Reaching For A Star

Whenever I mention my Frankie Laine association to someone for the first time, two questions always come up: “Why are you interested in Frankie Laine and his music?” and “How did you meet Frankie?” I suppose the first question relates to my age. I was born a decade after Frankie had recorded “That’s My Desire” in 1946. That record became Frankie’s first to sell a million copies in 1947. Furthermore, Frankie was already internationally famous by 1954, the year my parents were married. Why did I become interested in Frankie Laine and his music? I can sum it up in one word—emotion. Frankie, now retired, is an expressive person. As a true “song stylist,” Frankie shaped and phrased the words in a melody, thus creating a style that was all his own. Indeed, all Frankie Laine fans treasure Frankie’s great ability as a vocalist. However, as far as I am concerned, the allure of Frankie Laine goes beyond his musical voice. I think Frankie’s immense emotion and profound appreciation for what he sang, regardless of whether it was a jazzy, up-tempo song or a slow ballad (or any other type of song), were what always captivated me. This book answers the second question detailing the story associated with the first time I met Frankie Laine. Nonetheless, when I met Frankie in 1985, our time together was notable in an unexpected way. I experienced another aspect of Frankie Laine, which had absolutely nothing to do with music—his kindness. Although I had read stories about what a nice person Frankie always was, I witnessed, firsthand, how much he truly cherishes his fans. Primarily, I had two goals in writing this book. First, I needed to assemble all my wonderful Frankie Laine adventures and put them down on paper in an organized fashion before my memories of the events faded. Therefore, I searched through numerous videotapes, audiotapes, newspaper articles, letters, photographs, and e-mail notes within my prized Laine library. Of course, I also relied on my personal recollections. Second, I aspired to relate to readers how an ordinary person (me), by sheer determination and action, had succeeded in his initial quest—I did meet Frankie Laine. Additionally, I developed a friendship with this amazing, famous singer. Each person has a special dream. Some dreams do come true. —Craig Cronbaugh, 2005

The book that inspired the new film A Million Miles Away. Born into a family of migrant workers, toiling in the fields by the age of six, Jose M. Hernàndez dreamed of traveling through the night skies on a rocket ship. Reaching for the Stars is the inspiring story of how he realized that dream, becoming the first Mexican-American astronaut. Hernàndez didn't speak English till he was 12, and his peers often joined gangs, or skipped school. And yet, by his twenties he was part of an elite team helping develop technology for the early detection of breast cancer. He was turned down by NASA eleven times on his long journey to donning that famous orange space suit. Hernàndez message of hard work, education, perseverance, of "reaching for the stars," makes this a classic American autobiography.

How to make your dreams come true.

From Emmy-nominated science TV star and host of Netflix’s hit series Emily’s Wonder Lab Emily Calandrelli comes an inspirational message of love and positivity. From the moment we are born, we reach out. We reach out for our loved ones, for new knowledge and experiences, and for our dreams! Whether celebrating life’s joyous milestones, sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of the world around us, this uplifting book will inspire readers of every age. A celebration of love and shared discovery, this book will encourage readers to reach for the stars!

“Valuable above and beyond a case study because it remarkably grounds what can be very illusive alchemical imagery into psychological experience.” – Margaret Johnson, editor, Psychological Perspectives “A testament to the healing capacities of the imagination, the humble “star in man” that connects us to the unconscious: to unknown and unexpected developments in ourselves.” – Literary Aficionado I suspect that far more would be resolved, and much of the world’s suffering wouldn’t be in vain, if only we could transform the wars in the Middle East and elsewhere in this world into the likes of Randy’s sand trays. War of the Ancient Dragon: Transformation of Violence in Sandplay is a major contribution to Jungian Psychology, Sandplay Therapy, and to the world at large. I urge you to read and to tell others about this powerfully moving book. – Mel Mathews, Publisher, Fisher King Press Six-year-old Randy conducts bloody wars in the sandtray, calling them “World War One,” World War Two, and “The War of the Ancient Dragon.” He burns fires and bombs helpless victims, killing some and saving others. What could possibly be going on in his imagination? The contents of his imagination—what the alchemists call the “realm of subtle bodies”—are revealed in his sandplay from one session to the next, and there we see the raw, autonomous dynamism that motivates Randy, already branded a bully and nearly expelled from first grade. We see fiery, destructive conflict, part his, part his culture’s, part lived, part projected, a conflict of archetypal opposites that engulf Randy’s personality and fuel his violent behavior. But also from Randy’s imaginal world, out of the very war between opposites that drives him, the unknown third possibility unfolds. Allowed to exist and be seen with a paradoxical healing aim, the war fights itself out over time in the safe container of the sandtray, finds its unpredictable resolution, and gradually releases Randy from its grip. He finally emerges, calling himself “king of the bloodfire,” returned to the rule of his own emotional life. He has adapted to school, proud of his achievements, a star student in math. Randy’s lively narratives animate his dramas and reveal the distinct hallmarks of an alchemical opus over the course of 24 therapy sessions. He remarkably echoes the words of the ancient sages such as Zosimos, who centuries ago in his own imagination witnessed the “torture” of transformation in fire. Randy’s process is thoroughly documented and amplified, unveiling the alchemical stages of transformation—nigredo, albedo, and rubedo—in a way that helps us relate to those chapters in our own individuation struggles. Psychological Perspectives editor Margaret Johnson writes that the work is “valuable above and beyond being a case study because it remarkably grounds what can be very illusive alchemical imagery into psychological experience.” War of the Ancient Dragon guides us through the gritty realities of the alchemical process, helping us realize how they can manifest in everyday life, dream images, and fantasy. Above all the book is a testament to the healing capacities of the imagination, the humble “star in man” that connects us to the unconscious: to unknown and unexpected developments in ourselves.

A novel of the deindustrial future... More than four centuries have passed since industrial civilization stumbled to its ruin under the self-inflicted blows of climate change and resource depletion. Now, in the ruins of a deserted city, a young man mining metal risks his life to win a priceless clue. That discovery will send him, and an unlikely band of seekers, on a quest for a place out of legend, where human beings might once have communicated with distant worlds...to a place called Star's Reach...

In Nazi-occupied Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is called upon for a selfless act of bravery to help save her best friend from a terrible fate. Winner of the Newbery Medal, newly reissued in the Essential Modern Classics range. "They plan to arrest all the Danish Jews. They plan to take them away. And we have been told that they may come tonight." It is 1943 and life in Copenhagen is becoming complicated for Annemarie. There are food shortages and curfews, and soldiers on every corner. But it is even worse for her Jewish best friend, Ellen, as the Nazis continue their brutal campaign. With Ellen's life in danger, Annemarie must summon all her courage to help stage a daring escape. Inspired by true events of the Second World War, this gripping novel brings the past vividly to life for today's readers.