Book Club | Zuzu All Grown Up

Zuzu's Book Club

A Couple of Miracles: One Couple, More Than a Few Miracles by Barry and Joyce Vissell

The following story, our story, strings together miracle after miracle. Some may be hard to believe, but they are all true. As they say, “Truth may be stranger than fiction.”
Our previous nine books also contain miracle stories, some about us and some about other people. In all these books, the miracle stories illustrate teaching points to help the reader grow in awareness and love. This, of course, is wonderful, but we have longed to tell our whole story, to let our story be a teaching in itself.We write our story, not only to entertain you, our readers, and certainly you will be entertained, but more so to inspire you. One thing we have learned after seventy-five years in these bodies, living on this earth, is that all of us have lives filled with miracles. We sincerely hope you will look at your own lives with new eyes, and discover the miraculous in so many of your own stories. Like Einstein said, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Miracles are events that cannot be explained by our limited minds. We may try to explain them, but we seem to always fall short. The mind simply cannot believe in miracles, while the heart doesn’t have to believe. It knows! The mind craves explanations, while the heart transcends explanation. The mind seeks smallness, while the heart is open to vastness. To be open to miracles is to be open to a spiritual dimension of life.

Coming Through the Flames: My Life in the F.D.N.Y. by Chris Edwards (Author), Linda Cotter Lucas (Author)

Chris Edwards, a retired FDNY firefighter and first responder recounts the tragedies that he faced throughout his career in the F.D.N.Y. This book is a candid history that allows the reader to experience what it's like to be part of the FDNY. The author recalls his experiences that led up to 9/11 and the spiritual journey that followed. This book is a memoir dedicated to his children.

Sparky and The Magic Blue Ribbon: The Story of How Children Brought Love to the World by Helice Bridges (Author), Sergio Drumond (Illustrator)

This is a true story about the author when she was only four years old. In a deep sleep, she dreamt that a Tiny Angel visited her. tiny Angel told her she'd been traveling the world looking for children who would bring love to the whole wide world. Tiny Angel asked Sparky if she help. Sparky shouted YES! YES! YES! I'll help. Tiny Angel pulled a magic wand out of her velvet blue pouch. Out flew magic gold dust circling Sparky's head tickling her nose and making her laugh inside. Tiny Angel said, "From this time and forever more every time you smile sick people will get well, sad people will become happy, and angry will not hurt themselves or others evermore."

Speaking with the Heart: Transforming Your Relationship and Communication with Compassion and Connection

by Dr. Heather Browne, PsyD, LMFT (Author)

Everyone wants to feel loved, wanted, and appreciated in our relationships…yet we continually feel hurt or misunderstood instead.

Are you frustrated with having the same argument week after week?

Do you act more like roommates than a couple who’s in love?

Are you stuck not knowing what to do to change your connection, communication, and intimacy with your partner?
We all want to have deeply connected relationships, but oftentimes, we become stuck in the same arguments and dynamics which keep us from experiencing the joy we wish to feel in our intimate relationships.

Life Is Great!: Revealing the 7 Secrets to a More Joyful You!

Happiness is the pleasure one feels when they appreciate that life is good. It is not a selfish or trivial pursuit—it is a very, very important issue. Happier people make the world a better place. They treat themselves and others better.

If everyone was happier, peoples’ marriages would be better, schools would be more effective, and the cost of health care would plummet. There would be a reduction in the size of our police forces, and man wouldn’t require as many prisons and probably many armies would disband. Happiness is that powerful.

Bus 9 to Paradise: A Loving Voyage

by Leo Buscaglia PhD (Author)

Can you take a bus to paradise? Probably not, because "this undiscovered territory has no common destination." Leo Buscaglia explores the premise that "life is paradise for those who love many things with a passion."

The inspiration for this book came from Leo's syndicated newspaper column where many of these topics were first explored.

Rachel Smiles: The Spiritual Legacy of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott

When Rachel Scott's life was tragically cut short in the Columbine High School shooting, she left behind a group of grieving friends and family. But as stories of Rachel's faith and courage have surfaced, her legacy has grown to include hundreds of people who have been stirred by her example and are now impacting their world for God's kingdom. In this moving book, readers will cherish the encouraging stories of those who are still passing on Rachel's spiritual legacy. Her father, Darrell Scott, shares his own reflections, which are deeply personal and poignant. Never-before-published writings and drawings from Rachel's journal are also included, along with photos of Rachel and her family and the people whose stories are featured.

Freedom Pancakes for Ukraine

By Janice Cohn (Author), Yana Holubiatnikova (Illustrator)

In Freedom Pancakes for Ukraine, Dr. Janice Cohn delivers a moving story that explores the power of kindness and compassion in the face of war. Beautifully illustrated by Ukrainian artist Yana Holubiatnikova, this picture book takes readers on an emotional journey from war-torn Ukraine to the heart of a compassionate volunteer in Poland-and even across the ocean to a girl in the United States.

Young Artem lives in Ukraine and, when war breaks out, his father stays to fight for freedom while Artem and his mother flee to safety by train in neighboring Poland. Struggling with sadness and confusion, Artem worries about his father and his own future. But he finds strength and hope in the kindness of Paolo, a volunteer with World Central Kitchen, who provides him with warm meals and comforting words.

In an interconnecting storyline, Hannah, a young girl in the United States, is concerned about the plight of Ukrainian children. Determined to make a difference, she finds a way to counter her own feelings of helplessness and offer support, proving that it's possible to have an impact, even from afar.

Dancing with Tex: The Remarkable Friendship to Save the Whooping Cranes

by Lynn Sanders (Author), Ann Knipp (Editor), Sergio Drumond (Illustrator)

Dancing With Tex: The Remarkable Friendship To Save The Whooping Cranes brings a true environmental story to life about the power of friendship in saving the Whooping Cranes from extinction.

Tex is a rare Whooping Crane from Texas who believes she belongs with people. George is a young man from Canada, who wants to save the cranes. Together, Tex and George become dancing partners over six years to help Tex lay a fertile egg.

Garbage Bag Girl

by Celeste L. Edmunds (Author), Richard Paul Evans (Author)

This book is an honest and vulnerable first-person account of Celeste Edmunds a young woman who was raised by drug addict parents and, at a young age, learned to survive and protect her siblings among rapists and drug dealers. Eventually the state separated the family and Celeste was adopted, alone, into a dysfunctional, fractured home where she was treated, by a sadistic and manipulating mother, as an unwanted outsider. Contemplating taking her abusers life, she eventually ran away, finding shelter wherever she could, until a compassionate woman stepped in to give her a home and love. Ultimately, Garbage Bag Girl, is an unforgettable story of hope.

Sibley’s Christmas Adventure

by Don Alhart (Author), Doug Hoyt (Illustrator)

Join “Sibley” the mouse on a magical holiday journey, brought to you by TV news broadcaster, Don Alhart. All proceeds from this book go to The Arc Foundation of Monroe, supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in the Rochester community since 1962. Illustrated by Doug Hoyt.

Buy Now: https://arcmonroe.org/product/sibleybook/

Seven Stories of Christmas Love

by Dr. Leo Buscaglia

Through true personal stories retelling Christmas memories, New York Times bestselling author, professor, and PBS motivational speaker Leo Buscaglia demonstrates in Seven Stories of Christmas Love that the values of caring and love are essential far past Christmas day.

With warm humor, Buscaglia recounts real stories of peace, joy, and goodwill from his past Christmases. Mentioning events such as producing a school Christmas pageant or spending the holiday in a hospital, Buscaglia emphasizes how the moments in each story reinforced his belief in the spirit of the season and how it can be embodied throughout every month of the year.

An inspiring collection perfect for the holiday season, Seven Stories of Christmas Love encourages his audience toward self-reflection. By considering what Christmas means to them, readers can begin to understand how to incorporate these positive emotions in their lives throughout the rest of the year.

The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate

by Janice Cohn (Author), Bill Farnsworth (Illustrator)

This beloved and inspiring children's book, now updated and expanded for a new generation, recounts the true story of how an American town took a stand against hate and antisemitism during the holiday season of 1993.

When a rock is thrown through a young Jewish child's bedroom window in Billings, Montana, the entire community unites, working together to take action. Their response, inspired by the rescue of the Danish Jews 50 years earlier, shows how love and courage can conquer hate.

This expanded 30th anniversary edition includes additional material on the events in Billings, including interviews and a discussion guide, and invites us all to be upstanders in the face of injustice. At a time of division and incivility in our country, with the alarming rise of antisemitism and other forms of bigotry, true stories like The Christmas Menorahs are needed more than ever to show children and adults alike what our "better angels" can achieve.

Finding God in It's A Wonderful Life

by Greg Asimakoupoulos
The classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life has become part of holiday traditions around the world, reminding us that every life matters, that we can depend on family and friends, and that God hears our desperate cries. In this book, pastor and author Greg Asimakoupoulos identifies the glimpses of God that appear throughout America’s most inspirational film.

Buy Now On Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/greg-asimakoupoulos/finding-god-in-its-a-wonderful-life/paperback/product-j8kr5j.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4

Zuzu's Wonderful Life

by Greg Asimakoupoulos

Zuzu’s Wonderful Life (and other poems) is collection of rhymes inspired by the memorable themes found in Frank Capra’s classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This delightful book by America’s pastor/poet laureate is a companion volume to “Finding God in It’s a Wonderful Life”.

Buy Now On Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/greg-asimakoupoulos/zuzus-wonderful-life/paperback/product-1n7w7y8z.html?q=

The Bliss Mistress Guide to Transforming the Ordinary into the Extraordinary

Do you long for a life that sings and soars? Do you have dreams and desires that light you up from the inside? What would it be like to be a human sparkler? The Bliss Mistress Guide to Transforming the Ordinary into the Extraordinary invites you to take a step into the life you have always wanted; filled with love, abundance, adventure, success, healing, joy, healthy relationships, self-exploration, and fun. Come along on a journey with the Bliss Mistress and learn to become the mistress or master of your own bliss.

Why Bad Things Don't Happen to Good People - Finding Light in the Darkness

by Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt (Author)

Why Bad Things Don't Happen to Good People addresses one of the most frequently asked questions of all time. After the passing of his wife at a very young age, leaving him with four children under the age of nine, Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt spent years finding the balance between his overwhelming pain of loss and his concurrent appreciation that everything God does is for the best. Why would an all-loving 'good' God do something seemingly so 'bad' to him and his young children? The answer is that He didn't.
With this premise, Why Bad Things Don't Happen to Good People expertly tackles the most challenging topic of all time. With a light and sometimes humorous style, and through sharing his own personal story of loss and recovery, Rabbi Rosenblat provides an answer to the almost unanswerable question. He will challenge your conceptions as he delivers a remarkable and powerful argument that in fact, bad things simply don't happen to good people!

Enchanted Forest (piano solos collection)

Phillip Erklen & Emilee Hartley
Intermediate - Early Advanced

Though I met Phil at a very young age, it was not until 2016 that I had the opportunity to work closely with him and get to know him well. During this time, he shared the beginning stages of this project, and showed me his vision for the finished product. I was so inspired by his idea, and we decided to collaborate on the remaining pieces to the puzzle. Over the next few months, I wrote five of the works included here.

The final piece I wrote, titled “Path of the Wisps” or "Path of Shining Lights" is a tribute to Phil, and to the way he has guided so many young people in their pursuit of musical dreams. Not only has he nurtured some incredible talent, but he has always met his students with a smiling face and brought so much joy into their lives. This song is specially dedicated to Phil to symbolize the unique impact he has had on so many.

- Emilee
Piano solos included in this collection:

The Faerie
Path of the Wisps
The Troll Under the Bridge
The Gnomes' Inn
Wizards
Pixies
The Ogre
The Unicorn
Den of the Dragon
Quantity

You Look Like That Girl: A Child Actor Stops Pretending and Finally Grows Up

by Lisa Jakub (Author)

At the age of twenty-two, Lisa Jakub had what she was supposed to want: she was a working actor in Los Angeles. She had more than forty movies and TV shows to her name, she had been in blockbusters like Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day, she walked the red carpet and lived in the house she bought when she was fifteen.
But something was missing.
Passion. Purpose. Happiness.
Lisa had been working since the age of four, after a man approached her parents at a farmer's market and asked her to audition for a commercial. That chance encounter dictated the next eighteen years of her unusual-- and frequently awkward--life. She met Princess Diana... and almost fell on her while attempting to curtsy. She filmed in exciting locations... and her high school asked her not to come back. She went to fancy parties... and got kind of kidnapped that one time. Success was complicated.
Making movies, traveling the world, and meeting intriguing people was fun for a while, but Lisa eventually realized she was living a life based on momentum and definitions of success that were not her own. She battled severe anxiety and panic attacks while feeling like she was living someone else's dream. Not wanting to become a child actor stereotype, Lisa retired from acting and left L.A. in search of a path that felt more authentic to her.
In this funny and insightful book, Lisa chronicles the adventures of growing up in the film industry and her difficult decision to leave behind the only life she had ever known, to examine her priorities, and write the script for her own life. She explores the universal question we all ask ourselves: what do I want to be when I grow up?

Not Just Me: Anxiety, depression, and learning to embrace your weird

by Lisa Jakub (Author)

“Poignant, accessible, helpful, hilarious (often snort-out-loud hilarious), and 100% relevant to the problems that people struggle with every day.”
- Dr. Lisa B. Nelson, Director of Medical Education at Kripalu

“This is the best practical guide to living with anxiety that I have read. If you suffer from anxiety or love someone who does, read it. This book will change lives. “
– Daniel Willingham, Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia

“Lisa Jakub has an exceptionally accessible, honest voice and a wry sense of humor–a great antidote to difficult terrain.”
– Claudia Kalb, New York Times bestselling author of Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder: Inside the Minds of History’s Great Personalities.

Building Leaders Through Service: The Qualities of Visionary Leaders: Community Leader Edition

by Dave Kelly (Author)
Serving leadership is the truest form of leadership. It puts others above self, not to your own detriment but instead to elevate other people. This book is based on the author's lifetime commitment to service and leadership. Dave has personally performed more than 50,000 hours of service and motivated and led students to perform more than two million hours. He shares 15 qualities of serving leadership that visionary leaders posses and how you can make them real in your own life.

This book is focused on community leaders: members of civic clubs, organizations, and societies; people engaged with agencies and non-profit organizations; and anyone who wants to grow in their leadership skills and put those skills into action.

Building Leaders Through Service®: The Qualities of Visionary Leaders: Student Edition

A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time

by Rob Scheer (Author)

In the tradition of The Promise of a Pencil and Kisses from Katie comes an inspirational memoir by the founder of Comfort Cases about his turbulent childhood in the foster care system and the countless obstacles and discrimination he endured in adopting his four children.

Rob Scheer never thought that he would be living the life he is now. He’s happily married to his partner and love of his life, he’s the father of four beautiful children, and he’s the founder of an organization that makes life better for thousands of children in the foster care system.

But life wasn’t always like this.

Growing up in an abusive household before his placement in foster care, Rob had all the odds stacked against him. Kicked out of his foster family’s home within weeks after turning eighteen—with a year left of high school to go—he had to resort to sleeping in his car and in public bathrooms. He suffered from drug addiction and battled with depression, never knowing when his next meal would be or where he would sleep at night. But by true perseverance, he was able to find his own path and achieve his wildest dreams.

“A heartwarming, hopeful memoir brimming with humanitarianism and compassion” (Kirkus Reviews), Rob’s story provides a glimpse into what it’s like to grow up in the foster care system, and sheds necessary light on the children who are often treated without dignity. Both a timely call to action and a courageous and candid account of life in the foster care system, A Forever Family ultimately leaves you with one message: one person can make a difference.

Ryan and Jimmy: And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together (CitizenKid)

by Herb Shoveller (Author)

It costs a lot of money to build a well in Africa --- a lot more than Ryan Hreljac had thought. Still, the six year old kept doing chores around his parents' house, even after he learned it could take him years to earn enough money. Then a friend of the family wrote an article in the local newspaper about Ryan's wish to build a well to supply people with safe, clean water. Before long, ripples of goodwill began spreading. People started sending money to help pay for Ryan's well. Ryan was interviewed on television. His dream of a well became an international news story. In Agweo, Uganda, villagers were used to walking a long way every day in search of water. What they found was often brown and smelly and made a lot of people sick. But when Ryan's well was built, life in the village changed for the better. A young orphan named Akana Jimmy longed for a chance to thank Ryan in person for this gift of life --- clean water.When they finally meet, an unbreakable bond unites these boys from very different backgrounds, and a long and sometimes life-threatening journey begins. Ryan and Jimmy is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.

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