New Book Releases

If only you believe in yourself, you can do anything! That's the lesson this little float learns in the New Orleans based adaptation of Watty Piper's classic tale, The Little Engine That Could. The Little Float wants to be a part of the big parade this year. To get to New Orleans, the float will have to cross a really tall bridge. It will take some persuading to make it across and onto the parade route! What will give the float the confidence to get across and entertain all the costumed children waiting to see the parade?

Puzzle your way across Route 66 from Illinois to California or California to Illinois!

Travel the Mother Road through this 100-puzzle puzzle book in the best-selling Great American Road Trip series. Start in Chicago (or work backwards) through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, ending at Santa Monica Pier. The word finds and other puzzles for all the iconic sites along the way will be sure to entertain, educate and whet your appetite for a real or armchair journey across America's Main Street.

Puzzle your way through the Golden State

Discover the Great State of California through this 100-puzzle puzzle book in the best-selling Great American Road Trip series. Eureka! You've found it. From Avenue of the Giants to Zzyzx Road & Mineral Springs in Baker, the word finds and other puzzles will be sure to entertain, educate and whet your appetite for a real or armchair journey through the Golden State.

This richly illustrated, Gilded Age inspired sketchbook reveals a fascinating side of a titan of American architecture alongside pages for a reader’s own expressions of beauty.

Considered the preeminent nineteenth century American architect, Richard Morris Hunt (1827–1895) designed some of the greatest landmarks of the Gilded Age such as the Vanderbilt mansions, including Biltmore, the Breakers, Marble House and more. Part of the unique milieu of Hunt’s inspiration was his devotion to the art of collecting. From fine art and jewelry to antiques and collectables, Hunt scoured Europe and America for objects of interest. He kept extensive sketchbooks of his drawings and notes that reveal not only his collecting mindset, but the ideas, aesthetics and inspirations that shaped his approach to architecture. 

Author Sam Watters presents a glimpse inside the creative mind of Richard Morris Hunt, and explores a historic and elegant world of beauty. Including pages for sketches and notes inspired by Hunt’s designs.

Over 100 illustrations describe the building styles of each historical era and highlight some 60 buildings of particular importance.

The French Quarter, New Orleans’ historic center, is the most interesting sixty-six square blocks in America. Known as the Vieux Carré, and locally as the Quarter, it is a unique community which has evolved over the past three hundred years. Founded in 1718 by the French, the colony came under the control of the Spanish in 1762. They would hold it until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Despite devastating fires in 1788 and 1794, traces of each generation of occupants can still be seen in the the Quarter’s wrought-iron balconies, hidden courtyards, and grand ballrooms, although for the most part the architecture is Spanish.

Telling the story of its growth by analyzing its architecture, Historic Buildings of the French Quarter traces the history of the Quarter from its origins to the present. Over one hundred illustrations describe the building types and styles of each historical era and highlight some sixty individual buildings of particular importance. Similar in format to Vogt’s previous books, Historic Buildings of the French Quarter is designed to be an easy-to-use, definitive guide to New Orleans’ most unusual neighborhood.

Los Angeles’s dizzying array of attractions can easily overwhelm visitors and locals alike, but now there’s a better way to explore the city.

Enjoy a glimpse of the history behind the most prestigious museums and discover sites better known for their part in international scandals. Peek into California’s colonial past, visit sites from the golden age of film or explore the urban legends surrounding the Black Dahlia. With tips from the best times to visit to where to park, experience the best of Los Angeles like a local.

Join author Adam Papagan, experienced tour guide and true California character, for a tour of Los Angeles you’ll never forget.

On November 5, 1976, twenty-seven-year-old Dorothy Milliken left her rural home in Sabattus, Maine, to go to an all-night laundromat. The following morning, her body was found slumped against the outside wall.

Despite various leads, there were no arrests for her murder. Dorothy Milliken became a name typed on an index card filed at state police headquarters, her crime scene displayed in grainy black-and-white photos in the evening newspapers. Nearly five decades later, author Sharon Kitchens examines the cold case, interviewing more than forty people, including Dorothy’s family, friends, former neighbors, law enforcement and forensic specialists. Who was Dorothy? Why has her killer never been found? Did she know her murderer, or was her death due to a random, frenzied attack?

A portion of the profits from the sale of the book are being donated to the Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery (FAIR) Lab at the University of New Hampshire. The FAIR Lab trains students to excavate, recover and identify human remains.

Acclaimed author June Hersh presents the iconic dishes, fascinating stories and mouthwatering history behind Upstate New York’s culinary heritage, featuring delicious recipes of reinvented classics.

The heart of New York State’s food culture isn’t found on busy Manhattan avenues—it exists within the country kitchens, historic farms and neighborhood spots beyond the environs of New York City. Chicken riggies, salt potatoes and beef on weck aren’t just local foods—they reveal the vibrant Italian, Irish and German immigrant histories that shaped the region. From the Borscht Belt to the Finger Lakes, New York’s Upstate has diverse and exciting flavors all its own. The Empire State’s picturesque apple orchards, Concord grape vineyards and dairies have been feeding the nation for centuries.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book benefit the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum.

In the early twentieth century, an interconnected web of men and women, led by Dr. V.E. Vivian, fought for a better future in Whitesbog Village, a forgotten town in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. And they won.

Before their heroic efforts, air, land and sea were riddled with pollution, with few protections. Hope for a better tomorrow seemed unlikely. When they were done, the 1.1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve became the largest protected and preserved open space on the East Coast.

With the help of numerous color images dedicated to Dr. Vivian, author William J. Lewis chronicles and celebrates the educators and historians who started New Jersey’s conservation movement and successfully crusaded for a better, cleaner world.

Marblehead’s fishermen, merchants, slaves and heroes are buried in graveyards throughout this historic town.

There are thirteen burial sites, including large cemeteries and small family tombs. Old Burial Hill was established in 1638, and the “new” Waterside Cemetery was opened in 1859.

Revolutionary War hero General John Glover, famous for rowing General Washington across the Delaware River in 1776, is buried at Old Burial Hill. The final resting place of an enslaved woman, marked simply “Agnis Negro” was recently reproduced and rededicated. Green Street holds the graves of Elisha Story, who took part in the Boston Tea Party, along with Josiah Cressy, record-breaking captain of the Flying Cloud clipper ship. Mary Alley, who left property to establish the town’s first hospital, is buried at Harborview Cemetery. Local author Pam Matthias Peterson reveals five centuries of history behind these markers of the past.

Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study and the passionate possession of all Texans. —John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

Although occasionally long and roughly paved, roads less traveled reveal cultural gems in every region of the state. From the peaks of the Guadalupe Mountains to the valleys of the Rio Grande, find the best food you’ve ever indulged in, the kindest people you’ve ever met and stories that’ll last a lifetime. Make time for Texas’s wineries and historic churches. Explore true crime and paleontology specific excursions, and relish natural wonders and landmarks of human ingenuity. Author Raegan Scharfetter leads a tour through some of the most rewarding destinations in the Lone Star State.

Cleveland’s neighborhood taverns are more than just places to grab a drink—they’re snapshots of the city’s history, rich with tales of community, celebration and even scandal.

Built by hardworking immigrants chasing the American Dream, these taverns were where workers cashed their paychecks, swapped stories, celebrated victories and sometimes witnessed late-night crimes. Family-run bars were often passed down through generations, becoming intertwined with the ever-changing face of the city. Although many did not survive the 1960s and ’70s, their memory lives on.

Native Clevelander and founder of My Cleveland History Tom Kaschalk honors the legendary watering holes that shaped Cleveland’s communities, hosted vibrant music scenes and served as the backdrop to both good times and life-changing events.

Searing Heat and Torrents of Rain

As the nation’s future hung in the balance, the Weather Gods delivered a wrath of fury on Union and Confederate forces throughout the Gettysburg Campaign. First, record-breaking heat and humidity wore down the warring armies during ungodly forced marches. Next, relentless storms plagued the soldiers with resultant muddy slogs on nearly impassable roads. As the armies met in mortal combat, soul-crushing heat turned the bucolic fields of Gettysburg into a sanguinary and barren expanse. Finally, torrential rains haunted the Confederate retreat and narrow escape across a swollen Potomac River. Authors Jeffrey J. Harding and Jon M. Nese present firsthand accounts, harrowing narratives and groundbreaking meteorological research that reshapes how we view the Civil War’s Gettysburg Campaign.

Gone but not Forgotten in the Electric City

The unrelenting passage of time inevitably brings dramatic physical change. Thus, many of Great Falls’ iconic figures and landmarks persist only in memory. Internationally famous “cowboy artist” Charles M. Russell favored socializing at the Mint and Silver Dollar Saloons. The Ozark Club broke down racial barriers, where African American businessman Leo LaMar presented the hottest jazz acts touring the West. Mark Twain and other luminaries graced the Grand Opera. City-sanctioned brothels littered the infamous 10th Alley South. The Big Stack, once the world’s tallest structure, stood as a testament of industry and progress. Award-winning historian Ken Robison turns back the clock for a nostalgic tour of the city’s lost architectural, social and cultural heritage.

Lost in the Flames

On October 21, 1836, a bustling crowd gathered at the docks in Saint John, New Brunswick, to witness an extraordinary spectacle. The steamship Royal Tar was embarking on yet another voyage from New Brunswick to Portland, Maine, laden with a cargo of peculiar passengers. For this fateful voyage, the Royal Tar had been transformed into a circus ship. Onlookers watched as cages slowly rolled past—exotic birds in one, two lionesses in another and the regal striped Bengal tiger in a third. Then the star of the show slowly made his way across the gangplank. Mogul, the mighty Asian elephant, took his spot on the upper deck of the ship as it steamed out of the port.

After four days of stormy weather, a devastating fire engulfed the ship. The ensuing chaos left thirty-two people dead, and many of the animals were pushed overboard into the frigid waters of Penobscot Bay in a last-ditch effort to save them. The rest died in their cages. Jane Parks Gardner reveals how this tragic event left an indelible mark on Maine’s maritime history.

This final posthumous publication from beloved regional poet, naturalist and writer George Ellison presents lovely poetry from an icon of the Smokies alongside gorgeous paintings and photography from Elizabeth Ellison and Quintin Ellison.

As Western North Carolina rebuilds in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, these ruminations and scenes from life at the edge of the Smoky Mountains will take readers on an inspirational, hopeful and artistic journey into the heart of the Blue Ridge.

Nestled outside Bryson City, on the doorstep of the Great Smoky Mountains, lies the home of George and Elizabeth Ellison. For more than forty years, their permanent camp was more than a homestead—it was the inspiration for a world of beauty found within their poems and paintings. In this posthumous tribute to George, the legacy of his poetry is presented alongside special galleries of Elizabeth’s breathtaking paintings and daughter Quintin Ellison’s stunning photography. As the region continues to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, these ruminations on living among the Smokies, depictions of Western North Carolina culture and interpretations of its untamed natural domain reveal life in the land of blue shadows through the work of some of the region’s most cherished artists.

What I Know to Be True is a heartfelt tribute to southern Louisiana from the author and illustrator of Carnival Time in My Mind.

With colorful local imagery and simple rhymes, this board book captures the essence of New Orleans living and the deep bond between reader and child. Perfect for bedtime reading to newborns and toddlers, it shares a message of love that resonates with every turn of the page. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or caregiver, this delightful book is a warm celebration of the connection we cherish with the little ones in our lives.

This colorfully illustrated rhyming board book teaches your littles about the great state of Texas.

From the size of the skies to the height of Aunt Birdee's hair, we all know it's bigger there!

This colorfully illustrated rhyming board book covers the Texas summers using playful comparisons.

From Texas spice to sweet tea on ice, this book is sure to keep your little ones as cool as a cucumber.

Maysville, Kentucky, and the seven counties surrounding it are represented in this book. Sitting beside the swift currents of the Ohio River about 60 miles east of Cincinnati, Ohio, Maysville was established in 1787 by Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone and was originally named Limestone, later to be named Maysville. A shipping port for bourbon, wrought iron, and tobacco in the early years, it later became both a manufacturing hub and an agricultural community known as the world’s finest tobacco market. Today, Maysville’s Gateway Museum, just a few blocks from the iconic Simon Kenton Bridge, preserves the story of how the town became “the gateway to the south.” Rosemary Clooney, US Supreme Court associate justice Stanley Reed, and many other prominent people are from this area. Some older businesses that helped this town grow have closed, but others like the Pogue Distillery, Caproni’s Restaurant, and Wald Manufacturing live on as this town continues to thrive.

Tom Roberson was born in Mayslick, Kentucky, and grew up in Maysville. Most images came from the author’s 40-year hobby of collecting early-1900s historical postcards. Roberson is a retired residential builder and is always on the hunt for new images to add to his collection. 

Located in the middle of the nation’s heartland, Wichita, Kansas, has been a regional hub for LGBTQ persons, forming a community that extended well beyond just local residents.

In spite of the area’s restrictive laws and conservative attitudes, these people have, since the 1960s, found space among an ever-fluid bar and club scene and a larger network from community centers to rodeos to religious organizations to art and activism groups. It has a history that includes one of the nation’s earliest gay rights ordinances as well as pioneering figures in AIDS research. The community has faced discrimination and hostility and the AIDS crisis. Since then, it has celebrated milestones like the legalization of gay marriage and the losses of many of its key leaders. With a legacy that extends from homophile to gender fluid, this story provides a window into how LGBTQ persons in the center of the country have both faced challenges and lived ordinary lives.

Since 2010, The Center of Wichita has been a community resource and is proud to preserve the history of the LGBTQ community of the region. Working with a team of researchers and students from Wichita State University, The Center of Wichita hopes that this work inspires future collecting and storytelling. 

Anchorage depicts the 20th-century development of Alaska’s largest city from its origins as a place for the Dena’ina people to hunt and fish to its status as a railroad camp and then a modern community.

Much of Anchorage’s 20th-century history was shaped by the construction of the Alaska Railroad and then the presence of the nation’s military. The rapidly growing town experienced North America’s largest recorded earthquake in 1964, but residents rebuilt, and the city experienced an oil and construction boom over the following two decades. By the end of the 20th century, Anchorage had trembled and shook, boomed and busted, and had come out on the other side as one of the most diverse and dynamic American cities. 

Ian C. Hartman is a board member of the Cook Inlet Historical Society and professor in the Department of History at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Most of the images of this book have been collected from the Anchorage Museum.

Kelsi's fifth-grade year takes unexpected turns with new friends, a mysterious egret, and surprising adventures

After a summer of adventures with her lamb Dopey and best friend Ampara, Kelsi Fairgate looks forward to fifth grade. She seems destined for disappointment from the moment she arrives at school and finds a boy named Toby in her favorite seat by the tall window.

Back at the ranch, a great egret makes one of his unexpected appearances just as Toby’s family shows up for lunch. At first Kelsi is dismayed, but she soon learns why Toby had wanted that quiet back window. Kelsi and Ampara seek out the mysterious white bird, along with the ways they can help their new friend. 

Down in the swamps of Louisiana, Papa Noël has a big problem. He's hit his head and forgotten who he is. How will the good boys and girls of Louisiana get any presents this year? Mama Noël puts the animals to work alongside the elves to finish the toys and pack this bayou Santa's unique sleigh. Working throughout the night, Mama and her krewe travel up and down the state, guided by levee bonfires. Mama's team of animal helpers are rewarded for their hard work with some delicious local treats left out for Santa and his elves. Louisiana children and their parents will love this new holiday story filled with humorous references to what makes this time of year so special in Louisiana.

Cajun chef Jude Theriot has compiled what he considers the core recipes of Cajun cuisine. From boiled crawfish, crabmeat au gratin, and shrimp gumbo to chicken �touff�e, Chef Theriot has distilled the essence of Cajun cooking with his signature easy-to-follow, hearty recipes.

Second edition!

Hercules faces his biggest challenge yet—the Louisiana swamps!

Including battles with a twelve-clawed crawfish and the taming of a raging hurricane, this Cajun reimagining of the Hercules legend stirs together myth, culture, and Louisiana spice. Sent down to the hot and humid bayou from his kingdom in the clouds, Hercules must perform four daring labors to escape the immortal queen’s wrath. Luckily, Hercules has godlike strength, bravery, and his new bayou family to help him conquer every incredible feat! This pourquois tale is told in the style of a gentle Cajun storyteller and features vibrant and whimsical illustrations. Written by an award-winning children’s educator, this adventure will have you shouting “Aiyee!” from start to finish.

Now in paperback!

Substitute teacher Victor Kennedy begins a middle-school American history class by writing one word on the chalkboard: Tuskegee. Over the next several days, the elderly veteran teaches students about the Tuskegee Airmen, brave men who fought racism and prejudice to fly more than 1,500 missions during World War II. The students learn about segregation and how the victories of the Tuskegee Airmen helped move the United States on a path toward racial equality. In Tuskegee Airmen: American Heroes, exciting battles against evil abroad and at home come alive for a new generation.

Ghostly adventures await! Dive into your favorite, SPINE-TINGLIEST tales from America's Great Lakes region!

Welcome to the Ghostly Great Lakes! In this thrilling anthology, spooky stories and ghostly tales bring the Great Lakes region to life! Discover haunted lighthouses, ghost ships, and creepy forests filled with secrets! From the spooky shores of Michigan and Wisconsin to the haunted hills of Ohio and New York, each tale will take you on a chilling adventure pulled right from history, changing the way you see the Great Lakes region forever.

Whether you’re a brave ghost hunter or just curious about the supernatural, the GHOSTLIEST TALES anthologies from ACB’s bestselling Spooky America series will give you goosebumps . . . and have you sleeping with the lights on! 

Guardian Dams. Today, most people remember Johnstown for a cataclysmic flood, but the city was also once known for steel.

From the early 1900s through much of the 1970s, millions of gallons of water per day were necessary to keep the city’s main industry alive. This is the story of the dams that didn’t fail, safely keeping the people of Johnstown and its steel industry prosperous for decades. It is also the story of transformation, for the dams built by an extinct steel company still stand and now safeguard areas of great natural resources and ecological importance in the highlands of Northern Appalachia. Surveying more than a century of wars, labor strife and economic catastrophe, author Joshua Penrod interweaves the story of these dams with the history of Johnstown itself.

Capturing Montana’s Most Elusive Fugitive

During an intense spring blizzard in 1951, affable Clarence Pellett picked up a teenaged hitchhiker along Montana’s Hi-Line. Soon, blood from seven bullet holes in Pellett’s back stained the snow-covered prairie. Following a brief manhunt and confession, a heated debate ensued over capital punishment as Communist attorneys swooped in “to save this poor friendless boy.” Frank Dryman, twice sentenced to hang, escaped the noose when a sympathetic Montana Supreme Court stayed each execution. The “permanently insane and mentally deficient” killer was paroled into the custody of his brother in California after serving thirteen years of a life sentence. Eighteen months later, he vanished. Using a series of aliases, Dryman hid in plain sight for forty years despite state and federal warrants. Clem Pellett recounts the enthralling twists and turns of his hunt for his grandfather’s absconded murderer—the longest in state history.

The Saga of a Brutal Murder

Janet Siclari, a beautiful 35-year-old visitor to the Outer Banks, was found raped and fatally stabbed on the early morning of August 28, 1993, behind the iconic Carolinian hotel at Nags Head. After a long and intriguing probe, two investigators ultimately charged a suspect, thanks to advances in DNA testing. Defense attorneys, trying to save that defendant’s life, argued another suspect could have killed Janet. In this moving narrative, based on exclusive interviews with case insiders, investigative author John Railey reveals for the first time all the twists and turns that led to the killer’s conviction.

Though originally hailing from the East, twenty-two revolutionaries moved to Jackson County in their sunset years.

These brave men made various and sometimes surprising contributions to the war effort. Thomas Swartout served as a spy for George Washington, and Jabez Mosher Jr. drove cattle across New England to feed hungry Continental troops. Swift Woodworth got his first taste of combat at the famous Battle of Bunker Hill. Logging enough war experience for many men, John Wall fought in major battles with the militia, participated in raids as a ranger, helped capture British vessels as a sailor and was a prisoner of war.

Exploring the lives of these men before and after this pivotal conflict, local authors Linda Hass and David Van Hoof tell the surprising stories of these unsung heroes.

The vast mountains and deserts of Arizona hide a multitude of buried treasures and forgotten mines just waiting to be rediscovered.

The Aztecs reportedly hid gold and other valuables worth millions across the Southwest to keep it from the Spaniards hundreds of years ago, but nothing has ever been recovered. The famous Lost Dutchman mine has captured attention and claimed multiple lives since its discovery in the Superstition Mountains, and it’s just one of many mines lost to history and shifting landscapes. More recently, rumors spread that more than $1 million in cash from the 1977 robbery of Marjorie Jackson is still hidden somewhere north of Phoenix.

Author W. Craig Gaines maps out the potential paths leading to lost fortunes.

Beatrice, Nebraska, was founded in 1857 along the Big Blue River. Known for its rich farming and manufacturing, Beatrice was marketed by the early settlers as the “Queen City of the Blue.”

Beatrice is home to the first homestead claimed after the passage of the Homestead Act of 1862. After the first railroad line came through Beatrice in 1871, the city’s population exploded. At the turn of the 20th century, Beatrice was home to six self-made millionaires, remarkable for the time. Over the years, Beatrice’s population has remained steady—around 12,000—thanks to the help of nationally known industries like Dempster Mill Manufacturing and Beatrice Foods. Today, industries such as eXmark, Beatrice Bakery Company, and Ratigan-Schottler Manufacturing provide products that reach beyond Nebraska.

Gage County Historical Society and Museum strives to preserve the county’s history, including Beatrice, Nebraska. Its mission is “to preserve, enhance, and showcase the unique history of Gage County by connecting our stories to develop appreciation throughout the wider community.” The museum is housed in the 1906 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy passenger depot in downtown Beatrice. Covering the first 100 years of Beatrice’s history, this book features never-before-published photographs gathered from a variety of sources, including images from the society’s collection.