Books published by publisher Zest Books

Everyone knows that the first year of high school can be daunting. But you will come out of it alive―and this book can help. Inside, four real teens fill you in on the stuff they wish they'd known. Among other things, there's advice on how to assimilate into your new social kingdom, deal with failure, survive the lunchroom, create good excuses, and fake sick days. Divided into social, academic, and practical sections of advice, Been There, Survived That also includes humorous tips on what NOT to do, as well as funny freshman year horror stories. Sure, cafeteria food is always scary, but high school doesn't have to be.

We live in an era of misinformation, much of it spread by authority figures, including politicians, religious leaders, broadcasters, and, of course, apps and websites. With so much bogus information coming from so many sources, how can anyone be expected to discover the truth? In Debunk It, author John Grant uses modern, ripped-from-the-headlines examples to clearly explain how to identify bad evidence and poor arguments. He provides a roundup of the rhetorical tricks people use when attempting to pull the wool over our eyes, and even offers advice about how to take these unscrupulous pundits down. So if you're tired of hearing blowhards spouting off about climate change, history, evolution, medicine, and more, this is the book for you. Debunk It is the ultimate guide for young readers seeking a firmer footing in a world that's full of holes.

In 1892, America was obsessed with a teenage murderess, but it wasn't her crime that shocked the nation—it was her motivation. Nineteen-year-old Alice Mitchell had planned to pass as a man in order to marry her seventeen-year-old fiancée Freda Ward, but when their love letters were discovered, they were forbidden from ever speaking again. Freda adjusted to this fate with an ease that stunned a heartbroken Alice. Her desperation grew with each unanswered letter—and her father's razor soon went missing. On January 25, Alice publicly slashed her ex-fiancée's throat. Her same-sex love was deemed insane by her father that very night, and medical experts agreed: This was a dangerous and incurable perversion. As the courtroom was expanded to accommodate national interest, Alice spent months in jail—including the night that three of her fellow prisoners were lynched (an event which captured the attention of journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells). After a jury of "the finest men in Memphis" declared Alice insane, she was remanded to an asylum, where she died under mysterious circumstances just a few years later. Alice + Freda Forever recounts this tragic, real-life love story with over 100 illustrated love letters, maps, artifacts, historical documents, newspaper articles, courtroom proceedings, and intimate, domestic scenes.

History of full of liars. Not just little-white-telling liars, but big-honkin', whopper-telling liars―people who can convince us that even the most improbable, outrageous, nonsensical stories are true. And the worst part is that we'll believe it. Whoppers tells the story of history's greatest liars and the lies they told, providing a mix of narrative profiles of super-famous liars, lies, and/or hoaxes, as well as more obscure episodes. Famous liars include people you might have learned about in school, like P. T. Barnum, who basically made a living lying to people for money; liars you might never have heard of before, like Victor Lustig, who managed to "sell" the Eiffel Tower twice in the 1920s; and hoaxes like the Loch Ness Monster Photo Hoax. The book will also include illustrations, sidebars, and infographics.

What to do with all those old pairs of blue jeans? They no longer fit, or they’re no longer fashionable, but somehow you just can’t bring yourself to toss them away. Jeaneology is the solution. From cool flapper skirts and hair bands to laundry bags and handbags, Jeaneology features 25 innovative sewing projects aimed at turning boring old blues into hip fashion news. From clothing to accessories to great gift ideas, the projects inside all have detailed step-by-step instructions and helpful illustrations that make sewing easy, even for the beginner. Packed with full-color photos of the finished projects, and fun sidebars on jean trivia and history, Jeaneology is the ultimate craft book for a girl and her blues.

Riots over the medical use of cadavers, public access to institutions for the insane, and full-blown surgeries without the aid of anesthetics or painkillers. Welcome to the middle ages of American medicine. Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge exposes the extraordinary practices and major players of American medical history, from America's colonial era to the late 1800s. It's hard to believe that today's cutting-edge medicine originated from such crude beginnings, but this book reminds us to be grateful for today's medical care, while also raising the question: what current medical practices will be the horrors of tomorrow?

This lively book guides readers through the art and history of significant protests, sit-ins, and collective acts of resistance throughout US history. Photos, artwork, signs, and other visual elements highlight the history of social action, from American Indian resistance to colonists through Black Lives Matter and Women's Marches. Into the Streets introduces the personalities and issues that drove these protests, as well as their varied aims and accomplishments, from spontaneous hashtag uprisings to highly planned strategies of civil disobedience. Perfect for young adult audiences, this book highlights how teens are frequently the ones protesting and creating the art of the resistance.

As a child growing up in Malaysia, Shing Yin Khor had two very different ideas of what "America" meant. The first looked a lot like Hollywood, full of beautiful people, sunlight, and freeways. The second looked more like The Grapes of Wrath—a nightmare landscape filled with impoverished people, broken-down cars, barren landscapes, and broken dreams. This book chronicles Shing's solo journey (small adventure-dog included) along the iconic Route 66, beginning in Santa Monica and ending up Chicago. What begins as a road trip ends up as something more like a pilgrimage in search of an American landscape that seems forever shifting and forever out of place.

Regine Stokke began to blog about her day-to-day life shortly after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in 2008. Her stated purpose at the time was to give people a sense of what it was like to live with such a serious illness, and her blog became an almost instant classic. She writes openly about the emotional and physical aspects of her 15-month struggle to survive and explains how her disease impacts her life. In the course of her illness, Regine participated in photography exhibits, went to concerts, enjoyed her friends and family, and advocated for registering as a blood and bone marrow donor. She was a typical teenager with an incredible will to live, and the lessons that she learned have relevance for us all. Through her eyes, readers will discover a more vivid worldand a new appreciation for life, art, and the power of the human spirit.

Babysitting is one of the most popular part-time jobs for teens, but caring for kids is no easy feat. Offering a ton of useful tips, this funny, modern no-nonsense guide covers all the basics any babysitting hopeful needs to know, and much more. Includes: -What to expect from kids age 0 to 10 -Tips for finding (and keeping) the perfect babysitting gig -Advice on how to deal with everything from emergencies to dirty diapers. -Strategies for communicating with parents. -Real-life stories from teens about their experiences on the job. -PLUS: A babysitting personality quiz, helpful fill-in sheets, and kid-friendly recipes teens can use to make mealtime more fun!

Every two years, media coverage of American elections turns into a horse-race story about who's leading the polls and who said what when. Give young adult readers clear explanations about how our election process actually works, why it matters, and how they can become involved. Using real-world examples and anecdotes, this book provides readers with thorough, nonpartisan explanations about primaries, the electoral college, checks and balances, polls, fundraising, and more. Updated with statistics and details from the 2018 elections, the revised second edition will prepare the next generation of voters for what is sure to be a fascinating 2020 election cycle.