Sad True

At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and...

“A charming, entertaining, and true book…I would follow Dee’s advice any time.” —Gayle Forman, author of Frankie & Bug and Not Nothing With charm and sincerity reminiscent of Judy Blume and Rebecca Stead, this debut middle grade novel is a “compassionate” (Kirkus Reviews), hopeful...

In Hear My Sad Story, Richard Polenberg describes the historical events that led to the writing of many famous American folk songs that served as touchstones for generations of American musicians, lyricists, and folklorists. Those events, which took place from the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries, often involved tragic occurrences: murders, sometimes resulting from love affairs gone wrong; desperate acts born out of poverty and unbearable working conditions.