Books with author Christopher Collier James Lincoln Collier

One thing we can be sure of is that jazz was invented in America.From the small sunlit barns that dotted the Louisiana countryside around the turn of the century to the booming nightspots in New York in the 1920s, America has always been the home of jazz. But how did jazz get started? Who were its first musicians? And what was it about America that made it the birthplace of this century's greatest music?Newbery Honor-winner and jazz critic James Lincoln Collier tackles these questions and others, tracing the history and evolution of jazz in America. Beginning with the African tribal music transported here by slaves, Collier reveals the roots of jazz in gospel and ragtime before launching into a discussion of Dixieland, swing, bebop, the cool school, free jazz, and fusion. Along the way, we meet the great personalities who shaped the music: giants like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, who brought jazz into the mainstream; mavericks like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, who toyed with its sound and structure; and avant-gardists like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, who revolutionized and reinvented jazz.In this lively, sometimes controversial photo-filled account, Collier shows us how jazz became an international craze, all the while remaining as American as apple pie.

[MP3-CD audiobook format in Vinyl case. *NOTE: The MP3-CD format requires a compatible audio CD player.][Read by Kirby Heyborne] In this rousing coming-of-age story set on the American frontier, one ornery twelve-year-old has a lot to learn if he's to survive his new life as a mountain man. Having run away after hitting Pa in a bout of rage, Jesse decides to fend for himself. Too much uncontrollable anger and inexplicable emotion since Ma went away have taken their toll. All he wants now is to be left alone. At first, every day on the mountain is a struggle. Beset by hunger and cold, fear and loneliness, Jesse stubbornly and defiantly refuses to concede defeat. Gradually, he learns to hunt, to skin and cure animal pelts, to build a cabin . . . all skills necessary to life in the wilderness. He takes on a mad mountaineer and even helps kill a bear. In so doing, Jesse slowly gains confidence and insight beyond his years. ''I was watching me turn myself into a mountain man.'' An action-packed adventure proves a provocative voyage of self-discovery as one young boy observes the best and worst in nature, people, and himself.

Nick Hodges had always been a troublesome boy. Growing up an orphan in his Uncle Jack's care in a small New England town wasn't easy. Everyone was a little wary, a little watchful-a little too watchful. One day, while Nick is walking in the woods, a neighbor thinks she sees him miles from where he actually is. Soon a series of events reinforcing Nick's hotheaded reputation unfold. The incidents become increasingly serious until, finally, Nick is the scapegoat for a much more sinister crime, one that he wouldn't even think of committing. As he uncovers history of the town's influenza epidemic, and as he observes a strange occurrence in the graveyard, Nick begins to suspect something out of the ordinary is happening. And when he sees a figure running in the woods wearing the mirror image of his own shirt, Nick starts to piece together some of the answers-answers no one could have imagined. James Lincoln Collier has written a haunting story of a boy and his reflection-and what happens when two souls want to inhabit the same living body.

A voice is talking to Gene Richards. It's a low, calm, spooky voice that tells Gene to hurt his own Grandpa. The voice says his grandfather did something that can never be forgiven. Soon it becomes clear to Gene: Something happened a long time ago in the town of Magnolia. And until Gene can get to the bottom of it, this voice, this specter, isn't giving up. With his two friends Sonny and Sam, Gene begins investigating. He's determined to find out Magnolia's darkest secret and discover the truth about his grandfather. Set during the Depression, this page-turner with an unexpected final twist brings readers back to a time when small-town secrets could most certainly come back to haunt you. JAMES LINCOLN COLLIER is the author of more than fifty books for adults and children. He was awarded the Newbury Honor for My Brother Sam Is Dead and has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award. He is also well known for his writing for adults on jazz. He lives in New York City. PRAISE FOR THE EMPTY MIRROR: "This eerie suspense tale will appeal to kids who enjoy plot-driven stories that give them a good scare."-Booklist "[A] fast-paced novel that will hook readers with a spooky ghost story while giving them interesting historical information."-School Library Journal "[A] compelling tale of a young boy haunted by a vengeful spirit and his own tragic past . . . Spooky and satisfying."-Kirkus Reviews