The story of Jamie Bérubé’s journey to adulthood and a meditation on disability in American life Published in 1996, Life as We Know It introduced Jamie Bérubé to the world as a sweet, bright, gregarious little boy who loves the Beatles, pizza, and making lists. When he is asked in his preschool class what he would like to be when he grows up, he responds with one word: big. At four, he is like many kids his age, but his Down syndrome prevents most people from seeing him as anything but disabled. Twenty years later, Jamie is no longer little, though he still jams to the Beatles, eats pizza, and makes endless lists of everything—from the sixty-seven counties of Pennsylvania (in alphabetical order, from memory) to the various opponents of the wrestler known as the Undertaker. In Life as Jamie Knows It, Michael Bérubé chronicles his son’s journey to adulthood and his growing curiosity and engagement with the world. Writing as both a disability studies scholar and a father, he follows Jamie through his social and academic experiences in school, his evolving relationships with his parents and brother, Nick, his encounters with illness, and the complexities of entering the workforce with a disability. As Jamie matures, his parents acknowledge his entitlement to a personal sense of independence, whether that means riding the bus home from work on his own, taking himself to a Yankees game, or deciding which parts of his story are solely his to share. With a combination of stirring memoir and sharp intellectual inquiry, Bérubé tangles with bioethicists, politicians, philosophers, and anyone else who sees disability as an impediment to a life worth living. Far more than the story of an exceptional child growing up to be “big,” Life as Jamie Knows It challenges us to rethink how we approach disability and is a passionate call for moving toward a more just, more inclusive society.

Time to dive back into Cape Cod in the fourth book of the Summer Lifeguards series featuring empowering female friendships, relatable challenges, and tons of beach fun! Piper Janssen is surprised by how much she likes being a Junior Lifeguard. Except for one thing: she's totally nervous about wearing a bathing suit in public. Add on a catering gig gone wrong, co-worker drama, and trying not to be distracted by adorable Luke, and Piper's got a lot on her plate this summer. Everyone knows that Piper is amazing. But will Piper ever be able to feel that about herself? Or will her self-consciousness distract her from seeing the real threats on the beach? The fourth book in the Summer Lifeguard series featuring: Strong female friendship The challenges middle schoolers face and overcome! A heartwarming lesson on body image and self-love Wholesome beach fun to add to the summer reading list The perfect series for grades three and up!

The wholesome summer fun continues in the third book of the Summer Lifeguards series! Selena knows she'll be an actress one day, and she's pretty sure her showbiz enthusiasm will help her tackle all her problems...or will it? Junior Lifeguards basic training isn't for wimps. Thirteen-year-old aspiring actress Selena Diaz learns this the hard way during her first week of training. Along with best pals Jenna, Piper, and Ziggy, Selena is just getting her feet wet as a lifeguard trainee and the going is tough. What's worse, she's also dealing with a new job, swim lessons, a show-tunes singing math tutor, and a haughty neighbor who's also kind of her boss. Meanwhile, they soon discover that a real Hollywood star is shining brightly in their midst—right here on the Cape! It's going take all of Selena's showbiz enthusiasm to tackle her busiest summer ever. The third book in the Summer Lifeguard series featuring: Strong female friendship The challenges middle schoolers face and overcome! Wholesome beach fun to add to the summer reading list The perfect series for grades three and up!

Ready for the time of your life? Mike “The Barman” Richardson invites you to go behind-the-scenes of Mountain Lake, the Dirty Dancing resort, to experience the ongoing romance, mystique and adventure that makes visitors keep coming back for more. Get an up close and personal tour of Mountain Lake Resort, the movie’s primary shooting location and stand-in for “Kellerman’s Mountain House.” It’s here that, years after the movie’s release, fans gather to relive the film’s allure with Dirty Dancing Weekends full of sizzling moves and retro costumes. Mike the Barman pulls back the curtain to reveal the magic of these bashes, from Mike’s secret “off-limits” tours to the entertaining anecdotes divulged by the visitors to the resort. Mix one of Mike’s signature drinks with the included recipes and feel a part of the fun of trivia night as Mike runs down answers as well as pointing out some of the film’s flubs. Everyone knows the hotel bartender holds all the secrets. This is one insider account that adds new layers to the classic romance flix, told as only a beloved bartender can. If you were ever curious about the history of this picturesque hotel, where iconic settings such as Baby’s cabin and the “water lift” were captured or are just curious to learn how the legacy of this hit 80s film lives on, this is a memoir that will have you aching for steamy summer nights. Recapture the movie’s magic in this love letter to a lodge that offers a resort getaway experience in its pages.

The land cannot restrain nineteen-year-old Jamie Drake who is nurturing a love affair with the sea. While this untamed beach kid lives on Chesapeake Bay, the blue-green waters constantly beckon beyond the dunes, summoning him to experience unforgettable nautical adventures. Jamie’s mother is concerned that he has grown into an angry and querulous young man who shows no respect for authority in any guise, but Jamie is just anxious to get out from under his parents’ unyielding and watchful influence. Five weeks from high school graduation, Jamie meets Christine Powers, a glamorous visitor who hates the ocean. Instantly infatuated, Jamie replaces Anny Flanagan, his longtime girlfriend with Christine—a choice unwisely made as Christine only sees Jamie as a way to punish her boyfriend. No sooner begun, their torrid affair ends chaotically when Christine deserts him. Rejected by Anny and in dire trouble with the school authorities, Jamie makes yet another hasty decision by daring to interfere with a jewel heist orchestrated by local mobsters. When his audacious plan goes awry, Jamie strives to elude the mobsters in a twilight flight across the angry waters of the Chesapeake Bay, testing his naïve certainty that he will never die at sea.