Little Soldiers

Little Soldiers PDF Author: Lenora Chu
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062367870
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 346

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Book Description
New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice; Real Simple Best of the Month; Library Journal Editors’ Pick In the spirit of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Bringing up Bébé, and The Smartest Kids in the World, a hard-hitting exploration of China’s widely acclaimed yet insular education system that raises important questions for the future of American parenting and education When students in Shanghai rose to the top of international rankings in 2009, Americans feared that they were being "out-educated" by the rising super power. An American journalist of Chinese descent raising a young family in Shanghai, Lenora Chu noticed how well-behaved Chinese children were compared to her boisterous toddler. How did the Chinese create their academic super-achievers? Would their little boy benefit from Chinese school? Chu and her husband decided to enroll three-year-old Rainer in China’s state-run public school system. The results were positive—her son quickly settled down, became fluent in Mandarin, and enjoyed his friends—but she also began to notice troubling new behaviors. Wondering what was happening behind closed classroom doors, she embarked on an exploratory journey, interviewing Chinese parents, teachers, and education professors, and following students at all stages of their education. What she discovered is a military-like education system driven by high-stakes testing, with teachers posting rankings in public, using bribes to reward students who comply, and shaming to isolate those who do not. At the same time, she uncovered a years-long desire by government to alleviate its students’ crushing academic burden and make education friendlier for all. The more she learns, the more she wonders: Are Chinese children—and her son—paying too high a price for their obedience and the promise of future academic prowess? Is there a way to appropriate the excellence of the system but dispense with the bad? What, if anything, could Westerners learn from China’s education journey? Chu’s eye-opening investigation challenges our assumptions and asks us to consider the true value and purpose of education.

Little Soldiers

Little Soldiers PDF Author: Lenora Chu
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062367870
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 346

Get Book Here

Book Description
New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice; Real Simple Best of the Month; Library Journal Editors’ Pick In the spirit of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Bringing up Bébé, and The Smartest Kids in the World, a hard-hitting exploration of China’s widely acclaimed yet insular education system that raises important questions for the future of American parenting and education When students in Shanghai rose to the top of international rankings in 2009, Americans feared that they were being "out-educated" by the rising super power. An American journalist of Chinese descent raising a young family in Shanghai, Lenora Chu noticed how well-behaved Chinese children were compared to her boisterous toddler. How did the Chinese create their academic super-achievers? Would their little boy benefit from Chinese school? Chu and her husband decided to enroll three-year-old Rainer in China’s state-run public school system. The results were positive—her son quickly settled down, became fluent in Mandarin, and enjoyed his friends—but she also began to notice troubling new behaviors. Wondering what was happening behind closed classroom doors, she embarked on an exploratory journey, interviewing Chinese parents, teachers, and education professors, and following students at all stages of their education. What she discovered is a military-like education system driven by high-stakes testing, with teachers posting rankings in public, using bribes to reward students who comply, and shaming to isolate those who do not. At the same time, she uncovered a years-long desire by government to alleviate its students’ crushing academic burden and make education friendlier for all. The more she learns, the more she wonders: Are Chinese children—and her son—paying too high a price for their obedience and the promise of future academic prowess? Is there a way to appropriate the excellence of the system but dispense with the bad? What, if anything, could Westerners learn from China’s education journey? Chu’s eye-opening investigation challenges our assumptions and asks us to consider the true value and purpose of education.

Little Soldier

Little Soldier PDF Author: Bernard Ashley
Publisher: Hachette Children's
ISBN: 1408315262
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 154

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Book Description
When Kaninda survives a brutal attack on his village in East Africa he joins the rebel army, where he's trained to carry weapons, and use them. But aid workers take him to London, to a new family and a comprehensive school. Clan and tribal conflicts are everywhere, and on the streets it's estate versus estate, urban tribe against urban tribe. All Kaninda wants it to get back to his own war and take revenge on his enemies. But together with Laura Rose, the daughter of his new family, he is drawn into a dangerous local conflict that is spiraling out of control.

God's Little Soldier

God's Little Soldier PDF Author: Kiran Nagarkar
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 9351770095
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 540

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Book Description
God's Little Soldier From the backstreets of Bombay to the hallowed halls ofCambridge, from the mountains of Afghanistan to a monastery inCalifornia, the story of Zia Khan is an extraordinary rollercoasterride; a compelling cliffhanger of a spiritual quest, about a goodman gone bad and the brutalization of his soul. Growing up in a well-to-do, cultured Muslim family in Bombay,Zia, a gifted young mathematician, is torn between theunquestioning certainties of his aunt's faith and the tolerant,easy-going views of his parents. At Cambridge University, his beliefs crystallize into a ferventorthodoxy, which ultimately leads him to a terrorist training campin Afghanistan. The burden of endemic violence and killings,however, takes its toll on Zia. Tormented by his need forforgiveness, he is then drawn reluctantly to Christ. But peacecontinues to elude him, and Zia is once again driven to seek outcauses to defend and fight for, whatever be the sacrificesinvolved. Posited against Zia is his brother, Amanat, a writer whose lifeis severely constrained by sickness, even as his mind is liberatedby doubt. Theirs is a relationship that is as much a blood bond asit is an opaque wall of incomprehension. Weaving together thenarratives of the extremist and the liberal, God's Little Soldierunderscores the incoherent ambiguities of good and evil, and thetragic conflicts that have riven people and nations.

Lil' Army Soldier

Lil' Army Soldier PDF Author: RP Kids
Publisher: Running Press Kids
ISBN: 076249879X
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description
Celebrate real-life heroes in the US Army with this early board book introduction to the US military branches. The Mini Military series focuses on introducing young readers to the various branches of the US military. Lil' Army Soldier highlights what it's like to be in the US Army, focusing on uniforms, helmets, and vests, and introducing toddlers to military vehicles, such as the Humvee, helicopter, and tank. Perfect for military families, those with veterans in their family, or for anyone looking to educate their youngest readers about our troops, this book and the series is sure to inspire and celebrate our brave service men and women.

The Play of Little Soldier

The Play of Little Soldier PDF Author: Bernard Ashley
Publisher: Heinemann
ISBN: 9780435125813
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
This is a wonderful adaptation of Bernard Ashley's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, which was short listed for the Carnegie and the Guardian Fiction Awards. Kaninda is an ex-child soldier from East Africa, orphaned and living in London. When a child from a nearby estate is hit by a car, he is drawn into an inter-estate conflict. The story combines current conflicts in London with real war in Africa. Little Soldier is a gritty and gripping play with a fast-moving, exciting plot which will hook boys. The play can be used to explore: different cultures (set in Africa in London) urban gang culture and moral questions literary and dramatic techniques and devices.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

The Steadfast Tin Soldier PDF Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Publisher: ABRAMS
ISBN: 1613124988
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
A beautifully illustrated version of the classic fairy tale about a tin soldier’s adventure and his love for a ballerina, retold with a twist. With her signature warmth and lyricism, Newbery winner Cynthia Rylant has crafted a new version of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a tin soldier who falls in love with a ballerina. As in the original story, the tin soldier’s love for the beautiful ballerina is thwarted by a goblin. The tin soldier is separated from the other toys and washed down a sewer, where he encounters a rat and gets swallowed by a fish, but somehow, against all odds, he manages to end up back home only to be cast into the nursery fire. Rylant adds her own twist to the end of the tale, however, for in this version, the tin soldier and the ballerina are melded to each other, rather than melted, in the heat of the fire, so they’ll never be parted again. Rylant’s expert storytelling paired with Corace’s stunning illustrations create a beautiful, unforgettable tale of everlasting love. Praise for The Steadfast Tin Soldier “Gracefully written. . . . The book’s large format gives plenty of scope for Corace’s distinctive illustrations, precise ink drawings brightened with watercolor, gouache, and acrylic paints. Sometimes brilliantly colorful and sometimes more subdued, the scenes can be crowded with dozens of toys or other visual elements, but they show up well from a distance. The subtle depictions of the goblin and his shadow are particularly fine. A softened vision of the literary fairy tale.” —Booklist “Text and illustrations weave seamlessly to create an involving, fast-paced update of a much-loved tale. Rylant's retelling is abridged, yet sprightly, and Corace’s watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and pen-and-ink illustrations add nuance and whimsy to Andersen's original.” —School Library Journal

And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None PDF Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312979478
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
One by one, the guests arrived at the mansion on Indian Island, summoned by a mysterious host. And one by one, with terrifying meticulousness, they were stalked by a cunning murderer. Utterly baffling...and yet there was a pattern, concealed in a nursery rhyme hanging over the fireplace.

Airfix's Little Soldiers

Airfix's Little Soldiers PDF Author: Jean-Christophe Carbonel
Publisher: Figures and Toys
ISBN: 9782352500896
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Airfix was founded in 1939, initially manufacturing inflatable rubber toys. Now, they are synonymous with the modeling hobby. This book covers 50 years of the famous Airfix plastic soldier, from its production beginnings in 1958 through to the present day, detailing every figure Airfix has ever produced.

Two Little Soldiers

Two Little Soldiers PDF Author: Guy de Maupassant
Publisher: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ISBN: 8726666804
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 11

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Book Description
Jean and Luc are two best friends serving in the army. Life as a soldier is unforgiving, but every Sunday provides a ray of hope for the two soldiers as they walk down the Seine river and lunch in a forest that reminds them of home. The idyllic countryside of Champioux is, to them, a little heaven. Yet when a milkmaid catches one of the soldier’s eyes, the two friends’ ordered world begins to unravel. A simple tale of friendship, love, and loss, "Two Little Soldiers" is a masterful portrayal of Maupassant’s knowledge of the human soul and condition. Perfect for readers of Hemingway, this short story is tinged with the tragedy of war seen through the lives of everyday soldiers. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a famous French writer, often referred to as the father of the short story. A prolific writer, his best known works include "Bel-Ami", "Une Vie" and "The Necklace", alongside some 300 short stories, travel books, and poetry. A master of style and dramatic narrative, Maupassant’s stories are drawn to themes of war, the working class, and the human condition. One of his greatest influences was Gustave Flaubert, who introduced him to some of the central names of the time such as Emile Zola, Ivan Turgenev, and Henry James.

The Little Lead Soldier

The Little Lead Soldier PDF Author: Hugh D. Wise
Publisher: Westholme Publishing
ISBN: 9781594162749
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
An Extraordinary Account from the Front Lines of World War I, Written at the Request of an American Officer's Young Son Arriving in France in April 1918, Col. Hugh D. Wise, commander of the U.S. 61st Infantry Division, held a precious object. It was a toy soldier given to him by his six-year-old son, Hugh, Jr. The boy had asked the little lead soldier to write him with news of his father. The colonel saw action in two of the most important campaigns the Americans fought, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne, and the little lead soldier dutifully assured a boy thousands of miles away that his father was safe: "The men had been shelled, gassed, and raked by machine guns constantly: and undergone several intense bombardments; and made a difficult though successful attack; and had resisted a fierce counter-attack. They had dug trenches, moved, and dug again. All this time they had been without shelter, exposed to a cold driving rain and without warm food--They were wet, chilled, and tired when called upon for even greater ef­forts but they responded with the energy and spirit of fresh troops." A treasured family heirloom, these wartime letters are presented for the first time along with letter from Colonel Wise to his wife, and engrossing historical context provided by his grandson, Hugh D. Wise, III. The Little Lead Soldier: World War I Letters from a Father to His Son is a remarkable story of how a father performed his dangerous duty while keeping a promise to his boy.