For twenty-three years during the golden age of radio in Canada, stories for children by Mary Grannan, "Just Mary," were broadcast by CBC and beloved across the country. She retired from broadcasting in 1962 and died in 1975, but her sweet-tempered and humorous stories still have the power to entertain, while recapturing the atmosphere of another time. Grannan published stories from Just Mary and Maggie Muggins in over thirty best-selling books, but she had other radio series that were never released in print. The "Just Mary" Reader presents for the first time a selection of her stories from two other radio drama series. Jubilee Road tells the adventures and misadventures of Johnny and Patty Little and their friend Salty Pickle. Or, as Johnny describes it: "We get into quite a few messes, but if you know us, you’ll know that it’s hardly ever our fault." In Land of Supposing, Grannan retold fairy tales and legends from around the world, as well as a few legends of her own making. Previously unpublished selections from Just Mary and Maggie Muggins complete the collection.

Just Mary and Maggie Muggins are names that will arouse memories in those who grew up with CBC radio and television in the 1940s and 1950s. The creator of these and other children’s shows, former Fredericton schoolteacher Mary Grannan, became a radio star when she hit the national airwaves in 1939, her popularity peaking when Maggie Muggins moved to television in 1955. Long before The Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup appeared, her work helped to shape the legacy of gentle children’s programming on CBC. Building on her broadcasting success, Grannan published over thirty books, most runaway best-sellers. Attired in stylish dress, extravagant hats, and enormous earrings, she made frequent guest appearances at public events across the country. She received the Beaver Award for her broadcasting and was honoured by the International Mark Twain Society and the Institute for Education by Radio at Ohio State University. "Just Mary": The Life of Mary Evelyn Grannan is the first biography of this creative and once well-known Canadian woman. Immersing the reader in rich detail while showcasing excerpts of her writings through the years, the book presents an intimate examination of her life journey through previously unreleased personal letters, archives, an abundance of photographs, and interviews with family, friends, colleagues, and former students. This is the private Mary Grannan as the public has never before known her.

In this memoir Mary O' Rourke writes, with remarkable candidness and humour, of personal and political events; of the many senior political figures with whom she worked, including Charles Haughey and Bertie Ahern; of her life with her beloved husband Enda; of her two dear Brians, both of whom died before their time; of her successes and disappointments. She does all this with honesty, energy and an absence of self-pity or self-justification. The book is like the woman herself: open, warm and frank.

Catholicism, like most world religions, is patriarchal, and its official hierarchies and sacred works too often neglect the lived experiences of women. Looking beyond these texts, Juliana Flinn reveals how women practice, interpret, and shape their own Catholicism on Pollap Atoll, part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. She focuses in particular on how the Pollapese shaping of Mary places value on indigenous notions of mothering that connote strength, active participation in food production, and the ability to provide for one’s family. Flinn begins with an overview of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Pollap and an introduction to Mary, who is celebrated by islanders not as a biologized mother but as a productive one, resulting in an image of strength rather than meekness: For Pollapese women Mary is a vanquisher of Satan, a provider for her children, and a producer of critical resources, namely taro. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception validates and celebrates local notions of motherhood in ways that highlight productive activities. The role of women as producers in the community is extolled, but the event also provides and sanctions new opportunities for women, allowing them to speak publicly, exhibit creativity, and influence the behavior of others. A chapter devoted to the imagery of Mary and its connections to Pollapese notions of motherhood is followed by a conclusion that examines the implications of these for women’s ongoing productive roles, especially in comparison with Western notions and contexts in which women have been removed or excluded from production. Mary, the Devil, and Taro contributes significantly to the study of women’s religion and the appropriation of Christianity in local contexts. It will be welcomed by not only anthropologists and other scholars concerned with religion in the Pacific, but also those who study change in gender roles and Marian devotions in cross-cultural perspectives.

My book of poetry, Voice of the Sphinx, is a potpourri and could easily be called, mood swings. But to me it reflects more depth than merely moods. (At least I hope so.) It will come at you from a variety of thought patterns or as just an emergence of expressions. It, hopefully, will move your perceptions around -- of things, happenings and attitudes. Most importantly, it will not be cryptic or require research, except for your own questions. And I sincerely hope you will find questions. Sincerely, H. Quimby Heotzler

Irrational Dreams is one of the few comedic soap operas available in print. This play, concerning the movie industry in Los Angeles, was produced in an off-off-Broadway workshop by the Rising Sun Performance Company in New York City in 2004. The play's thirty-three scenes use the plot devices of the 'traditional' soap - blackmail, adultery, turbulent careers, budding romance, etc. - only with a satirical-humorous tone, as opposed to the melodrama of the TV soap opera. Note that this is a reading edition of Irrational Dreams - a theatrical version (for professional use) is also available on lulu.com (# 183850).

When her mother dies, Mary Lenora must grow up quickly to take care of her brothers and sisters. Can love help her to shoulder the burden? Mary Lenora Caine knows she is adopted. As she was growing up, her mother called her "God's blessing." But now that she's gone, Mary no longer feels like any kind of blessing. Her father, in his grief, has cut himself off from the family, leaving the running of the home entirely in Mary's hands. As she nears her eighteenth birthday, Mary can't see anything in her future but drudgery. Then her childhood friend Daniel begins to court her, promising her a life of riches and ease. But her fairy-tale dreams turn to dust when her family becomes too much for Daniel, and he abandons her in her time of deepest need. Will Daniel come to grips with God's plan for him? And if he does return, can Mary trust that this time he will really follow through?

"Lively plays for live people" by Thomas S. Denison. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

About the Book Seeking adventure like the stories her late father used to tell her, Mary heads out each day to her favorite spot in nature to daydream, often coming home a mess. Once again upset by her mother’s plans for her future, Mary runs off to think, but blacks out and awakes to find herself in another world, a medieval world with kings, queens, castles, dragons and, most importantly, princes. Lotogettar follows Mary as she finds her way in this unfamiliar land all the while growing closer to Prince Noah Tay. Although she misses her mother, aunt, and rock and roll, Mary grows content, until she makes the unfortunate acquaintance of Noah’s uncle and cousin, the unkind rulers of another kingdom. King John wants to possess Mary because she appears to be the center of an ancient and powerful prophecy. Prince Alexander is obsessed with her and jealous of Noah. Mary struggles through betrayal, war, and jealousy, but she can’t deny the adventure of it all and wonders if she will ever return home. About the Author Valerie Soovajian is a senior in high school living with her parents and a beagle named Bruno in rural New Jersey. She had the sudden spark for writing a couple years back and has not given up since. She goes to church and used to be a Girl Scout, and she loves to hang out with her cousins and go shopping.