The Firefly Dance

Bright lights flicker in the dark evenings of summer. Pinpoints of hope float against the black descent of night. The sweetest of small and innocent creatures finds its way through the shadows. Fireflies seem to dance on sheer air, illuminating the space between heartbeats. Children give off a similar brave glow, despite the challenges of their young lives. The lessons of childhood are often painful, the shedding of fragile wings in the gloam of an uncertain future. These rich novellas are small jewels reflecting the essence of what it means to grow up dancing among the shadows of life, carrying a brave, small beacon because you know that even the brightest days always, always, end in darkness. Childhood can be so sweetly sad and sadly sweet, profound and deceptively easy to categorize, yet poignant to remember. New York Times bestselling novelist Sarah Addison Allen (GARDEN SPELLS, SUGAR QUEEN, THE PEACH KEEPER) anchors THE FIREFLY DANCE with her wistful and funny novella about Louise, a North Carolina girl whose keen observations of the lives around her weaves an unforgettable spell with just a hint of everyday magic. Phyllis Schieber's Sonya, a child of Holocaust survivors, is confronted with the responsibilities of her legacy when she has a poignant encounter with a classmate, another child of survivors, and her mother, in a local shop in their 1970's New York neighborhood. Kathryn Magendie's Petey deals wryly with her family's move from the cool blue mountains of North Carolina to the hot flatlands of Texas. Augusta Trobaugh's stoic Georgia boy leads us through his surreal encounter with a mysterious backwoods toddler who turns out to be anything but ordinary.

This collection of novellas reveal that childhood is sweetly sad and sadly sweet; profound and deceptively easy to categorize, yet poignant to remember.

This collection of novellas reveal that childhood is sweetly sad and sadly sweet; profound and deceptively easy to categorize, yet poignant to remember.

A girl and her brother spend their childhood in a small town on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Award-winning author Lucha Corpi explores her Mexican heritage in this inviting bilingual tale of family life, music, and cultural pride. Colorful illustrations and characters enliven the story.

From the New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . . now a #1 Netflix series! In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the "coolest girl in the world" moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer's end they've become TullyandKate. Inseparable. So begins Kristin Hannah's magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives. From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness. Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn't know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she'll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she'll envy her famous best friend. . . . For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they've survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test. Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone's Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it's the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It's about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you'll never forget . . . one you'll want to pass on to your best friend.

Jade returns home to Chapel Springs after years of protecting her fragile heart. Then along comes Daniel, making her long to dance again. Growing up in the Midwestern river town of Chapel Springs, Indiana, Jade McKinley felt like a weed in a rose garden. When she left, she thought she’d never look back. Now, pregnant, alone, and broke, she has no other choice but to return. The mayor of Chapel Springs, Daniel Dawson, has been an honorary member of the McKinley family for years. While his own home life was almost nonexistent, Daniel fit right in with the boisterous McKinley family. He’s loved Jade for years, but she always thought of him as a big brother. Now that she’s back, his feelings are stronger than ever. As Jade attempts to settle in, nothing feels right. God seems far away, she’s hiding secrets from her family, and she’s strangely attracted to the man who’s always called her “squirt.” Returning home may prove more difficult—and more wonderful—than she ever imagined.

Mix together a beautiful ballerina and ballet teacher, a sexy single dad, and a precocious-yet-sweet daughter, and emotions run high. Add racial and cultural differences, work contracts coming to an end, and hurts and memories from the past and sparks fly. Rowena loves to dance but has ended up teaching ballet instead. When she helps out Cameron’s difficult daughter, a bond develops between the two dancers. Cameron makes Rowena uncomfortable because he stirs up new, unwanted feelings which make no sense when he intends to leave Zambia soon when his contract ends. Cameron can’t resist sanguine live-wire Rowena who makes his daughter smile for the first time in years. But can he risk his heart again when memories of his late wife come back to haunt him? And Rowena has a lot more at stake in giving her all.

Summary: In the middle of a dark and magical forest lived a group of goblins who were much nicer than the ones in scary stories. These goblins were friendly, liked to cause trouble, and felt deeply connected to the beauty of nature. The Firefly celebration was their favorite holiday. It happened once a year and was a beautiful show of unity and wonder between goblins, woodland animals, and fireflies. The Firefly Festival took place in a clearing in the middle of a forest. The huge oak trees there made it look like a natural amphitheater. Goblins and other creatures of the woods gathered here, where the smell of wildflowers and the soft feel of the grass drew them in. In order to get ready for the holiday, the goblins spent weeks making flower crowns and lanterns out of branches, leaves, and other natural materials. They asked every animal that lives in the forest to join the party, from cute chipmunks and bunnies to owls and foxes. When the sun went down, it cast a warm orange glow over the area where the party start. The goblins' favorite friend, the firefly, showing up was without a doubt the best part of the party. The shimmering, microscopic bugs that showed up added a wonderful touch to the evening's events. They were in a secret valley deep in the forest, where a field sparkled like a thousand lights. That's where the goblins knew how to look for them. There were thousands and thousands of fireflies at the party, making a beautiful show of moving lights. While the goblins played beautiful music on their flutes, the fireflies seemed to dance to the beat, making a beautiful orchestra of light and sound. Some bad goblins, like Grumble, thought it would be a great idea to blow on a firefly to wake it up and make its light shine better. The goblins quickly agreed with this idea, and soon the whole clearing was lit up with a bright light, as if the sky had opened up to join the party. As the night went on, the firefly led the goblins and other animals of the forest to continue to dance and celebrate. The lights gave off a soft, comforting light, and the air was filled with happiness and joy. It was time to say goodbye to the fireflies when the first rays of dawn broke through the trees in the morning. The goblins let the fireflies fly, feeling both sorry for what they did and thankful for their help. As the early morning light came up, they stood there and watched the fireflies fly away into the sky. The goblins were thrilled and amazed when they got back to their homes in the woods. They did this because they were sure that their connection with the firefly and the forest's natural beauty would keep charming them. They looked forward to new adventures every day in their magical forest, and every night they celebrated the wonderful things that nature had given them. Beginning with Hear: Once upon a time, in a magical forest hidden behind tall, old trees, there lived a group of helpful goblins. The goblins in this story were not at all like the ones in scary books or movies. They were nice, but at heart they were pranksters, and they loved the chance to enjoy the beauty of nature. They thought the Firefly Festival was one of their favorite events. The forest was a beautiful and enchanted place where time seemed to move more slowly and every sound of birds singing, and leaves rustling held a secret. There were goblins watching over this strange place. The fact that they lived in such an unusual way showed how much they cared about nature. In a world where goblins were usually thought of as dangerous monsters that lived in the dark, this group was a bright example of how good people could be found in the strangest places. People in this world often thought of goblins as scary monsters that lived in the dark. Their gentle nature came from the beautiful woods, which was where they wanted to be. The goblins' days were full of fun things they did that honored the forest's many and varied plants and animals. They were the first to rise with the sun and would sing happy songs that could be heard all over the forest. For fun, they would do things like put nuts in each other's shoes or send each other on treasure hunts to find the most beautiful wildflowers. They would do these things while grinning meanly. But things weren't always so happy and bright for these goblins. Their strong belief was that it was their duty to keep the forest and its animals safe. These people knew all the secret tracks that went through the thick plants and were always ready to help any animal that needed it. This could mean saving a bird that is stuck in a thorny bush or showing a baby rabbit how to get back to its hole. The animals in the forest understood that the goblins in this story were not at all like the ones they had read about in scary stories because they did nice things for them. The goblins would have lively talks with squirrels and chipmunks and teach them what they knew about the forest. Old, wise owls would visit them and talk to the goblins about the moon and stars. As the seasons changed, the goblins would change what they did for a living so they could fully enjoy each day. During the cool fall days, they would get together to pick the ripest apples from the orchards. They would fill baskets to the brim with the fruit they had gathered. Under the harvest moon, they would make big leaf piles to jump into and then tell each other stories about the crazy things they had done. During the winter, when the forest was covered in snow, the goblins would make giant snow forts and tunnels and ask their animal friends to go on snowy adventures with them. It was also very cold in the winter, so they left food out for the animals to make sure everyone had a good meal. The goblins loved all four seasons, but summer was their favorite. As soon as the sun came up, everyone got excited about their much-loved Firefly