Showing 101–191 of 191 results
Neck Tales: Stories from Virginia’s Northern Neck
by Thea Marshall $16.00 – $26.95
by Thea Marshall
Join National Public Radio commentator Thea Marshall for an historic and contemporary journey through Virginia’s Northern Neck. First broadcast by Ms. Marshall on NPR, these stories paint a vivid portrait of this part of Virginia that’s a world apart—from the region’s wine, watermen and Chantey singers, to its poets, patriots, kings, and citizens.
Nightman
by James Pendleton and Jerome Johnson $15.00
by James Pendleton and Jerome Johnson
“Call me the night man. That’s what I am mostly. Course, I work some in the daytime, too, cleaning houses for my special customers—nice folks who live in a pretty part of town. But mainly I work at night..."
“I’ve got keys to more offices and homes in this town than I can count. People come to work in the morning and find their offices all shiny—windows cleaned, trash cans emptied, ... rugs vacuumed, and, oh yes, the occasional wrapper from a hurriedly opened condom scooped up neatly from underneath a desk. Like magic. I guess it makes people feel like no matter what they do, there’s always somebody to make things right by morning.”
Such is the life of janitor Braxton Bragg, a black man in the modern capital of the Confederacy, and great grandson of a white Confederate general. Despite the apparent dullness of his job, what he faces behind locked doors ranges from the embarrassing to the life-threatening. Braxton’s dark, sometimes humorous commentary exposes the seamy underbelly of this Southern city—as well as the secret sins of the elite–– and takes us through ten days and nights of mystery, danger and surprise.
“...You never know what you’re gonna find....”
Nine Lives: My Risky Road from Fifties Rebel to Feminist Critic
$7.99 – $33.95
Written by Claire Kahane
In this tell-all memoir, a woman in her eighties, born during the Great Depression to Jewish immigrants, unveils her intimate self-transformations in the course of nine decades. Determined at an early age to prove herself a free spirit in a male dominated world, as a young adult Kahane went on the road, hitchhiking her way into and out of risky adventures and romantic affairs, ceaselessly chasing new experiences. But what started out as a “road book” takes a different turn in midlife when, influenced by the insights of psychoanalysis and feminism, she became a feminist professor, mother, and wife. In later life, her story changed tracks again when a visit to Auschwitz compelled her to confront her own family history of loss and renewal. The memoir ends with a surprising new twist that opens to a hopeful future. In this long and hard-earned coming-of-age story, readers will find a piece of themselves.
Normal
$7.99 – $17.95
by Dave Kerpen and Lindsay Brockington
Life for four middle schoolers in New York City can be tough. David’s dad has bipolar disorder. Alexa’s new stepmother will never be able to fill her mom’s shoes. Tiffany’s dad acts like he’d rather be at the bar than at home with his family. And Albert’s got a family secret he can’t even tell his best friend.
All these four strangers want is to be normal, but it seems like they’re cursed to be outcasts no matter how hard they try. That is until they hear about a special school on New York City’s Upper East Side that’s meant for kids who stand out.
Thanks to a lot of hard work, their new school, a magical teacher, and each other, these four misfits soon find that being different makes them something much better than normal. . . . It makes them friends.
Of Memories and Mirages
by Abu B. Rafique $7.99 – $30.95
written by Abu B. Rafique
Although both time and origin separate them, this story is of lives that fate and circumstance have tied to Pakistan. Aasiya slips away from watchful eyes to meet her lover at a teashop in the same city her grandparents, Suraiya and Iqbal, once moved to after meeting amid the bloodshed of the Partition. The owner of the teashop, Salim, also finds himself refuge from Afghanistan’s war in the heat of Karachi. Meanwhile, a family nearby deals with the consequences of their son eagerly leaving the city and bearing firsthand witness to the horrors of the seemingly holy war.
Once Upon a Fable
by Mariah Robinson $4.99 – $25.95
by Mariah Robinson
Once Upon a Fable is a lively collection of seven compelling and comforting tales with 20/20 vision. There’s a solid marriage verging on the rocks; an abandoned baby raven and a family of field mice; a precocious little boy, his strong-willed nanny, and his amazing best friend; an unyielding politician’s moments of reckoning; a bridge whiz millionaire who chooses his partner; a mantis of distinction and a beyond-the-coop hen who cross paths, and last, an exotic Hollywood-bound duck of color who gets her wish. Mariah Robinson has drawn a collection of fast-paced, age old dramas of memorable life events, enduring love, envy, animosity, infidelity with a twist, and a host of bittersweet tosses and turns--all set in fanciful plots. This unforgettable cast of characters is sure to capture your heart and set it spinning.
Opening Closed Doors: The Story of Josie C. Murray
$14.95 – $25.95
written by Linda Sittig with Linda Jackson King
illustrated by Whitney Truitt
Not long ago, public libraries in Virginia were not so public. It would take the courage of a young African-American woman, Josie C. Murray, to challenge that.
From a young age, Josie felt the supreme injustice of the Jim Crow South—ordering ice cream inside a restaurant and continuing her education beyond the seventh grade were opportunities denied to Josie during her childhood. Josie was surrounded by closed doors, barred from opportunities available to white people. But in 1957, when she was denied the ability to check out a book from the Purcellville Library because of the color of her skin, Josie took action. With the help of her husband, Sam Murray, a lawyer, and even President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Josie built a case and became the catalyst for all public buildings in Virginia to desegregate.
Orphaned Heritage : The East Coast’s Disappearing History
$9.99 – $18.95
Written by Ben Swenson
The spot where the most famous manhunt in United States history came to a bloody end languishes in the litter-strewn median of a four-lane highway. There are no physical traces left of the Garrett farmhouse, where John Wilkes Booth died, and few historic footprints to be found at all in this unlikely place, a common right-of-way. The Garrett place is one of scores of sites on the East Coast that society cast aside, places of historic value left to the natural world as orphans of the American landscape. Orphaned Heritage: The East Coast's Disappearing History tells the story of the Atlantic seaboard's historic castaways and explores what we can learn from the ruin.
Patience in your pocket
$14.95
By Shweta Ujaoney Thackeray
Kaya’s little sister, Aria, is going through a “Phase.” Whenever she wants something, she wants it now... and she’ll scream and cry and roll on the floor until she gets it! No one knows how to prevent Aria’s tantrums—and once they start, no one knows how to calm her down. That is, not until the girls’ grandmother, Nanima, comes to visit with a special gift: a cute toy bunny named Patience. At first, Kaya wonders how a stuffed bunny can teach Aria to wait for things calmly. But Patience does more than just change Aria’s behavior—it changes their whole family, too!
Patton’s Forward Observers: History of the 7th Field Artillery Observation Battalion XX Corps, Third Army
by John Kurt Rieth $23.95
by John Kurt Rieth
More than any other, General George S. Patton Jr. conjures up the image of the ultimate World War II American warrior, and even today, the Patton mystique continues to grow. Despite his renowned egotism, Patton understood that it was the blood of his soldiers that earned the glory attributed to him.
Formed on the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 7th Field Artillery Observation Battalion (7th FAOB) was assigned the hazardous task of determining the source of enemy artillery fire. The exceptional level of training prepared the battalion well for combat in July 1944 when they landed in Normandy. Serving as XX Corps (the Ghost Corps) primary counterbattery unit, the battalion quickly advanced through France. Stopped cold by a ferocious German defense in Metz and Saarland in the bitter winter of 1944-1945, the 7th FAOB participated in some of the bloodiest, yet least well published, fighting of the war. Finally breaking through the German West Wall, XX Corps and the 7th FAOB ultimately crossed the Rhine and ended the war at Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau, Austria.
Patton’s Forward Observers is a story told by a unique collection of highly trained artillery observers who fought every step of the war with Patton's famed Third Army. We remember Patton today only through the service of men like these. This is a soldier's story. Derived from wartime letters and oral histories told by the veterans themselves, we see the classic American Army experience of World War II—the friendships, courage, terror, carnage, humor and ultimate victory that all part of the Patton legend—a legend build by soldiers.
Pollyanna Gay
$12.99 – $23.95
written by Jer Long
August Applegate is sixteen years old, and he’s known he’s gay for eleven of them. But in 1963, life in a small Appalachian hamlet doesn’t offer many opportunities to learn what that truly means.
That is, not until August spends one magical—if tumultuous—summer at Buck’s County Theatre Camp. There, he steps behind the curtains that shield the gay world from view and enters a bewildering universe of heated flings, dramatic breakups, and unspoken rules that leave his head spinning. Or perhaps that’s just his bunkmates: Pete, beautiful, charismatic, and secretive; and Farley Fairfield, chaos incarnate, who seems to hate August no matter what he does.
Thus begins a journey of many years, as August leaves camp and returns home to his loving, dysfunctional family; completes high school; attends college; survives life (once again) as Farley’s roommate; and finally sets out to build a life on his own terms. Navigating the uproar of the 1970s and into the next decade, August witnesses the defiant joy of the gay rights movement and the creeping dread of the AIDS crisis. Yet even amid the waning of old friendships, the withering of old loves, and the unspoken traumas that hold his family in their codependent orbits, the one thing August can’t get rid of is his tender, trusting “Pollyanna” heart.
But August’s stubborn optimism is more than just a chic set of rose-colored glasses. In fact, it might be the only pillar to which his loved ones can cling amid the relentless tides of fate. . . .
Ravenous Words
$14.95 – $25.95
By Lisa Lucas and Susan Wurtzburg
In these tumultuous times, poetry bridges borders, creates connections, and imparts ideas. Writers Lisa Lucas and Susan J. Wurtzburg whispered words and shouted stanzas to each other by text and voice across the geographical expanses of Canada, the USA, and the Pacific Ocean. Their collaboration was adorned later by paired ravens, the cover print created by James Lahey, a noted Canadian artist, living in Toronto.
This raven motif glides through the book sections and their poetry, with connections to the idea of being ravenous, insatiable, and greedy, all of which contrast with the socially normed perceptions of women. It also links to the long history of strong female writers, hungry for expression, who were largely disparaged and outcast from less contemporaneous poetry histories. Here, the title and poetic content connect these tropes in innovative ways that speak to people in the Americas and the Pacific, where most of these works are situated.
Reclaiming Southside
$14.95
Written by M.J. Coll
M.J. Coll grew up imagining herself as like her father’s son, but 1950’s Richmond, Virginia, wasn’t a welcoming environment for her to come of age. Venturing to the Midwest for college, M. J. came into her own as a lesbian feminist in her twenties, exploring relationships with other women, participating in Vietnam War protests, and advocating for citizens in crisis. But when her mother got sick, M. J. found herself back in Richmond, the city that she both loved and struggled to understand. Caring for her mother and reconciling with her father left her with no choice but to reclaim Southside, the neighborhood she grew up in and had sought so desperately to flee in her teens and twenties.
This collection of vignettes and poems about coming of age in the South speak both to M. J.’s personal experience as a young lesbian and the movements of the latter half of the twentieth century that have shaped America today. A testament to both how far we have come since the fifties yet how far we still need to go in our search for equality for the LGBTQIA+ community, M. J.’s story is both personal and political.
Remembering for Both of Us: A Child Learns about Alzheimer’s
by Charlotte Wood $12.95 – $18.95
written by Charlotte Wood
Tasha loves her grandfather, and she knows that PaPa loves her. But lately, PaPa has begun to forget things. He’s often confused and upset. Sometimes, he doesn’t even recognize his own family. How can Tasha’s grandmother help her see that while PaPa is changing, his love for Tasha has not?
Remembering for Both of Us is a touching story of a child’s first glimpse of Alzheimer’s and a reminder that ties of the heart transcend age and illness.
Richmond’s Unhealed History
by Ben Campbell $5.99 – $30.95
written by Ben Campbell
In a detailed look at the history of Richmond, Benjamin Campbell examines the contradictions and crises that have formed the city over more than four centuries. Campbell argues that the community of metropolitan Richmond is engaged in a decisive spiritual battle in the coming decade. He believes the city, more than any in the nation, has the potential for an unprecedented and historic achievement. Its citizens can redeem and fulfill the ideals of their ancestors, proving to the world that race and class can be conquered by the deliberate and prayerful intention of honest and dedicated citizens.
Safe
by Elspeth Roake $7.99 – $16.95
by Elspeth Roake
Elspeth Roake lives in the competitive world of showing horses, aspiring to perfect technique in the ring against a backdrop of long hours, hard work, and frequent travel. On the surface, she is poised and goal-oriented. Only her boss, Leslie, is witness to her depression.
Leslie never shies away from Elspeth’s dark moods or tendency to self-harm, and eventually her strength and compassion inspire Elspeth to explore the shadows of childhood trauma which lurk at the back of her mind. But memories slip away even as she reaches for them, and behind closed doors Elspeth’s mental state continues to deteriorate. Over the course of two harrowing years, Elspeth sets increasingly radical goals for herself, determined not to let her illness get the better of her. Yet despite outward success, no ribbon or medal can help her outpace her depression. Finally, at a horse show far from home, Elspeth’s battle descends into a matter of life and death, and not even Leslie can help her. Finding herself trapped and sobbing into the sticky floor of a psychiatric ward, she realizes that something has to change.
Safe is a memoir of brutal and intense honesty, exploring the depths of despair, determination, and self-discovery, and the vital bonds—both human and animal—that make life possible.
Santa’s Sick of Cookies: An Eastern Shore Christmas Tale
$4.99 – $20.95
Written by Karen Young Foley
Santa flies South from a Pole far away
as Eastern Shore youngins keep watch for his sleigh . . .
Surely even old Saint Nick gets sick of cookies on Christmas Eve! A little boy from the Eastern Shore of Virginia is determined to give Santa some variety in his Yuletide snacks. . . . But how?
Santa’s Sleigh Is Stuck: A Hog Island Christmas Tale
$12.95 – $22.95
Written by Karen Foley
Dreaming about clams and oysters to shuck,
Santa parks beachside and gets his sleigh stuck.
Santa’s sleigh is stuck in the sand on Christmas Eve! As St. Nick and the reindeer cook up a plan to get off Hog Island, teamwork takes a surprising turn. Will they lift off in time to deliver all those toys?
Save the Trees
$15.95 – $26.95
written by Leslie Eva Tayloe
illustrated by Lintang Pandu Pratiwi
Ronnie loves trees. So when strange vines appear all over town, strangling the trees and making them fall over, he jumps into action right away! But Ronnie’s just one kid, and even with friends and family helping to pick, pull, and pluck the vines, they just grow faster every day!
If he really wants to save the trees, Ronnie will have to get the whole town to help out . . . before it’s too late!
Seasons for Stones
by Nikki Bergstresser $4.99 – $22.95
written by Nikki Bergstresser
illustrated by Kelly O'Neill
Tilly has not seen Mrs. Miller outside lately, tending to her garden or feeding the birds. What can she do when her neighbor is feeling down? Sometimes, small acts of kindness can make all the difference.
Serenity: How to Recognize, Understand, and Recover from Behavioral Addictions
$26.95
written by Sanja Rozman
Life can be hard—so why not use whatever avenues you can to make it easier? Overindulging in drugs and alcohol only makes problems worse, but what could be wrong with using video games, gambling, comfort food, social media, romance, or sex to add some comfort to your life? Unfortunately, while engaging in comforting behaviors can initially seem less dangerous and more socially acceptable than smoking or drinking too much alcohol, the chemistry of addiction is not wholly tied to a substance, but rather to the brain’s response. This leads some people to develop diseases called behavioral addictions—which work just like other addictions, but without any substance involved.
Serenity is your go-to manual for understanding and overcoming behavioral addictions. It answers many questions you may have about behavioral addiction:
How can you recognize and understand behavioral addictions?
How do people develop behavioral addictions?
When it comes to activities like engaging with social media, gaming, working, or dieting, how much is too much?
How can someone become addicted to something everybody does?
How can you know if you’re helping or enabling your addicted loved one?
Are you an addict yourself—and if so, how can you recover?
In this book, renowned psychotherapist Sanja Rozman will answer these questions and help you create your own personal, state-of-the-art recovery plan. Her program has helped her clients discover the reasoning behind their destructive behaviors, work through them, and establish new, healthier patterns in their lives and relationships. Whether you are suffering yourself or are a family member, teacher, or good friend of an addict, you will learn everything you need to know about how to recognize, understand, and cope with behavioral addictions. You can’t just stop them—but you can work through the problem. It works if you work it!
Shrieks and Sounds and Things Abound: The Quiet Wants of Julien J.
$6.99 – $23.95
Written by Drew Palacio
Julien ran, full of excitement and glee,
and tucked himself under a big oak tree.
The school day was through, and his homework was done.
Finally, he could read Bluebullet (Issue 161)!
All Julien J. wants to do is read his comic book in peace, but when distractions interrupt him time and time again, his frustration boils over. Julien kicks at the ground, he yells, he cries, and when the dust settles, he can’t believe what he sees—Bluebullet, the hero from his comic book, is standing right in front of him!
Learn what Bluebullet has to say about working through the most frustrating moments like a true superhero!
Silly Dog and a Cat
$19.95
Written by Larry Caylor
Ever since the Johnsons took him in, Cosmo has led a normal life. Playing fetch and chasing Chloe, the neighbor's cat, has kept him quite busy. But one day, Cosmo begins thinking about his happiness. Is he truly as happy as he could be?
And so, Cosmo begins a quest to become the happiest dog ever! At the end of his adventure, will Cosmo find that he is happier than when he started, or will he discover that his true happiness was right in front of him all along?
Simon and the Worry Watch
by Susan M. Brown $13.95
written by Susan M. Brown
illustrated by Tara Friel Swinford
Simon is excited about his first day of preschool, but he is also a little bit worried! All day long, Simon worries. He worries that he might not have a friend. He worries that he might not find the bathroom on time. Most of all, he worries that he will miss his mom. Luckily, Simon’s mother has a plan to make the worries go away . . .
Written by a mother and longtime classroom educator, Simon and the Worry Watch is a fun story for kids and a helpful tool for parents, caregivers, and teachers of young children venturing out into the world for the first time.
Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai
$9.99 – $35.95
Written by S. P. O'Farrell
Simone captures Mumbai
In this third installment of the award-winning series, junior spy Simone LaFray returns to Paris after recovering the legendary OmniKey on her mission in London. Unfortunately, her opportunity for rest is short-lived. Now thirteen, Simone finds her life accelerating (much to her displeasure): The V has a boyfriend, a new baby brother has joined the LaFray family, and relics of the Red Wolf cryptically surface as the specter of an old enemy rises from its grave.
Worst of all, the OmniKey’s operation remains a mystery, even to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their only lead is the elusive Bishop of Mumbai, a fifteen-year-old prodigy whose talents for chess and technological wizardry are equally extraordinary. To learn the OmniKey’s secrets, Simone must face him in a prestigious chess tournament in his own home country of India—but this time, she won’t be working alone.
As queens, pawns, and brazen knights of unknown intent take the board, sides are chosen, and nothing is as it seems. Right and wrong blur as Simone teeters on the edge of a new world. Will she make the right move?
Simone LaFray and the Chocolatiers’ Ball
by SP O’Farrell $6.99 – $25.95
by S.P. O'Farrell
Simone leads a double life.
As a covert agent, she walks in the footprints of her spy mother, darting between the shadows. If she’s not sleuthing, she’s icing eclairs and dusting pastries in her father’s patisserie.
When a notorious thief returns to Paris, the patisserie is threatened, and Simone questions everything. She and her father must participate in the exclusive Chocolatiers’ Ball to redeem themselves and catch the thief. Simone’s concealed life is crumbling, the shop hangs in the balance . . . and now she needs a ball gown!
Life in a French patisserie may not be as sweet as she thought.
Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London
$7.99 – $32.95
by S. P. O'Farrell
After her triumph at the Chocolatiers’ Ball, Simone LaFray wants to fade into the shadows and avoid her newfound popularity—but it is not to be. Duty calls when a fellow junior spy goes missing from the posh Claymoore School in London, and Simone jumps at the assignment. Going undercover, she soon finds herself embroiled in a complicated game involving dark forces, the enigmatic OmniKey, and an unruly royal. First looks can be deceiving, but could a certain redheaded thief be pulling the strings?
In this second book of the Simone LaFray Mysteries, Simone navigates school rivalries, oversees the opening of a new LaFray’s Patisserie, and finds herself questioning her loyalties as she prowls under the moonlight with the notorious Red Wolves. And to top it all off, the most popular boy in school can’t stop staring at her. The life of the world’s most promising young spy is about to get messy.
Sister Cities: A Story of Friendship Between Virginia and Mali
by Ana Edwards and Robin Poulton $4.99 – $19.95
by Ana Edwards and Robin Poulton
Most early African Virginians came from the lands of the medieval Empire of Mali, founded by the original Lion King. Since the first Africans arrived in 1619, Virginia’s history has been linked to Africa and to Mali. Virginia's culture is filled with West African music, food, and other influences—including slavery and colonial domination. Both cities have a victims’ cemetery.
Sister Sorrow, Sister Joy
by Mariah Robinson $4.99 – $29.95
by Mariah Robinson
Ann Cabot, upscale art gallery owner, is struggling to find a pathway to lasting happiness while coping with the sorrows of relinquished love. There is George, her kind but stifling boyfriend, and Max, her intelligent but corrosive ex-husband.
Enter the Pied Piper—Maggie Lambert—Ann's newly commissioned and exquisitely gifted art conservator. Charismatic, enigmatic, and abrasively tough-minded, Maggie awakens something foreign and insistent in Ann that promises a new freedom.
Deeply wise and deftly written, Sister Sorrow, Sister Joy is about the risks of love—with all its joy, sorrow, and uncertainty.
Six Revolutionary WOW Factor Women
$8.99 – $13.95
written by Heidi Hartwiger
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE WOW FACTOR?
It’s a special quality tucked down deep inside you, which comes out when a problem needs solving. It might come from love, courage, or perseverance. Whatever inspires it, it is the part of you that says, “Watch Out World! I can deal with this.”
In this book, you will meet six strong, determined, independent women of America’s Revolutionary period—among them an extraordinary schoolteacher; an enslaved woman who went to court and won her freedom; a clever mother who took on six Redcoats on her own; an Oneida maiden who braved a blizzard to save Washington’s troops at Valley Forge; a sixteen-year-old girl trapped in a fort under siege; and even a president’s wife, hauling important documents from the burning White House—all of whom found their WOW factors within a few years of each other!
Who knows? As you explore their stories, you might just discover your own WOW factor!
Size Matters: The Large Woman’s Comprehensive Guide to Living Well
$8.99 – $16.95
written by Leslie C. Glass
As large women in America, we spend our entire lives consuming information that sends the message—sometimes subtle, but often harsh and unkind—that we are not valued. As a result, we often internalize these messages as negative beliefs about ourselves and begin to treat ourselves accordingly . . . settling for less than we deserve in every aspect of our lives. This book is the beginning of a conversation about how we get here, and what we can do to reclaim a sense of personal power in how we live. It is the large woman’s road map for a lifelong journey of well being that is derived from the knowledge that living well is our fundamental right.
Inside, you will find everything that you need to begin to tear up the narrative that large women deserve substandard treatment and to replace it with a renewed sense of your own worth. What you will NOT find is a single sentence that suggests that you need to change anything about your body in order to live a full and satisfying life. Come and join the revolution!
Slow Dying: The Bosnian War Prison Camp at Visoko Diary and Testimonies
by Milenko S. Milanovic $15.95
by Milenko S. Milanovic
Following the Bosnian War and his immigration to the U.S., Serbian refugee Milenko Milanovic would awaken from horrifying dreams—vestiges of his eight-month imprisonment in the Bosnian war camp at Visoko. For years, Milenko’s memories remained suppressed, but his experiences lived on in the loose-leaf diary he had kept hidden in the lining of his jacket. After his release, he compiled these notes into the book that would become Slow Dying, a harrowing volume that details his capture and subsequent internment—the starvation, beatings and death. This fourth edition presents his diary in English for the first time, accompanied by contributions from his fellow prisoners and Milenko’s own reflections on his imprisonment and life as a refugee. It offers a poignant and compelling story of personal survival during one of the most brutal conflicts in recent history.
Soldier Pigs: When Soldiers Are Guinea Pigs
by Gordon Swanson
by Gordon Swanson
During the 1950s, one special army quartermaster group was assigned the difficult but essential task of testing potential army materials—tests that often required putting soldiers at risk, challenging them at the top of their physical endurance, under the worst possible conditions. Like guinea pigs, these randomly chosen soldiers were forced to participate in dangerous testing programs, so that others could benefit.
This is the true but untold story of one of those soldiers, author Gordon Swanson. Soldier Pigs describes many of Swanson’s tasks—from equipment and machinery tests in the extreme heat of Death Valley, to the frigid cold near the Arctic Circle, and his many other experiences as part of this unique military unit.
The author was subjected to surprising ordeals as a guinea pig, and almost killed several times; still, he believes that the work of these men may have saved the lives of many others in the military. His graphic descriptions give the reader the utmost respect for the valuable work of these soldiers.
To order this book at the sale price, please contact us at ceci@brandylanepublishers.com.
Spirit of the Forest
$15.95
by Kate Kempton
12-year-old Coby is navigating a complicated world.
It’s summer in 1980s Texas, and Coby heads to work with his dad, B.B., a logger. At the logging site, Coby is thrust headlong into a fight for the forest and its spirit, for his family, and for his own dignity. Coby finds his courage tested beyond his wildest expectations, in an adventure through the heart of the dark and ancient woods, through a hurricane, and through his emergence as a young Black man in a color-charged world. Coby finds his strength, and his voice, with the help of the haunting bear-man, a sweet little skunk named Orphus, and the magic of an open heart.
Steel Slides and Yellow Walls
$13.95
By Alicia Swain
In Steel Slides and Yellow Walls, Alicia Swain navigates the labyrinthine journey women undergo to form their identities. Through a feminist lens and distinctive voice, her collection veraciously portrays the trials that forge women into sagacious, resilient adults. From contemplation of how to balance mental health despite knowing what tribulations are sure to come, to the title poem’s exploration of how traumatic memories can continue to haunt in the most unexpected situations, Swain offers a look at the diverse experiences that mold women into the tenacious beings they are.
Strangers in Jerusalem
$4.99 – $23.95
by Kerry Olitzky and Inas Younis
After many years, Leila is back in her birthplace, Jerusalem, and she’s on a mission. Before she left for the Holy Land, Leila promised that she’d say a healing prayer for her best friend back home, even though Leila is Muslim and has never prayed in a Christian church. While making her way through the crooked streets in the Old City of Jerusalem, Leila meets Asma and Rachel, two girls also trying to find holy sites of religions that are different from their own. Together, they’ll discover that Jerusalem is perhaps the most special and welcoming place in the world.
Sunset Sonata
by Robert Johnson $15.95
by Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson’s voice resonates like a wise old teacher sharing his simple, worldly wisdom. He speaks about the natural world, the preciousness of life, and about innocence, but also about injustice, loss, human frailties, and the menace of terrorism, withholding nothing.
Like Johnson’s poetry, Virginia’s Northern Neck and the rivers that run through it are abundant with a primitive, yet refined beauty, and being there inspires quiet comfort. More than any other state of mind, this contentedness defines Sunset Sonata.
In spite of global threats, cynicism, loss, and the uncertainty and brevity of life, one can find nourishment and be restored by the words of poets like Robert Johnson who can find beauty and hope in the world.
Super Socks
by Connie Bowman $2.99 – $22.95
written by Connie Bowman
illustrated by Kelly O'Neill
Molly’s little sister, Katie, was born with Down syndrome, but that’s never stopped her from doing anything! She helps with chores, makes new friends, and every morning without fail, she helps Molly pick out the wackiest, mis-matchiest socks she can find to wear to school.
Join Molly and Katie on a journey of kindness, acceptance, and finding the courage to be different, no matter what!
Talking to Sissy
$15.95
Written by Sharon Pago
Every day, three-year-old Oakley talks to the baby girl in his mommy’s stomach. Before Sissy is even born, Oakley is a loving big brother. But when Sissy passes, Oakley learns to keep sharing his love with a baby sister who never comes home with him.
The Adventures of Fuzzy and Buzzy
by Josh Brandstadter $4.99 – $22.95
written by Josh Brandstadter
illustrated by Soraya Bartolome
A hungry bear named Fuzzy and a hardworking bee named Buzzy form an unlikely bond to right a wrong! Working together, the new friends learn that everyone, no matter how big or small, can make a difference in their local ecosystem. This is the first of Fuzzy and Buzzy’s adventures aimed at teaching children and their parents about the responsibility we all share to protect the world we live in.
The Adventures of Fuzzy and Buzzy: Speedy’s Tree and the Disappearing Forest
$15.95 – $26.95
written by Josh Brandstadter
illustrated by Soraya Bartolome Perez
Fresh off their first adventure, Fuzzy and Buzzy are enjoying their forest when something new catches their eyes. An excited visitor introduces them to a new threat, one which they have never seen before. The health and well-being of their home ecosystem is at risk, but with some collaboration and forward thinking, they come up with a solution which will benefit everything from the smallest seeds to the largest trees.
The Aftertime
$7.99 – $25.95
written by L.L.H. Harms
What if you had a weapon—a knife that had the power to heal—as long as it was never used in anger? What if this knife had been handed down for generations in your family, but because of you, it has now been taken? What if you were only twelve years old?
Our story begins in Virginia in the mid-1700s—when English settlers in Virginia claimed Monacan land as their right—and brings us into the twenty-first century. This is a story that spans generations yet begins with the simple friendship between two boys: one Monacan and the other English. The Aftertime asks what is worth fighting for, and how to fight for it. Most importantly, it’s a story about following your moral compass and standing up, sometimes all alone, for what is just.
The Bastard Year
by Richard Lee Zuras $9.99 – $15.00
by Richard Lee Zuras
“It was exactly one year ago today,” my father said, “that the hostages were taken.”
He looked at me as if he wanted me to say something. I figured he was probably wrong about it being a year to the day, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.
“A year is a long time,” he said. “A lot can happen in a year.”
In the company of classic coming-of-age works, Richard Zuras’s debut novel tells the story of a boy’s final year of childhood and a family’s near disintegration. When Zain’s father is fired from the CIA in March of 1980, it creates a tremor that threatens to upend the family’s precarious balance. Zain’s awakening to a world riddled with cracks and his adolescent attempts to mend them are the stuff from which young men, and great stories, are made.
The Bears Who Loved a Panda: A Story of Unconditional Love
$15.95
Written by Olga Wall
Ping, an adorable and curious baby panda, escapes the confines of the Washington Zoo and ventures into the wilds of the Shenandoah Mountains in search of home. But when Ping encounters a group of pandas unlike any he’s ever seen, his adventure takes an unexpected turn. As Ping navigates this new world and a new reality, he’ll need all of his courage to find his place among this strange-looking pack. Will Ping succeed and discover that home is where the bear hugs are?
The Big Buna Bash
by Sara Arnold $2.99 – $22.95
written by Sara Arnold
illustrated by Roberta Malasomma
When Almaz makes a mistake in school, she’s really embarrassed! Other kids tease her because they don’t understand her Ethiopian culture. How can she use her family’s traditions to make friends? She needs to host a BIG BUNA BASH!
The Big Buna Bash (Amharic Edition)
$15.95
written by Sara Arnold
illustrated by Roberta Malasomma
When Almaz makes a mistake in school, she’s really embarrassed! Other kids tease her because they don’t understand her Ethiopian culture. How can she use her family’s traditions to make friends? She needs to host a BIG BUNA BASH!
The Big Buna Bash (Hebrew Edition)
$13.95
written by Sara Arnold
illustrated by Roberta Malasomma
When Almaz makes a mistake in school, she’s really embarrassed! Other kids tease her because they don’t understand her Ethiopian culture. How can she use her family’s traditions to make friends? She needs to host a BIG BUNA BASH!
The Blue Dog and the White Horse: The Best of Friends
$15.95
Written by Haven Lindsey
What happens when Gracie, a small “blue” dog, befriends Max, a big white horse? Despite all outward differences, these two become inseparable! Young Gracie learns to be confident and unafraid, and aging Max learns that he still has purpose. In The Blue Dog and the White Horse: The Best of Friends, you’ll join this unlikely pair on real-life adventures as they build bonds of love and trust while navigating excitement, illness, danger, uncertainty, and even great loss together. In this heartwarming collection of true stories, you’ll find that Gracie, Max, and their community of friends face many of the same emotions and circumstances as people. Their experiences and lessons in courage, compassion, communication, and connection are sure to resonate with children, adults, and families everywhere! (Downloadable activity book included!)
The Chief and I
by Karen Tootelian $15.95
by Karen Tootelian
In the summer of 2002, writer/environmentalist Karen Tootelian began caring for the eighty-nine-year-old Chief of the Mattaponi Tribe, Webster Little Eagle Custalow. What began as her personal journals evolved into a book about their deep friendship and compassion for one another. Told in Ms. Tootelian’s poetic voice, this is also the story of the Mattaponi River, the battle Little Eagle began to save it from a reservoir, and about her own spiritual bond with this river.
The Clothesline Code: The Story of Civil War Spies Lucy Ann and Dabney Walker
$4.99 – $22.95
written by Janet Halfmann and illustrated by Trisha Mason
Lucy Ann and Dabney Walker didn’t have to risk their lives to spy for the Union army. The couple had already risked everything to escape slavery themselves.
But in early 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, the couple was determined to help defeat slavery for everyone—no matter the risk. Together, they created a secret code disguised as laundry on a clothesline. Their plan was incredibly dangerous: it required Lucy Ann to sneak into Confederate territory to steal military secrets, while Dabney took the vital information she gathered to the Union army.
This true story of sacrifice and bravery shows us that when we have courage and compassion for the world around us, even the simplest items can become powerful tools for change.
The Covered Smile: A True Story
by Sonja Lauren $15.00
by Sonja Lauren
A smile is a terrible thing to hide. But a child whose teeth are missing or rotten will hesitate to show her ugly secret. She knows that her smile will elicit ridicule and astonishment, not a smile in return.
Sonja Lauren was one such child. She has written her story of neglect and emotional starvation, of losing all of her teeth by the vulnerable age of thirteen, and of eventually rising above her early tragedy. Through her own determination and the caring assistance of her dental surgeon and other health professionals and friends, Sonja is living life with a smile that she’s proud for the world to see.
Sonja’s story reminds us of the importance of proper oral hygiene for children and graphically presents the ugly ramifications of dental neglect. It gently chastens parents, health professionals, and other concerned adults to reach out to the neglected child.
The Day Sweetie Pie Died
$4.99 – $26.95
By Laurie Sharp
Maggie loves attending school, where she and her friends get to play, collect nature treasures, and ride trikes together. Best of all, Maggie looks forward to hearing the class guinea pig, Sweetie Pie’s, daily greeting of “Whee, Whee, Whee, Whee, Whee, Whee, Wheat!” But today, Ms. Lamms has sad news for the class: Sweetie Pie has died, and they won’t be able to see her anymore. Alongside their grief and worries, Maggie and her classmates devise a plan to show their love for the best guinea pig ever!
The Doodle Tree
$5.99 – $13.95
Written and illustrated by Betty Bott
The Doodle Tree is about a young person exploring the art form of doodling. Sitting in a tree with a pad on their lap, the child feels free to make marks on the paper. They explore different ways to use the pencil to create different types of lines. The child lets their inner self take control of the pencil. There is no concern for making mistakes, no place for perfection, and no judgment. There is a connection between the natural world the child is experiencing and the expressive marks on the child’s paper. The child’s doodles create a tree. On the last page, the reader (age 6-13) is invited to explore their creativity by picking up a pencil to doodle. This book is meant to free the reader of preconceived ideas of doodling and drawing. There are no rules and no limits. Doodling is a visual expression of our inner self that allows our mind to open to new possibilities, to be free of judgment, and to let our imaginations flow in new directions. Doodling is for everyone. Pick up a pencil and discover how doodling can be a freeing, relaxing, and fun journey for you.
The Fourth Branch of Government: We the People
by Jack Trammell, PhD and Guy Terrell, MS, PMP $7.99 – $16.95
by Jack Trammell, PhD and Guy Terrell, MS, PMP
With the explosion of social media and the Internet, practically everyone in America has instant access to the news and a greater ability to follow what is happening anywhere. As a result, we are a culture and a nation that is bombarded with information. However, we are coping poorly with that assault and using an outdated framework for our governance. Many people feel disconnected from the very mechanisms and people who are supposed to represent their interests. The Fourth Branch of Government is about updating the framework of our democracy. It is a movement whose time has come, and one that the Founding Fathers envisioned. This book outlines a roadmap for how change can be facilitated, as well as a rationale for why it is absolutely necessary and urgent. The only way to update our democracy and make it relevant to the 21st century is to call for a Constitutional Convention. In that forum, we can consider changes like eliminating the Electoral College, or implementing e-voting—perhaps even changes leading to a broader and more direct participation in our governance, the Fourth Branch of Government.
The Great Big Ark in the Sky
$2.99 – $21.95
Written by Andrew Ballard and Liz Ballard Hamm
Where do animals go when they leave this world?
After losing their family dog, a little girl and her brother embark on a magical voyage aboard a flying ark to seek the answer to that question.
Come aboard this adventure into the great beyond!
The Great River Disclosure
by Larry Holcombe $16.95
by Larry Holcombe
The elegant Great River Resort along the tranquil banks of the Great Wicomico River has a closely guarded secret. The beautiful resort sits atop a highly classified government facility known only to the President of the United States, a few high-level government and military leaders, and resort owner Bill Russell. Ted Carter, former Navy SEAL and now resort CEO, his fiancée Ruth Bennett and owner Russell find themselves in the cross hairs of a deadly confrontation between the White House and leaders of the military industrial complex. These men of great wealth and power will use whatever means necessary to stop the president from disclosing this sixty-year-old black project, a top secret program that, if revealed, will forever change the lives of every man, woman and child on the planet.
The Honeymoon Corruption
by Richard Lee Zuras-1 $15.00
by Richard Lee Zuras
It’s the early 1960s, and while the Doo-wop era is ending, racial and class prejudice is alive and thriving in the American South. In this unforgiving environment, star-crossed young lovers Althea and Guy are determined to wed—despite the objections of Althea’s disapproving and powerful father.
Undeterred, the couple elopes to the seaside resort town of Wildwood, New Jersey, with two suitcases, a veil, and no plans. Fast running out of cash, they fall in with a local duo: the free-spirited Jeannie and the fast-talking Max Castaldi, who may be able to provide just the break the young couple needs. But as Max introduces Guy to a shadier world that seethes under the boardwalk lights, both Guy and Althea—so full of optimism at first—soon learn that getting on their feet in this town may demand more than they are prepared to give.
Set against a backdrop of the glitzy, glamorous resorts of the Mid-Atlantic coast in its heyday, The Honeymoon Corruption marries hope with fear, desperation with promise, and triumph with tragedy, revealing the seedy underbelly of the East in the Kennedy era—and the true cost of a fairy-tale ending that might not be such a fairy tale after all.
The Incredible Cam Man!
$13.95
Written by Natalie Chase
When you have autism, life is full of challenges. But a little boy named Cameron is here to show you that every challenge is an opportunity to be incredibly amazing!
The Legend of Tooth Hollow
$14.95 – $25.95
Written by Medhaa Banaji
Flora is a sweet little tooth who lives in the magical land of Tooth Hollow, where fairies and soldiers live in harmony to protect teeth from the cavity monsters. But when Flora wakes up one day feeling strange, will the heroes of Tooth Hollow be able to make her feel all better?
The Life of “P”: A Memoir of a Mother and a Nurse
by Lee Rice $15.00
by Lee Rice
The Life of “P” is the memoir of a mother and a nurse—an unsung hero from a small town in Virginia’s historic Northern Neck whose personal struggles, courage and heroic sacrifice should be remembered. With a keen sense of literary and social history, author Lee Rice paints a vivid picture of her nearly nine decades of life that witnessed dramatic global events—from two world wars, the Great Depression, space exploration, to the Iraq war and 9/11.
This story also chronicles the romantic steamboat era, memorable local historic events, a river-based traveling theater, nurses who worked tirelessly for $1.35 per hour and includes vivid descriptions of the natural beauty of the Northern Neck.
Join Lee Rice for a journey through history and a memorable life.
The Little Green Pumpkin
$4.99 – $22.95
Written by Jeff Mayer
Very soon it will be pumpkin patch time,
But the Little Green Pumpkin just won’t leave his vine!
All the other pumpkins in the patch want to be chosen by a child, but not Little Greenie! He’s scared to go to a new place with new people. He wants to stay rooted right where he grew up. But just because change can sometimes be scary, that doesn’t mean it can’t be exciting too!
The Lonely Daffodil
$13.95 – $23.95
Written by Emily Langhorne
One day, when a farmer is planting daffodils at the top of a hill, one of the bulbs slips from the basket, rolls down the hill, and lands at the forest’s edge. While there, the daffodil befriends many different creatures, but he can’t help feeling lonely each night when he hears the other daffodils singing together at the top of the hill. The daffodil longs to join in, but when the other daffodils refuse to let him, he must find a different way to use his voice.
The Perfect Pointe
$4.99 – $22.95
Written by Victoria Coniglio
Poppy loves ballet, and her dad loves to see her dance. When Poppy finds out her class will be performing the Nutcracker, she works harder than ever to get the role of Clara. But Poppy's dad is in the US Army and away on deployment. If Poppy gets the part, will he even be able to attend the performance? Day after day, Poppy rehearses her perfect pointe.
The Phoenix of Upperville
$9.99 – $23.95
by Bradford Moore
When Senator J.A. Burnside is found dead in his penthouse, the police rule it a suicide. However, Detective Arch Williams isn’t convinced, so decides to dig deeper. Meanwhile, Tradd Mashburn, a young attorney, comes across a seemingly run-of-the-mill historic preservation lawsuit coupled with an amicus brief so passionately written that he must meet its author. Burnside’s death and the lawsuit point to a conspiracy so grand and secretive it appears impossible to unravel. Tradd’s and Arch’s respective investigations bring them together unexpectedly, taking them across Virginia and deep into its culture. Together, they grapple with the reverberations of Southern history that linger in our modern times and attempt to uncover the truth behind Burnside’s death and the apparently benign lawsuit.
The Pinch Hitters
$8.99 – $28.95
written by Roger Stevenson
Will Livingston and his best friend, Sugarbread, aren’t about to let the paucities of war deprive them of the adventures of childhood. The Pinch Hitters chronicles one South Carolina family facing the flight of young adults in their call to wartime duty after Pearl Harbor in 1944. When the enlistment of the four military-age siblings leaves their farm in the hands of Granny Jack, the widowed owner, she soldiers on with the help of the resident sharecropping family, an elderly neighbor, and a German prisoner of war farm laborer. With a child’s pragmatism, Will navigates the challenges and joys that arise from planting season. Will’s observations of those who “came to bat” for the young men who left the farm to fight in World War II is an education in integrity and courage, with a love of baseball at its metaphorical core.
The Precariousness of Done
by Tony Houck $5.99 – $15.95
by Tony Houck
Meet Ethan, a bright yet painfully shy former exchange student to Spain. He has returned to Las Rozas during the town’s annual fiestas—complete with carnival, bullfights, street vendors, and pickpockets. Ethan’s “Spanish family” welcomes him into their home despite having their own problems, and he becomes inextricably involved in the personal affairs of two sisters, for better or for worse.
Next meet Thomas, another American living in Spain, whose obsessive-compulsive disorder wreaks havoc on his daily life and keeps him from connecting with his family, and even worse, being with the woman he adores.
Full of Spanish zest, layers of love, and the nuances of mental disorders, this smart and sexy book is sure to evoke joy and sorrow. Find out how these men’s lives mysteriously intertwine in this wonderful novel about culture, family, and the precariousness of “done.”
The Presidents Did What, Again?
$8.99 – $26.95
Written by Wag Harrison
Join our charismatic friend President Millard Fillmore on his second ghostly tour of the past! This time, President Fillmore takes readers beyond the walls of the White House to forgotten places around the world. Discover how ghastly some of the United States’ presidents actually were! Meet presidents at the bottom of the ocean, in the rice paddies of Cambodia, and even in the office of the president of the Confederacy. Along the way, readers will learn important lessons and gain formative insights into history that has long been ignored. Challenge your upper elementary/middle school student to begin engaging in American History!
The Presidents Did What?
$4.99 – $22.95
Written by Wag Harrison
Step right up for a spooky tour of the White House! A long-dead but still charismatic Millard Fillmore will serve as your ghostly guide as you make your way through the Executive Mansion. Learn about the history of each room you visit from ghosts of presidents past—arguably the worst presidents in US history. Discover how they ended up there, cursed for all eternity to haunt the rooms of the White House, and find out why it’s so important for us to learn from their mistakes.
The Private War of William Styron
by Mary Wakefield Buxton $28.95
by Mary Wakefield Buxton
Returning to his childhood home in Virginia for the funeral of his stepmother, Elizabeth Buxton Styron, acclaimed writer William Styron finds himself plunged into boyhood reminiscence. He is “Billy” again, fourteen and heartbroken, with a mother recently passed from cancer and a grieving father who has fallen in love with the head nurse at the local hospital. The impending marriage terrifies Billy, who finds his new stepmother’s strict worldview stifling to his creativity, his joy, and his hopes for the future.
Driven by Elizabeth’s desire for him to become a doctor, Billy is sent to Christchurch boarding school, where he finds himself drawn more to writing than to sport, or anything else deemed appropriate for a man of good Southern breeding. Desperate to build a life on his own terms, the young Styron turns to fantasy and alcohol. He emerges a painfully burdened man, hounded by “the black dog” of depression from which he would never fully escape, and gifted with a foundation of moral sense that would inspire all of his later writing.
This is the story of the war Billy fought against the cruelty of circumstance, for the prize of his own soul and future—before he became Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Styron, gaining international recognition for his novel Sophie’s Choice.
Married into the family at a young age, Mary Wakefield Buxton, “the Ohio bride,” writes of her mentor and cousin’s coming of age with a sympathetic spirit but an objective eye, deftly revealing the complicated psyche of a man tormented by demons of and outside of his own making, and the beauty of the Tidewater region that birthed him.
The Ride of Molly Tynes: A Tale Passed Down
$2.99 – $14.95
Written by Mary Alice Barksdale and Donna Jessie Fogelsong
When Molly Tynes learns of an impending attack on a neighboring town, she mounts her horse without hesitation, risking life and limb to warn and protect her community. Four mountains, rough trails, and wild animals stand between Molly and her journey’s end. Through this legendary tale of a courageous Civil War-era woman, the storytelling tradition of Southwest Virginia lives on.
The Santa Beacon
$4.99 – $5.99
Written by Graham Gardner
It’s Ava’s first Christmas away from home, and she’s excited to spend it with her Grandmart and Pop Pop, and all her fun cousins. But how will Santa know where to find her? Ava knows her younger brothers will be sad if they wake up and there are no presents under the tree, so she sets out to save Christmas. Ava soon learns, though, that Santa has a way of finding every good little boy and girl, simply by following their hearts.
The Sea Hunt
by Anna Burger $20.95
written by Anna Burger and illustrated by Laura Craig
What’s the weirdest sea creature you’ve ever seen?
Did it have fins, or tentacles, or a shell?
Did it wriggle, or skitter, or stay still as a rock?
Did it sting, or cling, or hide?
Join young explorers Jack and Jenny as they hunt for strangeness in the Chesapeake Bay. Together you’ll discover just how weird, wild, and wonderful a saltwater world can be!
The Story of a Star
by Ginny U. Banister
written by Ginny U. Banister
illustrated by Carla Anne Schaaf
The Story of a Star is a simple tale of how a lonely, misfit star finds his true and divine calling. This beautiful story also teaches an important lesson to both the young and old. Although we may feel different and apart from others, we are never alone, and we all have a special purpose in life. Like the star, one of our greatest challenges is to discover that purpose so we can bless others and ourselves.
To order this book at the sale price, please contact us at ceci@brandylanepublishers.com.
The War of Independence Way
$16.95
written by Brian Pinaire
illustrated by Tom Burchell
The War of Independence Way opens with the Reds (the British redcoats), bullies from Crown Township, blasting Massachusetts Avenue boys with paintballs (the Boston Massacre) on the orders of their leader, Georgie King (King George III), the richest kid around and the worst eighth grader in history. Members of Down with Crown, a “secret society,” get revenge by dumping lemonade over Georgie’s head rather than pay “taxes” on their profits. Which works out well . . . except that it starts a war that Independence Way seems to have no chance of winning.
Because the neighborhood needs her, GW (George Washington) reluctantly leads the Independence Warriors. But despite early victories, such as crossing Delaware Creek to humiliate Georgie in his own school, the Warriors, already under-resourced, become completely overwhelmed. GW hatches a plan that is either fantastically brilliant or incredibly stupid: attacking the Reds inside the Taco Bell at York Road and Town Boulevard, while also gathering “sensitive” information on them to make them give up.
Eventually, Georgie surrenders (sort of), but without something to be against, the kids wonder what it is they are for. Will Independence Way remain thirteen separate blocks, or can the neighborhood become “united streets”?
The Wondrous Wizdom of Oz
by Christine Whitehead $2.99 – $15.00
by Christine Whitehead
The Wondrous Wizdom of Oz: A Spiritual Odyssey, is a fresh look at the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz--a classic that has much to teach us about life, about ourselves, and the choices we make. Dorothy and Toto's incredible journey home never grows old. But where exactly is home? Author Christine Whitehead teaches that our own yellow brick road can lead us home to a world of discovery, joy and personal fulfillment. Along this illuminated path, we meet some of the Earth's most enlightened journeymen-from Nelson Mandela to John Lennon, Anne Frank, Elton John, Jesus and Buddha, to the Zen masters. Their words of wisdom, along with Oz, Dorothy, and her companions, remind us that we, too, are wise, courageous and loving, if we only listen to our spirit.
The Woods of Wicomico (1st Ed.)
$2.99 – $15.95
written by Nuala C. Galbari
illustrated by Buttons Boggs
During the hot, lazy days of summer, life in the woods of Wicomico is peaceful. Mukki the muskrat makes herbal teas, Cornelius the crow fruitlessly tries to take a midday nap, and young Timothy Trumble the tortoise marvels at the world around him. But when humans plan to build a new development in their woodland, the community of animals springs into action to save their homes.
Join a host of loveable characters as they work together to stop the destruction of the Wicomico woodland and preserve their way of life. Travel with them on the Chesapeake Bay, where they meet new friends and find a bright world outside the Wicomico woods. After an ample share of excitement, they learn that small animals can make a difference and discover that plenty of wisdom can be found right at home.
Songs, vocabulary, and fun facts about the history and wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay, make The Woods of Wicomico a delightful educational experience for the whole family. This imaginative, richly illustrated, story invites us all to discover, enjoy, and preserve the natural world around us.
The Woods of Wicomico (2nd Ed.)
by Nuala Galbari $9.99 – $30.95
written by Nuala Galbari
illustrated by Button Boggs & Taylor Atkins
During the hot, lazy days of summer, life in the woods of Wicomico is peaceful. Mukki the muskrat makes herbal teas, Cornelius the crow fruitlessly tries to take a midday nap, and young Timothy Trumble the tortoise marvels at the world around him. But when humans plan to build a new development in their woodland, the community of animals springs into action to save their homes.
Join a host of loveable characters as they work together to stop the destruction of the Wicomico woodland and preserve their way of life. Travel with them on the Chesapeake Bay, where they meet new friends and find a bright world outside the Wicomico woods. After an ample share of excitement, they learn that small animals can make a difference and discover that plenty of wisdom can be found right at home.
Songs, vocabulary, and fun facts about the history and wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay make The Woods of Wicomico a delightful educational experience for the whole family. This imaginative, richly illustrated story invites us all to discover, enjoy and preserve the natural world around us.
This Sure Thing
$4.99 – $26.95
written by Sarah Mayfield
illustrated by Dennis Auth
Inspired by real events, This Sure Thing captures a boy’s persistence after the death of his younger brother.
The boy imagines what life would be like if his brother were still alive. Days might be filled with football, laughter, and video games! His brother might discover the trick candles on his birthday cake! Despite all he wonders, the boy knows one thing for sure: his brother is no longer here, but the love he has for him still is. In sharing this unfading love with others, and writing notes to his deceased brother, the boy discovers both meaning and connection on his grief journey.
This Sure Thing, through a heartfelt, first-person narrative, encourages youth to continue to live the love they have for their person no longer here.
Bonus features included in this book:
“30 Ways to Live That Love”—Browse the list of remembrance activities and grief rituals. Pick out ones that feel like a good fit for you and your child. Discover new ways to live the love for your special person!
“Today Notes”— On these blank notes, write a few words (or draw a picture!) to your loved one about how you “live that love.” Capture the love you have for your special person! Save these notes and revisit them when you feel up to it.
Print blank Today Notes and find additional grief resources at livethatlove.org.
Twenty-five percent of author’s proceeds from book sales go to National Alliance for
Children’s Grief and Full Circle Grief Center.
Toby Wears a Tutu
by Lori Starling $4.99 – $22.95
written by Lori Starling
illustrated by Anita DuFalla
It's the first day of school, and Toby is dressed in their best and ready to make new friends! But first, Toby’s new classmates want to know: Is Toby a boy or a girl? Toby isn’t sure how to answer. Toby likes to wear basketball shorts and tutus. Toby plays ninjas and dances ballet. Finally, after a little thought and some encouragement from Mom, Toby has a declaration to make: they can eat, wear, do, or be anything they want! Toby isn’t a boy or a girl—Toby is just Toby!
Turnpike Confidential
$19.95
written by Neal Savage
Richmond, Virginia, fall 1956: World War II veteran Eddie Bostic earns his living as a locksmith. It’s an honest trade and one he takes pride in, something he can’t say about his days as a cop or private eye. After quitting the force and getting blacklisted as an investigator, Eddie is now as far away from all that as possible. The only problem, he’s being evicted from his shop and can’t afford to lease a new place.
When summoned to the downtown offices of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority, he learns it’s not about eviction or a locksmith job. The word is out that Eddie does side jobs as an unlicensed investigator. When the Authority offers him enough cash for a new shop in exchange for some of his side work, Eddie is ambivalent. They’re no friend, and this is no favor. Eddie’s choice will take him down a dark road toward deceit, betrayal, and murder.
Against a post-war Southern backdrop, this journey includes an encounter with a young Martin Luther King, Jr., the keynote speaker at a local conference. Several other scenes are set inside the liminal spaces of Richmond’s Black district, Jackson Ward, before the wrecking ball came calling. Turnpike Confidential is an explosive story of race, history, and injustice in a city that will be changed forever.
Twinings: Poems at Eighty
$6.99 – $14.95
by Julie Fritz
This gathering of poems from Julie Fritz’s lifetime of attention will give readers a chance to travel back in their own memories too, bringing with them the probing questions and insights she has generously shared in this heartfelt collection about a life well-lived.
Two Faces of the Moon: A Small Island Memoir
$7.99 – $16.95
by Carolyn McGrath
Each summer Carolyn McGrath leaves her home and husband to live alone in her log cabin on a small island in Canada. Her only companions are two dogs, abundant wildlife, and the ghost of her father, who died and left the island to her when she was seventeen. During the summer of 2001, she challenges her husband’s claim that her need for solitude renders her strange, recounting stories of many women who have immersed themselves in isolation in order to explore the natural world. McGrath senses that she’s one person while alone on her island, and quite another out in the world. Her island self remains separate from the one who visits her dying mother in a nursing home. While she had always adored her father, taking from him her love for the lake and for the people who’ve made their lives there, she struggles to reconcile those feelings with the way he entered into this wilderness to kill the wild creatures with whom she shares her island home. This leads her to a humbling discovery.
Uncle George and Me
by Bill Sizemore $4.99 – $26.95
by Bill Sizemore
In Uncle George and Me, author Bill Sizemore tells the story of his slave-owning Virginia ancestors, their slaves, and those slaves’ descendants—a story that lay buried by a century of denial and historical amnesia. Its threads run through the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, the struggle for civil rights, and the crippling legacy of slavery that still plagues the nation today. In microcosm, it is the story of Virginia and the South. In telling it, Sizemore hopes to advance an essential, if painful, national conversation about race.
What’s Under That Rock, Papa?
by Dave Bauer $19.95
written by Dave Bauer illustrated by Tia Canonico
When Serea and Kai spend a weekend at their Grammy and Papa’s home, it’s always a time of discovery and fun! Join them as they encounter the wonders of backyard nature, from the microcosm of life under rocks and compost piles, to the joy of learning why thunder sounds scary and rain clouds are black.
With Serea and Kai as their guides, children and adults will be encouraged to join in exploring their own backyards in search of those fascinating moments of discovery fostering inquiry learning and the riches of playing in nature.
When Mayor Doug Wilder Ruled Richmond: Strong-Arm Politics in Virginia’s Capital City
$9.99 – $35.95
written by Linwood Norman
Our nation’s first elected Black governor, L. Douglas Wilder, returned to public service in 2005 as the first popularly elected mayor of Richmond, Virginia in nearly sixty years. Despite his landslide election, voters may have had little idea what they were getting themselves into, as many were ill-prepared for Wilder’s strong style of leadership. He had remarkable success in reducing crime, cutting government spending, and boosting economic vitality, but Wilder’s relationship with City Council and the School Board—and the disagreements that ensued from both sides—tarnished his record as mayor. Author and former press secretary to the mayor, Linwood Norman, skillfully recounts the turmoil of Richmond’s transition to the “strong mayor” model of local government during what was a memorable chapter in Richmond’s rich political history that is still deliberated today, more than fifteen years after Wilder’s charismatic tenure concluded.
When Soldiers Cried: A True Story About Vietnam
by David Shea
by David Shea
By the summer of 1967, the nation’s Selective Service System was fueling the largest military build-up since World War II. Hundreds of thousands of young men, many too young to legally drink and vote, were inducted to wage an ill-fated war in Vietnam. Written as a narrative history, this story is a lasting tribute to those who answered the call and paid the ultimate sacrifice [in the face of improbable odds.]
Based on actual events, this book provides a unique, behind-the-scenes account of [the draft and how the Vietnam War was actually conducted and fought. Although many of the scenes are shockingly vivid and the language is often raw, they have been included to describe] the real conditions the young draftees had to endure. Woven throughout the pages of this book are the tragedies of loss and the instinctive drive to survive and rebuild.
Sadly, many of the men depicted in this book are among the over fifty-eight thousand fallen soldiers whose names are engraved on the hallowed, granite panels of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. Countless more were wounded or suffered from [haunting,] psychological problems, withdrawal, depression and suicide. In many ways, the sacrifices paid by their families were even greater.
To respect the privacy of the surviving families, many of the names in this book have been changed in order to protect their true identities.
To order this book at the sale price, please contact us at ceci@brandylanepublishers.com.
Why Can’t I Just Be Me?: Remove the Masks that Hide You from the World and from Yourself
$17.95 – $28.95
written by Melissa Dawn
illustrated by Liz Lee
Let me ask you. . . . Do you feel like you can drop your masks, speak your truth, and bring your whole self forward with the people around you? Your family, colleagues, partner, friends?
After coaching thousands of people over the past decade, I can confidently say that it is the rare exception for someone to feel truly at ease as themselves—no masks, no personas, no self-protective habits—with everyone around them.
There is always an element of holding back, which drives feelings of isolation and disconnection.
In bringing this book forward, I want to help you identify what is getting in your way, guide you to break the patterns that hold you back, and get you to where you feel at ease dropping the isolating masks you’ve cultivated over the years.
Are you ready to start taking full ownership of yourself and your story? To take the courageous step to reconnect with your whole self, shadow and all?
Why Can’t I Just Be Me? is a guidebook—complete with worksheets, exercises, coaching tips and practical strategies—that will take you on a powerful journey within, illuminating what needs to shift and how to shift it, and giving you the tools to start living your life as the YOU that you are meant to be.
It's time to remove the masks that hide you from the world and yourself!
Wildlife’s Greatest Connection
by Ken Conger
by Ken Conger
Throughout his life, award-winning wildlife photographer Ken Conger has visited dozens of national parks and wildlife refuges, documenting the candid behaviors of wildlife in their natural habitats. Over the course of his long career in wildlife protection and conservation, he's witnessed thousands of interactions between animals of all species—but no type of interaction has been as memorable as that which occurs between mothers and their offspring. Now, he invites you to share in the experience of these fascinating moments from behind his camera lens. Using photographic techniques perfected over his forty years in the field, Conger has brought together a compilation of stunning images celebrating the diversity of the special bond that forms between mothers and their young across the animal kingdom. This collection, which features more than 100 high-quality, full-color photos, will take you from the jungles of Indonesia to the coasts of Patagonia, from the plains of the Maasai Mara to Conger's own 'backyard' of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
To purchase this book at the sale price, please order here.
Wisdom Builds Her House
$8.99 – $18.95
written by Carole Duff
Wisdom Builds Her House is the true story of a woman who comes face-to-face with her past when she reads the journal of her husband’s deceased daughter, a girl she never met. Curiosity leads to self-inquiry and haunting parallels between Carole and Gretchen: inexplicable disruptions from when they were five; mental illness episodes starting at sixteen; troubles in college; rejection in love—secrets hiding in their closets. While building a new house in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, Carole reads the journals, which lead her to uncover the never-spoken truth about the violent crime from her childhood, all resulting in a crisis of faith.
Writing Our Way Out: Memoirs from Jail
by David Coogan $16.95 – $30.95
by David Coogan
Detailing the formative and transformative memories of ten men, Writing Our Way Out is the creative culmination of a writing class that began in the Richmond City Jail in Virginia, and grew into a journey to re-entry. Compiled in a narrative by their teacher, Dr. David Coogan, these stories explore the conditions, traps, and turning points on the path to imprisonment in modern America, as well as the redemptive and rehabilitative power of memoir.
You’re Not Invited!: An Ooey-Gooeys Adventure
$4.99 – $26.95
written by Sylvia Rouss and David Titcher
illustrated by Rick Penn-Kraus
A trio of undesirable Ooey-Gooeys—a wisecracking worm, a swift centipede, and a charming snail— share a yard with Queen Bea, the belle of the insect community, who makes it clear they are not invited to her party. When a “Bigfoot”—a human—arrives with his high-powered gardening tool, the Ooey-Gooeys become unlikely heroes as they use their skills and wits to save their community and worm their way into our hearts.
