The Village Square

CURRENT AFFAIRS Silence gives consent, there is much truth in this saying. American history tells us that even unpopular rulings by the Supreme Court were overturned as concerned citizens took to the streets in protest. This has its roots in the Boston Tea Party. We are seeing stirrings in todays tea party gatherings. A Voice in the Village Square gives insight as to why public vigilance is necessary against political corruption. If allowed to continue through public apathy, it only grows bolder. As a voice in the village square, the writer intends to stem the incursion that tramples the common good.

In "The Village Square," Emma unravels the mysteries of her quaint hometown, uncovering a web of secrets and a clandestine society lurking in the shadows. When an ancient artifact resurfaces, Emma finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue and danger. As she delves deeper into the village's history, Emma discovers the true power of the artifact and its role in shaping the fate of the village square. With the help of unexpected allies, Emma confronts the darkness that threatens to engulf her community, forging bonds of friendship and unity along the way. Will Emma unravel the secrets of the artifact before it's too late, or will the village square fall victim to the forces of darkness? "The Village Square" is a captivating tale of mystery, adventure, and the enduring power of hope in the face of adversity.

A young girl from the West African village of Tos movingly tells how the men came to live in square houses and the women in round ones.

In this horse adventure perfect for fans of Black Beauty, a Connemara pony is pampered and beloved, then abused and neglected, until twelve-year-old Rae brings love to her again. Princess lives a charmed life of brown sugar cubes, crunchy apples, sweet grass, and adoration. But it is a lonely life; her elderly owner keeps Princess separate from other ponies so his show-ring champion will remain pristine. When Princess's owner has a stroke, she is thrust into the care of an unscrupulous trainer and his wife, who steal from the farm and leave. Abandoned to starve with other, tougher ponies, Princess is bereft of all hope. Meanwhile, a girl named Rae wants a pony more than anything and is striving to make her unrealistic dream a reality. Rae and Princess need each other, though neither realizes this when they eventually meet. Rae must learn to see beyond Princess's scars and Princess must learn to trust again in order for them both to find their own hidden strengths and a home in each other.

A NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FINALIST A Recommended Book From: The New York Times * Good Morning America * Entertainment Weekly * Electric Literature * The New York Post * Alma * The Millions * Book Riot A commanding debut and a poignant coming-of-age story about a devout Jewish high school student whose plunge into the secularized world threatens everything he knows of himself Ari Eden’s life has always been governed by strict rules. In ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn, his days are dedicated to intense study and religious rituals, and adolescence feels profoundly lonely. So when his family announces that they are moving to a glitzy Miami suburb, Ari seizes his unexpected chance for reinvention. Enrolling in an opulent Jewish academy, Ari is stunned by his peers’ dizzying wealth, ambition, and shameless pursuit of life’s pleasures. When the academy’s golden boy, Noah, takes Ari under his wing, Ari finds himself entangled in the school’s most exclusive and wayward group. These friends are magnetic and defiant—especially Evan, the brooding genius of the bunch, still living in the shadow of his mother’s death. Influenced by their charismatic rabbi, the group begins testing their religion in unconventional ways. Soon Ari and his friends are pushing moral boundaries and careening toward a perilous future—one in which the traditions of their faith are repurposed to mysterious, tragic ends. Mesmerizing and playful, heartrending and darkly romantic, The Orchard probes the conflicting forces that determine who we become: the heady relationships of youth, the allure of greatness, the doctrines we inherit, and our concealed desires.

This collection of vivid photographs tells the story of citizens who spoke up against the nuclear power industry, who refused to be nuclear neighbors, and who fought for years to stop construction or to close reactors in their backyards. The photographs also introduce us to the victims of nuclear power, among them the children who developed cancer and other grave health problems, even generations after the 1986 explosion at Chernobyl. Through Lionel Delevingne’s record, we can see for ourselves the tragedies of the worst accident sites: Three Mile Island in the United States, Chernobyl in Russia, and Fukushima in Japan. We hope that this collection and history will help take the story of atomic energy “to the village square,” that it will generate discussion and a renewed sense of urgency, and remind a new generation of the battles that have been fought and are still to be fought to protect the beauty and health of our world.

For America’s rural and suburban areas, new challenges demand new solutions. Author Randall Arendt meets them in an entirely new edition of Rural by Design. When this planning classic first appeared 20 years ago, it showed how creative, practical land-use planning can preserve open space and keep community character intact. The second edition shifts the focus toward infilling neighborhoods, strengthening town centers, and moving development closer to schools, shops, and jobs. New chapters cover form-based codes, visioning, sustainability, low-impact development, green infrastructure, and more, while 70 case studies show how these ideas play out in the real world. Readers —rural or not—will find practical advice about planning for the way we live now.