True Childhood

These are tales about what it means to learn of life and death and trust and companionship, as seen through the eyes of two boys, who from the age of six to twelve roamed deep into the woods and waterways, into and out of one wild scrape after another. The project began long ago as a gift to Brother James’ nieces, was set aside for two decades, and reworked and completed in the fall of 2013. Brother James said, “Everything I have learned in my life about writing is poured forth in this book. Some will be disappointed that it is not a commentary or exposition, but I believe that all who ...

Inspiring, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of trailblazers including Kamala Harris, Greta Thunberg, Ai Weiwei, Benazir Bhutto, Elliot Page, and John Lewis, along with ten other powerful figures. Kid Trailblazers highlights contemporary figures who have led the way in government, social activism, environmental justice, and the arts.

Love Always Mom An exciting true story about the love between a mother and her eighteen-year-old son and how, when and why God heals today. Love Always, Mom is the account of God’s response to a young man’s faith and His mercy to a family devastated upon learning their son would soon be dead. Two diagnoses of cancer and getting hit by a drunk driver three months later while jogging couldn’t stop the unfathomable love of God. Learn how this family drew closer to God and one another as they sought answers. Yes, God still heals. Miracles do occur. You’ll find out when, why and how He ...

An inspirational real life cancer memoir of a family's journey and the impossible miracle that led to their son's becoming a childhood cancer survivor. This is a thriller about a family’s battle to save their toddler son from a “zero chance of survival” diagnosis. With the world’s best doctors and the advocacy of his parents, Louis Unger would fight a 5-year battle for his young life. His grit and incredible attitude led to a breakthrough that would change how cancer is treated today. This is not a medical journal or a how-to guide. It is a true page-turner that gives you a front ...

Why would the multimillionaire producer of Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon take his limo from Manhattan to the struggling former steel town of Levittown, Pennsylvania, to see a high school production of Les Misérables? To see the show performed by the astoundingly successful theater company at Harry S Truman High School, run by its legendary director, Lou Volpe. Broadway turns to Truman High when trying out controversial shows such as Rent and Spring Awakening before they move on to high school theater programs across the nation. Volpe’s students from this blue-collar town go on to become Emmy-winning producers, entertainment executives, newscasters, and community-theater founders.

Every great author started out as a kid. Before the best sellers, fan clubs, and beloved stories we know today, the world's most celebrated writers had regular-kid problems just like you. Sam Clemens (aka Mark Twain) loved to skip school and make mischief, with his best friend Tom, of course! A young J. R. R. Tolkien was bitten by a huge tarantula - or as he called it, "a spider as big as a dragon." Toddler Zora Neale Hurston took her first steps when a wild hog entered her house and started chasing her!

She wrote the truth they told her to forget. Ayanna has been quiet long enough. It started on her eighth birthday. A hallway. A family who looked the other way. Now in her twenties, Ayanna is finally ready to speak the truth they tried to erase. Some Girls Drown is a powerful, emotionally charged novel based on true events. It follows one woman’s fight to reclaim her voice after a childhood spent shaped by silence, and the betrayal of those who should have protected her. This is a story of fury, memory, and the love we fight hardest to find: our own. For readers of Girl A, My Dark Vanessa...

John E. Weaver Excellent Reads Book Award for Historical Non-Fiction 2017 Maxy Awards Winner 2016 - Best Nonfiction Set amid the turbulent times of the late 1960s, Pleasant Valley Lost chronicles the last days of a family dairy farm condemned to destruction by a federal dam project. As the family struggles to find a new home and build their future, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moves into Pleasant Valley, ruthlessly destroying a community and its history. Pleasant Valley Lost is based on the true story surrounding the author's childhood farm. Originally part of the estate of ...

Growing up in Bexley, Ohio, population 13,000, Bob Greene and his four best friends, Allen, Chuck, Dan, and Jack, were inseparable. Of the four, Jack was Bob's very best friend, a bond forged from the moment they met on the first day of kindergarten. They grew up together, got into trouble together, learned about life together, and were ultimately separated by time and distance, as all adults are. But through the years Bob and Jack stayed close, holding on to the friendship that had formed years before.

When he was ten years old Josh Sundquist had his leg amputated to treat bone cancer. But this is not a sad story; on the contrary, this memoir is a story of resilience, heart, and most importantly: humor. Young Josh had a lot of adapting to do after he lost his leg. He had to learn how to walk again. He had to accept that he wouldn't be able to try out for the travel soccer team. He knew his life would never be the same again. But when he sees a poster in the hospital elevator advertising skiing classes, he realized all might not be lost.

When Areli was just a baby, her mama and papa moved from Mexico to New York with her brother, Alex, to make a better life for the family - and when she was in kindergarten, they sent for her, too. Everything in New York was different. Gone were the Saturdays at Abuela's house, filled with cousins and sunshine. Instead, things were busy and fast and noisy. Areli's limited English came out wrong, and schoolmates accused her of being illegal. But with time, America became her home.

Daisy-May Jones was four years old when she was told by her parents the family was moving halfway across the world to Australia for a better life. Leaving everything behind, including her beloved grandparents, Daisy-May spent a happy and secure few years adapting to a new life. But after the breakdown of her parent's marriage, she stepped into a nightmare as her mother introduced a new step-father to her and her disabled brother.

Athletes throughout history have dreamed of competing in the Olympics—and some were kids themselves when those dreams and plans began! In Kid Olympians: Summer, discover the childhood stories of legends. Featuring kid-friendly wording, this book will inspire you to dream bigger, faster, and higher than ever before! The diverse and inspiring group also includes Dick Fosbury, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Gertrude Ederle, Nadia Comaneci, Ellie Simmonds, Tommie Smith, Wilma Rudolph, and Megan Rapinoe.

Inspiring, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of musicians, including Taylor Swift, Louis Armstrong, Harry Styles, Mariah Carey, Yo-Yo Ma, Paul McCartney, and 10 other influential performers.

A childhood full of hijinks and hair-raising escapades. Would her girlish adventures prepare her for a life filled with joys and sorrows? Growing up in the heyday of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and the American Mafia, Gail McGuire’s fascinating reminiscences push the limits of modern views of child-rearing. And as this author enthusiastically recounts the endless delights and bittersweet struggles of her youth, she offers a glimpse into an era that transformed the world forever. Idaho, the 1960s. Gail McGuire loved being part of the wild bunch. A lightly supervised youngster in the small town ...

This audiobook tells the story of an orphan boy who--despite life's difficulties and his difficult relationships with other people--was able to survive and grow up as a worthy person. This audiobook also describes the unique spiritual and mystical experiences that the boy experienced throughout his childhood, communicating with nature, and other forces.

The amazing true-life story of Paul Connolly, now a major film. Abandoned as a baby into a cruel care system Paul fought through years of abuse and neglect to emerge as an adult into a world of violence and crime in London's East End. Despite all of this he built a new life for himself and eventually found love and success, but had to confront his own demons when he discovered six of eight childhood friends he grew up with were victims of that cruel system and no longer alive. Great friends and a loving heart transformed Paul’s world and he has gone on to help thousands of people as a ...

Enduring Childhood Abuse is a heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring story of Connie F. Webster's early life. Through this audiobook, you see her childhood and young adult life full of trials: sexual abuse at a young age, kidnapping, an unexpected teen pregnancy that ends due to an accident-induced miscarriage, a long-term relationship with a substance and alcohol abuser. Unflinchingly, she tells us her stories and what she's learned from each, helping us look for the grace to overcome our own challenges.

The Afterlife Confessional follows Bill's journey for answers as he looks through the dizzying kaleidoscope of his clients' lives - the widower who escaped an aged-care trap to take her husband's ashes on the road trip of a lifetime; the man who spent his life paying it forward to try to make up for one shameful act; the closet dominatrix who quietly confronts her husband's infidelity by comforting those truly in need; the devoted couple who insist on going hand-in-hand into the afterlife.

How we decide to confront our inner fears is the person we become. Whom had Jonathan become? Ethiopian Airlines flight 961 plunged into the Indian Ocean in an attempted water landing, killing 125 of the 175 people on board. 10-year-old Jonathan and his 3-year-old brother Richie are left fatherless. Feelings of anxiety and uncertainty become their new normal as they grow up with a distant and neglectful mother. Now an adult, Jonathan is an ambitious graduate who wants to make something of his life. Richie, however, has turned to alcohol much like his mother. Despite his efforts and best ...