Service Alert
Service alert
The issue with selected titles in our collection is being resolved. Corrected files will be available for download on Friday, December 13, and we will be reissuing those titles on CD and digitally on that date.
Title search results
Showing 1 - 20 of 76 items
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Animals and wildlife
Ms. Frizzle's class learns all about spiders.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
Animal stories, General fiction, Animals and wildlife, Nature
The narrative Rainbow Custodians describes the incredible efforts of creatures to rise against the environmental destruction caused since the European… invasion of Australia. The central characters Bert and Bennie Koala rally all manner of wildlife to jolt humans into growing a conscience and acting to save endangered creatures and the environment. Rainbow Custodians is designed to link to school curriculum and focuses on important issues such as indigenous people's relationship to land, creation, spiritual connection to mother earth and custodianship. The text exposes environmental degradation, human apathy towards extinct and endangered species and sustainability. Cultural inclusion, sustainability and right relationship are further topics that can be used to enhance the application of this book. Australian wildlife is proudly paraded throughout to familiarise the reader with our unique and wonderful creatures. Poetry is woven throughout the text to enchant the audience with this tale of perplexing complications, intelligent solutions and climactic inspirational codas. The text assumes a life of its own through the brilliant illustrations of Candice Leathem that adorn the cover and each of the ten chapters. These images are designed to delight viewers, provoke discussion and are superb teaching tools. The intended audience ranges from middle - upper primary to early secondary levels, as the text relates to key concepts explored within educational curriculum, but it also has inherent appeal for an older audience. The issues explored within this book have global appeal and it is hoped that a wider audience may enjoy this text and learn from the experience. Thank you for taking the time to read Rainbow Custodians.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
Adventure stories, Animal stories, General fiction, Animals and wildlife
Balthazar's Crystal is magical and through its power we go on journeys to countries we may know little about and… are asked to think about some big questions; questions like: How do we treat bears, one of our largest mammals? Why are they becoming endangered? Could we use land on our shared planet to make the world a better place for humans and animals? Should large animals such as bears be kept in zoos? These are huge questions and there are no easy or quick answers but they are questions that should at least be asked. To help us think about questions like these we journey with Balthazar (his nickname's Zar), his brother Zachary (or Zach for short) and their young friend Tae to the home of the Royal Clan of Bears from the country of Bhutan, to Far East Russia and to other places in our amazing planet. Through the power of Balthazar's Crystal we also Time Travel to learn some of the history of bears and humans in an effort to gain greater understanding of how humans and large animals interact on a planet that is seeing more and more natural habitats disappearing. Our journey begins when Zach sees a cloud in the exact shape of a bear and when he tells Zar they both have a sense of knowing that awakens in them all sorts of feelings - feelings of excitement, anxiety, hope and also courage and sorrow. Then when a man bumps into Zar and tells him urgently to go to the Crystal Shoppe not far away he realises that an adventure is about to begin for he and his brother. The brothers are joined by their friend Tae and as they enter the Crystal Shoppe they are greeted by the man who had just earlier bumped into Zar. He introduces himself as Ursus and he also introduces his brother Bhu, informing the boys that he is actually a bear who can transform into a human when required. Zar, Zach and Tae are asked by Ursus and Bhu to journey with them on the Path of Remembering to learn more about the history of bear and human interactions and that is when Balthazar's Crystal appears, glimmering and glinting, wielding its magic to lift boys and bear-men into the vortex of air created by its power and into the first stage of the Path of Remembering.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
Christian fiction, General fiction, Animals and wildlife
A wonderfully quirky, heart-breaking, heart-warming and thought-provoking story of a woman's dog who not only talks to her, he talks… to God. Recently widowed Mary Fassler has no choice except to believe Rufus, the miniature schnauzer, who claims to speak to the Divine. The question is: Will Mary follow the dog's advice, and leave everything she knows and loves? Is this at the urging of God? Or is it something else? Will Mary risk it all or ignore the urgings of her own heart?
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Lifestyle
Super Black places the appearance of black superheroes alongside broad and sweeping cultural trends in American politics and pop culture,… which reveals how black superheroes are not disposable pop products, but rather a fascinating racial phenomenon through which futuristic expressions and fantastic visions of black racial identity and symbolic political meaning are presented. Adilifu Nama sees the value—and finds new avenues for exploring racial identity—in black superheroes who are often dismissed as sidekicks, imitators of established white heroes, or are accused of having no role outside of blaxploitation film contexts. Nama examines seminal black comic book superheroes such as Black Panther, Black Lightning, Storm, Luke Cage, Blade, the Falcon, Nubia, and others, some of whom also appear on the small and large screens, as well as how the imaginary black superhero has come to life in the image of President Barack Obama. Super Black explores how black superheroes are a powerful source of racial meaning, narrative, and imagination in American society that express a myriad of racial assumptions, political perspectives, and fantastic (re)imaginings of black identity. The book also demonstrates how these figures overtly represent or implicitly signify social discourse and accepted wisdom concerning notions of racial reciprocity, equality, forgiveness, and ultimately, racial justice.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Animals and wildlife
A grief-stricken young woman takes to the road, joining the sheepdog trial circuit with her faithful border collie in this… moving follow-up novel to Donald McCaig's modern classic, Nop's TrialsAfter her husband and daughter are killed in a car accident, Penny Burkeholder leaves her Shenandoah Valley home with her eighteen-month-old border collie, Hope, the only friend she has left in the world. Together, they make their way across the country in a battered pickup, earning money by doing ranch work and competing in sheepdog trials. One dream keeps the grieving young widow going: to compete at the national finals in Wyoming and turn Hope into a winner. Filled with fascinating detail about sheepdog trials and the uncanny closeness that develops between canine and human team members, Nop's Hope evokes the quiet beauty of the back roads and ranches of the American West and brings to life unforgettable characters, both human and canine, including Hope's sire, Nop.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Erotic fiction, Lifestyle
The classic 1950s novel from the Queen of Lesbian Pulp, Odd Girl Out is the first part of Ann Bannon's Beebo Brinker series.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Humour, Animals and wildlife
Have you ever found yourself pondering your dog's sexual preference? Perhaps the answer lies within these pages.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Animals and wildlife
Donald McCaig's heartwarming and suspenseful novel about a sheepdog's devotion to his master and his job is a modern classic… that James Herriot hailed as "poignant, authentic, and beautiful" On Christmas Day, Virginia livestock farmer Lewis Burkholder and Nop, his black-and-white border collie, go out to feed the sheep. But the holiday is shattered when Nop fails to return home. Stolen by two hardened criminals who see in the young stock dog a $300 payday, Nop suffers abuse and brutality as he courageously adapts to his new life, which holds no shortage of surprises. At the same time, Lewis refuses to believe that his beloved dog is gone for good. His determination to be reunited with Nop--and Nop's own unswerving loyalty--reveals the depth and strength of the bond that can exist between humans and dogs.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Erotic fiction, Lifestyle
The swaggering butches and dolled-up femmes of this 1961 lesbian pulp novel experience the guilt, thrills, and wonder of forbidden… love."She knew why they danced with such gay desperation."A budding butch in the Brylcreem era, Lorraine "Lon" Harris fantasizes about a South Pacific island full of women, where everyone will be free and accepting, and she'll never have to wear an eyelet blouse again. Spurned by her high school English teacher, Lon turns to a new friend, the brash, purple-haired Violet, who draws Lon into the lesbian underworld of suburban Los Angeles, to the sordid 28 Percent Club, a private bar where those with "contaminated passions" cling to each other. Here, among the swaggering butches and dolled-up femmes, Lon will discover herself. And here she will first lay eyes on brilliant, lovely Mavis, a black jazz pianist and the girlfriend of wealthy Sassy Gregg, whose heavy bracelets may as well be brass knuckles where Lon is concerned.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Erotic fiction, Lifestyle
Her silky black hair. Her low-cut gown. Her sparkling sorority pin. It's autumn rush in the Tri Epsilon house, and… the new pledge, Susan Mitchell-"Mitch" to her friends-trembles as the fastest girl on campus, the lovely Leda Taylor, crosses the room toward her for a dance. Will Leda corrupt Mitch? Or will the strong and silent Mitch draw the queen of Tri Ep into the forbidden world of Lesbian Love?Spring Fire was the first lesbian paperback novel and sold an amazing 1.5 million copies when it first appeared in 1952. It launched an entire genre of lesbian novels, as well as the writing career of Vin Packer, one of the pseudonyms of prolific author Marijane Meaker, whose acclaimed memoir, Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950s, told the story of her own forbidden love. Now available after forty years out of print, Spring Fire is both a vital part of lesbian history and a steamy page-turner.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
Folklore, fables and fairy tales, General fiction, Animals and wildlife
"Brand X and his fellow coyotes . . . are meticulously observed in the desert environment that Ms. Popham seems… to know like her backyard. And so are the people of this fable--old Hallie and Albert . . . and the several varmint-hunters, callous or alcoholic or both. There is a parable of how we might relate to the creatures that share the world with us; and a parable of dreams versus realty; and a parable of home, of known territory with its comparative safety; and a parable of making the best of a world short of everything. The people and the creatures of Ms. Popham's fable are right, they belong, and they mean." --Wallace Stegner "This spare and affecting novel has the precision and the stinging sweetness of a fable. A wonderful book." --Thomas McGuane "Refreshing . . . Life-affirming . . . The first book I've read in a long time that left me with teary eyes at the end."--The San Diego Tribune "Captivating . . . The animals' arduous westward journey down the Colorado River to the Gulf suggests a coyote world view that is subtly sustained by their mysterious ways." --Publishers Weekly "With dramatic urgency and imaginative tenderness, Melinda Popham has given the world a painful, poetic, and delightfully unpredictable story that pulsates with hope and healing meaning." --Al Young, California Poet Laureate Emeritus "Rich with poetic resonance." --Los Angeles Times Book Review "Evoking a rich sense of place and animal behavior, [Popham] lets us see through very different eyes." --The Seattle Times "A daring and visionary tale. [Popham] dares to tell us what a coyote thinks and sees and feels and dreams. . . . A hero of the classic kind--a furry, howling, water-seeking version of the Hero with a Thousand Faces." --James D. Houston "Masterful . . . Astonishing . . . Remarkable . . . Put down the latest technothriller and bask awhile in the descriptive prose of Skywater." --L.A. Life
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Customs and cultures, Lifestyle
When many think of comic books the first thing that comes to mind are caped crusaders and spandex-wearing super-heroes. Perhaps,… inevitably, these images are of white men (and more rarely, women). It was not until the 1970s that African American superheroes such as Luke Cage, Blade, and others emerged. But as this exciting new collection reveals, these superhero comics are only one small component in a wealth of representations of black characters within comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels over the past century. The Blacker the Ink is the first book to explore not only the diverse range of black characters in comics, but also the multitude of ways that black artists, writers, and publishers have made a mark on the industry. Organized thematically into "panels" in tribute to sequential art published in the funny pages of newspapers, the fifteen original essays take us on a journey that reaches from the African American newspaper comics of the 1930s to the Francophone graphic novels of the 2000s. Even as it demonstrates the wide spectrum of images of African Americans in comics and sequential art, the collection also identifies common character types and themes running through everything from the strip The Boondocks to the graphic novel Nat Turner. Though it does not shy away from examining the legacy of racial stereotypes in comics and racial biases in the industry, The Blacker the Ink also offers inspiring stories of trailblazing African American artists and writers. Whether you are a diehard comic book fan or a casual reader of the funny pages, these essays will give you a new appreciation for how black characters and creators have brought a vibrant splash of color to the world of comics.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
Historical fiction, General fiction, Animals and wildlife
Bird-watchers will love this journey back to the 1880s West Coast when vast populations of wild birds still filled the… skies in annual migrations. But the birds were imperiled by plume hunters intent on personal fortune. This story of violence, love, and loss portrays the advent of the Audubon Society.A moving story of conflict, friendship, and love, The Plume Hunter follows the life of Fin McFaddin, a late-nineteenth century Oregon outdoorsman who takes to plume hunting - killing birds to collect feathers for women's hats - to support his widowed mother. In 1885, more than five million birds were killed in the United States for the millinery industry, prompting the formation of the Audubon Society. The novel brings to life an era of our country's natural history seldom explored in fiction, and follows Fin's relationships with his lifelong friends as they struggle to adapt to society's changing mores.Renée Thompson writes about wildlife, her love of birds, and the people who inhabit the American West. Her first novel, The Bridge at Valentine, received high praise from Pulitzer Prize-winner Larry McMurtry, author of Lonesome Dove. Renée lives in Northern California with her husband, Steve, and is at work on a short-story collection.The Plume Hunter won the 2012 da Vinci Eye Award, presented by the Eric Hoffer Award for Books, for its superior cover art."I really enjoyed this book. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of a bird hunter and the complex social, economic and personal issues swirling around the birth of the conservation movement." --David Sibley, author of THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS"...Renée Thompson's gripping novel transports the reader to a time when our nation was trying its best to grow up, yet seemed mired in its own awkward "teen" years...I read this book in one sitting, finding it no easier to put down than Fin did his hunting guns." -- Bill Thompson III, Editor, Bird Watcher's Digest"...Renée Thompson brings us to a place of semi-darkness, with its confused emotions, and allows us to witness the "Hunter" changing from within. This is a story of process and a quest to redeem. I love it." - Fr. Tom Pincelli, Former Chairman, American Birding Association"...A compelling chronicle of avarice, betrayal, and redemption."- Tim Gallagher, author of The Grail Bird
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Lifestyle
From John Reed, author of the controversial Orwell parody,Snowball's Chance,comes a subversive satire of modern culture, the complete lack thereof,… and a lost generation that no one even tried to look for. In the middle of America's heartland, a young boy digs a small hole in the ground. . . which grows into a big hole in the ground. . . which then proceeds to drag the boy, his parents, his dog, and most of their house into a deep void. Then, as abruptly as the hole started growing, it stops. So begins the first in a series of events that takes the beautiful-if-not-brainy Thing on a quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious Hole. Inspired by visions, signs, and an unlimited supply of pink cocktails served by an ever-lurking "Black Rabbit," Thing and her dogged production crew travel around America, encountering Satanists, an Extraterrestrial/Christian cult group, and a surprisingly helpful phone psychic. Their search for answers could very well decide the fate of the world as they know it. But the more Thing learns about the Hole, her shocking connection to it, and the mind-boggling destiny that awaits her, the more she realizes that human civilization isn't all it's cracked up to be -- and that it's just about time to start over.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Erotic fiction, Lifestyle
Designated the "Queen of Lesbian Pulp" for her landmark novels beginning in 1957, Ann Bannon's work defined lesbian fiction for… the pre-Stonewall generation. Following the release of Cleis Press's new editions of Beebo Brinker and Odd Girl Out, Women in the Shadows picks up with Beebo's relationship with Laura waning, as both women become caught in the cultural tumult (gay bar raids, heavy drinking, gay rights advocacy) that anticipates by ten years the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969. New introduction explains the book's evolution, including the role Bannon's divorce played in shaping the lesbian protagonist's outrage.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Fine arts biography, Literature biography, Lifestyle
"Paradoxia reveals that Lunch is at her best when she's at her worst . . . [and] gives voice to… her sometimes scary, frequently funny, always canny, never sentimental siren song."--Barbara Kruger, ArtforumLydia Lunch relays in graphic detail the true psychic repercussions of sexual misadventure. From New York to London to New Orleans, Paradoxia is an uncensored, novelized account of one woman's assault on men. Lydia Lunch was the primary instigator of the No Wave Movement and the focal point of the Cinema of Transgression. A musician, writer, and photographer, she exposes the dark underbelly of passion confronting the lusty demons whose struggle for power and control forever stalk the periphery of our collective obsessions.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, Suspense and thrillers, Lifestyle, United States travel and geography
"John O'Brien was a stunningly talented writer who created poetry from the most squalid materials."--Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights,… Big CityWithin the walls of a foreboding mansion situated in the hills overlooking Los Angeles, the suave Double Felix plays host to an array of beautiful women as well as his unlikely sidekick William. The mysterious patriarch grants his live-in guests' every wish while asking nothing in return. Days begin with William and Double Felix discussing their conquests with the ladies over morning Vodka, a ritual that is nonetheless edged in homoerotic tension. From there the drinking continues, only to be interrupted by some miscellany--perhaps a rerun of The Love Boat or some casual sex.But the ongoing torpor has been upset by the house's newest arrival, a stunning young woman named Laurie, with whom both Double Felix and William become hopelessly smitten. Trash-talking Maggie and Zipper, the hooker who flew in on a trick and never left, smolder with envy while Laurie garners more and more attention from the men.As tensions spiral out of control, the house--an almost anthropomorphic entity in itself--ejects some of its denizens while further ensnaring others. Eventually, each faces the same ultimatum: leave or stay. The decision is fraught with consequence.Better delves deep into the psyche of its subjects through an intricate web of cultural icons, loyalty, covert communications, and sex. John O'Brien's characters loom in and out of a surreal world that seems to float high above the rest of us, but is in fact firmly tethered to the human condition.John O'Brien was born in 1960 and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to Los Angeles in 1982 with his then-wife Lisa. During his lifetime, he was a busboy, file clerk, and coffee roaster, but writing was his true calling. He committed suicide in April 1994 at age thirty-three. His published fiction includes Leaving Las Vegas, The Assault on Tony's, and Stripper Lessons.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
Folklore, fables and fairy tales, General fiction, Animals and wildlife, Environment
"An amazing feat of imagination." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Invisible Beasts is a strange and beautiful meditation on love and seeing,… a hybrid of fantasy and field guide, novel and essay, treatise and fable. With one hand it offers a sad commentary on environmental degradation, while with the other it presents a bright, whimsical, and funny exploration of what it means to be human. It's wonderfully written, crazily imagined, and absolutely original." -ANTHONY DOERR, author of All the Light We Cannot See and The Shell CollectorSophie is an amateur naturalist with a rare genetic gift: the ability to see a marvelous kingdom of invisible, sentient creatures that share a vital relationship with humankind. To record her observations, Sophie creates a personal bestiary and, as she relates the strange abilities of these endangered beings, her tales become extraordinary meditations on love, sex, evolution, extinction, truth, and self-knowledge.In the tradition of E.O. Wilson's Anthill, Invisible Beasts is inspiring, philosophical, and richly detailed fiction grounded by scientific fact and a profound insight into nature. The fantastic creations within its pages-an ancient animal that uses natural cold fusion for energy, a species of vampire bat that can hear when their human host is lying, a continent-sized sponge living under the ice of Antarctica-illuminate the role that all living creatures play in the environment and remind us of what we stand to lose if we fail to recognize our entwined destinies.Sharona Muir is the author of The Book of Telling: Tracing the Secrets of My Father's Lives. The recipient of a Hodder Fellowship and National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, her writing has appeared in Granta, Orion magazine, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. She is a Professor of Creative Writing and English at Bowling Green State University. Invisible Beasts is her first novel.
Electronic braille (Contracted), Braille (Contracted), DAISY text (Direct to player), DAISY text (Zip), ePub (Zip), Word (Zip), DAISY Audio (CD), DAISY Audio (Direct to Player), DAISY Audio (Zip)
General fiction, History, Lifestyle
Seventy-five years after he came to life, Superman remains one of America's most adored and enduring heroes. Now Larry Tye,… the prize-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Satchel, has written the first full-fledged history not just of the Man of Steel but of the creators, designers, owners, and performers who made him the icon he is today. Legions of fans from Boston to Buenos Aires can recite the story of the child born Kal-El, scion of the doomed planet Krypton, who was rocketed to Earth as an infant, raised by humble Kansas farmers, and rechristened Clark Kent. Known to law-abiders and evildoers alike as Superman, he was destined to become the invincible champion of all that is good and just--and a star in every medium from comic books and comic strips to radio, TV, and film. But behind the high-flying legend lies a true-to-life saga every bit as compelling, one that begins not in the far reaches of outer space but in the middle of America's heartland. During the depths of the Great Depression, Jerry Siegel was a shy, awkward teenager in Cleveland. Raised on adventure tales and robbed of his father at a young age, Jerry dreamed of a hero for a boy and a world that desperately needed one. Together with neighborhood chum and kindred spirit Joe Shuster, young Siegel conjured a human-sized god who was everything his creators yearned to be: handsome, stalwart, and brave, able to protect the innocent, punish the wicked, save the day, and win the girl. It was on Superman's muscle-bound back that the comic book and the very idea of the superhero took flight. Tye chronicles the adventures of the men and women who kept Siegel and Shuster's "Man of Tomorrow" aloft and vitally alive through seven decades and counting. Here are the savvy publishers and visionary writers and artists of comics' Golden Age who ushered the red-and-blue-clad titan through changing eras and evolving incarnations; and the actors--including George Reeves and Christopher Reeve--who brought the Man of Steel to life on screen, only to succumb themselves to all-too-human tragedy in the mortal world. Here too is the poignant and compelling history of Siegel and Shuster's lifelong struggle for the recognition and rewards rightly due to the architects of a genuine cultural phenomenon. From two-fisted crimebuster to über-patriot, social crusader to spiritual savior, Superman--perhaps like no other mythical character before or since--has evolved in a way that offers a Rorschach test of his times and our aspirations. In this deftly realized appreciation, Larry Tye reveals a portrait of America over seventy years through the lens of that otherworldly hero who continues to embody our best selves.