Showing all 59 results
A Rebellious Woman
by Claire J. Griffin $9.99 – $34.95Price range: $9.99 through $34.95
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 $2.99 – $22.95Price range: $2.99 through $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 $4.99 – $22.95Price range: $4.99 through $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 $4.99 – $12.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.
Blossom, The Art of Sacred Dying
$9.99 – $24.95Price range: $9.99 through $24.95
Written by Regina Gerstman
Dr. Regina Gerstman holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and taught Human Development for nine years. She is also a licensed clinical social worker who has focused on people in midlife and late life for thirty years, after more than twenty years of working in outpatient mental health. Although Blossom was the first person she spent time with while dying, she more directly participated in the care-taking of first her husband and then her mother over the next ten years when they became ill and passed away. Blossom considered Dr. Gerstman to be a scholar and included her in her inner circle ten months before her death.
Bone Necklace
$4.99 – $28.95Price range: $4.99 through $28.95
written by Julia Sullivan
In the summer of 1877, the bedraggled remains of the Nez Perce tribe took on the U.S. Army and, despite being badly outnumbered and outgunned, emerged victorious. Inspired by true events, Bone Necklace captures the intensity, violence, and unexpected conclusion of America’s final “Indian War,” told from the perspectives of a Nez Perce warrior, an Idaho militiaman, and an English painter who gets caught up in the violence. Combining heart-thumping action with an unforgettable cast, the novel centers on the relationship between two fighters, who are both enemies and allies in this war.
Bone Necklace is a tale of survival in which the Nez Perce not only overcome staggering odds but also win the grudging respect of a war-weary nation. While deeply rooted in American history, this remarkable story continues to resonate, illuminating modern debates around institutional racism, journalistic bias, and the call for courage in times of moral crisis.
Brothers and Strangers: A German-Iraqi Memoir
$8.99 – $19.95Price range: $8.99 through $19.95
written by Junis Sultan
Born in Mosul, Iraq, to a wealthy intercultural family, Junis Sultan’s happy, privileged childhood is abruptly cut short by the start of the Gulf War in 1991. With their home destroyed, Junis’s family flees to Germany, settling in a small conservative town near Frankfurt. As his family struggles to adapt to their new circumstances, Junis finds himself increasingly torn between two worlds—fighting to carve out an identity for himself between his family’s expectations and a culture that demands his assimilation. After the 9/11 terror attacks, Junis begins to keep a diary, in which he reflects on questions of family, friendship, religion, and politics. These deep insights gradually expand beyond cultural borders, as Junis begins to explore the universal human needs for bonding and freedom.
Brothers and Strangers is a unique, heartfelt memoir of endurance, forgiveness, and self-actualization, offering a timely message about the importance of acting with openness and love in a global reality.
Bubble Duck and Bubble Duck Does Hockey (2nd Ed.)
by Teresa Pistole $2.99 – $13.95Price range: $2.99 through $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 $4.99 – $22.95Price range: $4.99 through $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 $3.99 – $13.95Price range: $3.99 through $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 $2.99 – $21.95Price range: $2.99 through $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!
Grandma’s Window
$2.99 – $22.95Price range: $2.99 through $22.95
written by Janet Halfmann
illustrated by Christy Tortland
Every day on the bus to school, new student Mateo stares out the window, wishing he had a friend to talk to . . . until one morning, when he spots something surprising in an apartment window—an older woman is smiling and waving to the bus!
For the next few weeks, Mateo and his classmates wave to the nice lady they lovingly nickname “Grandma,” and she always waves back. But one day, Grandma is missing from her window, and she’s not there the next day, either. Mateo and his classmates must work together to find Grandma and make sure she’s safe and happy.
Grandma’s Window is a story of friendship and kindness that shows us that, no matter how young or old you are, the best way to bring joy into your life is to give it to others.
Half on Tuesdays
by Amy E. Whitman $2.99 – $16.95Price range: $2.99 through $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 $4.99 – $28.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.
I Taught Benjamin Franklin How to Drive
$7.99 – $15.95Price range: $7.99 through $15.95
written by Ann K. Morris
Life for twelve-year-old Luke Adams is tough, and it’s about to get weird, too. His mother died when he was ten, his dad is a workaholic, and Benjamin Franklin just traveled to his backyard from 1783 Paris. Now that Ben is standing in his living room – wearing tights, short pants, and a ruffly white shirt, no less – Luke has to find a way to get him back to Paris in time to sign the treaty that ends the American Revolution. Oh, and he teaches Ben how to drive!
IKIGAI: Life’s Purpose
$4.99 – $23.95Price range: $4.99 through $23.95
written by Chiemi Souen
illustrated by Flor Kaneshiro
Inspired by a true story, a young boy overcomes self-doubt to realize his dream of sharing the traditional Okinawan art of uta-sanshin with the world.
Labyrinth of Terror
by Richard P. Wenzel $4.99 – $16.00Price range: $4.99 through $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 $4.99 – $28.95Price range: $4.99 through $28.95
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 $5.99 – $16.00Price range: $5.99 through $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.
Morning on Solomons
$5.99 – $11.95Price range: $5.99 through $11.95
written by John "Sonny" Robinson
“In this book are gathered short stories relating my recollections of true events from my early years.”
So begins Sonny Robinson’s touching and personal collection of tales from his childhood and young adulthood on Solomons Island, a pipe-shaped piece of land located near the mouth of the Patuxent River where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Filled with tales of survival and innovation, tragedy and triumph, holiday celebrations and simple vignettes of everyday island life, this collection offers a unique glimpse into a bygone era, while giving hope and encouragement to the next generation to inherit the Bay.
My Dance with Grace: Reflections on Death and Life
by Weldon Bradshaw $8.99 – $15.00Price range: $8.99 through $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.
My Family Tree Has Roots
$4.99 – $22.95Price range: $4.99 through $22.95
written by Tina Mowrey
illustrated by Vineet Siddhartha
When Jasmyn’s teacher assigns a family tree project to the class, Jasmyn can’t help but feel uneasy. She loves her family, but she’s not sure how everyone fits together. Jasmyn is especially unsure about where to place her birth parents. To complete her project, Jasmyn must look at her tree in a different way.
Nine Lives: My Risky Road from Fifties Rebel to Feminist Critic
$7.99 – $33.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 – $17.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 – $30.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 – $25.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.
Orphaned Heritage : The East Coast’s Disappearing History
$9.99 – $18.95Price range: $9.99 through $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.
Pollyanna Gay
$12.99 – $23.95Price range: $12.99 through $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. . . .
Richmond’s Unhealed History
by Ben Campbell $5.99 – $30.95Price range: $5.99 through $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 – $16.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 $4.99 – $22.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.
Shroud of Ice
$7.99 – $18.95Price range: $7.99 through $18.95
Written by Sharon Krasny
Guided only by the stars and the memory of Mara’s eyes, Ankwar’s village pariah Gaspare forges paths over desolate mountains and raging rapids to find his way back to his village. If he loses his focus or abandons his nerve, he will never know the freedom and power of being Ankwar’s destined redeemer. Yet if he succeeds, Gaspare risks losing forever his chance at happiness with the one whose eyes haunt him and lead him home. Gaspare’s greatest fear becomes his looming reality as he claims his calling and risks losing Mara once again. Based on the real life of Ötzi the Iceman, murdered over 5,000 years ago, the historical fiction Shroud of Ice searches for answers to the haunting echoes of will we ever be enough. Gaspare in the role of Ötzi is a call to stand one last time against the darkness because not all who are dead are silent.
Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai
$9.99 – $35.95Price range: $9.99 through $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 – $25.95Price range: $6.99 through $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 – $32.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 – $19.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.
Six Revolutionary WOW Factor Women
$8.99 – $13.95Price range: $8.99 through $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 – $16.95Price range: $8.99 through $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!
Strangers in Jerusalem
$4.99 – $23.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.
Super Socks
by Connie Bowman $2.99 – $22.95Price range: $2.99 through $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 Adventures of Fuzzy and Buzzy
by Josh Brandstadter $4.99 – $22.95Price range: $4.99 through $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 Aftertime
$7.99 – $25.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 – $15.00Price range: $9.99 through $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 $2.99 – $22.95Price range: $2.99 through $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
$4.99 – $22.95Price range: $4.99 through $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 Fourth Branch of Government: We the People
by Jack Trammell, PhD and Guy Terrell, MS, PMP $7.99 – $16.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 Phoenix of Upperville
$9.99 – $23.95Price range: $9.99 through $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 – $28.95Price range: $8.99 through $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 – $15.95Price range: $5.99 through $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 $2.99 – $15.00Price range: $2.99 through $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 – $15.95Price range: $2.99 through $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 – $30.95Price range: $9.99 through $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 $4.99 – $22.95Price range: $4.99 through $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!
Twinings: Poems at Eighty
$6.99 – $14.95Price range: $6.99 through $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 – $16.95Price range: $7.99 through $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 – $26.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.
When Mayor Doug Wilder Ruled Richmond: Strong-Arm Politics in Virginia’s Capital City
$9.99 – $35.95Price range: $9.99 through $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.
Wisdom Builds Her House
$8.99 – $18.95Price range: $8.99 through $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.
You’re Not Invited!: An Ooey-Gooeys Adventure
$4.99 – $26.95Price range: $4.99 through $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.