Books with author Mary E. Lyons

"...I've put all the papers in order by date, so you'll have a story. Not just an ordinary tale about the Civil War which freed our people from slavery. Most folks think rifles and cannons put down the Southern rebellion. No, this scrapbook tells of Ellen Bee, two spies who won the war with softer weapons..." In a fictional format that recalls the scrapbooks kept by women in the nineteenth century, Mary E. Lyons and Muriel M. Branch piece together the true story of Ellen Bee -- the code name used by two extraordinary women who courageously undermined the highest level of the Confederacy. Elizabeth Van Lew -- Miss Bet -- was a wealthy white woman at the pinnacle of Richmond society, different from her socialite friends only in her deep abhorrence of slavery. Mary Elizabeth Bowser -- Liza -- was the daughter of two of the Van Lew family's freed slaves who had decided to stay on at the Church Hill mansion as paid and respected servants. As the strong-willed Liza matured, she grew to resent Miss Bet's well-intended "plans" for her life. The two constantly chafed as the Civil War flared around Richmond and Miss Bet was driven deeper into efforts to help the Union cause. Soon she found herself called upon to enlist the help of her beloved Liza when she saw an opportunity to plant a spy in the heart of the Confederate camp. And with Liza willing to risk the dangers of posing as a slave, so began a chain of communication that supplied the Union generals with vital information in their conduct of war.

This is a heartwarming story of a five-year-old deaf boxer Ezekiel who diligently tries to help Dad clean the yard on a Saturday morning. Even though his intentions are good, he finds himself in the most awkward situations and gets himself into plenty of trouble. He thinks of every excuse possible so he doesn't have to help Dad clean the yard. He sneaks to the pool, tries to clean the back deck, shares memories when he was a puppy, and so much more. All the pictures are actual photos. You will enjoy every minute of Ezekiel's exciting adventure.

This is a heartwarming story of a three-year-old deaf boxer Ezekiel, who diligently tries to help Mom clean the house on a Saturday morning. Even though his intentions are good, he finds himself in the most awkward situations and gets himself into plenty of trouble. He thinks of every excuse possible so he doesn’t have to help Mom clean the house. He takes a nap, FaceTimes his favorite dog buddy Bowie, gets stuck in the couch, tears up the patio blinds, sits in time-out, and so much more. All the pictures are actual photos. You will love every minute of Ezekiel’s exciting adventure.

The great Irish potato famine -- the Great Hunger -- was one of the worst disasters of the nineteenth century. Within seven years of the onset of a fungus that wiped out Ireland's staple potato crop, more than a quarter of the country's eight million people had either starved to death, died of disease, or emigrated to other lands. Photographs have documented the horrors of other cataclysmic times in history -- slavery and the Holocaust -- but there are no known photographs whatsoever of the Great Hunger.In Feed the Children First, Mary E. Lyons combines first-person accounts of those who remembered the Great Hunger with artwork that evokes the times and places and voices themselves. The result is a close-up look at incredible suffering, but also a celebration of joy the Irish took in stories and music and helping one another -- all factors that helped them endure.

Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery; it's the only life she has ever known. Now, with the death of her mistress, there is a chance she will be given her freedom, and for the first time, Harriet feels hopeful. But hoping can be dangerous, because disapointment is devastating. Harriet has one last hope, though: escape north. And as she faces numerous ordeals, this hope give her the strength she needs to survive.

Fooled you! Bruh Rabbit is always playing tricks. He tricks Bruh Bear out of bed and eats his fish. He tricks Bruh Wolf out of the butter from his butter tree--then he proves that it was Wolf who ate it. He even serves oven-fried wolf to his children. But sometimes Bruh Rabbit gets fooled too.Retelling six authentic Bruh Rabbit stories that were recorded in Beaufort County and Murrells Inlet in South Carolina, author Mary Lyons has captured their madcap spirit. A longtime reading teacher and librarian, she uses simple, strong words that allow first readers to make their own way through Bruh Rabbit's (mis)adventures. Mireille Vautier's explosion of primary colors, and her sly, knowing rabbit, add a second smile to every story.

Like his mother and grandmother before him, Joseph Jacobs was born into slavery. Joseph lives with his grandmother and sister in North Carolina, but he has not seen his mother for more than seven years. Unbeknownst to Joseph, his mother, Harriet, has been hiding from her owner in the attic of the house that Joseph lives in. But when Harriet's hiding place is in danger of being revealed, she is forced to flee north to safety only moments after being reunited with her family. Devastated by losing his mother for the second time, Joseph begins to ponder the nature of the world he lives in. Soon Joseph, seeking freedom and a place where he can be himself, follows his mother north. As he searches for answers, Joseph experiences life in Massachusetts, California, Australia, and aboard a whaling ship -- but there's no place where Joseph feels that he can truly be free. In this companion novel to Letters from a Slave Girl, Joseph's stirring quest for freedom and identity is told through letters imagined by the author. Based on the real-life stories of Harriet and Joseph Jacobs, Letters from a Slave Boy is set against the backdrop of some of the most exciting and turbulent times in American history.