In a standout debut for the #MeToo era, a young pianist devotes herself to her art — and to the demanding, charismatic teacher she idolizes. After seventeen-year-old Claire Alalay’s father's death, only music has helped her channel her grief. Claire likes herself best when she plays his old piano, a welcome escape from the sadness — and her traditional Filipino mother’s prayer groups. In the hopes of earning a college scholarship, Claire auditions for Paul Avon, a prominent piano teacher, who agrees to take Claire as a pupil. Soon Claire loses herself in Paul’s world and his way of digging into a composition’s emotional core. She practices constantly, foregoing a social life, but no matter how hard she works or how well she plays, it seems impossible to gain Paul’s approval, let alone his affection. Author Cynthia Salaysay composes a moving, beautifully written portrait of rigorous perfectionism, sexual awakening, and the challenges of self-acceptance. Timely and vital, Private Lessons delves into a complicated student/teacher relationship, as well as class and cultural differences, with honesty and grace.

A Book of the Year for The Economist and the Observer Our world seems to be collapsing. The daily news cycle reports the deterioration: divisive politics across the Western world, racism, poverty, war, inequality, hunger. While politicians, journalists and activists from all sides talk about the damage done, Johan Norberg offers an illuminating and heartening analysis of just how far we have come in tackling the greatest problems facing humanity. In the face of fear-mongering, darkness and division, the facts are unequivocal: the golden age is now.

The processing of fruits continues to undergo rapid change. In the Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing, Dr. Y.H. Hui and his editorial team have assembled over forty respected academicians and industry professionals to create an indispensable resource on the scientific principles and technological methods for processing fruits of all types. The book describes the processing of fruits from four perspectives: a scientific basis, manufacturing and engineering principles, production techniques, and processing of individual fruits. A scientific knowledge of the horticulture, biology, chemistry, and nutrition of fruits forms the foundation. A presentation of technological and engineering principles involved in processing fruits is a prelude to their commercial production. As examples, the manufacture of several categories of fruit products is discussed. The final part of the book discusses individual fruits, covering their harvest to a finished product in a retail market. As a professional reference book replete with the latest research or as a practical textbook filled with example after example of commodity applications, the Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing is the current, comprehensive, yet compact resource ideal for the fruit industry.

The author of Those Shoes and an award-winning illustrator team up for the story of a girl who tries to overcome her fear of bees to see how amazing they are. Kaia is the brave type. Like hottest-hot-pepper brave. But there is one thing that scares her: BEES! And right now, thousands of bees live on her roof because Kaia’s dad is a beekeeper. Her dad says that the world needs bees and that’s why they are beekeepers. But only he goes on the roof, not Kaia — unless she can find a way to be the brave girl she always says she is. Against a sunny city setting, author Maribeth Boelts and illustrator Angela Dominguez depict Kaia’s small courageous steps — and her tiny insect neighbors — with great empathy and charm. Buzzing with storytime potential, Kaia and the Bees is an honest and relatable tale about bravery and compassion, as well as the importance of bees to our world.

Summaries a portion of the research conducted under a two-year joint project of the American Society for Training and Development and the U.S. Department of Labor.

In a moving, lyrical tale about the cost and fragility of freedom, a New York Times best-selling author and an acclaimed artist follow the life of a man who courageously shipped himself out of slavery. What have I to fear? My master broke every promise to me. I lost my beloved wife and our dear children. All, sold South. Neither my time nor my body is mine. The breath of life is all I have to lose. And bondage is suffocating me. Henry Brown wrote that, long before he came to be known as Box, he “entered the world a slave.” He was put to work as a child and passed down from one generation to the next — as property. When he was an adult, his wife and children were sold away from him out of spite. Henry Brown watched as his family left bound in chains, headed to the deeper South. What more could be taken from him? But then hope — and help — came in the form of the Underground Railroad. Escape! In stanzas of six lines each, each line representing one side of a box, celebrated poet Carole Boston Weatherford powerfully narrates Henry Brown’s story of how he came to send himself in a box from slavery to freedom. Strikingly illustrated in rich hues and patterns by artist Michele Wood, Box is augmented with historical records and an introductory excerpt from Henry’s own writing as well as a time line, notes from the author, and a bibliography.

“The captivating cut-paper–and-ink illustrations . . . perfectly suit the prose’s quiet grandeur. . . . Charming, scenic, and a winning must for the youngest polar bear lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Follow a magnificent polar bear through a fantastic world of snow and shockingly blue sea. Over the ice, through the water, past Arctic animals and even a human . . . where is he going? What does he want? Acclaimed author Mac Barnett’s narration deftly balances suspense and emotion, as well as poignant, subtle themes, compelling us to follow the bear with each page turn. Artist Shawn Harris’s striking torn-paper illustrations layer white-on-white hues with bolts of blue and an interplay of shadow and light for a gorgeous view of a stark yet beautiful landscape. Simple and thought-provoking, illuminating and intriguing, this engaging picture book will have readers pondering the answer to its final question long after the polar bear has continued on his way.

Fruit and fruit products, in all their many varieties and variations, are major world commodities and part of the economic life blood of many countries, particularly in the developing world. The perception of the healthy nature of fruit is a major reason for its increased consumption in the developed world, and many consumers today find a wider selection of fruit varieties, available at all times of the year, than ever before. This volume, however, is not so much concerned with fresh fruit as those principal areas of processing to which it may be subjected. Fruit processing arose as a means of utilising a short-lived product and preserving its essential nutritional qualities as far as possible. A chapter on the nutritional aspects of fruit is included in this work to reflect the importance of this topic to most consumers. After a general introduction, the chapter on fruit storage is the only contribution which deals with a process from which fruit emerges in essentially the same physical condition. Beyond that the book sets out to cover most of the major areas in which fruit may be processed into forms which bear varying semblances to the original raw material.