The Sisters Club

From the author of the Judy Moody books, this exciting novel captures the warmth, humor, and squabbles of three spunky sisters. Meet the Sisters Club: twelve-year-old Alex, aspiring actress and born drama queen; eight-year-old Joey, homework lover and pioneer wannabe; and smack in the middle, ten-year-old Stevie, the glue that holds them together -- through dinner disasters, disputes over stolen lucky sweaters, and Alex’s going gaga over her leading man. Playfully weaving Stevie’s narration with Alex’s scripts, Joey’s notebook entries, and hilarious elements such as "How to Swear in Shakespeare" and "Dear Sock Monkey" letters, this hugely engaging novel showcases Megan McDonald’s ear for dialogue, comic timing, and insight into the ever-changing dynamics of sisterhood.

“A warm, wise and witty tale [that] lovingly evokes the lives of four ordinary women who become each other’s surrogate families.” —Elizabeth Letts Some families you are born into. Some you choose. And some choose you. Four women have little in common other than where they live and the joyous complications of having sisters. Cindy waits for her own life to begin as she sees her sister going in and out of hospitals. Lise has made the boldest move of her life, even as her sister spends every day putting herself at risk to improve the lives of others. Diana is an ocean apart from her sister, but worries that her marriage is the relationship separated by the most distance. Sylvia has lost her twin sister to breast cancer, a disease that runs in the family, and fears that she will die without having ever really lived. When Diana places an ad in the local newsletter, Cindy, Lise, and Sylvia show up thinking they are joining a book club, but what they discover is something far deeper and more profound than any of them ever imagined. With wit, charm, and pathos, this mesmerizing tale of sisters, both born and built, enthralls on every page.

The play’s the thing when sibling rivalry takes center stage in a funny, spot-on, all-new Sisters Club story by the inimitable creator of Judy Moody. (Ages 8-11) Alex has always been the Actor-with-a-capital-A in the Reel family, and middle-sister Stevie has always been content behind the scenes. But when the school play turns out to be a musical, Stevie (the natural-born singer of the family), decides that she may just be tired of being the Sensible One. Maybe, for once, she’d like to be the one in the spotlight! Alex isn’t so keen on vying for the same role as her younger sister, however, and soon the dueling divas -- with little sister Joey egging them on -- are engaged in a fierce competition to find out who’s got what it takes to play the Princess. Has Stevie broken the rules by going for what she wants -- or will it be Alex who hands down the biggest betrayal of all?

The forecast calls for a first crush after Stevie makes a wish for something new and daring in this authentic, funny Sisters Club adventure. (Age 10 and up) As the middle sister in a family with three girls, Stevie Reel doesn’t know much about boys, and that’s always been just fine with her. But lately, things have been changing: kids at school are starting to pair up, and Owen, the new boy in her Earth Science class, seems to have his sights set on Stevie. The trouble is, Stevie doesn’t want a boyfriend- she’s not even sure she’s ready to have a boy friend. And her sisters, who know exactly where they stand on the issue of boys, are no help: drama queen Alex is busy trying to orchestrate a perfect, Romeo-and-Juliet-style first kiss from her heartthrob, Scott Towel (er, Howell), while Joey can’t understand why anyone would like a boy better than a frog anyway. If only figuring out boys were as easy as predicting the weather!

After a surprise visit from the father and half sister she has never met, eleven-year-old Bailey needs her grandmother's help to come to terms with her confused feelings.

So many things are happening at Hideaway Lake this summer. Bobby Fairland's Roller Skating Rink is almost ready to open up, even if Bailey seems to have gone in another direction. Again. Savannah’s busy life as the party planner of Hideaway Lake is almost more than she can handle, especially now that someone is interested in her. Can she juggle all her clients and still find time for Doc Parker? When twins Elizabeth and Taylor return home to Hideaway Lake, they learn a cherished building from their childhood is slated to be torn down — and saving it means making an impossible choice… A heartwarming tale of love and sisterhood! Heartwarming and binge-worthy Women's Fiction series include:The Hideaway Inn, The Hideaway Cafe, Christmas at Hideaway Lake, The Winter Retreat, The Sisters of Summer and The Healing Cottage.

On its 150th anniversary, discover the story of the beloved classic that has captured the imaginations of generations. Soon after publication on September 30, 1868, Little Women became an enormous bestseller and one of America’s favorite novels. Its popularity quickly spread throughout the world, and the book has become an international classic. When Anne Boyd Rioux read the novel in her twenties, she had a powerful reaction to the story. Through teaching the book, she has seen the same effect on many others. In Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, Rioux recounts how Louisa May Alcott came to write Little Women, drawing inspiration for it from her own life. Rioux also examines why this tale of family and community ties, set while the Civil War tore America apart, has resonated through later wars, the Depression, and times of changing opportunities for women. Alcott’s novel has moved generations of women, many of them writers: Simone de Beauvoir, J. K. Rowling, bell hooks, Cynthia Ozick, Jane Smiley, Margo Jefferson, and Ursula K. Le Guin were inspired by Little Women, particularly its portrait of the iconoclastic young writer, Jo. Many have felt, as Anna Quindlen has declared, “Little Women changed my life.” Today, Rioux sees the novel’s beating heart in Alcott’s portrayal of family resilience and her honest look at the struggles of girls growing into women. In gauging its current status, Rioux shows why Little Women remains a book with such power that people carry its characters and spirit throughout their lives.

Your past can be as unpredictable as your future if you don't know what is following you. Glenda was adopted as a small child. Her past had been effectively erased, and her future had been planned for her. It wasn't until after her doctor husband had been killed in a car accident and she and her daughter, Darla, were alone that she realized life had a dark side. Having an orphan's mentality, Glenda finds herself as many adopted children do seeking her identity, defining herself as a woman. Four years after her husband's death, she meets Loren, a lawyer, with a past of his own. Lies from the past and promises for the future prompt her to seek the Father's love. In whatever form the Tempter takes stalking cougar, deadly viper, or the beautiful green-eyed Dee the thief comes to steal and destroy. Sinister oak trees, including the courthouse hanging tree across the street from Glenda's coffee shop, reveal the darkness of the human soul and lead to the cross where justice is demanded.

The story of Lander University is the story of the struggles and successes associated with providing college-level education to women in a rural Southern town after the Civil War and surviving through more than a century of change and growth. Originally named Williamston Female College, the school was founded by Rev. Samuel Lander in 1872 in Williamston, South Carolina, and initially located a short walk away from the famed Williamston Mineral Spring. Known for its healing qualities, the spring was the drawing point for a nearby resort, and potential college students were assured of having abundant fresh water. The spring became part of the ethos of the school, with legends of a resident naiad and water themes surrounding college life that continued well into the 20th century, even after the college moved to Greenwood, South Carolina. For 150 years, the school has been a prominent force for good in the community--first as a private nonsectarian women's college, then a Methodist women's college, a four-year coeducational college (run by Greenwood County), and a state-supported university.

Veteran women's fiction writer Lauren Baratz-Logsted presents the moving story of a family disrupted by fame, perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer. Ever wonder what it must be like to be the younger sibling of someone so popular, princes and presidents are excited to meet him? Mona knows. Or thinks she does. Mona is married to Jack, younger brother to Denny Springer, lead singer for The Greatest Rock-and-Roll Band in the World. Jack happens to sing too, of course, not that anyone in the world notices very much. After Denny attends the family Easter dinner in London for the first time in decades, Mona invites Denny to join her and her family for the summer at a rental house in coastal Connecticut. She tells Denny it'll be a chance for him to finally bond with Jack, from whom Denny has been estranged for twenty years. Denny initially laughs at the idea...but then shows up on their doorstep. As the summer progresses, though, questions arise: Did Denny really have a change of heart and a sudden commitment to family? Or is he hiding something? More importantly, why did Mona invite him in the first place? Most importantly of all, how well do we ever really know anybody? "Lauren Baratz-Logsted writes genuine characters, killer comedic timing and romantic blunders that are truly something special." —RT Book Reviews

IN THESE REMARKABLE AND DIVERSE ESSAYS, you will share an umbrella with a monk, root for a prisoner serving a life sentence for murder, cheer on the efforts of an elderly woman struggling to learn to read and write, scrub down a bathroom for "colored" in the 1950s segregated South, and play a memory/listening game with the elderly. And much more. These vignettes represent the best of The Power of Purpose, a worldwide essay competition sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation. The entries explore the many ways we can find purpose when helping other people on a personal level, nurturing the environment, or when working with others toward a larger goal. While their subjects are diverse, their message is simple: finding one's purpose is finding one's meaning, one's "divine spark." Judges of the 2004 entries included Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G.Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; Rick Warren, pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life; Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund; Hugh Delehanty, editor in chief of AARP Publications; and Paul Davies, professor of Natural Philosophy, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. THE JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION was established in 1987 by Sir John Templeton, the pioneer of the global mutual fund. The mission of the Foundation is to pursue new insights at the boundary between theology and science by drawing together talented representatives from a wide spectrum of fields of expertise. It funds more than 250 projects, studies, award programs, and publications worldwide.

Written in an accessible narrative style, The Afterlife of Little Women speaks to scholars, librarians, and devoted Alcott fans.

"Lauren Baratz-Logsted has mastered the real life fairy tale in her explosive and hilarious FALLING FOR PRINCE CHARLES. It's all here, lovelorn Daisy Silverman flush with cash and high hopes, Prince Charles who can't resist her, and London in all its splendor. Curl up and get ready to laugh long into the foggy night." —Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of THE SHOEMAKER'S WIFE Daisy Silverman has always been obsessed with His Royal Highness, Prince Charles. When the underachieving 30-something cleaning lady wins a million dollars, she follows her lifelong dream to go to London. Once there, she meets Prince Charles—the real Prince Charles. Through a series of misunderstandings, the Royal Family doesn't realize that Daisy's Jewish or that she's spent her life up to the elbows in the wrong kind of toilet water. By the time they do, Daisy is in love with Charles, Charles is in love with Daisy, and the Queen's white gloves are off. FALLING FOR PRINCE CHARLES is an offbeat alternate-universe romantic comedy showing the heir to the British throne in a light quite unlike any he's been seen in before. "Daisy's madcap adventure is more comedy than romance, and her most unusual and unlikely relationship with Prince Charles will appeal to reads looking for lots of giggles." —Publishers Weekly

Ramla Ali's life inside and outside the ring represents her ruthless refusal to quit and passion to fight for what she believes in. In her first book, Ramla details ten key fights - a combination of life's constant challenges and real bouts she's endured both in and outside of the ring - that have shaped her remarkable rise to date. From her arrival in England as a refugee to being drawn to the energy and spirit of her first boxercise class; from the adrenaline of her first amateur fights to how she often powered on alone, searching for a community of women like her, and her biggest win of all: letting love into her life. Each relatable lesson is packed full of honesty and urgency, powering the reader on to become their own champion.