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A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival
By Melissa Fleming. 2017
"Urgently required reading." —People"Deeply affecting... Fleming brings a moral urgency to the narrative." —The New Yorker"Fleming deftly illustrates the pain…
of those who choose to leave Syria...and her book is ultimately a story of hope." —NewsweekThe stunning story of a young woman, an international crisis, and the triumph of the human spirit.Adrift in a frigid sea, no land in sight, just debris from the ship's wreckage and floating corpses all around, nineteen-year-old Doaa Al Zamel stays afloat on a small inflatable ring and clutches two little girls—barely toddlers—to her body. The children had been thrust into Doaa's arms by their drowning relatives, all refugees who boarded a dangerously overcrowded ship bound for Italy and a new life. For days as Doaa drifts, she prays for rescue and sings to the babies in her arms. She must stay alive for them. She must not lose hope.A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea chronicles the life of Doaa, a Syrian girl whose life was upended in 2011 by the onset of her country's brutal civil war. Doaa and her fiance, Bassem, decide to flee to Europe to seek safety and an education, but four days after setting sail on a smuggler's dilapidated fishing vessel along with five hundred other refugees, their boat is struck and begins to sink. This is the moment when Doaa's struggle for survival really begins.This emotionally charged, eye-opening true story that represents the millions of unheard voices of refugees who risk everything in a desperate search for the promise of a safe future. In the midst of the most pressing international humanitarian crisis of our time, Melissa Fleming paints a vivid, unforgettable portrait of the triumph of the human spirit.Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
By Erik Larson. 2016
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the…
sinking of the Lusitania&“Both terrifying and enthralling.&”—Entertainment Weekly&“Thrilling, dramatic and powerful.&”—NPR&“Thoroughly engrossing.&”—George R.R. MartinOn May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era&’s great transatlantic &“Greyhounds&”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack. Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger&’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small—hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more—all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history. It is a story that many of us think we know but don&’t, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America at the height of the Progressive Era. Full of glamour and suspense, Dead Wake brings to life a cast of evocative characters, from famed Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat to pioneering female architect Theodate Pope to President Woodrow Wilson, a man lost to grief, dreading the widening war but also captivated by the prospect of new love. Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history.Finalist for the Washington State Book Award • One of the Best Books of the Year: The Washington Post, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Miami Herald, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, LibraryReads, IndigoI Am a Secret Service Agent: My Life Spent Protecting the President
By Dan Emmett, Charles Maynard. 2017
Adapted from Within Arm'’s Length for a younger audience, a rare inside look at the Secret Service from an agent…
who protected Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.Dan Emmett was just eight years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. From that moment forward, he knew he wanted to become a Secret Service agent, one of an elite group of highly trained men and women dedicated to preserving the life of the President of the United States at any cost, including sacrificing their own lives if necessary. Armed with single-minded determination and a never-quit attitude, he did just that. Selected over thousands of other highly qualified applicants to become an agent, he was eventually chosen to be one of the best of the best and provided protection worldwide for Presidents George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush. I Am a Secret Service Agent skillfully describes the duties and challenges of conducting presidential advances, dealing with the media, driving the President in a bullet-proof limousine, running alongside him through the streets of Washington, and flying with him on Air Force One. With fascinating anecdotes, Emmett weaves keen insight into the unique culture and history of the Secret Service with the inner workings of the White House. I Am A Secret Service Agent is a must read for young adults interested in a career in federal law enforcement.War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love
By Rebecca Frankel. 2015
In this special edition of War Dogs, adapted specifically for a younger audience, Rebecca Frankel offers a riveting mix of…
on-the-ground reporting her own hands-on experiences in the military working dog world, and a look at the science of dogs’ special abilities—from their amazing noses and powerful jaws to their enormous sensitivity to the emotions of their human companions. Her narrative gives us insight into the world of dogs in combat and the touching aspect of the relationship between soldiers and their dogs.Frankel explores the long, rich history of dogs in the US military, from the spirit-lifting mascots of the Civil War to the dogs still leading patrols hunting for IEDs today. Frankel not only interviewed handlers who deployed with dogs in wars from Vietnam to Iraq, but top military commanders, K-9 program managers, combat-trained therapists who brought dogs into war zones as part of a preemptive measure to stave off PTSD, and veterinary technicians stationed in Bagram. She makes a passionate case for maintaining a robust war-dog force. In this YA edition, Rebecca Frankel gives further insight into her work as a journalist and how it led her to explore the world of dogs and their handlers. With a compelling cast of humans and animals, this moving book is a must read for all dog lovers.Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of War
By Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, Laura L. Sullivan. 2024
An epic middle-grade memoir about sisterhood and coming-of-age in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. Three Summers…
is the story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of adolescence on their family’s little island in the middle of the Una River. When finally confronted with the harsh truths of the adult world around them, their bond gives them the resilience to discover and hold fast to their true selves.Written with incredible warmth and tenderness, Amra Sabic-El-Rayess takes readers on a journey that will break their hearts and put them back together again.Space on Earth: How Thinking Like an Astronaut Can Help Save the Planet
By Dave Williams. 2023
Really “high” tech to inspire us for sustainable solutions on Earth.Who could imagine an idea born on a space station…
would help sustain our planet? Astronauts, living on the International Space Station, have to protect their resources because their lives depend on it. They learn to conserve water, air, food, energy, and waste.These efforts have in turn lead to amazing and innovative ideas for air quality, food production, and water purification here on Earth.With vivid, energetic illustrations, photographs, and Dr. Dave’s experiments on key topics, readers learn about technological innovations such as waterless toilets and the world’s tallest air purification tower.Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy (Great Episodes)
By Seymour Reit. 1988
Seymour Reit, the creator of Casper the friendly ghost, blends fact with fiction in this captivating tale about one woman…
who dared to go behind enemy lines as a spy for the Union Army. Canadian-born Emma Edmonds loved the thrill of adventure and chasing freedom, so in 1861 when the Civil War began, she enlisted in the Union Army. With cropped hair and men&’s clothing, Emma transformed herself into a peddler, slave, bookkeeper and more, seamlessly gathering information and safely escaping each time. This fictionalized biography about the daring exploits of a cunning master of disguise, risking discovery and death for the sake of freedom, will inspire readers for generations to come.Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
By Brandy Colbert. 2021
A searing new work of nonfiction from award-winning author Brandy Colbert about the history and legacy of one of the…
most deadly and destructive acts of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre. Winner, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In the early morning of June 1, 1921, a white mob marched across the train tracks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and into its predominantly Black Greenwood District—a thriving, affluent neighborhood known as America's Black Wall Street. They brought with them firearms, gasoline, and explosives.In a few short hours, they'd razed thirty-five square blocks to the ground, leaving hundreds dead. The Tulsa Race Massacre is one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in US history. But how did it come to pass? What exactly happened? And why are the events unknown to so many of us today?These are the questions that award-winning author Brandy Colbert seeks to answer in this unflinching nonfiction account of the Tulsa Race Massacre. In examining the tension that was brought to a boil by many factors—white resentment of Black economic and political advancement, the resurgence of white supremacist groups, the tone and perspective of the media, and more—a portrait is drawn of an event singular in its devastation, but not in its kind. It is part of a legacy of white violence that can be traced from our country's earliest days through Reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement in the mid–twentieth century, and the fight for justice and accountability Black Americans still face today.The Tulsa Race Massacre has long failed to fit into the story Americans like to tell themselves about the history of their country. This book, ambitious and intimate in turn, explores the ways in which the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre is the story of America—and by showing us who we are, points to a way forward.YALSA Honor Award for Excellence in NonfictionA Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
By Claire Hartfield. 2018
This mesmerizing narrative nonfiction draws on contemporary accounts as it traces the roots of an explosion that had been building…
for decades in race relations, politics, business, and clashes of culture.Coretta Scott King Award winner * Carter G. Woodson Book Award from the National Council for the Social StudiesOn a hot day in July 1919, five black youths went swimming in Lake Michigan, unintentionally floating close to the "white" beach. An angry white man began throwing stones at the boys, striking and killing one.Racial conflict on the beach erupted into days of urban violence that shook the city of Chicago to its foundations. A Few Red Drops is "readable, compelling history," The Horn Book wrote, adding that the book uses "meticulously chosen archival photos, documents, newspaper clippings, and quotes from multiple primary sources."Includes archival photos and prints, source notes, bibliography, and an index.Bloody Times: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Manhunt for Jefferson Davis
By James L. Swanson. 2011
New York Times bestselling author James L. Swanson brings to life the fast-paced, suspense-filled story of Abraham Lincoln's and Jefferson Davis's final journeys through our wounded…
nation following the Civil War. This middle grade nonfiction book is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.This suspense-filled true-crime thriller—the young readers’ adaptation of Swanson’s BloodyCrimes—explores two epic events of the Civil War era: the manhunt to apprehend Confederate president Jefferson Davis in the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the momentous 20-day funeral pageant that brought President Lincoln’s body from Washington, DC to his home in Springfield. Full of fascinating twists and turns, and lavishly illustrated with dozens of rare historical images, Bloody Times captures the riveting stories of these two fallen leaders who changed the course of history. It’s perfect for young readers who enjoy dramatic nonfiction tales from the likes of Steve Sheinkin and Patricia McCormick.This book contains a note from the author, a glossary, a list of important Civil War figures, and a guide to visiting the historic sites mentioned within. A companion to the bestselling and highly acclaimed Chasing Lincoln's Killer.Quiet Hero: The Ira Hayes Story
By S. D. Nelson. 2006
A biography of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six soldiers to raise the United States…
flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, an event immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.Growing up on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona, Ira Hayes was a quiet, shy boy. He never wanted to be the center of attention, and at school, he felt lonely and out of place. By the time Ira was in his late teens, World War II was raging. When the United States called its men to arms, Ira answered by joining the Marine Corps. He believed it was his duty to fight honorably for his country, and with his Marine buddies by his side, Ira finally felt as if he belonged. Eventually they were sent to the tiny Japanese island of Iwo Jima, where a chance event and an extraordinary photograph catapulted Ira to national awareness and transformed his life forever. Filled with all the patriotism and tragedy of wartime and its afteraffects, Quiet Hero is the story of one person's courage in the face of both military and personal battles. It is a poignant tribute to Ira Hayes.Puzzled: A Memoir about Growing Up with OCD
By Pan Cooke. 2024
Growing up with undiagnosed OCD sure isn&’t easy, and here Pan Cooke shares his own experiences with that condition in…
a graphic-novel memoir that is as funny as it is powerfully candid and openhearted.Pan Cooke is ten years old when anxious thoughts begin to take over his brain like pieces of an impossible puzzle. What if he blurts out a swear word while in church? What if he accidentally writes something mean in his classmate&’s get-well card? What if his friend&’s racy photo of a supermodel ends up in his own homework and is discovered by his teacher? More and more, he becomes hijacked by fears that can only be calmed through exhausting, time-consuming rituals.Pan has no way of knowing that this anxiety puzzle and the stressful attempts to solve it are evidence of a condition called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is his story of living with and eventually learning about OCD. Told with endearing honesty and humor, Puzzled shows the reader the importance of empathy for oneself and those going through something they don&’t yet understand.How Do I Draw These Memories?: An Illustrated Memoir
By Jonell Joshua. 2023
Jonell Joshua spent her childhood shuttling back and forth between Savannah and New Jersey – living in grandparents’ homes during…
the times her mother, struggling with mental illness, needed support to raise her and her brothers. Together the family found a way to keep going even in the darkest of times. How Do I Draw These Memories? is an illustrated memoir about nostalgia, faith, the preciousness of life, and unconditional love. From Jonell’s devastatingly brilliant pen as a writer and an artist, it plumbs the depths of what family can be – and how joy and hope can be found in the most ordinary and extraordinary moments. P R A I S E "Ingenious… a vulnerable, revealing homage to family." —Booklist "Despite the difficulties confronting Jonell’s family, this memoir is uplifting and amazingly positive, in some ways celebrating the ordinariness of life as well as the power of unconditional love (which I hope) most experience. Readers are likely to recognize something of their own lives in this memoir." —Reading RocketsBrilliant Questions About Growing Up: Simple Answers About Bodies and Boundaries
By Amy Forbes-Robertson, Alex Fryer. 2020
A simple and modern guide to bodies and boundaries!Amy and Alex have toured over 200 schools delivering inclusive sex and…
relationship lessons.They've taken the toughest and most common questions about puberty from THOUSANDS of UK children and answered them in this simple and empathetic guide to growing up. From questions about puberty, consent and boundaries to navigating the online world and sexuality, Brilliant Questions About Growing Up is an easy-to-follow toolkit about what 'normal' really means when it comes to growing up (spoiler, it looks different for all of us).This reassuring read is ideal for 7-11 year olds and offers a non-judgemental approach to all of those difficult, funny and (sometimes) embarrassing questions in a way that facilitates honest and comfortable conversations with children.'The authors navigated this difficult to explain and sometimes difficult to understand area with great empathy and simplicity . . . I think this is a great book and I'll continue to use it as a parent, sharing it with my kids as we try and understand the world of growing up together.' Dan Sumpton, social worker and NHS psychological therapist - Sonshine MagazineBlack Joy
By Various. 2021
Black joy is . . .The babble and buzz of the barber shop.Chicken and chips after school with your girls.Stepping…
foot in your mother country for the very first time.Feeling at one with nature.Learning to cook souse with your mum.Connecting with the only other Black colleague in your workplace.Loving and finding complete happiness in your fatness.Joy surrounds us. It can be found it in the day to day. It's what we live for. So why do we so rarely allow ourselves to revel in it? This must-read anthology is your invitation to do so - and is a true celebration of Black British culture in all its glory.Edited by award-winning journalist, and former gal-dem editor-in-chief, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff and up-and-coming talent Timi Sotire, twenty-eight iconic voices speak on what Black joy means to them in this uplifting and empowering anthology.With essays from:Munya Chawawa -- Leigh-Anne Pinnock -- Diane Abbott -- Jason Okundaye --Bukky Bakray -- Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé -- Lavinya Stennett -- Henrie Kwushue Chanté Joseph -- Travis Alabanza -- Isaac James -- Sophia Tassew -- Lauryn Green -- Melz Owusu -- Timi Sotire -- Fope Olaleye -- Richie Brave -- Tope Olufemi -- Athian Akec -- Mikai Mcdermott -- Ife Grillo -- Rukiat Ashawe -- Mayowa Quadri -- Tobi Kyeremateng -- Haaniyah Angus -- Theophina Gabriel -- Ruby Fatimilehin -- Vanessa Kissule---"A refreshing and invigorating burst of joy, exploring the beauty in the nuances of our existence, honing in on what propels us forward, and establishing a vital hope" - BOLU BABALOLA, author of Love in Colour"Every bit as joyous as the title suggests'" CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of Queenie"A rich, gorgeous celebration of the power in embracing joy" LIV LITTLE"Black Joy is a delightful celebration of Black Britishness" MASHABLEShackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away
By Candy J. Cooper. 2024
Here is the explosive story of the Kids for Cash scandal in Pennsylvania, a judicial justice miscarriage that sent more…
than 2,500 children and teens to a for-profit detention center while two judges lined their pockets with cash, as told by Candy J. Cooper, an award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist.In the early 2000s, Judge Mark Ciavarella and Judge Michael Conahan of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania were known as no-nonsense judges. Juveniles who showed up in their courtrooms faced harsh words and even harsher sentencing. In the post-Columbine era, many people believed that was just what the county needed to ensure its children and teens stayed on the straight and narrow path. But as more and more children faced shocking sentences for seemingly benign crimes, and a newly built for-profit detention center filled up further and further, a sinister pattern of abuses and bribery emerged. Through extensive research and original reporting leading into contemporary times, award-winning journalist Candy J. Cooper tells the story of a scandal that the Juvenile Law Center calls &“one of the largest and most serious violations of children&’s rights in the history of the American legal system.&”What Made California the Golden State?: A Who HQ Graphic Novel (Who HQ Graphic Novels)
By Shing Yin Khor, Who Hq. 2024
Discover what life was really like during the California Gold Rush in this powerful graphic novel written by National Book…
Award finalist and Eisner Award-winning creator Shing Yin Khor and illustrated by Kass Gray.Presenting Who HQ Graphic Novels: an exciting addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series!Explore the Gold Rush from the perspective of William Miller and Henry Garrison, two miners in the Sierra Nevada region, and uncover the often unrelenting conditions of the California gold mines. A story of community, determination, and the search for the American Dream, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves into what life was really like during this pivotal period in American history--brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.Marked Man: Frank Serpico’s Inside Battle Against Police Corruption
By John Florio, Ouisie Shapiro. 2001
1971. Brooklyn, New York. Undercover cop Frank Serpico is knocking on a drug dealer’s door. His partners are there to…
back him up, but when the door opens, he’s staring down the barrel of a gun—and his partners are nowhere to be found. For more than a century, the New York Police Department had been plagued by corruption, with cops openly taking bribes from gamblers and drug dealers. Not Serpico. He refused to take dirty money and fought to shed light on the dark underbelly of the NYPD. But instead of being hailed as a hero, he became a target for every crooked cop on the force. In Marked Man, John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro bring this true story of police corruption to life. Join Frank Serpico on his one-man crusade to clean up the largest police force in the United States. And discover the price he had to pay for being an honest cop.Abuela, Don't Forget Me
By Rex Ogle. 2022
A Finalist for the 2023 YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award. Rex Ogle’s companion to Free Lunch and Punching…
Bag weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother’s legacy. In his award-winning memoir Free Lunch, Rex Ogle’s abuela features as a source of love and support. In this companion-in-verse, Rex captures and celebrates the powerful presence a woman he could always count on—to give him warm hugs and ear kisses, to teach him precious words in Spanish, to bring him to the library where he could take out as many books as he wanted, and to offer safety when darkness closed in. Throughout a coming of age marked by violence and dysfunction, Abuela’s red-brick house in Abilene, Texas, offered Rex the possibility of home, and Abuela herself the possibility for a better life. Abuela, Don’t Forget Me is a lyrical portrait of the transformative and towering woman who believed in Rex even when he didn’t yet know how to believe in himself.When They Call You a Terrorist (Young Adult Edition): A Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World
By Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Asha Bandele. 2020
Patrisse Khan-Cullors' and asha bandele's instant New York Times bestseller, When They Call You a Terrorist is now adapted for…
the YA audience with photos and journal entries!A movement that started with a hashtag--#BlackLivesMatter--on Twitter spread across the nation and then across the world.From one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement comes a poetic memoir and reflection on humanity. Necessary and timely, Patrisse Khan-Cullors’ story asks us to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, a threat to America. But in truth, they are loving women whose life experiences have led them to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful. In this meaningful, empowering account of survival, strength, and resilience, Cullors and asha bandele seek to change the culture that declares innocent black life expendable.