A children's story book about a puppy growing up in the country and learning to play the guitar.

What I didn’t know [when starting to research and write this book]: I would become full-on, hopelessly obsessed with finding out every arcane detail about the artists gathered in these pages, whether they are living or long gone. Those myriad facts are puzzle pieces that—even though some pieces are missing—form portraits of extraordinary people with a hunger for jazz and other creative artforms, a determination to overcome struggles, and a deep joy for creating profound expression. —Chris Wong, from the Preface and Introduction to Journeys to the Bandstand. Journeys to the Bandstand: Thirty Jazz Lives in Vancouver chronicles the creative lives and musical journeys of thirty extraordinary artists who have helped shape the jazz scene in the west coast Canadian city, and further afield. Each chapter focuses on one remarkable artist, or a small group of impactful musicians, mostly based in Vancouver (Al Neil, Dave Quarin, Brad Turner, Cory Weeds, Jodi Proznick, Natasha D’Agostino, and others). The book also highlights some American musicians (Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Dr. Lonnie Smith, George Coleman, and others) who have made an indelible impression on the city’s jazz community. Weaving a first-person perspective—through the author’s experiences hearing the musicians perform and documenting oral history from in-depth interviews—with extensive written and audio-visual history gathered from articles, letters, recordings, films, and more, Journeys to the Bandstand is a compelling collection of long-form portraits. The unique life stories of each subject include challenges—addictions, anxiety and self-doubt, racism, abuse, and other hard realities—and triumphs when they succeeded in making expressive and memorable music. Each individual path forms a complex and fascinating passage—the journey to the bandstand.

The Philadelphia institution and self proclaimed “Culinary Pioneers Since 1939” offers this guide to cheese pairing with information on 170 different varieties of artisan cheeses and 30 recipes including Cheddar Ale Soup and Rogue River Sushi.

After a viral pandemic kills 99.9 percent of the world's population, survivors find they have increased strength and healing powers as they face the hostile world.

Bruno Mars conquered the music industry with far-reaching flair, selling over 115 million records worldwide as a singer, producer and as a songwriter. Bruno Mars, the book, documents his childhood in Honolulu and how he found fame from the age of four, before spreading his wings and scaling the seemingly unassailable stronghold of the music industry.

Colorful graphics, oversized photos, and short, engaging sentences draw reluctant readers in to the fascinating life of pop singer and songwriter Bruno Mars! This book describes Mars's childhood in Hawaii, family, education, and rise to fame. From his early Elvis impersonations to his high school band, readers will follow Mars's career as he moved to Los Angeles to pursue music. Readers will learn how Mars started out writing songs for famous artists, including Flo Rida, Matisyahu, B.o.B., and Travie McCoy, which eventually led to release of Mars's first album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, featuring hit songs "The Lazy Song" and "Grenade." From writing and recording songs to performing live concerts around the world, readers will discover what it's like to be a professional singer and songwriter! Features include a table of contents, maps, "Did You Know" fun facts, a "Snapshot" page with vital information, a glossary with phonetic spellings, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Big Buddy Books is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.