In this sequel to Ava the Aviator: The Adventure Begins, Ava and her father realize that they must fix the problem with the airplane that recently brought them, unexpectedly, to France. Although they had an amazing adventure, they knew that they could not let it happen again. While her father works on the steering, Ava turns her attention to painting the plane that she named the Golden Goose. Soon the intrepid father and daughter duo are ready to try again. After climbing into the plane for a short test flight, they soon realize that things are not going as planned. Unable, once more, to control the steering, Ava and her father settle in for what turns out to be another long fight. Following a rough landing, Ava finds herself face-to-face with a beautiful, but wild, animal, leaving her wondering what else she will face in this strange land. Follow Ava as she encounters exotic creatures, both great and small, and join her on her quest to help the children of a foreign land and their community. When she returns home and shares her plan with her friends and enlists their assistance, the word spreads far and wide, leading to an unforgettable and rewarding conclusion. In this exciting second installment in the series, Ava and her classmates learn that by working together, they can accomplish great things. She again entertains and inspires her readers while educating them about life in a different culture and proves once again that the sky really is the limit when you follow your dream.

Ava the Aviator: The Adventure Begins is the story of a young girl who dares to follow her dream. Ava can't wait to go to school and share her dream with her classmates, but when she tells them that she wants to be an aviator when she grows up, the classroom erupts in laughter. When Ava returns home discouraged, her dad steps in to help. Together, they build an airplane so she can follow her dream. But there's just one problem—the mighty little aircraft has a mind of its own! After taking off for a short test flight, they soon realize that the plane has other plans. When they narrowly miss crashing into the Eiffel Tower, they realize that they are far, far from home. Wanting to make the best of an unexpected situation, the father and daughter duo explore some of France's most iconic sights before finally flying home. Soar with Ava as she experiences new countries and cultures. Follow her as the little plane takes her on one amazing adventure after another. Ava's adventures are sure to entertain and educate young readers while showing them that they, too, can achieve anything and that the sky really is the limit when you follow your dreams.

The wholesome image of America propagated by Hollywood in the 1940s, '50s and '60s is one of the most persistent in popular culture: loving wives, smiling children. But off the set, many of the actors who helped create this image were secretly leading very wild lives, and one man in particular was helping them: Scotty Bowers. At a time when sex outside of marriage was taboo, Scotty built up a reputation as the guy who could discreetly fix you up. Scotty slept with many stars himself, and connected others with his friends. Here, he tells his story for the first time. Scotty came to Hollywood after serving in the Marines in World War II, and began working at a gas station on Hollywood Boulevard. One day, he was approached and picked up by actor Walter Pidgeon, who whisked him off to a friend's villa for the first of many encounters with Hollywood's rich and famous. He developed long-term friendships with stars like Katharine Hepburn and Noel Coward, but he always kept it quiet--until he now provides a lost chapter in the history of the sexual revolution.--From publisher description.

Adapted to a major motion picture by director Martin Scorsese, The Aviator stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes! His wealth was legendary. His passions were bizarre. Charles Higham's biography tells the truth about the money, the madness, and the man behind the enigma. Howard Hughes is one of the best known and least understood men of our times--famed for his wealth, his daring, and his descent into madness. Bestselling biographer Higham goes beyond the enigma to reveal the incredible private life of Howard Hughes: * his romances with the great stars of Hollywood--Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, and numerous others * his forays into sadomasochism * his involvement with Richard Nixon and Watergate * his bizarre final years This is a compelling portrait of a unique American figure--in a story as revealing as it is unforgettable.

Patty Bear grew up among the "Plain People" amidst bountiful farmlands, black bonnets, and black cars. It was a world unto itself, both bucolic and beastly, with traditions and beliefs from the old world deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Central Pennsylvania.Insulated by a culture that steadfastly kept its distance from outsiders and the march of progress, as a little girl she anticipated following in her mother's footsteps. But in 1972, at the age of eight, her father sparked religious controversy and ignited a scandal rare in the Mennonite community. Abruptly subjected to the chaos that surrounded the ritual practice of shunning, Patty, her mother, and five siblings were swept into a tornado of absurd accusations and public humiliation, forced to hide and endure publicity that headlined prominent national newspapers for almost a decade.With her childhood and adolescence overshadowed by domestic violence and her father's abusive rhetoric, as well as persistent teaching by the Church that women were designed for subjugation and obedience, Patty's assumed image of her future gradually shifted-leading her to heed the call of her wild soul and the whispers of her Guides toward a bold quest for freedom she never imagined possible.

Howard Hughes was one of the most amazing, intriguing, and controversial figures of the twentieth century. He was the billionaire head of a giant corporation, a genius inventor, an ace pilot, a matinee-idol-handsome playboy, a major movie maker who bedded a long list of Hollywood glamour queens, a sexual sultan with a harem of teenage consorts, a political insider with intimate ties to Watergate, a Las Vegas kingpin, and ultimately a bizarre recluse whose final years and shocking death were cloaked in macabre mystery. Now he is the subject of Martin Scorsese's biopic The Aviator. Few people have been able to penetrate the wall of secrecy that enshrouded this complex man. In this fascinating, revelation-packed biography, the full story of one of the most daring, enigmatic, and reclusive power brokers America has ever known is finally told.

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