22 Hero City

You wake up with superhero powers—so what are you going to do with them? Be a hero or rule the city as a supervillain? Use your mighty brains or take advantage of your awesome brawn? Or will you turn down the great responsibility that comes with great power?

World War II, known as the Great Patriotic War to Russians, ravaged the Soviet Union and traumatized those who survived. After the war, memory of this anguish was often publicly repressed under Stalin. But that all changed by the 1960s. Under Brezhnev, the idea of the Great Patriotic War was transformed into one of victory and celebration. In Russia's Hero Cities, Ivo Mijnssen reveals how contradictory national recollections were revised into an idealized past that both served official needs and offered a narrative of heroism. This triumphant narrative was most evident in the creation of 13 Hero Cities, now located across Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. These cities, which were host to some of the fiercest and most famous battles, were named champions. Brezhnev's government officially recognized these cities with awards, financial contributions, and ritualized festivities. Their citizens also encountered the altered history at every corner—on manicured battlefields, in war memorials, and through stories at the kitchen table. Using a rich tapestry of archival material, oral history interviews, and newspaper articles, Mijnssen provides a thorough exploration of two cities in particular, Tula and Novorossiysk. By exploring the significance of Hero Cities in Soviet identity and the enduring but conflicted importance they hold for Russians today, Russia's Hero Cities exposes how the Great Patriotic War no longer has the power to mask the deep rifts still present in Russian society.

This volume contends that young individuals across Europe relate to their country’s history in complex and often ambivalent ways. It pays attention to how both formal education and broader culture communicate ideas about the past, and how young people respond to these ideas. The studies collected in this volume show that such ideas about the past are central to the formation of the group identities of nations, social movements, or religious groups. Young people express received historical narratives in new, potentially subversive, ways. As young people tend to be more mobile and ready to interrogate their own roots than later generations, they selectively privilege certain aspects of their identities and their identification with their family or nation while neglecting others. This collection aims to correct the popular misperception that young people are indifferent towards history and prove instead that historical narratives are constitutive to their individual identities and their sense of belonging to something broader than themselves.

Martial artist? Tech genius? Social media star? Barbara Gordon grew up idolizing Batman(TM), the masked vigilante who protected her home of Gotham City. As she got older, she realized that one person wasn't enough to protect all the people of Gotham City from widespread crime--and she was ready to step up and help. But how did Barbara become Batgirl(TM)? How does she use technology to fight crime? What super-villains has she encountered? In this illustrated biography full of character profiles and fast facts, you'll learn everything you should know about the girl behind the mask.

Introducing the Sherlock Sam series by A.J. Low—a fresh, cross-cultural twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, tailored for middle-grade readers. Set in iconic Singapore locations, the series follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving 10-year-old Samuel Tan Cher Lock (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam), Watson, his reluctant robot sidekick, and the rest of the Supper Club (a “Scooby Doo gang,” of sorts) as they prove that mysteries are best solved through teamwork. In Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong, Auntie Kim Lian’s precious Peranakan cookbook disappears, and Sherlock Sam cannot eat her delicious ayam buah keluak anymore! Will Sherlock Sam be able to use his super detective powers to find this lost treasure? Praise: “A promising adventure series with Super Sleuth Sherlock Sam! His insatiable appetite to sample Singapore’s popular foods and never-give-up attitude to solving mysteries will keep readers glued till the last page.” —Adeline Foo, author of the bestselling series The Diary of Amos Lee “A thrilling kid’s detective romp in the grand tradition of Famous Five, with a lovable robot and delicious Peranakan food!” —Otto Fong, author of Sir Fong’s Adventures In Science “Sherlock Sam and Watson are set to become one of Singapore’s favourite detective duos! Sam’s preoccupation with food struck a familiar chord with the Singaporean in me and Watson’s deadpan one-liners had me laughing out loud. What afun-filled, food-filled adventure story! This is a delicious read that will certainly warm your heart like a good serving of ayam buah keluak!” —Emily Lim, award-winning author of Tibby, the Tiger Bunny and Prince Bear & Pauper Bear “Watson is a delightful creation. He follows a rich line of great robot companions from Star War’s R2D2 to Star Trek’s Data; no detective should leave home without one!” —Sonny Liew, Eisner-nominated author of Malinky Robot “A genius kid detective would be good. A genius kid detective with a wise-acre robot sidekick is even better. Add a wicked sense of humor and you’ve one of the sharpest, funniest books you’ll read all year.” —Hal Johnson, author of Immortal Lycanthropes “This book will definitely draw you in with its twists and turns that will leave you guessing with each turn of the page who the culprits are. There are also many funny lines from Watson that will cause you to burst out in laughter.” —Seow Kai Lun, ?Singapore's Child “A clever, entertaining and funny children's novel...a promising start to a new book series [with] bold and whimsical illustrations by drewscape” —Tina Gan, Red Dot Diva “This debut local novel is rich (in local references) and satisfying (as a mystery story).” —Stephani Yeo, Young Parents “BOTH boys were clamouring to read the book first, so I was left with no choice but to read the book TOGETHER with the both of them...I found it to be utterly captivating enough to make me want to complete the book in one sitting...the localized dialogue is hilariously tongue-in-cheek and the book's subtle appeal to a child's instinct for the mysterious proved to be just what kept both Ash and Ayd deeply intrigued.” —Kelvin Ang, Cheekiemonkies “A.J. Low have created an intriguing tale which would keep young readers eager to find out what happens next, while subtly documenting old-school landmarks such as Chin Mee Chin Confectionery and Katong Antique House. Looks set to be a betseller.” —Clara Chow, My Paper “I like this book because it leaves you with questions in your mind which make you want to keep reading.” —Greta Roberts, 9, in Expat Living Singapore

Without resorting to the jargon often employed by contemporary critics, this book covers all major aspects and questions raised by the play. The text contains a thorough examination of the contrast between Athens and its dramatic opposite, Thebes, a contrast best represented by the comparison between each city's primary representative, Theseus or Creon. Wilson offers a radical rereading of the Oedipus riddle and concludes with a substantial discussion of the play's (and playwright's) role in providing a political and moral education for the troubled Athenian polis in the last decade of the tumultuous fifth century. Joseph P. Wilson is Associate Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Scranton.