Books published by publisher Canterwine Press

The Kingdoms of Trestlewen have feared the exiled magic people known as Chaηts for centuries. 16-year-old Prince Aylan and his brother Ezrick are their next victims. And it will cost them far more than their lives. When Ezrick is nearly killed in a vicious Chaηt attack on their kingdom, the estranged brothers are forced to confront their issues with each other, forging a volatile bond between love and pain. What follows is an intense coming-of-age wrought with rule‑breaking, forbidden friendships, and romance straying dangerously out of bounds. Darkness is falling. Chaηt war is on the horizon, and secrets of the brothers’ past have returned to haunt them. Soon a troubling discovery has them lying to their own court, for reasons behind the attack are far graver than the courtiers believe. Ezrick and Aylan are more alone than ever, and it’s only a matter of time before everything goes wrong. Because the very thing which brought them together, will destroy their entire world.

13-year-old Prince Ezrick of Urkeneye can’t stay out of trouble. From horseback riding through the Dungeons to his frowned-upon friendship with the servant-girl, and his recent expulsion from school (the one joy that made life bearable), his life’s a royal mess. His cold stepmother and unloving father further fuel his misery, and after an especially awful incident, Ezrick flees to join a colorful camp of travelers called Vagaries. What follows is a journey across kingdoms, where he discovers exciting new freedom, friendship, and adventure. But fun is fleeting, and being a royal runaway ushers Ezrick down a dark path of telling lies at every turn. Only, he’s not the only one with secrets. Something evil is afoot, threatening all realms, and as Ezrick pieces together the chilling mystery surrounding his kingdom and Morpheäs, he realizes the troubles he left behind were merely a whisper of the nightmare ahead. . . .

In April of 2015, a team of "border kids" from South-Central El Paso surprised the country by competing in the national chess championships. For these kids, dreams of beating highly privileged students from "fancy" schools in upper-crust neighborhoods aren't on the radar. They have bigger issues to deal with in life. And yet, they choose to voluntarily--even enthusiastically--commit countless hours every week to the practice of a game that they had known virtually nothing about until art teacher Saul Ramirez started a chess club at Henderson Middle School. Under Ramirez's caring but firm tutelage, the rising stars of El Paso hunker down, deal with the challenges of life and trust Ramirez to mentor them in their new extracurricular passion--chess.The Champions' Game: A True Story chronicles Ramirez's efforts to create a revolution of the mind.Ramirez's genius is not so much the chess that he teaches (even though he's a former Texas state chess champion), but in his ability to intertwine life principles with chess rules to expand the minds, the insight and even the future possibilities of the students he teaches. The book's 14 chapters lay out Ramirez's rules for life--and chess, introducing concepts like guard your queen, control your center and protect your king. Ramirez grew up in El Paso's Segundo Barrio, a neighborhood that might bring to mind Compton, or South Central, or 8 Mile, often noted as the poorest zip code in the United States. Ramirez seems to possess a singular ability to draw out the talents of his students, perhaps because chess is much more than just a game to him. In The Champions' Game, he writes, "I want to start a revolution. A revolution of the mind. I want to do what was done for me by [the people] who were always there for me when I was a child, guiding me, teaching me, showing me how to be a man, an artist, a teacher. I want to build children anew, from the mind up. That does not take genius. It takes love."

In April of 2015, a team of 12 middle schoolers-"border kids"-from South-Central El Paso surprised the country by competing in the national chess championships. For these kids, dreams of beating highly privileged students from "fancy" schools in upper-crust neighborhoods aren't on the radar. They have bigger issues to deal with in life. Which is why it borders on the miraculous that they choose to voluntarily-even enthusiastically-commit countless hours every week to the practice of a game that they had known virtually nothing about until two years ago when art teacher Saul Ramirez started a chess club at Henderson Middle School. The Champions' Game follows Ramirez's original 12 champions through their triumphs-and failures-at local, state and national chess competitions. Under Ramirez's caring but firm tutelage, the rising stars of El Paso hunker down, deal with the daily challenges of life and shrug off troubling national news riddled with racism and division, instead trusting Ramirez to mentor them in their new extracurricular passion-chess. ----- "An inspiring, true story." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A movie-ready narrative about how [Saul Ramirez]-a scrappy, dauntless Henderson Middle School art teacher-took a dozen students, most from underprivileged or lower-income backgrounds, to the 2015 National Chess Tournament and won. [ The Champions' Game] is a love letter to these students, to chess, and to El Paso." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Accessible for all readers, this story is a natural for the big screen: check and mate." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In April of 2015, a team of 12 middle schoolers--border kids--from South-Central El Paso surprised the country by taking first place in the national chess championships.The 11, 12 and 13-year-old chess players at El Paso ISD's Henderson Middle School largely credit their success to one man: Saul Ramirez, a 30-year-old dad and husband who teaches art at Henderson during the day and coaches the chess team after school. The story of Ramirez and his students is chronicled in The Champions' Game, a testament to the resilience and spirit of children who dare to dream.Many of the 700-plus students at Henderson Middle School come and go from across the border in Juárez, where they live. A third of the students are English Language Learners, and over 96 percent are from low-income families, with all of the students at the school qualifying for the free lunch program.For these kids, dreams of beating highly privileged students from "fancy" schools in upper-crust neighborhoods aren't on the radar. They have bigger issues to deal with in life. Which is why it borders on the miraculous that they choose to voluntarily--even enthusiastically--commit countless hours every week to the practice of a game that they had known virtually nothing about until two years ago when Ramirez started a chess club at Henderson.Ramirez's genius is not so much the chess that he teaches (even though he's a former Texas state chess champion), but in his ability to intertwine life principles with chess rules to expand the minds, the insight and even the future possibilities of the students he teaches. The book's 14 chapters lay out Ramirez's rules for life--and chess, introducing concepts like guard your queen, control your center and protect your king.Ramirez grew up in El Paso's Segundo Barrio, a neighborhood that might bring to mind Compton, or South Central, or 8 Mile, often noted as the poorest zip code in the United States. Ramirez seems to possess a singular ability to draw out the talents of his students, perhaps because chess is much more than just a game to him. In The Champions' Game, he writes, "I want to start a revolution. A revolution of the mind. I want to do what was done for me by [the people] who were always there for me when I was a child, guiding me, teaching me, showing me how to be a man, an artist, a teacher. I want to build children anew, from the mind up. That does not take genius. It takes love."

On the night of April 18, 1775, a dark-eyed, Boston silversmith galloped into history on what might have been the most frightening night of his life...the eve of the American Revolution! Today, Paul Revere is an American icon, but who was this man we so affectionately know as Paul Revere? What really happened to Paul Revere and the midnight express riders on the night of April 18, 1775? Was he really arrested by the Redcoat patrols? Did he complete his mission? What did he know about those signal lanterns at the Old North Church, and why was he carrying a trunk full of papers across Lexington Green just prior to the shot heard round the world? From Lanterns To Liberty catapults the reader into the middle of the action on this historic night and reveals the answers to these intriguing questions. The spellbinding story of Paul Revere and the midnight express riders is riveting and remarkable. It is a passionate slice of the American persona that every person should know! An Activity Guide to accompany From Lanterns to Liberty is available for teachers and parents.The guide includes ten activities with instructions for students and teachers. The Activity Guide can be downloaded from: www.seidlitzeducation.com.