Perfect for fans of the NYT bestseller Sold on a Monday, this Southern historical novel based on the true story of a boy's mysterious disappearance examines despair, loyalty, and the nature of truth. In 1913, on a summer's day at Half Moon Lake, Louisiana, four-year-old Sonny Davenport walks into the woods and never returns. The boy's mysterious disappearance from the family's lake house makes front-page news in their home town of Opelousas. John Henry and Mary Davenport are wealthy and influential, and will do anything to find their son. For two years, the Davenports search across the South, offer increasingly large rewards and struggle not to give in to despair. Then, at the moment when all hope seems lost, the boy is found in the company of a tramp. But is he truly Sonny Davenport? The circumstances of his discovery raise more questions than answers. And when Grace Mill, an unwed farm worker, travels from Alabama to lay claim to the child, newspapers, townsfolk, even the Davenports' own friends, take sides. As the tramp's kidnapping trial begins, and two desperate mothers fight for ownership of the boy, the people of Opelousas discover that truth is more complicated than they'd ever dreamed.
From the illustrator of the #1 smash hit The Day The Crayons Quit comes a humorously warm tale of friendship. Now also an animated TV special! What is a boy to do when a lost penguin shows up at his door? Find out where it comes from, of course, and return it. But the journey to the South Pole is long and difficult in the boy’s rowboat. There are storms to brave and deep, dark nights.To pass the time, the boy tells the penguin stories. Finally, they arrive. Yet instead of being happy, both are sad. That’s when the boy realizes: The penguin hadn’t been lost, it had merely been lonely. A poignant, funny, and child-friendly story about friendship lost . . . and then found again.
Lost But Found: A Boy’s Story of Grief and Recovery deals with one of the toughest issues a parent may ever have to face—explaining to a child that a loved one has died. Often, to protect them, children are left out of the grieving process. This book allows adults to travel with a young boy as he works to make sense of his loss—and, in turn, their own. I wrote this book to allow children to ask questions, and talk about their fears and feelings. What I have found is that often children have better insights on these hard life questions than the adults in the room! "The endearing simplicity and musicality of Lauren's words burst with unspoken emotion, leaving room for every child's experience. Noah's illustrations portray tender human contact, comforting young readers and the families who love them." -- Pegi Deitz Shea, award-winning children's book author "Lost But Found is a sweet book with beautiful pictures that tackles grief at a developmental level for a very young child. The ambiguous term "to lose" somebody is demystified, as a young boy comes to understand what happened to his father, and how their connection lives on." -- Laurie Zelinger, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, Board Certified Psychologist and author, former Director of New York Association for Play Therapy Lost But Found is a brief story that faces a difficult and important topic--the loss of a parent. The story provides a two-pronged approach a caregiver can use as a starting point to approach this delicate topic with a child: a sense of perspective and hope for the future, and the idea that we, as children , can find “pieces” of our parents around us and inside us. I appreciate the incentive to reflect on and remember who the lost parent was and how he lives on through his child. -- Isabella Cassina, MA, TP-S, CAGS, PhD Student, Project Manager, Trainer and Continuing Education Program Administrator (CEPA), INA International Academy for Play Therapy studies and PsychoSocial Projects "The story of Lost But Found is written to help children understand the loss of a loved one. It is never easy to talk with a child about this subject, and the author provides a tender, truthful and believable story. It is written from the heart and will serve as a conversation starter in assisting a child’s understanding of the grieving process. In addition, the beautiful illustrations provide the reader a sense that they are embraced and one with the story. I highly recommend this book for children and adults. -- Linda Cohen, Elementary School Principal "At any age, understanding death is confusing and complex. It is especially so for children. In Lost But Found, author Lauren Persons gently removes some of the mystery around loss and invites children into a comforting conversation around lasting belonging and hope. Illustrations by Noah Hrbek enrich this tender and much-needed children’s book." -- Holli Kenley, author of Power Down & Parent Up and Pilates For Parenting "Knowing Lauren Persons for over 20 years (and happily counting) this children's book reflects a genuine heart full of emotion and love. If all people faced with difficulties had the courage and the dignity and the grace that Lauren Persons has, our world would be a better place for our children to live." --John Mascia, elementary school teacher "With simple, accessible words and drawings, Lost But Found perfectly captures the experience of loss, and the power of memory and love." -- Amy N. Ship From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is… There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter lies.
In 1993 8-year-old Clinton Liebelt went missing from a roadhouse between Darwin and Alice Springs - one of the most desolate places in the world. Australian journalist Robert Wainwright's uplifting and triumphant tribute tells the story of how one child's disappearance united an entire community and the wider Northern Territory of Australia.
'They said he was their boy. And so he was . . .' In 1913, on a summer’s day at Half Moon Lake, Louisiana, four-year-old Sonny Davenport walks into the woods and never returns. The boy’s mysterious disappearance from the family’s lake house makes front-page news in their home town of Opelousas. John Henry and Mary Davenport are wealthy and influential, and will do anything to find their son. For two years, the Davenports search across the South, offer increasingly large rewards and struggle not to give in to despair. Then, at the moment when all hope seems lost, the boy is found in the company of a tramp. But is he truly Sonny Davenport? The circumstances of his discovery raise more questions than answers. And when Grace Mill, an unwed farm worker, travels from Alabama to lay claim to the child, newspapers, townsfolk, even the Davenports’ own friends, take sides. As the tramp’s kidnapping trial begins, and two desperate mothers fight for ownership of the boy, the people of Opelousas discover that truth is more complicated than they’d ever dreamed . . . Half Moon Lake is Kirsten Alexander’s compelling debut novel, about the parent-child bond, identity, and what it means to be part of a family. 'A terrific premise, which becomes more than just a page-turning story; this is a complex and thought-provoking tale of the lengths we go to in order to save those close to us — and to save ourselves. I was gripped throughout.' Natasha Lester, author of The Paris Seamstress 'A gripping, nervy tale of identity, class and race, in which power and money triumph over truth ... a strong original narrative, with a central mystery and an intriguing plot.' Sydney Morning Herald 'Half Moon Lake is an evocative, unputdownable story about every parent’s worst nightmare - losing a child ... Many times I wanted to step into the pages of this book to put things right - a sure sign of a compelling read. I highly recommend this novel.' Sally Hepworth, author of The Mother-in-Law 'Half Moon Lake is a compelling tale, full of wonderfully drawn characters and richly evoked locations, with a wrenching story at its heart . . . should be read and re-read - devour it for the engrossing story, and return to it for the lyrical language.' Meg Keneally, author of Fled
Life can sometimes seem like a complicated constellation of detours and winding roads - some of which teeter on the side of ease and predictability, while others... well, not so much. Follow along with a father who was dealt a difficult hand as he recounts the tragic story of his family, ravished by one of the greatest mistakes in modern medicine. With raw grit and vulnerability, Scott recounts his life growing up in small town USA and details the ways in which addiction and mental illness resulted in losses that no father, son, or brother should even have to endure. Alongside his youngest son, Wes, a medical professional in psychiatry, they take a closer look into the world of addiction and the epidemic we find ourselves to be in - revealing the causes, variables, and paths to consider moving forward. Scott shares the lessons he learned throughout the journey of trying to find his firstborn son, Daniel, help in battling a disease that few understand. Through Daniel's story, the cracks in our system - the injustice, corruption, and discrimination - are directly illuminated and should inspire each of us to work better together. Little Boy Lost is a call to action.
Perfect for fans of the NYT bestseller Sold on a Monday, this Southern historical novel based on the true story of a boy's mysterious disappearance examines despair, loyalty, and the nature of truth. In 1913, on a summer's day at Half Moon Lake, Louisiana, four-year-old Sonny Davenport walks into the woods and never returns. The boy's mysterious disappearance from the family's lake house makes front-page news in their home town of Opelousas. John Henry and Mary Davenport are wealthy and influential, and will do anything to find their son. For two years, the Davenports search across the South, offer increasingly large rewards and struggle not to give in to despair. Then, at the moment when all hope seems lost, the boy is found in the company of a tramp. But is he truly Sonny Davenport? The circumstances of his discovery raise more questions than answers. And when Grace Mill, an unwed farm worker, travels from Alabama to lay claim to the child, newspapers, townsfolk, even the Davenports' own friends, take sides. As the tramp's kidnapping trial begins, and two desperate mothers fight for ownership of the boy, the people of Opelousas discover that truth is more complicated than they'd ever dreamed.
