The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story

by Peter Lane Taylor and Christos Nicola

Through dramatic contemporary and period photographs and an articulate, hardhitting narrative, this volume relays the tale of 38 Ukrainian Jews who sought refuge in a local cave to escape the invading Nazis in fall of 1942 and remained there for 344 days-reportedly longer than any other known human has ever lived underground. Drawing on heartrending conversations with the survivors and a privately published memoir by Esther Stermer, the stalwart matriarch who insisted that her family "would not let the Germans have their way easily," the authors share the details of the clan's harrowing ordeal, which demanded near superhuman physical and emotional endurance, courage, loyalty and unity.

Why Monkeys Live in Trees

by Raouf Mama

This is a book for both young and old lovers of folklore. It is a rich tapestry of oral tales that come from a wide range of Beninese ethnic groups. They include trickster tales and sacred tales involving the greatest and meanest of mankind, as well as nature and the world of spirits. These ageless tales remind us of the power of love, the perils of greed and pride, and the redemptive virtues of courage, humility, and kindness.

Speed Show

by Dave Caldwell

Daytona Beach, Florida, 2001. Sportswriter Dave Caldwell watches from the stands as a black Chevrolet pulls ahead in the final laps of the Daytona 500. In an instant, it's over. The car smashes into a wall at 175 miles an hour, killing one of stock car racing's most loved drivers. The death of Dale Earnhardt inspired an outpouring of grief, drawing new fans to the sport and driving NASCAR to the top of the sporting industry. From its roots during Prohibition to today's die-hard fans, Caldwell weaves together his firsthand observations as a NASCAR reporter with excerpts from The New York Times archives to give readers an inside look at the spectacle that is America's new favorite pastime.

The First Man-Made Man

by Pagan Kennedy

With remarkable skill and sensitivity, Kennedy rescues from obscurity the extraordinary life of Michael Dillon, the first surgically altered female-to-male transsexual of the modern era. Born an Englishwoman by an accident of biology, Dillon transformed himself into a man via the emerging technologies of the 1940s. He became a doctor; wrote a groundbreaking book on gender reassignment; fell in love with a male-to-female transsexual who used, betrayed, and exposed him; and died impoverished in India in the midst of a search for inner peace. In the hands of another writer, this story of a lonely metamorphosis could easily have bogged down in voyeuristic details, but Kennedy turns it into a first-rate biography that also serves to illuminate the history of 20th-century medicine and the excruciating sexual politics of a less enlightened age.

Socrates: A Life Examined

by Luis E. Navia

Philosopher Luis E. Navia presents a compelling portrayal of Socrates in this very readable and well-researched book, which is both a biography of the man and an exploration of his ideas. Through a critical and documented study of the major ancient sources about Socrates, in the writings of Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, and Aristotle, Navia reconstructs a surprisingly consistent portrait of this enigmatic philosopher.

Empire

by James Laxer

The United States presides over the most far-flung imperial system ever established. This thoughful study compares the American Empire to those of the past, finding much can be learned from the fates of the British, Roman, Chinese, Incan, and Aztec empires. Rome, like the U.S., was a military superpower. And just as Rome’s armies were stretched thin, so too are America’s but Rome’s leaders eventually gave up on conquering Scotland. Will the U.S. do the same in Iraq? Laxer draws ominous parallels with the British, who discovered too late that empire building ultimately threatens the health of democracy at home.

Tracking Trash

by Loree Griffin Burns

Aided by an army of beachcombers, oceanographer Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer tracks trash in the name of science. From sneakers to hockey gloves, Curt monitors the watery fate of human-made cargo that has spilled into the ocean. The information he collects is much more than casual news; it is important scientific data. And with careful analysis, Curt, along with a community of scientists, friends, and beachcombers alike, is using his data to understand and protect our ocean.

Flat-Out Rock: Ten Great Bands of the 60s

by Mike Tanner

A well-illustrated introduction to 10 icons of 60s and 70s rock music that focuses on a pivotal moment in each band's career and includes influences on that band and what contemporary bands draw inspiration from that time.

Secrets, Lies, Gizmos, and Spies

by Janet Wyman Coleman

Published in conjunction with the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, this heavily illustrated volume details the secret history of spies and espionage through the ages. From the Trojan War to World War II, from James Bond to Austin Powers, all aspiring secret agents will learn about extraordinary and harrowing tales of famous spies and classified operations. Featuring many photos of concealed weapons and covert gadgets, interviews with real spies, guides to key terms, and other death-defying spy stories.

Dog Heroes of September 11th

by Nona Kilgore Bauer

Some of the most vivid and memorable scenes from the events and aftermath of 9/11 involve search-and-rescue teams painstakingly making their way through the rubble. Dog Heroes pays tribute to the canine/human teams that did this selfless work. Each of the 77 canine heroes featured appears on a two-page spread, with a narrative of its contributions and accompanying color photos. There are explanatory chapters on the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (NDSDF), FEMA certification, and the search and rescue canine. The book closes with information on the veterinary care these canine heroes have received and a health study addressing the short- and long-term effects of involvement in a recovery of this magnitude.

40 Days and 40 Nights

by Matthew Chapman

In late 2005, a Republican judge rendered a surprising verdict in a case that pitted the teaching of intelligent design (sometimes known as "creationism in a lab coat") against the teaching of evolution. Taking place in a small Pennsylvania school district, the case had national repercussions, all the way up to President Bush, who said he believed intelligent design should be taught as "an alternative theory" to evolution. Matthew Chapman, the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, spent several months covering the trial from beginning to end. Through his in-depth encounters with the participants Chapman tells a sometimes terrifying, often hilarious, and above all moving story of ordinary people doing battle in America over the place of religion and science in modern life.

If I Am Missing or Dead

by Janine Latus

A heartwrenching yet beautifully crafter memoir about two intelligent, attractive sisters-one of whom escaped years of abuse by men-and one who did not. Drawing on a piece that won an Essay of the Year award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Latus chronicles the murder of her sister by an abusive lover and her own narrow escape from the same fate.

Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?

byTed Rall

Rall, a cartoon journalist who is both well informed about cultural and political upheavals in the contemporary Middle East and Central Asia and an adventurous traveler, offers a great read that is packed with facts, accessible dissection of thorny issues, and a narration that reads like suspense fiction. Moving between narrative and graphic novella interludes, he recounts several trips that he has made in the past decade to the five "Stans," those Central Asian nations that were so recently part of the USSR. Turkmenistan, Tajikstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan share not only a Soviet history but also a far older history as substantial areas of the Silk Route.

Moneyball

by Michael Lewis

An invigorating account of how an unconvential general manger named Billy Beane rebuilt the Oakland Athletic's, a team with the second lowest payroll in baseball, into a team that won 103 games last year, as many as the filthy-rich Yankees. Lewis's brilliant, irreverent reporting takes us from the dugouts and locker rooms, where coaches and players struggle to unlearn most of what they know about pitching and hitting, to the boardrooms, where we meet owners who begin to look like fools at the poker table, spending enormous sums without a clue about what they are doing.

Ravenous

by Eve Eliot

Ravenous is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Insatiable. Phoebe, the size-sixteen dreamer, finally gets a boyfriend and readers witness her euphoria and her fear. Samantha, the anorexic perfectionist, faces difficult challenges with both her boyfriend and her father, and continues to struggle with an inability to eat more than lettuce and apples. Hannah, the bulimic lesbian, has a romantic awakening inviting readers to observe ways in which she holds back and ways in which she grows. Billy and Scott, two young men who appear briefly in Insatiable, play more prominent roles in Ravenous. These courageous young heroines and heroes face struggles with boyfriends, girlfriends, betrayal, parents, even themselves.

Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes

Edited by Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel

Sterling proudly announces an exciting and vibrant addition to Poetry for Young People: The first African-American themed book in the series, featuring the poems of the extraordinary Langston Hughes. Edited by the two leading experts on Hughes’s work, and illustrated by the brilliant Benny Andrews, this very special volume is one to treasure forever.

Made to Stick

by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors tackle these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the “human scale principle,” using the “Velcro Theory of Memory,” and creating “curiosity gaps.” In this indispensable guide, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds, from the infamous “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony, draw their power from the same six traits.

101 Things to Do Before You're Old & Boring

by Richard Horne and Helen Szirtes

There's only one thing worse than being boring, being old and boring! This exciting new book will help teens discover 101 ways to live life to its fullest before it’s too late. The interactive format contains fill-in pages, checklists, and adhesive stars to place on each page when the suggested task has been completed. Both entertaining and educational, this book suggests trying some of the following: Help Save the Planet; Start a Blog; Prepare Yourself for Fame; Make a Movie; Be a Genius; See a Ghost; Make a Scene in Public; Become a Spy. So, what are you waiting for?

The Mayors

Edited by Paul M. Green and Melvin G. Holli

This book taps America’s most qualified observers to scrupulously assess the city’s mayors within the vigorous and tumultuous history of Chicago government. This edition features extensive commentary on the enduring mayoral influence of Richard M. Daley. “In the seventeen years since The Mayors was first published,” write Green and Holli, “Chicago politics has become more genteel, more docile, and more predictable. This dampening of the city’s once red-hot political coals is due to domination by one man: Mayor Richard M. Daley.” Also providing a political roadmap through the complex and fascinating labyrinth of Chicago politics are essays on other recent mayors: Richard J. Daley, Michael A. Bilandic, Jane M. Byrne, and Harold Washington.

Team Moon

by Catherine Thimmesh

The first moon landing is a story that belongs to many. It belongs to the seamstress who put together twenty-two layers of fabric for each space suit; to the engineers who created a special heat shield to protect the capsule during its fiery reentry; to the flight directors, camera designers, software experts, suit testers, telescopecrew, aerospace technicians, photo developers, engineers, and navigators. Culling NASA transcripts, national archives, and stunning NASA photos from Apollo 11, Timmesh captures not only the sheer magnitude of this feat but also the dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance of the greatest team ever.

A Teen's Guide to Getting Published

by Jessica & Danielle Dunn

The first edition of this book was published in 1996, when we were 15 years old. (Yep, we’re twins.) Now we’ve expanded it so much that it’s almost a completely different book. The foundation, the nuts and bolts of how to be successful as a freelance writer for youth magazines, is still there, but we’ve updated it for the digital age and added lots of new information. That includes how to get feedback on your writing through mentors, writing camps, and critique services; how to get involved in writing for school publications or local newspapers; becoming an editor; self-publishing, and more. The market directory is also fully updated, with 75% of the publications, and all of the contests, being new to this edition.

Genocide (Groundwork Guides Series)

by Jane Springer

The systematic killing, rape, and destruction of homes in Darfur is a grave humanitarian crisis and a clear example of the ultimate crime against humanity: genocide. What is genocide? Who are the endangered human beings in today's world? What is the impact on humanity of wiping out entire groups of people? Providing an overview of the history of genocide worldwide, the book explores the paradox that while a person who murders another person can be tried and even executed for the crime, a person who murders hundreds or thousands of people usually goes free. Using case studies of acts of genocide throughout history, the book establishes important links between them. Most importantly, the book answers the question, What can be done to prevent genocide from happening in the future?

Unexplained

by Judy Allen

This is a comprehensive and compelling one-stop guide to weird nature, the paranormal, and strange superstitions. Even with today's high-tech science, many events and ancient mysteries remain unexplained and surrounded by theories that stir the imagination and challenge scientific fact. This book systematically explores all aspects of the human fascination with the unknowable, from hauntings and the power of the mind to physical mysteries such as lost civilizations, ancient superstitions and symbols, and the persistent ideas about life from other planets.

Real Cheesy Facts About: U.S. Presidents

by Camille Smith Platt

The stingiest, rudest, bravest, and fattest U.S. presidents are among the factual treasures presented in this trivia book on America's most distinguished office. The Real Cheesy Facts series is great for school, travel, bathroom reading, gift giving, or just for fun. These entertaining trivia books reveal hilarious, silly, and outright preposterous facts about famous people, places, and events.

Work: The World in Photographs

by Ferdinand Protzman

This fascinating, wide-ranging volume presents a wonderfully varied group portrait of people at work in great cities and tiny villages; in 19th-century China and 21st-century New York; in fields, factories, food carts, four-star restaurants, and just about everywhere else we earn our keep. Work is a subject that is both worldwide and personal. It is a shared endeavor at the very core of our identity. From the glamour of a Parisian fashion show to the grit of an African diamond mine, there are countless ways to make a living. The book illuminates scores of them, many in never before published large photographs, offering revealing glimpses into various eras and cultures.

Voyage of the Turtle

by Carl Safina

Leatherbacks, the closest thing we have to a living dinosaur, can weigh over a ton and range the oceans to nesting sites on beaches along the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards. Safina travels to many of these sites, bringing the reader into the turtles' world as he describes how the females leave the ocean, cross sandy beaches, dig huge pits using their flippers as spades, lay their eggs and then creep back into the sea. He shows how precarious this world is; nature's dangers are always present, but it is human activities that threaten the turtles with extinction. There are remedies but these take time to implement, and time is running out for the turtles.

Climate Change

by Shelley Tanaka

Climate change has been called the single greatest threat facing the planet, but there is little consensus about how to deal with it. The problem is vast, the science complex, and the economic, political, and social implications of taking action are immense. It is an issue of particular importance to young adults, who will inherit the consequences created by today’s policy makers. This book addresses the key questions surrounding this issue: What is the basic science behind climate change? Why is it difficult for people to accept what is going on? What is going to happen in the future, and what can be done about it?

Reduced Shakespeare

by Reed C. Martin and Austin Tichenor

Love Shakespeare? You’ll like this book. Hate Shakespeare? You’ll love this book. From the theatrical company that has been cutting the Bard down to size for more than a dozen years comes a slim volume boasting everything you always wanted to know about William Shakespeare’s life and work but couldn’t be bothered to ask. This book delivers the plays, the life, and the leg in twelve easy pieces. What’s the theme of Hamlet? Poop or get off the pot. What’s essential preparation for an evening of outdoor Shakespeare? Bring lots of coffee and use the bathroom before the show. Liberally sprinkled with lists, definitions, quizzes, essential vocabulary, irreverence and wit, this "reduced" handbook will delight enthusiasts, skeptics, and fledgling fans alike.

The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won

by Stephen E. Ambrose

Ambrose, one of the finest historians of our time, has written an extraordinary chronicle of World War II for young readers. From Japanese warplanes soaring over Pearl Harbor, dropping devastation from the sky, to the against-all-odds Allied victory at Midway, to the Battle of the Bulge during one of the coldest winters in Europe's modern history, to the tormenting decision to bomb Nagasaki and Hiroshima with atomic weapons, The Good Fight brings the most horrific -- and most heroic -- war in history to a new generation in a way that's never been done before.

Invisible Invaders: Dangerous Infectious Diseases

by Connie Goldsmith

Epidemiology, the study of how diseases are spread, is at that heart of this book. Goldsmith breaks the book into discussions of types of diseases. She writes a chapter on bacterial, and two on viral diseases, as well as one on parasites and prions. Finally, for those of us who are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the bad news, her last chapter is titled "Diagnosing the future: Good News for the World's Health." Even in the less cheerful parts of the book, Goldsmith's lively writing keeps one moving, examining the diseases and their effect on the human body.

Pick Me Up

by David Roberts

Teens, parents, teachers, and readers of all ages: It's time for a reference book revolution! And Pick Me Up is here to do just that; revolutionize the way teens learn about history, science, nature, and culture outside of the classroom. The book is organized like a miscellany, inspired by the internet, styled like a video game, and informed by pop culture. It's filled with fun information about history science, nature, geography and culture such as: What would do more damage to a kitchen floor, a lady in stilettos or a 3 ton elephant? There are 885 native speakers of Mandarin Chinese but how many people speak Bangali? What would a Viking girl post on her blog? Pick up Pick Me Up and find out!

Genocide: Modern Crimes Against Humanity

by Brendan January

A trial opens in Iraq, exploring poison gas used on hundreds of thousands of Kurds; Sudanese government officials decline UN peacekeepers; PolPot victims discuss potential reconciliation panels; Nazis march in Madison, Wisconsin; and a restaurant named Hitler's Cross opens in Bombay. If ever there was a pressing need for a book like this one, the time is now. January gives young readers a sensitive, solid framework with which to comprehend multiple facets of genocide, from etymology of the term to acknowledging deniers of the Holocaust. The slim volume devotes chapters to separate examples of genocide, historic and contemporary.

Suicide Bombers

by Elaine Landau

Starting with an exploration of perceived differences between suicide (not sanctioned by Islam) and martyrdom, Landau moves on to discuss characteristics and motives of both male and female bombers. Psychiatrists, scholars, terrorist leaders, and young people themselves suggest varying motivations, ranging from intense piety, to hunger for revenge on occupiers, and pressure of personal problems. All agree that the promise of posthumous glory in their society and immortality in paradise are powerful magnets. Surprisingly, many suicide bombers are from educated, middle class families, idealistic and compassionate before they commit to martyrdom. The book contains extremely chilling information providing for excellent discussion.

Stumbling on Happiness

by Daniel Gilbert

A smart and funny book by a prominent Harvard psychologist which uses groundbreaking research and (often hilarious) anecdotes to show us why we're so lousy at predicting what will make us happy and what we can do about it. Most of us spend our lives steering ourselves toward the best of all possible futures, only to find that tomorrow rarely turns out as we had expected. Gilbert explains when people try to imagine what the future will hold, they make some basic and consistent mistakes. Just as memory plays tricks on us when we try to look backward in time, so does imagination play tricks when we try to look forward.

Exploring the Unexplained

by Time Magazine

Time explores the most challenging and enduring mysteries of heaven and earth, life and death, space and time, mind and matter in this fascinating new book. This richly illustrated volume will take readers on a marvelous journey into the unknown. From Bigfoot to the Bermuda Triangle, aliens to yetis, dowsing to the Da Vinci Code, telepathy to Crossing Over, TIME will separate truth from rumor and fiction from fantasy.

Saving the Buffalo

by Albert Marrin

Saving the Buffalo explores the astonishing fate of these huge animals. There is no simple answer to their near extinction. The interplay of natural forces and people, both Native Americans and settlers, played a critical role in the story of this American symbol. Many thousands of buffalo roamed the Great Plains for centuries. The first Native Americans had more than 100 uses for the buffalo, but only killed as many as they needed.

First Robots: Behind the Design

by Vince Wilczynski and Stephanie Slezycki

30 award winning robots from the First Robotics Competition, are featured in this book. The most interesting presentation, of course, is on pages 124-133 which highlights our very own Wildstangs Robotics! Team profiles document the design and development process that transforms innovative ideas into sophisticated, high-performing robots. Full color photographs, blueprints, and CAD drawings are included. Team member names are listed in the index.

Grief Girl: My True Story

by Erin Vincent

Imagine that you're going through one of the hardest parts of your life, being a teenager, when your parents are killed in a horrific car crash. Now you, your 17 year-old sister, and your three-year-old brother are on your own.

Imagine what that would be like. Then read this book and find out.

Why the French Don't Like Headscarves

by John R. Bowen

The French government's 2004 decision to ban Islamic headscarves and other religious signs from public schools puzzled many observers, both because it seemed to infringe needlessly on religious freedom, and because it was hailed by many in France as an answer to a surprisingly wide range of social ills, from violence against females in poor suburbs to anti-Semitism. Bowen explains why headscarves on schoolgirls caused such a furor, and why the furor yielded this law. Making sense of the dramatic debate from his perspective he writes about everyday life and public events while also presenting interviews with officials and intellectuals, and analyzing French television programs and other media.

Real College Essays That Work

by Edward B. Fiske and Bruce Hammond

Every fall, thousands of aspiring students just like you spend hours staring into a computer screen, searching for a clever opening line or a life-changing experience. A good essay does not need to be a literary masterpiece, or a scholarly treatise. The best essays come from high school students being themselves, with all the depth, wit, charm and quirkiness you bring to your daily life. College admission experts Fiske and Hammond give you all the advice you need for an application essay that will open the door of the college of you choice. This book includes samples from both great and not-so-great writers, and describes how to take your essay from initial draft to final submission.

You Are Not Alone

by Lynne B. Hughes

Loss is one of the most isolating experiences there is, and kids who have lost a parent feel especially different than those around them. Comfort Zone Camp was founded as a safe place for grieving children, and now this very special healing experience can reach an even larger audience of children and the people who care for them. Through frank and accessible testimonials, Lynne Hughes and the kids of CZC share the most difficult parts of their losses and offer their own experiences of what helps, what doesn't, what "stinks," and ways to stay connected to their loved ones.