New Books, Films, Databases, and other Resources: March 2013

A stunning investigation of the roots of the first moon landing forty years ago. This illuminating story of the dawn of the space age reaches back to the reactionary modernism of the Third Reich, using the life of "rocket scientist" Wernher von Braun as its narrative path through the crumbling of Weimar Germany and the rise of the Nazi regime. Von Braun, a blinkered opportunist who could apply only tunnel vision to his meteoric career, stands as an archetype of myriad twentieth century technologists who thrived under regimes of military secrecy and unlimited money. His seamless transformation from developer of the deadly V-2 ballistic missile for Hitler to an American celebrity as the supposed genius behind the golden years of the U.S. space program in the 1950s and 1960s raises haunting questions about the culture of the Cold War, the shared values of technology in totalitarian and democratic societies, and the imperatives of material progress.

In 1692, when witch trials gripped the community of Salem, Massachusetts, 26 children were accused as witches, exiled, and left for dead. Fourteen of them survived. "The Survivors" is the first installment of the tantalizing tales of the 14 ill-fated survivors and their descendants, who have been content in hiding for more than three centuries.

A leading authority in gender studies profiles American males between the ages of sixteen and twenty-six, offering insight into their belief systems, relationships, and preferences, in a report that also discusses the sources of violent and deviant behaviors. By the author of Manhood in America: A Cultural History.

In the early 1950s, New York City's teachers and professors became the targets of massive investigations into their political beliefs and associations. Those who refused to cooperate in the questioning were fired. Some had undoubtedly been communists, and the Communist Party-USA certainly made its share of mistakes, but there was never evidence that the accused teachers had abused their trust. Some were among the most brilliant, popular, and dedicated educators in the city. Priests of Our Democracy tells of the teachers and professors who resisted the witch hunt, those who collaborated, and those whose battles led to landmark Supreme Court decisions. It traces the political fortunes of academic freedom beginning in the late 19th century, both on campus and in the courts. Combining political and legal history with wrenching personal stories, the book details how the anti-communist excesses of the 1950s inspired the Supreme Court to recognize the vital role of teachers and professors in American democracy. The crushing of dissent in the 1950s impoverished political discourse in ways that are still being felt, and First Amendment academic freedom, a product of that period, is in peril today. In compelling terms, this book shows why the issue should matter to every American.

Ms. Mentor, that uniquely brilliant and irascible intellectual, is your all-knowing guide through the jungle that is academia today. In the last decade Ms. Mentors mailbox has been filled to overflowing with thousands of plaintive epistles, rants, and gossipy screeds. A mere fraction has appeared in her celebrated monthly online and print Q&A columns for the "Chronicle of Higher Education"; her readers colorful and rebellious ripostes have gone unpublished--until now.Hearing the call for a follow-up to the wildly successful "Ms. Mentors Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia," Ms. Mentor now broadens her counsel to include academics of the male variety. Ms. Mentor knows all about foraging for jobs, about graduate school stars and serfs, and about mentors and underminers, backbiters and whiners. She answers burning questions: Am I too old, too working class, too perfect, too blonde? When should I reproduce? When do I speak up, laugh, and spill the secrets Ive gathered? Do I really have to erase my own blackboard? Does academic sex have to be reptilian?From the ivory tower that affords her an unparalleled view of the academic landscape, Ms. Mentor dispenses her perfect wisdom to the huddled masses of professorial newbies, hardbitten oldies, and anxious midcareerists. She gives etiquette lessons to academic couples and the tough-talking low-down on adjunct positions. She tells you what to wear, how to make yourself popular, and how to decode academic language.She introduces you to characters you must know: Professor Pelvic, Dr. Iron Fist, Mr. Upstart Whelp, Dean Titan, Professor McShameless.In this volume Ms. Mentor once again shares her wide-ranging unexpurgated wisdom, giving tips on bizarre writing rituals, tenure diaries, and time management (Exploding Head Syndrome). She decodes department meetings and teaches you the tricks for getting stellar teaching evaluations.Raw, shocking, precise, clever, absurd--Ms. Mentor has it all.

Attorney Calvin Dexter hangs his shingle in a quiet New Jersey town, has a reasonably successful practice, and takes the hills strong while triathalon training. But Dexter is no ordinary man. The summer before he goes to college, Ricky Colenso travels to Bosnia to volunteer as an aid worker. A few weeks later, he disappears and is never heard from again. A family grieves and is offered little hope--in the fog of that horrible time and place, the killer, too, has vanished. Or so it would seem. For in a world that has forgotten right and wrong, there are few like Cal Dexter who can settle the score. And so, years later, a worldwide chase is on and Dexter begins to draw a net around the killer. But this time CIA agent Paul Devereux must find a way to stop Dexter before his quest for vengeance throws the world into chaos.

Cast ashore in the American colonies, the Frasers are faced with a bleak choice: return to a Scotland fallen into famine and poverty, or seize the risky chance of a new life in the New World—menaced by Claire's certain knowledge of the coming Revolution. Still, a highlander is born to risk—and so is a time-traveler. Their daughter, Brianna, is safe—they think—on the other side of a dangerous future; their lives are their own to venture as they will. With faith in themselves and in each other, they seek a new beginning among the exiled Scottish Highlanders of the Cape Fear, in the fertile river valleys of the Colony of North Carolina. Even in the New World, though, the Frasers find their hope of peace threatened from without and within; by the British Crown and by Jamie's aunt, Jocasta MacKenzie, last of the MacKenzies of Leoch. A hunger for freedom drives Jamie to a Highlander's only true refuge: the mountains. And here at last, with no challenge to their peace—save wild animals, Indians, and the threat of starvation—the Frasers establish a precarious foothold in the wilderness, secure in the knowledge that even war cannot invade their mountain sanctuary. But history spares no one, and when Brianna follows her mother into the past, not even the mountains can shelter a Highlander. For Brianna too has an urgent quest: not only to find the mother she has lost and the father she has never met, but to save them both from a future that only she can see.

After the all-powerful wizard Susnam Evyndd is defeated during battle, the world is plunged into darkness. If the spell is not quickly reversed, all plants will die off from lack of sun, until everythingand everyoneis destroyed. Yet Evyndds death sets off his last and greatest spell, transforming his household pets into humans. With Evyndds instructions, the group sets out to return light to the world.

"In the heart of modern-day L.A., Frances Oliver practices the arts and skills of the deathmaiden. Four years of intensive training at the Institute for Eternal Living and membership in the Society of Deathmaidens have well prepared her for the role. But the woman who knows so much about helping the dying cross over is about to discover just how little she knows about life ... when someone uses her - and all she stands for - to commit cold-blooded murder." "He is only a little boy, a Mexican child by the name of Tomas Gomez. Left in a persistent vegetative state by massive head trauma, he has been sent home from Abbot Kinney Medical Center to die. Yet from the moment she touches him, Frances senses that Tomas is not brain-dead at all, but only too frightened of something or someone to wake up." "Elated at the possibility of bringing him out of his coma, she briefly leaves his bedside. It is a lapse in judgement that will haunt her for the rest of her life. For when Frances returns, she bears witness to Tomas's final breath. And then, before she can even begin to get over the shock of losing him, a frantic doctor and his medics descend upon Tomas's small body and spirit it away." "As a deathmaiden, Frances saw into the boy's future. She knew that it wasn't his time to die. Who would kill an innocent child and why? Filled with rage and aching regret, Frances vows to uncover the truth. It will be a shattering journey fraught with danger and betrayal that will take her from the sterile corridors of a state-of-the-art biogenetics lab to the dense jungles of Mexico and back. There she will learn what they never taught her in school: Instincts can fail you, passions can blind you, and evil can wear the most noble face."

Anna Lutz Abbot thinks she has her independence, and therefore her happiness, intact. She is a capable woman, a sensible woman, not someone given to risky living. This all seems to be true enough until her lovely daughter returns from college for the summer a very different person, her wild and wonderful ex-husband arrives, and her flamboyant new best friend takes up with her daddy, turning a hot summer into a steaming one--only to be cranked up another ten degrees by Anna's own fling with Arthur, who is, heaven help us, a Yankee. All the action unfolds under the watchful eyes of Miss Mavis and Miss Angel, her next-door neighbors of a certain age, who have plenty to say about Anna's past, present, and future.

"Rescued from freezing London by an assignment in the West Indies, Jemima Shore looks forward to a straightforward story, sunshine and rum punch, and maybe a little moonlight and romance. Instead she finds herself embroiled in the heated politics of an all-too-extended family in the title story. An impromptu recitation of the ballad "The Tragedy of Sir Patrick Spens" sparks another tragedy in the hallowed halls of academe in "The Blude-Red Wine." Jemima takes a working holiday among those seeking a fresh start to life in "Cry-by-Night" but finds violent death is no respecter of new ventures. In "Getting to Know You," the intrepid reporter gains firsthand knowledge of the subject of two of her exposes - and nearly loses her life." "Antonia Fraser proves herself equally at home exploring the dark hearts and lethal secrets on the other side of the law. In "Out for the Countess," a jealous wife thrills to the beauty of an operatic tale of betrayal and suffering, while engineering an equally dramatic revenge for the lovers who wronged her. A pair of elderly siblings contrive a bet with fatal results in the darkly comic "House Poison." Noisy campers, quantities of Greek wine, and a sensual sunbather become entangled in holiday unpleasantness - but, after all, "The Moon Was to Blame."

“In 1939, as the armies of Europe mobilized for war, the British secret services undertook operations to impede the exportation of Roumanian oil to Germany. They failed. “Then, in the autumn of 1940, they tried again.” So begins Blood of Victory, a novel rich with suspense, historical insight, and the powerful narrative immediacy we have come to expect from bestselling author Alan Furst. Blood of Victory is classic Alan Furst, combining remarkable authenticity and atmosphere with the complexity and excitement of an outstanding spy thriller. As Walter Shapiro of Time magazine wrote, “Nothing can be like watching Casablanca for the first time, but Furst comes closer than anyone has in years.”

A lawyer is a prestigious law firm, our heroine loathes the dry and dreadful room of law and has been leading a life well removed from the conventional one of appearances.

Filled with magic and quests, war and deception, fantastic cultures and exotic landscapes, and a most dynamic heroine, the Fool's Gold trilogy concludes. The three temperamental gods that rule this world are bound under a renegade magician. In their struggle to break free, they will change their world, affecting the fates of their peoples.

From award-winning literary author Thomas King (a.k.a. Hartley GoodWeather) comes a stylish mystery debut featuring ex-California cop Thumps DreadfulWater, a smart and savvy Cherokee Indian blessed with a killer wit.

Next to the incomparable Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman’s best-loved character is the mysterious Madame Karitska, who is blessed with a powerful gift of clairvoyance that attracts to her a stream of men and women craving help with their misfortunes, desperate to know what the future holds. . . . Once again Dorothy Gilman exercises her own uncanny power to render readers spellbound.

Forced as a child to flee the Nazis in Paris, Brouard was engaged in his latest project when he died: a museum in honor of those who resisted the German occupation of the island during World War II. It is from this period of time that his murderer may well have come. But there are others on Guernsey with reason to want Guy Brouard dead: his wives, his business associates, his current mistress, the underprivileged teenagers he mentored--any of whom might have harbored a secret motive for murder. As family and friends gather for the reading of the will, Deborah and Simon St. James find that seemingly everyone on the history-haunted island has something to hide. And behind all the lies and alibis, a killer is lurking. In order to bring this person to justice, the St. James must delve into Guernsey's dark history--both past and present--and into the troubled psyche of someone who may have exacted retribution for the most unspeakable crime of all.

When his partner and lover, Rainie Conner, vanishes during her investigation into the case of a missing foster child, private detective Pierce Quincy enlists the aid of his daughter Kimberly, a rookie FBI agent, to uncover the truth.

Jack Spratt and Mary Mary return in their second adventure from the inimitable Jasper Fforde Jack Spratt and Mary Mary take on their most dangerous case so far as a murderous cookie stalks the streets of Reading. The Gingerbreadman—psychopath, sadist, genius, and killer—is on the loose. But it isn’t Jack Spratt’s case. He and Mary Mary have been demoted to Missing Persons following Jack’s poor judgment involving the poisoning of Mr. Bun the baker. Missing Persons looks like a boring assignment until a chance encounter leads them into the hunt for missing journalist Henrietta “Goldy” Hatchett, star reporter for The Daily Mole. Last to see her alive? The Three Bears, comfortably living out a life of rural solitude in Andersen’s wood. But all is not what it seems. How could the bears’ porridge be at such disparate temperatures when they were poured at the same time? Why did Mr. and Mrs. Bear sleep in separate beds? Was there a fourth bear? And if there was, who was he, and why did he try to disguise Goldy’s death as a freak accident? Jack answers all these questions and a few others besides, rescues Mary Mary from almost certain death, and finally meets the Fourth Bear and the Gingerbreadman face-to-face.

A passionate student of Japanese poetry, theater, and art for much of her life, Gretel Ehrlich felt compelled to return to the earthquake-and-tsunami-devastated Tohoku coast to bear witness, listen to survivors, and experience their terror and exhilaration in villages and towns where all shelter and hope seemed lost. In an eloquent narrative that blends strong reportage, poetic observation, and deeply felt reflection, she takes us into the upside-down world of northeastern Japan, where nothing is certain and where the boundaries between living and dying have been erased by water. Facing the Wave is a testament to the buoyancy, spirit, humor, and strong-mindedness of those who must find their way in a suddenly shattered world.

A collection of puppet plays, skits, and plays with suggestions for successfully playing a role in each type of production.

This inspiring guide explores the importance of credibility in building personal and organizational success. It reveals the six key disciplines and related practices that strengthen a leader's capacity for developing and sustaining this critical attribute.

The magic mushrooms.--The frog prince.--The magic shoes.--Why the sea is salt.--The princess and the pea.--Snow White and the seven dwarfs.--Pinocchio.--The reluctant dragon.--Jack and the beanstalk.--The tinderbox.--Alice's adventures in Wonderland.--The Wizard of Oz.--How to produce a puppet show.

This book is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide that tells readers about the following aspects of storytelling: sources & types of stories; how to gear stories toward children of different ages & interests; techniques for remembering & adapting stories; & how to utilize personal experiences to create new stories. Provides specific tips on tone, pacing, & atmosphere; examines how storytelling leads to a wide range of other creative activities; & features a new section on storytelling & environmentalism, with information on creating stories that foster environmental awareness.

Twenty-first-century ministry is a construction zone, and pastors must continually assess the road ahead and avoid destructive barriers to lead effectively. Stan Toler, America's pastor to pastors, offers rich insight and generous affirmation that will enlighten, encourage, and equip anyone involved in local church ministry. Based on more than thirty years of leading healthy, growing churches, Stan offers practical advice on 75 ministry topics covering every aspect of ministry from personal growth to effective leadership.

An easy-to-follow introduction to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as it pertains to the spiritual life. Includes spirituality questionnaire. Can be used with small groups.

Ministry with persons who are deaf, late-deafened, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind

In this first volume of Stories by Teenagers, we invited students to send us stories that relate to the question, "What has been your most memorable experience ofgood coming out of a bad situation,of kindness in the midst of ugliness, or growth in the midst of difficulty?" In these stories, young people show the extraordinary strength and vision required to draw good out of bad situations. "My experiences as a child were not always pleasant. I have seen things that no child should ever have to see. I was a little girl who grew up too fast for her own good. But the suffering has made me the person I am today. I value life and people. I am more sensitive to the needs of others, and I think I am more understanding of other people's suffering. My life experiences have proven that through the dark shadows of life we can grow emotionally and learn to love." (Neha Lall) Award:I Know Things Now was a finalist in the category Young Adult Non-Fiction for the Small Press Book Award in 1997.

"In Table Talk Sidney Farr broadens her earlier spectrum of Appalachian life. Moving beyond her personal experience, she interviews a wide array of people from several states - Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Indiana. Some still live in the mountains, while others have moved away. In their own words, they convey the flavor of olden-day mountain life: "back home" kitchens, the warmth from wood-burning stoves, the smell of coffee simmering and biscuits baking, and the family gathered around the kitchen table to talk and eat."

Dr. James Fowler has talked with men, women, and children of all ages, from four to eighty-eight, including Jews, Catholics, Protestants, agnostics, and atheists. In many cases, the interviews became in-depth conversations that provided rare, intimate glimpses into the various ways our lives have meaning and purpose, windows into what this books calls faith. Faith, as approached here, is not necessarily religious, nor is it to be equated with belief. Rather, faith is a persons way of leaning into and making sense of life. More verb that noun, faith is the dynamic system of images, values, and commitments that guide one's life. It is thus universal: everyone who chooses to go on living operated by some basic faith. Building on the contributions of such key thinkers as Piaget, Erikson, and Kohlberg, Fowler draws on a wide range of scholarship, literature, and firsthand research to present expertly and engagingly the six stages that emerge in working out the meaning of our lives--from the intuitive, imitative faith of childhood through conventional and then more independent faith to the universalizing, self-transcending faith of full maturity. Stages of Faith helps us to understand our own pilgrimage of faith, the passages of our own quest for meaning and value.

This is a manual for quick and convenient access to the spectrum of administrative and managerial tasks that face youth workers every day with a companion CD-ROM that includes not only a student contact database, but all the book's forms in editable format.

Of the four works in the Ringcycle, Gotterdammerungis perhaps the grandest and most sweeping of all. Wagner began composing the musical drafts of Gotterdammerungin 1869. Five years later, the work was complete the capstone of an epic masterpiece that aroused near-religious fervor among its devotees. Available in U.S. only in this edition. Reprinted directly from rare 1877 first edition.

Musical Score
For solo voices and chorus (SATB).
Piano accompaniment for rehersal only.

Musical Score, vocal score and piano

For male narrator, unison men's chorus, and orchestra; acc. arr. for piano.
Text for narrator in English and German; text for chorus in Hebrew (transliterated).
Cover title.

For soprano, alto, tenor & bass soli, SATB & orchestra
Words selected from the Holy Scripture
Arranged for performance with organ or for piano rehearsal as well as orchestral ccompaniment

The music by Johann Sebastian Bach. Translated and adapted by J. Troutbeck, from the original German text of St. Luke II:1-21 and St. Matthew II:1-12. Edited by Max Spicker. Vocal score.

music by Frederick Loewe ; book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner ; based on The once and future king by T.H. White ; vocal score edited by Franz Allers ; piano reduction by Trude Rittman.

The third opera in Wagner's monumental tetralogy,Der Ring des Nibelungen, is reproduced here, complete and unabridged, from the first edition (1876). Wagner enthusiasts, opera lovers and musicians will appreciate this affordable edition of an influential Romantic-era masterpiece.

This edition of Wagner's magnificent lyric opera reproduces the original 1845 full orchestral and vocal score as slightly amended in 1847. Included is the ballet music for Act One written for the 1861 Paris production. Considered the standard version, it is improved with clear, modern engraving and large, legible notations for easy reading and study.

One of Wagner's most popular operas, perhaps his most accessible, and a masterwork of vocal and instrumental writing. Reproduced directly from the first engraved edition, published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1887. Also includes a new translation of the dedication —nbsp;a letter from Wagner to Liszt —and other German-language frontmatter.

A striking display of musical atmospheric color based on the Oscar Wilde play,Salomewas Strauss' first great operatic success, and now ranks among the seminal works of 20th-century music-drama. This large-sized edition is nothing if not definitive: it reprints Strauss' own copy, signed by his publisher, and doubtless the one the composer used on the podium.

Tragodie in einem Aufzuge von Hugo von Hofmannsthal ; English version by Alfred Kalisch ; Klavierauszug von Carl Besl.
Vocal Score

libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal ; story adaptation by Anthony Burgess ; introduction by George R. Marek ; general editor, Robert Sussman Stewart.

Facsimiles of early song editions and program of Paul Green's The Stephen Foster story.
"Thirteenth season - 1971" [p. 25]
For unspecified voice and piano.
Cover title.
Includes cast list and historical notes by Fletcher Hodges, Jr. and Isaac Van Grove.
Additional lyrics printed as text following some selections.

The English National Opera Guides were originally conceived in partnership with the English National Opera and edited by Nicholas John, the ENO's dramaturg. Most of the guides are devoted to a single opera, which is described in detail with many articles that cover its history and information about the composer and his times. The complete libretto is included in both the original language and in a modern singing translation, except where the opera was written in English. Each has a thematic guide to the most important musical themes in musical notation and is lavishly illustrated. They also contain a bibliography and a discography which is updated at each reprint. The ENO guides are widely regarded as the best series of their kind and excellent value.

Complete score of Beethoven's only opera in one affordable volume, including all spoken German dialogue. Beethoven's genius for orchestration is combined with the drama of the human voice in choruses, duets, emotion-filled arias, and an intense finale. Unabridged republication of the work as published by C. F. Peters, Leipzig, n.d.

The most comprehensive collection available, this songbook includes selections from every one of Gilbert and Sullivan's light operas. Ninety-two numbers are presented uncut and unedited, in their original keys, and in piano arrangements authorized by Sullivan himself. Includes brief plot synopses for each opera plus 3 black-and-white illustrations. 

Reprinted from the definitive Haydn Society edition, these five works form the bridge between Haydn's "Paris" and "London" symphonies, clearly demonstrating the composer's originality of themes and melodies, the spontaneity of his ideas, and the clearness of his compositions. Includes large, readable noteheads, ample margins for fingerings, and extensive Editor's Commentary.

Considered the first Romantic opera, this masterpiece of dramatic representation, orchestration, and melodious music influenced the entire progress of dramatic music. This edition reproduces the full orchestral score in a clear, modern engraving for easy reading and study, with large legible notation. The Complete German text, including all spoken dialogue, accompanies the music.

Vocal scores with piano
Also called Enfance du Christ

For solo voices (SSATB), mixed chorus and keyboard; acc. originally for orchestra.
Latin words.
Supplementary edition to: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke / Johann Sebastian Bach ; Serie II, Bd. 1.
Duration: 135 min.

No photographer had a more serious and deeply felt response to the political and cultural impact of the 1960s and early 1970s than Richard Avedon, whose iconic portraits of key figures of the era influenced the course of photography in the decades that followed. In four monumental photographic murals (reproduced in large gatefolds) and many related portraits, he portrayed Andy Warhol’s gender-bending Factory, with Viva and Candy Darling; Abbie Hoffman and the radical agitators of the Chicago Seven; Allen Ginsberg’s family, friends, and fellow artists; and the U.S. Mission Council in Saigon alongside searing portraits of victims of the Vietnam War. The photographs are accompanied by images of archival material, including Avedon’s diaries, correspondence, and contact prints. Major essays explore Avedon’s penetrating incursions into the history and spirit of these tumultuous years. Praise forAvedon: Murals and Portraits: “The past season has given us some memorable photography shows in the city’s museums and galleries. None have been better—technically more audacious, emotionally more varied, ethically more unanswering—than this one.” —New York Times

This stunning collection showcases the father of photojournalism, Robert Capa's most famous pieces as well as some recently re-discovered images. His fearless chronicles of the Allied landings gained him enormous critical and public acclaim: he remains one of the most iconic and legendary photographers of all time.

Spain had been one of the world’s most tolerant societies for eight hundred years, but that way of life was wiped out by the Inquisition. Isabel’s family feels safe from the terrors, torture, and burnings. After all, her father is a respected physician in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Isabel was raised as a Catholic and doesn’t know that her family’s Jewish roots may be a death sentence. When her father is arrested by Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor, she makes a desperate plan to save his life – and her own.   Once again, master storyteller Eva Wiseman brings history to life in this riveting and tragic novel.

A young girl learns a new meaning for freedom during the time of Reconstruction Ellen always knew the broom resting above the hearth was special. Before it was legal for her mother and father to officially be married, the broom was what made them a family anyway. But now all former slaves who had already been married in their hearts could register as lawful husband and wife. When Ellen and her family make the long trip to the courthouse dressed in their best, she brings the broom her parents had jumped so many years before. Even though freedom has come, Ellen knows the old traditions are important too. After Mama and Papa's names are recorded in the register, Ellen nearly bursts with pride as her parents jump the broom once again. Ellen is a wonderfully endearing character whose love for her family is brought to life in Daniel Minter's rich and eye-catching block print illustrations.

WINNER OF THE 2013 CALDECOTT MEDAL! From the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling and award-winning I Want My Hat Back comes a second wry tale. When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened. . . . Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale.

Illustrates the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., as they were presented in his "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963.

Now a "Kirkus Reviews" Best Childrens Book of 2012, a 2012 Horn Fanfare Book, and a 2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor book "a true standout...bright, witty, informative and cleverly organized as the man himself." - "The New York Times" A true Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin was the first American celebrity. In pictures and text, master artist Robert Byrd documents Franklins numerous and diverse accomplishments, from framing the Constitution to creating bifocals. The witty, wise, and endlessly curious Franklin is the perfect subject for Byrds lively style and vibrant art. The pages pulse with facts, quotes, and captions, while the inventive design and intricately detailed illustrations make a striking tribute to the brilliant American.

WINNER OF A 2013 GEISEL HONOR! Rabbit’s carefully planned visit with Robot doesn’t work out exactly as he imagined in this offbeat tale about two comically mismatched friends. Rabbit is excited: his friend Robot is coming to spend the night! Rabbit has left nothing to chance and has drawn up a list of all the things they will do. First off is making pizza, but Robot only likes nuts and bolts and screws on top (good thing he has magnetic hands). Next on the list is watching TV, but the remote is missing, and Rabbit is panicking! Will Robot find a logical (and rather obvious) solution to the problem? Number three is . . . uh-oh! Why is Robot lying down instead of playing Go Fish? And what is that message reading "BAT" printing out from a slot on his front? New readers who like silly stories will race through this funny adventure about a rabbit who likes to be in control and an obliging robot who calmly keeps their friendship humming.

"You only think you know this story. In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer, the most notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper, seared himself into the American consciousness. To the public, Dahmer was a monster who committed unthinkable atrocities. To Derf Backderf, 'Jeff' was a much more complex figure: a high school friend with whom he had shared classrooms, hallways, and car rides. In [this story], a haunting and original graphic novel, writer-artist Backderf creates a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young man struggling against the morbid urges emanating from the deep recesses of his psyche-- a shy kid, a teenage alcoholic, and a goofball who never quite fit in with his classmates. With profound insight, what emerges is a Jeffrey Dahmer that few ever really knew, and one readers will never forget.

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

After fifteen-year-old Rachel overhears her rabbi committing infidelity, she must come to terms with the fact that adults make mistakes, too--and that she is old enough to be held responsible for her own mistakes.

Newbery Honor and National Book Award-winning author Phillip Hoose tells the extraordinary story of one bird's strength, adaptability, and determination. National Book Award-winning author Phillip Hoose takes us around the hemisphere with the world's most celebrated shorebird, showing the obstacles rufa red knots face, introducing a worldwide team of scientists and conservationists trying to save them, and offering insights about what we can do to help shorebirds before it's too late. With inspiring prose, thorough research, and stirring images, Hoose explores the tragedy of extinction through the triumph of a single bird.  Moonbird  is one The Washington Post 's Best Kids Books of 2012.

On the night of October 6, 1998, a gay twenty-one-year-old college student named Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar by two young men, savagely beaten, tied to a remote fence, and left to die. Gay Awareness Week was beginning at the University of Wyoming, and the keynote speaker was Lesléa Newman, discussing her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Shaken, the author addressed the large audience that gathered, but she remained haunted by Matthew’s murder. October Mourning, a novel in verse, is her deeply felt response to the events of that tragic day. Using her poetic imagination, the author creates fictitious monologues from various points of view, including the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept him company, and Matthew himself. More than a decade later, this stunning cycle of sixty-eight poems serves as an illumination for readers too young to remember, and as a powerful, enduring tribute to Matthew Shepard’s life.

Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchetts Dodger, a Printz Honor Book, combines high comedy with deep wisdom in a tale of one remarkable boys rise in a fantasy-infused Victorian London. Seventeen-year-old Dodger is content as a sewer scavenger. But he enters a new world when he rescues a young girl from a beating, and her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England. From Dodgers encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd, to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.

Under the noses of the military, Georges Loinger smuggles thousands of children out of occupied France into Switzerland. In Belgium, three resisters ambush a train, allowing scores of Jews to flee from the cattle cars. In Poland, four brothers lead more than 1,200 ghetto refugees into the forest to build a guerilla force and self-sufficient village. And twelve-year-old Motele Shlayan entertains German officers with his violin moments before setting off a bomb. Through twenty-one meticulously researched accounts — some chronicled in book form for the first time — Doreen Rappaport illuminates the defiance of tens of thousands of Jews across eleven Nazi-occupied countries during World War II. In answer to the genocidal madness that was Hitler’s Holocaust, the only response they could abide was resistance, and their greatest weapons were courage, ingenuity, the will to survive, and the resolve to save others or to die trying.

The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants. Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late. Newbery Medal winner Laura Amy Schlitz’s Victorian gothic is a rich banquet of dark comedy, scorching magic, and the brilliant and bewitching storytelling that is her trademark.

In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb. Bombis a 2012 National Book Awards finalist for Young People’s Literature.

WAAAAA!  When Mira's wish for a sister at long last comes true, she's thrilled—but the new baby isn't exactly what she expected. Who knew someone so little could make so much noise! No matter what Mira or her parents do to soothe or amuse her, the baby's reaction is . . . WAAAAA! On the day of her simchat bat, her Jewish naming ceremony, the baby cries--as usual! That is, until Mira steps close to offer her own special gift and the inspiration for her parents' choice of the perfect name. Lesley Simpson's tale of a family adjusting to a welcome change is sweet and sassy and very funny. It's a universal story about families and siblings, as well as a glimpse into a lovely Jewish ritual for welcoming baby girls to the family and the community.

From Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court, comes this fascinating book about the history and evolution of the highest court in the land.

Out of Order sheds light on the centuries of change and upheaval that transformed the Supreme Court from its uncertain beginnings into the remarkable institution that thrives and endures today. From the early days of circuit-riding, when justices who also served as trial judges traveled thousands of miles per year on horseback to hear cases, to the changes in civil rights ushered in by Earl Warren and Thurgood Marshall; from foundational decisions such as Marbury vs. Madison to modern-day cases such as Hamdi vs. Rumsfeld, Justice O'Connor weaves together stories and lessons from the history of the Court, charting turning points and pivotal moments that have helped define our nation's progress.

With unparalleled insight and her unique perspective as a history-making figure, Justice O'Connor takes us on a personal exploration, painting vivid pictures of Justices in history, including Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., one of the greatest jurists of all time; Thurgood Marshall, whose understated and succinct style would come to transform oral argument; William O. Douglas, called "The Lone Ranger" because of his impassioned and frequent dissents; and John Roberts, whom Justice O'Connor considers to be the finest practitioner of oral argument she has ever witnessed in Court. We get a rare glimpse into the Supreme Court's inner workings: how cases are chosen for hearing; the personal relationships that exist among the Justices; and the customs and traditions, both public and private, that bind one generation of jurists to the next--from the seating arrangements at Court lunches to the fiercely competitive basketball games played in the Court Building's top-floor gymnasium, the so-called "highest court in the land."

Wise, candid, and assured, Out of Order is a rich offering of inspiring stories of one of our country's most important institutions, from one of our country's most respected pioneers.

The stunning follow-up volume to her 2007 Pulitzer Prize–winning Native Guard, by America’s new Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey’s poems are at once deeply personal and historical-exploring her own interracial and complicated roots-and utterly American, connecting them to ours. The daughter of a black mother and white father, a student of history and of the Deep South, she is inspired by everything from colonial paintings of mulattos and mestizos to the stories of people forgotten by history. Meditations on captivity, knowledge, and inheritance permeate Thrall, as she reflects on a series of small estrangements from her poet father and comes to an understanding of how, as father and daughter, they are part of the ongoing history of race in America. Thrall confirms not only that Natasha Trethewey is one of our most gifted and necessary poets but that she is also one of our most brilliant and fearless.

Published fall 2008. These books feature essays reprinted from a variety of sources. Each volume is arranged in three sections, with writings exploring the author's biography, a textual issue, and views on that issue. Drawing from different disciplines and point of view, the essays create a critical conversation rather than providing definitive answers, making decent starting points for student research. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. MLI

Provides background on American author Henry David Thoreau and the influences that shaped his life, features ten essays that explore the environment as portrayed in his classic work "Walden," and examines twenty-first-century perspectives on the environment.

Essays "explore race relations and other themes as portrayed by Paton in Cry, the Beloved Country as well as examine aspects of race relations in postapartheid South Africa today."

Discusses how Elie Wiesel's "Night" incorporates the topic of genocide, and gives a short background on both the author and instances of genocide occurring today.

Provides background on the life of American author John Steinbeck and the influences that shaped his life and work, features critical essays that explore industrialism as portrayed in his novel "The Grapes of Wrath," and examines issues of industrialism in the twenty-first century.

Published fall 2008. These books feature essays reprinted from a variety of sources. Each volume is arranged in three sections, with writings exploring the author's biography, a textual issue, and views on that issue. Drawing from different disciplines and point of view, the essays create a critical conversation rather than providing definitive answers, making decent starting points for student research. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. MLI

Collects essays debating the theme of justice in Miller's "The Crucible," with topics ranging from parallels with McCarthyism and governmental hysteria following the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Provides background on the life of Ernest Hemingway and the influences that shaped his life, features articles that explore gender roles as portrayed in his novel "The Sun Also Rises," and examines issues of gender roles in the twenty-first century.

Great literary works resonate with readers not only because of well-developed characters and plots, but also because they often reflect important social themes. The Social Issues in Literature series brings together the disciplines of sociology and literature in a unique format designed to support cross-curricular studies. Each volume explores a work of literature through the lens of the major social issue reflected in it, and features carefully-selected content representing a variety of perspectives. All volumes in the series contain biographical and critical information about the author; secondary excerpts offering both historical and contemporary views of the highlighted social issue; a timeline of the author's life a For Further Reading section of other works on the issue; and a detailed subject index. Book jacket.

Discussions include how the protagonist's female gender affects reaction to the book's coming-of-age message, how themes of oppression and marginalization play out among the characters, and what Esperanza's personality says about her relationships to males in the novel.

Explores The Chocolate War through the lens of peer pressure.

Published fall 2008. These books feature essays reprinted from a variety of sources. Each volume is arranged in three sections, with writings exploring the author's biography, a textual issue, and views on that issue. Drawing from different disciplines and point of view, the essays create a critical conversation rather than providing definitive answers, making decent starting points for student research. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. MLI

Discusses Shakespeare's background, Macbeth and power, and the contemporary perspectives on the drive for power.

Collection of essays discussing whether Mark Twain's book is racist, the issue of race in the novel itself, and race relations in 21st century America.

Presents essays that examine racism and other related issues in "To Kill a Mockingbird," discussing such topics as new and old Southern values, and the connection between class, gender, and racial prejudice.

Presents essays that examine racism and other related issues in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," discussing such topics as race and gender, humor and folklore, and death and rebirth.

Published fall 2008. These books feature essays reprinted from a variety of sources. Each volume is arranged in three sections, with writings exploring the author's biography, a textual issue, and views on that issue. Drawing from different disciplines and point of view, the essays create a critical conversation rather than providing definitive answers, making decent starting points for student research. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. MLI

Presents essays that examine psychological disorders featured in the works of Edgar Allan Poe discussing such topics as obsession, sadism, and motiveless murder.

Published fall 2008. These books feature essays reprinted from a variety of sources. Each volume is arranged in three sections, with writings exploring the author's biography, a textual issue, and views on that issue. Drawing from different disciplines and point of view, the essays create a critical conversation rather than providing definitive answers, making decent starting points for student research.

A series of articles by different authors that discuss issues related to John Steinbeck's Of mice and men.

"Background on Rachel Carson; The Environment in Silent Spring; Contemporary Perspectives on the Environment"--

Violence and the breakdown of civilization are explored through the lens of Lord of the flies with a variety of perspectives presented.

Discusses how war is presented in the novel The red badge of courage, and the American experience of war in general.

Presents essays that examine women's issues in "The Joy Luck Club," discussing such topics as gender and ethnic identity, female empowerment, cultural conflict, and stereotypes about immigrant women.

Great literary works resonate with readers not only because of well-developed characters and plots, but also because they often reflect important social themes. The Social Issues in Literature series brings together the disciplines of sociology and literature in a unique format designed to support cross-curricular studies. Each volume explores a work of literature through the lens of the major social issue reflected in it, and features carefully-selected content representing a variety of perspectives. All volumes in the series contain biographical and critical information about the author; secondary excerpts offering both historical and contemporary views of the highlighted social issue; a timeline of the author's life; a "For Further Reading" section of other works on the issue; and a detailed subject index. Book jacket.

A collection of twenty-three essays that examines the social issues present in Upton Sinclair's classic novel "The Jungle," and includes a chronology of Sinclair's life and works.

Great literary works resonate with readers not only because of well-developed characters and plots, but also because they often reflect important social themes. The Social Issues in Literature series brings together the disciplines of sociology and literature in a unique formate designed to support cross-curricular studies. Each volume explores a work of literature through the lens of the major social issues reflected in it, and features carefully-selected content representing a variety of perspectives. All volumes in the series contain biographical and critical information about the author; secondary excerpts offering both historical and contemporary views of the highlighted social issue; a timeline of the author's life; a "For Further Reading" section of other works on the issue; and a detailed subject index. Book jacket.

A collection of essays that explore issues in Chinua Achebe's work Things fall apart.

This title offers an in-depth examination of bioethics as presented in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World, as well as contemporary perspectives on this issue. Discussions include the misuse of science for power gains, the balance of good and evil inherent in certain scientific endeavors, the dangers of overpopulation, the idea of trading freedom for happiness, and the relationship between genetic science and civil liberties.

Essays discussing censorship in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.

By marrying the disciplines of sociology and literature, the Social Issues in Literature series meets the need for materials supporting curriculum integration. Each title in this distinctive new series examines an important literary work through the lens of a major social issue. Focusing on the most-studied titles in high school curricula, each volume offers unique perspectives on both the work and the social issue that it explores.

Presents essays that examine civil rights in "Native Son," including the cost of oppression, the search for black identity, and how racism has evolved in society today.

Provides background on the life of English novelist George Orwell and his influences, features eleven articles that explore the abuse of power in his novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four," and examines issues of the abuse of power in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Offers an in-depth examination of bioethics as presented in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as well as contemporary perspectives on this issue.

Sex, seduction, and the perfect marriage. Thought it may not have been the intent of Genesis 1-3, the biblical first couple has been used for generation to sell consumable goods and strange ideologies-both salacious and holy-to willing western buyers. In Enticed by Eden, Linda Schearing and Valarie Ziegler describe how both religious and secular groups have recast the archetypal images of Adam, Eve, and the Garden of Eden to fit contemporary cultural expectations. Consulting a broad range of cultural artifacts, Schearing and Ziegler demonstrate how the ancient family has been born again in the image of modern man, woman, and marketplace. Book jacket.

After the conquest of Mexico, colonial authorities attempted to enforce Christian beliefs among indigenous peoples--a project they envisioned as spiritual warfare. "The Invisible War" assesses this immense but dislocated project by examining all known efforts in Central Mexico to obliterate native devotions of Mesoamerican origin between the 1530s and the late eighteenth century. The authors innovative interpretation of these efforts is punctuated by three events: the creation of an Inquisition tribunal in Mexico in 1571; the native rebellion of Tehuantepec in 1660; and the emergence of eerily modern strategies for isolating idolaters, teaching Spanish to natives, and obtaining medical proof of sorcery from the 1720s onwards. Rather than depicting native devotions solely from the viewpoint of their colonial codifiers, this book rescues indigenous perspectives on their own beliefs. This is achieved by an analysis of previously unknown or rare ritual texts that circulated in secrecy in Nahua and Zapotec communities through an astute appropriation of European literacy. Tavarez contends that native responses gave rise to a colonial archipelago of faith in which local cosmologies merged insights from Mesoamerican and European beliefs. In the end, idolatry eradication inspired distinct reactions: while Nahua responses focused on epistemological dissent against Christianity, Zapotec strategies privileged confrontations in defense of native cosmologies.