Africa First

Once upon a time, children's music was just Mother Goose, nursery songs, and lullabies. And then came Ella Jenkins. Ella Jenkins is an American folk singer and living legend dubbed The First Lady of Children's Music. For nearly 70 years, she has been writing and performing music that has entertained and engaged generations of young listeners. In Make a Pretty Song, Ella's life and legacy are captured in vibrant sights, sounds, and stories that leap right out of the book.

Ayanna was so unlucky in love that she moved across the world to start over. She swore off relationships until she met Kai. Although Kai’s music career was booming, her love life was disastrous. After meeting Ayanna, she believed lady luck was finally on her side until Ayanna was presented with a life-changing opportunity Kai is forced to choose between love and opportunity.

If, as Sherman once said, "War is hell," the Vietnam War was hell on steroids. Robert Toporek, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, after 56 years has begun telling his story. This first chapter is about the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. This powerful book portrays the impact Milton Olive’s life and death made on Robert, his parents, and many people around the country. This is a unique look into the Vietnam War in ways never before told.

You might know that African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, but there’s so much more to learn about these tusked creatures. Listen to find out why the grandmother is in charge of an elephant family, and why big ears help elephants cool down! Meet a baby elephant as it takes its first steps, and discover how to tell the difference between an African elephant and an Asian elephant. The book also looks at the conservation challenges these iconic animals face due to climate change and ivory poaching.

Dancing has always made her feel free, like she can do anything. But when Jennifer was a child, some people didn’t think that she had a future as a dancer because of the color of her skin. With the support of her family, especially her mother, she proved that anything is possible when you believe you belong. On the Line is a captivating true story about manifesting your dreams.

I saw the ripples in his blue jeans before I saw the twinkle in his dark brown eyes. His deep brown skin looked smooth as silk, and his jeans hugged his hips so snugly they looked as if they had been constructed on him as he stood in place in an obliging tailor shop. Thus begins Brian’s adventure in the story Overnight to Boston. He’s just quit his office job. He’s heading to Boston by train for no apparent reason when he meets Nic, a teacher who likes music and men like Brian. In Prom Night, the second story, an 18-year-old high school senior learns that having sex with a beautiful ...

Otis, Willie, and Hibernia are three children with a lot in common: they've all lost a loved one, they each have secret dreams, and they won't stop fighting for what they want. And they're also a lot like their hero, famed boxer Joe Louis. Throughout this moving novel, their lives gradually converge to form friendship, family, and love. Their trials and triumphs echo those of Joe Louis, as he fights to become the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion.

From the time he became one of the first African American football players at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama, Ralph Stokes recognized a calling on his life for the cause of racial integration. This calling followed him everywhere he went. After becoming one of the first five Black football players at the University of Alabama and making many advances there, Ralph was a pioneer for integration in the business arena and later in the world of golf.

She’s forbidden. Too young, too pure, and not mine. I’ll break all the rules to be with her. She belongs to me, even if she doesn't know it yet. He’s taboo. Too old, too experienced, and my stepfather. I’ll cross every line to be with him. He's not mine and never will be. It’s not about the danger of what's forbidden, it’s about the pleasure we get from it. All consequences be damned.

Our True Mahogany Series features stories compiled with the African American woman in mind, but that will also appeal to women of all cultures interested in an intimate and often sensual account of the female experience. Women facing temptation, suffering heartbreak, finding their first true love or romance at long last are just a few of the fascinating themes of these collections. How do you know when you're falling in love? There's that warm, tingly feeling when you see him, the flying sparks, the sweaty palms and butterflies in your stomach to let you know it's true love. Relive the ...

Sharron Carpenter is nervous as tonight is her first date with Brad Williams, a handsome single parent she met on a dating app. The two have already had several video calls, through their online dates, but tonight is the first date at a restaurant. Do sparks fly between the two, or does the date end on a sour note? The First Date is an interracial BWWM clean romance. This short story is around 3,400 words.

Without giving anything away...it is very easy to fall in love with the main character, Mr. G. He is the epitome of achievement at the highest level, a role model to those who may doubt the color of their skin, the true hope of paying it forward, and the near-perfect man that all women deserve in their lives.

In part one, 'First Contact', we discover what happened to art in the great Age of Discovery, when civilisations encountered each other for the first time. Although undoubtedly a period of conquest and destruction, it was also one of mutual curiosity, global trade and the exchange of ideas.

In this second volume of the Sgt. Smith World War II trilogy, we find First Squad on the hot and rocky island of Sicily as the Allies plan to take and hold the island in order to better control shipping in the Mediterranean and as a jumping off point for the invasion of Italy. The First Infantry Division, having been bloodied in the fierce fighting in the hills and desert country of Tunisia, has learned a few hard lessons. After receiving some devastating setbacks in the Kasserine Pass from Rommel’s Africa Corps, the First Division stood their ground at El Guettar and came back to beat ...

Seventeen-year-old Odessa has a heavy burden placed upon her. As her father grows sicker each day, she must take on increasing responsibilities. With her mother's mysterious disappearance, it is up to Odessa to care for her younger sister and ailing father at the same time. However, he soon takes a turn for the worse, and Odessa learns she has little time to find a cure.

Experience the power of Long Walk Up, a deeply moving, inspirational tale of a young African orphan's extraordinary journey from poverty and despair to becoming Africa's first female president. This powerful story is a celebration of triumph, resilience, and the unshakable belief in one's destiny. If you loved The Alchemist, The Color Purple, The Prophet, and The Audacity of Hope, you'll be captivated by Long Walk Up. Set against the backdrop of Liberia's historic moment- its first woman president being sworn in - Long Walk Up unfolds the inspiring fictional life of a young East African ...

Meet Shirley, a little girl who asks way too many questions! After spending her early years on her grandparents' farm in Barbados, she returns home to Brooklyn and immediately makes herself known. Shirley kicks butt in school; she breaks her mother's curfew; she plays jazz piano instead of classical. And as a young adult, she fights against the injustice she sees around her, against women and Black people. Soon she is running for state assembly...and winning in a landslide. Three years later, she is on the campaign trail again, as the first Black woman to run for Congress.

Sixteen-year-old Nikki Desmond is the product of too many, too much, and too little. Too many boarding schools, too much money, and too little discipline. After being expelled from a fourth prestigious New York boarding school, her mother sends her to Los Angeles to live with her father.In the screenplays for the fabulous first season of this teen sitcom, Nikki adjusts to life on the west coast while her father works towards correcting her surly, racist, and rude behavior with a combination of tough love, humor, and life lessons.

This first volume in the Sgt. Smith World War II Trilogy follows a squad of First Infantry Division soldiers to the rugged Tunisian desert of North Africa in their first experience of war. As members of the "Big Red One," the most famous division in the American Army, they do battle with the most famous units in the German Army; Rommel's Africa Corps, as well as the 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions. Although this three-part series is told in novel format, it is a true story, based on documented accounts as well as stories my father told me. This is a vivid and unvarnished odyssey into the ...

"African Footprints American Soil" follows the transformative tale of a young boy, Salim, who relocates from the vibrant landscapes of Africa to the bustling streets of New York City. The narrative unfolds over two years, capturing Salim's challenging yet enlightening journey of adjusting to the fast-paced city life. As Salim finally settles into his new surroundings, he observes a quiet boy named Alex, isolated and seemingly struggling with the same sense of displacement that once burdened him.