Family Tree Fiction

Something about the Okefenokee Swamp of Southern Georgia has always called to 14-year-old Jack Hawkins. But when a nervous mama gator takes a bite out of his handmade canoe, Jack finds himself stranded on a remote island, forced to find his own food and shelter - and to unravel a mystery that reaches far into his past and could change everything he thinks he knows about himself.

Zack, his dad, and new stepmother have just moved back to his father's hometown, not knowing that their new house has a dark history. Fifty years ago, a crazed killer caused an accident at the nearby crossroads that took 40 innocent lives. He died when his car hit a tree in a fiery crash, and his malevolent spirit has inhabited the tree ever since..

For TV-obsessed Jake Lightman, his parents’ divorce is like his favorite show getting canceled: The worst. Now he’s stuck between playing the role of “Yaakov” for his mother and “Jacob” for his father. On Jake’s first day at a new school, Caleb and Tehilla barrel into his life. Suddenly, he has two friends who seem to like the real Jake. And when they invite him to Camp Gershoni for the summer, Jake knows he has to go—even if his parents won’t let him.

In My Family’s Faraway Tree, Olivia’s grandfather tells her the story of his friend who believed in fairies, and Olivia discovers the spellbinding world in the great Faraway Tree, when she realizes she can communicate with the fairies that live in the Tree. This is a story of trust, between the magic world of the fairies and the humans who believe in them. Harry’s tales are full of adventure and heroism, magic and wisdom, and a human family’s interaction with some of the wondrous creatures that are unseen, but all around us. Totally gripping, totally enchanting.

Salam's grandpa says that olive trees are strong and that their roots run deep in their Palestinian land. They connect everyone—from the farmer who presses the olives into oil to the baker who uses the oil in his taboon. Salam plants her own seed and is eager to see it grow. She waits... she waters... she asks the seed to hurry... until finally...a sprout! But one day soldiers come and destroy everything in their path...including Salam's new olive tree. Salam is crushed—though she doesn't have to worry. Her grandpa gathers their neighbors and, together, they plant olive trees.

If the preacher's wife's petticoat showed, the ladies would make the talk last a week. But on July 5, 1906, things took a scandalous turn. That was the day E. Rucker Blakeslee, proprietor of the general store and barely three weeks a widower, eloped with Miss Love Simpson - a woman half his age and, worse yet, a Yankee! On that day, 14-year-old Will Tweedy's adventures began, and an unimpeachably pious, deliciously irreverent town came to life.

Juliet's a worrywart, and no wonder! Her little sister, Oaf, follows her around taking notes and singing 'The Irritating Song' all day long. Her parents are always arguing about Dad's junk. Nana's so tired of craft lessons that she starts barbecuing things in the middle of the night. And Juliet's friends, Lindsay and Gemma, are competing to see which of them is Juliet's best friend. Juliet can't fit in any more worries!

Veronica is late, and Julián is increasingly convinced she won't ever come home. To pass the time, he improvises a story about trees to coax his stepdaughter, Daniela, to sleep. He has made a life as a literature professor, developing a novel about a man tending to a bonsai tree on the weekends. He is a narrator, an architect, a chronicler of other people's stories. But as the night stretches on before him, and the hours pass with no sign of Veronica, Julián finds himself caught up in the slipstream of the story of his life—of their lives together.

Dive into "Ashilda's Gratitude Tree," a touching and delightful story that captures the essence of gratitude through the eyes of a curious and thoughtful young girl named Ashilda. As the seasons change in the small, picturesque town she calls home, Ashilda finds herself growing increasingly disenchanted with her toys, yearning for something more fulfilling. The turning point comes when Ashilda encounters a wise and gentle neighbor, who introduces her to the enchanting concept of a Gratitude Tree.

I gave Simon a little shove, but it was enough to start him moving, then he quickly picked up speed. Too quickly.

The owl tree is not like any tree Joe has ever seen. It’s huge and leafy and shivers at times like a person; it even seems to speak. Granny Diamond once saw an owl perched among its branches and she has loved the tree ever since. It means the world to her. But her neighbour, Mr Rock, wants to cut it down. Why does he dislike the owl tree so much? Does the tree have a secret to tell Joe? And how can he, a boy too scared even to climb the tree, be the one to save it?

Everything that you’ve always loved about Ruskin Bond is back. His mesmerizing descriptions of nature and his wonderful way with words - this is Ruskin Bond at his finest. Listen in as Rusty tells the story of his grandfather’s relationship with the trees around him, who’s convinced that they love him back with as much tenderness as he loves them.

When 15-year-old Sefina Nafo is kicked out of her latest foster home, she gets separated from her little brothers. Now, she’s the only brown kid in her new foster family as she navigates grief from her dad’s death, her mom’s addictions, and the school bully labeling her "Foster Freak". With the court date looming, Sefina comes up with a plan to reunite with her mom and brothers before it's too late. The biggest challenge is trying not to fall in love with her new foster family. As her relationship with foster mom Jen blossoms, Sefina must decide what “family” really means.

Iyana and Chikelu break their curfew every night to meet up at a special old coconut tree and talk about their dreams. Their isolated island home is governed by strict rules that make it impossible for them to ever realize their vision of a greater purpose in the world. After the mysterious arrival of some foreigners on the island, the two friends must consider whether the right thing to do would be to follow the rules or their hearts.

Clayton feels most alive when he's with his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd, and the band of Bluesmen - he can't wait to join them, just as soon as he has a blues song of his own. But then the unthinkable happens. Cool Papa Byrd dies, and Clayton's mother forbids Clayton from playing the blues. And Clayton knows that's no way to live. Armed with his grandfather's brown porkpie hat and his harmonica, he runs away from home in search of the Bluesmen, hoping he can join them on the road.

This is a story about families working together, teaching their kids farming and healthy eating, while enjoying the beautiful land in the sky.

Are you ready for a presidential adventure? Jack and Annie are! They are whisked back to Washington, DC, in 1861. Jack can’t wait to meet Abraham Lincoln himself! But the new president is too busy to see them, as he is desperately trying to save a nation in crisis. It’s a race against time as Jack and Annie try to aid a president and a troubled nation!

A Birth Path describes the entire birthing process in nine detailed steps to raise awareness of what mother, baby, and attending father experience during this miraculous life transition. It delves into the physical, spiritual, and energetical to bring light to the conscious and subconscious aspects of the integrative beauty of birth.

Sooner or later every child will ask, "Where do babies come from?" Answering this question has never been this easy or entertaining! Join a curious little boy who asks everyone from his babysitter to the mailman, getting all sorts of funny answers along the way, before his parents gently set him straight.

These are a collection of poems that I wrote as a teen, young adult, newlywed wife, and mom. I hope you enjoy them, and always welcome and appreciate feedback from my listeners.