A "Call The Midwife" for the 17th Century. It's 1665. the year of the Great Plague and not long after the Civil War. Lucie Smith, the midwife, manages arguments between her husband and son, their housemaid's unplanned pregnancy and an accusation of malpractice, which could see her lose her midwifery practice, or even face excommunication.

Priding herself on having the most up-to-date information about everyone at Mount Olympus Academy, gossipy Pheme sends VIP messages that linger in cloud letters above her head, a habit that raises the ire of her fellow goddesses.

A look at the delights—and dangers—of gossip, from a New York Times–bestselling, “erudite writer, gifted with rare insight and a wry sense of humor” (USA Today). Gossip is no trivial matter. In this enlightening and entertaining study, the author of Snobbery takes a look at a human activity that may be looked down upon, but nevertheless plays a persistent role in our society—and therefore, must be taken seriously. Joseph Epstein, who admits to indulging in this activity himself from time to time, serves up mini-biographies of history’s famous gossips, and makes a powerful case that gossip has morphed from its old-fashioned best—clever, mocking, a great private pleasure—to a corrosive, destructive new version, thanks to the reach of the mass media and the Internet. This is an erudite and witty read from “a master observer of humanity’s foibles” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). “Epstein defines categories of gossip, from personal to celebrity, workplace, and political, and discusses how gossip ‘enforces a community’s norms’ or, conversely, helps foster tolerance. . . . In his briskly erudite, zestfully original, and provokingly enjoyable anatomy of gossip, Epstein revels in the risky collusion of gossip within shared worlds and resoundingly condemns media-disseminated gossip that diminishes our ability to ascertain or value the truth.” —Booklist

How has the choice morsel of gossip damaged your fellowship of believers? Learn to recognize the deadly fruit of gossip, slander, and bitter roots, and how to repent individually and corporately in a godly way.

Winner of the Children's Choice Book Awards' Teen Choice Debut Author Award Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody. Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester." After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice--and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life. But in this novel from Jennifer Mathieu, exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself. This title has Common Core connections.