Long ago, when the earth was first beginning, the animals of the forest did not live together peacefully. The Great Spirit, anxious for harmony, called the animals to a meeting in the center of the forest. There, the animals learned one of the creatures of the forest would be chosen to rule the earth and bring peace to the land.

To accomplish this, The Great Spirit devised a test. Atop an enormous pile of wood, The Great Spirit set a gourd. The one who could retrieve the gourd and find the key to life would become the ruler of the earth. The animals thought this to be a very simple test until, to their surprise, the pile of wood burst into flames.

What happened to the animals as they tried to retrieve the gourd and the lessons they learned from their efforts are the story of Why People Rule the Earth.

Why People Rule the Earth: An African Folktale is an authentic tale in the oral tradition of the Baluba people who live along the River Lwembe in north-central Shaba, the southern portion of The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire.

From 1971-1974, I worked in every province of Zaire developing programs in sport and public health. This tale is one of many told to me as gifts from village griots who serve as historians and genealogists and who instruct village children in the folk wisdom of the tribe. Talking animals often inhabit these stories and humor helps to make clear some of the story's profound truths.

When all the animals decide to hold a meeting,

Rabbit is surprised to find out that he isn't invited.

Is it because he always tries to be funny?

Or maybe it's because he has trouble sitting still?

Rabbit's Song tells a traditional Cherokee story in a fun and vibrant way for young readers to learn the importance of being yourself, no matter what others may think.

Read along as the animals try to decide what to do with Rabbit, and maybe you'll find your song along the way, too!

Thirty thousand years ago, young Seldik, joined by legendary explorers and warriors, is sent on a Soul-seeking quest into the hellish landscape of the Netherweir, where megafauna is fighting for survival amidst the ice age.

To fulfill his destiny and discover his unique Soul-Type, Seldik must face the wrath of others protecting the newly discovered land and fight for survival after the brutal onslaught of Mother Nature separates him from his crew. Using their combined wits and skills, and with the help of unlikely friendships, will this brave group persevere or succumb to the overwhelming forces and simply fade into history?

Take a journey back in time with this first Ancient Sagas of America, based on the true stories of those who discovered and dominated the lost continent during the harshest of epochs, and discover the secrets of our distant ancestors who carved their unimaginable stories into rocks as petroglyphs, which were once lost to us. But now, the author has deciphered them and finally revealed their tales.

I cry. You cry. Everyone Cries... But why?

Why do we cry?

Have you ever been told that it's not ok to cry? Or maybe that crying is a sign of weakness? Have you ever felt that lump in your throat and tried to swallow it back down, because tears felt like the last thing you could show?

We Cry. It's as simple as that. We cry on good days, and we cry on bad ones. We cry for so many reasons, and every one of them is ok.

Sometimes children and the adults in their life need a helping hand addressing the big feelings we all experience in our lives. We Cry helps children to learn the many reasons that a person may cry - and that crying, for any reason, is OK.

Decoding College is a slice-of-life, college exposure guide aimed at first-generation college students and their families. Decoding College provides a comprehensive guide to the basics of the college admissions, selection and enrollment processes while specifically focusing on issues unique to students of color, low-income students, and underrepresented students. Unlike the multitude of college guides available on the market today, Decoding College utilizes first-person accounts told by students on their journey to and through college to provide readers with fresh and vibrant illustrations of each concept. Decoding College doesn't just tell the reader about college, it lets the reader live college vicariously through the experiences of real students on real college campuses. Some stories are inspirational and some are devastating, but each and every one offers an inside glimpse into the challenges, struggles, and successes of those who dare to be the first in their family to go to college.

Aubrey -- My parents don't even make $17,000 a year...It felt like I was putting a puzzle piece...like I'm jamming it into a puzzle, and it obviously doesn't work...I started to feel inadequate, like I couldn't be at Culpepper--like I was only there because of Affirmative Action.

Malik -- In our group, I was the athlete...So it was sports first and then education for me...My priority needed to be focusing on college, but I didn't realize that until the end of my senior year. And then it hit, like, 'Whoa, you didn't get enough scholarships '

Dominique -- Being a first generation college student, I see a lot of people only pay attention to how much the school is. My mom was against me going here, because it was $50,000 each year. But, I had faith, and my grandmother had faith, that if I wanted to go here I would make a way.

Journey into a look at ancient symbols with Chris Hegg as he presents the groundbreaking decipherment of the Phaistos Disc and the Magliano Disc usage, revealing their astonishing function as solar calendars using the solar analemma as a template, which stretches back our modern calendar's roots to 4,600 years ago. Observe how the disc's symbols are overlaid to uncover their true purpose and demonstrate their remarkable connection to each other.

But the revelations do not end there. This book also bridges the gap between these ancient artifacts and 12,000-year-old petroglyphs found across the globe. By decoding the intricate symbols etched in stone by early civilizations, Chris highlights the profound astronomical knowledge and cultural significance embedded within these timeless markings and how that ancient universal language transcended everything to influence written record.

Discover the untold story of how the Phaistos and Magliano Discs, created 2,500 years apart, serve as a testament to the advanced understanding of celestial movements by our ancestors. Explore the links between these artifacts and petroglyphs, unveiling a shared heritage of timekeeping and astronomical observation that spans millennia.

The Mythical Phaistos and Magliano Discs Decoded is not just a book; it is a journey into the heart of ancient wisdom, offering fresh insights and connecting the dots between ancient calendars, petroglyphs, and the origins of our modern timekeeping system. Join Chris in this fascinating exploration and unlock the secrets of a forgotten past.

Aaliyah is ten years old, and it seems like nothing in her life goes the way she wants it to. School stinks, her little sister is annoying, and her parents just never seem to get it. After a particularly terrible day, she finally snaps and learns that wearing her anger like a suit of armor is a quick way to get people to leave her alone.

But... it's also a quick way to make sure that nobody wants to be around you anymore.

The Anger Armor is a book designed to help children understand that while anger may be an effective way to solve problems, the solutions are often short-lived and cause more damage.

Peter the Pumpkin was made for Halloween.

No, literally. He was made for it!

To Peter, October is the perfect month. He loves the candy, the scary movies, the trick or treating - all of it.

But, what does a carved pumpkin do after October?

Decoding College is a slice-of-life, college exposure guide aimed at first-generation college students and their families. Decoding College provides a comprehensive guide to the basics of the college admissions, selection and enrollment processes while specifically focusing on issues unique to students of color, low-income students, and underrepresented students. Unlike the multitude of college guides available on the market today, Decoding College utilizes first-person accounts told by students on their journey to and through college to provide readers with fresh and vibrant illustrations of each concept. Decoding Collegedoesn't just tell the reader about college, it lets the reader live college vicariously through the experiences of real students on real college campuses. Some stories are inspirational and some are devastating, but each and every one offers an inside glimpse into the challenges, struggles, and successes of those who dare to be the first in their family to go to college.

Aubrey -- My parents don't even make $17,000 a year...It felt like I was putting a puzzle piece...like I'm jamming it into a puzzle, and it obviously doesn't work...I started to feel inadequate, like I couldn't be at Culpepper--like I was only there because of Affirmative Action.

Malik -- In our group, I was the athlete...So it was sports first and then education for me...My priority needed to be focusing on college, but I didn't realize that until the end of my senior year. And then it hit, like, 'Whoa, you didn't get enough scholarships '

Dominique -- Being a first generation college student, I see a lot of people only pay attention to how much the school is. My mom was against me going here, because it was $50,000 each year. But, I had faith, and my grandmother had faith, that if I wanted to go here I would make a way.

Thirty thousand years ago, young Seldik, joined by legendary explorers and warriors, is sent on a Soul-seeking quest into the hellish landscape of the Netherweir, where megafauna is fighting for survival amidst the ice age.

To fulfill his destiny and discover his unique Soul-Type, Seldik must face the wrath of others protecting the newly discovered land and fight for survival after the brutal onslaught of Mother Nature separates him from his crew. Using their combined wits and skills, and with the help of unlikely friendships, will this brave group persevere or succumb to the overwhelming forces and simply fade into history?

Take a journey back in time with this first Ancient Saga of America, based on the true stories of those who discovered and dominated the lost continent during the harshest of epochs, and discover the secrets of our distant ancestors who carved their unimaginable stories into rocks as petroglyphs, which were once lost to us. But now, the author has deciphered them and finally revealed their tales.

A troubled teenager, Jenna Carrington, leaves her father a note to consider me dead before she runs away from home. Five years later the skeletal remains of a female murder victim are found in the river near Sydney, Australia. Archaeologist Ardis Cole traces Jenna's flight to a homeless shelter on the outskirts of the city. Safe Port's manager, Quentin Trebb, seems to know more about the missing girl and some rare black opals stolen from her father's safe than he is willing to reveal. The investigation takes Ardis to Majeri, an Aboriginal settlement in the outback. There, entangled in the dangers of the bush, Ardis finds herself the next target of a vicious killer, stalking her every move, waiting to strike again.

Ardis reached out for the glowing jewel encased in its thick, crude mounting of gold. She gazed incredulously at the ring, unable to believe that she held in her hand the famous pirated Sea Star Emerald.

When Ardis' colleague, Red Michaels, is found crushed to death by a fallen beam in the wreck of the 1858 clipper ship, the Fortune, she flies to Galveston to take over his search for the ship's treasures and to head the Fortune exhibit at the local museum.

Known to be aboard the sunken ship is a notorious jewel once stolen by the infamous pirate, Jean Lafitte, the Sea Star Emerald. Oliver Harrington, believing the gem to be the lost Harrington heirloom, traveled to America to purchase the Sea Star from an auction in New Orleans and was returning to England when the Fortune sank.

Ardis soon discovers that modern-day treasure hunters are determined to beat her to the jewel. After she retrieves the gem from the ocean's depths, the Sea Star Emerald is pirated again.

Before the exhibit opens, Ardis is arrested for the crime. She suspects that she has been skillfully set up by the Harrington family. Or is she facing some unknown thief who has been relentlessly pursuing the jewel? With time running out, she must face a vicious killer and prove her innocence.

Ardis Cole is summoned to Russia to help Grant Merlin's friend, Nikolai Savik, locate a priceless marble statue called Neva. The life-sized sculpture vanished along with the artist, Nikolai's uncle Treve Savik, seven years ago. Most people believe Treve destroyed his masterpiece, then committed suicide after being jilted by the statue's beautiful model, Varina Morinsky. On the way to the Savik mansion, Ardis is nearly pushed to her death in the Moscow subway. Once in St. Petersburg instead of finding the sculpture, Ardis discovers the grave of a murder victim, buried for seven years. The search for the missing sculpture becomes a hunt for a dangerous killer--one who will not hesitate to strike again.

Piercing black eyes surrounded by a pool of pink, meandering strands of crimson glaring at me with so much hate. I didn't understand how anyone could feel that way about another person.

Relative Evil is based on the true events that occurred in the author's life. A young, naïve girl who was raised to believe that family could never truly hurt each other, but is tragically confronted with the realization that evil exists and will stop at nothing to destroy those who stand in his way to get what he desires. Her trust in a strong family bond and the goodness of people is shattered. Forced to grow up quickly and take matters into her own hands in order to break the spell her parents were under and keep her family safe.

Ardis soon finds the girl's wrecked car deep in the canyon, a dead man who was shot through the head was behind the wheel. But there is no sign of Carrie. Ardis' search for Carrie leads her on a hunt for a rare relic stolen from the local church, a wild chase through the badlands, and a face-to-face confrontation with the killer of eagles.