Life's Accessories


Book Description

Rachel Levy Lesser can relive almost every significant life event through an accessory. A scarf, a pair of earrings, a bag, even a fleece pair of socks—each contains the elements that put together the story of a life. Life’s Accessories is a funny, sad, touching, relatable, shake-your-head-right-along-as-you-laugh-and-wipe-away-tears, coming-of-age memoir. In fourteen essays, Lesser tackles sensitive issues like anxiety, illness, and loss in a way that feels a bit like having a chat with a good friend. Out of the stories comes solid life—and fashion—advice. About far more than just a hair tie, a bracelet, or a belt, Life’s Accessories is a window into the many ways in which Lesser has come to understand life—in all of its beauty, its joys, its sorrows, its heartaches, its challenges, and its absurdity.




Drew Pendous and the Camp Color War (Drew Pendous #1)


Book Description

It’s camp color war—but Grace Cale is sabotaging the games by stealing all the color! Can Drew find a way to stop her? The Cool School YouTube channel is a sensation, with more than one million subscribers! It’s Camp Cool School vs. Camp Cruel School in color war. Let the games begin! Even though Cruel School students love to cheat, it looks like Team Cool will rule the day . . . until Grace Cale arrives determined to suck all the colors out of the world. Can Drew use teamwork—and his drawing skills—to stop her evil plot? This very young graphic novel is lots of fun!




God Is an Elephant in Orthopedic Shoes


Book Description

Care to take a ride? This book takes a tour through my life. From the halls of Congress to the Middle East and many points in between, these stories are the mile markers of my life. The fare is reasonable, the scenery interesting, and the conversation amusing. Hop in!




The Best Little Boy in the World


Book Description

The classic account of growing up gay in America. "The best little boy in the world never had wet dreams or masturbated; he always topped his class, honored mom and dad, deferred to elders and excelled in sports . . . . The best little boy in the world was . . . the model IBM exec . . . The best little boy in the world was a closet case who 'never read anything about homosexuality.' . . . John Reid comes out slowly, hilariously, brilliantly. One reads this utterly honest account with the shock of recognition." The New York Times "The quality of this book is fantastic because it comes of equal parts honesty and logic and humor. It is far from being the story of a Gay crusader, nor is it the story of a closet queen. It is the story of a normal boy growing into maturity without managing to get raped into, or taunted because of, his homosexuality. . . . He is bright enough to be aware of his hangups and the reasons for them. And he writes well enough that he doesn't resort to sensationalism . . . ." San Francisco Bay Area Reporter




Sleepaway Girls


Book Description

When Sam's best friend gets her first boyfriend, she's not ready to spend the summer listening to the two of them call each other "pookie." Sick of being a third wheel, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines camp in the New York Catskills. But what she doesn't realize is that it's not going to be all Kumbaya sing-alongs and gooey s'mores. If Ashley, the alpha queen of Whispering Pines, doesn't ruin Sam's summer, then her raging crush on the surfer-blond and flirtatious Hunter just might. At least she has playful Cole, who's always teasing her, but is oh-so-comfortable to hang out with, and the singular gang of girls that become fast friends with Sam-they call themselves the Sleepaway Girls.




Sleepaway Memories of Deerhead


Book Description

This is a very nostalgic and humerous autobiographical memoir about the twenty five summers I spent growing up at a sleepaway camp owned by my father. It follow the evolution of a rather primitive boy's camp into one of the most successful and popular co-ed sports camps in the country. The adventures and or misadventures are described as seen through my eyes and include my first fomantic interest, color wars, snipe hunt, pranks and many other camp activities. This memoir also includes over 100 photos taken during some of those glorious summers. I founded and ran a successful group medical practice for the past forty years and have only recently been semi-retired. I have maintained a strong interest in photography and have had two successful photographic exhibits at one of New Yorks most prestigious galleries, The National Art Club, at Gramery Park. This is my second book following the successful publication,m through AuthorHouse, OVER THERE, describing the six years I spent in Switzerland attending medical school in a foreign language, which I initially could not understand.




SOARING into Strength


Book Description

Since she was a child, Lisa wanted to help. Whether it was rescuing a blind duck at a park or defending her younger brother against bullying when he experienced severe asthma attacks—Lisa always found herself in the role of a helper during times of crisis. As an adult, a phone call at four o’clock in the morning launched a trifecta of trauma that changed Lisa’s life forever. Three experiences with death and illness occurred in her family in just 10 months. Her beloved brother died suddenly of an asthma-induced heart attack, her father was battling lymphoma, and her son became catastrophically ill. When her family’s world imploded, Lisa felt as if she had become irrevocably damaged. Instead, she discovered her calling during a sunrise walk along the beach at the height of her son’s illness. Lisa heard the word “Soaringwords,” and suddenly knew why she was born. She channeled her passion and resilience into a global movement that would inspire millions of people to never give up. Her lifetime of experiences helping others through trauma, grief, illness, and setbacks—combined with her own personal experiences—led her to found Soaringwords, a not-for-profit organization with the mission of inspiring children, families, adults, seniors, and health care professionals to take active roles in self healing to experience greater physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Today, Lisa is an internationally recognized Positive Psychology thought leader. Wherever you are within your journey, this debut memoir provides illumination and inspiration as you seek to become the best version of yourself, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles.




Wish You Weren't Here


Book Description

"A masterclass of a sapphic rom-com. Filled with hate-to-love perfection, swoony moments, and off-the-charts chemistry." -Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl All's fair in love and Color War. Juliette doesn't hate Priya Pendley. At least, not in the way teen movies say she should hate the hot popular girl. They don't do cat fights, love triangles, or betrayal. To survive their intertwined small town lives, they’ve agreed to a truce. They complete group projects without fighting, never gossip to mutual friends, and stand on opposite sides of photos so it’s easy to crop each other out. Priya seems to have everything during the school year—social media stardom, the handsome track captain boyfriend, and millions of adoring fans—and Juliette is at peace with that. Because Juliette has the summer, and the one place she never feels like “too much”: Fogridge Sleepaway Camp. But her hopes for a few Priya-free weeks are shattered when her rival shows up at Fogridge on move-in day... as her cabinmate, no less. Juliette is determined to enjoy her final summer, even if it means (gag) tolerating her childhood rival, but everything that can go wrong, does. If Juliette can’t find something to like about her situation—and about Priya—she risks hating the only home she’s ever had, right before she says goodbye to it forever.




Hebrew Infusion


Book Description

Winner of the 2020 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity Each summer, tens of thousands of American Jews attend residential camps, where they may see Hebrew signs, sing and dance to Hebrew songs, and hear a camp-specific hybrid language register called Camp Hebraized English, as in: “Let’s hear some ruach (spirit) in this chadar ochel (dining hall)!” Using historical and sociolinguistic methods, this book explains how camp directors and staff came to infuse Hebrew in creative ways and how their rationales and practices have evolved from the early 20th century to today. Some Jewish leaders worry that Camp Hebraized English impedes Hebrew acquisition, while others recognize its power to strengthen campers’ bonds with Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish people. Hebrew Infusion explores these conflicting ideologies, showing how hybrid language can serve a formative role in fostering religious, diasporic communities. The insightful analysis and engaging descriptions of camp life will appeal to anyone interested in language, education, or American Jewish culture.