Cursed Grounds

There are places around the world that seem to be under a dark spell. Mysterious events happen on these grounds, and many visitors report experiencing paranormal activity. These cursed places have the power to cause injury, disaster, or even death. But what is legend and what is fact? Kids will have to read Cursed Grounds and then decide for themselves. Among the 11 cursed places in this book, children will discover a city in ruins that people are afraid to enter to this day; a rocky creek that may be inhabited by a dead woman’s spirit; and the frozen grave of a man who lived more than 5,000 years ago. The haunting photographs and chilling nonfiction text will keep readers eagerly turning the pages for more as they discover spooky locations around the world.

Presents eleven cursed places around the world, including a ruined city people are afraid to enter, a rocky creek where a dead woman's spirit is said to drown swimmers, and the frozen grave of a man who lived more than 5,000 years ago.

What if a grave has already been dug for you? An original and scary work, Cursed Grounds is suspense at its finest.

A powerful fictionalized account of Zora Neale Hurston’s childhood adventures explores the idea of collective memory and the lingering effects of slavery. “History ain’t in a book, especially when it comes to folks like us. History is in the lives we lived and the stories we tell each other about those lives.” When Zora Neale Hurston and her best friend, Carrie Brown, discover that the town mute can speak after all, they think they’ve uncovered a big secret. But Mr. Polk’s silence is just one piece of a larger puzzle that stretches back half a century to the tragic story of an enslaved girl named Lucia. As Zora’s curiosity leads a reluctant Carrie deeper into the mystery, the story unfolds through alternating narratives. Lucia’s struggle for freedom resonates through the years, threatening the future of America’s first incorporated black township — the hometown of author Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960). In a riveting coming-of-age tale, award-winning author T. R. Simon champions the strength of a people to stand up for justice.

Winner of the 2011 John Steptoe New Talent (Author) Award! Racial duplicity threatens an idyllic African American community in the turn-of-the-century South in a dazzling debut inspired by the early life of Zora Neale Hurston. (Ages 10 and up) Whether she’s telling the truth or stretching it, Zora Neale Hurston is a riveting storyteller. Her latest creation is a shape-shifting gator man who lurks in the marshes, waiting to steal human souls. But when boastful Sonny Wrapped loses a wrestling match with an elusive alligator named Ghost -- and a man is found murdered by the railroad tracks soon after -- young Zora’s tales of a mythical evil creature take on an ominous and far more complicated complexion, jeopardizing the peace and security of an entire town and forcing three children to come to terms with the dual-edged power of pretending. Zora’s best friend, Carrie, narrates this coming-of-age story set in the Eden-like town of Eatonville, Florida, where justice isn’t merely an exercise in retribution, but a testimony to the power of community, love, and pride. A fictionalization of the early years of a literary giant, this astonishing novel is the first project ever to be endorsed by the Zora Neale Hurston Trust that was not authored by Hurston herself. Also includes: *an annotated bibliography of the works of Zora Neale Hurston *a short biography of Zora Neale Hurston *a timeline of Zora Neale Hurston’s life "It is with sheer genius that Bond and Simon have created something for readers young and old--there are familiar references, like the ‘Brazzles,’ for true Zora-philes, as well as revelatory and wondrous information for those readers as yet uninitiated in the masterful storytelling of Zora Neale Hurston. This is a grand and accessible work that educates, informs, and entertains, and one that I am personally grateful was written for all of us." --LUCY ANNE HURSTON, niece of Zora Neale Hurston

Anyone who has watched Indiana Jones knows that curses can have very real implications. However, is there such a thing today as cursed objects? This book explores some of the most well-known cursed objects, from the Hope Diamond to Tutankhamun's tomb, and looks to science, through the use of photographs, eyewitness accounts, elaborate hoaxes, and evidence, to answer whether curses are real.

A real Heavenly Angel named Lay Lay talks about what really happened in the Garden of Eden between Adam, Eve, and the Serpent and why the Serpent never talked to Adam.