From the best-selling author of War Room comes a Christy Award finalist, now a Lifetime original movie called Child of Grace. “I believed everything my daddy told me until I walked into Wal-Mart and saw my picture on a little poster . . .” For as long as she can remember, June Bug and her father have traveled the back roads of the country in their beat-up RV, spending many nights parked at Wal-Mart. One morning, as she walks past the greeter at the front of the store, her eyes are drawn to the pictures of missing children, where she is shocked to see herself. This discovery begins a quest for the truth about her father, the mother he rarely speaks about, and ultimately herself. But when her father’s past catches up with them, forces beyond his control draw them back to Dogwood, West Virginia, down a winding path that will change their lives forever.

Reeve McLain, Jr.--Junebug--has a big dream that keeps him going. He dreams that someday he and his younger sister and mother will move from the awful housing project where drugs, gangs, and guns are part of everyday life. Junebug's 10th birthday is coming up, and he knows the gangs and drug dealers will be after him to join them. But he has a big birthday plan to keep his hope alive. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

?Junebug is a rare and special book, one of those mysterious and totally original inventions that summon attention because they are so unique. It is as American as the Great Plains, as poignant as Carson McCullers at her best, and imbued with the deeply affecting and poetical heart-song of its lonely and quirky narrator. Maureen McCoy writes like an angel, full of passion, musical cadence, and offbeat curious insights into the human soul. This novel is a deeply touching prayer for all the wild and beautiful misfits on earth . . . including you and me.? --John Nichols, Author of The Milagro Beanfield War

It’s been several busy months since Junebug and his family moved away from their old housing project. Now Junebug is ecstatic about seeing his best friend Robert again at the beach on Labor Day weekend. But Robert’s with Trevor, another project pal, who happens to be a gang member with a gun. Junebug’s scared of Robert joining Trevor’s gang and wonders if he can stop him. At home, Junebug thinks about the father he hardly knows. He has been in prison for over six years. Maybe he’s really innocent, but if not, will people think that Junebug will grow up to be like him?

The inspiring story of Juniper, a baby born too soon, gorgeously told by her parents, both award-winning journalists. Juniper French was born four months early, at 23 weeks' gestation. She weighed 1 pound, 4 ounces, and her twiggy body was the length of a Barbie doll. Her head was smaller than a tennis ball, her skin was nearly translucent, and through her chest you could see her flickering heart. Babies like Juniper, born at the edge of viability, trigger the question: Which is the greater act of love -- to save her, or to let her go? Kelley and Thomas French chose to fight for Juniper's life, and this is their incredible tale. In one exquisite memoir, the authors explore the border between what is possible and what is right. They marvel at the science that conceived and sustained their daughter and the love that made the difference. They probe the bond between a mother and a baby, between a husband and a wife. They trace the journey of their family from its fragile beginning to the miraculous survival of their now thriving daughter.

A fictionalized account of Wilson Edward Reed, PhD’s experience growing up Black in the South during the 1950’s and 60’s, Junebug is a middle-grade novel that shows how to move beyond hardships, like those many faced while living under Jim Crow. Full of humor and heartache, Junebug depicts a young person’s journey to find self-worth despite American society’s onslaught of negative messaging determined to define one’s identity and future—the kind that can come from any side. The story follows Junebug’s exploits with his friends, the loss of his mother, and his struggles with racial discrimination, before he sets his sights beyond Mississippi. After taking the 2,600 mile bus journey to Seattle, Junebug is encouraged by his three aunts to earn a college degree, all while his spiritual and emotional growth is on display. Like the Sankofa bird, Junebug is able to make peace with his past and use that knowledge to move forward as he takes responsibility for his mistakes and forgives those who hurt him. Junebug shows how familial support and community involvement can help motivated individuals rise above anger and discrimination and discover the life of their dreams.

In this charming story about respecting the smallest forms of life, June helps her friends see that we should not harm those who have a right to be here just as we do, no matter how tiny they are. She demonstrates actions we can take to keep bugs and little critters out of harm's way. The inspiration for Junebug came from things that author Nicole Daniels did as a child to save bugs.