An illegal immigrant from Mexico, Lorenzo Anzaldua, nicknamed Lencho, arrived in Texas with his father and three brothers in 1920. A thoroughly self-made man with no shame about his flaws and justifiable pride in his accomplishments,... Read More

The Chinese word tao is usually translated as “way,” which seems simple and straightforward enough, until one investigates the wider implications of the term. Stephen McDonough’s marvelous book, Tao of Life and Death – A Tale,... Read More

Thomas D. Potter’s "Hostile Border" is a labyrinth of secrets and subterfuge. Iranian terrorists pay a third-rate Mexican drug cartel to smuggle a black-ops team, along with a dirty bomb, into the United States. Meanwhile, a political... Read More

Faced with a heartbreaking choice, the young protagonist in "The Stone Heart" demonstrates how faith and courage can overcome fear, and how selflessness, though sometimes difficult, can reap the purest rewards. The second book in the... Read More

“The more I thought about it, the more simply holding a baby alligator seemed insufficient. It was this line of thinking that led me to the completely insane idea that I should try alligator wrestling.” When Amber Karlins’s mother... Read More

Cutout silhouettes of animals and vivid patterns in contrasting colors anchor a series of rhyming questions and answers about farm life. For example, “Mooing Cow, for whom do you wait?” opens onto “This maid stepping with a very... Read More

“The qualities we look for…are leadership, cooperation, enthusiasm, and improvement.” These words spoken by the Lakewood Dance Camp director are thirteen-year-old Sara’s inspiration. In "Summer Dance", readers watch Sara and her... Read More

Clandestine interludes and secret babies fill the pages of fiction and grace countless lives. Though the reality of an unplanned pregnancy cannot be easily romanticized, gifted writers have at times depicted its complicated ramifications... Read More