Books with author Scott Merriman

This book examines the countervailing arguments in the religious exemption debate and explains why this issue continues to be so heated and controversial in modern-day America.• Provides up-to-date coverage that highlights the full history of religious exemption cases from the 19th through 21st centuries• Presents a detailed analysis of the Hobby Lobby case that stemmed from a corporation's response to portions of the Affordable Care Act, an ongoing topic of both scholarly and public debate• Highly valuable to any classroom, public library, or academic library as well as to anyone interested in the interplay between religion and the law in the United States

This book examines the countervailing arguments in the religious exemption debate and explains why this issue continues to be so heated and controversial in modern-day America.Can religion be used to legalize discrimination? When does religion exclude a person or corporation from having to follow a federal or state law, and does our government automatically favor one faith over another when allowing such exemptions? How "religious" must an activity be to qualify as exempt? These are just a few of the difficult questions addressed in When Religious and Secular Interests Collide: Faith, Law, and the Religious Exemption Debate, one of the most modern resources for looking at religion and the law, both historically and in the present. This book enables readers to fully comprehend this important multifaceted issue that continues to be contested in our courts, legislatures, hearts, and minds.Readers will gain vital historical background about this battleground topic of academic and public interest, see how the contentious issue has changed in the past, and learn about recent developments, including the controversies surrounding religious exemption laws passed in Arkansas and Indiana in 2015. They will also glean knowledge to evaluate claims made about the First Amendment and equal rights and reach their own educated opinions on the subject. Additionally, the work includes primary source documents such as excerpts of important Supreme Court decisions accompanied by insightful analysis of how the religious exemption issue surfaced in modern American culture.• Provides up-to-date coverage that highlights the full history of religious exemption cases from the 19th through 21st centuries• Presents a detailed analysis of the Hobby Lobby case that stemmed from a corporation's response to portions of the Affordable Care Act, an ongoing topic of both scholarly and public debate• Highly valuable to any classroom, public library, or academic library as well as to anyone interested in the interplay between religion and the law in the United States

Based on the iconic The Night Before Christmas, The First Christmas introduces young children to the first Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Through simple rhyming words and pictures, the poem helps young ones visualize the events that took place in Bethlehem all those many years ago. The First Christmas follows Mary and Joseph as they prepare for the birth of their child in a stable. It shares the miracle of Jesus' arrival as it's celebrated by angels and shepherds.

Almost 2 million people have read the New York Times bestseller Wonder and fallen in love with Auggie Pullman. Last year listeners were given a special look at another side of his story with The Julian Chapter, and now they'll get a peek at Auggie's life before Beecher Prep, with a short story told entirely from the point of view of Christopher, Auggie's oldest friend.Christopher was Auggie's best friend from the time they were babies until his family moved away; he was there through all of Auggie's surgeries and heartbreaks, through bad times and good—like Star Wars marathons and dreams of traveling to Pluto together. Alternating between childhood flashbacks and the present day, an especially bad day for Christopher, Pluto is the story of two boys grown apart learning that good friendships are worth a little extra effort.

Honesty is the best policy. Beware a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Look before you leap. A bird in the hand. These and countless other everyday expressions originated centuries ago with Aesop, the slave and storyteller of ancient Greece. With humor, irony, and commonsense philosophy, Aesop’s Fables illuminates the follies, frailties, and resilience of humankind to this day.Scale a vine with a hungry Fox, join the race between the Tortoise and the Hare, and tread as softly as a Mouse in a Lion’s lair, to discover the meaning of sour grapes, the rewards of persistence, the might of the meek, and more in this enduring collection.Revised edition: Previously published as Aesop’s Fables, this edition of Aesop’s Fables (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Based on the iconic The Night Before Christmas, The First Christmas introduces young children to the first Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Through simple rhyming words and pictures, the poem helps young ones visualize the events that took place in Bethlehem all those many years ago. The First Christmas follows Mary and Joseph as they prepare for the birth of their child in a stable. It shares the miracle of Jesus' arrival as it's celebrated by angels and shepherds.

Based on the iconic The Night Before Christmas, The First Christmas introduces young children to the first Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Through simple rhyming words and pictures, the poem helps young ones visualize the events that took place in Bethlehem all those many years ago.The First Christmas follows Mary and Joseph as they prepare for the birth of their child in a stable. It shares the miracle of Jesus’ arrival as it’s celebrated by angels and shepherds.

Almost 2 million people have read the New York Times bestseller Wonder and fallen in love with Auggie Pullman. Last year listeners were given a special look at another side of his story with The Julian Chapter, and now they'll get a peek at Auggie's life before Beecher Prep, with a short story told entirely from the point of view of Christopher, Auggie's oldest friend.Christopher was Auggie's best friend from the time they were babies until his family moved away; he was there through all of Auggie's surgeries and heartbreaks, through bad times and good—like Star Wars marathons and dreams of traveling to Pluto together. Alternating between childhood flashbacks and the present day, an especially bad day for Christopher, Pluto is the story of two boys grown apart learning that good friendships are worth a little extra effort.

Almost 2 million people have read the New York Times bestseller Wonder and fallen in love with Auggie Pullman. Last year listeners were given a special look at another side of his story with The Julian Chapter, and now they'll get a peek at Auggie's life before Beecher Prep, with a short story told entirely from the point of view of Christopher, Auggie's oldest friend.Christopher was Auggie's best friend from the time they were babies until his family moved away; he was there through all of Auggie's surgeries and heartbreaks, through bad times and good—like Star Wars marathons and dreams of traveling to Pluto together. Alternating between childhood flashbacks and the present day, an especially bad day for Christopher, Pluto is the story of two boys grown apart learning that good friendships are worth a little extra effort.

The accused date rapist from the “finely crafted and thought-provoking” (School Library Journal) National Book Award Finalist, Inexcusable, must confront the kind of person he really is and come to terms with his past actions, in this stunning sequel from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch.Keir Sarafian insists he did nothing wrong. But no one will believe that he’s the good guy he knows he is—no one except his father, Ray. And Ray is just the person Keir has to leave in order to have the fresh start he deserves.Now at Carnegie College, Keir’s life isn’t what he thought it would be. Two soccer players are poised to take his spot as kicker. Ray keeps calling, and Joyce, his guiding light on campus, seems to be avoiding him. When tragedy strikes, will Keir finally be able to confront his past actions and realize his potential?

Date rape—from the accused’s point of view—is the subject of this “finely crafted and thought-provoking page-turner” (SLJ), a National Book Award Finalist from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch.Keir Sarafian may not know much, but he knows himself. And the one thing he knows about himself is that he is a good guy. A guy who’s a devoted son and brother, a loyal friend, and a reliable teammate. And, maybe most important of all, Keir is a guy who understands that when a girl says no, she means it.But that is not what Gigi Boudakian, childhood friend and Keir’s lifelong love, says at all. What Gigi says seems impossible to Keir—something inexcusable—the worst thing he can imagine, the very opposite of everything he wants to be.As Keir recalls the events leading up to his fateful night with Gigi, he realizes that the way things look are definitely not the way they really are…and that it may be all too easy for a good guy to do something terribly wrong.Chris Lynch has written a no-holds-barred story about truth, lies, and responsibility—a story that every good guy needs to hear.

Date rape—from the accused’s point of view—is the subject of this “finely crafted and thought-provoking page-turner” (SLJ), a National Book Award Finalist from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch.Keir Sarafian may not know much, but he knows himself. And the one thing he knows about himself is that he is a good guy. A guy who’s a devoted son and brother, a loyal friend, and a reliable teammate. And, maybe most important of all, Keir is a guy who understands that when a girl says no, she means it.But that is not what Gigi Boudakian, childhood friend and Keir’s lifelong love, says at all. What Gigi says seems impossible to Keir—something inexcusable—the worst thing he can imagine, the very opposite of everything he wants to be.As Keir recalls the events leading up to his fateful night with Gigi, he realizes that the way things look are definitely not the way they really are…and that it may be all too easy for a good guy to do something terribly wrong.Chris Lynch has written a no-holds-barred story about truth, lies, and responsibility—a story that every good guy needs to hear.