Situated just outside of Chicago, the bustling suburb of Oak Lawn was incorporated in 1909, although its rich history can be traced back to the 1830s. For decades, the village remained a thinly populated farming community. However, like many towns across America, the early 20th century brought steady growth, and the years following World War II saw an unprecedented population explosion. With thousands of new residents arriving every year, numerous homes, churches, and schools were constructed, forever changing Oak Lawn. In the face of immense growth and other adversities, such as the 1967 tornado, the village continued to prosper and mature. The images in this book act as a window to its past, highlighting many of the people, places, and events that have made Oak Lawn the dynamic community it is today.

One of The New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2017 “A pinball machine zinging with sharp dialogue, breathtaking plot twists and naughty humor... McBride at his brave and joyous best.” —New York Times Book Review From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Lord Bird, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction, Deacon King Kong, and Kill 'Em and Leave, a James Brown biography. The stories in Five-Carat Soul—none of them ever published before—spring from the place where identity, humanity, and history converge. They’re funny and poignant, insightful and unpredictable, imaginative and authentic—all told with McBride’s unrivaled storytelling skill and meticulous eye for character and detail. McBride explores the ways we learn from the world and the people around us. An antiques dealer discovers that a legendary toy commissioned by Civil War General Robert E. Lee now sits in the home of a black minister in Queens. Five strangers find themselves thrown together and face unexpected judgment. An American president draws inspiration from a conversation he overhears in a stable. And members of The Five-Carat Soul Bottom Bone Band recount stories from their own messy and hilarious lives. As McBride did in his National Book award-winning The Good Lord Bird and his bestselling The Color of Water, he writes with humor and insight about how we struggle to understand who we are in a world we don’t fully comprehend. The result is a surprising, perceptive, and evocative collection of stories that is also a moving exploration of our human condition.

In his new Science Fiction mystery novel, high school junior, blogger and first-time novelist Aaron Hanania takes us into a world in which the norms of human dignity and life are taken to the extreme. A scientist creates a revolutionary experiment, The KingÕs Pawn, in which the participants are unaware of the roles that they play in what is expected to be a literally perfect world. The scientist soon discovers her Òmethodically controlled societyÓ creates unforeseen tensions and ominous uncertainty for the unknowing participants, but brings the scientist unimaginable profits, fame and power. But what the scientist doesnÕt expect is that the power of human curiosity can overcome any barrier, experimental boundaries or expectations. Two children in The KingÕs Pawn play a critical role after discovering that they have unrestricted control over the experimentÕs outcome. The future of this unusual experiment rests in their hands, creating thrilling and unexpected consequences.

""Which neighborhood?" It's one of the first questions you're asked when you move to Chicago. And the answer you give - be it Bucktown, Bronzeville, or Bridgeport - can give your inquisitor a good idea of who you are, especially in a metropolis with so many different neighborhoods and suburbs to choose from." "Many of us know little of the neighborhoods beyond those where we work, play, and live. This is particularly true in Chicagoland, a region that spans over 4,400 square miles and is home to more than 9.5 million residents. Now, historian Ann Durkin Keating's compact guide, drawn largely from the bestselling Encyclopedia of Chicago, brings the history of Chicago neighborhoods to life."--BOOK JACKET.

Oaklawn, a great and beautiful house, has lived on the banks of Bayou Teche in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, for almost a century and a half. She has suffered through war, fire, and flood. Born of sweating slaves, she harbored the opulence of Southern aristocracy and vibrated to the strife of the Civil War. Her soul survived a fire, and later, floods of Mississippi waters covered her acres. She slumbered through the Depression, then slowly stirred during the 1940s to the reform of the social and economic order. Oaklawn Manor has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. The stately home of Judge Alexander Porter stands today as an inspiration to all who admire and love Old Louisiana. Captain Barbour's superb restoration and many of the treasures he brought remain to honor him, and his wife, Jeannie, forever. The resolute Thomas Holmes, with his wife, Lucie, beside him, having preserved a heritage, will be part of it always. The Old South, where the plantation bells still ring early in the morning as they did when young Alexander lived on the banks of Bayou Teche, has not faded away but is lovingly and charmingly perpetuated.