A British boys' choir is set to tour Australia when the unimaginable happens and their lives are catastrophically cut short. The church where the boys used to sing is sold and a young couple take ownership only to find they are given the monumental task of holding one last concert for the boys so their parents can farewell them. The problem is: how do you move on the spirits of the boys trapped on the Earthly plane and hold a concert for them without telling their parents the real reason? One Last Concert explores how to move on the spirits of people whose lives end too quickly, onto the next spiritual plane.
A moving holiday story from New York Times bestselling author Andrew Clements. For Hart Evans, being the most popular kid in sixth grade has its advantages. Kids look up to him, and all the teachers let him get away with anything -- all the teachers except the chorus director, Mr. Meinert. When Hart's errant rubber band hits Mr. Meinert on the neck during chorus practice, it's the last straw for the chorus director, who's just learned he's about to lose his job due to budget cuts. So he tells the class they can produce the big holiday concert on their own. Or not. It's all up to them. And who gets elected to run the show? The popular Mr. Hart Evans. Hart soon discovers there's a big difference between popularity and leadership, and to his surprise, discovers something else as well -- it's really important to him that this be the best holiday concert ever, and even more important, that it not be the last.
USA Today bestselling author Annette Lyon "The ultimate thrill ride."—Karen Dionne A librarian investigates her husband’s dark past and winds up dead. Now it’s up to her best friend to uncover the truth. Becca’s life is turned upside down when she finds Jenn dead in the bathtub. Soon she begins to unspool the secrets Jenn kept in life, including a troubled marriage to Rick and two dead wives in his past. The more Becca learns, the more determined she becomes to get justice for Jenn, even if the clues surrounding her death aren’t quite adding up.… Over a year before her death, Jenn begins to notice her husband acting strangely. Using her skills as a librarian, she digs into Rick’s past—and falls down a rabbit hole far deeper and darker than she bargained for. She’s already beaten the odds by living longer than his other dead wives. But now she fears her time is up. This page-turning story of marriage, friendship, and motherhood is a first foray into thriller by USA Today bestseller Annette Lyon.
The breadth and richness of themes and styles in Dolores PridaÕs theater make this collection a reading experience almost as wonderful as seeing the plays themselves. Prida has mapped the urban landscape and covered many of the most important topics of her timeÑfeminism, racism, classism, bilingualism and biculturalismÑquite often tempering their seriousness with humor, pathos and music. This anthology includes: Beautiful Se–oritas (1977), a musical satire of womenÕs roles and images in Hispanic culture; Coser y Cantar (1981), a bilingual one-act play for two women which explores culture clash, especially as it concerns womenÕs roles; Savings (1985), a musical comedy about ÒgentrificationÓ; Pantallas (1986), a ÒblackÓ comedy on the subject of TV soap operas and nuclear disasters; and Bot‡nica (1990), a play about three generations of Puerto Rican women grappling with gaps and discrepancies in time and culture. Dolores Prida is ranked among the most important playwrights of the contemporary Hispanic theater in the United States. She has written for the stage and television and taught play-writing techniques.
From memoirs to short stories, speeches to non-fiction, fantasy to op-eds, Unbecoming is a collection of thirteen vibrant writing pieces that lay out High School student Iris Liu’s journey from Sixth to Twelfth grade. Her writing displays the story of a Chinese-American immigrant student who struggles with self-worth - but finds a medium to challenge and reflect on her Unbecoming nature and influence communities through writing. Includes: Ghost Story (Ninth Grade) - Fiction - A story about the friendship between a singing ghost and a mute boy. My Perfect Plan to Become the President of the United States (Ninth Grade) - non-fiction - How Iris intends to become the President of the United States (not really). An Informative article on the election process. Dream Baker (Tenth Grade) - Fantasy - Everyone has a dream baker living inside their mind who's responsible for baking all sorts of dreams. Sylvia, Lin's dream baker, is forced to go on an expedition to find more dream ingredients. But the world outside is not what it seems. A deadly monster called Chaos is lurking outside her kitchen, set on destroying dream ingredients and seemingly her. An Open Letter to the Educational Department of New York State (Tenth Grade) - Essay - Bias is not inherited but learned. We need to include Asian American history in the school curricula by passing Senate Bill S6359A to accurately and responsibly convey the rich history of the United States. The Quiet Girl (Eleventh Grade) - Speech - “the Asian American community, as we face the continued violation of our fundamental rights, cannot remain quiet in the corner of the classroom.” Praise: If you care deeply about your community and believe in human rights and minority equity, then put this book on your required reading list. Iris draws her passion from experience and believes in advocating for the rights of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Her deep desire to bring peace and justice is sincerely rooted in her values as she wants to see a balance between the immigrant and main stream culture. This book, and all her work, shows her authenticity and her mission to bring that positive change which can help our society and our country to redefine democracy in its true spirit. Iris, I wish you all the best! ~Good Luck- Dr Dilshad Dayani About the author: Iris Liu was born in China and raised in New York. She is an active advocate for Asian American Rights, a writer, a student, and a public speaker. Teen & Young Adult, Memoirs, Chinese-American Writer Asian American, Anthology, Short, Stories Speeches, Self-reflection, Fantasy
