Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods’s poignant, heartfelt story of an adopted boy and the bird he rescues Everyone expects Coop to be musical like his beloved parents, but he’s not. That’s one of the few things he finds awkward about being adopted—well, that and the fact that he sometimes wonders why his birth mother didn’t love him enough to keep him. This summer, he’s stuck at home with a broken arm after falling out of a tree trying to get a closer peek at a mockingbird nest. Later, when the eggs in the nest have hatched and the fledglings fly away, he and his friend Zandi notice that one of them stays behind. Taking a closer look, they realize the bird only has one wing. Since it won’t survive in the wild, they adopt it and name it Hop, and then learn everything they can about birds so they can care for Hop properly. Unfortunately, when a hawk injures Hop, the vet says it’s illegal to keep mockingbirds as pets. Faced with a difficult decision about surrendering his beloved little bird to a bird sanctuary, Coop starts thinking about his birth mother’s motivation in a new light.
Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods introduces introverted, daydream-prone Zoe, who’s afraid her real life will never be as exciting as her imaginary one. Zoe Reindeer considers herself “just Zoe”—never measuring up to her too-perfect older sister or her smarty-pants little brother. Truthfully, though, she’d rather just blend in with the plants at the family business, Doc Reindeer’s Exotic Plant Wonderland. She does have one friend, Q, and he’s the best one ever—but he’s moving away, leaving Zoe to fend for herself, and she doesn’t know what she’ll do without him. That is until a tall astronomer from Madagascar comes to the nursery looking for a Baobab tree. His visit starts a ball rolling that makes Zoe long for real adventures, not just imaginary ones—and shows her that perhaps her first real adventure is finally beginning.
From the small community of Hemingway, South Carolina, to the streets of New York City, Growing Up Sylvias offers a biography of Sylvia Woods, the Queen of Soul Food, and her husband, Herbert Woods. Written by Sylvias daughter-in-law and son, Brenda and Van D. Woods it explores and relates to a journey of success and happiness of an American family. Aimed at young readers, it tells how Sylvia and Herbert hailed from a humble background in the South and became the owners of a multimillion-dollar enterprise in the North. It also includes assignments, reading activities, and quizzes for use in the classroom. Growing Up Sylvias shares the story of a family who represents what can be done with faith, love, determination, and unity within a family.
Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods’ moving, uplifting story of a girl finally meeting the African American side of her family explores racism and how it feels to be biracial, and celebrates families of all kinds. Violet is biracial, but she lives with her white mother and sister, attends a mostly white school in a white town, and sometimes feels like a brown leaf on a pile of snow. Now that she’s eleven, she feels it’s time to learn about her African American heritage, so she seeks out her paternal grandmother. When Violet is invited to spend two weeks with her new Bibi (Swahili for "grandmother") and learns about her lost heritage, her confidence in herself grows and she discovers she’s not a shrinking Violet after all. From a Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author, this is a powerful story about a young girl finding her place in the world.
The Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author tells the moving story of the friendship between a young white boy and a Black WWII veteran who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South. On Gabriel's twelfth birthday, he gets a new bike--and is so excited that he accidentally rides it right into the path of a car. Fortunately, a Black man named Meriwether pushes him out of the way just in time, and fixes his damaged bike. As a thank you, Gabriel gets him a job at his dad's auto shop. Gabriel's dad hires him with some hesitation, however, anticipating trouble with the other mechanic, who makes no secret of his racist opinions. Gabriel and Meriwether become friends, and Gabriel learns that Meriwether drove a tank in the Army's all-Black 761st Tank Battalion in WWII. Meriwether is proud of his service, but has to keep it a secret because talking about it could be dangerous. Sadly, danger finds Meriwether, anyway, when his family receives a frightening threat. The South being the way it is, there's no guarantee that the police will help--and Gabriel doesn't know what will happen if Meriwether feels forced to take the law into his own hands.
A boy, a dog, and New Orleans' most famous storm—Hurricane Katrina. Saint is a boy with confidence as big as his name is long. A budding musician, he earns money playing clarinet for the New Orleans tourists, and his best friend is a stray dog named Shadow. At first Saint is sure that Hurricane Katrina will be just like the last one--no big deal. But then the city is ordered to evacuate and Saint refuses to leave without Shadow. Saint and Shadow flee to his neighbor's attic--and soon enough it's up to Saint to save them all. "Woods takes us right into New Orleans, right into the eye of the storm and the heart of New Orleans' people." — Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-winnng author of Brown Girl Dreaming "Provides a vivid description of what life was like in pre-Katrina New Orleans, and how quickly peoples' lives were shattered. The characters are well-developed, and readers truly will care about their fates." — Library Media Connection, starred review "A small gem that sparkles with hope, resilience and the Crescent City's unique, jazz-infused spirit." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
On her tenth birthday, Leah receives a surprise gift from glamorous Aunt Olivia, Mama's only sister, who lives in Los Angeles. It is a red rose box. Not many people in 1958 Louisiana have seen such a beautiful traveling case, covered with red roses, filled with jewelry, silk bedclothes, expensive soaps...and train tickets to California. Soon after, Leah and her sister, Ruth, find themselves in Hollywood, far away from cotton fields and Jim Crow laws. To Leah, California feels like freedom. But when disaster strikes back home, Leah and Ruth have to stay with Aunt Olivia permanently. Will freedom ever feel like home?
Emako Blue was supposed to be a star. She was beautiful and good-hearted. She was Monterey's best friend. She was the only girl Jamal cared about, the one who saw through his player act. She was the one who understood the burden of Eddie's family. She was the best singer anyone had ever heard, with a voice like vanilla incense, smoky and sweet. She was Savannah's rival, the one who wouldn't play by the rules. She was destined for greatness, already plucked from South Central Los Angeles by the record producers. She was only fifteen when she died.
The whole world seems to transform during the summer of 1965, when Eden’s cousin from Mississippi comes to visit her in L.A. just as the Watts Riots erupt, in this stirring new novel by Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods. When Eden’s cousin Winter comes for a visit, it turns out he’s not just there to sightsee. He wants to figure out what happened to his dad, who disappeared ten years earlier from the Watts area of L.A. So the cousins set out to investigate together, and what they discover brings them joy—and heartache. It also opens up a whole new understanding of their world, just as the area they’ve got their sights on explodes in a clash between the police and the Black residents. For six days Watts is like a war zone, and Eden and Winter become heroes in their own part of the drama. Eden hopes to be a composer someday, and the only way she can describe that summer is a song with an unexpected ending, full of changes in tempo and mood--totally unforgettable.
Sally Harrison and her family are slaves on a plantation in Georgia. But when Master decides to sell Sally and her brother, the family escapes to seek shelter with a tribe of Seminoles who are rumored to adopt runaway slaves. After a perilous journey, Sally’s family finds and joins the tribe. But while her father and brother easily adjust to Indian ways, Sally can’t seem to find her place. Combining the poetry of Sally’s songs with the heartracing tension of the family’s escape, author Brenda Woods delivers a breathtaking story of a girl caught between worlds.
As a believer and a man of God who honors God wherever I go, I had the pleasure of meeting Brenda in what I thought was a chance encounter...that is, until I realized that she too was a believer. I then understood that our meeting was a divine appointment. Through our periodic professional meetings and phone calls, Brenda's life story began emerging, and I knew that she had a story that God wanted to be told. I Choose Me is really a story of spiritual discovery and healing. It is the evangelistic testimony of a woman who has allowed God to heal every hurt. This book is heart warming, challenging and inspiring! It is a must-read for anyone who has encountered "hell on earth" in their life and for those who have still yet to encounter this phenomenon. After reading this book, like Brenda, I believe you too will complete your journey back to YOU! Blessings! Warren E. Anderson, Associate Pastor and Author
If you could get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for anything at all, what would it be? This writing assignment, given out in Ms. Hart's tenth-grade creative writing class, sparks a group of nine students to tell his/her own story. Readers are introduced to Jake and Shante's interracial romance, Carlos' fear of deportation, and Sunday's determination after being sexually assaulted. These teens persevere through hardship and heartache, laughter and love, and in the end, their voices shine through inspiring journal entries that answer the question in unusual and unexpected ways. Once again, Brenda Woods shows a keen understanding of the teenage psyche, as she did in Emako Blue, winner of the 2005 IRA Children?s Choice Young Adult Fiction Award.
I was not always engulfed in a life of racing through a maze of winding wooded roads to get a glimpse of a darting deer or wandering through my backyard in my nightgown and flip-flops with a flashlight looking for a wild boar. And being caught up-river in a tiny jon boat in the middle of a lightning storm was never on my to-do list either. I have, however, found myself in the mist of these adventures and more during my life as a woman in the woods in North Florida.
Three holiday favorites from New York Times bestselling authors! Silver Bells by Debbie Macomber A single dad’s rambunctious teenage daughter hatches a plot to find her father a wife, and she has just the woman in mind. He may claim he’s not interested in remarriage, but perhaps the magic of the holiday season will help him change his mind. On a Snowy Christmas by Brenda Novak When their private plane crashes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains shortly before Christmas, two political enemies discover that survival means more than just staying alive. In their case, it also means falling in love… The Perfect Holiday by Sherryl Woods What’s a holiday without a handsome husband? To a matchmaking aunt, it isn’t very festive at all! So she sends the perfect man to her single niece. But will he become the perfect groom-to-be by Christmastime?
Holiday Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses: A Romance Sampler ** FREE DIGITAL SAMPLER FEATURING EXTENDED EXCERPTS FROM THIS SEASON'S BEST ROMANCE AUTHORS ** From rugged cowboysto hard-bodied Navy SEALs, there's something for every romance reader. So, curl up by thefireplace and settle in with some of the best holiday romances of the year with this freesampler featuring excerpts from ten new novels written by today's bestselling authors. Featuring extended excerpts from: • Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne • A Snow Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller • Wyoming Winter by Diana Palmer • Christmastime Cowboy by Maisey Yates • Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan • A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods • Christmas in Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts • His Secret Son by Brenda Jackson • Christmas on the Run by Shirlee McCoy • The Cowboy Seal's Christmas Baby by Laura Altom
It is vastly uncontested that Moms have the most underpaid and stressful job. Reports indicate that Moms find their best support from other moms, those who have felt and are handling the same familiar stressors. This book does not contain what you should do, or condemn you for what you are or are not doing. This book is a collection of stories from Moms who have been-there-done-that. The stories are humorous, entertaining and educational. These stories may not make your child go to bed on time, eat their vegetables, stop pestering the dog or quit taunting their siblings. However, it may give you a break from your day, a smile when you need one and an idea or two from someone else’s experience. Pre-Release reviews: “This book is great. Each chapter is a complete essay and easy to read and relate to.“ ~ Sandra Timler, Pre-School Teacher “I recommend this to all moms, regardless of the age of their children.” ~ Bonnie Chalk, Physician Assistant “It’s hard to choose a favorite chapter, they are all good.” ~ Chere Frong, Mother, Grandmother
Monterey, Savannah, Jamal, and Eddie have never had much to do with each other until Emako Blue shows up at chorus practice, but just as the lives of the five Los Angeles high school students become intertwined, tragedy tears them apart.
Heather, Feather, and Kumquat are three little hedgehog princesses born to King Hedgric and Queen Cassia. Their birth is welcomed with great joy throughout the kingdom, and to commemorate the event, each infant is presented with a royal gemstone set in a crown and mounted above her cradle. Time goes on, and as the girls grow up, they begin to take all their comfort and privilege as an entitlement. The life of a princess has, all too quickly, become about self and possessions. This worsening behavior has not been lost on Dad and Mom. But as king and queen, Hedgric and Cassia have allowed their focus to become ever more about public duty and governing well. They reason that so many livelihoods depend on them, whereas the girls are surrounded constantly by people who love them and genuinely enjoy caring for their every need. It will take a wake-up call, but this mind-set will not distract them forever; it has only delayed the inevitable! While the king and queen are away on a long-awaited trip, things back at home come to a boiling point. Upon the parents return, its discovered that valuable items have gone missing, and unfortunately, the girls rush to place the blame on their visiting cousins. As revealed early in the story, issues already exist within the family, which have been pushed aside even longer. These two matters of contention will ultimately collide head-on! King Hedgric and Queen Cassia are finally determined to set things right on both counts and orchestrate a series of teaching moments, first aimed directly at the girls. What results is a paradigm shift for everyone involved!
In 1953, Leah Hopper dreams of leaving the poverty and segregation of her home in Sulphur, Louisiana, and when Aunt Olivia sends train tickets to Los Angeles as part of her tenth birthday present, Leah and her sister Ruth get a first taste of freedom.
A subconsciously written entry in my journal started me on this path to freedom. Meeting Myself: Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind is the story of my journey through bulimia, doubt, and unbelief into healing and wholeness in Christ. About the Author: A popular motivational speaker, Brenda Wood is known for her common sense wisdom, sense of humour, and quirky comments.
A Forever Kind of Family - Brenda Harlen Two's a date. Three's...a family? When they become guardians of their best friends' orphaned baby, Ryan Garrett and Harper Ross expect disaster. The two can't be more different — she's an uptight career woman and he's a laidback ladies' man. But for little Oliver, they're now mummy and daddy. For Harper, playing house with the flirtatious Ryan is as difficult as being a mother. Fussy babies elude her but sexy Ryan pursues her! He reminds her of the night they spent together years ago; she needs to forget it. All they agree on is their love for the baby. They'll do anything for the little guy. But when their custody is threatened, will they go all the way and marry? His Pregnant Texas Sweetheart - Amy Woods Katie Bloom's five-point plan to happily-ever-after: 1. Foster a happy, healthy environment for my child-to-be. Even though my ex left us, I'm so excited to be a mum. 2. Find a new career path, now that the Peach Leaf Historical Society is closing. 3. Make this year's Pumpkin Festival the best Peach Leaf, Texas has ever seen, since it will be the last! 4. Create the perfect family with the only man I've ever loved — my childhood BFF, Ryan Ford. He's back in town for the first time since he married his pregnant high school girlfriend and our chemistry is as off-the-charts as ever. 5. Recover from Ryan's gorgeous hazel stare and let him know how I feel, how I've always felt. He left home years ago, but I'm not letting him go — ever again!
Gabriel, twelve, gains new perspective when he becomes friends with Meriwether, a Black World War II hero who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South.
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