Shiraz, a kindhearted young girl growing up in Tehran, has a miserable life at home with her stepmother and stepsister, who treat her like a servant. When the wind blows Shiraz’s ball of wool into the garden next door, she spends the day helping and caring for the old lady who lives there, with miraculous results. Then her stepmother sends her own daughter off on the same mission . . . but will the results be the same?

A traditional tale from Tehran in which two sisters get different results when they go to an old lady's house and act on her requests to help her around the house.

One evening in January 2010, an 11-year-old boy named Austin went outside to collect firewood in the backyard of his home. As he got closer to the woodshed, he saw a large animal with round ears and large teeth. Luckily, Austin had brought his golden retriever, Angel, with him. Suddenly, the animal—a ferocious cougar—leapt at Austin. Angel sprang into action and bravely jumped in front of the cougar to protect the boy. Austin then raced inside to get help as Angel and the cougar fought. The brave-hearted canine had saved her owner’s life! In this inspiring book, young readers will meet a variety of courageous dogs willing to risk their lives to protect their human companions—from a pit bull that saved her owner from dangerous robbers to a German shepherd-wolf mix that dragged her elderly owners to safety during a snowstorm. Packed with real-life stories and dramatic, full-color photos of these remarkable animals, this book is sure to be a favorite of dog-lovers everywhere.

Brave Hearts: Indian Women of the Plains tells the story of Plains Indian women through a series of fascinating vignettes. They are a remarkable group of women – some famous, some obscure. Some were hunters, some were warriors and, in a rare case, one was a chief; some lived extraordinary lives, while others lived more quietly in their lodges. Some were born into traditional families and knew their place in society while others were bi-racial who struggled to find their place in a world conflicted between Indian and white. Some never knew anything but the old, nomadic way of life while others lived-on to suffer through the reservation years. Others were born on the reservation but did their best in difficult times to keep to the old ways. Some never left the reservation while others ventured out into the larger world. All, in their own way, were Plains Indian women.

Fofo, a brave, little African girl, lives with her brothers and her strict aunt in the jungle. Fofo is tired of following her brothers around, and one day she decides to venture off by herself to swim in the natural pool at the foot of the mountain. As Fofo enjoys the refreshing spring water, she doesn’t realize she’s in danger. And then, on the bank, she hears the cry of an animal. She saves a baby lion being born, names him Angel, and carries the cub home. However, Fofo must give up the animal so it can be returned to the wild. That makes her sad and depressed. Her schoolwork suffers, and her grades drop. But her teachers help her get her spark back. This picture book for children delivers that message that it takes a village to raise a child. Through the love of Fofo’s family and friends, and especially her teachers, she’s able to find joy in her life again.

Christmas Day 2021 sees the release of a Netflix series, Stories of a Generation with Pope Francis, based on this book. Pope Francis views elders as reservoirs of wisdom and historical memory and believes their insights will offer future generations much-needed understanding and direction. More than 250 people were interviewed and Loyola Press sent a collection of stories to the Vatican. These encompassed universal themes of love, loss, survival, hope, peace in the face of unimaginable tragedy, and above all, faith. Pope Francis received every story, prayed over them, and responded with sensitivity and grace to 31 of the stories and the issues they raise. In his Preface, Pope Francis lays out his reasons for this collection of wisdom stories and the movement he hopes it inspires. He also contributes as a fellow elder, offering a story from his own life at the start of each chapter . And in his own wise and compassionate way, he serves as a spiritual shepherd, commenting on dozens of heartfelt stories.

When life-changing pain is coupled with the welcoming of a new story for yourself, the word bittersweet just doesn't do it justice. You are quite literally in the middle - anchored between where you thought you were headed and where you're going now. In that uncertain middle space is where this story takes place, and maybe where you find yourself, too. The life Kelsey Baldwin had imagined for herself, the one she was right in the middle of, quickly crumbled around her on a single day as she was faced with a looming divorce while staring at a positive pregnancy test. It wasn't the way it was supposed to go. With each uncertain transition she went through - divorce, pregnancy, giving birth, moving cities, dating, raising a child without a partner - she clung to what she knew for sure: she was a strong girl and a brave girl, and the middle was not the ending. (Spoiler: that's why it's called the middle.)My story might look really different than yours, but I'm willing to bet you find threads from my messy middle that are also woven into yours.