We think of medical science and doctors as focused on treating conditions-whether it's a cough or an aching back. But the sicknesses and complaints that cause us to seek medical attention actually have deeper origins than the superficial germs and behaviors we regularly fault. In fact, as Jeremy Taylor shows in Body by Darwin, we can trace the roots of many medical conditions through our evolutionary history, revealing what has made us susceptible to certain illnesses and ailments over time and how we can use that knowledge to help us treat or prevent problems in the future.?In Body by Darwin, Taylor examines the evolutionary origins of some of our most common and serious health issues. To begin, he looks at the hygiene hypothesis, which argues that our obsession with anti-bacterial cleanliness, particularly at a young age, may be making us more vulnerable to autoimmune and allergic diseases. He also discusses diseases of the eye, the medical consequences of bipedalism as they relate to all those aches and pains in our backs and knees, the rise of Alzheimer's disease, and how cancers become so malignant that they kill us despite the toxic chemotherapy we throw at them. Taylor explains why it helps to think about heart disease in relation to the demands of an ever-growing, dense, muscular pump that requires increasing amounts of nutrients, and he discusses how walking upright and giving birth to ever larger babies led to a problematic compromise in the design of the female spine and pelvis. ?Throughout, he not only explores the impact of evolution on human form and function, but he integrates science with stories from actual patients and doctors, closely examining the implications for our health.?As Taylor shows, evolutionary medicine allows us think about the human body and its adaptations in a completely new and productive way. By exploring how our body's performance is shaped by its past, Body by Darwin draws powerful connections between our ancient human history and the future of potential medical advances that can harness this knowledge.

Southern food is America's quintessential cuisine. From creamy grits to simmering pots of beans and greens, we think we know how these classic foods should taste. Yet the southern food we eat today tastes almost nothing like the dishes our ancestors enjoyed because the varied crops and livestock that originally defined this cuisine have largely disappeared. Now, a growing movement of chefs and farmers is seeking to change that by recovering the rich flavor and diversity of southern food. At the center of that movement is historian David Shields, who has spent over a decade researching early American agricultural and cooking practices.In Southern Provisions, he reveals how the true ingredients of southern cooking have been all but forgotten and how the lessons of its current restoration and recultivation can be applied to other regional foodways.?Shields's turf is the southern Lowcountry, from the peanut patches of Wilmington, North Carolina to the sugar cane fields of the Georgia Sea Islands and the citrus groves of Amelia Island, Florida, and he takes us on an excursion to this region in order to offer a vivid history of southern foodways, drawing connections among plants, farms, growers, seed brokers, vendors, cooks, and consumers. Shields begins by looking at how professional chefs during the nineteenth century set standards of taste that elevated southern cooking to the level of cuisine. He then turns to the role of food markets in creating demand for ingredients and enabling conversation between producers and preparers. Next, his focus shifts to the field, showing how the key ingredients-rice, sugarcane, sorghum, benne, cottonseed, peanuts, and citrus-emerged and went on to play a significant role in commerce and consumption. Shields concludes with a look at the challenges of reclaiming both farming and cooking traditions.?From Carolina gold rice to white flint corn, the ingredients of authentic southern cooking are returning to fields and dinner plates, and with Shields as our guide, we can satisfy our hunger both for the most flavorful regional dishes and their history.

Beards-they're all the rage these days. Take a look around: from hip urbanites to rustic outdoorsmen, well-groomed metrosexuals to post-season hockey players, facial hair is everywhere. The New York Times traces this hairy trend to Big Apple hipsters circa 2005 and reports that today some New Yorkers pay thousands of dollars for facial hair transplants to disguise patchy, juvenile beards. And in 2014, blogger Nicki Daniels excoriated bearded hipsters for turning a symbol of manliness and power into a flimsy fashion statement. The beard, she said, has turned into the padded bra of masculinity.Of Beards and Men makes the case that today's bearded renaissance is part of a centuries-long cycle in which facial hairstyles have varied in response to changing ideals of masculinity. Christopher Oldstone-Moore explains that the clean-shaven face has been the default style throughout Western history-see Alexander the Great's beardless face, for example, as the Greek heroic ideal. But the primacy of razors has been challenged over the years by four great bearded movements, beginning with Hadrian in the second century and stretching to today's bristled resurgence. The clean-shaven face today, Oldstone-Moore says, has come to signify a virtuous and sociable man, whereas the beard marks someone as self-reliant and unconventional. History, then, has established specific meanings for facial hair, which both inspire and constrain a man's choices in how he presents himself to the world.This fascinating and erudite history of facial hair cracks the masculine hair code, shedding light on the choices men make as they shape the hair on their faces. Oldstone-Moore adeptly lays to rest common misperceptions about beards and vividly illustrates the connection between grooming, identity, culture, and masculinity. To a surprising degree, we find, the history of men is written on their faces.

Winner of the 2007 Otto Kinkeldey Award from the American Musicological Society and the 2007 Deems Taylor Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.Divas and Scholars is a dazzling and beguiling account of how opera comes to the stage, filled with Philip Gossett's personal experiences of triumphant-and even failed-performances and suffused with his towering and tonic passion for music. Writing as a fan, a musician, and a scholar, Gossett, the world's?leading authority on the performance of Italian opera, brings colorfully to life the problems, and occasionally the scandals, that attend the production of some of our most favorite operas.?Gossett begins by tracing the social history of nineteenth-century Italian theaters in order to explain the nature of the musical scores from which performers have long worked. He then illuminates the often hidden but crucial negotiations opera scholars and opera conductors and performers: What does it mean to talk about performing from a critical editionHow does one determine what music to perform when multiple versions of an opera existWhat are the implications of omitting passages from an opera in a performanceIn addition to vexing questions such as these, Gossett also tackles issues of ornamentation and transposition in vocal style, the matters of translation and adaptation, and even aspects of stage direction and set design.?Throughout this extensive and passionate work, Gossett enlivens his history with reports from his own experiences with major opera companies at venues ranging from the Metropolitan and Santa Fe operas to the Rossini Opera Festival at Pesaro. The result is a book that will enthrall both aficionados of Italian opera and newcomers seeking a reliable introduction to it-in all its incomparable grandeur and timeless allure.?

In this exhilarating one-hundred-page companion novella to the New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series, Mark James is on the run—and on the wrong side of the law—but he'll do whatever it takes to save Sarah Hart and help the Garde.A sequel to I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Return to Paradise, this novella picks up with Mark racing to Dulce, New Mexico, evading capture from both the Mogadorians and the FBI. On the road, his mysterious new ally—a fellow blogger from They Walk Among Us who Mark knows only by the screen name GUARD—sends him a care package to help in his quest to find Sarah. Inside is a stack of cash, high-tech equipment, and some seriously advanced weaponry, all begging Mark to once again ask the question: Just who exactly is this guyAs Mark gets closer to tracking down Sarah, he also gets closer to discovering the identity of this enigmatic figure who seems to know so much about the Loric. When the truth about GUARD is finally revealed, nothing will ever be the same.

We've seen Ella's story in The Night We Said Yes, but now we'll hear Matt's tale in this e-original novella from Lauren Gibaldi.Seventeen-year-old Matt had the perfect life in Orlando. He met the girl of his dreams, rocked out on bass in an awesome band, and partied with the best group of friends he could ask for. But then his family gets a call and he has to move back to Texas—immediately. Now stuck with no possibility of ever seeing his friends in Orlando again, Matt is ready to give up. But can he open up his heart to new friends and a second chance?Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.

Ruby is a thief-in-training and a keeper of secrets—ones she doesn't even know herself. A Riddle in Ruby is the first book in a witty and fast-paced fantasy-adventure trilogy for fans for Jonathan Stroud, Septimus Heap, and The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates.Ruby Teach, daughter of a smuggler and pirate, has been learning how to swindle and steal and pick the most complex locks for as long as she can remember. But a collision with aristocratic young lord Athen sends her spinning into chaos. Little did she know that her whole life has been spent in hiding from nefarious secret societies and the Royal Navy . . . who are both now on her trail. In this debut middle grade adventure, Kent Davis weaves a rip-roaring tale through an alternate colonial Philadelphia. A world where alchemy—that peculiar mix of magic and science—has fueled the industrial revolution. With this highly original setting, a cast of fully rounded characters and rapid-fire, funny dialogue, A Riddle in Ruby will call to mind fantasy greats like Diana Wynne Jones and Terry Pratchett.

Teens—and tweens and adults—who obsessively read the His Dark Materials and Harry Potter series will be riveted by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves's InterWorld and its sequel, The Silver Dream.InterWorld tells the story of Joey Harker, a very average kid who discovers that his world is only one of a trillion alternate earths. Some of these earths are ruled by magic. Some are ruled by science. All are at war. Joey teams up with alternate versions of himself from an array of these worlds. Together, the army of Joeys must battle evil magicians Lord Dogknife and Lady Indigo to keep the balance of power between all the earths stable.The Silver Dream: After mastering the ability to walk between dimensions, Joey Harker and his fellow InterWorld freedom fighters are now on a mission to maintain peace between the rival powers of magic and science who seek to control all worlds. When a stranger named Acacia somehow follows Joey back to InterWorld's base, things get complicated. No one knows who she is or where she's from—or how she knows so much about InterWorld.

With the real-kid humor that has earned Dan Gutman millions of fans around the world, and featuring weird-but-true American tourist destinations, The Genius Files is a one-of-a-kind mix of geography and fun. This collection includes the first four novels in this bestselling series.The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable: The most exciting road trip in history begins! In this action-packed, New York Times bestselling adventure, twelve-year-old twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald embark on a family vacation you'll have to read to believe. As Coke and Pepsi dodge nefarious villains from the Pez museum in California all the way to the Infinity Room in Wisconsin, black-and-white photographs and maps put young readers right into the action.The Genius Files #2: Never Say Genius: Coke and Pepsi McDonald never asked to be geniuses. They never asked to get lowered into a basket of boiling French fries, either. And they certainly never asked to be frozen in soft-serve ice cream, stampeded in a wild stadium riot, or kidnapped on a high-speed roller coaster. But that's what happens when a red-haired villain named Archie Clone is chasing you across America. This just might be the most dangerous road trip in history—and the most awesome!The Genius Files #3: You Only Die Twice: As the twins continue their family road trip from Washington D.C. through the South, it will take every bit of their genius abilities to outwit their wacky enemies. It doesn't help that their parents remain totally oblivious! When they finally get to Graceland, Elvis's home in Memphis, Tennessee, Coke and Pepsi come to an explosive conclusion you'll have to read to believe!The Genius Files #4: From Texas with Love: After their explosive escape at Graceland, twins Coke and Pepsi are ready to resume their trip across America. They travel through Arkansas and Oklahoma, visiting weird-but-true tourist stops along the way, and finally end up in Texas, home of the Weird Capital of the Country, Austin. The twins' many enemies—the bowler dudes, Mrs. Higgins, and Dr. Warsaw—all swear that they're done chasing Coke and Pepsi for good. But when the twins start receiving more codes and ciphers from a mysterious robotic voice, they know someone's after them. They just have to figure out who before the mystery villain finds them first.

Four thrilling bestselling novels are included in this collection:The Power of Six: I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting forAnd what about Number Five and SixI am Number Seven. One of six still alive.And I'm ready to fight.The Rise of Nine: The stakes are higher than ever as John, Six, and Seven try desperately to find the rest of the Garde before it's too late. During the dangerous mission at the Mogadorian base in West Virginia, John found and rescued Nine. But even with their combined powers, special abilities known as Legacies, the pair barely escaped with their lives—and they lost Sam in the process. In order to save our world and their own, John and Nine must join forces with Six and Seven who have been battling the Mogadorians in Spain, and who are now trying to locate Number Eight in India.The Fall of Five: To defeat their enemy, the Garde must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team. When the Garde receive a sign from Number Five—a crop circle in the shape of a Lorien symbol—they know they are close to being reunited. But could it be a trapTime is running out, and the only thing they know for certain is that they have to get to Five before it's too late.The Revenge of Seven: The fifth book in the New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series! The Garde have suffered an unbearable loss. Number Five has betrayed them. Eight is gone forever. Ella has been kidnapped. The others are now scattered. The Garde are broken and divided once again, but they will not be defeated. As long as one still stands, the battle for Earth's survival is not lost.

Here's a haunting two-book collection that's perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.Asylum: Madeleine Roux's New York Times bestselling Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-illustrated novel that Publishers Weekly called "a strong YA debut that reveals the enduring impact of buried trauma on a place." Featuring found photographs from real asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Asylum is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.Sanctum: An Asylum Novel: In this haunting, fast-paced sequel to the New York Times bestselling photo-illustrated novel Asylum, three teens must unlock some long-buried secrets from the past before the past comes back to get them first. Featuring found photographs, many from real vintage carnivals, Sanctum is a mind-bending reading experience that blurs the lines between past and present, genius and insanity

With this collection of the first four novels in Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures, readers will soar through unforgettable adventure, witness friendship at its best, and learn tons of fun facts about the place Stanley visits! And for parents and teachers, each Flat Stanley book is aligned to the Common Core State Standards, including multicultural adventure, plot and character development story elements, and compare and contrast.Includes:#1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity: The whole Lambchop family is off to see Mount Rushmore. But when Flat Stanley and his brother, Arthur, team up with a scrappy cowgirl named Calamity Jasper, their vacation turns into the Wild West experience of a lifetime.#2: The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery: Ever since Stanley was flattened by a bulletin board, there are places he can get to that no one else can. So when Stanley receives a letter from an archaeologist, he travels by airmail to Egypt to help find an ancient treasure deep in the heart of a great pyramid. But what if even the flattest boy on earth can't wriggle out of this dark tomb—and the terrible mess he finds himself in?#3: The Japanese Ninja Surprise: Stanley and his brother, Arthur, are such huge fans of the movie star ninja Oda Nobu that they decide to send him something even better than fan mail—Stanley himself! But when trouble surprises them, it will take a real hero to save the day.#4: The Intrepid Canadian Expedition: Stanley Lambchop and his family are in British Columbia, Canada, for some skiing and winter fun. But when Stanley and his new friend Nick go snowboarding—with Stanley as the snowboard, of course—they take a midair tumble just as the wind picks up . . . and find themselves floating in an amazing Canadian cross-country journey that might just be Stanley's wildest adventure yet!

With this collection of all twelve novels in Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures, readers will soar through unforgettable adventure, witness friendship at its best, and learn tons of fun facts about the place Stanley visits! And for parents and teachers, each Flat Stanley book is aligned to the Common Core State Standards, including multicultural adventure, plot and character development story elements, and compare and contrast.Includes:#1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity#2: The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery#3: The Japanese Ninja Surprise#4: The Intrepid Canadian Expedition#5: The Amazing Mexican Secret#6: The African Safari Discovery#7: The Flying Chinese Wonders#8: The Australian Boomerang Bonanza#9: The US Capital Commotion#10: Showdown at the Alamo#11: Framed in France#12: Escape to California

Sink your teeth into the Vampire Diaries! This collection includes the first four can't-miss volumes from L. J. Smith.The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening: A deadly love triangle:Elena: beautiful and popular, the girl who can have any guy she wantsStefan: brooding and mysterious, desperately trying to resist his desire for Elena . . . for her own good.Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed himElena finds herself drawn to both brothers . . . who will she choose?The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle: Torn between two vampire brothers:Damon: determined to make Elena his, he'd kill his own brother to possess herStefan: desperate for the power to destroy Damon, and protect Elena, he gives in to his thirst for human bloodElena: the girl who can have anyone finds herself in the middle of a love triangle . . . one that might turn deadlyThe Vampire Diaries: The Fury: Love can kill:Elena: with Damon at her side, and wild with her craving for blood, the changed Elena struggles to control her desiresDamon: his hunger for the golden girl wars with his hunger for revenge against StefanStefan: tormented after losing Elena, he will do anything to get her back. Even if it means becoming what he once despised. . . .Getting what they want may come at a deadly cost.The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion: The Final Conflict...The Last Deadly Kiss:Elena: now she rises from the dead to recreate the powerful vampire trioStefan: summoned by Elena, he keeps a promise to her and fights the most terrifying evil he's ever facedDamon: joining the brother he once called enemy, Damon battles this new horror with strength, cunning, and deadly charm.

One of the most memorable and irresistible characters in all of literature—the Wizard Howl—is introduced in Diana Wynne Jones's classic fantasy novel Howl's Moving Castle and makes guest appearances in two stand-alone sequel novels, Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways. Howl's Moving Castle was adapted into an acclaimed and Academy Award-nominated film of the same name, produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.Sophie Hatter never intended to set out and seek her fortune. The eldest of three sisters, Sophie thought she was destined to fail. That all changed the day the Witch of the Waste turned her into an old woman. In order to lift the spell, Sophie barges into Wizard Howl's moving castle and strikes a bargain with Calcifer, his fire demon. But Howl is outrunning a curse of his own, and soon Sophie realizes that nothing is as it appears. . . . Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer return in both Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways, two stand-alone sequels full of mayhem, secrets, and magic.

This collection includes all four Tiffany Aching novels in Terry Pratchett's beloved and bestselling Discworld series.The Wee Free Men: Armed with only a frying pan and her common sense, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching must defend her home against the monsters of Fairyland. Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle—aka the Wee Free Men—a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men. Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself. . . .A Hat Full of Sky: Tiffany Aching is ready to begin her apprenticeship in magic. She expects spells and magic—not chores and ill-tempered nanny goats! Surely there must be more to witchcraft than this!What Tiffany doesn't know is that an insidious, disembodied creature is pursuing her. In the end, it will take all of Tiffany's inner strength to save herself ... if it can be done at all.Wintersmith: When the Spirit of Winter takes a fancy to Tiffany Aching, he wants her to stay in his gleaming, frozen world. Forever. It will take the young witch's skill and cunning, as well as help from the legendary Granny Weatherwax and the irrepressible Wee Free Men, to survive until Spring. Because if Tiffany doesn't make it to Spring—Spring won't come.I Shall Wear Midnight: As the witch of the Chalk, Tiffany Aching performs the distinctly unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone—or something—is inciting fear, generating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Tiffany must find the source of unrest and defeat the evil at its root. Aided by the tiny-but-tough Wee Free Men, Tiffany faces a dire challenge, for if she falls, the whole Chalk falls with her. . . .

New York Times bestselling author and former NFL defensive end Tim Green's football stories are packed with sports action and emotional heart that will keep kids on the edge of their seats. This collection contains four bestselling novels in the series.The Big Time: Things couldn't be going better for Troy White. The Atlanta Falcons' football genius is at the top of his game, helping the team get to the playoffs. Agents and lawyers are knocking on his door with big-money offers for the upcoming season. And his own football team has just won the Georgia State Championship! Troy's celebrating with his friends at linebacker Seth Halloway's mansion when another lawyer comes knocking—and he says, "I think I'm your father." In that instant, Troy's life is changed.Deep Zone: From the moment two football champs cross paths, Troy White and Ty Lewis begin to size each other up. But when the two rivals find themselves somehow tangled in the same dangerous web of deceit, they discover that they have more in common than their skill at football. Uniting Troy, first seen in the New York Times bestselling Football Genius, and Ty, who was chased by the Mafia in Football Hero, this fourth book in the Football Genius series delivers high-stakes action on and off the field.Perfect Season: Troy's dreams of the big time have backfired. Sure, he's moved to New Jersey to start his new job as "genius" for the New York Jets, but his dad has taken his entire salary, leaving Troy and his mom broke. Now Troy has no hope of going to private school and playing for a football powerhouse with his cousin Ty. But when he gets Seth to coach his public school team, Troy feels ready for a perfect season. He doesn't guess that he'll be struggling against those who want him to lose. When Troy's talent for calling plays slips and his abilities as a quarterback are threatened, he's got to dig deep.Unstoppable: If anyone understands the phrase "tough luck," it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing in the NFL is a longshot. Then Harrison is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents—his new dad is even a football coach. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever. When a routine sports injury leads to a devastating diagnosis, it will take every ounce of Harrison's determination not to give up for good. Inspired by interviews with real-life cancer survivors and insider sports experience, this unforgettable New York Times bestseller shows a brave boy who learns what it truly means to be unstoppable. As National Ambassador for Young People's Literature emeritus Jon Scieszka said, Unstoppable is "absolutely heroic, and something every guy should read."

The Familiars series is a thrilling tale of magic and adventure perfect for fans of Erin Hunter's Warriors series. A wizard-in-training is nothing without a familiar, so it's lucky that Jack finds Aldwyn, a cat with a past but without a lot of magical experience. They'll have to learn fast and work together to save themselves, their friends, and the entire queendom of Vastia. An Indie New Voices Pick, The Familiars is soon to be a major motion picture directed by Sam Raimi of Spider-Man.Together for the first time, this collection includes:The Familiars The Familiars #2: Secrets of the Crown The Familiars #3: Circle of Heroes The Familiars #4: Palace of Dreams

Bestselling novelist James Rollins brings to life the adventures of Jake Ransom, who became an orphan when his archaeologist parents disappeared on a dig three years ago. They left behind tokens—half of an ancient coin for Jake, and the other half for his sister Kady—that fit perfectly into one of their famous discoveries. When everything falls into place, Jake and Kady find themselves in the mysterious, bizarre world of Pangea—home of vicious raptors, bloodthirsty plants, and dark Mayan and Egyptian rituals. And whatever caught their parents is still hungry.The books described as "Indiana Jones for tweens" are perfect for fans of Alex Rider, Percy Jackson, and National Treasure. Includes Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow and Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx.

Now available for the first time as an ebook! Illustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a full-color device and in rich black-and-white on all other devices.This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature that features a very small mouse on a very big adventure. Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his family. But when Stuart's best friend goes missing, he's determined to leave home and take an epic journey to find his friend.E. B. White's classic book is a tender novel of friendship, family, and adventure that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains beautiful illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E. B. White's Charlotte's Web and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, among many other books. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts

Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Thanhha Lai won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the Newbery Honor for her debut novel, Inside Out and Back Again. This collection includes Inside Out and Back Again along with her newest novel, Listen, Slowly. Inside Out and Back Again: Inspired by the author's childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama, this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child's-eye view of family and immigration. For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family.Listen, Slowly: Twelve-year-old Mia's parents are sending her, along with her father, on a trip to Vietnam so she can learn more about her roots—and also help her grandmother figure out what really happened to Mia's grandfather during the Vietnam War. Since Mia barely knows the language or customs, she is desperately counting down the days until she can go back home. But the next few weeks are a life-changing experience. As time passes, Mia begins to have a change of heart, growing closer to her family and developing an understanding of a culture and an entire world which that she never really knew about.