Books published by publisher Second ACT Press

The Gold family lived an idyllic life in pre-war Poland, each doing their part to run the family grocery store and tobacco concession. The oldest daughter, Shoshana, had many friends, her sister Esther was meticulous as she worked at the family store, and young David was doted on by them all. But that life is shattered in 1939 when Germany invades Poland and Jewish people are forced into the streets; their homes, schools, and businesses burned. We follow the Gold family’s journey as they are forced into hiding. Just hours before the Nazis come to take over their current town, their mother has a premonition that today they will have a savior. When that someone appears, they are given hope for the first time since leaving home. But Shoshana has learned to be wary of strangers and knows that her family is in danger. The Golds hide in a cramped, secret enclosure for twenty-six months. Appalling conditions, starvation, fear of imminent betrayal and capture makes this a heart-stopping testament to the human spirit.

Sam, Otter, Atim and Chickadee are four cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. They are inseparable. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting and adventuring together, the cousins find that each new exploit adds to their reputation. When a visiting archeologist goes missing, the cousins decide to solve the mystery of his disappearance. In the midst of community conflict, family concerns and environmental protests, the four get busy following every lead. From their base of operations in a fort made out of an old school bus, the Mighty Muskrats won't let anything stop them from solving their case!

These young people from across the globe are raising awareness about what issues matter to them most. Jaelun Parkerson from Texas kneels with his football teammates during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice; Canadian Autumn Peltier spoke in front of the United Nations to raise awareness about water pollution; and Melati Wijsen from Bali started working at twelve-years-old to convince his government to ban plastic bags. From oil pipelines to cyber bullying, from gun violence to animal protection, they don't let their youth stop them from being heard.

In March 2000, a suitcase arrived at a children's Holocaust education center in Tokyo, Japan from the Auschwitz museum in Germany. Fumiko Ishioka, the center's curator, was captivated by the writing on the outside that identified its owner: "Hana Brady, May 16, 1931, Waisenkind (the German word for orphan)." Children visiting the center were full of questions. Who was Hana Brady? Where did she come from? What was she like? What happened to her? Inspired by their curiosity and her own need to know, Fumiko began a year of detective work, scouring the world for clues. Her search led her from present-day Japan, Europe and North America back to 1938 Czechoslovakia to learn the story of Hana Brady, a fun-loving child with wonderful parents, a protective big brother, and a passion for ice skating, their happy life turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis.

"We raised all the money ourselves to come six thousand miles to tell you adults you must change your ways." So began Severn Suzuki's speech to the international delegates at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro. Only twelve years old, she was the only child given the chance to speak at the conference, and the media―and the world―took notice. Then-United States vice-president Al Gore said, "That was the best speech I heard all week!" As the daughter of environmentalist David Suzuki, Severn had the unique opportunity to travel and see the effects of environmental destruction. She went to Rio to represent ECO, the Environmental Children's Organization, a group she started with three friends. Now, more than twenty years later, the video of her speech continues to receive thousands of hits on YouTube. Severn's story is about the power that children have to creat change when they work together and how their voices can stand out above the cynicism of adults.

Beautiful, colorful illustrations tell the inspirational stories of ten black women and women's collectives from 1793 to the present. Included are leaders who were anti-slavery activists and organizers who promoted basic health care, literacy and scholarship within their neighborhoods. The stories and art celebrate these remarkable women who are not necessarily well known or recognized, but have had profound impacts on their communities.

A story of encouragement and triumph of the human spirit! A diagnosis of heart failure can be a crushing blow to a person’s reality. The condition brings with it uncertainty and many challenges for the individual and their loved ones. The journey of the decline in the health of this decorated combat military veteran and his will to survive is eloquently told. This is a true account of a spouse who becomes a caregiver to her husband during his critical illness. The veteran’s journey from a devastating prognosis through implantation of a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) is told on the pages of the book. The couple's life after the LVAD open-heart surgery brings health and promise, but additional medical challenges for both threaten the resolve and faith of this hopeful couple. This memoir by the spouse of the veteran takes the reader through this strong-willed man’s heart failure diagnosis, medical treatments, surgeries, and multiple recovery periods. The life-saving gift of a donor's heart becomes the ultimate blessing for this man and his family. The hope is this book provides encouragement to anyone affected.

It is 1492, and Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain have signed the Edict of Expulsion, giving all Jews three months to leave the country. Joseph Belifonte, a twelve-year-old boy, escapes to Lisbon, Portugal, with his parents and younger sister, Gracia. However, after eight months there, Joseph and Gracia, along with hundreds of other Jewish children, are kidnapped. They are put on a ship and taken to the island of São Tomé, off the coast of West Africa. Now slaves, they are forcibly baptized and made to work on a sugar plantation. Joseph holds to the hope that one day he will be free.

Lucky loves her grandparents, and they are all the family she really has. True, her grandma forgets things…like turning off the stove, or Lucky’s name. But her grandpa takes such good care of them that Lucky doesn’t realize how bad things are. That is until he’s gone. When her grandma accidentally sets the kitchen on fire, Lucky can’t hide what’s happening any longer, and she is sent into foster care. She quickly learns that some foster families are okay. Some aren’t. And some really, really aren’t.

From the author of One Peace comes a new book of beautiful portraits and exciting profiles of ten young environmental activists from around the world. Janet Wilson's art captures the spirit of adventure, determination and hope that each of these children possess. They include Canadian Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who pioneered "pester power" - the idea that children must keep reminding their parents of what is at stake, and who at age twelve made one of the most rousing speeches at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. And fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba from Malawi, who realized that the strong winds in his country could be put to good use and so borrowed a book from his library, taught himself how to build a working windmill, and brought electricity to his village. And thirteen-year-old Sam Levin from the USA who helped found the organization Project Sprout, planting an organic vegetable garden that would eventually help feed an entire community. Full of environmental facts and advice, this book will inspire budding young eco-activists everywhere to start making a difference for their planet.

Walking with her mother on the way home from school one day, Lily runs straight into a gruff and untidy-looking man selling papers on the street. Frightened, Lily insists on taking the bus home every day for fear she will run into him again. But when the weather turns cold, Lily starts to see the Paper Man differently; she sees his bare toes through the holes in his boots and his thin shirt through the holes in his coat. As she lies in her warm bed at night, she wonders about the Paper Man and how he stays warm. Lily comes up with an idea and overcomes her fear.

This stunning photo essay takes a look at the thousands of children around the world who have been forced to flee war, terror, hunger and natural disasters, young refugees on the move with very little left except questions. It's hard to imagine, but the images here will help unaffected children understand not only what this must feel like, but also how very lucky they are. The final message is that children, even with uncertain futures, are resilient and can face uncertainty with optimism. With images from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.