Books published by publisher Front Street Press

Swift Walker introduces kids to the continents, maps, and basic geography concepts with a fun character they can relate to. Swift Walker loved to walk fast. His sister warned him, “One day, you’ll walk so fast you won’t be able to stop!” Sure enough, his speedy legs took him on a journey across the world. Perfect for home, school, or homeschoolers. Ages 4 and up.

New scientific research shows how the ADHD gene has been critical to humanity’s development for 40,000 years• Shows how artists, inventors, and innovators carry the gene necessary for the future survival of humanity|• Explains why children with the Edison gene are so often mislabeled in our public schools as having ADHD• By the creator of the “hunter/farmer hypothesis” of ADHDThomas Edison was thrown out of school for behavior that today would label him as having ADHD, but his mother understood how to salvage his self-esteem and prepare him for a lifetime of success. The quick-thinking and impulsive characteristics of what we term ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) are not signs of a disorder at all, but rather are parts of a highly adaptive and useful skill set that served our hunting and gathering ancestors very well. In The Edison Gene Thom Hartmann shows that these characteristics have also been critical to the survival and development of our modern civilization and will be vital and necessary as humanity faces new challenges in the future. Hartmann, creator of the “hunter/farmer hypothesis” of ADHD, examines the latest discoveries confirming the existence of an ADHD gene and the earth-wide catastrophe 40,000 years ago that may well have triggered its development. Citing examples of significant innovators of our modern era, he argues that the brains of the children who possess the Edison gene are wired to give them brilliant success as innovators, inventors, explorers, and entrepreneurs, but that those same qualities often cause them problems in the context of our public schools. Hartmann offers concrete strategies for helping Edison-gene children to reach their full potential and shows that rather than being “problems,” they are an important and vital gift to our society and world.

Giant Afro. Even Bigger Brain.Jaden Toussaint is a five year-old who knows it all. I mean, really knows it all. Animal Scientist. Great Debater. Master of the art of ninja dancing. There’s nothing Jaden Toussaint can’t do.This time our hero must survive all alone with only his mother, father, and all his friends to keep him company when his sister goes to sleepaway camp. Sissy being gone is bad enough, but now that she is, who will protect him from…The Swamp Thing? Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest is a series of chapter books that kids and parents love. Kids love the awesome brain power and ninja dance moves of a superhero as real as they are. Parents appreciate the author's humor, but they love watching their kids-- even reluctant readers-- keep turning pages. Jaden Toussaint is the new definition of cool.

Leading experts on the science, history, politics, medicine, and potential of America’s most popular recreational drug • With contributions by Andrew Weil, Michael Pollan, Lester Grinspoon, Allen St. Pierre (NORML), Tommy Chong, and others • Covers marijuana’s physiological and psychological effects, its medicinal uses, the complex politics of cannabis law, pot and parenting, its role in creativity, business, and spirituality, and much more Exploring the role of cannabis in medicine, politics, history, and society, The Pot Book offers a compendium of the most up-to-date information and scientific research on marijuana from leading experts, including Lester Grinspoon, M.D., Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Allen St. Pierre (NORML), and Raphael Mechoulam. Also included are interviews with Michael Pollan, Andrew Weil, M.D., and Tommy Chong as well as a pot dealer and a farmer who grows for the U.S. Government. Encompassing the broad spectrum of marijuana knowledge from stoner customs to scientific research, this book investigates the top ten myths of marijuana; its physiological and psychological effects; its risks; why joints are better than water pipes and other harm-reduction tips for users; how humanity and cannabis have co-evolved for millennia; the brain’s cannabis-based neurochemistry; the complex politics of cannabis law; its potential medicinal uses for cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and other illnesses; its role in creativity, business, and spirituality; and the complicated world of pot and parenting. As legalization becomes a reality, this book candidly offers necessary facts and authoritative opinions in a society full of marijuana myths, misconceptions, and stereotypes.

A curious chrysalis changes Jackie’s life forever. Ten-year-old Jackie excels at being in charge. Her skills keep everything from gardens to five unruly brothers in line. So, when a curious chrysalis appears in Jackie’s front yard, she naturally decides to take charge of it. The creature that emerges is not like anything Jackie has ever seen, and she soon realizes that she must protect it at all costs, even from her own family.

Swift Walker loved to walk fast. His sister warned him, "One day, you'll walk so fast you won't be able to stop!" His speedy legs took him to see all the oceans of the world, and now his “super powers” are taking him to a whole new level. Join Swift on an adventure to all the planets in our solar system. Swift Walker introduces kids to real facts about our solar system with a fun character they can relate to. Perfect for home, school, or homeschoolers. Ages 4 and up.

Jaden Toussaint is a five year-old who knows it all. I mean, really knows it all. Animal Scientist. Great Debater. Master of the art of ninja dancing. There’s nothing Jaden Toussaint can’t do.This time there is an alien invasion at school. (They may look like caterpillars, but you can never be too safe.) Our hero must use all his super-powered brain power to save the people and (possible) aliens from each other!Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest is a series of illustrated chapter books that kids and parents love. Kids love the awesome brain power and ninja dance moves of a superhero as real as they are. Parents appreciate the author's humor, but they love watching their kids-- even reluctant readers-- keep turning pages. Jaden Toussaint is the new definition of cool.

There is a skeleton in the Mattatuck Museum in Connecticut. It has been in the town for over 200 years. In 1996, community members decided to find out what they could about it. Historians discovered that the bones were those of a slave name Fortune, who was owned by a local doctor. After Fortune's death, the doctor rendered the bones. Further research revealed that Fortune had married, had fathered four children, and had been baptized later in life. His bones suggest that after a life of arduous labor, he died in 1798 at about the age of 60. Merilyn Nelson wrote The Manumission Requiem to commemorate Fortune's life. Detailed notes and archival photographs enhance the reader's appreciation of the poem.

Scientifically based strategies for enacting successful and enduring change on personal, societal, and global levels, no matter what your background • 2016 Nautilus Silver Award • Shares the stories of people who have changed history, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Ben Franklin, and Gandhi, detailing how they used the 8 laws of change • Based on more than 16 years of scientific and historical research as well as the author’s own experiences during the Civil Rights movement • Explores research in the fields of medicine, neuroscience, biology, and quantum physics to reveal the science of how the 8 laws of change work Inspired by his own powerful experiences during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and other social movements in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, Stephan Schwartz spent 16 years researching successful social transformations, uncovering the science and the patterns behind them all. He found that there are three ways to create social change. The first is the advancement of technology and science. The second--change compelled by physical power--is almost always coercive and violent and, for those reasons, not long lasting. The third avenue of change he discovered--the most successful and enduring--is one brought about by something so subtle it is often not taken seriously: small individual choices based on integrity and shared intention. Revealing how the dynamics of change are learnable, Schwartz explains the 8 laws of individual and social behavior that can enable any person or small group--even ordinary people without great wealth, official position, or physical power--to bend the arc of history and create successful lasting transformation. He shares the stories of individuals who have actually changed history, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Benjamin Franklin, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi, detailing how they implemented the strategies and tactics of the 8 laws to achieve their success. The author explores research in the fields of medicine, neuroscience, biology, and quantum physics to reveal the science of how these laws of change work. He explains why compassionate and life-affirming changes have the most enduring impact and shows how each of the 8 laws cultivates a sense of “beingness” in the individual, empowering your integrity and connecting you to something greater than yourself--the key to lasting change on the personal, societal, and global levels.

Scientifically based strategies for enacting successful and enduring change on personal, societal, and global levels, no matter what your background • 2016 Nautilus Silver Award • Shares the stories of people who have changed history, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Ben Franklin, and Gandhi, detailing how they used the 8 laws of change • Based on more than 16 years of scientific and historical research as well as the author’s own experiences during the Civil Rights movement • Explores research in the fields of medicine, neuroscience, biology, and quantum physics to reveal the science of how the 8 laws of change work Inspired by his own powerful experiences during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and other social movements in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, Stephan Schwartz spent 16 years researching successful social transformations, uncovering the science and the patterns behind them all. He found that there are three ways to create social change. The first is the advancement of technology and science. The second--change compelled by physical power--is almost always coercive and violent and, for those reasons, not long lasting. The third avenue of change he discovered--the most successful and enduring--is one brought about by something so subtle it is often not taken seriously: small individual choices based on integrity and shared intention. Revealing how the dynamics of change are learnable, Schwartz explains the 8 laws of individual and social behavior that can enable any person or small group--even ordinary people without great wealth, official position, or physical power--to bend the arc of history and create successful lasting transformation. He shares the stories of individuals who have actually changed history, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Benjamin Franklin, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi, detailing how they implemented the strategies and tactics of the 8 laws to achieve their success. The author explores research in the fields of medicine, neuroscience, biology, and quantum physics to reveal the science of how these laws of change work. He explains why compassionate and life-affirming changes have the most enduring impact and shows how each of the 8 laws cultivates a sense of “beingness” in the individual, empowering your integrity and connecting you to something greater than yourself--the key to lasting change on the personal, societal, and global levels.

George Washington Carver was born a slave in Missouri about 1864 and was raised by the childless white couple who had owned his mother. In 1877 he left home in search of an education, eventually earning a master's degree. In 1896, Booker T. Washington invited Carver to start the agricultural department at the all-black-staffed Tuskegee Institute, where he spent the rest of his life seeking solutions to the poverty among landless black farmers by developing new uses for soil-replenishing crops such as peanuts, cowpeas, and sweet potatoes. Carver's achievements as a botanist and inventor were balanced by his gifts as a painter, musician, and teacher. This Newbery Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book by Marilyn Nelson provides a compelling and revealing portrait of Carver's complex, richly interior, profoundly devout life.