Anne E. Schraff

"Explores the life of Ellen Ochoa, including her childhood in California, her rise through the ranks in NASA, several space shuttle missions, and becoming the first Latino woman in space"--Provided by publisher.

"Explores the life of math teacher Jaime Escalante, including his childhood in Bolivia, his road to teaching in the United States, and the innovative teaching techniques that made him an inspiration to his students"--Provided by publisher.

The extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson is illuminated as never before in this full-scale biography by Arnold Rampersad, who was chosen by Jack's widow, Rachel, to tell her husband's story, and was given unprecedented access to his private papers. We are brought closer than we have ever been to the great ballplayer, a man of courage and quality who became a pivotal figure in the areas of race and civil rights. We follow Robinson through World War II, when, in the first wave of racial integration in the armed forces, he was commissioned as an officer, then court-martialed after refusing to move to the back of a bus. After he plays in the Negro National League, we watch the opening of an all-American drama as, late in 1945, Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers recognized Jack as the right player to break baseball's color barrier - and the game was forever changed. Jack's never-before-published letters open up his relationship with his family, especially his wife, Rachel, whom he married just as his perilous venture of integrating baseball began. Her memories are a major resource of the narrative as we learn about the severe harassment Robinson endured from teammates and opponents alike; about death threats and exclusion; about joy and remarkable success. We follow his blazing career: 1947, Rookie of the Year; 1949, Most Valuable Player; six pennants in ten seasons, and in 1962, induction into the Hall of Fame. But sports were merely one aspect of his life. We see his business ventures, his leading role in the community, his early support of Martin Luther King Jr., his commitment to the civil rights movement at a crucial stage in its evolution; his controversial associations with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Humphrey, Goldwater, Nelson Rockefeller, and Malcolm X.

"Magical teen siblings Whit and Wisty Allgood struggle against a mounting public opposition to magic and a brutal crime wave led by a powerful wizard intent on ruling the City"-- Magical teen siblings Whit and Wisty struggle against mounting public opposition to magic and a brutal crime wave led by a powerful wizard intent on ruling the City. The plot contains profanity and graphic violence. The coauthor is Emily Raymond. Book #5

A compilation of the author's stories about failure and grace offers encouragement and hope.

Cindy struggles with a stormy relationship with her mother, ongoing trouble at school, a dangerous boyfriend, and worse. Will her fragile family survive?