Books published by publisher Bright Works Press

Tami Oldham and her fiance, Richard Sharp, are caught in a violent hurricane in the crystal waters of the Pacific Ocean. Richard is swept overboard and Tami is left grief-stricken and alone on a revaged yacht. Red Sky in Mourning is her amazing story of 41 days of survival recounted amoung poignant flashbacks of the adventure and romance she and Richard experienced while cruising French Polynesia.

Not many reptiles are considered cute, but the charming horned toad is irresistible and can be visited in its neighborhood on the arid, wide-open spaces of the southwestern prairie. The toad's story is richly integrated with the culture, language, biology, and natural history of their desert landscape and includes many facts mixed with delightful personification of each animal, from the brave horned lizard, Tuck, to the awkward Harris Hawk. The glossary of natural history terms, an appendix of southwestern lore, and a map detailing habitats all enlarge on the text.

Sam Houston comes alive in this fascinating biography for young readers. Houston's endeavors and accomplishments include becoming a lawyer, congressman, governor, president of the Republic of Texas, and army general. His defeat of Santa Anna's army at San Jacinto in 1836 secured the independence of Texas and this resource helps his legend live on in Texas history and lore.

This remembering of the Tenth Army of the Pacific Theater campaign is recounted by Bob Green, then a twenty-year-old second lieutenant of the 763rd Tank Battalion attached to the 96th Infantry Division. The invasion, launched on April Fool's Day/Easter Sunday 1945, began the last major battle of World War II, fought as war in Europe ended and president Roosevelt died. Three months later, the Okinawa arena was declared secure. Bob Green's personal accounting of the war and letters home are fascinating as well as touching. His amazing recollection of events makes one feel as if it happened yesterday. The book is richly illustrated with archival photos from the U.S. Army and from the author's personal collection.

The great achievements and fascinating life of Jane Long, Mother of Texas, are celebrated in this captivating biography. Readers will learn how Jane, orphaned as a young child and widowed at an early age, raised three children on her own and opened and operated a successful boarding house in Brazoria, the main port of Texas. The biography details how Jane's hotel became the central hub of activity for many of the major figures in the Texas Revolution, including William Barret Travis and Sam Houston, and how Jane used her domestic skills to serve her country in a time when other doors were shut for women. Designed with age-appropriate illustrations and language, this inspirational story of a strong, independent, and groundbreaking woman informs and enlightens beginning readers, revealing that people can overcome significant hardships to ultimately succeed.

How would a small, stumbling colt with the tough name Assault tell his own story of courage and victory? In this delightful true account of King Ranch’s Triple Crown champion racehorse, Marjorie Parker involves her young readers in the life of the Texas Thoroughbred who ran on three hooves and a heart. Along with electrifying racing, this story gives an inside look at life on the historic King Ranch and recaptures life in another era through the eyes of a noble horse who never gave up.

A young girl's birthday is usually full of surprises and joy, but for Katya Dubko, it is truly the end of the world as she knows it. This coming-of-age story follows the life of Katya, an eleven-year old Ukrainian girl whose life is turned upside down after the Chernobyl disaster. Katya lives in a village near Chernobyl and her father works at the nuclear power station. Her family is steeped in Soviet patriotism and she believes that the station is a magical factory. When Katya is sent into the forest to play while her family prepares for her birthday, she meets a mysterious, other-worldly boy named Sammy, who tells her about the meltdown at Chernobyl. Sammy reveals the truth about the station and about blind Soviet patriotism, and Katya's innocent world is destroyed. With Sammy's help, she realizes she is no longer a little girl in a fairy tale but has become the author of her own life.

Spontaneous, fifteen-year-old Gretchen vows to help heal the nation from the recently ended Civil War. On the morning of President Lincoln’s death, Gretchen finds an amnesiac Confederate in her garden and believes this is her chance for civic goodwill. But reconciliation is not as simple as Gretchen assumed. When her mother returns from the market with news that a Confederate murdered the president, Gretchen wonders if she caught the killer. Tensions between her aunt and mother rise as Gretchen nurses her Confederate prisoner, revealing secrets from their past that make Gretchen question everything she knows about loyalty, honor, and trust. The Last April is an entertaining, thoughtful novella of Ohio after the Civil War, meant to encourage readers to reflect on themes of fear and hope in uncertain political times.

With sophisticated and detailed art and a counting/finding game on each double-page spread, this picture book for young children displays various elements of a Texas cattle ranch. Enter the corral, the bunkhouse, and the cookshack, and join the circle of hungry cowboys at the chuck wagon, to see how each place looks and to learn what goes on there. And don't forget the animals-from the bright-eyed horned toads and comical roadrunners to majestic longhorns and breathtaking quarterhorses, a final birds-eye-view painting shows all the elements on the ranch.

Sam Houston was one of the most colorful characters in American history. From the time he ran away to join the Cherokee tribe because he didn't want to attend school to the day he freed Texas from Mexican rule and to the end of his life, he was a definite individual. He dressed wildly. As a young schoolteacher, he requested that part of his payment be in bolts of cloth so that he could make beautiful shirts. For many years, he adopted Cherokee regalia. And as a respected Congressman and President, he wore a vest made out of leopard fur—to remind everyone that, like the leopard, he would not change his spots just to do the popular thing. Houston stood firm in his beliefs, and he was often unpopular for them. There are many years in his life where no one has ever been sure just what happened, and Houston steadfastly refused to tell. Now I am Houston brings the life of this legendary statesman, warrior and friend of the Cherokee to life with accurate history and a great story. Sam Houston, enigma and inspiration, will intrigue any child who reads I am Houston, and he might just convince them to stick to their own guns when they face challenges in life.

Based on a true story, this historical fiction recounts a young British boy's adventures and the forging of a friendship with an American pilot and his crew. The friendly airmen with the United States Eighth Air Force-The Mighty Eighth-give the boy hope when Hitler's Nazis seem unstoppable. This coming-of-age account teaches that despite the horrors of war, something good can be created from the worst of times and confirms the importance of faith, family, and freedom. It is testimony to the resilience of the human spirit.

Sam Houston was a big man. He did big things for Texas. From the time he ran away to live with the Cherokee as a boy until he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and led the Texans to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, not everyone agreed with him. But Sam always stood firm in his own beliefs. Sam Houston: Standing Firm uses simple language that allows children in primary grades to discover on their own the facts about Sam’s colorful life and the important work he did for Texas as president, congressman and governor.