This is a story of a small boy left in charge of his little sister. Joe is so busy playing his favourite game of Creepy Crawly Cafe, that he forgets all about his sister, Amy. The story evokes the poignancy of her disappearance and the happy relief of finding her.

A Vietnam vet returns to an Australia that regards him as a mercenary guilty of war crimes. Thommo begins to develop all kinds of physical and mental problems, and thinks it must only be him until he finds that he is not alone. Ten mates, all who remain of his platoon, are affected in the same way. Now Thommo and his mates are eleven angry men out for revenge. They rope in an ex-Viet Cong with 'special skills' and his own secret agenda. They're the 'Dirty Dozen', just like the movie. Only it's real life, and they're so screwed up they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. That is, until a woman of character steps in. Wendy's infant daughter is dying and needs a transplant. She sets out to mould this bunch of ex-jungle fighters into a unit that will fight for justice, by fair means or foul. Hell hath no fury ... 'Courtenay's yarn about a whacky bunch of Vietnam vets keeps moving ... it's dead centre in Courtenay's oeuvre, an easy read with a social conscience.' Weekend Australian brycecourtenay.com facebook.com/BryceCourtenay

Cafe Indiana is both a guide to Indiana’s hometown mom-and-pop restaurants and a reclamation and celebration of small-town Midwest culture. The hungry diner looking for adventure and authenticity can use Cafe Indiana simply as a guide to the state’s quintessential eats: the best fiddlers, macaroni and cheese, soup beans, and beef Manhattan. But Stuttgen also captures the spirit of the locals, bringing to life the people whose stories give the book—and the food—its soul. Over plates of chicken and noodles, fried bologna sandwiches, and sugar cream pie, folks are crafting community at the Main Street eatery. In Cafe Indiana, Hoosiers and out-of-staters alike are invited to pull out a chair and sit a spell.

First home to Yokut Indians, then trappers, hunters, and fishermen, Lathrop was founded by Leland Stanford in 1869 as a railroad town and an answer to Stanford's frustration with his railroad attempts in Stockton. Lathrop's rich history includes the railroad, its Delta waterways, manufacturing and distributing industries, and the fascinating tale of California Supreme Court justice David S. Terry's murder (Terry had previously fought and won the last legal duel in California with U.S. senator David C. Broderick just outside of San Francisco). Reportedly named in honor of a relative of Leland Stanford Jr., today's Lathrop evolved from rugged railroad beginnings to a growing and vibrant community of close to 20,000 residents.

Offers a decade-by-decade history of American singing groups, from the Ames and Mills Brothers, to the Platters and the Beach Boys, to Destiny's Child, the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, and many others, covering more than 380 artists and furnishing information on each group's career, key members, influences, photos, and discographies. Original.

In the early 80s, recovering from my divorce, I moved from Ketchum, Idaho, to Palo Alto, California, to live temporarily with my sister Martin and her family, the other Martins, until I found an apartment. My brother-in-law was and still is a pastor in the Nazarene church. Also attending the church were two college mates of mine and the Martins, Jan and Doug Burgesen and their two children (the two kids, Stevie and Cindy, not Doug and Jan) who could not pronounce Uncle Ken. It came out Koko Ken. Soon, very soon, I was known to the whole church (even to my niece Jennifer and my two nephews, Todd and Gabe) as Koko Ken, which gave me the title of this book. Because of a birth defect, spina bifida (the definitions in the book), I wasnt expected to live past six weeks. As of this writing, October 1, 2012, Im six weeks shy of sixty-two years old. Ive lived a very fortunate life. Ive hiked up two volcanoes, Lassen and Diamond Head. Ive ten speeded down Mt. Haleakala. I played Chopins, King Faruks, and Carnegie Halls pianos. Read my book. Its funny. Its sad. Its me. Im almost a George Plimpton.

The weekly source of African American political and entertainment news.

“A new kind of flavor-first vegan cooking. . . . Stunning.” —Food & Wine “The Best Cookbook Gifts for Vegans” —Vice “Best Food Books of the Year” —USA Today Reinventing plant-based eating is what Tal Ronnen is all about. At his Los Angeles restaurant, Crossroads, the menu is vegan, but there are no soybeans or bland seitan to be found. He and his executive chef, Scot Jones, turn seasonal vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains into sophisticated Mediterranean fare—think warm bowls of tomato-sauced pappardelle, plates of spicy carrot salad, and crunchy flatbreads piled high with roasted vegetables. In Crossroads, an IACP Cookbook Award finalist, Ronnen teaches readers to make his recipes and proves that the flavors we crave are easily replicated in dishes made without animal products. With accessible, unfussy recipes, Crossroads takes plant-based eating firmly out of the realm of hippie health food and into a cuisine that fits perfectly with today’s modern palate. The recipes are photographed in sumptuous detail, and with more than 100 of them for weeknight dinners, snacks and appetizers, special occasion meals, desserts, and more, this book is an indispensable resource for healthy, mindful eaters everywhere.

This wide-ranging, two-volume encyclopedia of musicals old and new will captivate young fans—and prove invaluable to those contemplating staging a musical production. Written with high school students in mind, The World of Musicals: An Encyclopedia of Stage, Screen, and Song encompasses not only Broadway and film musicals, but also made-for-television musicals, a genre that has been largely ignored. The two volumes cover significant musicals in easily accessible entries that offer both useful information and fun facts. Each entry lists the work's writers, composers, directors, choreographers, and cast, and includes a song list, a synopsis, and descriptions of the original production and important revivals or remakes. Biographical entries share the stories of some of the brightest and most celebrated talents in the business. The encyclopedia will undoubtedly ignite and feed student interest in musical theatre. At the same time, it will prove a wonderful resource for teachers or community theatre directors charged with selecting and producing shows. In fact, anyone interested in theatre, film, television, or music will be fascinated by the work's tantalizing bits of historical and theatre trivia.