A Fire Story by Brian Fies Early morning on Monday, October 9, 2017, wildfires burned through Northern California, resulting in 44 fatalities. In addition, 6,200 homes and 8,900 structures and were destroyed. Author Brian Fies’s firsthand account of this tragic event is an honest, unflinching depiction of his personal experiences, including losing his house and […]
I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib I Was Their American Dream is at once a journal of growing up and a reminder of the thousands of immigrants who come to America in search for a better life for themselves and their children. The daughter of parents with unfulfilled dreams themselves, Malaka navigated her […]
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this runaway international bestseller reveals the power of unsung women to change history in their quest for love, freedom and second chances. New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate […]
Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh Fourteen-year-old Ahmed is stuck in a city that wants nothing to do with him. Newly arrived in Brussels, Belgium, Ahmed fled a life of uncertainty and suffering in Syria, only to lose his father on the perilous journey to the shores of Europe. Now Ahmed’s struggling to get by on […]
A Dream Called Home by Reyna Grande As an immigrant in an unfamiliar country, with an indifferent mother and abusive father, Reyna had few resources at her disposal. Taking refuge in words, Reyna’s love of reading and writing propels her to rise above until she achieves the impossible and is accepted to the University of […]
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar […]
Behind the Canvas by Alexander Vance Seventh-grader Claudia Miravista loves art, but socially she is always the odd girl out–but on a trip to the local art museum she sees a boy in a painting, who moves from painting to painting, and soon she embarks on an adventure behind the canvas, determined to free the […]
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job […]
White Trash: The 400-Year Old History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg Surveying political rhetoric and policy, popular literature and scientific theories over four hundred years, Isenberg upends assumptions about America’s supposedly class-free society––where liberty and hard work were meant to ensure real social mobility. Poor whites were central to the rise of the […]
James Breakwell of Exploding Unicorn James Breakwell is a professional comedy writer and amateur father of four girls, ages eight and under. He is best known for his family humor Twitter account @XplodingUnicorn, which boasts more than a million followers. The account went viral In April 2016 and transformed James from a niche comedy writer into […]
