelope outwit the traitors in her court.

Atalanta, abandoned at birth by her father, becomes the world's fastest runner, but Melanion is able to beat her with the help of golden apples.

For ages 7-10. Jennifer spends one week with her mother and stepfather and one week with her 'real daddy', until her real daddy has to go out of town for three weeks.

A little girl imagines what it would be like if she were big and her mother were little.