United States

Materials from United States of America

The Whole Sky Full of Stars

Barry can punch anyone hard enough to make them see a whole sky full of stars, though that’s not really his style. Barry and Alby have been friends since the first grade. They’ve always protected one another. When Barry’s pop dies, times are tough and the only thing Barry has of value is his dad’s 1964 Ford Galaxie. Meanwhile Alby’s got himself into big trouble with a cardshark. So he hatches a plan to make money. To help out Barry, but also to help himself. The problem is, Barry could get hurt, and it just might cost Alby their friendship. How much can you ask of a friend?

The Penalty

Paul Faustino, known as the best soccer journalist in the business, reluctantly investigates the disappearance of 18-year-old Ricardo, a soccer prodigy known as “El Brujito,” while in alternate chapters a slave in old San Juan becomes a powerful voodoo priest.

Angelina’s Island

Every day, Angelina dreams of her home in Jamaica and imagines she is there, until her mother finds a wonderful way to convince her that New York is now their home.

SOS: Stories of Survival

The tales of the youngest survivors of disasters–teenage coal miners trapped deep below the surface of the earth in Springhill, Nova Scotia; children who ran to escape the poisonous exploding gases spewing from Mont Pelee on the island of Martinique; youngsters who rode the roofs of their homes in Pennsylvania’s roaring Johnstown flood and other survival stories.

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City

Life becomes more interesting for Ananka Fishbein when, at the age of twelve, she discovers an underground room in the park across from her New York City apartment and meets a mysterious girl called Kiki Strike who claims that she too wants to explore the subterranean world.

Bar Mitzvah: A Jewish Boy’s Coming Of Age

A resource for boys who are preparing for their own ceremonies or wondering what the ceremony feels like–provides the historic background of the bar mitzvah itself, describes its ceremonial objects and rituals, and recounts real-life stories.