Books with author Robert W. Alley

This revised edition of Barron's popular Pocket Dictionary & Thesaurus packs more than 40,000 words with their definitions and synonyms into a handy pocket-sized book. It features approximately 100,000 synonyms in total.The two-in-one word guide is small enough to fit it into a backpack, carry to class, and use as a reliable reference when writing essays and term papers. The top part of each page is a standard pocket dictionary and the bottom part of the page is in a thesaurus format.Headwords in both sections are printed in color. Each dictionary headword is followed by its part of speech and definition. Every thesaurus headword—in addition to its list of synonyms—comes with an example sentence that uses the word in its standard context.Corresponding dictionary and thesaurus entries are always cited on the same page for fast, easy reference.

Here's another one of those 'They could make it into a movie!' books that keeps you always wanting to read just one more chapter. Red Hugh was a true champion for Irish liberty from Queen Elizabeth's constricting reign in the late 1580's and beyond. Hugh's capture, imprisonment, and escape from the Dublin Castle; his triumph over a blizzard and frostbite; his dramatic rescue of his family's castle; his conflict with the evil Captain Leeds; and his inexhaustible love for Ireland make this a wonderful read-aloud book for the entire family. You learn an astonishing amount of Irish geography and culture while relishing this true adventure, as well.

During World War II, Port Chicago was a segregated naval munitions base on the outer shores of San Francisco Bay. Black seamen were required to load ammunition onto ships bound for the South Pacific under the watch of their white officers—an incredibly dangerous and physically challenging task. On July 17, 1944, an explosion rocked the base, killing 320 men—202 of whom were black ammunition loaders. In the ensuing weeks, white officers were given leave time and commended for heroic efforts, whereas 328 of the surviving black enlistees were sent to load ammunition on another ship. When they refused, fifty men were singled out and charged—and convicted—of mutiny. It was the largest mutiny trial in U.S. naval history. First published in 1989, The Port Chicago Mutiny is a thorough and riveting work of civil rights literature, and with a new preface and epilogue by the author emphasize the event’s relevance today.

This superb collection chronicles the most important Supreme Court cases on church-state relations over the past three decades. It includes extensive coverage of the Court's major decisions concerning prayer in state legislatures, the pledge of allegiance, display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings, religious displays on public property, school prayer, vouchers for religious schools, religion in science class, and much more.Beginning with a carefully prepared historical overview, which places the first amendment in the context of 18th-century debates over religious freedom, Robert Alley offers a fresh analysis of the amendment's origins. He then presents fifty recent and historical cases without editorial comment, permitting readers to arrive at their own individual interpretations. In addition to the text of the majority decision, each case is followed by the vote of the justices as well as selected dissenting opinions.Unlike news accounts and other texts, this unique volume is the only objective presentation of the justices' decisions, in the Court's own words, and it includes the entire canon of subjects that bear the label "church and state."This clearly written, accessible book will be valuable for classroom use, as a library resource, and as an excellent introductory reader for anyone interested in what the Supreme Court has decided on religion in public places and schools.

Fifteen-year-old Marvin is a social outcast: a street rat, an orphan, a rebel. He lives in Mr. O's junkyard in the town of Upper Squares, where the rich get richer, the power-hungry get more powerful, and laws are written to try to get rid of the poor and needy for good. But Marvin has had enough. When he, with the support of his mangy, orphaned friends, manages to join a socially elite baseball team, Marvin meets his adversary-coach Boyd Lakes. Boyd is one of the most power-hungry of them all, and he wants nothing to do with Marvin. He and the other players on the team consider Marvin to be a disease on the team that must be eliminated. Boyd pushes Marvin to his limits, trying to get him to quit, but Marvin refuses to give up. Mustering all his courage, he continues to show up and leave it all on the field. Though at times he is tempted to walk away, he knows that his place on the team is about much more than baseball. Soon, his skills, sportsmanship, and indomitable spirit catch the attention of hundreds of people in the Upper Squares community, all of who begin to root for the underdog. He suddenly finds himself front and center, standing in the spotlight of the authorities that abandoned him to the streets. By the time the final game of the season rolls around, Marvin is in the midst of a political firestorm—and he realizes this is his one chance to change everything, once and for all.

Clark and his brother and sisters are stuck on their front porch on a rainy spring day. When a stuffed bear is flung off the porch into a puddle, the backyard becomes an ocean, and Clark, with some help from his siblings, embarks on a deep-sea diving rescue mission. Full of classic charm, this satisfying fantasy is one of four small books each starring a different sibling and season by the children’s book veteran R. W. Alley. Look for Mitchell on the Moon and Annabelle at the South Pole in Fall 2016.

On a breezy summer day, Gretchen and her family head to the ocean. Gretchen wants to swim with her older brothers and sister, but everyone ignores her. When the wind steals her new sun hat, she catches it by its ribbon and is lifted into the sky, far, far above the beach, where a friendly seagull is happy to play. This ode to imagination is one of four small books each featuring a different sibling and season, created by children’s book veteran R. W. Alley. Look for Mitchell on the Moon and Annabelle at the South Pole in Fall 2016.