At FriesenPress we celebrate each and every book our authors publish. Below are a few that staff have nominated as their picks. Selections change frequently, so be sure to check back for new recommended books. And, of course, all the titles you see below are available here at the FriesenPress Bookstore. Happy reading!
Talk show host Harry Sting is well known to his listening audience for his disdain of all things religious. But when invited guest Reverend Barclay Steadmore, a rector at St. Bartholemew’s Church, catches him off guard by speaking with confidence from a secular perspective, Sting’s bravado wavers. Reverend Steadmore is invited to return the following week and their discussions leave the station full of turmoil that is swiftly reflected in the responses that come from all directions. “Tangleville has been aroused,” the Reverend’s secretary says. “You really blew it,” his parish warden affirms. What starts as a one-off encounter between two seemingly disparate forces turns into a weekly discourse that boosts the show’s ratings as well as attendance at St. Bart’s. Most surprising, though, is the unexpected friendship that develops between the two men. Tangleville: Just About Any Town, Anywhere invites Christians and secularists alike to rethink their commitment to the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Designed to equip leaders, supervisors, and managers in understanding and supporting those experiencing a personal crisis, Through the Storm offers invaluable and pragmatic leadership advice. Providing a practical guide to understanding trauma and the various distress reactions that are common responses of those whose lives have been turned upside down, the book applies the author’s professional expertise as a Critical Incident Program Coordinator in an urban police service and draws on his personal success in managing life’s rigors as a cancer survivor and as one who has overcome life-threatening explosions, the deaths of loved ones, and the murder of a close family member. Through the Storm provides readily applied suggestions and strategies on how to engage with individuals during what may be their darkest hour. Whether you are a leader wanting to do the right thing or an individual caught in the moments when “things go bad” and looking for a strategy to get to the other side, this book will be invaluable.
Tripler Pell, MD, MSc is a family physician, medical school teacher, and academic researcher with international experience. She is also an active mother of three, and most recently the author of a light-hearted children’s story pertaining to a health topic with widespread relevance: small children and the use of wireless devices. The book is meant to be a fun and entertaining story for children under age 8. It is also a useful way for parents and small children to engage together in setting limits and explore the meaning of a healthy lifestyle. In addition, a separate section at the end of the book provides simple suggestions on how parents can make screentime safer.
Avis Glaze was recently identified as one of the most inspiring women every educator should know. From her earliest days in Jamaica, as a young girl who was driven to teach others to read, to her rapid rise through all levels of the school system to become the founding CEO of the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and Ontario’s Education Commissioner, Glaze has been a persistent voice in the belief that there should be no ‘throw-away kids.’ Recognized for her record of innovations in education, including improved student learning and achievement in Ontario, she initiated system-wide character development programs in schools, communities and workplaces. This award-winning educator has been a steadfast advocate for equity of outcomes for all students. That is why Glaze has always acted with a sense of urgency because, as she often says, “the children cannot wait.” Glaze was chosen by the Canadian government to assist with education reform in South Africa. She was also invited to work on education reform in New Zealand, and was invited by the Queen of Norway to speak to principals. Most recently, she was appointed as independent advisor to assist in improving education in Scotland. She is in demand as a speaker across the globe, having worked in more than 22 countries and over 30 U.S. states to help maximize impact. She is truly an international leader in the field of education. Part biography, part chronicle of achievements, this book will reignite passion and commitment to improve teaching, learning, leadership, and organizational effectiveness.
“I invite you to look into the eyes of the homeless… they tell a story.” Homelessness is a serious problem throughout North America—even in Canada and the United States, two of the richest countries in the world. “We must stop this madness,” says Leah Denbok, the teenage Canadian photographer who travelled with her dad for over two years to cities throughout North America, photographing and interviewing the homeless. Leah was inspired by the story of her mother, who at three years old was rescued from the streets of Calcutta by Saint Teresa (formerly Mother Teresa). Nowhere to Call Home is a collection of gritty, black-and-white photographs and the personal stories of individuals who live on the streets. The haunting beauty of the images will stay with you, long after you turn the last page.
Alphabet Stage opens the curtain on the fascinating world of letters with a cast of entertaining characters and props. An amusing performance unfolds as each new letter adds another novel element to the drama while previously introduced letters remain onstage. This impressive work incorporates the most recent emergent literacy research to introduce the alphabet and early literacy skills to children.
Team Stryker Volume 001 collects the first five issues of the ground breaking webcomic, Team Stryker. Started as a webcomic in 2012, Team Stryker focuses on the adventures of four overly American soldiers Eagleheart, Deadeye, Casanova and V-Scope. In each issue Team Stryker faces off against deadly foes such a velociraptor in a lab coat or the dreaded hipster assassins known as The Hip Squad. Pages are added weekly to www.teamstrykercomic.com which is currently on its ninth issue.
Equity remains elusive in contemporary global society. Gendered inequities abound and persist but are typically overlooked in our responses to difficult problems such as climate change, poverty, or economic crisis. Despite this blind spot, gender matters more than ever for achieving social and economic progress. Gender Unchained is a revelatory and tightly argued book that offers two ways forward. First, that we embrace the smashing of the gender binary and second, that we develop gender transformative approaches to solving the larger issues of our time. Inspirational and informational in equal measure, Gender Unchained is a well-reasoned call to action that examines many facets of gender inequity and offers realworld solutions for tackling it at the root.
