"It's hard to look so deeply into other people's lives that you really understand them, except perhaps through fiction, and that is what Montemarano has done here, with deftness and subtlety." —The New York Times In a country that loves second chances, are some transgressions simply unforgivable? Sisters Betsy and Avery have never met, but they have both spent their lives under the scrutiny of prying cameras and tabloid journalists. Their father, David Christie, was a charismatic senator and promising presidential candidate until infidelity destroyed his campaign and his family’s life. In the aftermath, Betsy grieves her broken family, while Avery struggles with growing up estranged from her infamous father yet still exposed by the national spotlight. Years later, as David’s health declines, Betsy and Avery are forced to face their complicated feelings about him—and about each other. With delicacy and empathy, Nicholas Montemarano brings these sisters together in a parallel of grief and grace.The Senator’s Children brilliantly distills the American family under pressure.
ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1905, eight-year-old Kenneth Beasley walked to the back of his school's playground and into the melting snow of the woods beyond. He never returned.Soon a massive search was underway for the son of a North Carolina state senator. Hundreds combed the cold woods and swamplands of Currituck County, near the state's famed Outer Banks. Not a trace of the boy was found. A reward was offered. Clues, rumors, and even a ransom letter surfaced. All faded to nothingness. Then, a year and a half after Kenneth's disappearance, a political rival hurriedly was charged. Accused of the most bizarre and twisted of plots, he faced a courtroom overflowing with jurors, star lawyers, spectators and newspaper reporters. Allegations and alibis were traded. Epithets flew. The eventual jury verdict and stunning aftermath would rip apart two families and shock a state ... yet leave a mystery unsolved.NOW CHARLES OLDHAM, attorney by trade, has reopened the case. Using modern research methods and his own legal training-while also investigating the state's political, racial, lynching, and liquor cultures-Oldham has come as close as anyone can to the truth. The result is an absorbing, must-read story. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, The Senator's Son is both an important book and a fascinating one.
The perfect read for the one-hundredth anniversary of the nineteenth amendment and in advance of the upcoming presidential election, this inspiring picture book from United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand shares the stories of ten suffragists who fought for women's right to vote. Bold & Brave introduces children to strong women who have raised their voices on behalf of justice--and inspires them to raise their own voices to build our future. Here are the stories of ten leaders who strove to win the right to vote for American women--a journey that took more than seventy years of passionate commitment. From well-known figures, such as Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth to lesser known women such as Alice Paul and Mary Church Terrell, these are heroes who dreamed big and never gave up. Senator Gillibrand highlights an important and pithy lesson from each woman's life--from "dare to be different" to "fight together." With gorgeous illustrations by renowned artist Maira Kalman, this is a book that will inspire and uplift, a book to be cherished and shared. The suffragists included are: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Jovita Idár, Alice Paul, Inez Milholland, Ida B. Wells, Lucy Burns, and Mary Church Terrell.
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In an era of safe spaces, trigger warnings, and an unprecedented election, the country's youth are in crisis. Senator Ben Sasse warns the nation about the existential threat to America's future. Raised by well-meaning but overprotective parents and coddled by well-meaning but misbegotten government programs, America's youth are ill-equipped to survive in our highly-competitive global economy. Many of the coming-of-age rituals that have defined the American experience since the Founding: learning the value of working with your hands, leaving home to start a family, becoming economically self-reliant—are being delayed or skipped altogether. The statistics are daunting: 30% of college students drop out after the first year, and only 4 in 10 graduate. One in three 18-to-34 year-olds live with their parents. From these disparate phenomena: Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse who as president of a Midwestern college observed the trials of this generation up close, sees an existential threat to the American way of life. In The Vanishing American Adult, Sasse diagnoses the causes of a generation that can't grow up and offers a path for raising children to become active and engaged citizens. He identifies core formative experiences that all young people should pursue: hard work to appreciate the benefits of labor, travel to understand deprivation and want, the power of reading, the importance of nurturing your body—and explains how parents can encourage them. Our democracy depends on responsible, contributing adults to function properly—without them America falls prey to populist demagogues. A call to arms, The Vanishing American Adult will ignite a much-needed debate about the link between the way we're raising our children and the future of our country.
There's an old saying: "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." A few years ago, Senator Ted Kennedy decided to do just that...a beautiful Portuguese water dog by the name of Champion Amigo's Seventh Wave (aka Splash). We follow Senator Kennedy and Splash through a busy day in D.C., from press conferences to meetings with school groups to committee discussions to a floor vote. Caldecott winner David Small's warm, witty illustrations provide a wonderful tour of the sights of Washington, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how a bill becomes a law. Perfect for political junkies and dog lovers alike!
Congress is in session and the Squeaker of the House and the Senate Mouse-jority leader have a big job to do: they have to pass a law designating a national cheese for the United Mice of America. InHouse Mouse, Senate Mouse, bestselling and award-winning duo Peter and Cheryl Barnes give kids an entertaining and educational look at the legislative process while teaching them the values of hard work and compromise. From drawing up a bill and committee discussions to voting and signing a bill,House Mouse, Senate Mouse teaches children about the Senate, House of Representatives, and the Capitol building. House Mouse, Senate Mouse also features “The Tail End: Resources for Parents and Teachers” at the end of the book to help moms, dads, and educators teach their little mice even more about our legislative branch. Fun and informative, House Mouse, Senate Mouse is a great book for any child who might one day aspire to be a Congressmouse and work in our nation’s capital.
The Honourable Landon Pearson's domestic and global advocacy efforts with, for, and on behalf of children and young people have unfolded over a period of sixty years including thirty years in the Canadian Foreign Service and eleven years in the Senate of Canada. Two of the key ideas that frame her vision are that as rights holders, children have a right to participate in matters that affect their lives, and that every child needs at least one adult to provide steadfast and consistent support. In The Children's Senator contributors detail Pearson's influence on children's rights scholarship, research, and advocacy in a variety of areas including Indigenous children's rights, youth justice, commercial sexual exploitation of children, children's mental health, and corporal punishment. Following Pearson's lifelong commitment to highlighting young people's participation, the volume also includes testimonials from former students regarding her invaluable mentorship. Pearson's professional career and aspects of her personal life, including her experience as a parent of five children, merge in a fascinating account of Canada's premier children's rights advocate. An intimate and compelling collection, The Children's Senator celebrates Pearson as a catalyst of change in Canada and internationally. Her efforts to construct a children's rights architecture in collaboration with decision-makers and young people inform a legacy that has laid a foundation for children's rights into the twenty-first century.
A powerful collection of essays from actors, activists, athletes, politicians, musicians, writers, and teens, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, actress Alia Shawkat, actor Maulik Pancholy, poet Azure Antoinette, teen activist Gavin Grimm, and many, many others, each writing about a time in their youth when they were held back because of their race, gender, or sexual identity—but persisted. "Aren't you a terrorist?" "There are no roles for people who look like you." "That's a sin." "No girls allowed." They've heard it all. Actress Alia Shawkat reflects on all the parts she was told she was too "ethnic" to play. Former NFL player Wade Davis recalls his bullying of gay classmates in an attempt to hide his own sexuality. Teen Gavin Grimm shares the story that led to one of the infamous "bathroom bills," and how he's fighting it. Holocaust survivor Fanny Starr tells of her harrowing time in Aushwitz, where she watched her family disappear, one by one. What made them rise up through the hate? What made them overcome the obstacles of their childhood to achieve extraordinary success? How did they break out of society's limited view of who they are and find their way to the beautiful and hard-won lives they live today? With a foreword by Minnesota senator and up-and-coming Democratic party leader Amy Klobuchar, these essays share deeply personal stories of resilience, faith, love, and, yes, persistence. An International Latino Book Award Winner A National Council for Social Studies Selection "Each tale is a soulful testament to the endurance of the human spirit and reminds readers that they are not alone in their search for self. . . . An unflinchingly honest book that should be required reading for every young person in America." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "An invaluable collection of snapshots of American society." —VOYA, starred review "[A] gem of a book. . . . There's a lot to study here and talk about on the way to becoming kinder, more empathetic, and most important, compassionate." —Booklist "Readers encountering injustice in their own lives may be compelled to take heart—and even action." —Publishers Weekly "A powerful collection of voices." —SLJ "The sheer variation in writing styles, subject-matters, and structure to these narratives provides readers with inspiration in assorted forms and a complex interpretation of what it means to persist." —The Bulletin
