1924. Pour la première fois, une femme étrangère réussit à entrer dans Lhassa, capitale interdite du Tibet! Huit mois auront été nécessaires à Alexandra David-Néel pour relever ce défi extraordinaire !
Huit mois d'un long périple à travers les immenses solitudes du " pays des Neiges ". Huit mois d'une vie rude et dangereuse sous l'apparence d'une mendiante tibétaine! A une époque où personne ne parle de "raid", et encore moins quand il s'agit d'une femme, c'est un magnifique exploit et une aventure exceptionnelle que nous décrit ici l'auteur!
Elle y ajoute sa propre quête spirituelle, et ce regard fasciné qu'elle porte sur la civilisation tibétaine.

De indiaan Junior (14, ik-figuur) besluit op een dag naar een blanke school buiten het reservaat te gaan. Zijn strijd om een plaats in die wereld vertrouwt hij toe aan zijn dagboek. Vanaf ca. 12 jaar.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: **From the author of the national bestseller *The Kitchen Boy* comes a gripping historical novel about imperial Russia’s most notorious figure** Called "brilliant" by *USA Today*, Robert Alexander’s historical novel *The Kitchen Boy* swept readers back to the doomed world of the Romanovs. His latest masterpiece once again conjures those turbulent days in a fictional drama of extraordinary depth and suspense. In the wake of the Russian Revolution, Maria Rasputin—eldest of the Rasputin children—recounts her infamous father’s final days, building a breathless narrative of intrigue, excess, and conspiracy that reveals the shocking truth of her father’s end and the identity of those who arranged it. What emerges is a nail-biting, richly textured new take on one of history’s most legendary episodes.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: **The Newbery-winning fantasy series now available in gorgeous new paperback editions! ** Since *The Book of Three* was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli—all of whom have become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain. Released over a period of five years, Lloyd Alexander’s beautifully written tales not only captured children’s imaginations but also garnered the highest critical praise. *The Black Cauldron* was a Newbery Honor Book, and the final volume in the chronicles, *The High King*, crowned the series by winning the Newbery Medal for “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Henry Holt is proud to present this classic series in a new, redesigned paperback format. The jackets feature stunning art by acclaimed fantasy artist David Wyatt, giving the books a fresh look for today’s generation of young fantasy lovers. The companion book of short stories, *The Foundling* is also available in paperback at this time. In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: **The Newbery-winning fantasy series now available in gorgeous new paperback editions!** Since *The Book of Three* was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli—all of whom have become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain. Released over a period of five years, Lloyd Alexander’s beautifully written tales not only captured children’s imaginations but also garnered the highest critical praise. *The Black Cauldron* was a Newbery Honor Book, and the final volume in the chronicles, *The High King*, crowned the series by winning the Newbery Medal for “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Henry Holt is proud to present this classic series in a new, redesigned paperback format. The jackets feature stunning art by acclaimed fantasy artist David Wyatt, giving the books a fresh look for today’s generation of young fantasy lovers. The companion book of short stories, *The Foundling* is also available in paperback at this time. In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children.

There are books that you don't want to see come to an end. There are books that rattle in your brain, heart and soul, and stay with you, never to be forgotten. Lloyd Alexander's magnificent series falls into these categories. I first read them at the age of 13 and have just read them again at 35. This series was the first that I did not want to see end. It's what got me started on reading Tolkien, Lewis, Donaldson, Piers Anthony, Dune, and others. I'm glad to see so many people love these books as well. And why not? The characters are dynamic, engaging and more real than the average fantasy ones. The stories move along nicely with few if any slow moments. The classic elements of good and evil are all here with some twists. There were some aspects that I was too young to appreciate the first time. One was the humor, most noticeable in The Book of Three, as we see some of the characters getting to first know each other. The other aspect was the theme/message that the way of the warrior is not the only path to nobility, honor, and courage (or to adulthood). There is as much honor in taking care of a garden as there is in being a warrior, to very loosely paraphrase one of the characters. In this day and age, when so much of the culture says be the biggest, baddest, toughest, strongest, richest etc person who destroys or gobbles up things, the message of taking care of one's garden, creating something of beauty be it a woven cloak or a clay pot, or honoring a friend's request is refreshing and not heard enough. To the other reviewers who feel Alexander borrowed characters and motifs heavily from Tolkien, these have been part of literature and mythology for a long time. Long BEFORE Tolkien. If Dallben is Gandalf, well, Gandalf is Merlin. And Merlin was borrowed from other myths or folktales. Alexander borrowed some from The Mabinogen, the Welsh treasury of mythology. Tolkien borrowed from Beowulf and other English sources. These stories have been recreated or recast for ages. Sure, there are similarities but then this is a genre where dwarves, wizards, and enchanted objects are the norm. But assistant Pig-Keepers, frustrated ex-giants who whine about their lack of stature, a traveling bard with a second job as a King, or a trio of witches with an unusual, unpredicable sense of logic who switch identities daily(they deserve a book of their own!)? Hardly. And where have you ever seen a character quite like Fflewdur Flam? (Well, maybe in Dickens or Mark Helprin's A Winter's Tale) For the kids (or adults) who love Harry Potter: you've got till July before the 4th book is out. There are no Quidditch matches but Taran may remind you of Harry and Dallben may remind you of Dumbledore. Check these five books out. (But avoid the inaccurate animated version of The Black Cauldron) I've read the Lord of the Rings twice and for a long time considered it the best book I'd ever read. But it doesn't hold quite the special spot in my heart that the Prydain books do. And at least Lloyd Alexander spared us his version of those boringly long elf or dwarf songs and poems. EDITORIAL REVIEW: **The Newbery-winning fantasy series now available in gorgeous new paperback editions!** Since *The Book of Three* was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli—all of whom have become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain. Released over a period of five years, Lloyd Alexander’s beautifully written tales not only captured children’s imaginations but also garnered the highest critical praise. *The Black Cauldron* was a Newbery Honor Book, and the final volume in the chronicles, *The High King*, crowned the series by winning the Newbery Medal for “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Henry Holt is proud to present this classic series in a new, redesigned paperback format. The jackets feature stunning art by acclaimed fantasy artist David Wyatt, giving the books a fresh look for today’s generation of young fantasy lovers. The companion book of short stories, *The Foundling* is also available in paperback at this time. In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children.

SUMMARY: In the imaginary kingdom of Prydain, Princess Eilonwy must leave her friends to go to the Isle of Mona for training as a proper princess. Shortly after her arrival, something sinister and secret befalls her. Eilonwy's loyal friends--Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper; Fflewddur, the bard; and Prince Rhun, her intended husband--realize her peril and set out on an exciting mission to rescue her. ALA Notable Children's Book.

The final struggle between good and evil dramatically concludes the fate of Prydain, and of Taran who wanted to be a hero.

Obsession takes many forms. Alexander, already a seasoned horticultural adept, now turns his attention to producing the ultimate loaf of bread. To achieve perfection in so simple a creation (yeast, water, flour), Alexander husbands his own field of wheat. He learns to raise this ancient grass, harvest it, prepare the grain, grind it to flour, knead it with the purest water, generate the active microorganisms to puff up the dough, and then bake that dough to produce a properly satisfying crumb within a flawless crunchy brown crust. He researches his topic thoroughly, but realizes he needs more hands-on tutelage. Moreover, the definition of a perfect loaf changes both by place and time. Alexander travels the world to learn from masters of bread baking in various styles, ending up in a Norman monastery. Impressed with the monks' daily spiritual discipline, Alexander structures this account of his quest according to the ancient canonical hours