Raymond Obstfeld

While twins Ella and Herbie help the handyman Mr. Midal work on their new home, he tells them about such inventors as Granville Woods, Dr. Henry T. Sampson, and James West, giving them a new view of their heritage as African-Americans.

When eighth-grader Chris's older brother, Jax, is caught betting on the pick-up basketball games that Chris and his friends play, Chris becomes involved in the police investigation.

Traces the evolution of the author's views on social justice, from his youth in the civil rights era to his current role as a cultural commentator on topics ranging from race and economic inequality to music and the influence of the media.

The rebirth of learning and artistic pursuit in Europe is well-detailed in Greenhaven Press' anthology on the Renaissance. Gathering primary accounts from religious, artistic, scientific, and secular leaders, this anthology covers a broad spectrum of social and political topics of the day. Their firsthand reflections convey the exuberance of rediscovering the joys of education and social progress after the intellectual darkness of the Middle Ages....