Books published by publisher August House

The home theater will never replace the drive-in theater in America's imaginary landscape. Donald Davis recalls a summer working under the lax supervision of Daff-Knee Garlic, owner and operator of the Sulpher Springs Big-Screen Drive-In Theater in rural North Carolina in the early 1960s. Davis recalls his duties at the concession stand, catching slip-ins, and patrolling the back rows. But the story culminates on Labor Day when the last movie, The Guns of Navarrone, is almost over. Davis ....

Confront your fears and listen to your mother!Every night when Billy Brown's mother puts him to bed, she tells him to keep his covers on so he doesn't catch a cold. Yet every morning when she wakes him, he has kicked the covers off the bed. Knowing how proud Billy is of his belly button, his mother tells him that if he doesn't keep the covers on the bed, the Belly Button Beastie is going to pay him a visit and steal his belly button. Billy makes a critical error when he disregards his mother's advice, only to find out the Beastie is real. The chaos that ensues when Billy Brown gets up the next morning interferes with his morning routine and follows him to school, until he and his classmates devise a plan to get his belly button back. With a little improvisation and a lot of bravado, Billy Brown tames the Belly Button Beastie and breaks him of his belly-button-stealing habit for good. Billy is courageous in his confrontation with the Belly Button Beastie and also grows from his experience. This story, taken from a Japanese folktale, celebrates a clever boy who learns of courage, fairness and resourcefulness.

Sometimes the most unintentional mistakes yield some magical results!Carlos is working in the kitchen of the Mexican monastery when the cook enters the room in a panic. The Spanish Viceroy is on his way for a surprise visit and will arrive by noon, expecting dinner. What will the brothers feed this important ambassador to the king? Carlos tries to stay out of the way as lunch is hastily prepared, but his curiosity gets the best of him. His eagerness results in a moment of crisis, followed by what the brothers can only assume is a miracle. This story, inspired by the Mexican folk tradition, explains the origins of molé, the popular national dish that combines chocolate with turkey, spices, and nuts. Stefan Czernecki's amusing, angular illustrations capture the chaos in the kitchen as well as the folk tradition behind the tale.

Adventure with each turn of the page.This collection of authentic stories, recalling as far back as the 1490's, promotes discovery and instills a sense of adventure. These tales have been carefully crafted to sound as exciting and mysterious as they were when first told five hundred years ago by sailors around a lantern on a ship, shared by explorers reclining around a campfire, enjoyed by Native Americans in a grass hut, whispered inside a stone palace in the Totonac city of Zempoala, or fondly remembered by an adventurer back home in Europe. This snapshot of 1492 will incite adventure and imagination, as readers follow these new world tales of courage and exploration. 1492 is a collection of traditional tales, fables, and legends from the cultures brought together or affected by this great age of exploration and discovery. Included are stories from Spain, Portugal, as well as the mainland and island cultures encountered across the Atlantic.

ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Finalist and Oklahoma Book Award FinalistIn this Choctaw variant of Aesop's fable "The Tortoise and the Hare," master storyteller Tim Tingle reveals some unexpected twists and expands the cast of memorable characters to include a wild turkey, a colony of ants, and a cheering squad of Little Bitty Turtles.When Rabbit boastfully challenges Turtle to a race, he gets his comeuppance and Turtle gets a little assist from his winged friend, Turkey. In the process, we learn why Turtle's shell is cracked and why you never see Rabbit racing Turtle today. The bold and vibrant illustrations capture not only the grasslands of the High Plains but also the demeanor of its animal inhabitants and the humor of the tale. This familiar Native American tale will teach readers the importance of caring, resourcefulness and respect. Tim Tingle is an award-winning author, much sought-after storyteller, and an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His great-great grandfather, John Carnes, walked the Trail of Tears in 1835, and passed-down memories of this family epic that fueled Tim's early interest in writing and storytelling. His award winning work ranges from award winning picture books like When Turtle Grew Feathers and Crossing Bok Chitto to his collection of Native American stories, Spirits Dark and Light to his YA novels like House of Purple Cedar.August House Publishers offer free lesson plans for When Turtle Grew Feathers.

When the head of a Buddhist monastery decides to pick a successor, he sends the young monks out to accomplish one task. The Cleverest Thief is a timeless folktale from India, retold by T. V. Padma, which takes place in a Buddhist monastery. In the story, the head of the monastery falls ill and must choose a successor. To do so, he sends out the young monks and instructs them to steal something, but they must steal it in such a way that no one will know that they have stolen it. The young monks don't question their leader. In the end, only one monk learns the truth of the saying, “To thine own self be true.” This Buddhist story will teach readers the importance of responsibility, trustworthiness and resourcefulness. Padma Venkatraman is a writer and a scientist who lives south of Providence, Rhode Island. She is the author of Growing Gold (A folktale from India also in the Story Cove series), Mathematwist (a collection of mathematical folktales), and Climbing the Stairs (a young adult novel published by Penguin).

Another hilarious Maynard Moose tale by award-winning author, Willy Claflin."Once upon a time, a long, long time ago..." So begins this story of... Rapunzel?... and The Seven, or Eight, or NINE Dwarfs? Hey, what's going on here??? Welcome to the slightly off-track world of Maynard Moose and the ancient Mother Moose tales. This whimsical fractured fairytale will have young readers laughing out loud.Willy Claflin channels and translates these tales for our entertainment and enlightenment―or maybe just to confuse us. Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs exemplifies the lesson in many of these stories... "That there ain't no moral to some stories at all." This goofy take on a classic fairytale will teach readers the importance of courage, resourcefulness and responsibility. August House also offers an animated version of Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs.

High John the Conqueror sometimes called simply High John or John was a slave trickster who always outwits Old Master. Much like Greek slave Aesop's animal characters, High John was the subject of a series of subversive narratives, whose mission was to outsmart his oppressors. Tall tales of High John's exploits flourished during slavery, but after emancipation they fell out of circulation and his antics were all but forgotten.

Many Jewish families helped settle, diverse communities in the desolate, desert terrain of the Wild West. Although Sweet Tamales for Purim is a work of fiction, it is inspired by a true event. In 1886, the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society of Tucson planned a Purim Ball for the entire community. Barbara tells the story from the perspective of a young girl, who along with her new friend, Luis plan to create a Purim festival for their town. Their plans for the celebration were well underway until the family goat, Kitzel, ate all of the traditional holiday pastries, Hamantashen. Fortunately, they find another way to celebrate Purim and the family is able to share their cultural traditions with their new neighbors. Purim celebrates the courageous stand that Queen Esther made to save the Jewish people from being banished by the king. The young girl's determination to create a spirited Purim celebration in her western town, provides a unique insight into how children can creatively overcome challenges when life doesn't go as planned. Her quick thinking, persistence and resourceful actions give their first Purim festival added significance.