With surprising honesty and words that resonate long after reading, A Hurricane in My Head tackles the themes of friendship, bullying, technology and the life of a modern teenager. These poems say the things we can't always put into words; they may make you laugh, they may make you cry, but they will most definitely make you reminisce, escape, discover... This is a truly stunning collection from Matt Abbott, nationally acclaimed writer and performer, with poems that will make you want to become a poet and put your own words to paper – much to the perplexity of any careers advisor!
With surprising honesty and words that resonate long after reading, A Hurricane in My Head tackles the themes of friendship, bullying, technology and the life of a modern teenager. These poems say the things we can't always put into words; they may make you laugh, they may make you cry, but they will most definitely make you reminisce, escape, discover... This is a truly stunning collection from Matt Abbott, nationally acclaimed writer and performer, with poems that will make you want to become a poet and put your own words to paper much to the perplexity of any careers advisor!
High school sophomore Miles Shaw goes to live with his father, a jazz musician, in New Orleans, and together they survive the horrors of Hurricane Katrina in the Superdome, learning about each other and growing closer through their painful experiences.
Celebrate feelings in all their shapes and sizes in this New York Times bestselling picture book from the Growing Hearts series! Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside, with language that is lyrical but also direct to empower readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. With whimsical illustrations and an irresistible die-cut heart that extends through each spread, this gorgeously packaged and unique feelings book is sure to become a storytime favorite.
"This is an excellent examination of the ways wealth, gender, and color can shape and at times create mental and emotional fractures. Verdict: A great title for public and high school libraries looking for books that offer a nuanced look at patriarchy, wealth, and gender dynamics." —School Library Journal (starred review) "Bromfield may have made a name for herself for her role on Riverdale, but with this debut, about a volatile father-daughter relationship and discovering the ugly truths hidden beneath even the most beautiful facades, she is establishing herself as a promising writer...this is a must." —Booklist (starred review) In this sweeping debut, Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane. Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica. When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him. In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise—all in the midst of an impending hurricane. Hurricane Summer is a powerful coming of age story that deals with colorism, classism, young love, the father-daughter dynamic—and what it means to discover your own voice in the center of complete destruction.
ThereÕs no denying it, media culture has ushered in a new era of visibility for gays in America. Yet somehow the gay Latino doesnÕt fit into this sound-bite identity and usually isnÕt included in national media images. Rane Arroyo offers a corrective. Known primarily as a poet and playwright representing the gay Latino community, Arroyo has also been publishing prose throughout his career and now gathers into this book a storm of writing that has been gaining strength, drop by drop, for more than ten years. How to Name a Hurricane collects short stories and other fictions depicting Latino drag queens and leather men, religious sinners and happy atheists, working class heroes and cyberspace vaquerosÑa parade of characters that invites readers to consider whether one is more authentic a gay Latino than another. Whereas actual hurricanes are given names, the gays given voice in this collection must name themselvesÑand these narratives in turn reveal something of the "I" of Hurricane Rane. Whether portraying a family gathering as Brideshead Revisited with a mambo soundtrack, recounting the relationship of transvestite Louie/Lois and her bisexual Superman, or bemoaning "feeling as unsexy as an old bean burrito in a 7-11 microwave," Arroyo tracks the heartbeat of his characters through a shimmering palette of styles. Here are monologues, a story in verse, and other experimental forms appropriate to experimental livesÑall affirming the basic human rights to dignity, equality, love, and even silliness. When the AIDS epidemic first hit, many Latino families destroyed any remembrances of their gay and bisexual sons that might betray their pasts to la familia or el pueblo. ArroyoÕs writings return the ghosts of those sons to the families, bars, dance clubs, and neighborhoods where they belong. By penetrating to the IÕs of narrative hurricanes, these stories honor the survivors of our ongoing cultural storms.
Sparrows in a Hurricane: One Family's Courage to Weather the Storm of Addiction and Mental Illness is a compelling and insightful memoir that demonstrates how children growing up with addicted and mentally ill parents can overcome obstacles and live productive and functional lives as adults. This story involves six Appalachian children who band together to survive and support one another through their parents' addiction and mental illness. The book illustrates how some of them escape the legacy of these diseases while others succumb to its grip.
Enjoy this tropical storm murder mystery from Brittany E. Brinegar, author of witty whodunits... Black Knight in the secret passageway with a candlestick. Amateur sleuth Becky Robinson is taking a break from murder to film a movie on location in a historic castle. But an ill-tempered tropical storm has other plans and strands the cast with a killer. When the hated producer is found dead in a suit of armor, replicating the movie script, all signs point to someone in the cast. Isolated on a remote island off the coast of Galveston, Texas due to the storm, Becky is compelled to help the overwhelmed small-town cops solve the case. Will the killer continue to follow the script and commit another murder? Or will Becky and the gang rewrite the ending and save her first big break? ----------------------------------------------- Castle Island Murder is the eleventh installment in the Hollywood Whodunit cozy mystery series. If you love clumsy heroines, a Hollywood backdrop, quirky suspects, and an adorable rescue puppy this series is for you! Hollywood Whodunit Series Order Book 1: Prime Time Murder Book 2: Stand-In Murder Book 3: Music City Murder Book 4. Trap Door Murder Book 5: Fool's Gold Murder Book 6: Holly Jolly Murder Book 7: Blue Suede Murder Book 8: Family Reunion Murder Book 9: Summer Vacation Murder Book 10: Sunlight Swindler Murder Book 11: Castle Island Murder Book 12: Fixer-Upper Murder Book 13: Hometown Murder Book 14: Big Apple Murder Book 15: Devil Wears Murder ----------------
A propulsive and daring new novel by the author of Very Nice about a woman on the run from catastrophe, searching for love, home, a swimming pool, and for someone who can perhaps stop the bleeding from her head. "Marcy Dermansky is one of the most wildly original writers that I've ever read, and Hurricane Girl showcases what makes her so amazing. In tracking the unpredictable movements of a strange and hypnotic journey in the aftermath of a natural disaster, Dermansky nails the sensation of being alive, of navigating a world so strange that it’s almost a dream, of trying, again and again, to anchor yourself to a moment, to assure yourself that you exist, to withstand anything and somehow keep living." —Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here Allison Brody is thirty-two and newly arrived on the East Coast after just managing to flee her movie producer boyfriend. She has some money, saved up from years of writing and waitressing, and so she spends it, buying a small house on the beach. But then a Category 3 hurricane makes landfall and scatters her home up and down the shore, leaving Allison adrift. Should she go home from the bar with the strange cameraman and stay in his guest room? Is that a glass vase he smashed on her skull? Can she wipe the blood from her eyes, get in her car, and drive to her mother’s? Does she really love the brain surgeon who saved her, or is she just using him for his swimming pool? And is it possible to ever truly heal without seeking some measure of revenge? A gripping, provocative novel that walks a knife’s edge between comedy and horror, Hurricane Girl is the work of a singular talent, a novelist unafraid to explore the intersection of love, sex, violence, and freedom—while celebrating the true joy that can be found in a great swim and a good turkey sandwich.
A portrait by an exiled former confidante seeks to capture the Cuban dictator's authentic voice while sharing the story of his life, covering everything from his early sexual experiences and perspectives on Che Guevara to his state secrets and philosophyon murder.
