Books with author Lynne Sharon Schwartz

A rich and diverse collection of stories detailing life in all its daily battles and yearnings Lynne Sharon Schwartz is a master of tone, deft at creating realistic settings and characters. In Acquainted with the Night, she unleashes sixteen wickedly smart, wholly believable short stories. In the title story, for instance, a man’s nocturnal battle against a floating globule in his eye forces him to question his very state of being. In “Mrs. Saunders Writes to the World,” an anonymous old woman attempts to force people to know her first name by writing “FRANNY” in big red letters all over her neighborhood. In another, a girl must to deal with the increasingly juvenile actions of her divorced mother. By turns darkly humorous, moving, and witty, Acquainted with the Night demonstrates Schwartz’s genius for detail.

From one of Italy’s favorite authors of young adult literature comes a gripping, true-to-life thriller of a Sicilian boy’s fight to survive after his family is torn apart by the Mafia.A talented young runner, Santino lives in Palermo, Sicily―a beautiful region of Italy that’s dominated by the Mafia. With Santino’s first communion approaching, his father and grandfather carry out a theft to pay for the party―but they steal from the wrong people. A young, cocky Mafioso summons them to a meeting, and they bring the boy. As Santino wanders off into the old abandoned neighborhood, he hears shots and runs back to see two armed men and his father and grandfather slumped over in the car. The boy barely escapes with his life. Now, he’s left with a choice: cooperate with police and be a “rat,” or maintain Omertà: the code of silence.Twelve-year-old Lucio lives in the northern Italian city of Livorno and dreams of sailing when not taking care of his his young sister, Ilaria, and his sick mother, who is convinced that a witch has cursed her. One day, Lucio’s mother goes missing and he receives a mysterious text: “Come to Palermo. Mamma is dying.” Panicked, Lucio grabs Ilaria and rushes to Sicily, where Lucio’s and Santino’s stories converge with explosive results.Inspired by a real-life Mafia episode, Silvana Gandolfi’s Run for Your Life is a powerful survival story of young people finding the courage to do the right thing when faced with the cruel realities of the adult world.

From one of Italy’s favorite authors of young adult literature comes a gripping, true-to-life thriller of a Sicilian boy’s fight to survive after his family is torn apart by the Mafia. A talented young runner, Santino lives in Palermo, Sicily—a beautiful region of Italy that’s dominated by the Mafia. With Santino’s first communion approaching, his father and grandfather carry out a theft to pay for the party—but they steal from the wrong people. A young, cocky Mafioso summons them to a meeting, and they bring the boy. As Santino wanders off into the old abandoned neighborhood, he hears shots and runs back to see two armed men and his father and grandfather slumped over in the car. The boy barely escapes with his life. Now, he’s left with a choice: cooperate with police and be a “rat,” or maintain Omertà: the code of silence. Twelve-year-old Lucio lives in the northern Italian city of Livorno and dreams of sailing when not taking care of his his young sister, Ilaria, and his sick mother, who is convinced that a witch has cursed her. One day, Lucio’s mother goes missing and he receives a mysterious text: “Come to Palermo. Mamma is dying.” Panicked, Lucio grabs Ilaria and rushes to Sicily, where Lucio’s and Santino’s stories converge with explosive results. Inspired by a real-life Mafia episode, Silvana Gandolfi’s Run for Your Life is a powerful survival story of young people finding the courage to do the right thing when faced with the cruel realities of the adult world.

Twelve-year-old Oliver Bloom has a problem. A really big problem. Make that two problems. It feels like nobody at school ever notices him besides an annoying girl Mirjana and even more annoying boys who torture him with their annoying pranks. His bigger problem: with only four weeks left to finish a school project he should have been working on since September, he still has no clue what he is going to do it on. That is, until meets a rebellious college dropout who shows Oliver that his extraordinary one-in-ten-thousand musical talent - perfect pitch - could hold the key. With his new teacher's help, Oliver recruits his friends (and enemies) for a rag-tag orchestra that would make Ludwig van Beethoven flip in his grave. This book is for all those kids (and kids at heart) who know what it's like to watch from the sidelines as the popular kids at school enjoy all the attention. Oliver proves even a nerdy non-jock can bask in the glory of success when you set a goal, work hard to achieve it, and maybe even gain the power to inspire. The book includes eight pages of music theory illustrations on staff lines and some fun facts about the most famous classical composers, all from a kid's perspective, making it a great resource for children and music teachers alike.

My name is Sharon Schwartz. I am a homemaker and student. I reside in Chatsworth, Georgia with my husband, Patrick/and children, Camrie 22, Joseph 13, and Tori 10. I am a member of Grove Level Baptist Church. I enjoy reading, taking walks, writing poetry, admiring the stars and creation. I love to spend time with my family, watch my son play baseball and watch my little one dance. I enjoy good conversation and laughter with my oldest daughter. I have had many jobs over the years prior to having children and even after having them. The most important and hardest job of all is being a mother. A mother contributes many things to her children. The only thing that really matters is one of eternal significance. I wish to leave a legacy of faith in my Creator God to my children. If I accomplish anything it is for my children to know God and to connect to Him and His purpose for them. That is what this book is all about. If I give my children everything possible, yet neglect them spiritually I have labored in vain as a mother.I dedicate this book to my husband Patrick and to my children Camrie, Joseph and Tori.