Books published by publisher Live Oak Media (NY)

Its only the third day of summer vacation and Zora has run out of things to do. Then she notices a sign in the hardware store for free zucchini plants Z like me, she thinks! As she tends to her garden the inevitable happens zucchini everywhere! How resourceful Zora resolves her dilemma makes for an inspiring and playful story on the satisfaction of growing, not just food but also a community!

Fifty-four poems, all in different voices, written by one outstanding author. Residents of a fictional Harlem community, from motorman to teacher, from party girl to live-in maid, to jazz artist, a deacon, students, veterans and more - all embodied by 13 remarkable narrators. Original musical recordings from the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Thelonious Monk are included. Each distinctive memory, reflection, thought, or aspiration is evocatively presented in this stunning and memorable tribute to a beloved time and place.

It's Christmas, but leave it to Sammy Keyes to find trouble even in the midst of the holiday parade. Trying to help a friend, she reluctantly volunteers on the Canine Calendar float, only to have the famous cover dog dog-napped on her watch! The animal's owner orders Sammy to find the dog before the $50,000 ransom being demanded comes due. But all that Sammy can uncover is a little elflike girl named Elyssa, whose problems seem more important than a missing dog. Still, Sammy does her best to round up the dog-nappers, while forming a bond with the mysterious elf girl. Clever clues and characters abound, making this satisfying mystery unforgettable at Christmas or anytime. Download another puzzler.

This soulful biography of the salsa superstar, Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa, begins with her childhood in Havana, and follows through her success in her own country, and on to her heartbreaking emigration from Cuba and into worldwide stardom. Her love for learning, her classical training, and her devotion to her birth country, are all presented in this lyrical tribute to a musical sensation, which is narrated and sung by salsa & jazz singer Michelle Manzo, with accompaniment by salsa musicians who've played with Tito Puentes, among other renowned bands.

From the creator of the best-selling Kids of the Polk Street School series comes The Adventures of Minnie and Max, a new series about a spunky female detective and her trusty feline sidekick, Max. In Kidnap at the Catfish Café, Minnie's detective business is kind of slow - until one day a stray cat drops into her life, along with her first case. Soon Minnie is investigating a crime wave, and she's hot on the trail of a thief who would steal anything - even a cat!