Defined by his dogged fortitude and courage, his exploits became legend: snacking on chili dogs, dodging streetcars, crashing Saints tailgates, and even chatting with a giraffe at the zoo. But it was a New Year’s Eve firework scare and a run to Harahan that led to a turning point—and a cozy couch. Pondering his newly acquired leisure time, Scrim gave his first-person account of his adventures to trusted friend and beloved storyteller Margaret Orr. 

Now, Scrim recounts his journey from runaway rogue to local icon in his own words (with help from Margaret Orr). Scrim My Tail: As Told to Margaret Orr is a heartwarming story of survival, sass, and finding out that, sometimes, the best adventures lead you home.

To be seen and not heard was never going to happen for Barbara Worton, a.k.a. Chatterbox.

Talking, which she started doing in full sentences at fourteen months, is in her DNA. Her Italian American mother was a champion talker. Her German Dutch father had to be a listener. Her mother’s parents and ten brothers and sisters all talked at once. Music, both recorded and live, played constantly. Life was noisy, and Barbara watched and cataloged what she saw and heard—then and all through her life.

As only a true chatterbox knows how, Barbara winds and weaves through stories from her Long Island childhood to life in the present. Each of her forty-three mini-memoirs paints a portrait of what makes the everyday beautiful, giving readers a wonderfully detailed glimpse into memories like being in her grandmother’s kitchen (where making pasta sauce was almost a “military maneuver”). With wit and poignancy, she wrestles with the world’s paradoxes and recalls moments that show just how much we all have in common.

Life spills onto the page in all its noisy, glorious, and messy detail. In Barbara’s both intimate and chatty voice, her stories take us from Buster Browns and Tonette Permanents to supermarket lines, John Travolta, the Tappan Zee Bridge, and the sleepless nights of adulthood. You can see and hear the characters in these stories. Anyone who has a family will see something of themselves in this book. Anyone who loves spaghetti and meatballs will need to go out for Italian food after reading Worton’s ode to both. Each story in Chatterbox: Stories from a Noisy Life is the perfect pause, a moment to refresh and presents a mirror for readers to reflect on their own pasts, presents, and futures.

"The essays create a vivid pastiche of mid-to-late 20th century Americana. Worton effectively tells her stories in a breezy style, laced with both humor and poignancy. There's a steady confidence in her prose as she meticulously observes and comments on her own actions, the world around her, and occasional esoteric thoughts that have made a home in her brain." - Kirkus Reviews

Inspired by Shel Silverstein, Emily Morrison stretches the bounds of imagination and enchantment in this collection infused with humor, empathy, profound truths, and delightful characters. The clever interplay of Aileen Bennett’s illustrations draws the reader into the nuances of the words as they come alive in the reader’s mind.

Readers are introduced to Lila Duray—a quirky, book-loving girl with a passion for writing and whose author, Emily Morrison, has a penchant for poetry. Surrounded by an equally outrageous cast of characters, Lila Duray: A Collection of Delightfully Delectable Poems invokes whimsy in the ordinary and puts the extra in the extraordinary.

Let your imagination run wild, go on a safari, a race against time, or an adventure in outer space. Morrison stretches the bounds of imagination and enchantment in this collection infused with humor, empathy, and profound truths. 

Lila Duray is meant to be shared and often read aloud. It may even inspire young readers to write their own poetry. This book will be cherished by readers of all ages. Perfect for gifting or special occasions, this collector’s item will be treasured for years to come.

Once upon a time, on an isle not so far away,
Where Ocean tides and sea winds play,
A princess mourned of what had passed,
While souls set drift upon raised masts.

In a poetic take on loss, debut author Laura Sullivan Ethridge delivers the wonderfully whimsical yet grounded story of Princess Briel, a young girl dealing with an impossible grief.

Guided by her talisman, Princess Briel traverses across the sea and island, encountering a charming cast of characters—from the Judge to the Alchemist to the Harbormaster, each offers the young princess a piece of life’s sage wisdom. Sailing with Angels takes readers on a lyrical voyage on the moonbeam and is a powerful reminder that “love stays bright,” even in the harshest storm.

In a heartwarming story of love, loss, and perseverance, debut author Shannon Terry Wiley chronicles the experiences of those in Shreveport, Louisiana, during the September 1873 outbreak of yellow fever, which ultimately killed over a thousand individuals. Weaving together fictional storylines and real history, Wiley paints a vivid picture of the unspeakable tragedy and the people who lived through it.

Through multiple points of view, Yellow September narrates the fortunes of those in the fever-wracked town. Two brothers, George and Eugene, find themselves far from their Midwestern roots while working for the Army Corps of Engineers. Sent to battle a massive logjam blocking the Red River, the pair find themselves grappling with two very different commitments. Meanwhile, Katherine, a farm girl living along the Silver Bayou with her family, who are still grieving the wartime death of her father, faces a difficult choice with consequences that echo throughout her life. Others, like Dr. Dalzell, a pastor and doctor in town, and Eleanor and David, parents fleeing the fever, bring a nuanced perspective to the experiences of those swept up in the outbreak.

With epistolary touches throughout, the novel is a testament to the enduring love of family—those we are born with and those we choose—and tells a profound story of duty, devotion, and community.

Listen up. Have you heard the buzz? Humans aren’t the only big talkers out there. Insects also communicate using sound. But what do the sounds mean? Scientists are uncovering the un-BEE-lievable answers—and so will you!

Author Joyce Markovics returns with the newest addition to the How Living Things Communicate series, Huh? Talking Insects—this time exploring the multitude of ways insects communicate with one another. From buzzes and chirps to click and rattles, young scientists can investigate the way insects, such as crickets, cicadas, grasshoppers, bees, and more, “speak” to one another! Including a backyard bug experiment and chock-full of interesting information on communicative critters, this book is sure to spark scientific curiosity in readers.