MAGIC KEYS places the primary emphasis on reading. If the student is a good reader, he becomes a happy and productive performer. Learning the notes one by one gives him security not only in recognizing the notes, but also in finding their positions on the keyboard.

The Magic Keys winningly evokes the coming to maturity of one of the great characters in contemporary American literature: Scooter, the central protagonist of Albert Murray’ s highly acclaimed autobiographical novels Train Whistle Guitar, The Spyglass Tree, and The Seven League Boots. Growing up brilliant and curious in Alabama, Scooter was told he was destined for greatness. Now newly married and a graduate student in humanities at New York University, he goes about discovering just what he is destined to be great at. Anchored by Eunice, his “Mrs. Me,” Scooter makes the rounds of Manhattan’ s libraries, jazz hangouts, galleries, skyscrapers, and endlessly fascinating streets, meeting the people who will help him find his way: dapper Taft Edison, who is setting their down-home dialect onto the pages of his novel-in-progress; Joe States, a drummer who brings old expectations to Scooter’s new life; and Jewel Templeton, no longer his girl but still a believer. When his budding career takes him back to Alabama, Scooter discovers both the promise of everyday bliss and intimations of adventures to come. In his inimitably musical, ardent prose, Murray captures the joyful rhythms of youth and the pulse of life at the moment when everything seems possible, in an exhilarating, tender, and masterfully crafted novel.

Mexican Americans comprise the largest subgroup of Latina/os, and their path to education can be a difficult one. Yet just as this group is often marginalized, so are their stories, and relatively few studies have chronicled the educational trajectory of Mexican American men and women. In this interdisciplinary collection, editors Zambrana and Hurtado have brought together research studies that reveal new ways to understand how and why members of this subgroup have succeeded and how the facilitators of success in higher education have changed or remained the same. The Magic Key’s four sections explain the context of Mexican American higher education issues, provide conceptual understandings, explore contemporary college experiences, and offer implications for educational policy and future practices. Using historical and contemporary data as well as new conceptual apparatuses, the authors in this collection create a comparative, nuanced approach that brings Mexican Americans’ lived experiences into the dominant discourse of social science and education. This diverse set of studies presents both quantitative and qualitative data by gender to examine trends of generations of Mexican American college students, provides information on perceptions of welcoming university climates, and proffers insights on emergent issues in the field of higher education for this population. Professors and students across disciplines will find this volume indispensable for its insights on the Mexican American educational experience, both past and present.

Unlock the past to save the future. When Lola inherits an ancient key, she is thrust into a world of time-travel and magic that changes everything she knows about her family and herself. Lola thought she was an ordinary girl until a strange key and a letter from her deceased mother lead her to discover her lineage of time-traveling witches. Now, she must learn to use her powers to uncover the secrets that have been kept from her, all while protecting the key from those who wish to use it for evil. The Ancestors' Key is the first novel in The Evers Series. Stay in the loop! Join Marie-Hélène's newsletter for writing updates, sales, upcoming events, and special promotions. www.mhlebeault.com

“IDEAS ARE YOUR MASTERS” In The Magic Keys, Joseph Murphy reveals the hidden truth of life. You—and all the world—are ruled by ideas. Once you discover the methods to master ideas, you master yourself and everything around you. In eight enticing steps, the author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind teaches you how to harness and transform your ideas in all areas of life, including money, health, relationships, worry, and the wish for security. Murphy also explores “the fourth way to pray”—a dramatic yet simple method that opens you to a new world of possibility. This collection, part of a new series called Joseph Murphy’s Golden Lessons, is edited and introduced by popular voice of esoteric spirituality Mitch Horowitz. It includes Mitch’s short bio of Murphy and a timeline of the teacher’s life. “Ideas of self-image,” Mitch writes in his introduction, “shape your existence.” Allow The Magic Keys to help you realize the full breadth of that truth and how to benefit from it.