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The Influence and Predictability of Socioeconomic Factors of the 2018 PARCC Middle School ELA Scores in New JerseyBy: Dr. Charlene F. JonesThis quantitative research, The Influence and Predictability of Socioeconomic Factors of the 2018 PARCC Middle School ELA Scores in New Jersey, examines the predictive power of socioeconomic, parental, and school district factors on student academic achievement. The combined influence of parent education with a bachelor's degree or higher and free- and reduced-price lunch factors demonstrate the highest statistical significance for predictability in this study. All fundamental variables utilized support a greater discussion on how we, as parents and educators, can influence standardized test results and ensure local education policies and recommendations therein are research-based and implemented effectively in diverse communities. Particularly during this new era, post-pandemic, we seek successful strategies to combat learning loss, increase educational opportunities, and predict, where possible, assessment results-all in support of the future of public education.About the AuthorDr. Charlene F. Jones is a passionate educator and school business administrator. Her quantitative research explores the influence and predictability of socioeconomic factors on specific NJ standardized tests on selected middle schools' performance results. Dr. Jones has a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in business administration from The College of New Jersey; a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in management with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Rutgers University; and both an Education Specialist (EdS) degree and Education Doctorate (EdD) degree in education leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall University. Dr. Jones is president of Jones Educational Services, created to support single parents and families in student academic achievement through creative learning strategies and assessment.

Lurchen the Urchin is content with his life, for his sheltered community brings him no strife, yet like our own lives, or waves in the sea, change is unstill; it brings forth atrocity.About the AuthorAidan Atance was a normal boy, normal as they come. But oh! the never-ending meat grinder that is society pulverized his innocent soul. It was on the 29th of November, 2009, in his kindergarten class that this villain was born, for there in those halls did he receive a "red-light" denotation for misconduct. How could such pristine behavior be rewarded with such savage reviewal? At that point in time, Aidan Atance saw society for the pathetic rat race it was and dedicated his pen to the subjugation of the crass brutality that struck him so. In time, beyond this point in history, he will become the very rational for which fear is defined. And from whence his reign of terror came will be sited as this very publication-the work that began it all: Lurchen the Urchin.

The Adventures of Snicklefritz tells some of the adventures of a unique cat who lived on a boat and sailed across the Pacific Ocean. He was a smart, loving, friendly feline who gave his family much joy and pleasure. Margaret Beck, his eighty-eight-year-old grand-mistress, got to know him when she visited her daughter and her husband in Vancouver, Canada, and lived on the boat for a week. She later visited them on the Island of Saipan. These are Snickelfritz's stories, and Margaret's first attempt of having a book published, which was a great project while being confined because of Covid-19.

The Shirt that Didn't Get Worn started as a class project in grade school in the early to mid-90s. After completion of the book, it got stored away in the small home library of author Shane Weber's childhood home. Many years later, and completely forgotten about, the book was pulled off of the bookshelf for his kids to enjoy. His kids loved it, and he hopes that yours do to. The story was inspired by an argument with a school friend that left the author with no friends for a short time. It's about being left out, how bad that feels, and ultimately being accepted again by your friends and how good that feels...like a lightning bolt to the chest.About the AuthorShane Weber grew up in rural South Dakota on a ranch. After graduation, he moved to North Dakota, went to college, and eventually found and married the perfect woman. They have three beautiful children and are raising them in the country and wide-open spaces. After having a job in the oil and gas industry for over ten years, the global pandemic of 2020 has ended that career. He looks forward to the next chapter and wishes the best to all others that have experienced hardship during these historic times.

Practice What You Preach: Book 2 of the Practicing for Love SeriesBy: Nina KennedyIn this second book of the Practicing for Love series, Nina - a former child-prodigy - tries to figure out how to live without the piano and that daily pressure to practice. She has moved to Europe in an attempt to escape from American racism, and to establish a family connection with her partner's family in the Tyrolean Alps.Early in the book, she receives news of her mother's death and must return to Nashville for the funeral. While cleaning out her parents' house, she unearths material for a documentary film which she spends the next six years producing. That film, Matthew Kennedy: One Man's Journey, becomes an award-winning hit at international film festivals.Back in Europe, her partner learns of the death of her grandmother, who has left it to her son to dole out her estate to her descendants. Fearful of her father's homophobia, she feels the need to end the relationship in order to receive her share of the inheritance. Nina returns to her country, single and alone.While in the U.S., Nina becomes involved with an African diplomat who forces her to come to grips with a new level of sexism, homophobia, and anti-Americanism that permeates many African cultures. She learns to appreciate her national identity in a new light, in spite of the racism that has victimized her family for generations.About the AuthorNina Kennedy is a world-renowned concert pianist, orchestral conductor, award-winning filmmaker, and spoken-word performing artist. She has received worldwide acclaim for her work as a screenwriter and "actress" at several international film festivals. She is also the host of her own cable television talk show, The Noshing with Nina Show. Kennedy holds a master's degree from The Juilliard School, and was the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Fellowship.Websites: noshwithnina.tvinfemnity.com/nina-kennedy-booking

ShifterBy: RG BrennanSyd is a thief. And a very good one.From an early age it was a way of life for someone without a memory, a home, or a past. But Syd has something others do not have - a gift. With the help of her "merry men," she puts together her well-laid plans and executes them. But it is her gift that gives her a true edge. Syd is able to "shift." With little effort on her part, she has found that she can shift completely into the form of another. But danger lurks as her plans become more brazen. Then, suddenly, her life is turned upside down.Syd is not alone.She is being hunted.And another gift has begun to emerge.

My ChildBy: Mattie GaskinsGet Ready!!! You are about to embark on the autobiographical journey of my daughter. She was born into the early 80's, the day after Christmas and since then she has been putting her stamp down on this world. Read as I take you from day one, with me delivering her at the hospital alone to me raising her semi-alone all the way through college graduation and then with her testimony of her beating Cancer twice. Follow us, through the day of diagnosis, through being diagnosed again after being in remission for 23 months on through her Bone Marrow Transplant and beyond.Find out what she is doing today and what she's developing for preparation and implementation tomorrow.About the AuthorAuthor Mattie F. Gaskins is a current South Carolina resident. She was born there and grew up with nine siblings on their parents' and grandparents' farm. She began writing at age four. Farm work was hectic and never-ending, but there were still fun and good times. Her parents instilled in them values of kindness, integrity, determination, and hard work.After graduating high school, Gaskins moved up north and worked for the government. She loved and adored her parents; they died many years ago and still she misses them very much, especially during the holidays. Gaskins has never married. She's a single mom and her greatest accomplishment is her beautiful and intelligent daughter.Gaskins' hobbies include cooking, cleaning, walking, puzzle books, and listening to jazz music. Gaskins is a private person and respects others' privacy. After 37 years of working for the government, she retired and moved back to South Carolina. She designed her lawn landscaping which resembles the islands. Before Gaskins became a mom, she began writing this book in 1977. Now, 39 years later, Thoughts is completed.

Revolutionary War Patriots: Bladen, Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson, and Duplin Counties, North CarolinaBy: Rev. Dr. Carolyn Cummings-WoriaxHistory and storytelling are prominent in Rev. Dr. Carolyn Cummings-Woriax's life. As a child, her oral traditionalist father and other members of the community shared their stories of yesteryear.Rev. Dr. Cummings-Woriax holds special interests in Colonial War, the Whigs and Tories, the Tuscarora Indians War, and the Revolutionary War. These wars were harsh, particularly for those economically poor, with injustices and slavery placed upon those who had always known freedom, with forced transition to bondage by the encroaching occupants in the New Colony.Sadly, these wars played a major role in the writer's ancestry-on both sides-as European family connections fought against the Natives of America family connections, which in turn was met by counterattacks.While in preparation of certification of her Daughters of American Revolution War Patriot, John Brooks, Rev. Dr. Cummings-Woriax discovered an unrecognized wealth of information. Patriots who fought side by side in these major battles continued their commonality as citizens within local counties. Her discovery showed that a more vital patriotism was taking place among the patriots as citizens in the New Colony.Rev. Dr. Cummings-Woriax returns to her biblical history to point out the words of God: Only God can raise up a nation, and only God can tear down a nation. She understands this is what God has done for the early patriots and their descends. The building of a new community of people was God's doing.

Little G and Big C is a story of two sisters. Valuable lessons can be learned from someone even if they are younger than you. This book encourages acts of kindness and to show love at all times. For all living things to grow, whether people or plants, both need love, joy, kindness, and to be remembered. Little G shows her big sister how to "grow" by example. An interesting look on learning how to spread kindness and charity to all.About the AuthorConnie Childs Massingill grew up in the green rolling hills of east Tennessee. She grew up with her mama, daddy, brother, and sister. As a child, she and her family spent their time outdoors biking, boating, and fishing, and camping at the Watts Bar Lake. After receiving her degree in early childhood, elementary, and special education, she taught pre-school in Tennessee, Indiana, Florida, and Wisconsin. She worked for several years in Oklahoma as a paraprofessional working with special needs children. Massingill also worked in Kentucky as an aid in physical therapy. Currently, she is a children's librarian at the Harriman Historic Carnegie Library in Harriman, Tennessee. She has three grown children and is expecting her first grandchild!When not working with children, Massingill enjoys hobbies like reading, boating, swimming, and exercising. She loves the mountains, hiking trails, and taking long rides with her husband on their four-wheeler as well as spending time with her mama at the beach looking for sharks' teeth. Another hobby she enjoys is working with her plants and gardening.Massingill is deeply involved with her church. Faith and family roots run deep in the Childs-Massingill families. She currently resides in East Tennessee with her outdoorsman, loving husband Randy and her sweet fur babies, Sadie Lee and Josie Cat.

When Native American FBI agent Sarema gets called in to investigate an unusual case in Colorado, she finds that the case is connected to an event of her past. A case filled with mystical monsters she thought was just a nightmare.About the AuthorAuthor Tracy Pak is a purchasing agent for Utility Trailer of Paragould, Arkansas. In her free time, she loves to read. She is the mother of two enthusiastic boys. When they were little, she would read bed time stories to them. At times, she would make up new stories to entertain them. As they get older, they have started reading to her. The Tree Beast came to life after waking up from a vivid dream that Pak recounted to her family. Her boys loved the mystical creatures, and her husband told her to write it down. While creating the full story, Pak developed the setting and background for the story, but the locations are real, and the language was researched.

Flipper and Flapper enjoy spending their days sitting on an old bench with their hooks in the water. Every day is a new adventure for them whether it's meeting friends, battling the changing weather, or catching the unexpected. Flipper's heart was set on hooking Big Daddy, the biggest fish in the river - until the day she realized what she always wanted, she had all alongAbout the AuthorJoAnn Thomas lives in Dickson, TN. She spends her free time with her family, good friends, and sitting on the bank of the river, fishing.

Time Changes EverythingBy: Christopher T. IhekweazuMike Ike, was fresh from continental war and civil war was in the offing. To avoid military conscription, he relocated from an inner city to Ala City, the capital of D.C., where he accidentally met a glowing object in a human form that later, became his wife.Their relationship sent series of shock-waves across the city. People could not believed what they were hearing and began asking, "Why Mr. President? Why the nation's First Lady?"But what happened towards the end of their life made local, national, and international headline news. The nation's First Lady, who propelled the President to fame, wealth, power, and even saved him from going to jail, was divorced. While the President re-married, the First Lady remained faithful until her death. The President's star began to dim. Although Jemimah-the-Beautiful, the nation's First Lady, became a bird without a nest, her beauty remained incorruptible regardless of age. Celebrities from the country and around the world thronged the nation's capital, just to have a glimpse of the epitome of beauty before their own death.The world was shocked and mankind, from that day on, began to realize and believe that truly in life, Time Changes Everything.After the death of the First Family and under the military command of General Ebenezer Joshua, Diamond Coast, the Switzerland of the continent evolved into utopian republics as a soothsayer had earlier predicted.Time Changes Everything is a novel that encompasses ... leaving the reader wondering why ...About the AuthorChristopher T. Ihekweazu is from Amaigbo, Nwangele Local Government in Imo State, Nigeria. He believes in the simplicity of life-knowing that the Lord God has created the world in a simple way, but we complicate our world with many unnecessary things that may not even help us save our souls. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Ihekweazu lives with his family and their pet, Dusty, in Aurora, Colorado. His first book, Forsake Me Not, is a meditative and conversational prayer book, published by Xlibris Corporation.

Project 'SPYMAKER'By: Kevin Pierce and Bryce ForresterSince the beginning of time, men have warred with one another, sometimes for land, sometimes for wealth, but, ultimately, always for power. The rules of engagement and the methods of combat have changed from century to century, always seeking the most efficient methods to bring one's enemy to their knees. At the core of these conflicts, the most critical element: the gathering of intelligence. Victory has always come to those who have the advantage. "Spymaker" was the solution. Bioengineer the ultimate intelligence operative. Execution, however, was more than complex.From his birth, if it could be called that, Adam had never known any other life. He was at the center of the most profound scientific research of this century. A secret beyond all secrets in a desert laboratory hidden in plain sight. The abandoned observatory at 10,000 Falling Star Boulevard housed the results of the agency's thirty-year gamble. Undetectable and limited only by biological constraints, the ultimate intelligence operative had been born.In the quest for intelligence, only one question remained: was he alone? About the AuthorsKevin Pierce and Bryce Forrester first joined forces as recruits at a west Texas police academy. One, a former registered nurse and trauma specialist assigned to an intelligence unit, and the other, a high school English teacher and now retired principal, formed a lifelong friendship where they found common ground in science fiction writing. Project "Spymaker" is the first in a series.

Triple-Edge SwordBy: Cornelius HarrisCornelius Harris is back with an even more striking follow-up to The War Within with Triple-Edge Sword, going deeper into Nigel and chronicling the struggles of accepting his identity, forcing him to imagine an even bigger world outside of rural Arkansas. Nigel will wrestle with reinventing himself, testing his loyalty and the boundaries of his moral reasoning and purpose beyond the fractured notions his environment sets for him. He dares to dream, but they become nightmares after Nigel realizes the dangerous and terrifying truth to the horrors he is capable of.Nigel must contend with his personalities, himself and his alters Julian and Dominique. Each begin to vie to be the dominate personality in this thrilling tale of survival and the consequences of a life of deceit, manipulation, addiction, betrayal, abuse, violence, and the abhorrent nature of evil, poverty, mental illness, and misery.About the AuthorCornelius Harris is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. His first memoir, The War Within, influenced the creative process for Triple-Edge Sword. Harris is a world traveler and has visited more than fifteen countries, which serve as influences for the the descriptive scenery and destinations within his work. During his educational career, Harris achieved his dream of living in New York City while he pursued a degree in clinical social work, where he gained in-depth knowledge of mental health disorders. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and plans to continue to travel and write.

Frances Johnson wrote Everything that Has Gone Wrong in Your Life Was for All the Right Reasons to free you from the stronghold of your past, eliminating any trace of doubt about who you are after being barricaded under pain, hurt, rejection, and the failures of life that have determined your future. Understand that everything that has happened in your life was given permission to persuade you to become the hidden treasure of authentic pieces of realization of self-worth. If you could change the scene and characters in your story, what would that look like? Remember, where there is a problem, you are the solution to breaking ground truth and resolution of change. About the AuthorFrances Johnson, also known as Lady J., is a phenomenal single parent and mother of two children, daughter Shavonna Johnson, twenty-five years, and her deceased son, Shaheem Johnson, twenty-three, whom she lost in November 2020 of kidney renal failure, and one she has adopted into the family, Steven Sanni, her son's best friend and described as a brother from another mother. Johnson is a motivational life coach/author and scriptwriter and positive role model impacting those in her community and uses Facebook and other streams of social media as a platform to become a world changer and has been a great leader. She is a mama to her community of young people who look up to her as someone with great wisdom, unconditional love, incredible strength, and, perhaps, the only person who understands them in a modern world full of difficulties and extreme chaos. She believes that nothing just suddenly happens, but it was part of God's divine timing.

Realizing many experience the same hardships as she has gone through, Lottie M. Campbell sat and wrote her story so that others may read, relate, and discuss their own journeys. If you have ever had an unfaithful spouse, a mother or father remarry after the death of a parent, or if you were ever treated as an orphan in your own home, Campbell's story will resonate with you. With her faith in God, Campbell was able to find the strength, courage, and confidence she needed to continue on with her life. Just as God plants an oak tree, causing the winds, rains, and storms to give it strength, so, too, will he do the same for his people, encouraging them to build their character, faith, and endurance through all so they may come out sturdier and stronger in the end. About the AuthorLottie M. Campbell is a former bookkeeper, office manager, insurance broker, retired real estate broker, and a preacher. She enjoys writing, reading, decorating, working with plants and making floral arrangements. She works with her church in the Bereavement Committee, is a member of the Oasis Club, and a member of World Changers Church International. She is the mother to a son, Donald, who died of cancer in June 1998; however, he did provide her with three grandchildren. She is also the great-grandmother to four and a fifth due in spring 2021.

My Story tells the tale of a little Navajo girl who was raised on the Navajo reservation from the 1940s to now, who had endured the typical lifestyle of the Navajo traditional way of life alongside the progression of modern Western culture. She attended boarding school but later dropped out. She experienced family tragedies and alcohol abuse, which forced her to face her future with her five children alone. But with strength, courage, and words of wisdom echoing from her past and her perseverance to pursue her dreams, she raised above.

Winter DeerBy: Kathy ArnerKathy Arner retired from Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania, after forty-five years and has been married to her husband Jim for forty-seven years. They have two children, Jeremy and Lori, who are also married. Each have two girls.Arner's responsibilities have included auditing, utilization review, manager I/P coding, senior coordinator, HCC's (Hierarchical Condition Category) coding, senior coordinator evaluation and management auditing, ICU, and public speaking. Arner is a Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Health Information Technician, Certified Coding Specialist, Certified Professional Coder, Certified Professional Medical Auditor, and Medical Claim Specialist.Arner received the Distinguished Member award for Pennsylvania Health Information Management Association (PHIMA) in May 2009. Has served as president, director, delegate, and coding roundtable chair for PHIMA. As well as serving on AHIMA Practice Council: Clinical Terminology and Classification. She has served at many different offices at NEPHIMA, including president, secretary, and program chair. Arner is also a member of NEPHIMA, PHIMA, AHIMA, AAPC and received the Nursing Excellence Award for Geisinger Health Plan in 2012. Additionally, she has adjunct taught at Williamsport Community College and McCann's. She has taught many people on different kinds of medical coding and has written several articles for publication on coding.When not working, Arner loves to travel, educate, walk, and read as much as possible.

Steve Rosen did not set out to write 2020: A Perspective in Rhyme, but as the events of the now-infamous year grew, the work developed into a collection of rhymes and verses chronicling the strangeness, absurdity, growth, and tragedy that was the year 2020. Central to the work is the COVID-19 pandemic, with Rosen illustrating the controversy surrounding science, the restrictions placed for its containment, the health versus wealth debate, and whether schools should remain open, online, or both. His poetry focuses on people, politics-one important component being the 2020 election-and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Rosen's collection of rhymes regarding 2020 is powerful, emotional, and important for generations to come to understand the chaotic year that was 2020. About the AuthorSteve Rosen is a retired attorney who lives with his wife Marilyn of fifty-plus years in their longtime residence in New Jersey. Together, they have two children and four grandchildren.

; So I WalkedBy: Karim TaylorIn ; So I Walked, Karim Taylor focuses on to a time in life when she began to pay attentions to certain aspects of change. From 2010 to 2020, Taylor led a life of several traumatic experiences. From these traumatic moments, Taylor began to change her lifestyle to one of walking away as a way of attempting to speak to God, a way of remaining strong, a way to make it through to the next phase in her life. She describes in heartbreaking detail two attacks in particular of sexual spousal abuse and a forty-five-mile-per-hour jump from a moving vehicle and how she triumphed past these trials to maintain her identity and strengthening her faith in God. As God has made apparent, Karim Taylor is one of His greatest miracles.About the AuthorKarim Taylor was a runaway teen in Oceanside, California, and became a parent at eighteen. Taylor and her daughter then moved to Van Cleave, Mississippi. She married a North Carolinian guy and they had two children together. She returned to school and completed a nursing assistant certification course and gained full-time employment with the The Gardens of Ocean Springs. After Hurricane Katrina, she and her family lost everything. They relocated to North Carolina and she restarted her education journey to complete her bachelor's in behavioral health sciences.

Dee Balko acquired her, cat, Pam shortly before moving to Cuchillo. The Cuchillo Cat tells Pam's story through her eyes and the many adventures Pam and Denise have had since moving to the ghost town of Cuchillo. Pam is an adventurous cat and likes to explore. She can see far more than any human, and hear more, too. So follow along with Pam and her incredible adventures through her ghost town home.About the AuthorLike snowflakes in your hand, the years melted away. As a young mother, Dee Balko always wanted to write children's books. She became a single mother at thirty-two, widowed and then divorced. Then life got in the way, working several jobs to make ends meet made time fly by. Now, her sons are grown and doing well and have provided Balko with grandchildren and twin great-grandsons. For the moment, she has decided to slow down a bit.

Enduring Faith for LoveBy: Alexander CheungEnduring Faith for Love tells of the fourth and overlooked and forgotten trait of love: the endurance of such. A realization for truth: because love 'tis alive, then dead in some yet then 'tis resurrected as an intercession.About the AuthorAuthor Alexander Cheung was to be a US Marine Corps officer, a devil dog, and because of the beautiful song, Sheila, his first ex, played for the Lord as well because of the Lord, endured a seventy-mile-an-hour motorcycle cycle accident as well sexual molestation and rape. All of this at an age of adolescence and was undermined by the doubt of Mom and Dad, of doctors, of physicians, of psychologists, and even of his memories. Unto the retaining of knowledge despite a traumatic brain injury. Have faith, because this 'tis the truth.

Retribution focuses on the lives of six female bullies, the harm they cause, and the ironic twist they themselves create for their demise. While the subject of the novel itself is serious-bullying-the characters and their deserved endings are, in many ways, exaggerated dark comedies that will surprise and delight the reader, especially those readers who have suffered from the torment of a bully. Retribution presumes that all choices have consequences; that innocents must be protected at all costs; that people have the power, the right, and the duty to stand up for and protect innocents no matter the cost. The hero, Gemini Jones, is a sensitive but strong and resolute character who shows how to help Justice deliver its rightful reckoning. She is a role model for all heroes who desire to bring good and light to the world. Retribution is a novel of hope and satisfaction for those who have been bullied and know that evil must be punished and defeated. It is a novel for all who believe in Justice and want to see it prevail. In the end, Justice always reigns when GOOD fights for it.About the AuthorAnne Marie Erskine, who has a Master of Arts in the humanities from California State University, lives in Prescott, Arizona, with her husband Jim. She has published four books of poetry titled Shadow Dance, Insight, Unwrapped, and Night Fires. Retribution is her first novel.

It Happened at the Circus: Starring Little Michael and Snappy with Huff and Puff and the TeamBy: Paul Vakerics IIIt Happened at the Circus is the story about a dog. A dog named Snappy and his best friend, little Michael. Journey through the excitement of when Snappy is found and then what happens at the circus. Along the way, Huff and Puff receive new powers, which can only be used for the good of all humanity, and little Michael's sweet prayer is answered. Come along and learn the value of friends, family, and beauty of small miracles.About the AuthorPaul Vakerics II was born and raised in Ohio. After his time in the navy, he earned his BS from Ohio University and an MS from Purdue University. He then worked for over thirty years as a teacher.Vakerics met his wife in high school, and they have been married for over fifty-five years. Their sons are now grown and married and have made Vakerics and his wife proud grandparents and great-grandparents. Now in retirement, he spends his time writing and working on his woodworking and model trains.

A Letter from God to ManBy: Thuy TranThuy Tran lived through the Vietnam War. She witnessed many ghosts from her past coming home again in the aftermath of that war. She experienced sickness, loneliness, and, as a child, dealt with those human issues in a unique way. She was a child of refugees, the infamous "Boat People" who took to the dangerous sea on small fishing boats, gambling with their lives to find freedom. After the dangerous trial of the sea, she arrived here in our free country to be a prey of the thugs of our inner cities. When her husband passed away at a young age, leaving her with two young children, out of loneliness and desperation; she sought for love and was again a victim, this time of Internet fraud.Through all the trials of her life, Tran should have been crushed by the weight placed on her shoulders. However, the human spirit triumphed! She navigated life's adversities through the eyes of a seeker. Miraculously, she maintained grace and a gentleness of spirit that is rare in our fast-changing world. Thuy Tran is the exemplar of a true believer of God and the goodness of our world. Her testimony is one of a fragile and confused life finally finding its strength and true will to live through God's grace and love.

You Don't Need a Cape to be a Hero details the unwillingness of a young elementary student to wear a mask during a global pandemic . . . Until she realizes the mask makes her a hero.About the AuthorDr. Sherryl Carter, Ed.D. is a graduate of the University of Southern California and has been a professional educator for twenty years serving as a school superintendent, administrator, teacher, and counselor in local California public schools.

I Surrender Lord, I Surrender!By: Christine AlsberryAbout the Book/AuthorChristine Alsberry is the daughter of the most high God and bears witness for the Lord. She is an evangelist, a chaplain, and an end-times prophet. In all of her trials and tribulation in her life, Abba Father speaks to her, and her ears listen, and she made a promise to him to say whatever He wishes for her to say and go wherever he wishes her to go. I Surrender Lord, I Surrender! is about the WRATH and LOVE of GOD. Enjoy reading it. The end prophecy has spoken!

BruceBy: Bruce WilliamsBruce is a lesson to let people know you can change in your life. You don't have to settle. You can choose life and choose GOD.About the AuthorDespite being raised right, Bruce Williams had a hard life. Even though he made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of wrongs in his life, God brought him through.

Glad You Got To See MeBy: Paul J. FaberPaul J. Faber was born and raised near the small, rural town of Dumont, Iowa. He left for the Marine Corp at seventeen years old. After boot camp, being stationed in Japan, and being a guard for President Eisenhower, he was stationed at the American Embassy in Reykjavik, Iceland. Along with all of his other adventures, one of the most significant was meeting his Icelandic wife of now sixty years, Karin. Later, Faber was transferred to Spain, and he and Karin were married on the Rock of Gibraltar with monkeys as their wedding guests. They later returned to live on a farm just outside of Dumont, Iowa.Faber has had a unique and interesting career, and throughout his career and his marriage, he has been a storyteller. While living in Nebraska, he was an adventurer and would sometimes take his daughter with him on his adventures. She was always captivated by his stories. She grew up and had two daughters of her own who appreciate Faber being their biggest fan and being the subject of many of "Opa's" stories. Faber knows no strangers, and after most every visit, he says in his jovial way, "Glad you got to see me!" Reading this book of stories is as easy as sitting with Paul and having a cup of coffee and imagining yourself in one of many of Opa's adventures. Enjoy!

From the Author: I can't recall when I began this journey to the past. About 10-15 years ago, I believe. My work has been very spotty, interrupted by summer golf, vacations, work, and even Packer games. At times, it became overwhelming. It began when I read Uncle Art's letter. That fascinated me. I had little recollection of my grandfather's siblings and nothing of those that came before him. The stories of cannon balls, meeting Buffalo Bill, and of a tragic railroad accident, got me curious to learn more. And then there are our own stories. Who will tell of our fiascos of childhood if we don't record them? It's not that we are people of notoriety. (Although someone must have been at one time, as we have a family crest.) We have no history of ancestors being politicians (except around the campfire), no millionaire sports figure or actor, no famous author or historian. We are mostly caregivers, ordinary people that do "ordinary work" - teachers, nurses, farmers, soldiers, policeman, builders, etc., with little recognition except from within our own family network. I have no doubt that those who turn these pages will only be my relatives (and may not be too many of those...). But I have enjoyed the journey, and our stories are worth the telling. We are a family of sharing and caring. We laugh and cry together. We support each other in times of need. I am so privileged to have grown up in this family. These are just a few of the stories and times we have shared. The stories and anecdotes in this collection about our ancestors have been retrieved from census records, immigration records, and recollections of the older Tabberts. More recent stories have been provided by my siblings, nieces, and nephews. Of course, most of these stories are recollections and may be enhanced in the translation, but they are recorded nevertheless. My hope is that no one is offended - that was never my intention. So let the journey begin...