Child Protection in America

Child abuse and neglect are tragically common. Each year, more than 1,000 American children die due to maltreatment. Thousands more suffer physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Across the country, every community has a system of government-operated and funded child protective services (CPS). But given that social workers of CPS have the authority to remove children from unsafe parents, it is no surprise that CPS is controversial. Does CPS protect children? Does CPS do more good than harm? Is CPS fundamentally racist, as some critics argue? Should CPS be abolished? To answer these questions, it is essential to understand the origins of child protection in America. How did we arrive at the child protection system in place today? This book traces the history of child protection from colonial times to the present and provides the most in-depth analysis ever published of the origins of child protection.

Chock Full of Fuckery

Chock Full of Fuckery is a captivating collection of poems, short stories, and musings told through the lens of a mixed, Gen X chick who is ridiculously sick of everyone’s shit. Including her own.

Blended with pain and humor, this book gives a glimpse into raw and often absurd aspects of her life, and offers a gentle reminder that life is a tapestry of experiences interwoven with darkness and light, tragedy and triumph.

Be ready to embrace the beautiful mess of one woman’s history. Why? Because this could be just what you need right now.

Chosen

In a gripping thriller that delves into the complexities of identity, murder, and the enduring question of nature versus nurture, Chosen follows Ted, a man whose quest to find his birth mother leads him to a chilling discovery: Chosen, his identical twin, separated at birth and raised in a starkly different world.

When a moment of uncontrollable rage leaves Chosen dead at Ted’s hands, Ted must make a life-altering decision: turn himself in or flee, erasing his ties to the fateful deed. As Ted navigates a dizzying maze of moral dilemmas, weaving himself into a new narrative, the authorities begin to unravel the mystery behind Chosen’s disappearance, unearthing a tale of twins divided by circumstance and a mother’s secretive past.

Through vivid and immersive prose, Chosen explores the divergent paths of two brothers, one raised in privilege and the other in poverty, casting a spotlight on the influence of upbringing on their individual fates. As the investigation deepens, readers become voyeurs into the tumultuous psyches of characters grappling with the weight of their choices, the elasticity of truth, and the undying question of what shapes us.

Christina and Marianna's Wild Hair Adventure

This book is about two sisters who did not see how beautiful their hair truly was.

In the end, Christina learns to embrace the beauty of her curls and the versatility that goes along with her unique hair.

Join the girls on their adventure to discover the beauty of their hair.

Christina's War

Growing up on a poor farm in Missouri and learning how to sing opera from her war-scarred father, young Christina Cross has no idea the powerful forces of good and evil, of music and war, will one day pull her into the maelstrom of the Second World War, compelling her to make life-or-death-decisions about who she is fighting for and the price she is willing to pay.

Like a masterful opera, Christina’s War deftly transports the reader to early 1940s Paris where Christina and her sister, Nicollet, are sent by their father to live a better life with their Grandfather, Philippe Pétain. Philippe, eager to please the Nazi regime, envisions Christina’s exquisite voice as a means to entertain Hitler and his officers. Yet, unbeknownst to him, Christina’s heart belongs not just to music but to Laurent Gauvion Saint-Cyr, the charismatic leader of the French Underground who had recruited her into the resistance.

When she defiantly refuses to sing, setting Hitler’s fury aflame, Nicollet becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of power and retribution. Now, Laurent must not only fight for their country’s freedom but race against time to save the two sisters from the clutches of a malevolent Nazi officer who revels in torture.

Christmas Eve at Grandmother's House

Join three excited girls as they visit their grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve. The air is filled with laughter and chatter as they decorate, discussing who’s been naughty or nice. The warm, inviting scent of holiday smells from the kitchen, where Grandmother is busy preparing holiday dinner and treats.

The girls look so beautiful in the PJs Grandma has bought them for Christmas, a heartwarming tradition they cherish. Earlier that day, Grandma visited the MDPLS Library and has chosen a special story to read to her granddaughters tonight.

To find out how this enchanting Christmas Eve unfolds, you’ll have to read the book!

Circle of Stone

In Depression-era Arkansas, a group of Black individuals, weary of enduring relentless brutality and disrespect from white communities, form a covert alliance known as ‘The Circle.’ United by a vow to clandestinely resist racist oppression, they employ ingenious tactics to combat the injustices inflicted upon their town. As they skillfully orchestrate retribution, ‘The Circle’ begins to shift the power dynamics, much to the chagrin of their white oppressors. This stirring tale reveals the resilience and ingenuity of a community determined to fight back in the face of adversity.

Climbing the Stairs of the City & Other Short Stories

H. Lloyd Weston worked assiduously to create a compilation of short stories, some from real-life experiences, the others from the divine gift of the imagination. Each story is crafted with the author’s emphasis on originality and fluidity of thought and expression, keeping in mind the reader who will embark upon the same journey by finding enjoyment in reading these engaging stories. The author wants the reader to experience the same palpable joy and reward he received in the task of creating them.

His obsession with executing a quality batch of stories came from his love of literature and the coterie of exceptional short story writers whose works he read along the way. Among these are writers such as Anton Chekhov, Katherine Mansfield, D. H. Lawrence, James Baldwin, Eudora Welty, Katherine Ann Porter, Ernest Hemingway, and Leo Tolstoy. The reader is swept away by the gripping power of these stories-tales that are original, imaginative, and adventurous.

It is hoped that the average reader will find things pertinent to their own life experiences within these poignant and suspenseful tales; stories that afford them the chance to escape the humdrum of daily life and the headlines of today’s depressing 24-hour news cycle. It is hoped that these stories will take each reader to a place of wonder and escape to the three different geographic locations within these stories.

Close Friends' Cathedral Adventure

Peat, a toad, and Paul-Paulette, an earthworm, live in the woods beneath the roots of their friend, Christy, a Christmas fern. One day they are dug up and carried away. Christy is replanted in a pot large enough to hold Paul-Paulette, but Peat is too big to get in and cannot completely hide. He stays under Christy’s fronds, but can’t disappear.

Together with their wild flower friends, they are taken to the Washington National Cathedral to participate in the annual Festival of Flowers. While the plants are being carried into the cathedral, Peat is discovered, picked up and left in the Garth – the small, enclosed garden near the base of the stairs.

This is the story of the little toad’s adventure as he tries to find his plant and animal friends in the huge building. It is a tour of the cathedral and an introduction to cathedral architecture inside and out. A short glossary of architecture terms is included.

Cloud County: A Love Story

This charming and delightful novel will undoubtedly captivate young adult and adult readers alike. Protagonists Adam and Sarah are dynamic, engaging characters whose sweet personalities allow readers to immediately connect with them and invest in the growth of their feelings for one another.

The author’s vivid voice immerses us in the rural Mennonite setting. A prevailing sense of teenage sincerity builds into early adulthood, creating an emotional effect that keeps readers on the edge of their seats up to the satisfying, emotive climax. Supported by a cast of lovable characters, this well-crafted romance features an engrossing narrative.

Cloud County: A Love Story is a finely written novel worthy of consuming the attention of audiences both young and old with its creative storyline that makes for an easy yet gripping read. Readers will be unable to put this book down until they have uncovered the very last sentence.

Cold-Blooded Waters

On the frigid coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, two families find themselves in the cold water of turbulent times. One, a human family, is immersed in a sea of misdirected emotions and the other, a killer whale family, is faced with the consequence of human interference. Both families are split apart on the rocks of life and heading straight for a collision course.

Young Charlie Newhook and his clan were struggling fishermen, who lived under a continual cloud of brooding storms brought on by blinded emotions. The immaturity of a son to understand his family’s situation and the inability by the father to express his feelings, introduces a perfect storm of discontent.

Cultis, the renegade killer whale, is the product of humanity’s quest for greed. Taken from the freedom of the sea, he becomes an uncontrollable force of terror, hell-bent on destroying everything in its path.

Blinded by the thirst for revenge, blood is freely spilled on the path of reconciliation, in hopes of shedding the weight of antiquated ways. In a sea of uncertainty, the Newhook clan and the pod of killer whales finally collide, to find unexpected redemption upon the cold-blooded waters of Newfoundland.

Collections of a Filthy Heart

I have a filthy heart.

It’s been bruised,

and broken,

and houses secrets best left in the dark.

These are its collections.

Courtney Jones lives in downtown Toronto, working in content creation and digital strategy. An avid lover of the written word, she prefers to pass her free time reading a good book while enjoying a glass of even better red wine.