Learn more about the friendship between Manolo and Joaquin in this Level 2 Ready-to-Read based on the movie The Book of Life. The Book of Life hits theaters on October 17, 2014! Manolo and Joaquin have been best friends forever. They don’t agree on everything though—especially when it comes to Maria, the girl they both love! Learn more about their friendship in this Level 2 Ready-to-Read, perfect for beginning readers! THE BOOK OF LIFE © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Reel FX Productions II, LLC. All rights reserved.

Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass dicuss their efforts to win rights for women and African Americans. Some people had rights, while others had none. Why shouldn't they have them, too? Two friends, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, get together for tea and conversation. They recount their similar stories fighting to win rights for women and African Americans. The premise of this particular exchange between the two is based on a statue in their hometown of Rochester, New York, which shows the two friends having tea. The text by award-winning writer Dean Robbins teaches about the fight for women's and African Americans' rights in an accessible, engaging manner for young children. Two Friends is beautifully illustrated by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls, the husband-and-wife team whose The Case for Loving received three starred reviews! Two Friends includes back matter with photos of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.

In this set of novellas, a few facts are constant. Sergio is a young intellectual, poor and proud of his new membership in the Communist Party. Maurizio is handsome, rich, successful with women, and morally ambiguous. Sergio’s young, sensual lover becomes collateral damage in the struggle between these two men. All three of these unfinished stories, found packed in a suitcase after Alberto Moravia’s death, share this narrative premise. But from there, each story unfolds in a unique way. The first patiently explores the slow unfurling of Sergio’s resentment toward Maurizio. The second reveals the calculated bargain Maurizio offers in exchange for his conversion to Sergio’s beloved Communism. And the third switches dramatically to the first person, laying bare Sergio’s conflicted soul. Anyone interested in literature will relish the opportunity to watch Moravia at work, tinkering with his story and working at it from three unique perspectives.

It’s 1870 and the Siege of Paris is in full swing, where the French-Prussian war has brought daily life to a halt. Wearied, starving, and strung out on absinthe, two men meet by chance at their favourite fishing spot. "Two Friends" follows Morissot and Sauvage as they make their way into no man’s land and drink away the miseries of the war. A powerful short story that extolls the virtues of French patriotism and dramatises the cruelties of war. Maupassant’s portrayal yearns for a return to ordinary life and real human connections, through plain philosophy and simple language suited to the styles of Flaubert and Hemingway. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a famous French writer, often referred to as the father of the short story. A prolific writer, his best known works include "Bel-Ami", "Une Vie" and "The Necklace", alongside some 300 short stories, travel books, and poetry. A master of style and dramatic narrative, Maupassant’s stories are drawn to themes of war, the working class, and the human condition. One of his greatest influences was Gustave Flaubert, who introduced him to some of the central names of the time such as Emile Zola, Ivan Turgenev, and Henry James.

In the middle of war, two men go fishing in the river that runs through their village. They are captured by the enemy; mistaken for spies, and shot.

'We were best friends when we set out for France. Now I'm not so sure.' Best friends Samantha and Rachel are spending the holidays with two families in France. They're used to doing everything together, but suddenly they're living in different worlds. Rachel's family is glamorous, vivacious and right in the centre of everything, but Samantha is stuck with a strict family who live in the middle of nowhere. Samantha is shaken - she's used to being the outgoing one, and now their roles are reversed. As new experiences and boys threaten the trust between her and Rachel, it looks unlikely that their lifelong friendship can survive this turbulent summer.

True Friend is the one who always supports and stands by you in any situation. A friend in need is a friend indeed