Twelve-year-old Ruby doesn't know her last name. In fact, she doesn't know a lot of things, including what happened to her parents or why she was abandoned on this scrubby little island where she couch surfs through life. What she does know, though, is that she's the best tracker on the island and that, given the chance, she'd do just about anything to have a real family and a home. When an island visitor recognizes her as his long-lost niece, she’s suddenly in Manhattan with a family, an actual friend, and a huge diamond that used to belong to the King Solomon. Also? Every member of her family has an extra-sensory gift of Sight. Well, everyone except Ruby. Gutterball. When the diamond is stolen, and a classmate is found gravely injured, Ruby must hunt to uncover who is behind the sinister plot to unravel her new life. A heist gone wrong, a serious betrayal, and a single gunshot turn the tides. In a race against the clock, Ruby must decide whether to save herself, her newfound family, or the Solomon stone. Fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and The 39 Clues will love the thrilling adventure of The Solomon Stone.
Three rich, powerful, and ruthless men prepare to bid for a blood-red ruby, worth at least three million dollars, that has a mysterious and bloody history
The debut novel, first published nearly twenty years ago, from the National Book Award-winning author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression and Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity--a luminous and moving evocation of the love between a son and his mother. A finalist for the Los Angeles Times First Fiction prize, A Stone Boat is an achingly beautiful, deeply perceptive story of family, sexuality, and the startling changes wrought by grief, loss, and self-discovery. Harry, an internationally celebrated young concert pianist, travels to Paris to confront his glamorous and formidable mother about her dismay at his homosexuality. Before he can give voice to his hurt and anger, he discovers that she is terminally ill. In an attempt to escape his feelings of guilt and despair over the prospect of her death, he embarks on several intense affairs--one with a longtime female friend--that force him to question his capacity for love, and finally to rediscover it. Part eulogy, part confession, and part soliloquy on forgiveness, A Stone Boat is a luminous evocation of the destructive and regenerative, all-encompassing love between a son and his mother, by America's foremost chronicler of personal and familial resilience.
"?Fathers and mothers: Give me your children!" - Chaim RumkowskiIt is September 1942, and the already battered occupants of the Lodz Ghetto have just been dealt another horrendous blow from Hitler's iron fist. They must surrender their sick, elderly, and children for 'deportation.'Zelda, a distraught mother, decides she must do whatever it takes to save her two young children from the certain death that was sure to follow. She must take the ultimate risk.But, her daring escape meets with a snag: she cannot fit through the barbed wire.The heartbreaking reality is the little ones must escape without her.Nine-year-old Solomon and five-year-old Sarah must grope their way through a dark world wrapped in a fog of hatred and treachery. But, even in the darkest hour, there is always a flicker of light.The perilous path of these two young, innocent souls will be lit by people whose warm lights will always shine in our memories.
"This is a God-inspired read filled with deep, rich insights. It is fast paced, entertaining and thoughtful. I know first hand that as a creative writer, Terri is a never-ending source of God-ideas." Philip Bailey, Lead singer, Earth, Wind and Fire "The FALLEN STONE reaffirms Terri McFaddin-Solomon as a creative poet. This story is filled with sound teaching woven into an allegorical tale of faith and restoration." Bishop Joseph L. Garlington, Sr. Presiding Bishop Reconciliation - International Network of Churches and Ministries WHEN YOU HIT ROCK BOTTOM, THERE'S NO PLACE TO GO BUT UP! Peak was once a proud mountaintop, but after facing a series of brutal storms he ends up at rock bottom in broken pieces. As Peak struggles to overcome bitterness and renew his faith, he discovers that, even after being reduced to a small, insignificant stone, God has called him to a powerful purpose that will be remembered for generations to come.
This edition of the Testament of Solomon is a complete and accurate reprint of the original translation of ancient manuscripts by F.C. Conybeare first printed in 1898. It contains all Conybeare's original notes and commentary, including the Greek characters he footnoted for the reader's consideration. Beware of other editions of this work that do not contain all the original text. The Testament of Solomon is a pseudepigraphical work attributed to King Solomon the Wise of the Old Testament. Written in the first-person narrative, the book tells the story of the creation of the magical ring of King Solomon and how Solomon's ring was used to bind and control demons, including Beelzebub. In this book of King Solomon, the discourses between the King and the various spirits are told, and the story shows how Solomon uses his wisdom to withstand the demons' tricks and guile and enlist their aid in the building of his temple. The spells and seals of Solomon used by the King to bind the spirits are detailed, which makes this work a book of Solomon's magic, similar in nature to the Lesser Key of Solomon the King and the Greater Key of Solomon the King, which both are King Solomon books of magic and contain various talismans of Solomon, including the secret seal of Solomon. The manuscripts from which this work was discovered date from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. All were written in Greek. This dating makes most experts believe that the work is medieval. But some scholars, including D.C. Duling, argue that it is likely that the work comes from the 5th or 6th centuries. The various manuscripts used to source the work all date to medieval times, but the text itself, as well as references to other works, indicate the Testament is much older. For example, in the Dialogue of Timothy and Aquila, there is a direct reference to the Testament of Solomon. The Dialogue purports to have been written during the Archbishopric of Cyril in 444 C.E., and therefore, its reference would date the Testament before that time. Similarly, in the early 4th century Gnostic text On the Origin of the World, references to the book of Solomon and his 49 demons are made. No matter the date, the text provides an immensely interesting description of how King Solomon tamed various demons to build his temple. The text includes predictions of the coming of Christ, as one demon explains to Solomon that while he may be bound, the only thing that can truly take his power away is the man born from a virgin who will be crucified by the Jews.
George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control is the original classic, often called the bible of drumming. In 1993, Modern Drummer magazine named it one of the top 25 drumming books of all-time. In the words of the author, this is the ideal book for improving "control, speed, flexibility, touch, rhythm, lightness, delicacy, power, endurance, preciseness of execution, and muscular coordination," with extra attention given to the development of the weak hand. This indispensable book for drummers of all types includes hundreds of basic to advanced rhythms and moves through categories of single-beat combinations, triplets, short roll combinations, flam beats, flam triplets and dotted notes, and short roll progressions.
The intersection of archaeology and text in the late Second Temple period -- 2. Purifying the body and hands -- 3. Creeping and swarming creatures, locusts, fish, dogs, chickens, and pigs -- 4. Household vessels: pottery, oil lamps, glass, stone, and dung -- 5. Dining customs and communal meals -- 6. Sabbath observance and fasting -- 7. Coins -- 8. Clothing and tzitzit -- 9. Oil and spit -- 10. Toilets and toilet habits -- 11. Tombs and burial customs -- 12. Epilogue: the aftermath of 70.
