When Leon disregards the instructions and opens Ben's new ant farm, the ants get loose and cause havoc at the Puzzle Place.

This book chronicles the journey of discovery by a man who went on a quest to solve a mystery. Did his grandmother die the way he was told she had, or was she murdered? The rumor had plagued his family for almost four decades. Could the unthinkable be true, that his own grandfather might have been involved with the mysterious death of his grandmother? Along the way in his multiyear odyssey, the author discovers his family roots, his family tree, and the disturbing secrets long buried by his family. He vividly portrays the life and culture of Paducah, Kentucky, East St. Louis, Illinois, and Okeechobee, Florida, in the 1910s through the 1970s. He displays a culture and dialect of a strong breed of people that lived in rural western Kentucky in the early 1900s. He discovers extreme violence, knife fights, gunfights, bigamy, racism, thievery, bootlegging, and long-lost siblings. He discovers secrets within military and government files, unknown mental illnesses, wife-beatings, and murders. He discovers his grandfather’s World War II emprise, and the surprises it revealed. He uncovers the secrets of Freemasonry, and how it may have been involved in his grandmother’s death. He uncovers many lies from many people, and lawlessness by some in his family. The story includes attempts at a belated exhumation and autopsy to finally solve the mystery once and for all. He finally brings together all the evidence, pieces of a bizarre mystery, never before assembled by his family, to solve the enigma of his grandmother’s death. This book details the emotional pendulum experienced by a grandson on a journey to solve a riddle, and being repeatedly shocked and dumbfounded by what he found. Anne Carayon: “Great entertaining narrative! The mystery thickens as you go along! The historical and sociological backgrounds have transformed a personal sad story into a page of American Middle West history. It is also a description of what man can do to achieve his egotistical goals. That’s universal and timeless.” Deborah Schadt: “How brave it was of Dwain Tucker to put so much thought, time, and energy into looking for something he didn’t want to find! His intention to uncover evidence to disprove a family murder rumor led him to the discovery of numerous family secrets, both good and bad. “Many in Dwain Tucker’s family learned everything they knew from the school of hard knocks, and he was so honest in his portrayal of the ‘colorful’ characters in his family. His attempt at imitating the dialect used by the people of that place and time is both humorous and accurate. “Dwain has my admiration, appreciation, and gratitude for preserving a part of the Tucker family history—that if not for his perseverance would have otherwise been forever lost.”

To impress his girlfriend, Leon made a promise to always be there for her. Like most promises made by teenagers in love, he never thought much about its implication. Little did he know that a simple pinky promise would forever alter his life and his relationships. A story about romance through growing up.

Stories by writers with Southern backgrounds deal with the modern problems of life in the South

"My role as a Behaviour Support Teacher involves classroom observations and feedback to teachers on issues relating to challenging behaviour. This gives me the refreshing opportunity to spend time watching real teachers do real teaching, and deal with the very real problems that arise in their classrooms. My advice is personalised towards the individuals I am working with, but along the way, I have noticed a few commonalities regarding what works and what doesn't." It is these commonalities that provide the basis of this book. Louisa Leaman provides advice on every aspect of teaching, from the structure and content of lessons, right through to setting boundaries, dealing with bullies, and collaborating with other staff.

Readers, writers, and critics alike look forward to each new collection of Thomas Hauser's articles about today’s boxing scene. Reviewing these books, Booklist has proclaimed, “Many journalists have written fine boxing pieces, but none has written as extensively or as memorably as Thomas Hauser. . . . Hauser remains the current champion of boxing. . . . He is a treasure.” Hauser’s newest collection meets this high standard. The Universal Sport features Hauser’s coverage of 2021 and 2022 in boxing. As always, Hauser chronicles the big fights and gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at boxing’s biggest stars. He offers a cogent look the rise of women’s boxing and shines a penetrating light on the murky world of illegal performance enhancing drugs and financial corruption at the sport’s highest levels. He explores how boxing has become a tool in the high-stakes world of “sportswashing” by Saudi Arabia and a flash point for discussions about Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. The book culminates in a memorable four-part essay on the craft of writing coupled with reflections on Hauser’s own induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The true, inspiring and heart-soaring story of Peter Wolf and his courageous and determined struggle to escape to freedom. Born at the end of W.W. II, Peter grows up in East Germany at the height of the Cold War under the brutal, totalitarian rule of Soviet Communism. Life is grim and the future bleak for the 12-year-old until he and his mother make a daring and desperate escape to America.