Novels / Fiction Books

The conflict between Palestine and Israel is one of the most highly publicized and bitter struggles of modern times, a dangerous tinderbox always poised to set the Middle East aflame--and to draw the United States into the fire. In this accessible and stimulating Very Short Introduction, Martin Bunton illuminates the history of the problem, reducing it to its very essence. Adopting a fresh and original approach, Bunton explores the Palestinian-Israeli dispute in twenty-year segments, to highlight the historical complexity of the conflict throughout successive decades. Each chapter starts with an examination of the relationships among people and events that marked particular years as historical stepping stones in the evolution of the conflict, including the 1897 Basle Congress, the 1917 Balfour Declaration and British occupation of Palestine, and the 1947 UN Partition Plan and the war for Palestine.

Providing a clear and fair exploration of the main issues, Bunton explores not only the historical basis of the conflict, but also looks at how and why partition has been so difficult and how efforts to restore peace continue today.

About the Series:

Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

From the first printing press to the World Wide Web--the Cat looks at inventors and inventions that have changed our lives!

The Cat in the Hat goes back in time to meet with the masterminds of more than a dozen inventions that made a major impact on our lives today--from famous figures like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright brothers to lesser-known ones like Garrett Morgan, Mary Anderson, and Tim Berners-Lee. Children will learn basic information about each invention, as well as fascinating facts like how Guttenberg's famous printing machine was made from an old wine press, how a steaming teakettle may have inspired the creation of the steam engine, and how table salt changed the history of photography. Ideal for supporting the Common Core State Standards, and a natural for fans of the hit PBS Kids show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, this is a great way to introduce beginning readers to science!

"That Jim, " Junie B.'s least favorite classmate, is having a birthday party,
and guess who's "not" invited? Hilarious high jinks are sure to ensue
when somebody snubs our spunky heroine!

Junie B. is having a run of bad luck, losing every game at the school
carnival. When she finally wins the Cake Walk on her last ticket, she chooses
a fruitcake as her prize. But who in the heck knew that sparkly foil-wrapped
fruitcake was really a lethal weapon in disguise? "The innocent first-person
narrative will make lower-school readers laugh out loud at her
mispronunciations as they recognize their own confusion and
failure."-- "Booklist
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