Norris Hundley and Donald C. Jackson’s "Heavy Ground" focuses on the events surrounding the St. Francis Dam disaster. On March 12th, 1928, the St. Francis Dam collapsed, and twelve billion gallons of silted water crashed through the... Read More

Family loyalty is put to the test in Laurel Gale’s middle grade fantasy novel, Story Magic. Kaya is twelve years old and lives with her only living family member, her older brother, Hob. Estranged from their relatives, the siblings... Read More

California’s history of racist legislation against Black Americans is brought to light in Lynn M. Hudson’s "West of Jim Crow". Attracted by the promise of economic opportunity and freedom from enslavement and Jim Crow, Black... Read More

Sam Van Schaik’s historical investigation "Buddhist Magic" reveals the significance and historical roots of magic in modern Buddhism. In 1900, a walled-up shrine was discovered inside of a cave belonging to a Buddhist temple complex in... Read More

The re-creation of Paris from a medieval urban maze to the city of lights and boulevards comes to life in Mary McAuliffe’s historical exposé Paris, City of Dreams. When Louis-Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, took power in... Read More

This fast science fiction novel works toward love and peace as scientists battle to save humanity. In David Levin’s optimistic science fiction novel "Phase Rider", humanity’s survival is threatened. A wave of destructive energy is... Read More

Free will clashes with genetic experimentation in Kathryn Berla’s mind-bending science fiction novel, Ricochet. If you asked Tati, she would tell you that she’s a regular high school senior. An academic overachiever, she’s also... Read More

Melissa Hardy’s irreverent and funny novel "The Oracle of Cumae" is a layered tale wherein the present collides with the distant past. Coming to the end of her life, Mariuccia calls for a priest—but not because she wants to confess... Read More