superstition

"A 14-year-old girl living in the Jakarta slums who longs to be a writer sees an opportunity to raise money for school fees when she survives a minibus accident and the locals begin saying she has magical good luck. But when the crowd turns against her and she discovers her father's plan to marry her off to an older man, she must summon courage and conviction to write her own story"--Provided by publisher.

Gathers four tales from different cultures that try to explain the natural world, with information and activities for further learning.

A vivacious dance-hall girl in 1930s colonial Malaysia is drawn into unexpected danger by the discovery of a severed finger that is being sought by a young houseboy in order to protect his late master's soul.

"Adopted teen Leila discovers that her connection to nature and passion for environmental activism are part of her unique and magical genetic makeup, and a grove of trees that holds a mythical secret"--Provided by publisher.

Born in Russia, where left-handers are frowned upon, Anya learns to use her right hand, except when she draws with her imagined secret society of famous artists--then when she moves to America, everything is different.

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a home of sorts--or, at least, refuge. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter in the library, a strange confession and a curious warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. As such superstition has it, Melmoth travels through the ages, dooming those she persuades to join her to a damnation of timeless, itinerant solitude. To Helen it all seems the stuff of unenlightened fantasy. But, unaware, as she wanders the cobblestone streets Helen is being watched. And then Karel disappears.

Roscoe is determined to guess the weight of a giant pumpkin in order to win books for his school library and candy for himself, but is overwhelmed by superstitions, especially about a certain black kitten.

". . . this season, Steve and his athletically challenged best friends Joey and Carlos--along with super athlete Becky O'Callahan--are joining the Mighty Plumbers basketball team. But instead of playing on the court, Steve is waiting on the sidelines to perform his top-secret ritual that turns the tide of every game in an instant"--Provided by publisher.

"Lazlo chooses a red rose and ventures to the theater to present it to the performer he cherishes, only to have the rose grabbed by a mischievous cat who races around backstage, past actors dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland"--OCLC.

Color illustrations and simple text depict children demonstrating superstitions showing what good luck is and what bad luck is.