“Kitty O’Meara…offers us wisdom that can help during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. She is challenging us to grow."—Deepak Chopra, MD, author, Metahuman “Kitty O'Meara is the poet laureate of the pandemic"—O, The Oprah Magazine "An eloquent, heartwarming reflection that will resonate with generations to come… encouragement for a brighter tomorrow."—Kate Winslet "And the People Stayed Home is an uplifting perspective on the resilience of the human spirit and the healing potential we have to change our world for the better." ––Shelf Awareness “Images of nature healing show the author’s vision of hope for the future…The accessible prose and beautiful images make this a natural selection for young readers, but older ones may appreciate the work’s deeper meaning.”— Kirkus Reviews “This is a perfectly illustrated version of a poem that continues to be relevant.”—School Library Journal “A stunning and peaceful offering of introspection and hope.”—The Children’s Book Review Ten Best Children’s Books of 2020: "A calming, optimistic read, and a salve for children trying their best to navigate this time." —Smithsonian Magazine “It captured the kind of optimism people need right now.”—Esquire (UK) “Thank you, Kitty O'Meara…for pointing out that at this very moment, this very day, we can seize the opportunity to restore wholeness to our world."—Sy Montgomery, bestselling author of The Good Good Pig and The Soul of an Octopus “A poem by American writer Kitty O’Meara has deservedly gone viral.”—Edinburgh Evening News And the People Stayed Home is a beautifully produced picture book featuring Kitty O’Meara’s popular, globally viral prose poem about the coronavirus pandemic, which has a hopeful and timeless message. Kitty O’Meara, author of And the People Stayed Home, has been called the “poet laureate of the pandemic.” This illustrated children’s book (ages 4-8) will also appeal to readers of all ages. O’Meara’s thoughtful poem about the pandemic, quarantine, and the future suggests there is meaning to be found in our shared experience of the coronavirus and conveys an optimistic message about the possibility of profound healing for people and the planet. Her words encourage us to look within, listen deeply, and connect with ourselves and the earth in order to heal. O’Meara, a former teacher and chaplain and a spiritual director, clearly captures important aspects of the pandemic experience. Her words, written in March 2020 and shared on Facebook, immediately resonated nationally and internationally and were widely circulated on social media, covered in mainstream news media, and inspired an outpouring of creativity from musicians, dancers, artists, filmmakers, and more. The many highlights include an original composition by John Corigliano that was premiered by Renée Fleming.

This is a beautifully produced picture book of Kitty O'Meara's popular, globally viral prose poem about the coronavirus pandemic, which has a hopeful and timeless message. Kitty O'Meara, author of And the People Stayed Home, has been called the poet laureate of the pandemic by O, The Oprah Magazine. This illustrated and beautifully produced children's book will also appeal to readers of all ages. O'Meara's prose poem, with its hopeful and timeless message about healing of people and the Earth, written in March 2020, quickly went viral on a global level. O'Meara, a former teacher and chaplain, clearly captured an important aspect of the pandemic experience's zeitgeist while offering a thoughtful and optimistic view of the future. Her words have resonated nationally and internationally and been widely circulated on social media, mainstream news media, and have inspired an outpouring of creativity with musicians across the globe creating songs, filmmakers creating videos, artists creating imagery with the words, and much more. Major media and influencers who have shared the poem or written about O'Meara include: a feature in O Magazine, Deepak Chopra read the piece on his daily podcast and shared it on FaceBook, and Bella Hadid shared her poem. The book will build on this momentum and vastly expand the potential audience. Producing a book for children and their families will bring O'Meara's message to a wider audience and present it in a different and more permanent format."--Provided by publisher.

And the People Stayed Home is a beautifully produced picture book of Kitty O’Meara’s popular, globally viral prose poem about the coronavirus pandemic, which has a hopeful and timeless message. Kitty O’Meara, author of And the People Stayed Home, has been called the “poet laureate of the pandemic” by O, The Oprah Magazine. This illustrated and beautifully produced children’s book (ages 4-8) will also appeal to readers of all ages. O’Meara’s prose poem, with its hopeful and timeless message about healing of people and the Earth, written in March 2020, quickly went viral on a global level. O’Meara, a former teacher and chaplain, clearly captured an important aspect of the pandemic experience’s zeitgeist while offering a thoughtful and optimistic view of the future. Her words have resonated nationally and internationally and been widely circulated on social media, mainstream news media, and have inspired an outpouring of creativity with musicians across the globe creating songs, filmmakers creating videos, artists creating imagery with the words, and much more. Major media and influencers who have shared the poem or written about O’Meara include: a feature in O Magazine, Deepak Chopra read the piece on his daily podcast and shared it on FaceBook, Bella Hadid shared her poem, and composer John Corigliano has used the poem to create a musical solo setting to be premiered by opera singer Renee Fleming. The book will build on this momentum and vastly expand the potential audience. Producing a book for children and their families will bring O’Meara’s message to a wider audience and present it in a different and more permanent format.

When the World Stayed Home By: Julianne Reis, M.S., CCC‐SLP; Illustrated by Kaylee Viets, M.S. CF-SLP As a new coronavirus spread across the world and countries began to implement mandatory lockdowns, everyone’s lives began to change. The associated stress felt by people of all people of all ages, including children. When the World Stayed Home was written and illustrate by two-speech-language pathologists from New York, which became the epicenter of the pandemic. Children are taken through an educational experience where they learn about the virus, how to prevent the spread of germs, the purpose of staying home, and the many changes that took place as the world reopened. This heartwarming story highlights some of the adventures and enjoyable experiences that occurred during this time period, while also broaching the importance of expressing gratitude to those who aided their community. It thoughtfully acknowledges the emotional burden that children assumed without truly understanding why. Young minds will feel inspired and appreciated for their own role in overcoming the pandemic. The charming illustrations are sure to spark endless conversations with curious readers. As an added bonus, this book includes a scrapbook section for children and parents to document their journey through this historic time.

Fast-forward to the year 2050, to a world that’s forgotten the true meaning of conflict. War is an alien concept. Little do they know, things are about to change and alien is the operative word. A contrived peace reigns in this age of space, an existence that would be unrecognisable to predecessors just decades before. Be prepared to hold onto your seat as this futuristic thriller hurtles through space at a speed faster than light. There is brave Lieutenant John who questions his role in this state of unnatural peace and calm. He expresses his unease at getting paid for passing time “in useless exercises.” General Edward admires his lieutenant’s outspoken attitude. He reminds him that it is all about “fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Secretly, he understands where Lieutenant John is coming from and, like him, wonders what their role in this oddly tranquil existence is. They won’t have to wonder for long. There’s trouble brewing, and it’s beyond stratospheric. Little do the general and his right-hand man know that humankind and Earth are about to experience a threat unparalleled in the history of its existence. The peace is about to be broken, and it’s without an arrow or missile being launched or even a single bullet being fired. It’s a war no one could ever imagine. In this scenario of global peace, there’s another development that has left the world vulnerable—every disease has been eradicated—and the medical profession is fast becoming defunct. Technology is king—bees are equipped with microscopic trackers; there’s a research station on Mars, and most households own aeroplanes. There is little or no place for doctors in this space age. Someone is watching out there. Watching for the right moment to strike in the most unexpected way. Waiting for Earth to be well and truly lulled into a sense of false security. This alien invasion has a three-staged master plan: firstly by enslaving humans by hacking into their subconscious; secondly, to deprive Earth of all its natural resources by injecting Earth with giant leeches; and lastly, to abduct the entire human population and take them to their planet to either sell them as slaves or make them work as labour at their interplanetary construction project. At the helm is the sinister Allana, supreme lord of the Moonians. Their weapon of choice is biowarfare, so futuristic it seems that there’s no hope for humankind. Lord Allana’s plans to fight dirty by disabling the human subconscious by infecting their victims with a nano-virus transferred by nano-android mosquitoes. The plan is to enslave most of humankind, turning them into vessels little more than humanoids controlled by their Moonian masters. Caught unawares, the alien’s intentions seem to be going as planned as unsuspecting humans go down like flies. As if this isn’t enough, when humans are asleep, their leeches get hyperactive, which are deployed throughout the world, and begin working underground. These leeches have been programmed to drill down beneath the earth’s surface to harvest all the planet’s minerals and precious metals and go into hibernation upon being full, to be picked up by mother ships at nighttime. The plot twists and turns at an exhilarating rate, leaving you wondering what’s on the next page. Right up to the last chapter, you’ll be in the dark as to how it will all end. Ultimately, it is a work about coming together and breaking through borders of all countries of the world for humankind to stand up as one and fight against a common enemy instead of against one another.

The new and improved "Censored," detailing the top censored stories and media analysis of 2020. Our nation's oldest news-monitoring group, Project Censored, refreshes its longstanding yearbook series, Censored, with State of the Free Press 2021. This edition offers a more succinct and comprehensive survey of the most important but underreported news stories of 2020; in addition to a comparative analysis of the current state of corporate and independent news media, and its effect on democracy. The establishment media sustains a decrepit post-truth era, as examined the lowlight features: "Junk Food News"-frivolous stories that distract the public from actual news-and-"News Abuse"-important stories covered in ways that undermine public understanding. The alternative media provokes a burgeoning critical media literacy age, as evaluated in the highlight feature: "Media Democracy in Action"-relevant stories responsibly reported on by independent organizations. Finally, in an homage to the history of the annual report, the editors reinstate the "Déjà vu News" feature-revisited stories from previous editions. State of the Free Press 2021 endows readers with the critical thinking and media literacy skills required to hold the corporate media to account for distorting or censoring news coverage, and thus, to revitalize our democracy.

" Anna Held (1870?-1918), a petite woman with an hourglass figure, was America's most popular musical comedy star during the two decades preceding World War I. In the colorful world of New York theater during La Belle Époque, she epitomized everything that was glamorous, sophisticated, and suggestive about turn-of-the-century Broadway. Overcoming an impoverished life as an orphan to become a music-hall star in Paris, Held rocketed to fame in America. From 1896 to 1910, she starred in hit after hit and quickly replaced Lillian Russell as the darling of the theatrical world. The first wife of legendary producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., Held was the brains and inspiration behind his Follies and shared his knack for publicity. Together, they brought the Paris scene to New York, complete with lavish costumes and sets and a chorus of stunningly beautiful women, dubbed ""The Anna Held Girls."" While Held was known for a champagne giggle as well as for her million-dollar bank account, there was a darker side to her life. She concealed her Jewish background and her daughter from a previous marriage. She suffered through her two husbands' gambling problems and Ziegfeld's blatant affairs with showgirls. With the outbreak of fighting in Europe, Held returned to France to support the war effort. She entertained troops and delivered medical supplies, and she was once briefly captured by the German army. Anna Held and the Birth of Ziegfeld's Broadway reveals one of the most remarkable women in the history of theatrical entertainment. With access to previously unseen family records and photographs, Eve Golden has uncovered the details of an extraordinary woman in the vibrant world of 1900s New York.