Heather Alicia Simms

"Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash and was chosen for the Defenders "Patty" Jones is the fastest girl on the Defenders, an elite middle school track team. She runs for many reasons -- like to escape the taunts from the kids at her new school. She runs from the reason WHY she's not able to live with her "real" mom any more: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom's legs will one day take her away forever....

From the New York Times Bestselling Author of An American Marriage "A love story . . . Full of perverse wisdom and proud joy . . . Jones's skill for wry understatement never wavers." -O: The Oprah Magazine "Silver Sparrow will break your heart before you even know it. Tayari Jones has written a novel filled with characters I'll never forget. This is a book I'll read more than once." -Judy Blume With the opening line of Silver Sparrow,...

"The rock & roll legend examines her illustrious career and complicated personal life, from her darkest hours to her happiest moments." --

High-school-senior LaVaughn's perceptions and expectations of her life begin to change as she learns about the many unexpected connections between the people she loves best.

"Glory over Everything continues the story of Jamie Pyke, son of both a slave and master of Tall Oakes, whose deadly secret compels him to take a treacherous journey through the Underground Railroad ... This ... stand-alone novel opens in 1830, and Jamie, who fled from the Virginian plantation he once called home, is passing in Philadelphia society as a wealthy white silversmith. After many years of striving, Jamie has achieved acclaim and security,...

"Chronicles the revolutionary activities of Harriet Tubman, Frances Seward, and Martha Wright--friends and neighbors in Auburn, New York--discussing their vital roles in the Underground Railroad, abolition, and the early women's rights movement." --

Confirmed bachelor Don has just been dumped by his latest lover, Sherry. Don begins to resign himself to being alone and left to his own devices. However, he becomes compelled to reflect on his past when he receives a mysterious pink letter by mail. It is from an anonymous former lover and informs him that he has a 19-year-old son who may be looking for his father. Don is urged to investigate the contents of the letter by his closest friend and neighbor,...

"The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11"-- "As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her. But ability and opportunity did not always go hand in hand. As an African American and a girl growing up in an era of brutal...

Based on the film starring Blair Underwood, Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the Seventh Day is an unforgettable story about a devoted couple whose relationship is put to the ultimate test. New York Times bestselling author T.D. Jakes pens a compelling story that unites love, suspense, and faith into one heart-wrenching package. Based on the film Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day (executive-produced by T.D. Jakes) this novel follows the lives of a...

For over thirty-five years, parents have turned to How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk for its respectful and effective solutions to the unending challenges of raising children. Now, in response to growing demand, Adele's daughter, Joanna Faber, along with Julie King, tailor How to Talks powerful communication skills to children ages two to seven. Faber and King, each a parenting expert in her own right, share their wisdom accumulated...