Check Out the 2025 Columbus Children's Book Festival Authors
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I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
A stunning special edition of the first book in Lauren Tarshis's action-packed New York Times bestselling I Survived series, featuring 80 pages of all-new, full-color bonus content!
This special edition features a new letter from the author and 80 pages of full-color bonus content, including a tour of the Titanic's first-class decks; historical photos of the ship and passengers; the story of the cutthroat race to find the Titanic wreckage; and a timeline of the technology that helped us uncover it. Perfect for readers new to the series as well as I Survived fans!
George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive -- he and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built! George can't resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even if it gets him into trouble.
But one night while George is off exploring, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Soon the impossible is happening: The Titanic is sinking.
George has always gotten out of trouble before. Can he survive this nightmare?
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Sounds Like Joy
A little mermaid explores the magical feeling of playing and creating with fishy friends in Sounds Like Joy, a colorful underwater picture book and essential read-aloud from Yesenia Moises, illustrator of tennis Olympian Serena Williams's The Adventures of Qai Qai!
One day, Joy finds something unexpected on the ocean reef. When she shakes it, it makes a brand-new noise!
Soon she and her aquatic animal friends are dancing to the beat and feeling amazing . . . until her "jingle-jangle" loses a few important pieces and stops making the special sound she loves.
The little mermaid's friends spring into action with some creative noisemaking to cheer her up! How can they use what they have under the sea to make the sound she's missing?
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Resist: A Story of D-Day
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz comes a gripping, 80-page bonus story about D-Day that can be read alongside the novel Allies, or on its own!
Samira Zidane lives in Nazi-occupied France during World War II...and she has a secret. She and her mother are spies for the underground resistance. They crack codes and trade messages that will help sabotage the Nazis' plans.
When her mother is captured by enemy soldiers, Samira must travel through the war-torn countryside on a desperate and daring rescue mission.
And today just happens to be D-Day: the pivotal moment when Allied soldiers are landing in France. Battles rage all around her, and Samira only has a small dog named Cyrano for company. Can she find a way to save her mother before time runs out?
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Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue!
An Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller!
A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2024
The construction crew is back and ready to help renovate! In this latest picture book in the New York Times bestselling series, everyone's favorite construction crew is teaming up on a new and exciting adventure: cleaning up a neighborhood that needs some love.
Since its debut more than a decade ago, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and the series of books it launched have become beloved favorites of kids and parents alike, with millions of copies sold. These popular, timeless bedtime stories continue to delight families everywhere! In their new adventure, the crew is working together with new friends--garbage trucks, roll-off trucks, container delivery trucks, and more!--to help refurbish old homes, set up dumpsters and garbage cans, sort trash, recycling, compost, and transport the garbage away.
A fleet of heroes, in they drive;
the whole earth shakes as they arrive.
Rumbling, roaring, rolling through,
they're big and strong (and stinky, too!)
It's the mighty GARBAGE CREW!
Sherri Duskey Rinker's playful rhyming text and AG Ford's vibrant illustrations make cleaning up fun from start to finish. Little construction fans will love watching trucks, both familiar and new, work together as a team to make these houses back into homes.
BESTSELLING CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES: Every new preschool book in the series has been on the New York Times bestseller list. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site's legions of fans will be thrilled to welcome this new addition!
GOTTA LOVE GARBAGE TRUCKS: So many children love watching garbage trucks pick up trash from their homes every week, and their new garbage crew friends will show them how it's done--on the grandest, garbagiest of scales! This story combines the joy of garbage trucks with beloved construction characters.
ROLLICKING READ-ALOUD VEHICLES BOOK: The bouncing, energetic rhymes make for a tremendously satisfying read-aloud experience, perfect for energetic toddlers who love construction.
TEACHES TEAMWORK: The story teaches teamwork, collaboration, and working together to solve a problem--real-world skills that kids and their grown-ups love.
Perfect for:- Young truck, tractor, and construction fans
- Anyone fascinated by garbage trucks and trash collectors
- Parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians looking for engaging, action-packed books on team building and friendship
- Readers who love the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train series
- Fans of I Stink!, Trash Truck, and Blaze and the Monster Machines
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I Survived the Black Death, 1348
"The Black Death was a pandemic of unimaginable proportions, taking the lives of 75 - 200 million people worldwide. Lauren Tarshis's story of one girl surviving the plague pulses with terror, action, and hope. The deadliest disease in the history of the world... Elsie dreams of becoming a brave warrior like her father, who is an archer fighting in England's war against France. But life isn't fair in 1348 Europe. Peasant girls like Elsie can't be archers or knights or anything exciting. Then one day in the forest, Elsie and her best friend, Humphrey, discover a chest filled with stolen treasures--and a dangerous secret. At last Elsie has a chance to prove that she's as brave as any knight. Little does she know that a deadly illness -- the Black Death--has begun its attack on England. It's already killed millions around the world. And now it's come for Elsie"--Provided by the publisher.
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Heroes
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller!
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, Ground Zero, and Two Degrees comes this heart-pounding, inventive, and powerful new novel about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor... as only Alan Gratz can tell it!
December 6, 1941: Best friends Frank and Stanley have it good. With their dads stationed at the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii, the boys get to soak up the sunshine while writing and drawing their own comic books. World War II might be raging overseas, but so far America has stayed out of the fight. There's nothing to fear, right?
December 7th, 1941: Everything implodes.
Frank and Stanley are touring a battleship when Japanese planes zoom overhead, dropping bomb after bomb. As explosions roar and sailors scream, Frank and Stanley realize the unthinkable is happening: Japan is attacking America! The war has come to them.
Frantically, the boys struggle to find safety. But disaster and danger are everywhere--from torpedoes underwater to bullets on the beach... to the shocking cruelty that their friends and neighbors show Stanley. Because his mom is Japanese-American, Stanley is suddenly seen as the "enemy." And Frank, who is white, cannot begin to understand what his friend is now facing.
If the boys make it through this infamous day, can their friendship--and their dreams--survive? Or has everything they know been destroyed?
Told with the immediacy, high-stakes action, and inventive storytelling that make Alan Gratz (Refugee, Ground Zero) one of today's biggest authors, this riveting look at the attack on Pearl Harbor explores themes of prejudice, power, and what it truly means to be a hero.
Plus: The book ends with an all-original, 10-page black & white comic that brings to life the comic book idea that Frank and Stanley brainstorm in the novel. The comic is written by Alan Gratz and illustrated by Judit Tondora.
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I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964
The Great Alaska Earthquake is the largest and most powerful recorded earthquake in US history. Lauren Tarshis's story of one child surviving this terrifying natural disaster pounds with page-turning action and heartwarming hope.
It was 1964 in the brand-new state of Alaska, a vast land of staggering beauty and heart-stopping dangers. Eleven-year-old Jack had grown up living happily with his parents in an off-the-grid cabin, miles from their closest neighbors. Grizzlies and wolves outnumbered people, and dark winter days were 30 degrees below zero. Jack had always thought of himself as strong -- "Alaska tough". But then the most powerful earthquake in American history -- the Good Friday Earthquake -- struck.
The 9.2 magnitude quake lasted nearly five minutes, destroying downtown Anchorage and sending 30-foot tsunamis into coastal cities, wiping out entire communities. Its vibrations were felt around the world. In the end, it caused billions of dollars in damage and the death of 129 people.
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tells the story of the disaster that changed our understanding of earth science -- and tested one boy in ways he never could have imagined. Includes a section of nonfiction backmatter with more facts and photos about the real-life event.
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The Adventures of Qai Qai
From superstar athlete, record breaker, entrepreneur, philanthropist (and mama) Serena Williams, comes a magical picture book in which a little girl learns to believe in herself with the help of her doll and best friend, Qai Qai.
“Don’t be scared, Best Friend! I’m right here with you, always!”
“But what if I’m not good enough?”
“Girl!” Qai Qai answered. “You’re already good enough when you walk in the door! Come on, let me show you.”
Baby Girl has a dance recital coming up, and she can't help but worry. She's practiced and practiced, but what if something goes wrong? What if she forgets the steps or freezes up during her solo?
Luckily, her best friend Qai Qai the doll has her back! When Qai Qai comes to life, they go on a magical journey that shows Baby Girl that she’s ready for the stage.
The Adventures of Qai Qai, a heartwarming picture book from beloved athlete Serena Williams, shows readers the power of believing—in your best friend and in yourself. -
Construction Site: Taking Flight!
Get ready for takeoff! This addition to the beloved New York Times bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series features the same fan-favorite trucks in an exciting new setting: a bustling airport!
When an airport needs an expansion, the Construction Site crew is on the job! With help from fun new vehicles from the airport, they'll build new roads and runways, prep planes for their trips, and clean up after a surprise snowstorm.
The airport is a busy place--Belt Loader, Tractor, Snowplow, and many other vehicles pull the planes, pump the fuel, move the luggage, maintain the runways, and much more. Working together, the team will get all the planes in the air in time for a sweet and sleepy goodnight.
Sherri Duskey Rinker and AG Ford, the author-illustrator team behind many bestselling Goodnight Construction Site books, bring their playful rhyming text and vibrant illustrations to another exciting tale of teamwork, sure to satisfy construction fans everywhere.
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT: An airplane book to delight toddlers at home and on the go! Special new vehicles help the original crew fuel the planes, maintain the runways, clear away snow, and build a BIG new airport wing so that everyone can get where they are going.
ROLLICKING READ-ALOUD: Sherri Duskey Rinker's bouncing, energetic rhymes make for a tremendously satisfying read-aloud experience, perfect for active kids who love construction.
TEACHES TEAMWORK: Just like all the stories in the Construction Site series, this book emphasizes working together and the joy of a job well done--real-world skills presented to young readers in a fun, accessible setting!
REST AS REWARD: These books help small children slow their own engines and wind down after a busy day. Each story offers the delight of construction work and a well-earned, sleepy ending to tuck readers into bed.
Perfect for:- Young truck, tractor, and construction fans
- Families getting ready for a trip
- Airplane, flight, and airport vehicle enthusiasts
- Parents and caregivers looking for action-packed books about teamwork and friendship
- Teachers, librarians, and storytime readers
- Birthday, holiday, or travel activity gift for little vehicle fans
- Fans of the Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site series
- Readers who love classic children's books by authors such as Dr. Seuss, Chris Van Dusen, Kevin Henkes, and Sandra Boynton
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Construction Site: Farming Strong All Year Long
The construction crew is back and ready to help out on the farm! Working together with new friends, they'll get the job done all year long.
There's work to do! No time to waste! All year the farm's a busy place!
Six hardworking trucks--with help from brand-new farm vehicles--have work to do in each of the seasons: planting in spring, building a barn in the summer, harvesting in fall, and finally tucking the animals in for a cozy winter. Construction enthusiasts will love this look at a farm through the year, and all the rough, tough work there is to do!
Sherri Duskey Rinker and AG Ford, the author-illustrator team behind the many bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site books, bring their playful rhyming text and vibrant illustrations to another exciting tale of teamwork, sure to delight little construction fans everywhere.
THE CREW VISITS THE FARM: This new addition to the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series features the same beloved trucks in an exciting new setting: a busy farm! They'll help build a barn, repair a road, and bring in crops, while the farm vehicles till, water, and harvest.
EXPLORE EVERY SEASON ON THE FARM: Just right for teaching early concepts such as weather or seasons, this picture book invites little readers to experience adventure on the farm every day of the year! From learning about nature and growing food to watching the construction crew tuck the animals into their new barn, there's so much to see and do on the farm! At last everyone is tucked in tight for winter--and a sweet goodnight!
ROLLICKING READ ALOUD: Sherri Duskey Rinker's bouncing, energetic rhymes make for a tremendously satisfying read-aloud experience, perfect for energetic kids who love construction.
TEACHES TEAMWORK: Just like all the stories in the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series, this book emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and working together--real-world skills presented to young readers in a fun, accessible setting!
Perfect for:
Fans of the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series
Truck and construction vehicle enthusiasts
Gift-givers
Teachers and librarians -
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871
Could an entire city really burn to the ground? One brave boy finds out in this graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Cassie Anderson.
Oscar Starling never wanted to move to Chicago. The smog, the stench, the thieves around every corner -- it's so different from his old life on the farm. Will the big city ever feel like home? But shortly after Oscar arrives, a huge fire breaks out. All of Chicago is ablaze and one thing is clear: the city is like a powder keg, ready to explode. An army of firemen tries to help, but this fire is a ferocious beast that wants to devour everything in its path. Will Oscar -- and his new city and new friends -- survive one of the most famous and devastating fires in history? Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series comes to vivid life in graphic novel editions. Perfect for readers who prefer the graphic novel format, or for existing fans of the I Survived chapter book series, these graphic novels combine historical facts with high-action storytelling that's sure to keep any reader turning the pages. Includes a nonfiction section at the back with facts and photos about the real-life event.
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Roto and Roy: to the Rescue!
This rip-roaring rescue adventure series by bestselling author Sherri Duskey Rinker and award-winning artist Don Tate celebrates the teamwork of man and machine!
When a flash flood threatens a nearby town, helicopter Roto and pilot Roy soar to the rescue! Quick--a truck needs to be hoisted to safety! Hurry--that family's car is being swept away! Now grab as many sandbags and supplies as you can carry! This mission's going to be rough, but Roy and Roto are tougher than tough.
From Sherri Duskey Rinker, bestselling author of the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series, and acclaimed illustrator Don Tate, this action-packed story showcases two awesome heroes and the power of teamwork. -
Ban This Book
You’re Never Too Young to Fight Censorship!
In Ban This Book by Alan Gratz, a fourth grader fights back when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is challenged by a well-meaning parent and taken off the shelves of her school library. Amy Anne is shy and soft-spoken, but don’t mess with her when it comes to her favorite book in the whole world. Amy Anne and her lieutenants wage a battle for the books that will make you laugh and pump your fists as they start a secret banned books locker library, make up ridiculous reasons to ban every single book in the library to make a point, and take a stand against censorship.
Ban This Book is a stirring defense against censorship that’s perfect for middle grade readers. Let kids know that they can make a difference in their schools, communities, and lives!
“Readers, librarians, and all those books that have drawn a challenge have a brand new hero.... Stand up and cheer, book lovers. This one’s for you." —Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor-winning The Underneath
“Ban This Book is absolutely brilliant and belongs on the shelves of every library in the multiverse.”—Lauren Myracle, author of the bestselling Internet Girls series, the most challenged books of 2009 and 2011
“Quick paced and with clear, easy-to-read prose, this is a book poised for wide readership and classroom use.”—Booklist
"A stout defense of the right to read." —Kirkus Reviews
“Gratz delivers a book lover’s book that speaks volumes about kids’ power to effect change at a grassroots level." —Publishers Weekly -
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they'll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play! With irresistible artwork by best-selling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld and sweet, rhyming text, this book will have truck lovers of all ages begging for more.
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I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
A thrilling graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Haus Studio
George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive - he and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built! George can't resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even if it gets him into trouble.
But one night while George is off exploring, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Soon the impossible is happening: The Titanic is sinking.
George has always gotten out of trouble before. Can he survive this nightmare?
With art by Haus Studio and text adapted by Georgia Ball, Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series takes on vivid new life in this bold graphic novel edition. Includes nonfiction back matter with facts and historical photos of the real-life Titanic disaster.
Perfect for readers who prefer the graphic novel format, or for existing fans of the I Survived chapter book series, I Survived graphic novels combine historical facts with high-action storytelling that's sure to keep any reader turning the pages.
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It's So Quiet
A silly, noisy bedtime book that will have readers squealing, croaking, and laughing along before settling down for a quiet night's sleep!
It's time for bed, but one little mouse just can't get to sleep--it's TOO QUIET! However, the night is actually full of sounds, from the croak of the bullfrog to the howl of a coyote on a distant hill. As the rhythmic symphony of nighttime noises build in this rollicking read-aloud, the mouse starts to wonder whether he wouldn't like a little MORE quiet.
* From the bestselling author of the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series
* Sweet illustrations by renowned artist Tony Fucile
* A hilarious read-aloud perfect for bedtime or story time
Little readers will delight in the humor and interactivity of It's So Quiet--which concludes by encouraging an appreciation of nighttime's soothing quiet.
* Children's books for kids ages 3-5
* Funny, rhyming picture book
* Perfect for kids who love animals and animal noises -
Refugee
The award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel from Alan Gratz tells the timely--and timeless--story of three different kids seeking refuge.
A New York Times bestseller!
JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world...
ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America...
MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe...
All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.
As powerful and poignant as it is action-packed and page-turning, this highly acclaimed novel was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than four years and continues to change readers' lives with its meaningful takes on survival, courage, and the quest for home.
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Steam Train, Dream Train Colors
All aboard for a rainbow of train cars and their lively animal crew! Vivid colors and cozy rhyming text inspired by the bestselling Steam Train, Dream Train will make learning colors a rich experience for the smallest readers.
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Steam Train, Dream Train
From the team behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site comes the train book kids have been dreaming of!
The dream train pulls into the station, and one by one the train cars are loaded: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, bouncy kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls. Sweet, silly dreams and happy smiles before sleep are guaranteed for Thomas the Train book fans any budding train enthusiasts!
- Introduce your child to new animals and experiences with this ideal children's bedtime book
- A great read-aloud book for kids or early reader book for kids beginning to read on their own
- Features beautiful art and words from an award-winning writer and illustrator team
If you loved Mighty, Mighty Construction Site and Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, this book will be the ideal addition to your children's book set and is perfect for:- Readers of first story books for baby or toddlers or bedtime stories for the whole family
- Read-along children's book or next step up from board books for early readers
- Boys and girls who love imaginative stories about things like trains, trucks, cars, dinosaurs, and little critters
- Fans of Sandra Boynton, Richard Scarry, Nancy Tillman, and Dr. Seuss books
- Adding to the shelf with books like Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?, Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, Peppa Pig: Little Library, and Good Night, Little Blue Truck
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Stella's Stellar Hair
Black girl magic takes the solar system in Stella's Stellar Hair, a celebration of hair, family, and self-love from debut author-illustrator Yesenia Moises!
It’s the day of the Big Star Little Gala, and Stella's hair just isn't acting right! What’s a girl to do?
Simple! Just hop on her hoverboard, visit each of her fabulous aunties across the solar system, and find the perfect hairdo along the way.
Stella’s Stellar Hair celebrates the joy of self-empowerment, shows off our solar system, and beautifully illustrates a variety of hairstyles from the African diaspora. Backmatter provides more information about each style and each planet.
An Imprint Book
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The United States V. Jackie Robinson
A moving and inspiring nonfiction picture book about Jackie Robinson's court martial trial--an important lesser-known moment in his lifetime of fighting prejudice with strength and grace. Students who have been introduced to this American hero from such books as Brad Meltzer's I Am Jackie Robinson can take a deeper look at a key event in his life with The United States v. Jackie Robinson.
Jackie Robinson broke boundaries as the first African American player in Major League Baseball. But long before Jackie changed the world in a Dodger uniform, he did it in an army uniform.
As a soldier during World War II, Jackie experienced segregation every day--separate places for black soldiers to sit, to eat, and to live. When the army outlawed segregation on military posts and buses, things were supposed to change.
So when Jackie was ordered by a white bus driver to move to the back of a military bus, he refused. Instead of defending Jackie's rights, the military police took him to trial. But Jackie would stand up for what was right, even when it was difficult to do.
This nonfiction picture book is a strong choice for sharing at home or in the classroom--as Booklist noted: "A story that will appeal to both baseball fans and those looking for an interesting way to highlight lesser-known aspects of the fight for civil rights."
With an author's note, a timeline, bibliography, and more, this book offers helpful resources for readers, teachers, and librarians to find out more about Jackie Robinson and the history of civil rights in the US.
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Milo Imagines the World
Milo Imagines the World is a warm and richly satisfying story from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book duo, about a little boy with a big imagination who learns that you can't know anyone just by looking at them. Set in a bustling city, and full of a family love that binds even in difficult circumstances.Milo is on a train journey through the city with his older sister, looking at the faces of the other passengers and drawing pictures of their lives. Milo wonders if perhaps the little boy in bright white trainers is living in a castle with a moat and a butler. But when the little boy gets off at the same stop and joins the same queue as him, Milo realises that you can't judge by appearances and that we are all more alike than we are different: both boys are visiting their mothers in prison.Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson once again deliver a hugely powerful and enjoyable picture book, full of rich details both to look at and to talk about. Anyone who has ever travelled on public transport will relate to Milo's journey.
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Mexican WhiteBoy
Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña's Mexican WhiteBoy is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions.
Danny is tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile an hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound, he loses it.
But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny is brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. But it works the other way too. And Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico.
That’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. But to find himself, he may just have to face the demons he refuses to see--the demons that are right in front of his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming.
Matt de la Peña's critically acclaimed novel is an intimate and moving story that offers hope to those who least expect it.
"[A] first-rate exploration of self-identity." --SLJ
"Unique in its gritty realism and honest portrayal of the complexities of life for inner-city teens...de la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must believe in yourself and shape your own future." --The Horn Book Magazine
"The baseball scenes...sizzle like Danny's fastball. Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens, but especially to those of mixed race." --Booklist
"De la Peña blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity." --Kirkus Reviews
"Mexican WhiteBoy...shows that no matter what obstacles you face, you can still reach your dreams with a positive attitude. This is more than a book about a baseball player--this is a book about life." --Curtis Granderson, New York Mets outfielder
An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
A Junior Library Guild Selection -
Love
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child's life . . . eloquent and moving."—People
"Everything that can be called love -- from shared joy to comfort in the darkness -- is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book."—The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice / Staff Picks From the Book Review
“Lyrical and sensitive, ‘Love’ is the sort of book likely to leave readers of all ages a little tremulous, and brimming with feeling.”—The Wall Street Journal
From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all.
"In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.
...
A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life."
In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age. -
Last Stop on Market Street
"Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."
CJ begins his weekly bus journey around the city with disappointment and dissatisfaction, wondering why he and his family can't drive a car like his friends. Through energy and encouragement, CJ's nana helps him see the beauty and fun in their routine.
This beautifully illustrated, emotive picture book explores urban life with honesty, interest and gratitude.
Last Stop on Market Street has won multiple awards and spent time at the number one spot in the New York Times Bestseller List.
Jewish American Heritage Month
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How Yiddish Changed America and How America Changed Yiddish
A momentous and diverse anthology of the influences and inspirations of Yiddish voices in America—radical, dangerous, and seductive, but also sweet, generous, and full of life—edited by award-winning authors and scholars Ilan Stavans and Josh Lambert.
Is it possible to conceive of the American diet without bagels? Or Star Trek without Mr. Spock? Are the creatures in Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are based on Holocaust survivors? And how has Yiddish, a language without a country, influenced Hollywood? These and other questions are explored in this stunning and rich anthology of the interplay of Yiddish and American culture, edited by award-winning authors and scholars Ilan Stavans and Josh Lambert.
It starts with the arrival of Ashkenazi immigrants to New York City’s Lower East Side and follows Yiddish as it moves into Hollywood, Broadway, literature, politics, and resistance. We take deep dives into cuisine, language, popular culture, and even Yiddish in the other Americas, including Canada, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia. The book presents a bountiful menu of genres: essays, memoir, song, letters, poems, recipes, cartoons, conversations, and much more. Authors include Nobel Prize–winner Isaac Bashevis Singer and luminaries such as Grace Paley, Cynthia Ozick, Chaim Grade, Michael Chabon, Abraham Cahan, Sophie Tucker, Blume Lempel, Irving Howe, Art Spiegelman, Alfred Kazin, Harvey Pekar, Ben Katchor, Paula Vogel, and Liana Finck.
Readers will laugh and cry as they delve into personal stories of assimilation and learn about people from a diverse variety of backgrounds, Jewish and not, who have made the language their own. The Yiddish saying states: Der mentsh trakht un got lakht. Man plans and God laughs. How Yiddish Changed America and How America Changed Yiddish illustrates how those plans are full of zest, dignity, and tremendous humanity. -
Koshersoul
"Twitty makes the case that Blackness and Judaism coexist in beautiful harmony, and this is manifested in the foods and traditions from both cultures that Black Jews incorporate into their daily lives...Twitty wishes to start a conversation where people celebrate their differences and embrace commonalities. By drawing on personal narratives, his own and others', and exploring different cultures, Twitty's book offers important insight into the journeys of Black Jews."--Library Journal
"A fascinating, cross-cultural smorgasbord grounded in the deep emotional role food plays in two influential American communities."--Booklist
The James Beard award-winning author of the acclaimed The Cooking Gene explores the cultural crossroads of Jewish and African diaspora cuisine and issues of memory, identity, and food.
In Koshersoul, Michael W. Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them.
The question that most intrigues him is not just who makes the food, but how the food makes the people. Jews of Color are not outliers, Twitty contends, but significant and meaningful cultural creators in both Black and Jewish civilizations. Koshersoul also explores how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty's own passage to and within Judaism.
As intimate, thought-provoking, and profound as The Cooking Gene, this remarkable book teases the senses as it offers sustenance for the soul.
Koshersoul includes 48-50 recipes.
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Kugels and Collards
Bitter Southerner 2024 Summer Reading pick - Garden & Gun fall cookbooks pick - The Nosher Best Jewish Cookbooks of 2023 - The Local Palate Best Cookbooks of 2023 - Food Network 35 Best Jewish-Authored Cookbooks
A poignant--and delicious--compendium of South Carolina Jewish life revealed through food and story
Where people go, so goes their food. In Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina, Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey celebrate the unique and diverse food history of Jewish South Carolina. They gather stories and recipes from diverse Jewish sources--Sephardic and Ashkenazi families who have been in the state for hundreds of years, descendants of Holocaust survivors, and more recent immigrants from Russia and Israel--and explore how cherished dishes were influenced by available ingredients and complemented by African American and regional culinary traditions. These stories are a vital part of the South's "Jewish geography" and foodways, stretching across state lines to shape southern culture. On the southern Jewish table, many cultures are savored. Extensively illustrated with original and archival photographs, Kugels & Collards collects includes more than eighty recipes from seventy contributors. Barnett and Harvey draw on family cookbooks and troves of personal recipes and highlight Jewish staples like kreplach dumplings and stuffed cabbage as well as adaptations of southern favorites such as peach cobbler, plus modern fusions like grits and lox casserole, and of course kugels and collards. Kugels & Collards invites readers into family homes, businesses, and community centers to share meals and memories.
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Be Ready When the Luck Happens
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table.
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Town & Country
Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.
From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens. -
Two New Years
A Sydney Taylor Gold Medalist
A National Jewish Book Award Winner
This warm and welcoming New Year celebration invites readers to learn about Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year traditions and to reflect on the rich blends of cultures and traditions in their own lives.
For this multicultural family, inspired by the author's own, two New Years mean twice as much to celebrate! In the fall, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, offers an opportunity to bake challah, dip apples in honey, and lift voices in song. In the spring, Lunar New Year brings a chance to eat dumplings, watch dragon dances, and release glowing lanterns that light up the sky.
With bright, joyful prose and luminous illustrations, Richard Ho and Lynn Scurfield invite readers of all backgrounds to experience the beauty of two New Year traditions, paying homage to the practices that make each unique while illuminating the values of abundance, family, and hope that they share.
Full of opportunities to reflect on the rich blends of cultures and traditions in our lives, this moving picture book is a beautiful reminder that, at heart, our celebrations might not be so different after all.
TWO BEAUTIFUL NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS: This book is brimming with opportunities for readers to learn about cultures different from their own--from Jewish readers learning about Lunar New Year, to Chinese readers learning about Rosh Hashanah, to readers from other cultures being invited to experience both!
A WELCOMING READ: This content-rich picture book encourages readers of all backgrounds to reflect more deeply on the blending of traditions in their own families and communities.
A GORGEOUS GIFT: Vibrant illustrations and a lyrical narrative with strong backmatter will make this a treasured gift.
Perfect for:- Parents, grandparents, and caregivers
- Teachers, educators, and librarians
- Lunar New Year and Rosh Hashanah gift giving
- Readers seeking celebrations of different cultures and faiths
- Anyone who appreciates beautifully illustrated, multicultural picture books
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The Money Kings
The New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice • The incredible saga of the German-Jewish immigrants—with now familiar names like Goldman and Sachs, Kuhn and Loeb, Warburg and Schiff, Lehman and Seligman—who profoundly influenced the rise of modern finance (and so much more), from the New York Times best-selling author of Sons of Wichita
Joseph Seligman arrived in the United States in 1837, with the equivalent of $100 sewn into the lining of his pants. Then came the Lehman brothers, who would open a general store in Montgomery, Alabama. Not far behind were Solomon Loeb and Marcus Goldman, among the “Forty-Eighters” fleeing a Germany that had relegated Jews to an underclass.
These industrious immigrants would soon go from peddling trinkets and buying up shopkeepers’ IOUs to forming what would become some of the largest investment banks in the world—Goldman Sachs, Kuhn Loeb, Lehman Brothers, J. & W. Seligman & Co. They would clash and collaborate with J. P. Morgan, E. H. Harriman, Jay Gould, and other famed tycoons of the era. And their firms would help to transform the United States from a debtor nation into a financial superpower, capitalizing American industry and underwriting some of the twentieth century’s quintessential companies, like General Motors, Macy’s, and Sears. Along the way, they would shape the destiny not just of American finance but of the millions of Eastern European Jews who spilled off steamships in New York Harbor in the early 1900s, including Daniel Schulman’s paternal grandparents.
In The Money Kings, Schulman unspools a sweeping narrative that traces the interconnected origin stories of these financial dynasties. He chronicles their paths to Wall Street dominance, as they navigated the deeply antisemitic upper class of the Gilded Age, and the complexities of the Civil War, World War I, and the Zionist movement that tested both their burgeoning empires and their identities as Americans, Germans, and Jews. -
We Are Not Strangers
Inspired by a true story, this graphic novel follows a Jewish immigrant's efforts to help his Japanese neighbors while they're incarcerated during World War II. Winner, Best in Young Adult Non-Fictionfrom the Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards
"A powerful book about advocating for friends and neighbors during times of great division." --Kazu Kibuishi, #1 New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of the Amulet series
An evocative and beautiful graphic novel revealing the truth of one man's extraordinary efforts, We Are Not Strangers converges two perspectives into a single portrait of a community's struggle with race, responsibility, and what it truly means to be an American.
Marco Calvo always knew his grandfather, affectionately called Papoo, was a good man. After all, he was named for him. A first-generation Jewish immigrant, Papoo was hardworking, smart, and caring.
When Papoo peacefully passes away, Marco expects the funeral to be simple. But he' caught off guard by something unusual. Among his close family and friends are mourners he doesn't recognize--Japanese American families--and no one is quite sure who they are or why they are at the service. How did these strangers know his grandfather so well?
Set in the multicultural Central District of Seattle during World War II and inspired by author Josh Tuininga's family experiences, We Are Not Strangers explores a unique situation of Japanese and Jewish Americans living side by side in a country at war.
Following Papoo's perspective, we learn of his life as a Sephardic Jewish immigrant and his friendship with Sam Akiyama, a Japanese man whose life is upended by Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of nearly all Japanese Americans and residents of Japanese ancestry. Determined to keep Sam's business afloat while he and his family are unjustly imprisoned, he and Papoo create a plan that will change the Akiyama's lives forever.
"At its core, a relatable tale of friendship, shared experiences of discrimination, and the power of individuals to make a difference." -- The Beat
Introduction by award-winning author Ken Mochizuki
Afterword by Devin Naar, author of Jewish Salonica
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My Name Is Barbra
The long-awaited memoir by the superstar of stage, screen, recordings, and television
Barbra Streisand is by any account a living legend, a woman who in a career spanning six decades has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in the history of popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major motion picture. In My Name Is Barbra, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career, from growing up in Brooklyn to her first star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl on stage and winning the Oscar for that performance on film. Then came a long string of successes in every medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra herself, frank, funny, opinionated, and charming. She recounts her early struggles to become an actress, eventually turning to singing to earn a living; the recording of some of her acclaimed albums; the years of effort involved in making Yentl; her direction of The Prince of Tides; her friendships with figures ranging from Marlon Brando to Madeleine Albright; her political advocacy; and the fulfillment she’s found in her marriage to James Brolin.
No entertainer’s memoir has been more anticipated than Barbra Streisand’s, and this engrossing and delightful book will be eagerly welcomed by her millions of fans. -
The Confidante
Perfect for readers of A Woman of No Importance, Three Ordinary Girls, and Eleanor: A Life comes the first-ever biography of Anna Marie Rosenberg, the Hungarian Jewish immigrant who became FDR’s closest advisor during World War II and, according to Life, “the most important official woman in the world” —a woman of many firsts, whose story, forgotten for too long, is extraordinary, inspiring, and uniquely American. Her life ran parallel to the front lines of history yet her influence on 20th century America, from the New Deal to the Cold War and beyond, has never before been told.
A Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee
As Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s special envoy to Europe in World War II she went where the president couldn’t go. She was among the first Allied women to enter a liberated concentration camp, and stood in the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s mountain retreat, days after its capture. She guided the direction of the G.I. Bill of Rights and the Manhattan Project. Though Anna Rosenberg emerged from modest immigrant beginnings, equipped with only a high school education, she was the real power behind national policies critical to America winning the war and prospering afterward. Astonishingly, her story remains largely forgotten.
With a disarming mix of charm and Tammany-hewn toughness, Rosenberg began her career in public relations in 1920s Manhattan. She became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, who recommended Anna to her husband, who was then running for Governor of New York. As FDR’s unofficial adviser, Rosenberg soon wielded enormous influence—no less potent for being subtle. Roosevelt dubbed her “my Mrs. Fix-It.” Her extraordinary career continued after his death.
By 1950, she was tapped to become the assistant secretary of defense—the highest position ever held by a woman in the US military—prompting Senator Joe McCarthy to wage an unsuccessful smear campaign against her. In 1962, she organized John F. Kennedy’s infamous birthday gala, sitting beside him while Marilyn Monroe sang. Until the end of her life, Rosenberg fought tirelessly for causes from racial integration to women’s equality to national health care.
More than the story of one remarkable woman, The Confidante explores who gets to be at the forefront of history, and why. Though she was not quite a hidden figure, Rosenberg’s position as “the power behind,” combined with her status as an immigrant and a Jewish woman, served to diminish her importance. In this inspiring, impeccably researched, and revelatory book, Christopher C. Gorham at last affords Anna Rosenberg the recognition she so richly deserves.
“Far and away the most important woman in the American government, and perhaps the most important official female in the world.” —LIFE magazine, 1952 -
The Majority
Inspired by history, a riveting novel of love and friendship, motherhood and ambition, and one woman’s fight to be a Supreme Court justice.
Half of the United States is waiting for Justice Sylvia Olin Bernstein to die. The other half is praying for her to hold on. At 83, “the contemptuous S.O.B.” doesn’t have much time left. What she has is a story, one she has wrested from the grip of history to tell herself—of how she rose to her historic position on the Supreme Court, and the barriers she broke along the way.
Told over fifty years, from losing her mother at a young age, to falling in love, to navigating an unplanned pregnancy and motherhood, to learning how to spar with a sexist mentor, Sylvia’s personal story reveals the intimate truth about who she was as she ascended to her modern throne: not just a brilliant mind, but a daughter, a best friend, a wife, mother, and advocate. While caught in a dramatic tug of war between career and family, truth and convenience, progress and patience, she will be given a chance to change the course of American history – and give voice, at last, to the majority.
Set against the vibrant sweep of the 20th century, THE MAJORITY brings us into the sacrifices, heartaches, and complex emotional life of a powerful woman ahead of her time, whose life and work turn out to have supreme stakes. -
Tía Fortuna's New Home
A poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment.
When Estrella's Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía.
A lyrical book about tradition, culture, and togetherness, Tía Fortuna's New Home explores Tía and Estrella's Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage. Through Tía's journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is. -
Two Tribes
In her poignant debut graphic novel inspired by her own life, Emily Bowen Cohen embraces the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes.
Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish identity plays in their home. Feeling out of place at home and at her Jewish day school, Mia finds herself thinking more and more about her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mother doesn't want to talk about him, but Mia can't help but feel like she's missing a part of herself without him in her life.
Soon, Mia makes a plan to use the gifts from her bat mitzvah to take a bus to Oklahoma--without telling her mom--to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side she knows is just as important as her Jewish side.
This graphic novel by Muscogee-Jewish writer and artist Emily Bowen Cohen is perfect for fans of American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. It is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that centers stories about contemporary Indigenous young people.
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America's Jewish Women
Winner of the 2019 Everett Family Foundation Book of the Year Award from the Jewish Book Council
“A welcome addition to the American historical canon.”—Jordana Horn, New York Times Book Review
Pamela S. Nadell weaves together the complex story of Jewish women in America—from colonial-era matriarch Grace Nathan and her great-granddaughter, poet Emma Lazarus, to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Recounting how Jewish women have been at the forefront of social, economic, and political causes for centuries, Nadell shows them fighting for suffrage, labor unions, civil rights, feminism, and religious rights—shaping a distinctly Jewish American identity.
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How to Find What You're Not Looking For
New historical fiction from a Newbery Honor–winning author about how middle schooler Ariel Goldberg's life changes when her big sister elopes following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, and she's forced to grapple with both her family's prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, as she defines her own beliefs.
Twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg's life feels like the moment after the final guest leaves the party. Her family's Jewish bakery runs into financial trouble, and her older sister has eloped with a young man from India following the Supreme Court decision that strikes down laws banning interracial marriage. As change becomes Ariel's only constant, she's left to hone something that will be with her always--her own voice. -
Inheritance
An Instant NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A LOS ANGELES TIMES, BOSTON GLOBE, WALL STREET JOURNAL, and NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR according to Elle, Real Simple, and Kirkus Reviews
"Memoir gold: a profound and exquisitely rendered exploration of identity and the true meaning of family." --People Magazine
"Beautifully written and deeply moving--it brought me to tears more than once."--Ruth Franklin, The New York Times Book Review
From the acclaimed, best-selling memoirist, novelist--"a writer of rare talent" (Cheryl Strayed)-- and host of the hit podcast Family Secrets, comes a memoir about the staggering family secret uncovered by a genealogy test: an exploration of the urgent ethical questions surrounding fertility treatments and DNA testing, and a profound inquiry of paternity, identity, and love.What makes us who we are? What combination of memory, history, biology, experience, and that ineffable thing called the soul defines us?
In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website to which she had whimsically submitted her DNA for analysis, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. She woke up one morning and her entire history--the life she had lived--crumbled beneath her.
Inheritance is a book about secrets--secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. It is the story of a woman's urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity, a story that has been scrupulously hidden from her for more than fifty years, years she had spent writing brilliantly, and compulsively, on themes of identity and family history. It is a book about the extraordinary moment we live in--a moment in which science and technology have outpaced not only medical ethics but also the capacities of the human heart to contend with the consequences of what we discover.
