Books
Captive
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While his father fights overseas, John works on a neighbor's farm beside German prisoners of war. See the enemy through John's discerning eyes as events take a shocking turn. This compelling story of treachery, kindness, and deep feeling raises profound questions about life, art, and loyalty--and does not easily resolve them. Well-researched and skillfully told, Captive renders a remarkable, yet largely forgotten chapter of American life during World War II.
Julia Spicher Kasdorf, author, Poetry in America
I was a young teenager during the summer of 1945, when German POWs worked on our farm during the tomato harvest. Although Captive is presented as fiction, the author has captured the dynamics of a special period in our history, and many of the details parallel actual events. This story is both captivating and educational.
Vernon Glick, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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This book is an important part of history that needs to be told. I was a German POW at Camp Pickett in November of 1944, and at Fort Indiantown Gap from December of 1944 to March 1946.
Ernst Rinder, Lititz, Pennsylvania; proud to be a U.S. citizen since 1961
Thank you for your presentation at Terri Hill. I was very, very impressed. I read Captive yesterday. SUCH a great book. This book would be a great addition to any Middle School library.
Susan Grimm Mattox, retired Middle School Librarian and Certified Reading Specialist
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In the Trunk of Grandma's Car
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The story of Edna Ruth Byler, founder of Ten Thousand Villages and pioneer of fair trade, is brought to life in this full-color illustrated historical fiction picture book.
Edna Ruth was nervous. It was 1946 and she had just returned to the United States from Puerto Rico. How was she going to help the women she had met there? The women had hungry children and could not find jobs. They hoped Edna Ruth could sell their hand-stitched embroidery in the U.S.
First Edna Ruth prayed. Then she put the embroidery in the trunk of her car and began an amazing adventure.
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You did a wonderful job! My siblings are thrilled with the book. So glad it's for sale in Ten Thousand Villages stores.
Diane Bender, granddaughter of Edna Ruth Byler
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