From the edge of the Hudson River, we travel with fifteen year old Cookie Colangelo into The Heart of Yonkers. Close to the river's edge, it was hot enough to take your clothes off and think about jumping into the water. Cookie has been slow to mature sexually. When her sexual awakening does occur, it's a huge explosion, all-consuming and emotionally powerful. She desperately wants a boyfriend but will not settle for a dumb Yonkers guy. Then she meets Stanley di Falco and falls hard. This Vietnam War Vet has recently returned home. Stanley is vulnerable and trying to come to terms with his own humanity. While Cookie does everything in her power to seduce him, her age is an obstacle to consummating the relationship. Throughout this story, the presence of the river is a brilliant metaphor providing context for unforgettable characters. Meet Jimmy the Midget who owns the Midget Bar on top of hardscrabble Nodine Hill. This popular watering hole is a refuge for working stiffs to drown themselves in the drink and to get solace from a midget who possesses uncanny insight into people. As a ruse to get close to Stanley di Falco, Cookie befriends his mother Bertha Sokól, who is a refugee and survivor of the slaughter at Nowy Targ in Poland. Many characters from the first Yonkers book are back too. They're older but are they wiser? Black B-boy dancer Herman Lynch and his grandmother Mable Kerry continue to be the ballast in Cookie's unstable world. Cookie's parents are stranger and funnier than ever. The Queen Bee of Italian girls Toni Ferlinghetti embarks on a new reign of terror. Ultimately, The Heart of Yonkers is about kissing...well, learning how to kiss, or maybe, it's about much more than kissing.

YONKERS Yonkers! is for Young Adult readers, yet readers of all ages can learn how our turbulent political times have been shaped by our past. Welcome to working class Yonkers circa 1969-71! This coming-of-age story captures Woodstock, the Vietnam War, a bad President in the the White House, chaos and a fundamental breakdown of social order.

The Yonkers Carnegie Library was commonly held to be the most beautiful building in the city. No one seemed to know for sure why it was destroyed. The circumstances that led to the death of the library are steeped in half-truths, incredible lies, and wild rumors that range from political corruption to bumbling incompetence. One rumor focuses on the true intentions of the Mayor of the time, Angelo Martinelli, and his desire to undo the white flight to the east side of Yonkers. Rumors hinting of racism-the area surrounding the library had become increasingly populated with blacks and Puerto Ricans-is also explored as a reason why the library was destroyed. Corruption in Yonkers city government has also been alleged, and while without having a smoking gun, it's hard to prove people took money under the table, the chronic pattern of cronyism is undeniable. Among the rumor mill, claims persist that Angelo Martinelli wanted to build a sleek high-rise tower to replace both the Yonkers City Hall and the library. Other rumors suggest the library was razed to make room for a bridge to New Jersey. Another allegation accuses Yonkers City Council Member Harry Oxman of sacrificing the library to spare his small-time dry cleaning business. And finally, the library itself has been accused of being its own worst enemy. What really happened?

The cultural and ethnic flavors of Flatbush, Brooklyn have changed over these many years, from seventeenth-century Dutch to eastern European and Jewish, and the present Caribbean influence. Over time, small, rich farms run by Patrician families gave way to the dignified garden homes of Victorian Flatbush when the economy could no longer support farming. Through annexation by Brooklyn, development of the railroad and trolleys (which inspired the name of baseball's famed Trolley Dodgers), and the drain of suburban flight, Flatbush residents actively sought to keep their town a place to call home.

This New York Times bestselling novel from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives. Monster is a multi-award-winning, provocative coming-of-age story that was the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist. Monster is now a major motion picture called All Rise and starring Jennifer Hudson, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Nas, and A$AP Rocky. The late Walter Dean Myers was a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, who was known for his commitment to realistically depicting kids from his hometown of Harlem.

This carefully thought out and well-crafted PR primer gives people all of the pieces they need to create a solid brand identity that will help them to get hired, develop their careers and increase their business. Now, in order to be seen and heard above the din and to reach the right target audiences, everyone must build a solid brand identity. By following the Ps of PRforPeople, you will increase awareness for who you are and what you do. To promote you, your brand, and your business, you must carefully plan all elements of your promotion, which include the following Ps of PRforPeople: Persona, Positioning, Perception, Platform, Planning, Press, Pitching, Partnering, Performance and Persistence. All of these pieces together help to create a brand identity where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts so that your message about who you are and what you do breaks through the clutter in a way that will help to develop your career and increase your business.