Books with author Denise Patrick

Melody Ellison can't wait to sing her first solo at church, and she wants to pick a song that's special. She gets advice from her big brother, who has his sights set on becoming a Motown star, and inspiration from her older sister, who's home from college with new ideas about marches and protests and making things fair. When Melody experiences discrimination for herself, she decides to stand up and speak out about civil rights, too. As her solo approaches, an unimaginable tragedy leaves her silent. Can Melody find her voice to speak up for those who can't?

Reesie Boone just knows that thirteen is going to be her best year yet-this will be the year she makes her very first fashion design on her Ma Maw's sewing machine. She'll skip down the streets of New Orleans with her best friends, Ayanna and Orlando, and everyone will look at her in admiration.But on Reesie's birthday, everything changes. Hurricane Katrina hits her city. Stranded at home alone, Reesie takes refuge with her elderly neighbor, Miss Martine. The waters rise. They escape in a boat. And soon Reesie is reunited with her family. But her journey back home has only begun.Finding Someplace by Denise Lewis Patrick is a story of a family putting itself back together, and a young girl learning to find herself.A Christy Ottaviano Book

It's Melody's birthday, and she's excited to turn "double digits" on January 1, 1964. She's also eager to answer her pastor's New Year's challenge and make her community better. Melody decides to fix up the neighborhood playground and plant a garden. Her friends pitch in to help, but after a series of setbacks, Melody realizes that being a leader isn't easy. But it is easy to say yes when her brother asks her to sing backup for him. Melody gets to go to the Motown music studio and add her voice to a real record! Can she find a way to make her voice stand out in the studio and in her community?

From celebrated fantasy author Den Patrick comes WITCHSIGN, the first novel in a fresh and exciting new fantasy trilogyIt has been seventy-five years since the dragons’ rule of fire and magic was ended. Out of the ashes, the Solmindre Empire was born.Since then, the tyrannical Synod has worked hard to banish all manifestations of the arcane from existence. However, children are still born bearing the taint of the arcane, known to all as witchsign. Vigilants are sent out across the continent of Vinterkveld to find and capture all those bearing the mark.No one knows when the Vigilants of the Synod will appear and enforce the Empire’s laws.But today they’re coming.And gods help those who bear the sign of the witch.

When twelve-year-old Halli suffers her home burned to the ground, her people sold into slavery, and her younger sister taken by illness, she quietly resolves herself to the impossible: to not only escape, but to travel the breadth of the continent, sail the seas beyond, and set foot on the fabled Undying Lands. There, she will plead with the powers that be for her one wish; to have her sister released from the halls of the dead, and have their old lives restored. It will not be an easy venture. Halli must cross forests, rivers and mountains, and face the many perilous threats that await her in each land she journeys across, from slave raiders to the demons and wraiths of an older, more warlike age.She will have help from friends along the way, those looked for and not, including a shepherd dog with the gift of understanding mortal speech, who will join her many fights and struggles, no matter what the end might be.

Melody Ellison just turned ten, and she's dreaming of new ways to make her community a better place! When her pastor issues a New Year's challenge, she decides to fix up a neighborhood playground and plant a garden. But when her friends put her in charge, Melody finds out just how hard it can be to lead. From opportunities of a lifetime in Motown, to learning what it means to not give up in the face of setbacks and adversity, Melody discovers that working together makes everyone stronger. This second volume of Melody's classic stories tells how Melody strives to make justice, equality, and dignity grow in her community. 232 pages. Paperback. Author: Denise Lewis Patrick. Ages 8+

"There ain't no words right enough to explain feelin' free."On a dark Texas night in 1863 Midnight Son escapes from the plantation where he has lived all his life. In constant fear of bounty hunters, he hides in trees during the day and travels by night until he makes it across the border into Mexico.Free from slavery, Midnight finds work as a ranch hand and soon learns the ropes of a cowpoke. But as exciting as the job is, Midnight must face life-threatening situations everyday--like leading a team through a twister--in order to protect his herd.Denise Lewis Patrick explores the physical and emotional experiences of a young cowboy who is coming to grips with his past, learning to accept the racial tensions around him, and ultimately embracing the goodness he has found in others.

Reesie Boone just knows that thirteen is going to be her best year yet-this will be the year she makes her very first fashion design on her Ma Maw's sewing machine. She'll skip down the streets of New Orleans with her best friends, Ayanna and Orlando, and everyone will look at her in admiration.But on Reesie's birthday, everything changes. Hurricane Katrina hits her city. Stranded at home alone, Reesie takes refuge with her elderly neighbor, Miss Martine. The waters rise. They escape in a boat. And soon Reesie is reunited with her family. But her journey back home has only begun.This is a story of a family putting itself back together, and a young girl learning to find herself.A Christy Ottaviano Book