The landscape of the 1932 Connecticut farm is bleak and rocky. farm animals furrowed parched grass. To this lonely place the State brought an unclaimed child, without a past or conceivably a present. But Zara, who has been abused and used for the purpose of others, is determined to control her own destiny. Scenes showing the tender growth of love between a woman and a child, or a college boy corralling a wild pig, or a barbaric barn dance, are unforgettable. But at the contentious State convention, Zara discovers the secret that will give her powers she has never imagined. Set against the background of small-town politics, 12 OClock Bus is an amazing and beautifully written book the reader will not forget.

The only novel from MacArthur Genius Award winner, Aleksandar Hemon -- the National Book Critics Circle Award winning The Lazarus Project. On March 2, 1908, nineteen-year-old Lazarus Averbuch, an Eastern European Jewish immigrant, was shot to death on the doorstep of the Chicago chief of police and cast as a would-be anarchist assassin. A century later, a young Eastern European writer in Chicago named Brik becomes obsessed with Lazarus's story. Brik enlists his friend Rora-a war photographer from Sarajevo-to join him in retracing Averbuch's path. Through a history of pogroms and poverty, and a prism of a present-day landscape of cheap mafiosi and even cheaper prostitutes, the stories of Averbuch and Brik become inextricably intertwined, creating a truly original, provocative, and entertaining novel that confirms Aleksandar Hemon, often compared to Vladimir Nabokov, as one of the most dynamic and essential literary voices of our time. From the author of The Book of My Lives.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1972.

This is a story of adventure, friendship, and self-discovery that unfolds in the great wilderness of northern Vancouver Island and the mysterious ruins of an ancient city in Zimbabwe. An Ascent Aspiring follows the younger, lovably intrepid Shirley, as she searches for a lost burial cave in the remote mountains of Vancouver Island. Older, as an archeological illustrator, her work then takes her across the ocean to the grassy savannas of Zimbabwe where she aims to solve an architectural riddle. What secrets will Shirley discover at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe? Immersed in the rich cultures of Shirley’s two adoptive families, First Nations and Shona, An Ascent Aspiring is a must-read for fans of cross-cultural mythology and archeology. At times exhilarating, at others deeply touching, Shirley’s life journey is infused with magic and the warmth of human connection. An Ascent Aspiring satisfyingly completes the Her Vision Quest trilogy.

It's 1985, no computers, no cellphones, only the largest concert ever conceived, Live Aid. Follow the MTV Generation, at its best, as Bob Geldof utilizes the finest talent of the times with the goal of relieving the starving people of Ethiopia. Young Mark, on his way to a once in a lifetime chance to see Led Zeppelin, falls in with two stranded ladies, also on their way to Philadelphia. Follow the threesome on their journey as they enter into the world of Eighties music and self discovery. The world is changing rapidly, shrinking as satellite technology creates a smaller planet. Our trio experiences growth and tragedy in a world forever changed. As romance ensues, love blossoms as it only can for the young. A story of discovery, first love,loss and redemption, wrapped in those times, long gone and never to return.

The landscape of the 1932 Connecticut farm is bleak and rocky. farm animals furrowed parched grass. To this lonely place the State brought an unclaimed child, without a past or conceivably a present. But Zara, who has been abused and used for the purpose of others, is determined to control her own destiny. Scenes showing the tender growth of love between a woman and a child, or a college boy corralling a wild pig, or a barbaric barn dance, are unforgettable. But at the contentious State convention, Zara discovers the secret that will give her powers she has never imagined. Set against the background of small-town politics, "12 O'Clock Bus" is an amazing and beautifully written book the reader will not forget.

" . . . a rare combination of inclusiveness and honesty. . . . cogent introduction[s] . . . confirm the central point of the tales: a search for cultural identity and freedom. First-rate." —Library Journal " . . . deserves a place alongside the classic collection of Negro tales, Mules and Men. Folktales are the stories people tell, and Shuckin' and Jivin' presents a splendid representative sheaf of the stories black Americans of all social classes tell today . . . . Professional folklorists will applaud Dance's candor and scholarly rigor." —Richard M. Dorson An exciting new collection of Black American folklore, running the gamut from anecdotes concerning life among the slaves to obviously contemporary jokes. In their frank expression of racial attitudes and unexpurgated wit, these tales represent a radical departure from earlier collections.

Damon trembled and caught his breath as the President of the United States placed America's highest military honor around his neck. It had only been three days since he was notified, while returning from Tokyo Bay to the United States aboard the battleship, Missouri, that he was to be awarded the Navy Congressional Medal of Honor. The President's lips were moving, but no sound came out. It was as in a dream; a dream come true. Joining the Navy,during World WarII, at the age of sixteen, Damon LeMasters participates in the beach landings of the Japanese occupied islands of Tarawa, Saipan and Guam. Wounded at Tarawa, he recuperates in California where he meets and falls in love with beautiful auburn-haired Melanie Wells. He is transferred to the aircraft carrier, USS Bataan where he heroically saves his ships captain as the mighty carrier, mortally wounded by a kamikase attack, slips beneath the surface of the Philippine Sea. Assigned later to the newly commissioned battleship, USS Missouri, Damon witnesses the Japanese unconditional surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay aboard the deck of the Missouri. Damon's rite of passage take him through adventure, romance and a distinguished naval career.

Notes and further suggestions for each chapter. Photocopiable worksheets and mental exercises.