Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for Animals] 

Vulnerable: It is not known if the animals, a three-month old white-cheeked gibbon, left and a leopard cub, right, were to be sold or kept as exotic pets when they got to Dubai
Undercover anti-trafficking officers had been monitoring the suspect since he allegedly bought the rare and endangered baby animals on the black market, according to the FREELAND Foundation, an anti-trafficking group based in Thailand.
When authorities opened the suitcases they found two leopards, two panthers, and Asiatic black bear and two macaque monkeys - all about the size of puppies.
Steven Galster, director of FREELAND, who was present when the man was intercepted said that the animals yawned when the bags were opened.
'A virtual zoo': Four two-month-old leopard cubs look from inside a cage. Undercover anti-trafficking officers had been monitoring the suspect since he bought the rare and endangered baby animals on the black market
Let us out! A baby Malayan sun bear, left, looks out from his cage; right, a black tufted Marmoset monkey clutches the bars of his prison with a mournful expression on his face
Imprisoned: A three-month old white-cheeked gibbon reaches out from him cage
Baby: A three-month old Malayan sun bear looks from inside a cage. Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices
Slumber: The baby bear sleeps off his sedative. The animals had been drugged and were heading for Dubai
Let us out! A baby Malayan sun bear, left, looks out from his cage; right, a black tufted Marmoset monkey clutches the bars of his prison with a mournful expression on his face
Imprisoned: A three-month old white-cheeked gibbon looks from inside a cage
'It looked like they had sedated the animals and had them in flat cages so they couldn't move around much,' Mr Galster said. Some of the animals had been packed inside canisters punched with air holes.
Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices.
Mr Galster said: 'It was a very sophisticated smuggling operation. We've never seen one like this before.
'The guy had a virtual zoo in his suitcases.'
Baby: A three-month old Malayan sun bear looks from inside a cage. Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices.
Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking, but authorities typically find rare turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards that feed demand in China and Vietnam. Finding such an array of live mammals is unusual.
In Thailand, leopards and panthers fetch roughly $5,000 a piece on the black market, but their value in Dubai was presumably higher, Mr Galster said.
It was not known if the animals were destined to be resold or kept as exotic pets, a practice popular in the Middle East.
Slumber: A baby bear gets some rest. The animals had been drugged and were heading for Dubai
source:dailymail

VIA Baby bears, panthers and monkeys: The extraordinary menagerie smuggled in first class passenger's suitcases

Weekly Geeks 2009-15 comes from animal lover Wendy of Caribousmom:

How many of us remember a favorite pet from our childhood? Or have enjoyed visiting the zoo? Or relish in walking in the woods and hearing birdsong, or seeing a deer leap away through the brush? How many of us have been thrilled by a soaring eagle? How often have we sought the comfort of a dog or cat, or wept tears of loss when forced to say good-bye to a furred friend?

This week you are asked to share books (fiction or nonfiction) and/or movies which center around an animal or animals.

• Which are your favorites?
• Which touched your heart the most?
• Which have found their way onto your wish lists or TBR stacks?
• Is there a childhood favorite?
• Have you ever named a pet after an animal from a book or movie?

Please stop by the original Weekly Geeks post to see who has signed Mr. Linky and participated in this week's theme! Meanwhile, here are a few posts that caught my eye; please keep in mind that I'm a dog person, so it's possible I'm showing some favoritism.

Molly at My Cozy Book Nook shares her love of Labrador retrievers - Marley, of course, and a couple of her own - which perseveres despite her allergy to dogs.

Lizzy of Booking It named her Yorkie after author Douglas Adams, and the dog's toys are all named for characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

On her blog Kiss a Cloud, Claire shares animal-themed picture books and pictures of her brother's beagles. In a similar vein, Infant Bibliophile offers a round-up of all of the children's books about animals (and there are a LOT) that he (and his mom) have reviewed on their Chronicle.

But just to show that I'm not dog-ist, I'll point you toward a few other Geeks and their favorite critters:

Sarah of Puss Reboots is all about - go on, guess - cats!

Frances at Nonsuch Book raves about ravens

It's All About Books and animals at Suey's, where she has posted pictures of her pets and a list of her Top Ten Animal Books

Thanks to all the animal-loving Geeks who joined in this week! Look for the new theme to be posted tomorrow.

Conservationists have reintroduced the gibbons as part of an ambitious project for the "re-wilding" of Angkor Wat, a vast "temple city" that was once surrounded by forests teeming with deer, monkeys, birds and big cats before the arrival of commercial hunters with guns, traps and an appetite for money.

The re-wilding is being led by Nick Marx, a conservationist who believes the project could become a model for other parts of Southeast Asia hit by the trade in endangered wildlife.

Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument on earth, was made a World Heritage Site to protect its sprawling network of temples. Now conservationists want to restore the surrounding forests of Angkor Archaeological Park to their former glory, Marx said.

"The area of forest is beautiful and mature. It's a unique site but it's devoid of wildlife now," he said. "We want to introduce different species that would be appropriate, such as a cross-selection of small carnivores, herbivores, primates and deer, to try to get a build-up of wildlife populations with sufficient genetic diversity."

Cambodia, like many countries in southeast Asia, has suffered from the illegal trade in wildlife. Large numbers of animals have been shot, trapped, butchered and skinned, or sold alive in one of the many Cambodian food markets.

Spiralling demand for traditional Chinese "medicine" has driven the trade to new heights.

"China has done a pretty good job of decimating its own wildlife and now it is moving into other countries," he said. "There is a certain amount of consumption within Cambodia, but most of the valuable items that can bring a high price such as pangolins and cat skins would be going out either to Vietnam or to China," he said. "With the opening of borders and trade, things are getting worse globally. That means we have to work harder to stop it."

Marx is director of a wildlife rescue service funded by Wildlife Alliance, a New York-based non-governmental organisation that specialises in protecting forests and wildlife. He runs Cambodia's Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team which tackles animal trafficking with undercover operations, armed raids on restaurants and markets, and a network of paid informants willing to provide tip-offs on illegal shipments of live animals and body parts.

"We are known throughout Cambodia. We are feared by wildlife traders. It would be foolish to say there is no risk. We're pissing people off and we are rescuing things like cobras, which often have their mouths stitched up and we have to unstitch them," he said.

Why cobras? "They cut their throats to drink their blood with wine and then eat the flesh. People eat everything, from spiders and grasshoppers up."

Many recovered animals are alive and the aim is to return them to the wild if possible.

"Almost everything we confiscate, about 90 per cent of it - provided it is in recent captivity and is fit and healthy, and of an age it can look after itself - is released back into a safe habitat," Marx said. "If they cannot take care of themselves, we look after them at a rescue centre."

Having established Cambodia's official task force to tackle wildlife crime, Marx said it was time to think about reintroducing species to areas where they once thrived such as Angkor Wat. "We were given permission to release animals back into Angkor last year and we released the first pair of pileated gibbons into this forest last December. This has gone really well. The pair had a baby in September. We've taken up another pair of gibbons and a trio of silver langurs, which are a kind of leaf-eating monkey, which we hope to release later."

Author: Steve Connor | Source: Independent via The New Zealand Herald [December 29, 2014]

How many of us remember a favorite pet from our childhood? Or have enjoyed visiting the zoo? Or relish in walking in the woods and hearing birdsong, or seeing a deer leap away through the brush? How many of us have been thrilled by a soaring eagle? How often have we sought the comfort of a dog or cat, or wept tears of loss when forced to say good-bye to a furred friend?

We are surrounded by our fellow creatures and often our lives are enriched by their presence, whether it be sharing our homes with them or simply being blessed to see them in passing.

This week you are asked to share books (fiction or nonfiction) and/or movies which center around an animal or animals.

• Which are your favorites?
• Which touched your heart the most?
• Which have found their way onto your wish lists or TBR stacks?
• Is there a childhood favorite?
• Have you ever named a pet after an animal from a book or movie?

As an adjunct to this post, consider sharing photos of animals (domestic or wild) which have inspired or thrilled you, or graced your life with their presence.

Finally...Create your post and come back here to sign Mr. Linky. Be sure to enter the direct URL to your post, not your blog's main URL.

Remember to stop in and say hi to other Weekly Geeks!

Today's guest is Sierra of Yearning to Read ! Recognize her name? You should! She is none other than the author of this awesome review on A Kiss in Time that we recently saw on Misty's blog and she is also the very generous donor of both My Fair Godmother and the Jessica Day George prize pack ! So be sure you leave her some love!
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Johnny is a pretty normal guy. He lives in Florida and fixes shoes for a living. Or really, he fixes shoes not just as a living but to pay rent, phone bills, electricity bills, for food, etc. You know, all the every day things your father usually manages to pay for. Johnny's father would pay for theses things — but he disappeared when Johnny was a toddler. Ever since, Johnny's been the man of the house, working to feed and care for his sweet mother who in turn works hard to provide for him. Johnny would love to become a shoe designer, make millions of dollars, and give his mother the life of ease. But, how likely is that to happen? Unless you meet the princess of Aloria, who is filthy rich, thinks you're a good boy, and consequently wants you to find the Prince of Aloria who has been turned into a frog by an evil witch... in return for her hand in marriage and millions of dollars and a life of ease.
Yeah... that can be a hard one to pass up.
___________________________________________
My thoughts -
Once again, Alex Flinn knocks us all out with a fantastical fairytale that makes you feel like you've never read a fairytale before in your life.
Talk about original. I mean, this book was so original it was almost strange. It was neat, though! From the ear-piece that lets you talk to animals, to the cloak that transports you to wherever you want to go; from the princess who (apparently) wants to marry the boy from South Beach, to the witch who has a grudge and a slightly evil but really predictable plan. It was awesome, on all levels.
For a while I thought the Cloak would be like the one from 12 Dancing Princesses, one that makes you invisible. But no, it was totally different. And the ear piece was a neat idea and added a "technological" magic twist to the story. There were a few other fairytales thrown in there that only added, built, and made the story more enjoyable. The animals that Johnny meets give him quests to test his loyalty and to make sure he's really going to save the prince, which made everything feel a bit more "old fashioned". This all played in to create an atmosphere that was highly original and definitely Alex Flinn. I was hooked from the first pages.
Favorite character (character thoughts) -
Meg is such a great character that I just have to say that she's my favorite. She was strong, honest, and just lovely. She was deserving and totally inspired me. She and Johnny's relationship was hilarious at times and sweet at others. Everything about her made the story all the more lovable.
And while she's my favorite, I can't move on without pointing out my honorable mention, Johnny. He was quite a character as well. He compliments Meg perfectly. He's a klutz (hilarious!), a doubter, and he doesn't follow instructions well. I found that these things, on top of the fact that he's honest, reliable, and loving, made him a great character. I loved that he couldn't always see what was right in front of him. I love a good, teasing love story where you just want to yell at the guy — "SHE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, STUPID!"
Also, raise your glass to Alex Flinn herself for creating a character like Johnny who is, specifically, a completely different person than his competitors, Kyle from Beastly and Jack from A Kiss in Time. I found this extremely refreshing, as I'm sure you will.
Pretty much the only downer in this book for me: I found that I didn't really, at all, like Victoriana, the Alorian princess. She was funny in parts, but I thought she was ubelievable. I couldn't picture her as clearly as the other characters, even her brother Philippe, and I couldn't hear the accent in the way that Alex Flinn typed it up. It just didn't click for me... but maybe that's just me.
Favorite aspects/scenes -
There are too many aspects of this story to choose from, so I will name as many as I can without spoiling anything for you. The love story was soooo amazing and much more passionate than that of A Kiss in Time. It was believable and well-developed and gave me strong, gutsy butterflies so many times I lost count. The tests Johnny has to go through to gain information are also a favorite part. The lessons Johnny learns... the twist that involves the animals... the amazing shoe quotes that easily become a lovable part of the story. And the perfect ending to a great story.
Some favorite scenes: The sunset scenes with Johnny and Meg... And I was totally taken by the perfectly smooth scene in the beginning during which Johnny realizes that the Cloak and the ear-piece are really magic. It was amazingly well-told and Johnny's reaction to the magic was normal and hilarious and pretty much perfect. Bravo to Alex Flinn!
One phrase to sum up this book (final thoughts) -
Wonderfully original are the words that come to mind when I think of Cloaked. I could not help but fall in love with this book — and I hope you will, too! I recommend this book highly!
For the parents: A few kisses, with little or no description. A handful of underhand jokes directed toward girls, and a couple of direct comments. None are explicit. A pretty darn clean book. Definitely can be read by a younger audience than Alex Flinn's previous fairytales. I'd say 14 years old is a good age to start.:)

I always read the books my parents gave me for Christmas and my birthday. Some of it was because I was genuinely interested in the book and really wanted to read it. Other times it was because I didn't want to hurt their feelings. And still other times it was because I was so bored and so without books to read that I was willing to read whatever was sitting on my shelf.

I used to watch the Winnie-the-Pooh TV show when I was up and it was on, partly because I liked it, but also because it was on. Tigger was my absolute, hands down favorite. I liked some of the other characters, and really didn't like others, but Tigger was my favorite. Because I really liked Tigger, my parents decided that this meant I love all things Tigger...

Because I enjoyed the show, my parents decided to get me The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh. I was thrilled! (A book! A big book!) And then, I saw the illustrations. I was so confused! I told my mom they had done it wrong. So I had my first conversation about changes being made to an original work to draw in new audiences and attract new reader (or watcher) ship. I was disappointed. As you can see from the cover, each of the animals in the story look different from what most of us (at least those around my age are used to). While disappointed at first, I did get used to it and now I love them just as much.

And I loved the book! I read the whole thing and would use it to read stories to my little brothers at night. Because of this, my parents decided that Tigger should be a theme. And for the next several years, every Christmas and most birthdays had some sort of Tigger themed... something. Sometimes it wasn't too bad, or weird — I got stuffed animals and The Tigger Movie . But other gifts were strange. Like the hook rug kit with Tigger's face on it. Nothing about me has ever suggested that I would enjoy making a hook and eye — latch/hoop square, even if it had Tigger's face on it. Or the completely impractical backpack with an interior about the size of my fist (but it's TIGGER!!)

It lasted for a long time too, long after I had outgrown Winnie the Pooh.

But even with that, I still love Tigger, and I still loved reading stories to my little brothers from the complete tales. It makes me want to go dig out my copy of the book from storage so that I can start reading it to my nephews too.

I know this Memory Monday ended up being more about the aftermath than about the book itself, and I'm being a little silly with it, but that doesn't change how much I really, genuinely, did love this story. Winnie the Pooh is one of those timeless, classic stories that never gets old, that should never be forgotten, and should always be loved. (Although, I am fully willing to forget the existence of some of those terrible new TV versions. *shudder*)

The pair are in Sydney where tonight they will attend the premiere for their new film Water For Elephants.
A little upstaged? Witherspoon and Pattinson smile for the cameras next to the elephant before looking at it in bemusement
Pattinson, dressed casually in jeans and a brown shirt, and Witherspoon, who wrapped up in skinny jeans and a thick woollen polo neck jumper, were joined by the film's director Francis Lawrence but were then surprised as they were joined by a mystery guest - an Indian elephant.
Their new friend left them in giggles as she had a little accident on the pavement.
You do it: Witherspoon gives Pattinson some more biscuits to keep the elephant happy
Despite working with an elephant while making the film, Pattinson seemed reluctant to feed the guest star, as Witherspoon handed him some biscuits.
And despite shying away, the Twilight star claimed that working with animals was one of the main reasons he took the role in the film, which is based on the book by Sara Gruen.
Speaking at the press conference he said: 'Francis Lawrence said he wanted to have a meeting and he took me out to the elephant sanctuary where Tai [who plays Rosie the elephant] lives and I saw her doing a handstand and stayed there for about four hours playing catch with her.
You're at the wrong end: Witherspoon and onlookers laugh as Pattinson gets a surprise
'I would literally throw a ball and she would catch it in her trunk and throw it back to me, and I was like, "OK, even if this movie is the worst movie ever made, I get to work with this elephant for three or four months. I'm definitely doing it".'
Witherspoon also spoke about her 'incredible experience' preparing for her role in the film in which she plays circus performer Marlena.
She said: 'I got to train with Ty the elephant for three months. I went to circus school to learn how to do trapeze and acrobatics. It was a unique experience but it was also daunting and scary.'
Chic and simple: Reese looked casual but glamorous in skinny blue jeans, Louboutin heels and a black polo neck jumper
The pair flew straight to Sydney from London where they had attended the premiere in Westfield Shopping Centre in west London.
They also found time to make an appearance on the Graham Norton Show where they both admitted they had fallen in love with Ty.
Witherspoon said: 'She is amazing, thoughtful and communicative', while Pattinson added: 'I genuinely thought we had a real bond, a little something going on.'
A giggle with Graham: Witherspoon and Pattinson burst out laughing as they were interviewed by Norton for his weekly chat show
source: dailymail

VIA Who invited the elephant? Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon upstaged by wrinkly star at Sydney premiere

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

This week's teaser is from The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

"It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf. The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagle's wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder." (41)

In Fables 1 we learned that all the characters from fairy tales, or Fables as they call themselves, are hiding out in New York City since their lands were taken from them. This, of course, doesn't include the animal Fables like the three little pigs because how are three pigs supposed to hide out in New York City? All of the nonhuman Fables were sent to a farm in upstate New York where Snow White goes to check on them once a year. This year she finds that the town is in complete unrest and there is a threat for an uprising. Since Snow White is rather gullible she doesn't notice what is happening right under her nose, but her sister Rose Red as an inkling for what is happening.

Bill Willingham draws quite obviously from Animal Farm and The Lord of the Flies to create this comic book, which is something most book nerds will appreciate. It was bizarre experience to read it because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to side with Snow White or with the animal Fables. It seems like the animal Fables are evil, but then at the same time I can see their point. It would really suck to be locked into upstate New York and never be able to live simply because you look like an animal and not a human. And while they make some rookie mistakes, they actually seem to be pretty smart. They figure out how to make guns they can use and they trick Snow White pretty easily. Snow White seems to be pretty dumb during this whole thing, and I have a hard time rooting for a dumb person.

The artwork is really some of the most beautiful comic art I have ever seen. The colors in this are outstanding. The pages are particularly bright because of the animals, as you can see from the cover design. They really pull you into this world where strange and unlikely things happen. I was also pleased with how well animal emotions were portrayed in their faces, which I think would be much more difficult to achieve in animals than it is in humans.

Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm

is overall a much tighter story than Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile

. It helps create the world but doesn't spoon feed us information, we find out things slowly with the characters. It is some great world building. My only complaint is that the last fourth of the book seemed extremely rushed. I don't want to give away why I think that is because it would ruin a pretty important part to the story, but I think it's worth mentioning. I was satisfied with the ending because I felt it promised I would find out more in the next volume, but if I don't find out more I'm going to be pretty disappointed.

I give Fables 2 a B.

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Today's Fairy Tale Fortnight guest poster is Ems of In Which Ems Reviews Books. I have known Emily (aka Ems) for a loooong time and she never fails to entertain. (This also means that I can totally steal her facebook profile picture...) I love passing book recs with Emily and was so excited that she wanted to be a part of FTF! And I love her topic! Who doesn't want to sit down sometimes to examine all the awesome stuff fairy tales have taught you!?:)

Real Life Lessons You Can Learn From Fairy Tales:

I’ve often wondered why people started telling fairy tales. Do you ever think about what was going through the Grimm’s heads? How ‘bout Walt Disney? I know I do.

Here’s what I’ve decided:

Fairy tales were written as cautionary tales for US. Forget the people who lived in the same towns and villages. Pfft. No. These are definitely written for us, because of the incredibly important and real lessons we can learn from them. Besides, I’m pretty sure the people living around the Brothers Grimm weren’t even literate, so…

Here are the lessons I’ve learned:
1. Do not EVER accept apples from kindly old ladies. It will inevitably be poisoned, and you most likely will not have seven dwarves around to put you in a glass coffin shrine. Now, if she offers you an orange or grapefruit, you’re probably safe. You NEVER see a poisoned citrus fruit.

2. Make friends with the prince’s horse. You never know when it’ll come in handy having an equine ally. Just look at Rapunzel. Could she have done half of what she did without Maximillian? Okay, so she had that cool hair that she could toss around, but still.

3. ALWAYS give the old, gnarly gnome man a bit of your bread. All he wants is a bite of bread and in return, he will give you pretty much any help you need. Deny him, and you’ll wish you hadn’t ever seen him in the first place. You know what they say about Karma. So that little guy in the subway station? Drop a few coins in just to be safe.

4. Don’t touch random sharp objects. You never know when one has been enchanted and you’ll fall into a 100-year sleep. I bet Princess Aurora wishes she’d known that.

5. Always have white, shiny teeth, especially if you are a prince. Your head shots always seem to focus on the teeth, and if you have a nice, shiny smile, the ladies will remember you and probably swoon. Swoonage is always good.

6. If there is a nasty storm brewing, DO NOT THINK YOU CAN JUST GO OUT IN IT. Most likely, it is the work of an evil enchantress who is trying desperately to either a) keep you away from your goal or b) kill you.

7. Always be kind to the woodland animals. Maybe sing to them and bring them treats. When that kindly old lady comes around with her poisoned apple and you haven’t made friends with the little animals, who can you rely on to chase her off a cliff? Hmmm?

8. Become adept at carrying things on your head. You only have two hands, and your head kind of just sits there. So make it useful and learn to carry things on it. You just never know when you may need this skill. I’d like to be able to balance all my textbooks on my head, but I never learned the skill. I’m regretting it now.

9. Don’t discount the plain sorts. Was it one of the fabulous and flashy princes who saved the twelve dancing princesses, I ask you? No, it was not. It was a plain and older solider. Sometimes, the pomp and circumstance of the flashier guy masks a sadly lacking wit and ability to think outside the box. We fairy tale fans all know that there is usually more to someone than what’s on the surface.

10. Don’t ever make your spouse’s child a servant. Whether you read the Grimm version or watch the Disney version, it doesn’t end well for dear step-mama. I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking to be embarrassed in front of the prince OR be nailed into a barrel studded with nails (while you’re naked, I might add) and rolled into the sea. Just not my cup of juice, thanks.

So there you have it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t read fairy tales because “you won’t learn anything.” (imagine nice, big, sarcastic air quotes there) I’ve just proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you can learn all sorts of valuable lessons from fairy tales. So there.

Haha! I love it! And ya — always share your meal with the weird little gnome guy! Although, might I add that if you are the elder child chances are your lot in these tales is just gonna suck... Sorry Ems. But the fairy tale facts speak for themselves. Lucky for me, I have an older sister... ;)

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Today's Memory Monday guest is Melissa! She was one of the first real blogger connections I made when I started using Twitter, and I just loves her! I'll let her introduce herself, but you should definitely head on over and check out her blog after you read her awesome post!

"I'm Melissa... also known as Mel, or Missy. I'm a 24-year-old blonde currently living and loving life in a tiny town in New Hampshire after having lived in Salt Lake City, Florida and New Jersey. I grew up swimming competitively, and after 4 years of NCAA I fell in love with open water swimming (hence, i swim for oceans). I'm a marketing director by day, but my passion lies in literature — with the reading age of a perpetual teenager. My website, i swim for oceans, is a great please to read about and discuss the endless sea of YA literature."

Memories:

I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember, but you know those books that make you feel like you’re finally actually a reader? Those are the books that stick with me and will always have a special place on my bookshelves because they defined my taste in literature today. I remember wanting desperately to read mysteries when I was younger, but I couldn’t connect with Nancy Drew. Go figure. So, my mum (being the incredible mum that she is) went scouring to find a young reader’s mystery story that was part mystery and part adventure.

What she came up with was a book called, Mandie and the Secret Tunnel, the very first book in the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard. The books are defined as Christian MG fiction, but they don’t feel preachy, and they certainly weren’t boring for a young reader like me. I was hooked. I asked my mum to buy me the rest of the books. What I didn’t realize was that there were many…MANY books in the series. In fact, today there are 40 books in the Mandie series.

Each book was its own little story in and of itself. Mandie was endearing with her constant desire to find a family with whom she can grow after losing her father and lifeline. She’s got her faith, she finds friends, and she has strong morals that are prevalent throughout the series. I call that Christian-lite. Not preachy…just wholesome. Plus, there’s a sweet and innocent love triangle in the series that’s just perfect for a young MG read! I’m still collecting the books today. I loved the mysteries, I loved the characters, and I’m so glad I started the series when I was little.

Another series I got hooked on when I was little was the Redwall series. I’ll admit, I read the first book, Redwall, when I was around 9 just because I wanted to carry a big book around and look smart. (Was I the only kid like this?) Anyhoo…the book is about a world of animals without humans, and the animals are every bit as human as we are. They live in castles, fight wars, grow as families, and become heroes. I was hooked from page one of this world where mice, shrews, moles, badgers and more live in harmony in an amazing place called Redwall Abbey – a place they must always defend. Brian Jacques got me hooked on another long series that’s continuing to this day, and I still read the books! It’s straight fantasy, but it’s realistic in a way that’s hard to describe (especially to a little kid).

Obviously, there are more books that defined my literary taste today, but I wanted to share the books that made me the reader I am now. These two series are ones that I’ll cherish forever, and I hope that my future kids read them, too because they’re amazing!

Thank you so much for joining us today Melissa! I was definitely one of those kids that liked to carry around big books to show off how cool and smart I was! Ha... Sometimes I still do that!: P Melissa is so awesome! If you would also like to be a Memory Monday guest blogger, in my blog for more information and fill out the form! Let me know what you would like to share!

The BBC has been investigating the trade, and the routes from Syria through Turkey and Lebanon to Europe.

The Smuggler

It has taken many calls and a lot of coaxing to get a man we are calling "Mohammed" to meet us. He is originally from Damascus but now plies his trade in the Bekaa valley on the border between Syria and Lebanon. He's 21 but looks much younger in his T-shirt, skinny jeans and black suede shoes. As we sit in an apartment in central Beirut I have to lean forward to hear the softly spoken young man describe how he began smuggling looted antiquities from Syria. "There's three friends in Aleppo we deal with, these people move from Aleppo all the way to the border here and pay a taxi driver to sneak it in." He specialised in smaller items which would be easier to move on - but he says even that has become too risky. "We tried our best to get the items which had most value, earrings, rings, small statues, stone heads," he says.

He made a good profit but bigger players with better connections "sold pieces worth $500,000, some for $1m", he says. When I ask who's making the money and controlling the trade in Syria his gentle voice takes on a flinty tone: "IS are the main people doing it. They are the ones in control of this business, they stole from the museums especially in Aleppo," he says. "I know for a fact these militants had connections overseas and they talked ahead of time and they shipped overseas using their connections abroad." Mohammed is still involved in cross-border trade, but no longer in antiquities. "Anyone caught with it gets severe punishment," he says. "They accuse you of being IS."

The Go-between

To sell looted antiquities you need a middle-man, like "Ahmed". Originally from eastern Syria, he is based in a town in southern Turkey - he doesn't want me to specify which one as he doesn't want the police to know. As a Turkish-speaker he is popular with Syrian smugglers, who ask if he can move goods on to local dealers. When I speak to him via Skype he shows me a blanket next to him filled with artefacts - statues of animals and human figures, glasses, vases and coins. They were dug up in the last few months. "They come from the east of Syria, from Raqqa, all the areas controlled by ISIS (Islamic State)," he says. Islamic State plays an active part in controlling the trade, he tells me. Anyone wanting to excavate has to get permission from IS inspectors, who monitor the finds and destroy any human figures, which are seen as idolatrous (those Ahmed is showing me have slipped through the net). IS takes 20% as tax. "They tax everything," he says.

The main trade is in stoneworks, statues and gold, and it can be extremely lucrative. "I have seen one piece sold for $1.1m," he says. "It was a piece from the year 8500BC." He gently handles each artefact as he brings it closer to the webcam to give me a better view. He has had to pay a sizeable bond to the smugglers to get this material and he doesn't want to lose any of it. The final destination is Western Europe, he says. "Turkish merchants sell it to dealers in Europe. They call them, send pictures... people from Europe come to check the goods and take them away." Ahmed will have to return the looted artefacts to his Syrian contacts, as I am clearly not buying them, but he won't be returning to his homeland. "If I went back I'd be killed," he says.

The Dealer

It's an unremarkable tourist shop in the centre of Beirut. Inside the glass cases are ancient oil lamps, rings and glassware but the shop owner, a laconic man in his late 40s, has an unusual selling tactic - he says much of it is fake. However, he assures me he does have genuine pieces from the Hellenic and Byzantine periods, around 1,000 years old. I'm interested what other items he can get, mosaics for example? I had been advised by archaeologists that mosaics would almost certainly be looted - at the moment, that would mean most likely from Syria. He asks which kind I want. Faces, animals, geometric designs? "If you're serious we can have a serious negotiation... there is always a way," he promises. When I ask if it's legal he smiles as he tells me the only way to legally ship these items is with official documentation from a museum saying they have been cleared for export.

If it was only a small mosaic I wanted, I could take the chance and try to smuggle it out myself but he warns it's a serious decision, as I could get caught. For a fee he can have them shipped to the UK but it will cost me many thousands of pounds. We shake hands as I leave and he gives me his business card. It has only taken 10 minutes to be offered illicit antiquities. Arthur Brand, an investigator who helps recover stolen antiquities isn't surprised, it chimes with his experience in Lebanon. "I've been there several times and at times and it really is amazing," he tells me from his base in Amsterdam. "The illicit trade is run as a professional business with offices and business cards and you can buy antiquities from Lebanon, but also from countries like Syria, Iraq." The link between smugglers and dealers is the dirty secret the art world doesn't want to admit to, he says.

The Cop

He could easily pass for the star of an Arabic cop show but Lt Col Nicholas Saad is a real policeman, head of Lebanon's bureau of international theft. In his office, filled with certificates from the FBI and Scotland Yard, he shows me photos of huge Roman busts seized in a recent raid in Lebanon. We go up to the roof of his police station, where out to the east, beyond the mountains, is the border with Syria. This is where refugees pour into the country and are exploited by the smuggling gangs.

"The refugees come in big numbers and the gangs put things between the belongings of the refugees," he explains. Since the conflict in Syria he has noticed a significant increase in the smuggling of looted artefacts, "especially from the Islamic parts, Raqqa (the base) of the Islamic State", he adds. His team has seized hundreds of Syrian artefacts. "We have the archaeology expert that said they're very valuable from the Roman period, from the Greek period, years before Christ," he says. But there isn't a market for them in Lebanon. "Lebanon is a transit station, it's one of the the doors that goes to Europe. The real money is made in Europe."

The Treasure

Inside the Beirut National museum are treasures from the cradle of civilisation - Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine statues, busts and sarcophagi 3,000 years old. Hidden away from the public in a store room below the main galleries, seized looted antiquities wait to be returned to Syria. My guide is Dr Assaad Seif, an archaeologist and head of excavations at the directorate general of antiquities in Beirut. He rings a bell and a wrought iron door is unlocked. Inside are scores of items - pottery, stonework - but the most valuable items are sealed away in a warehouse. "We have huge funeral sculptures, representing men and women used to seal the tombs, from Palmyra," he says.

Most of the seized items are from excavations rather than thefts from museums. The looters target warehouses at ancient sites like Palmyra, a Unesco world heritage site. "The warehouses at archaeological sites have objects they know are not listed or catalogued yet, and they think it could be easier to sell them," he says. "The Palmyra objects had value for people in Syria... it gives a kind of identity," he says. Although reluctant to put a price on any of the bigger items, after some coaxing he relents. "We have a dozen objects that would sell for $1m each on the open market." I understand why they keep them out of sight of curious foreign visitors.

The Destination 

It has taken days to get through to Dr Maamoun Abdulkarim, the archaeologist in charge of Syria's dept of antiquities in Damascus. When I do reach him, he's angry. "The sites under the control of ISIS, in these areas we have a disaster, a lot of problems. IS attack all things just for the money," he says. "It is our memory, our identity, for the government, the opposition, for all Syria." It's impossible to stop the looting but he is adamant more could be done to crack down on the trade. "We are sure through all the sources a lot of objects go from Syria to Europe, in Switzerland, in Germany, in UK - and Gulf countries like Dubai and Qatar," he says.

It was a common refrain. Everyone from the Lebanese police to Mohammed the smuggler and Ahmed the go-between said the main market was Europe. In the UK there have been no prosecutions or arrests for selling looted Syrian artefacts but Vernon Rapley, who ran the Metropolitan Police's art and antiquities squad for almost a decade, says too much shouldn't be read into this. "I'm quite confident that there have been seizures of material like this," he confidently states, as we stroll around his new workplace, the Victoria and Albert museum, where he is director of security.

Rapley still liaises closely with his former police unit and he is certain that artefacts from Syria are being sold here. He wants the trade in these antiquities to become "socially repugnant and unacceptable" so that in the future, he says, "we don't have interior decorators looking for these things to decorate people's houses".

Author: Simon Cox | Source: BBC News Website [February 17, 2015]

Trisha is an energetic, outgoing and caring individual. She believes in putting family first and is very thankful for the role that her family has played in making her the hard working and ambitious woman she is today.

Born in Edmonton and raised in northern Alberta’s Cold Lake she is proud to call Canada her home.

After graduating high school Trisha continued her education in Hanceville, Alabama USA studying her Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. Upon returning to Canada she went a different direction and began working in Real Estate.

After three years she is the Office Manager of a Real Estate Investment Company in Edmonton, Alberta. Growing up she enjoyed dancing jazz, ballet, tap and folk and uses her dance back round to teach dance fitness classes evenings and weekends.

She enjoys leading an active lifestyle and in her spare time she is studying to become AFLCA certified in group exercise leadership.

Trish has a kind heart and believes that everyone can make a difference for positive change. She has volunteered with the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, The Edmonton Food Bank, Canadian Blood Services/One Match Stem Cell and Marrow Network and American Red Cross.

Growing up on acreage in a rural community Trish has always had an affinity for animals and is a member of PETA and the Soi Dog Foundation. She hopes to one day adopt a dog to Canada from the organization that helps abused and abandoned cats and dogs in Thailand.

In addition to dancing, Trish enjoys travelling, swimming, snowboarding, creating culinary sensations in the kitchen and making people laugh. Her favourite night of the week is Monday as she gets to catch up with Grammy and Gramps over supper. Her passion for life keeps her pretty busy when she isn’t on the go you can find her curled up reading a book or watching the Food Network.

Sponsored by:

Crystal’s Bridal, Joanne Halldorson Royal LePage Cold Lake, Master & Master Real Estate Edmonton, Tangles Hair Salon Cold Lake, Royal LePage Northern Lights Cold Lake, Louise Johnson Sutton Cold Lake, EK Designs, Shameless Accessories, Family and Friends.

Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language)

English

VIA MISS UNIVERSE CANADA 2011 CONTESTANT - Trisha Vergo

The Manchester team - one of only two operating in non-Kurdish Iraq – has just returned from three months of fieldwork there.

During the team’s time in Iraq, Islamic State militants destroyed ruins at the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh and are reported to have bulldozed an Assyrian palace at Nimrud and the classical city of Hatra too, as well as wrecking museum artefacts in Mosul.

But despite this, the archaeologists, who returned to southern Iraq in 2012,, continued to work at Tell Khaiber, which is close to the ancient city of Ur, where Sir Leonard Woolley discovered the fabulous 'Royal Tombs' in the 1920s.

The team, directed by Professor Stuart Campbell, Dr Jane Moon and Dr Robert Killick from Manchester, described their Iraqi colleagues as resourceful, innovative and resilient, even when times were bad.

“Everyone is quite rightly expressing outrage at the destruction in and around Mosul. The sad fact is, there is very little one can do to prevent deliberate vandalism by well-armed fanatics.

“But if the militants think they can 'erase history' we are helping to make sure that can't happen: it is the information that is important and not the objects. Our project is actually doing something positive for the Iraqis, and that is appreciated,” Dr Moon said.

In the course of their fieldwork this year the archaeologists discovered, among other things,  50 new documents, written in Babylonian, and found evidence for a scribal school operating at the settlement, which dates to around 1500 BC.

These were in a public building the size of a football pitch, and of an unprecedented format, believed to be an administrative complex serving a capital city of the Babylonian empire.

Professor Campbell said: “We found practice texts in the form of lists of exotic animals, and of precious stones, also evidence for the making and recycling of clay tablets. The whole complex dates to the 'Dark Age' following the fall of Babylon and the disintegration of Hammurabi's empire.

“For a time when this key area of Babylonia was thought to be de-urbanised and chaotic, we have evidence of sophisticated administrative mechanisms and large-scale distribution of grain and other commodities.”

Before returning to the UK, the archaeologists deposited 300 new artefacts in the Iraq Museum and set up a temporary exhibition in Baghdad as well as visiting universities that teach, or are planning to teach, archaeology.

“What we can do is make new discoveries to be proud of and help our Iraqi colleagues and the rest of the world to understand and appreciate what the antiquities actually tells us,” concluded Dr Moon.

Author: Kath Paddison | Source: University of Manchester [April 07, 2015]

One of the major perks of living in Iowa City is that it's a huge hotspot for writers. This past week was the NonfictioNow Conference which occurs every two years. I'm all over this conference because I love Nonfiction. Only about a third of the events were open to the public and I went to three events. The first and biggest event I went to was the Alison Bechdel reading. I was really excited about this because I loved her book Fun Home. The reading was unlike any reading I've ever been to. Since she is a graphic artist she can't really do a normal reading, so instead she creates a powerpoint with one panel on each slide and then reads the text that goes with the panel. I really enjoyed this and found that it was a lot easier to pay attention to than a normal reading.

After she was done I got my copy of Fun Home signed and got a picture taken. They were also selling broadsides of a comic she did that were printed at the University of Iowa Center for the Book. I got one of this and can't wait to find a frame for it!

Friday night was the Rebecca Solnit reading. I've never read anything by her, but I ran into my nature writing professor who gave the introduction for her and he enjoys her work. She is a probably most well known as a nature writer. I enjoyed this reading, although there were some technical difficulties with the microphone. She took it in stride though. She talked a bit about being political and being a writer, and how being an artist doesn't make you exempt from caring about politics. She talked quite a bit about Bill McKibben too, who has obviously taken the political writer status to a whole new level.

Saturday evening was a reading of more local people who write narrative nonfiction. Andre Perry gave a great introduction to this topic, mentioning how when he was school he would turn in essays and his teacher told him they were fiction because they were narrative. This is a pretty common idea, actually, but I find that some of the best nonfiction is narrative. Ryan Van Meter was the person I was most interested in hearing because I talked about his essay First as an awesome essay. He read an absolutely beautiful essay about hunting and animals. It had this spinning quality to it, where he started in one place, went to another, then returned to that original place. I wish I could have it in front of me to really parse out.

Overall what I saw of the conference was really great. This week I spent most of my time talking about comic books. I reviewed The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (which I loved!) as well as four comic books: Fables, The Walking Dead, Coward, and Suburban Glamour. Be sure to check out those reviews!

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Trisha is an energetic, outgoing and caring individual. She believes in putting family first and is very thankful for the role that her family has played in making her the hard working and ambitious woman she is today.

Born in Edmonton and raised in northern Alberta’s Cold Lake she is proud to call Canada her home.

After graduating high school Trisha continued her education in Hanceville, Alabama USA studying her Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. Upon returning to Canada she went a different direction and began working in Real Estate.

After three years she is the Office Manager of a Real Estate Investment Company in Edmonton, Alberta. Growing up she enjoyed dancing jazz, ballet, tap and folk and uses her dance back round to teach dance fitness classes evenings and weekends.

She enjoys leading an active lifestyle and in her spare time she is studying to become AFLCA certified in group exercise leadership.

Trish has a kind heart and believes that everyone can make a difference for positive change. She has volunteered with the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, The Edmonton Food Bank, Canadian Blood Services/One Match Stem Cell and Marrow Network and American Red Cross.

Growing up on acreage in a rural community Trish has always had an affinity for animals and is a member of PETA and the Soi Dog Foundation. She hopes to one day adopt a dog to Canada from the organization that helps abused and abandoned cats and dogs in Thailand.

In addition to dancing, Trish enjoys travelling, swimming, snowboarding, creating culinary sensations in the kitchen and making people laugh. Her favourite night of the week is Monday as she gets to catch up with Grammy and Gramps over supper. Her passion for life keeps her pretty busy when she isn’t on the go you can find her curled up reading a book or watching the Food Network.

Sponsored by:

Crystal’s Bridal, Joanne Halldorson Royal LePage Cold Lake, Master & Master Real Estate Edmonton, Tangles Hair Salon Cold Lake, Royal LePage Northern Lights Cold Lake, Louise Johnson Sutton Cold Lake, EK Designs, Shameless Accessories, Family and Friends.

Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language)

English

VIA Miss Universe Canada 2011 Contestant - Trisha Vergo

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Once again, here is a link up of all the Contemporary happenings I've stumbled across in the past week on blogs other than Shanyn's and my own! There are some seriously awesome things happening around the blogosphere, so click through the list and check it out!

And since it is absolutely impossible for me to really be aware of all that is happening everywhere, if you have seen or posted anything Contemporary related, Let me know! I will either add it to this list, or include it in next week's post!

Awesome Reading Challenge: The Keeping It Real Contemporary YA Reading Challenge hosted by Kat @ I Write, I Read, I Review. And, there will be prizes!:)

REVIEWS:

Sarah @ The Storybound Girl — Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog — Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler, Amplified by Tara Kelly, Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl, North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headly

L.L. @ The Story Girl — I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Katelyn @ Katelyn's Blog — The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner and My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Melina @ Reading Vacation — Past Perfect by Lelia Sales and The Daughters Join the Party by Joanna Philbin (this is the third book in the series.)

Author Jessi Kirby — Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Asheley @ Into the Hall of Books — We the Animals by Justin Torres

Samual @ Books for All Seasons — The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Danya @ A Tapestry of Words — Dear Bully by Various

Shannon @ Books Devoured — Looking for Alaska John Green and The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

The Busy Bibliophile — Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Anna @ Anna Reads — Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Raquel @ The Book Barbies — Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Page @ One Book at a Time — Lie by Caroline Bock

Emily @ Red House Books — Reasons to be Happy by Katrina Kittle

Giselle @ Xpresso Reads — dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman, and Room by Emma Donoghue (probably more Adult than YA, but it is definitely a crossover book).

Somer @ A Bird's Eye View — Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Liz @ Consumed by Books — The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Nicci @ Paper Dreams — Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (she also wrote a fun — Five Reasons to Read Virtuosity post!)

Julie @ A Tale of Many Reviews — The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

Chris @ Between the Covers — Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Ginger @ Greads! — Amplified by Tara Kelly

Carrie @ Stalking the Bookshelves — Saving June by Hannah Harrington and The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Rowena @ The Book Scoop — My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Mindi @ Books Complete Me — Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Sarah @ YA Love — How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Jennifer @ Novel Thoughts — Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Aubrey @ holes in my brain — How to Save a Life — Sara Zarr

Mary @ Anxirium — Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Lori @ Pure Imagination — Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Lisa @ The Garden of Books — Where She Went by Gayle Forman and Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

John @ Dreaming in Books — Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Kelli @ I'd So Rather Be Reading — Going Too Far — Jennifer Echols

Princess Bookie — Past Perfect by Lelia Sales and Pure Red by Danielle Joseph

For the Love of Contemporary — His Eyes by Renee Carter

Tiffany @ Tiffany Reads — The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder and Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Ashley @ Bookaholics Anonymous — Raw Blue by Kirsty Egar

Hannah @ Paperback Treasures — If I Tell by Janet Gurtler, Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson and Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott.

Bailey @ IB Book Blogging — Past Perfect by Lelia Sales

The Book Faerie — The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder (WARNING — This review DOES contain spoilers)

Jenny @ The Mimosa Stimulus — Amplified by Tara Kelly and Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Sophia @ The Book Basement — If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Natalie @ Quirky Vintage — Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (not completely Contemporary, but mostly & amazing, so...)

Karen @ For What It's Worth — Where You Are by Tammara Webber

Lisa @ The Garden of Books — Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (this is actually a short — What on Earth could I possibly say about this level of intensity — post)

AUTHORS:

The Nerd Girls @ Books to the Sky Interviewed Janet Gurtler! (And there is a giveaway!)

For the Love of Contemporary spotlighted Sarah Ockler!!!

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog interviewed Anne Pfeffer (and there is an international giveaway!) and she also interviewed Stasia Kehoe!

The Contemps blog spotlighted new author Josie Bloss and her novel Faking Faith.

Sam @ Books for all Seasons interviewed Melissa Kantor!

Liz @ Consumed by Books has a fun This or That Interview with Hannah Harrington!

Hannah @ Paperback Treasures has a guest post from Megan Bostic about the songs that inspired her book!

Melina @ Reading Vacation has a guest post from Joanna Philbin.

Kristi @ The Story Siren has a guest post from Catherine Ryan Hyde (with a giveaway)

DISCUSSION TOPICS

Allison @ The Allure of Books vlogged about her favorite YA Contemporary Books
Mandie Baxter: Why I Love Contemporary
Rowena @ The Book Scoop: Why I Love Contemporary
Author Carol Tanzman: Why I Write Contemporary YA
Bee @ Dreamcatcher's Lair: Her favorite Dark YA books. (Not all are Contemporary, but most of them are!)
Author Abbi Glines: Her 11 favorite Indie Contemporary YA Romances

Tough Stuff in Contemporary YA: (again, many of these were written as guest posts and I am only identifying the author of the post, not the host blog)

Rie @ Mission to Read
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Candace @ Candace's Book Blog
Jacinda @ Reading Housewives
Katelyn @ Katelyn's Blog
Cara @ Chasing Words
Mandie Baxter
Nicci @ Paper Dreams
Shannon @ Books Devoured
Ginger @ GReads!

Again — If you have seen or written a post talking about Contemporary YA or reviewing a book, LET ME KNOW!! I'd LOVE to include you in the link up AND I personally read and comment on all of them. (It takes a while, but I'm LOVING It!) So leave me a comment, shoot me an email or send me a tweet and I'll add you to my list!:)

What is the first book you remember reading? What about the first that made you really love reading?

My grandma taught me how to read and I remember reading The Three Little Pigs more vividly than other book we read together. I twas a pretty old copy, one my dad had when he was a kid, and I remember thinking all of the animals looked kind of mean, not just the wolf. My grandma has a different way of reading, she doesn't really do voices but she changes her pitch higher and lower for the feelings of the characters. She used to read the book and then give it to me to try and read to her. The first book I remember that really made me love reading was actually a book series called Pony Pals. I read it in first grade and thought it was so neat because it had journal entries and pictures in it, so it felt like you were friends with the characters in the book. In third grade I read Anne of Green Gables and that was also a big favorite of mine, it was a longer chapter book at the time and I remember feeling pretty accomplished when I finished it.

What about you? You can join in at Booking Through Thursday!

A glass dome 10 meters high and 20 meters in diameter is being built to cover ancient rock engravings that have been at risk of significant erosion on the island of Kamenny in northwest Russia.

The petroglyphs can now only be seen by organized tours and scientists. In the meantime archaeologists will continue searching for the answer to the main riddle posed by the rock engravings: Why did prehistoric man create them?

The Kanozero petroglyphs in Murmansk Region were discovered relatively recently. In the summer of 1997, researchers from a local museum found carvings on the rocks on the island of Kamenny. The ancient artists depicted animals, birds, fish, household items, religious symbols and scenes from life such as a love triangle, a hunt and a family. The scientists have also discovered several even more enigmatic sketches including a bird of prey with five-talon feet, a large figure of a sorcerer and a flying crane.

The paradox of the situation is that scientists had been visiting the island since the 1960s, yet none of them were aware that it was a major prehistoric site. Researchers simply thought that the carvings were contemporary, made by tourists visiting the island.

“It took a certain courage to declare that these engravings were ancient,” recalls Vadim Likhachev, one of the first scientists to study the Kanozero petroglyphs. “We took it upon ourselves to substantiate that theory. A radiocarbon analysis of a nearby fire site showed that the carvings were made no later than 3,000-4,000 B.C.”

There is one more reason why it took so long to discover the carvings: most of them were covered with moss and turf. Once it was removed, scientists discovered an additional 100 carvings. However, in just 15 years, these unique petroglyphs that had been preserved by nature for thousands of years were pushed to the brink of obliteration. Each spring, ice melting from the surface of the rocks was gradually erasing the images.

The situation was further exacerbated by tourists wearing running shoes. Even a tiny stone stuck in the sole of a sneaker could damage the carvings. The engravings were carved on soft rocks. It is easy to make carvings on them, but it is equally simple to erase them, too. Some visitors to the site tried to leave their imprint by adding their signatures and pictures to the petroglyphs.

In 2012, the site was visited by Dmitry Medvedev, the president of Russia at the time. He was so impressed by the ancient carvings that he promised to allocate 15 million rubles of his own money towards their preservation. The dome to protect the petroglyphs was built in fall 2014. It consists of a metal frame and polycarbonate, the same material that roofs for swimming pools and greenhouses are made of.

“It was very hard work,” says Vladimir Perevalov, director of the Kanozero Petroglyphs Museum. “The island is surrounded by water and it was impossible to get a crane there as the rocky shores are seven meters high. The builders had to get heavy metal frames and glass all the way up there.”

The dome may have to be further reinforced in the summer. According to Perevalov, there is a risk that it may cave in with time as lichen may spread underneath it. For the time being, experts are monitoring how the dome will survive the winter.

The ancient petroglyphs can now be seen by appointment only. Tourists come to Kanozero despite the fact that most of the carvings are not available for viewing and can be seen only in restricted lighting.

The scientists have not yet been able to ascertain why the prehistoric inhabitants of the North made these rock carvings. Earlier they thought they were a depiction of scenes from everyday life. However, recently another theory has been gaining currency: that the petroglyphs had a spiritual character.

“The carvings may depict the rituals of prehistoric people,” says Likhachev. “The locations where there are many engravings may have been ancient open-air shrines.”

The petroglyphs may have been used to communicate with the spirits of ancestors or in healing rituals. Archeologists are now collecting data to try and recreate what may have been an ancient religious system.

Author: Yelena Bozhkova | Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines [January 06, 2015]