Books with author Ben Taylor

On November 16, 1965, Beth Taylor’s idyllic childhood was shattered at age twelve by the suicide of her older brother Geoff. Raised in an “intentional community” north of Philadelphia—a mix of farm village, hippie commune, and suburb—she and her siblings were instilled with nonconformist values and respect for the Quaker tradition. With the loss of her beloved brother, Taylor began her complicated journey to understand family, loss, and faith. Written after years of contemplation, The Plain Language of Love and Loss reflects on the meaning of death and loss for three generations of Taylor’s family and their friends. Her compelling portrait of Geoff reveals a boy whose understanding of who he was came under increasing attack. He was harassed by schoolmates for being a “commie pinko coward” and he tried to appease fellow Boy Scouts after he abstained from a support-the-troops rally. Touching on the timely issues of bullying, child rearing, and nonconformity, Taylor offers a rare look at growing up Quaker in the tumultuous 1960s.Taylor tells how each stage of her life exposed clues to the subtle damage wrought by tragedy, even while it revealed varieties of solace found in friendships, marriage, and parenting. As she struggles to understand the complexities of religious heritage, patriotism, and pacifism, she weaves the story of her own family together with the larger history of Quakers in the Northeast, showing the importance of family values and the impact of religious education. Beth Taylor says that she learned many things from her childhood, in particular that history is alive—and shapes how we judge ourselves and choose to live our lives. She comes to see that grief can be a mask, a lover, and a teacher.

Little Bee is not like all the others. No matter how hard she tries, she just can't dance like the other Bees. This causes problems for Little Bee, because as everyone knows "all bees dance the same exact way, just like in a huge ballet". Then one day the Queen announces that she will be holding a dance competition, and the winner will be crowned a princess. Little Bee just knows she will win!This book follows Little Bee as she struggles over her unique individualisim. She encounters pressure from all sides to simply be like everyone else but in the end, it's her bravery that lets her individuality shine through.Print version of this book available at http://www.createspace.com/5752637

"Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others." --Amelia EarhartAmelia Earhart developed a love of flying at a very young age. What began as a simple joy became something much deeper--a commitment to open doors for all women. As Amelia built a name for herself in the field of aviation--breaking numerous records along the way--she inspired future trailblazers to soar to new heights.With an introduction by astronaut pioneer Eileen Collins, Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean focuses on Amelia's triumphant crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1928. Panel by panel, it offers a glimpse of her relentless ambition and tireless will to promote women's rights. Above all, it leaves us with a sense of her deep-rooted desire to touch the sky.

On November 16, 1965, Beth Taylor’s idyllic childhood was shattered at age twelve by the suicide of her older brother Geoff. Raised in an “intentional community” north of Philadelphia—a mix of farm village, hippie commune, and suburb—she and her siblings were instilled with nonconformist values and respect for the Quaker tradition. With the loss of her beloved brother, Taylor began her complicated journey to understand family, loss, and faith.Written after years of contemplation, The Plain Language of Love and Loss reflects on the meaning of death and loss for three generations of Taylor’s family and their friends. Her compelling portrait of Geoff reveals a boy whose understanding of who he was came under increasing attack. He was harassed by schoolmates for being a “commie pinko coward” and he tried to appease fellow Boy Scouts after he abstained from a support-the-troops rally. Touching on the timely issues of bullying, child rearing, and nonconformity, Taylor offers a rare look at growing up Quaker in the tumultuous 1960s.Taylor tells how each stage of her life exposed clues to the subtle damage wrought by tragedy, even while it revealed varieties of solace found in friendships, marriage, and parenting. As she struggles to understand the complexities of religious heritage, patriotism, and pacifism, she weaves the story of her own family together with the larger history of Quakers in the Northeast, showing the importance of family values and the impact of religious education.Beth Taylor says that she learned many things from her childhood, in particular that history is alive—and shapes how we judge ourselves and choose to live our lives. She comes to see that grief can be a mask, a lover, and a teacher.

Hannah lives on a farm with her mom and dad and lots of farm animals. While she loves all of the animals, what she REALLY wants is a horse! She spends most of her time thinking and dreaming about a horse of her very own. Will she ever have one?Accompanied by sweet pictures of Hanna's life on the farm, this book reminds your little one to keep dreaming... dreams DO come true!

This book, Our First Rodeo, is a story about three boys about to attend their first rodeo. They are excited, and in spite of the fact that they hate shopping, they spend all day with their mother buying western duds to wear to the rodeo. Imagine their shock when Daddy and Mother both appear in western duds, as well. The rodeo grounds,entertainment attractions, souvenirs, and autographs are discussed. There is a description of each rodeo event, calf roping, bronc riding, barrel racing, and bull riding. The clowns are entertaining and keep the boys laughing throughout the activities. The boys dreamed about the events, chalked up memories for the future and continued to talk about the events the following morning at breakfast. The younger of the three painted his face like a clown and came to breakfast, making everyone laugh.

With dramatic full-color photos and illustrations on every page, this thought-provoking book takes young readers on a trip around the world, giving them a bird's-eye view of the planet's most endangered animals. Separate sections on two-page spreads describe each animal's relationship to its environment, the threats to its survival, and steps being taken by environmentally conscious men and woman who are trying to save each of these species from extinction. Among the endangered animals shown and discussed are-- Members of the whale family Orangutans of southeast Asia Tigers of southern Asia Pandas of China Mountain Gorillas of central Africa Polar Bears of northern Canada . . . and others The book's attractive added features include an illustrated Planet Animal Fun Quiz, a world map that locates habitats of endangered animals, and illustrated pull tabs and page flaps that present interesting sidebar information about many of the animals. Readers get an extra bonus in the form of an enclosed, full-color, fold-out tiger poster that will look great on kids' bedroom or playroom walls.

This book discusses memoirs from my mother as she grew up and lived before, during, and after the Great Depression. It details some of her experiences. She was from a very poor background educationally and financially, like many people were during those days. It discusses her poor living conditions, her discomforts, and how she lacked any of the conveniences that one has today. It details how hard people had to work at that time and how she persevered to the endever, ever struggling to reach her goal of a permanent home. Some of the types of working conditions are described: how difficult it was to get a job that paid enough to live, how hard it was to keep enough food to eat, and how uncomfortable their living conditions were. The homes were poorly built and drafty. It emphasizes the struggle to get rid of bedbugs since they seemed to be everywhere, and just the difficulty to keep warm during winter since there was no central heat or air- conditioning. It discusses her father going to World War I and his war conditions and hazards, such as body lice, gases, death, and not having enough to eat. Then, her husband was drafted into World War II. It touches on the polio epidemic and hospital conditions. It tells how she scrimped and saved unendingly to finally reach her goal of a permanent, warm, and comfortable home. Young people will see a great deal of contrast between living conditions then and now.

This book discusses memoirs from my mother as she grew up and lived before, during, and after the Great Depression. It details some of her experiences. She was from a very poor background educationally and financially, like many people were during those days. It discusses her poor living conditions, her discomforts, and how she lacked any of the conveniences that one has today. It details how hard people had to work at that time and how she persevered to the end-ever, ever struggling to reach her goal of a permanent home. Some of the types of working conditions are described: how difficult it was to get a job that paid enough to live, how hard it was to keep enough food to eat, and how uncomfortable their living conditions were. The homes were poorly built and drafty. It emphasizes the struggle to get rid of lice since they seemed to be everywhere, and just the difficulty to keep warm during winter since there was no central heat or air- conditioning. It discusses her father going to World War I and his war conditions and hazards, such as body lice, gases, death, and not having enough to eat. Then, her husband was drafted into World War II. It touches on the polio epidemic and hospital conditions. It tells how she scrimped and saved unendingly to finally reach her goal of a permanent, warm, and comfortable home. Young people will see a great deal of contrast between living conditions then and now.

The party of the year turns tragic when 17-year-old high school student Marcella Cruz turns up dead because of a hit-and-run, leaving her classmates mourning. High school students London, Penelope, Brett, and Harvey all find themselves connected to Marcella’s death and are at crossroads with what to do. London’s consumed with guilt since that night and is debating whether she should go to the police with what she knows. Penelope is hiding everything she did that night and has no plans to come clean. Brett is a wreck thinking about what the future is going to bring him, and Harvey’s depression causes him to act out in destructive behavior. Their futures are all at risk as the city detective working on the case questions and confronts them with accusations of jealousy, revenge, and murder. While the parents stand up for their children against police inquiries, they also must learn that their kids are not as innocent as they seem. The four are fighting against time to clear their names, but while they’re working to protect themselves, secrets and regrets come to light. Each one hiding their own private affair, and each one answers a part of the biggest event their town has ever experienced. What happened to Marcella?