Showing all 31 results
A Rebellious Woman
by Claire J. Griffin $20.95
by Claire J. Griffin
A Rebellious Woman is based on the life story of Belle Boyd (1844-1900), whose coming of age coincided with the opening shots of the Civil War. Debutante, teenaged spy, seductress, actress, divorcee, cross-dresser, and self-promoter, she carried a pistol and wasn’t afraid to use it. In a century when a woman was meant to be nothing more than a well-behaved wife and mother, Belle Boyd stands out as a scandalous woman of history defying all the rules.
A Tree For A Year
by Ellen Dutton $12.95 – $22.95
written by Ellen Dutton
illustrated by Emily Hurst Pritchett
The forest is a beautiful place, full of many different animals, tall trees, and a crystal-clear river. But when Man appears, he cuts down trees and scatters litter on the ground. Soon, the animals and their home threatened and decide they must come up with a plan to change Man’s ways. How can the animals show Man the true beauty and importance of their home? To understand the forest, Man must become a part of it. With Mother Nature’s help, Man is transformed in ways he never thought possible. But will a change in Man’s ways take root?
Back Home
by Shaista Fatehali $13.95 – $22.95
written by Shaista Fatehali
illustrated by Michelle Simpson
Today is Asha’s first day of school in her new country. Everything seems so different. She can’t even understand what the teacher is saying! But with a little help from her classmates, Asha soon learns that things in her new school might not be so different from back home after all.
Birds at the Post Office
by Richard Zuras $12.95
by Richard Zuras
These poems illuminate a life of family—a life of love and loss: jobs worked, kids born and raised, love’s passions and ebbs, failures and successes, the big moments and the small, the dreams and the nightmares.
Bubble Duck and Bubble Duck Does Hockey (2nd Ed.)
by Teresa Pistole $13.95
written by Teresa Pistole
illustrated by Alex Pistole
Meet Bubble Duck! Join Bubble Duck on his first adventure as he learns not to litter, plays ice hockey, and makes new friends!
Collette in Kindergarten
by Collette Divitto $13.95 – $22.95
written by Collette Divitto
illustrated by Katie Mazeika
When Collette, a young girl with Down syndrome, begins her first year of school, her bubbly personality helps her make friends right away. Soon, Collette notices these new friends are not inviting her to playdates—but it’s not because they don’t want to invite her. Collette comes up with a great idea to show her classmates’ parents a new way of thinking.
Based on the real-life experiences of entrepreneur and activist Collette Divitto, Collette in Kindergarten shows us how important it is to practice acceptance throughout our lives, just as children do so freely every day.
Danger on My Doorstep: The Anita Flora Powitzer Story
by Linda Schubert $13.95
by Linda Schubert
Berlin had been safe for Anita Powitzer for as long as she could remember. But when Hitler came to power, everything changed. Now policemen harmed instead of helped, and Anita couldn’t even talk to her best friend. Flung from her secure childhood into a fearful world, she and her family had to find a way to flee Berlin before it was too late. It was risky, and Anita had to be separated from her loved ones, but this was the only way out. Alone in a country with a language she didn’t understand, staying with people she had never met, Anita had to wait and hope her parents could join her. Would she and her family be safe?
A journey fraught with danger from Germany to Great Britain, and finally to America, this is the true story of one Jewish family’s escape from Nazi Berlin.
Everybody Can Dance!
by Kara Navolio $13.95 – $21.95
written by Kara Navolio
illustrated by Ruth-Mary Smith
The music starts. You feel the beat.
You clap your hands and tap your feet.
Everybody twist and twirl!
Everybody can dance!
This colorful picture book uses rhyme and rhythm to celebrate the joy of dancing, teaching kids that no matter your culture, physical ability, or style, everybody can dance!
Half on Tuesdays
by Amy E. Whitman $16.95
by Amy E. Whitman
A soldier skilled in silent warfare has invaded my mother's body. He has marched his way up the spiral staircase, leading him to the top of her head. This is where he has set up camp. Slowly and faithfully, he has built a prison around her brain . . . Alzheimer's is an enemy of mine. And it is destroying my world!
At first, Summer doesn’t want to use the journal her mother gave her for her birthday. Soon she realizes that boyfriend issues, girl drama, and school worries can be worked through by writing them down. When Summer’s mom is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, the journal becomes Summer’s loyal confidant and trusted adviser. Pouring her heart into her cherished gift as her world falls apart around her, perhaps Summer will find a new way to connect with the mother she loves so much.
Honor Held Dear
by Alan Eschbach $16.95 – $28.95
by Alan Eschbach
What motivates people to follow the lead of another person—to sometimes suppress their own fears, desires, and needs and to adopt a leader’s vision as their own? It’s a question that anyone in, or who aspires to, a leadership position should ask.
In this uplifting and often humorous account, Captain Alan Eschbach, USN (Ret) reflects on his life experiences and how he used them to create his own code of leadership, behavior, and ethics. Using snapshots of his early life in the tiny village of Rawlinsville, Pennsylvania and recollections from the navy, from SEAL training to captaincy of the guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, Alan shares his insights into what can be gained by working without compensation, the pain and joy of leaving the comfort of home and community, and the value of repeatedly testing one’s physical and mental limits. Most importantly, this book is an account of how an unwavering commitment to personal honor and integrity, and an even greater devotion to serving others can lead to positive change.
Honor Held Dear: My View from the Bridge Wing is a portrait of leadership as a calling. Moreover, it’s a challenge to leaders everywhere to take stock of their leadership styles as a measure of their understanding of sacrifice and duty.
Last, it is Alan’s way of saying thank you—to the community and people who shaped and inspired him, and to everyone who granted him the great privilege and profound honor of leadership.
Labyrinth of Terror
by Richard P. Wenzel $16.00
by Richard P. Wenzel
Terror reigns when a string of post-op infections erupts in the sanitized halls of King’s College Hospital in London. A trio of experts—Microbiology Professor Chris Rose, Jake Evans, an American infectious disease specialist, and Elizabeth Foster, a senior agent with M15—soon realize that the offending organism is a weapon in a worldwide terrorist plot. The terrorists turn their focus on an upcoming medical-legal conference, hoping to infect hundreds and subsequently ravage the global community, as well as those very doctors who might be able to find a cure.
Author and physician Richard Wenzel takes us on a riveting, winding journey through Europe and the Middle East, unravels the science of infections, and opens a revealing window on the complex politics of medicine.
Lifeline 65: How Small Connections and Big Enthusiasm Can Change Education
by Ryan Stein and Jennifer Costa Berdux $15.95
by Ryan T. Stein and Jennifer Costa Berdux
After fifteen years as an award-winning educator, Ryan Stein knows this: when you make the school experience about fostering genuine human connection, students don’t just succeed—they thrive.
In this part-guidebook, part-memoir, Ryan shares the best ideas and stories from his groundbreaking educational philosophy with anyone seeking to make a positive difference in a student’s life. Lifeline 65 is as joyful as it is useful, packed full of wit, humor, and heart. Try even one strategy and you’ll find your students more engaged, confident, and eager to excel, from elementary school to college and beyond. All you have to do is begin.
Making Manna
by Eric Lotke $16.00
by Eric Lotke
Libby Thompson is just fourteen years old when she flees her abusive home with her newborn son, Angel. Now they must build a life for themselves on hard work and low wages, dealing with police who are sometimes helpful—but not always—and a drug dealer who is full of surprises. As Angel gets older, he begins asking questions about his family, and Libby’s tenuous peace threatens to crumble. Can a son without a father and a young woman without a past make something beautiful out of a lifetime of secrets? Making Manna explores the depths of betrayal, and the human capacity to love, forgive, and flourish in the face of heartbreaking odds.
My Dance with Grace: Reflections on Death and Life
by Weldon Bradshaw $15.00
by Weldon Bradshaw
Late in 2009, Weldon Bradshaw was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, an incurable, autoimmune liver condition. Over the next two and a half years, as the disease progressed slowly and his liver and health deteriorated, his prognosis grew bleak. By November of 2012, his doctor informed him that if he didn’t receive a transplant, he’d be dead within the week.
Through it all, Weldon remained steadfast to the promise he’d made his family at the outset of his illness: he would be there to dance at his granddaughter’s wedding.
A high school cross country coach and lifelong athlete, Weldon was accustomed to tests of endurance, spirit, and drive. But nothing could have prepared him for this—the race of his life. It would be a race against time and chance and hopelessness in the face of devastating odds. It would be a race for a miracle.
Once Upon a Fable
by Mariah Robinson $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.
Richmond’s Unhealed History
by Ben Campbell $15.95
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 $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.
Seasons for Stones
by Nikki Bergstresser $13.95 – $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.
Simone LaFray and the Chocolatiers’ Ball
by SP O’Farrell $14.95 – $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.
Sister Cities: A Story of Friendship Between Virginia and Mali
by Ana Edwards and Robin Poulton $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.
Super Socks
by Connie Bowman $12.95 – $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!
The Bastard Year
by Richard Lee Zuras $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 Big Buna Bash
by Sara Arnold $13.95 – $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 Clothesline Code: The Story of Civil War Spies Lucy Ann and Dabney Walker
$12.95
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 Defenders: Bully Patrol
by William & Monika Carter $11.95
written by William & Monika Carter and illustrated by Tad Butler
It’s the first day of a new school year, and Tommy’s little brother Matthew is just starting kindergarten. Tommy can’t wait to show him the ropes. But when some older kids start picking on Matthew, Tommy knows Matthew needs more than a big brother: he needs a defender. Somebody has to stand up to the school bullies once and for all.
The Defenders: Bully Patrol is the first installment in The Defenders book series. It models a peaceful approach to bully intervention and looking out for others that children, caregivers, and teachers can employ in daily life.
The Fourth Branch of Government: We the People
by Jack Trammell, PhD and Guy Terrell, MS, PMP $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 Precariousness of Done
by Tony Houck $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 Wondrous Wizdom of Oz
by Christine Whitehead $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 (2nd Ed.)
by Nuala Galbari $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.
Toby Wears a Tutu
by Lori Starling $13.95 – $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!
Uncle George and Me
by Bill Sizemore $18.95
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.