NCW Libraries

This story takes place on a tiny, far-flung island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, whose nearest neighbor is Madagascar, 500 kilometers away... In 1760, the Utile, a ship carrying black slaves from Africa, was shipwrecked here and abandoned by her crew. The surviving slaves had to struggle to stay alive in this desolate land for fifteen years... When this tale got back to France, it became the cornerstone of the battle of Enlightenment to outlaw...

This is the story of Marcel Rayman, a young Polish Jew whose face is featured on the infamous 'Affiche Rouge', propaganda circulated in occupied France in an attempt to discredit the Parisian resistance. The Nazi abomination drove Rayman to set aside his pacifist principles and take up arms in the ranks of Missak Manoukian's resistance movement. For two long years, during which he saw his entire family deported, Marcel Rayman led a clandestine life,...

"Girls, living in the country will be your chance," her parents tell her. And so Catherine Meurisse spends her childhood outdoors. Construction all around her: an old farmhouse renovated into a home, trees planted, a garden created, dreams cultivated. They dig, they graft, they plant a rosebush "adopted" from Montaigne, a fig tree from Rabelais. They observe the tumult of the outside world: new developments in industrial agriculture, the citification...

Belgium, 1940. The German army is spreading across Europe, and tiny Belgium is conquered in 18 days. During the four long years of the Nazi occupation, the women of La Louvière have to figure out some way to stay alive, to live their lives, and to keep up hope. Their world is drawn through teenage Marcelle’s journal: What does she do? How do her family members endure? Which women in town collaborate with the occupying forces, and which women choose...

The Famous Quartet of Piraeus was formed in 1934 as a café band. It was the first group featuring the bouzouki and the baglama, and consisted of frontman Markos Vamvakaris, Giorgos Batis, Anestos Delias, and Stratos Pagioumtzis. Markos’ fiery love for Zingoala, his first wife, is the main and painful source of inspiration for the founder of rebetiko music. Starting as a skinner at a slaughterhouse, Markos becomes a pioneer who paves new paths for...

For hundreds of years, the Coast Guard has protected the US's waterways. Learn about the Coast Guard's ships, how they perform rescue missions, and more!

In The Machine Never Blinks, the story of surveillance is presented from its earliest days, to help you more fully understand today's headlines about every-increasing, constant, and unrelenting monitoring and global data collection. It's a threat to your rights, privacy, dignity, and sanity. This book spans surveillance from the Trojan Horse, through 9/11 and to the so-called War on Terror, which enabled the exponential growth of government and corporate...

The US Marine Corps has served the US since it was formed during the Revolutionary War. Learn about Marine Corps jobs, vehicles, and how they support the Navy, Army, and Air Force.

"Girls are beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image. This comprehensive collection of stories focused on 50 women of the Bible shows how God worked in their lives and continues to have a plan and a purpose for his beloved daughters today. In a world that too often tells girls that they are not enough, Her Story, Her Strength uses biblical retellings and reflections that include the historical context behind each story to remind young women...

"This non-fiction graphic novel for kids 7 to 12 takes readers on a thrilling voyage through our universe. Get ready for the ultimate astronomy adventure! It's a beautiful evening when Squeak, Orni, and Castor head out for a weekend of camping. But Squeak has a surprise: he's hosting them all in his observatory, high at the top of a tree. The tree house is delightful--and fully equipped for the most incredible discoveries: in the sky and the stars,...