A young woman moves to Algeria in search of a new life. She meets and falls in love with a renegade monk.

Right before talking pictures slug Tinsel Town in the jaw, a luminous silent screen star converts her private estate into the Garden of Allah Hotel. The lush grounds soon become a haven for Hollywood hopefuls to meet, drink and revel through the night. George Cukor is in the pool, Tallulah Bankhead is at the bar, and Scott Fitzgerald is sneaking off to a bungalow with Sheilah Graham, while Madame Alla Nazimova keeps watch behind her lace curtains. But the real story of the Garden of Allah begins with its first few residents, three kids on the brink of something big. Marcus Adler has a lot to prove after his father catches him and the police chief's son with their pants down. He flees Pennsylvania for Hollywood with his mouth shut and his eyes open, and begins to write the lines all those starlets will say out loud. Kathryn Massey's childhood was a grinding routine of auditions, but she couldn't care less about being a movie star. When she takes off with her typewriter, determined to become a newspaper reporter, she finds that breaking into the boys' club is tougher than breaking free of her bossy mother. To make it in this town, she'll need some serious moxie. Gwendolyn Brick is a sweet Southern beauty who's come a long way to try her luck on the big screen. She's hoping the same succulent lips the guys want to kiss will land her more than a bit part on a casting couch. She's going to need some help keeping everyone in line. Nobody gets a free pass in Hollywood, but a room at the Garden on Sunset can get your foot in the door. The Garden on Sunset is the first in Martin Turnbull's series of historical novels set during Hollywood's golden age.

It's hard enough to fit in without also having to decide whether to fast for Ramadan or wear the hijab. Aliya already struggles with trying to fit in, feeling confident enough to talk to the cute boy or brave enough to stand up to mean kids—the fact that she's Muslim is just another part of her life. But then Marwa, a Moroccan girl who shares Aliya's faith if not her culture, moves to town. Marwa's quiet confidence leads Aliya to wonder even more about who she is, what she believes, and where she fits in. In a series of letters to Allah she writes for a Sunday school project, Aliya explores her dreams and fears, hoping that with hard work and faith, something beautiful will grow in the garden of imaan—the small quiet place inside where belief unfolds, one petal at a time. This award-winning novel from author and educator Farhana Zia captures the social and identity struggles of middle school with a fresh, new voice.

"The chatty informal rhythms and the mix of everyday detail with the universals make this picture book a great family read-aloud." —Booklist "Dawud's latest book A Picnic of Poems is another masterpiece of poetry that captures the essence of every child's hopes, dreams, and fears, in the most colorful and imaginative way. It is a delectable treat for the whole family, filled with beautiful illustrations. Every part has a wonderful lesson to draw from and will provide all, young and old, with great guidance for generations to come." —Zain Bhikha, South African singer/songwriter A collection of thirty poems to keep the young and young-at-heart entertained for hours. These poems cover a number of topics including motherhood, daily prayer, baby siblings, life on a farm, the animal kingdom, bullying, mosques, Ramadan, appreciating nature, and more. The book comes with an audio CD to sing along to these joyful yet educational poems. "A Picnic of Poems" I've packed some poems for lunch, some rhymes for us to chew, a simple, sippy, soup of songs, to stir and sing and stew. Like all good meals to munch, it would be very rude not to begin with bismillah, to bless our poetry food. Canadian-born Dawud Wharnsby began writing poetry, composing music, and performing in his teens. Since then he has become a voice for socially conscious and spiritually minded individuals in the twenty-first century.

The headlines are filled with the politics of Islam, but there is another side to the world's fastest-growing religion. Sufism is the poetry and mysticism of Islam. This mystical movement from the early ninth century rejects worship motivated by the desire for heavenly reward or the fear of punishment, insisting rather on the love of God as the only valid form of adoration. Sufism has made significant contributions to Islamic civilization in music and philosophy, dance and literature. The Sufi poet Rumi is the bestselling poet in America. But in recent centuries Sufism has been a target for some extremist Islamic movements as well as many modernists. The Garden of Truth presents the beliefs and vision of the mystical heart of Islam, along with a history of Sufi saints and schools of thought. In a world threatened by religious wars, depleting natural resources, a crumbling ecosystem, and alienation and isolation, what has happened to our humanity? Who are we and what are we doing here? The Sufi path offers a journey toward truth, to a knowledge that transcends our mundane concerns, selfish desires, and fears. In Sufism we find a wisdom that brings peace and a relationship with God that nurtures the best in us and in others. Noted scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr helps you learn the secret wisdom tradition of Islam and enter what the ancient mystics call the "garden of truth." Here, liberate your mind, experience peace, discover your purpose, fall in love with the Divine, and find your true, best self.