In a small Mexican village deep down in the Southwest corner of Mexico, there was the finest jumping bean community in all the land. Farmer Blue had the most lush, fertile farm in the area. He was very proud of the fact that the famous jumping bean community lived on his farm. He created a special area called the Oasis where they were safe from harm and could flourish to their heart's content. Some people marveled at his jumping beans, others mocked him. "These are famous jumping beans", Farmer Blue would say. "They are circus jumpers and always have a home hereThe Oasis was the center of the village. All community gatherings happen here. All the beans came together here before they make their own way each day. In the center of the Oasis was a beautiful turquoise waterfall with a lagoon and a river that flows through the farmland. Farmer Blue maintained the oasis for the beans for 60 years, so they could live there peacefully.

Pedro the Sailor, a sequel to Abby's first book, Pedro the Mexican Jumping Bean, finds Pedro all grown up and living out his dream of being a sailor. This book's message is, there is someone for everyone; we can all fulfill our dreams, no matter what our circumstances.

Widely considered one of the most important voices in the Chicano literary canon, José Antonio Burciaga was a pioneer who exposed inequities and cultural difficulties through humor, art, and deceptively simple prose. In this anthology and tribute, Mimi R. Gladstein and Daniel Chacón bring together dozens of remarkable examples of Burciaga’s work. His work never demonstrates machismo or sexism, as he believed strongly that all Chicano voices are equally valuable. Best known for his books Weedee Peepo, Drink Cultura, and Undocumented Love, Burciaga was also a poet, cartoonist, founding member of the comedy troupe Cultura Clash, and a talented muralist whose well-known work The Last Supper of Chicano Heroes became almost more famous than the man. This first and only collection of Burciaga’s work features thirty-eight illustrations and incorporates previously unpublished essays and drawings, including selections from his manuscript “The Temple Gang,” a memoir he was writing at the time of his death. In addition, Gladstein and Chacón address Burciaga’s importance to Chicano letters. A joy to read, this rich compendium is an important contribution not only to Chicano literature but also to the preservation of the creative, spiritual, and political voice of a talented and passionate man.

May 4, 1885- the Feast of Saint Sebastian in Melilli, Sicily, celebrating the martyred saint and protector from the bubonic plague. But for young Nick Ilsanto, that day would turn into his worst nightmare, its tragedy propagating a new kind of plague, one spawned by avarice and hate, destined to bring America, and Europe, to its knees. Nick Ilsanto and the Scourge of the Black Hand details Nick’s twentyfour- year odyssey to find the man known as “il Lupo,” “the Wolf,” the cause of his nightmare and, eventually, the world’s. While pursuing the leader of the terrorist organization known as the Black Hand, Nick, driven by revenge, vows to destroy both “il Lupo” and the Hand- why the Wolf wants him, more than anyone else on earth, dead. A crime novel and love story featuring some of America’s most legendary figures, including P.T. Barnum, Teddy Roosevelt, and John L. Sullivan, “Nick Ilsanto” is also an epic tale of America’s reality and myths regarding justice, equality, racism and immigration.

Lena can recite the Scriptures by heart. Hoping to make her adored Papa proud of her and to make her white classmates notice her "Magic Mind," not her black skin, Lena vows to win the Bible-quoting contest. But winning does not bring Lena what she expected. Instead of honor, violence and death erupt and strike the one she loves most dearly. Lena, who has believed in vengeance, must now learn how to forgive.

After the breakup of his marriage and plagued by severe depression, Amos Grant loses his job as an award-winning reporter on a large metropolitan newspaper and is forced to return to Taterville, the small Florida cowboy town of his birth. He consents to his dying father's wish and takes over the family weekly newspaper and stays to care for his ailing mother. After ten years, he feels shackled. He hates his dull, unsophisticated life and dreams of the day when he can escape Taterville. But everything changes when Randy, his gay employee, is charged with the mysterious deaths of two teenage boys. In order to prove Randy's innocence, Amos must battle Carlton Potter, one of the richest ranchers in the state. In addition, he is threatened by Taterville's bigoted secret society. In the end, Amos realizes he must uncover the naked lies lurking behind the closed doors of Carlton Potter's mansion, even if it means discovering the stark truth about himself.