Stories and trivia from a beloved Kent Institution Meet Me at Ray's celebrates more than seventy-five successful years (and counting) of Ray's Place, a restaurant and bar located near the Kent State University campus in Kent, Ohio. Once referred to as the place "where the hustlers meet to hustle the hustlers," Ray's Place has survived decades of trends, changes, and events. Hundreds of students have worked there, thousands of customers have dined there, and millions of glasses have been raised there. In Meet Me at Ray's, author Patrick O'Connor features the stories, memories, and experiences of the legions of customers and employees who have made Ray's Place what it's been since 1937. Rooted in the hearts, minds, and experiences of the people who know it best, it is an "organic" story. Through humorous and poignant personal anecdotes, readers will come to know what makes Ray's Place special and how important that is to the surrounding community. O'Connor has collected stories dating from 1943 to the present, including one declaring Ray's Place the first sports bar in the United States. This book features the history of the eatery and its owners, including Charlie Thomas, the owner since 1978. Through the long history of the restaurant, four different owners have sustained the connections between local residents and Kent State University employees, students, and alumni. For literally thousands, Ray's Place is synonymous with Kent State University and Kent, Ohio. A wealth of Ray's Place trivia, traditions, and fun facts are complemented by photographs and original artwork that help tell the unique story of this Northeast Ohio institution.

Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book Here is the riveting dual biography of two little-known but extraordinary African-American Union soldiers in Civil War history—George E. Stephens and James Henry Gooding. Stephens and Gooding not only served in the Massachusetts 54th Infantry, the well-known black regiment, but were also war correspondents who published eyewitness reports of the battlefields. Their dispatches told the truth of their lives at camp, their intense training, and the dangers and tragedies on the battlefield. Like the other thousands of black soldiers in the regiment, they not only fought against the Confederacy and the inhumanity of slavery, but also against injustice in their own army. The regiment’s protest against unfair pay resulted in America’s first major civil rights victory—equal pay for African American soldiers. This fresh perspective on the Civil War includes an author’s note, timeline, bibliography, index and source notes.

Meet all of the Muppet characters in this illustrated early reader. © Disney

Riley is used to being a winner. As a high schooler with a passion for athleticism, she has one goal: to make it to the Olympics. And nothing will stand in her way...so long as she doesn't get distracted by the brother of her best friend. Juggling school, homework, and her time at the gym, Riley certainly doesn't have time for romance. Especially when it comes in the form of nineteen-year-old Russ. Russ knows that he and Riley can't be together. Forget the fact that she's his little sister's best friend, she's also still in high school, and doesn't seem to care about anything other than her future. And yet... There is an undeniable spark between the two, and they soon realize that, even though their love is forbidden, it's what they both want. Will Riley's determination to succeed jeopardize their burgeoning relationship? Or will she find that there are things more important than winning? Find out in M.J. Ray's sweet young adult romance, "Meet Me at the Gym", book two in the Arrowsmith High Series.