Books with author Pegi Deitz Shea

For the Hmong people living in overcrowded refugee camps in Thailand, America is a dream: the land of peace and plenty. In 1995, ten years after their arrival at the camp, thirteen-year-old Mai Yang and her grandmother are about to experience that dream. In America, they will be reunited with their only remaining relatives, Mai’s uncle and his family. They will discover the privileges of their new life: medical care, abundant food, and an apartment all their own. But Mai will also feel the pressures of life as a teenager. Her cousins, now known as Heather and Lisa, try to help Mai look less like a refugee, but following them means disobeying Grandma and Uncle. From showers and smoke alarms to shopping, dating, and her family’s new religion, Mai finds life in America complicated and confusing. Ultimately, she will have to reconcile the old ways with the new, and decide for herself the kind of woman she wants to be. This archetypal immigrant story introduces readers to the fascinating Hmong culture and offers a unique outsider’s perspective on our own.

Portraying the pressures of teens to live a normal life while facing mental illness, this suspenseful young adult novel follows the journey of success-bound Abe, who struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A senior in high school, with a loving and wealthy adoptive family, Abe is on track for a big scholarship and an open future. Suddenly, horrific flashbacks rip him back to war-torn Africa, where five years previously he lost his mother, sister, friends, and almost his own life to torturous violence. During therapy, he uncovers even darker moments from his past that make him question how he survived. This action-filled thriller will open the eyes and hearts of teenagers to the lives of young people who have been exposed to profound violence around the world.

Liberty should shine here on this island, Bartholdi decided, where she can welcome all to America. The story behind Liberty’s construction and the visionaries who made it happen Liberty Rising The Statue of Liberty stands as a powerful symbol of freedom to all. But what is her story? How did she come to be? From conception to construction, each element of the Statue of Liberty has a fascinating story of its own: a face bearing the likeness of the creator’s mother; a hand and a torch traveling alone to America; seventy train cars packed with pieces. This inspiring and beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates the visionaries behind the statue and the process by which they carried out the design and building of one of the world’s most important monuments.

A charming children s book adapted from the opera L Enfant et les Sortileges (1925) by composer Maurice Ravel, with a libretto by Colette. Some have compared this opera to Maurice Sendak s Where the Wild Things Are ; Sendak himself created the set deigns & costumes for a production of this opera. Having trouble with homework, Thomas takes out his frustration on the things around him -- his books, his clock, his furniture. But one day, Armchair bellows, My stuffing has had enough! & blows Thomas clear out of this world into a strange place in time, where numerals scatter, book characters come alive, & cakes fight back. Will Thomas ever return home? For ages 5-10. Designed to create an awareness of classical music among young children. Ill.