A moving, poetic story about a whale in captivity who longs for the ocean . . . because whales don't belong in fishbowls, do they? Wednesday is a whale who lives in a fishbowl smack dab in the middle of a city--it's the only home she's ever known. Cars whizz around her and people hurry past; even the sun and moon circle above. But if she leaps high enough out of her bowl, Wednesday can see it: a calm bit of blue off in the distance. When a girl in a paisley dress tells Wednesday "You belong in the sea," the whale starts to wonder, what is the sea? Readers will cheer--and get all choked up-- when, one day, Wednesday leaps higher than ever before and sets in motion a breathtaking chain of events that will carry her to her rightful home. Touching, and ultimately uplifting, here is a story about a lonely creature longing to be free--and longing to find someone just like her. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018! A New York Public Library Best Book of 2018!

“Once Upon a Fishbowl” is an imaginative book - a parable, an allegory - which playfully captures a very human story, but one which is set in the marine world of fish. The story parallels the biography of Serena Williams, the tennis player, as it recounts the unfolding life of a blue fish named “Selena Gilliums” and her quest to be the ocean-wide fish-champion in the game of "Bubble Ball", a game fish play in water with their fins using oily air bubbles. And why "blue” fish? Because the ocean of Aria's imagination has fish of 2 colors, blue and yellow. Just as humans consciously and subconsciously engage in discrimination based on skin color, the fish in this world discriminate based on fin colors - they engage in "fishism". The book skillfully traces the long struggle against fishism, fish slavery and the fight for Civil Rights in the fictional ocean country called "The United Shoals of Americlam" while weaving the athletic rise in contemporary times of Selena Gilliam. It celebrates the journey of tribulations, frustration and eventual triumph of a larger-than-whale spirit of Selena, who rises above all the obstacles to become the fish which was the GOAT - Greatest of All Time - in Bubble Ball... The book does not merely trace Serena's life or past history, though. It showcases many issues which are as relevant today as a hundred years ago - gender discrimination, religious discrimination, class discrimination, our fights against fellow humans based on stereotypes and nationality, our blatant plundering of environment, our pollution footprint... a very sobering reminder from a fish narrator... Even the book’s tagline, "Are Fish Racist? Are they following human footsteps?" is a haunting reminder to us all about our responsibility (and irresponsibility) toward nature and all which surrounds us. The book is replete with delightful puns, a very sophisticated use of English language and a large number of fish drawings sketched by the author and scattered throughout the book. There are also these cute explanatory notes for humans who may not know the inner workings of the marine world, and a comical glossary. This metaphorical biopic is a wonderful work of art and creativity from a very young, precocious author. It will inspire people of all ages to reflect on the importance of overcoming our prejudices, and rising above our superficial differences, to truly be “human”.

"Luqman's commitment to his dreams and ideals are intense and boldly honest. His focus is on his search and discovery of universal truth. Here, he offers a glimpse into the reality that all answers come from within; and each man (person) must connect to his or her own spirit in honesty and with an open mind in order to hear them. Hollywood is a fantasy that, if we allow it, can distract from the great creative medium that is within all of us to build for ourselves. In the footsteps of Luqman, (moving in his own footsteps, as with each of us) lies even greater hope and truth." Marla Gibbs Actress, Community Activist, and friend to generations as Florence on The Jeffersons, Mary on 227, and D. L. Hughley's mother on The Hughley's.

Engage with everyday expressions in a completely different (and fun!) way, with this entertaining and interactive book of common phrases that can turn a humdrum gathering into a raucous game night. We use expressions and idioms all the time. When you feel sick, you’re “under the weather.” When you feel great, you’re “on top of the world.” But whether you’re a “smart cookie” or a tough one, you—and almost everyone you know—have a veritable smorgasbord of expressions stored deep in your brain. So to Speak: 11,000 Expressions That’ll Knock Your Socks Off is the largest collection of its kind. Thoughtfully divided into sixty-seven categories—from Animals to Food & Cooking, from Love to Politics, this reference guide may have more in common with an activity book! Don’t look for definitions and etymologies, because the book is just the beginning. So to Speak is the launchpad for your lifelong journey to explore the universe of expressions. In fact, it’s designed to get readers off the page—and engaging with each other through word games and puzzles. So to Speak spurs discussion, debate, and play, while encouraging the art of listening and celebrating the joy of words. Authors Shirley and Harold Kobliner spent more than half a century nurturing and teaching children. So to Speak is a reflection of their deeply held belief that regardless of a person’s age, the most impactful learning happens when you’re having fun. Whether it’s grandparents teaching their favorite expressions to their grandkids, teens helping adults with the latest lingo or slang, or millennials indulging in their love of wordplay and games, this is the perfect book for any lover of language.

Since the release of the documentary Blackfish in 2013, millions around the world have focused on the plight of the orca, the most profitable and controversial display animal in history. Yet, until now, no historical account has explained how we came to care about killer whales in the first place. Drawing on interviews, official records, private archives, and his own family history, Jason M. Colby tells the exhilarating and often heartbreaking story of how people came to love the ocean's greatest predator. Historically reviled as dangerous pests, killer whales were dying by the hundreds, even thousands, by the 1950s--the victims of whalers, fishermen, and even the US military. In the Pacific Northwest, fishermen shot them, scientists harpooned them, and the Canadian government mounted a machine gun to eliminate them. But that all changed in 1965, when Seattle entrepreneur Ted Griffin became the first person to swim and perform with a captive killer whale. The show proved wildly popular, and he began capturing and selling others, including Sea World's first Shamu. Over the following decade, live display transformed views of Orcinus orca. The public embraced killer whales as charismatic and friendly, while scientists enjoyed their first access to live orcas. In the Pacific Northwest, these captive encounters reshaped regional values and helped drive environmental activism, including Greenpeace's anti-whaling campaigns. Yet even as Northwesterners taught the world to love whales, they came to oppose their captivity and to fight for the freedom of a marine predator that had become a regional icon. This is the definitive history of how the feared and despised "killer" became the beloved "orca"--and what that has meant for our relationship with the ocean and its creatures.

The Feeder Fish follows Jim, who has the misfortune of being born a Feeder Fish with only one thing to look forward to: being a happy meal for something carnivorous and unhappy. All Jim knows is fluorescent lights, fish flakes, and glass walls, until a fish named Barry jumps into his fish tank and explains everything. His fate seems sealed when a carnival comes to town and changes Jim’s destiny, finding him the forever home he has always longed for. But all that is about to change when Mona plops into his life and turns Jim’s fishbowl upside down. His once peaceful life becomes a memory when he soon finds himself treading water in a world as big as an ocean. There he discovers not only BFFs (Best Fish Forever), but adventures filled with creatures he never dreamed existed. About the Author J. P. Sheridan explains, “It all began when my daughter brought home a goldfish she had won at the fair, having tossed a Ping-Pong ball into a small fishbowl. I wasn't very optimistic about Jim's future, since he was a bit on the scrawny side, but he surprised us, growing into a beautiful goldfish. During Jim's time with us, I often wondered about his past and if the other goldfish at the fair ended up as lucky.” The author was born in the Bronx, grew up in Washington Heights, and graduated from Lehman College, City University of New York.