THE BOOKS
The Marksman
A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING LIAM NEESON
Jim Hanson, an ex-Marine sniper, was getting by in life as a rancher on the Arizona-Mexico border until his wife’s recent battle with cancer wiped him out financially and hollowed him out emotionally. Then he encounters a young Mexican boy, Miguel, and his mother as they are fleeing from a vicious drug cartel. Jim calls the Border Patrol but is soon confronted by cartel soldiers who demand he turn over the mother and son. Jim refuses and is drawn into a shootout, narrowly escaping with Miguel and his mother, who has been fatally shot. She begs Jim to take her son to the safety of his relatives in Chicago just before dying.
Now being pursued by the cartel’s relentless lead assassin, as well as Border Patrol Agents intent on sending Miguel back to Mexico (which is certain death), Jim finds himself as the boy’s protector in a desperate race from Arizona to Chicago. Jim and Miguel fight for their lives during this deadly road trip, becoming the most unlikely pair of fugitives and helping each other heal from deep loss along the way.
“Propulsive, exciting, and deeply moving” – Lili St. Germain, USA Today Bestselling author
Con Crazy
The con is on.
Prewitt Patry is an expert in European art and antiquities, and he used to be the best con artist in New York City. But fate has left him divorced and broke, with his glory days behind him.
Then a golden opportunity falls into his lap.
Ranger du Courtemanche is the aging patriarch of the centuries-old French aristocratic Courtemanche family. The family resides in their ancestral chateau and they haven’t been outside the property in years. Enter Prewitt, who cozies up to the reclusive family—Ranger and his two sisters—and warns them that their chateau and wealth have been targeted by an obscure secret society. Panicked and desperate, Ranger enlists Prewitt in the fight to defend his family’s honor and fortune. Et voilà! The trap is set.
With his team of eccentric Parisian con artists, Prewitt gets to work. But the closer he gets, the more the con unravels. Ancient betrayals, priceless jewels, and forbidden loves . . . the Courtemanches turn out to be a lot more than Prewitt bargained for.
Inspired by the outrageous true story of a wildly audacious con.
"Con Crazy whisks readers from the streets of Manhattan to the picturesque French countryside. This entertaining and fast-paced tale is packed with family secrets, ancient societies, lost jewels, and a cunning con man determined to pull off one final heist." - T.L. Hoffman
Historical Fiction Books
Tommy McKnight and the Great Election
ISBN-1978-1-4965-2585-7
10-year-old Tommy McKnight is stricken with polio. As much as he'd like to be playing stickball with the other kids in the streets of Brooklyn, New York, he watches them from his bedroom window. And Tommy's gotta wear braces on his legs and walk with crutches. On top of that, bullies now pick on him. But Tommy is about to learn that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the presidential candidate Americans hope will lead the county out of the Great Depression, also has polio and walks with braces on HIS legs. Soon Tommy will be a presidential candidate too. And with a little help from some amazing friends, he may just pull out the most important and surprising victories of them all.
Reviews:
Five stars! A million stars! It wasn't one of those boring books that you spend five weeks reading!
Audrey, 10
This was just adorable. I love how it ties history into Thomas' story.
Tony Lee - Goodreads Librarian
"Danny Kravitz is bringing history to life for today's generation of children! My 4th grade grandsons give this book two thumbs up, and so do I."
Marti Erickson, Ph.D. - Director Emerita, Irving Harris Training Programs,
University of Minnesota
Owner & Co-host, Mom Enough®
Surviving the Journey
The Story of the Oregon Trail
ISBN-9781491401873
Imagine leaving your home and moving across the country to a new life on America's western frontier. Thats exactly what thousands of people did in the mid 1800s when they traveled along the Oregon Trail, chasing their dreams of a better life out West. Lively language, historical illustrations, and primary source journal entries from settlers help readers feel as if they were a part of the journey. Meets Common Core critical thinking standards, and provides strong ties to social studies standards on westward expansion.
Washington's Surprise Attack
ISBN-9780756549732
The Untold Story of Washington's Surprise Attack: The Daring Crossing of the Delaware River (What You Didn't Know About the American Revolution)
General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River lives on in a famous painting, but the unforgettable true story of that night is unfamiliar to many people. Washington's daring act was not only an amazing feat, but it boosted sagging morale, shocked the British, and convinced potential allies such as France that the Americans could possibly win a war nearly all thought was lost .
Henry Knox - The Man Who Saved Boston
ISBN - 9780756549725
The Untold Story of Henry Knox: The Man Who Saved Boston (What You Didn't Know About the American Revolution).
When supplies were running low, and defeat of George Washington's new army by the British was seeming inevitable, Knox led a group of men over land and water, through treacherous weather conditions to retrieve weapons and ammunition for the Colonial Army. It was a feat so difficult and so amazing it is still considered one of the great engineering marvels of American military history. Knox's brave actions brought about a much-needed victory for the Patriots and saved the city of Boston from destruction. In doing so, Knox played a sure role in saving the American cause. Henry Knox's mission to save Boston from the British makes an unforgettable story, one as impressive as it is unfamiliar.
In The Shadow of Lady Liberty
Immigrant Stories from Ellis Island
ISBN - 1491441275
Immigrants gazed upon the towering Statue of Liberty and entered the gates of Ellis Island as they ended their journeys to America. Now their journey in America would begin. Meet the immigrants who were processed at Ellis Island, and hear their stories through their own words.
Journey to America
A Chronology of Immigration in the 1900s
ISBN - 9781491441268
Millions of people made the long journey to America in the early 1900s. They looked for freedom, safety, and the promise of a new life. Follow the waves of immigrants that flooded into the United States to see why they came and how they changed the country.
(Meets Common Core standards for analyzing chronology text structures.)