Recent Stories
"We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy"
Things could always be worse. You didn't sleep well last night, your day started earlier than usual, and traffic, ugh; then you forgot your lunch and lost a bag of chips in a vending machine, and you never did catch up. You had a rotten day but look on the bright side: you're above ground and breathing and, as in "We're Better Than This" by Elijah Cummings with James Dale, someone had your back.
"I Got the School Spirit" by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison
A brand-new, shiny box of crayons. That's just one of the things you're looking forward to when you finally start school. Mom says you can't have them yet, though, you have to be patient. So why not read "I Got the School Spirit" by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison in the meantime?
"Thank You for Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth about Voting in America" by Erin Geiger Smith
The checkmarks marched down the columns like hand-holding toddlers on a daycare outing.
"One Year of Ugly" by Caroline Mackenzie
The officer at the bank said "yes." And there you were: the proud owner of something big, something you'd wanted your entire life. That's thrilling, on one hand, and scary on the other: you've achieved your dream, but you'll be contributing toward that loan for many years. And as in the new novel "One Year of Ugly" by Caroline Mackenzie, payback is no fun.
"We Are Power: How Nonviolent Activism Changes the World" by Todd Hasak-Lowy
You put a lot of work into your sign. When you were done, what was once the side of a cardboard box suddenly became a note to the world – but as you were making it, you have to admit that you wondered if one cardboard sign was going to make much of a difference. You were protesting, but who would notice?
"Keep Calm and Log On: Your Handbook for Surviving the Digital Revolution" by Gillian "Gus" Andrews
IT stands for "information technology." That's the department assigned to fix your computer, the one you've called four times today so far. No, you're not an idiot. You're not some old dog with new tricks. What you are is growly and irritated but read "Keep Calm and Log On" by Gillian "Gus" Andrews, and your confidence will click in no time.
"Black Widow" by Leslie Gray Streeter
You find yourself spinning, spinning, spinning. When you lose someone, that's how it feels: like you're spinning in place, you can't think or understand, and there's a time limit, as if you're in one of those game show Cash Machines and you can't catch a thing. You can barely fathom that, as in the new book "Black Widow" by Leslie Gray Streeter, it will get better.
"Brave. Black. First." by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson
Step right up. When you want to be first in line, that's what you have to do: get in place at the head, let everybody else queue behind you, and lead them forward. You might have to show them how it's done. You might have to show some responsibility. Or, as in the new book "Brave. Black. First." by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson, you might have to take some big risks.
"It's Not All Downhill from Here" by Terry McMillan
Getting old ain't for sissies. Aging is not for the weak, whiners, or wimps, not for 'fraidycats or those with no confidence, and aging is absolutely not for the inflexible. But then again, as in the new novel by Terry McMillan, "It's Not All Downhill from Here," either.
"Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World" by Robert L. Dilenschneider
Black or white? Up or down? Donut or cake? Take a new job, or stay at the old one? Life is a series of picks and chooses, some of them frivolous and some of them unspeakably important. So how do you know the right one to make, even if it's just between sundae or cone? In the new book "Decisions" by Robert L. Dilenschneider, you'll see how dilemmas have historically been solved and how choices can impact you, too.
