Showing results for "Stories" in Politics, Society & Current Events

If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But, one afternoon, on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned.

The young adult adaptation of the acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestseller Just Mercy--now a major motion picture starring Michael B. Jordan, Jaime Foxx, and Brie Larson and the subject of an HBO documentary feature! In this very personal work--adapted from the original #1 bestseller, which the...

Every Falling Star, the first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, is the intense memoir of a North Korean boy named Sungju who is forced at age 12 to live on the streets and fend for himself. To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, his "brothers".

For this striking, stripped-down account of youth immigration, Villalobos interviewed teens at various stages of the immigration process to illustrate their stories - the physical and emotional difficulties of their travels. He then changed certain elements of these stories in order to protect the children's identities. Each chapter brings forth the voice of one young immigrant's experience, from crossing the Mexican desert to gang violence to the freezers at ICE detention centers.

In this life-affirming, heartening and refreshing collection of interviews, young trans people offer valuable insight and advice into what has helped them to flourish and feel happy in their experience of growing up trans. Speaking openly and candidly about their gender, their experiences of coming out, their aspirations and their fears - accompanied by interviews and support from their parents and carers - this book is beautiful proof of the potential for trans children to live rich and fulfilling lives when given the support and love they need.

Born in poverty-stricken Albania, twin sisters Argita and Detina Zalli always dreamed of becoming doctors. Their parents scrimped and sacrificed, committed to giving them a better life. But then the unthinkable happened. In 1997, the government collapsed, plunging the country into anarchy and civil war. The twins' dream unraveled along with their homeland. Their parents had to find a way to leave and save their daughters' futures—not to mention their very lives.

When a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew. Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. Not the girls targeted by the posts. Not the boy who created the account. Not the group of kids who followed it. Not the adults—educators and parents—whose attempts to fix things too often made them worse.

On a bitter cold day in January 1741 Benedict Arnold was born. Little did anyone know that he would grow up to become the most infamous villain in American history. But first, he would be one of the country’s greatest war heroes. Fearless in the line of fire, a genius at strategy and...

Brought to you by Penguin. 'It's time we told our story too. The melanin speaks for itself.' - George the Poet Part of a Story That Started Before Me is an extraordinary new collection of poems chosen by acclaimed spoken-word performer and social commentator George the Poet. Taking readers on a...

There is a saying: knowledge is power. The secret is this. Knowledge, applied at the right time and place, is more than power. It’s magic. That’s what the Black Panther Party did. They called up this magic and launched a revolution. In the beginning, it was a story like any other. It could have been yours and it could have been mine. But once it got going, it became more than any one person could have imagined.

“Tasty fare for readers inclined to hail the coming of soccer’s ‘Messi-ah.’” —Kirkus Reviews Channel the grit, resilience, and positivity of soccer icon Lionel Messi as you trace his journey to become one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Global superstar, FIFA Player of...

The eye-opening essays in Disability Visibility, all written by disabled people, offer keen insight into the complex and rich disability experience, examining life's ableism and inequality, its challenges and losses, and celebrating its wisdom, passion, and joy. The accounts in this collection, adapted for audio, ask listeners to think about disabled people not as individuals who need to be “fixed", but as members of a community with its own history, culture, and movements. They offer diverse perspectives that speak to past, present, and future generations.

The perfect gift to help a teenager get happy, be successful, and make good decisions. Being a teen ain't easy. And unfortunately, there aren't any classes to help navigate through those teen years. Luckily, Dad's Great Advice for Teens provides 25 short pieces of unorthodox great advice, filled with humor, wisdom, and inspirational quotes. Dad’s Great Advice for Teens will help teens become the best version of themselves they can possibly be. It’s the perfect self-help survival and success guide for teens looking to build positive habits and get an edge up.

The riveting New York Times bestseller and Stonewall Book Award winner that will make you rethink all you know about race, class, gender, crime, and punishment. Artfully, compassionately, and expertly told, Dashka Slater's The 57 Bus is a must-listen nonfiction book that chronicles the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland, California.

The stories of the four teenage children of prominent abolitionists before and during the Civil War combine to form a surprisingly familiar tapestry of struggle, disappointment, and ultimately hope. "Impeccable research and incredible details bring the stories of these four young people to life...

Sixteen-year-old Jeremiah Thomas, all-star football player and MVP, had helped lead the Parkview Pacers to their first state title in twenty-one years. Now a new season of football is about to start, and his training has made him the strongest guy at Parkview. Jeremiah's life revolves around faith, family, and football. He's handsome, strong, witty, a captain of the football team, and owner of a state championship ring.

Compelling and timely, award-winning author Elizabeth Rusch’s The Twenty-One tells the gripping inside story of the ongoing landmark federal climate change lawsuit, Juliana vs. United States of America. The Twenty-One is for readers of Christina Soontornvat’s All Thirteen, fans of Steve...

This program is read by the author and includes music written by Ernesto Villalobos, Alberto Villalobos, Luis Villalobos and Humberto Flores, and performed by the Villalobos Brothers. Educated meets Athlete A in this YA memoir about survival and strength by Elvira Gonzalez, a Mexican-American...

The true story of 19-year-old Jordana Lebowitz’s time at the trial of Oskar Groening, known as the bookkeeper of Auschwitz, a man charged with being complicit in the death of more than 300,000 Jews. A granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Jordana was still not prepared for what she would see and hear.

Ever since George Washington used them to help topple the British, spies and their networks have helped and hurt America at key moments in history. In this fascinating collection, Paul B. Janeczko probes such stories as that of Elizabeth Van Lew, an aristocrat whose hatred of slavery drove her to be one of the most successful spies in the Civil War; the "Choctaw code talkers," Native Americans who were instrumental in sending secret messages during World War I; and more.