The CHI Brown Girl

Adrienne Plummer seeks to motivate, inspire, and uplift Black people. She fell in love with writing in the 4th grade after reading a book report aloud to the applause of her eager peers. This started her spoken word journey, which had been a long time coming. Throughout her early years and adolescence, she perfected her craft, culminating in the publication of her first poem in 1984. With Vanessa Williams’ crowning as Miss Black America as a backdrop, Adrienne drew inspiration from proud Black women.

When she later went to Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, she joined a college poetry club and majored in English. As her professor read feminist poetry, Adrienne’s activism was sparked. She learned about prominent activist figures and interviewed student leaders. Years later, during the height of a social justice reckoning, she read Becoming by Michelle Obama and Jenifer Lewis’ autobiography. Upon hearing two other prominent Black women speak on overcoming struggles, Adrienne was inspired to reignite her voice. Often a quiet and ‘Chi’ Brown girl, she is vocal in her poetry. These powerful poems will help readers hear the cry of a Black woman.

Plastic: The Side Dish You Get with Every Meal

This book provides an eye-opening revelation about how our current practices continue to harm the environment and all its inhabitants. To ensure a more sustainable future for the planet, we must adopt new ways of doing things and eliminate consumer products and practices that cause the most damage to natural ecosystems and threaten life on Earth.

Wildlife species, ecosystem functions, and human health have all been negatively impacted by the excessive amounts of garbage produced globally every day. Many commonly used products linger in the environment for years after disposal, resulting in grave consequences for essential wildlife organisms and their ecosystems, including water sources, land, and soils. Natural resources have been rapidly depleted for decades, diminishing habitats and generating excess pollution.

The time is now to take decisive action. We must move towards using alternative materials and methods that reduce environmental harm caused by today’s common products and practices. This shift is crucial in minimizing the increasing risks of climate change and preserving our planet for future generations.

Dad: A Son Remembers

Dad was a proud member of the Greatest Generation. A navigator in the U.S. Navy during World War II, selected for his mathematical skills, he was assigned to transport ships plying the South Pacific Ocean. Even as a youth, his son quickly realized that Dad viewed the world as a place full of challenges and difficulties – interminable adversities that had to be anticipated, grappled with head-on, and surmounted. As a result, he had no patience for complainers, excuse-makers, or shirkers of responsibility. But more than anything, he couldn’t stand liars, prevaricators, or connivers; like many of his generation, Dad believed that “a man’s word is his bond.” He often said, “If you don’t give me ammo, I can’t fire the gun.”

Above all, he expected full effort in every action and could instantly tell if one of his children wasn’t giving their best. Throughout his 84 years, his staunch Catholic faith guided him, and by both example and word, he steadfastly imparted those principles to his six children.

Conflict & Peace: At Home with Jesus

Those of Christian faith and those without all carry personalized perceptions about Jesus of Nazareth – some form of god and/or man who sojourned briefly on earth 20 centuries ago. Perspectives vary wildly. But few, whether of Christian or non-Christian persuasion, feel comfortable characterizing this Jesus as one who brashly declares that he came not to bring peace on earth… but rather division.

In this book, author Eric Hovee traces a seemingly never-ending Christian dialogue and practice that may espouse peace but often engages in conflict. The author explores this interplay through the lives, beliefs, and practices of 12 pioneers who helped shape Christianity as it has been handed down to us today. We begin with the contrasting perspectives of the four gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – and continue with pivotal, yet sometimes conflicted, early church leaders such as Paul, James, Peter, Thomas, and Mary Magdalene. The journey then skips forward three centuries to the Roman Emperor Constantine, who sought to marry church and state, before moving another millennium ahead to Martin Luther, who sought to radically reform it all, and finally circles back to our starting point: Jesus, as the one who intended it all.

How best to experience conflict, and yet find peace? Every day and through every phase of human existence, there is an opportunity for resolution and partnership, in step and at home with Jesus. We seek a Jesus who consistently demonstrates that, just when we think we have the answers, new questions arise. When we feel we’ve run the race, we find we’ve only just begun.

Gypsy Moth

The primary goal of this book is, and always has been, to depict and illustrate the sanctity of human life, as well as the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth.

To achieve this, the author immersed herself in the perspectives of various characters, capturing their voices, thoughts, and emotions. By doing so, she sought to bring their experiences to life in a way that resonates deeply with readers.

This book is not intended to be understood purely on an intellectual level but to be felt as a tangible and profound sensation.

Days in the African Savannah

Days in the African Savannah transports you to the heart of one of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes, where vast grasslands, rolling hills, and stunning sunrises and sunsets set the stage for unforgettable adventures. Each day unveils its own unique story, brimming with twists and turns and the thrill of the best game drives on the planet.

Memoirs of a Fun Life

A cheerful tale of a lucky life. While intelligence can be useful, a touch of silliness often leads to more adventures and fun. Starting life with no grand ambitions or expectations means you’re never disappointed – instead, you’re regularly delighted to find yourself in fascinating situations.

Life sometimes feels like tubing down rocky rapids, where, with only the occasional use of a paddle, you somehow arrive in calm waters – unscathed and grinning from ear to ear.

Diversities

This project was born from the illustrator’s own need. Passionate about coloring, painting, pencils, markers, and watercolors, she constantly came up against books designed either for children or drawn by excellent designers who weren’t passionate about coloring themselves. She was searching for suitable coloring books. Someone who truly appreciates the art of coloring likes large spaces to vary the shades. She also likes to use a wide variety of colors while maintaining harmony. Therefore, there need to be details, but not too many, to keep the artwork looking beautiful. It’s about finding the perfect balance between large and small spaces to color. Not finding this kind of product on the market, she grabbed her pencils and created the perfect drawings for coloring lovers.

Le projet est né d’un besoin rencontré par l’illustratrice elle-même. Étant une mordue de coloration; peinture, crayons de bois et d’encre, aquarelle; elle se butait constamment dans ses recherches à des albums à colorier pensés soit pour les enfants, soit dessinés par des gens qui sont d’excellents dessinateurs, mais non des passionnés de coloriage. Quelqu’un qui s'adonne véritablement à l’art de la coloration aime les grandes surfaces de coloriage afin de s'amuser avec les nuances. Aussi, il aime utiliser un maximum de couleurs différentes tout en créant une harmonie, c'est pourquoi il apprécie qu’il y ait aussi de petites surfaces, mais pas trop, pour ne pas perdre l’esthétisme de l’œuvre. Il exige donc un équilibre parfait de grands et petits espaces coloriables. Ne trouvant pas ce genre de produit sur le marché, l’instigatrice de ce projet s’est emparée de ses crayons et a créé des illustrations parfaites pour les amoureux du coloriage.

My Grandpa

With meticulous detail, the author paints a vivid portrait of an intellectual family grappling with the complexities of modernization, globalization, and the clash of ideologies. As the narrative unfolds, you are invited to ponder the universal truths about family, education, life, and death, that transcend time and borders. You can also see the influence of Western culture, especially the U.S. culture in China during the early 21st century, while gaining insights into China’s miraculous rise and the forces that shape its destiny.

What did the heart and mind of an ordinary CCP member, a physics teacher, look like? How would a political dissident growing up in his family think of the government? What did Shanghai look like in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and how was it different from Shanghai in the 1930s? Why did the country embracing globalization and democracy collapse back to autocracy and totalitarianism in less than fifteen years, under Xi Jinping’s rule?

You can also witness the transformation of China from the 1920s to the early 21st century, as is seen through the lens of a CCP member’s experiences, as well as a political dissident’s narratives. Prepare to be swept away on an unforgettable voyage of discovery, as you uncover the hidden truths that lie at the intersection of family, culture, and history.

The Way of Undoing

The Way of Undoing: Capitalism, Trauma, and the Return of Wonder is an intimate personal exploration of possibility and discovery through stories and adventures great and small.

The author’s search for reconciliation with a war-traumatised father traces the origins of transgenerational trauma from capitalist roots to today’s internet, where data, information, and misinformation streams have taken the place of dialogue and storytelling. Climate change and pandemics have thrust Western culture upon an emotionally stuck world and challenge the collective human story that we, and the author, are writing as we live.

When There Are Two Patients in One Body

In When There Are Two Patients in One Body, an experienced Labor and Delivery nurse shares a collection of birth stories, some joyful and others harrowing, that reveal profound life lessons from one of the most intense human experiences. While babies arrive either by vaginal delivery or caesarean section, each birth unfolds uniquely, whether as a momentous and thrilling event or an unexpected and life altering ordeal.

This book follows the author’s career, presenting a chronological journey through a diverse array of births, from routine and uneventful to tragic, each story interwoven with her personal reflections. Readers are drawn into the delivery room to witness the intimate details and drama of the birthing process, revealing the complexities of patients’ lives and circumstances.

As these stories unfold, readers gain insight into how factors such as healthcare access, race, culture, socioeconomic status, and education profoundly shape each birth experience. Beyond the joys and challenges, the author reveals that being a Labor and Delivery nurse is far more than just ‘a great job where you get to cuddle babies.’ It is a vocation that demands resilience, empathy, and an unflinching dedication to supporting patients through life’s pivotal moments.

Endorsement:

“Twenty-six years ago I was a brand-new intern on labor and delivery. The nurses rightfully didn’t trust us newbies.

Over the next four years, I became an OB/GYN under the direction of the attending doctors and hands-on nurses. In our first two years as fledgling doctors, we quickly learned that the nurses knew more than we did, and could make or break our experience. As we became part of the team, we all supported one another through the best days and the worst, for our patients and for us. I still hear some of their voices and advice.

Steph’s is one of them. Her stories are written just as they would sound over a beer or cup of coffee.”

– Jeanette Thomas, MD. Author of the blog Healing Is Hard. (www.healingishard.net)

Raised by Children

Raised by Children is a story about the impact of childhood trauma and PTSD, and a young woman’s resilience as she finds her voice and carves her own path.

Stepping beyond the suffocating backyard of her factory town in Kentucky, she discovers just how vast the world can be.