New Book Releases

Since 1870, Cedar Point has been attracting visitors to its peninsula with beautiful scenery, cool breezes, and a multitude of rides and attractions. Entertaining millions of visitors each year, Cedar Point, billed the “World’s Largest Amusement Park,” is recognized around the world for its number and quality of rides—especially roller coasters. People have been making memories there for generations. This book shares the stories and photographs of Cedar Point with the purpose of seeing it through the years, relying on the photographs visitors took with their amateur cameras and the real-photo postcards they purchased. More than half the photographs used here have never been published in a Cedar Point history book, and included are images of the Space Spiral, the Monorail, and the Riverboat Ride. It is the hope that this book captures favorite memories of Cedar Point.

James A. Rogers, a career musician, is a widely published author of material related to music and a lecturer about music. A member of American Coaster Enthusiasts, he has authored several articles on Ohio’s historic roller coasters. He is usually the oldest person in line for the roller coasters.

The modern city of Alamo, where “Winter Texans” come to enjoy the “Land of Two Summers,” is far different from what Peter Ebenezer Blalock and George T. Hawkins from Mississippi envisioned as a great cattle ranch when they purchased 32,000 acres of Spanish land grants on the north side of the Rio Grande. In 1909, the land was sold to John T. Beamer and his backers, who envisioned a sugarcane empire; they formed the Alamo Land and Sugar Company. The sugar market collapse led to colonization, bringing trainloads of prospective buyers to Alamo who would mainly farm and open businesses. The Alamo townsite was incorporated in 1924 and celebrates its 100-year anniversary in 2024. In that time of development, the community witnessed steady economic growth. Its history includes raids by Mexican bandits, a taxi driver helping catch a bank robber, a mayor and a former police chief duking it out, the tragedy of a train/truck crash killing 34 farmworkers, damage from Hurricane Beulah, and gaining one of the largest flea markets in Texas.

History buff authors are Alejandro Oyoque, director/curator of the City of Alamo Museum, and Herb Moering, a 20-year Alamo resident and a journalist originally from Wisconsin. Both are Friends of the Alamo Museum members.

Ever since Rev. Abraham Pierson of Bradford, Connecticut, brought his collection of 400 books to Newark in 1666, the city has had libraries. First attached to churches and schools, these private libraries catered to audiences for specific purposes; they were not open to all. In 1887, the citizens of Newark voted to establish a free public library, the Newark Public Library, which became the seventh in the state of New Jersey. Since then, trustees, directors, and staff members have contributed to the overall success of the library through their dedication to its services and collections. They have done so at the main library on Washington Street, built in 1901, and at the various branches constructed across the city in the 1920s. A legacy, consisting of dedicated librarians and clerks who provide excellent services and inspiring programs based on unique collections, has been maintained with community support for over a century.

William A. Peniston was the librarian and archivist at the Newark Museum of Art for 25 years (from 1995 to 2021). He was also the archival consultant for the Librariana Collection (the institutional archives) at the Newark Public Library from 2013 to 2014. He is the author of Images of America: Newark Museum of Art (2023).

Since 1973, the Latin/Greek Institute (LGI) at the City University of New York has trained thousands of students in the classical languages. After 50 days of highly choreographed study, graduates of the Institute’s basic Latin and Greek programs—who enter with little or no prior knowledge—are able to engage in advanced reading courses and/or sit for graduate language exams. This is a remarkable feat made possible by a unique curricular model developed by the Institute’s visionary founder, Dr. Floyd L. Moreland. A summer at the LGI is almost impossible to describe; it is as much an experience as a program of study. Largely assembled from the archives of Brooklyn College, this book tells the story of the Latin/Greek Institute from its prehistory to its 50th anniversary and includes a visual history of its academics, dramatis personae, and an array of customs and traditions that have come to define this unique academic enterprise.

Lucas G. Rubin is a two-time alumnus of the Latin/Greek Institute, of which he became director in 2020. He holds a doctorate in classics from the State University of New York at Buffalo, an accomplishment made possible only by his summers spent at the Institute.

Author Larry Humes traces the events and characters that put Venice on the proverbial map. Venice is certainly not among the oldest cities in Florida. The fact that it even survived its rocky beginning is nothing short of remarkable. But it was luck and persistence that transformed the little City on the Gulf into one of Florida’s most sought-after destinations. Venice wouldn’t be what it is today without the Kentucky military school that saved the town from bankruptcy and the construction of an army air base that helped America win World War II while increasing the local population tenfold. And don’t forget the “Greatest Show on Earth,” which called Venice home for more than three decades.

Schuylkill County is no stranger to disaster.

Schuylkill County is no stranger to disaster. Protected by volunteers since 1811, residents have faced block-burning conflagrations like the Great Memorial Day Fire of 1945, which consumed sixty-seven buildings in the Mahanoy City Business District, and commercial airplane crashes like United Flight 624 near Ashland, with no survivors. The Red Church propane truck explosion near Orwigsburg caused twelve fatalities, and the Reading Railroad passenger train collision with a gasoline truck in Port Carbon sparked death and destruction, as well as a frantic search for burning money.

Telling these stories with the help of rare and many never-before-seen images, authors and veteran firefighters Michael R. Glore and Michael J. Kitsock revisit some of the region’s most harrowing catastrophes.

The Territory That Built Two States  

The Mississippi Territory existed as a political entity for nearly two decades. It stretched from the Tennessee border southward to the Gulf of Mexico and was bounded on the east by the state of Georgia and the west by the mighty Mississippi River. This enormous swath of America’s southwestern frontier in 1817 was divided into the state of Mississippi and the Alabama Territory. Two years later, Alabama entered the Union as a state. Between 1798 and 1817, the territory transitioned from a sparsely inhabited backwoods frontier to a thriving and dynamic centerpiece in one of the fastest-developing regions of the country. Mike Bunn and Clay Williams chronicle that story in a richly illustrated introduction and guide to discovery of this pivotal era. 

Author Christopher P. Semtner takes readers inside the homes of Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe’s terror tales and melancholy poetry carved a bold new path across literary genres. Meet the man behind the madness, murder and mayhem on this road trip to Poe’s homes in Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, the Bronx and more. Along the way, meet the grave robbers, murderers and tooth thieves who inspired his greatest horror stories. Learn the secret histories of these Poe places to find out which was owned by a man who kept Poe’s wife’s bones in a box under his bed, which might be haunted by Poe’s ghost, which has the best basement for hiding corpses and which stood across the street from an anatomy lab.

Baseball has long been synonymous with Kansas. Go back to the late 1800s and the birth of Walter Johnson and George Sweatt, Humboldt kids who played baseball at the highest level but in different leagues due to racism. Learn about the sixteen-year-old signed by the Kansas City Athletics, who left the University of Kansas campus to play his first game at Municipal Stadium the next day. Read about pioneers in the game named Joyce, Katie and Alex, determined and talented women who are part of our national pastime. Author Michael Travis shares his love for the game, rounding the bases from its beginnings in Wichita with League 42 to the Major Leagues.

The Dark Side of Durham

Explore the dark side of the Bull City. If the red brick walls that once held tobacco warehouses and textile mills could talk, they would tell the tale of how the crossroads settlement of Pin Hook turned into the vibrant city of Durham in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Since its genesis, Durham has been a city where crime was woven into the very fabric of its existence. Over the years, there have been many murders, robberies and shootouts on the streets, in the alleys and on the outskirts of town. Some crimes have caught the attention of the entire nation, but most have remained just in the conscience of the locals. Local historian Rick Jackson narrates the mysteries of one of North Carolina's most important cities.

A Highway Runs Through It

When U.S. Highway 29 between Greenville and Spartanburg was completed in 1946, it became the first modern super highway in the Upstate region. Known by many as the Super Highway, it was lauded as the “finest type in the country.” Although it is technically a north–south highway, it takes a meandering course across piedmont ridges, adding side roads and economic development. The businesses that grew along the corridor created a new landscape for the region. J. Harley Bonds was a longtime furniture store owner who helped desegregate Greer High School. W.O. Ezell helped beautify Spartanburg with his landscaping. Authors William “Lynn” Duncan and Scott Withrow explore the fascinating history of this well-traveled Upstate highway.

This popular history, recipe and wine pairing book has been fully revised, enhanced and updated. Dive deeper into the traditional cooking and culture of the Haudenosaunee—the first people of the Finger Lakes region. Learn how this unique region was once teeming with salmon and why they no longer breed here. Uncover the speakeasy culture that prospered during Prohibition. Local author, sommelier and educator Laura Winter Falk reveals new regional chefs and their creative takes on period recipes, as well as the tremendous growth in the area’s wine and craft beverages movement. With more excellent producers, restaurants and markets committed to showcasing the bounty of the region, there has never been a better time to discover the unique flavor of the Finger Lakes.

Author Jim Cullen shares tales of the ruddy trailblazers who grappled and persevered during nation-shaping moments in the Garden State. New Jersey sits at the intersection of the most important developments in American history, from the fight for freedom to the rise of the United States as a global power. At each critical moment, key figures came forward. These profiles of important Americans—some natives of the Garden State, some not—focus on key episodes that took place here but echoed broadly. From George Washington to Thomas Edison and Whitney Houston, these men and women crisscross politics, business, religion, social activism, science and entertainment, and their critical encounters took place in cities and towns across the state.

A sad and shocking story of love betrayed

The murder of Bessie Little and the trial of her murderer rocked Victorian Dayton. Believing herself pregnant and desperate to save her reputation, young Bessie tried to force her boyfriend, Albert Frantz, to marry her quickly. Instead, he took her out for a buggy ride, shot her twice in the head and dumped her body in the river. When she was discovered, he tried to convince everyone that she committed suicide. The dramatic trial brought to light details of Bessie and Albert’s secret trysts, and Albert’s sanity became a point of contention.

In her third historical book about Dayton, Sara Kaushal delves into a tale of scandal and betrayal to discover the truth.

Victorian Era Treasures

Once the center of bolt manufacturing in the United States, Southington has been affectionately called Connecticut’s “City of Progress.” At the center of this progress was Amon Bradley, an industrialist and philanthropist whose family legacy remains intact inside the Barnes Museum. Beginning as a six-room Greek Revival–style home, the Barnes Museum was built in 1836 for Amon and Sylvia Bradley and was lived in by the family for 136 years. The opulent seventeen-room homestead remains fully staged with the family’s impressive collection of Victorian antiques and more than one thousand pressed-glass goblets. Author and museum curator Christina Volpe reveals their unique collection of Civil War letters, family diaries, photographs and other historic treasures.

Uniquely New Hampshire

New Hampshire has always been fiercely independent, and its history, museums and festivals reflect that trait. Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe broke baseball’s color barrier with the Nashua Dodgers in 1946, and Holman Stadium is now a stop on the Black Heritage Trail. Three of the state’s historic mansions—the Fells, the Castle in the Clouds and the Saint-Gaudens historic site—remain as impressive today as when they were built. Portsmouth’s historic homes give a portrait of life in colonial and Revolutionary times. From the New England Telephone Museum in Warner to the Exeter UFO Festival, the state has a wealth of history on display.

Kathleen D. Bailey and Sheila R. Bailey lead a trip through the past and present of the Granite State’s most memorable sites.

Milwaukee is full of weird borders, streets that do not line up right, creepy cemeteries and other curious things.

Many locals have heard about the crooked bridges downtown, the sewer Socialists and the attempt on Teddy Roosevelt’s life. Not as many know about the time Josette Juneau saved Milwaukee, the city’s link to The Exorcist or its ghost towns like Oakwood, Saint Martin’s and Root Creek. And yes, a lion really lived inside the library. Employees used bowling balls to play fetch with it.

Milwaukee-based historian James Nelsen shares joyous and amazing stories of the Cream City’s strange history.

Cold Case Clues

On May 21, 1932, Arthur Oker, a mild-mannered Finnish tailor, was brutally murdered in his shop in the small seaside town of Rockport, Massachusetts.

While this unsolved crime terrified local residents, their fears increased after another horrifying murder, that of Swedish immigrant and fellow churchgoer Augusta Johnson in her home on Halloween night in 1933. Following the crimes, authorities searched every house and building in Rockport, and some 2,500 households were interviewed. A reward was posted, a mystic volunteered her services and local children wearing badges provided by a breakfast cereal company joined in the search. However, the crimes went unsolved. Local authors Robert Fitzgibbon and Wayne Soini reveal long-lost details about the crime, the investigation and a surprise suspect from the state police archives.

The Cannibal City

In the early days of the California Gold Rush, Sacramento City had several competing towns vying for the influx of newcomers. Many of its rivals not only had vibrant multicultural communities but also enjoyed superior geography for transportation and flood control. Even the initial land grant from Johann Sutter is considered controversial if not downright fiction, yet Sacramento thrived where others failed. Once-bustling Mormon Island was initially the proposed site of the railway that would end up bypassing it, and Brighton became a hotbed of agitation after the deadly “Squatters’ Riot,” leading to its decline. Hoboken, Prairie City and more were also wiped off the map.

The Special Collections of the Sacramento Public Library explores the history of these lost Sacramentos.

One candy heiress, two bullets and three suspects.

The small Southern California island of Coronado rarely makes news for violent crime. But in the spring of 1975, World War II widow and retired librarian Ruth Quinn was murdered, execution-style, in her cottage. Her death sent a shock wave through the community. The granddaughter of Jujubes and Jujyfruits creator Henry Heide, Ruth was found fully clothed with her shoes on, in her bed, dead from two gunshot wounds. To this day, her murder has never been solved, but whispers about her brother, her son and even a local petty thief still swirl.

Author Taylor Baldwin Kiland sifts through the dirt for the facts about Ruth’s life and her untimely end in Coronado.

"Science doesn't freak meowt!"

Alycat is excited that it’s Science Fair Day, but why is her classmate copying almost everything about her, from the shirt she’s wearing to the project she’s doing? Soon Alycat learns, through patience and kindness, that two similar things can be better when they work together. This latest addition to the kitten picture-book series includes STEM themes plus instructions for making your own glitter volcano!

Princess adores playing with her many stuffed animals. One day, Princess realizes something is missing . . . she needs a real pet!

Determined to make Princess’s dream come true, Queen summons her subjects from far and wide to help find Princess a pet. Soon, amazing animals start arriving from all over. How will she choose just one?

Situated on a prehistoric ridge, Blue Island is among the earliest established communities in northeastern Illinois, first settled in 1835, later becoming a village in 1872 and a city in 1901. This hardworking town was connected to the American economy through its rivers, canals, and railroads, including the Rock Island Railroad shops. Its brickyards led the nation in production and supplied the very blocks of Chicago’s rebirth after the Great Fire. The architecture of immigrant merchants and significant institutions has largely been preserved, along with many homes of working-class and prominent residents. Renowned architects, including George Washington Maher, Bertrand Goldberg, and Blue Island’s own Robert Seyfarth, designed local landmarks. Blue Island is a community of immense pride that is as aware of its uniqueness as it is eager to share it.

Jason Berry lives in Blue Island and is a life member of the Blue Island Historical Society. Kevin Barron is a special education teacher and creator of the free historic resources organization SouthCookExplore. The images for this book were selected from the Blue Island Historical Society archives and museum. For more than 50 years, the society and its vibrant programming have kept Blue Island’s history a vital part of its continued discovery.

Marking the ridgelines and hearts of the Appalachians during the Great Depression, packhorse librarians delivered hope, one book at a time.

When the Great Depression started, folks stumbled on hard times. Many lost their jobs and homes, and they struggled to support their families. But people craved hope for the future, and hope arrived with the packhorse librarians through Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1933. Each week, children, families, and schoolhouses celebrated when their packhorse librarian arrived at their doors with books. After being handled by many cherished hands, reading materials needed to be taken out of circulation. The librarians constructed scrapbooks and filled them with beloved items—recipes, quilt patterns, pictures, and stories. Challenges awaited the librarians at every pass. From muddy creeks to snowy hillsides, the packhorse librarians delivered books and hope to their patrons. Although the program ended in 1943, the lasting effects on literacy and the communities these packhorse librarians visited can still be seen today.

Author Nicki Jacobsmeyer lives in rural Missouri, where she writes fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. She inspires others to discover and dream through reading and believes books are windows to the world. 

An idea born in the aftermath of World War II, Grenville Baker Boys Club exemplified the newfound optimism of the time, capturing what was best in the North Shore community of Locust Valley, New York. 

In 1946, teens playing football by the train tracks inspired local citizenry to create a safe place for boys after school. With a combined effort across the economic and social spectrum, the project gained momentum. By 1950, Edith Kane Baker, widow of George F. Baker, bestowed the funds to build a clubhouse in memory of her son Grenville, establishing the first nationally affiliated boys club on Long Island. She was soon joined by her neighbors, the Pratts, Doubledays, Smithers, and others, along with a cadre of committed professionals and volunteers. Over the decades, the club has grown, welcoming girls in 1981 and securing the Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club’s mission for generations to come.

Archivist, historian, and museum director Amy Dzija Driscoll is coauthor of Locust Valley. Attorney Carol McKey Harrington is a lifelong resident of Locust Valley and a writer for Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club. Together, they worked with staff, alumni, and friends to curate a selection of images and memories to tell their story. The club’s longtime executive director, Ramon Reyes, contributed the introduction.

The town of Vassalborough, Maine, was incorporated in 1771. The town clerk modified the spelling of the town to Vassalboro’ in 1851 and then to Vassalboro in 1861. The town is nearly 48 square miles in size and is comprised of six distinct areas. With a connection to the Kennebec River and its lakes and ponds, Native Americans had a presence here for over 8,000 years, establishing seasonal villages and using the waterways for fishing. Shipbuilders rolled their completed ships to the Kennebec River, and many mills used waterpower provided by the streams. The American Woolen Mill in North Vassalboro won a gold medal for its cassimere fabric at the world’s fair in London in 1851. Wonderful historic buildings still line the streets, including the Vassalboro Historical Society’s Taylor’s House and Blacksmith Shop and Lampson’s Harness Shop as well as the town’s first firehouse. The Revere House in East Vassalboro once provided lodging to guests who were often ferried to the nearby Bradley’s Island in China Lake for bowling, dancing, and dining. Oak Grove School brought to Vassalboro students from all over the world. While Vassalboro has changed from the mill town it was in the 1800s, it remains a family-focused community, providing a sense of warmth, history, and continuity.

The Vassalboro Historical Society is proud to share the photographs and information from its vast collection. 

Nestled between a bluff and the Mississippi River, Fort Madison is a quaint town that has thrived over the last two centuries. Known for its castle-like penitentiary, former Sheaffer Pen Company, and the largest double-deck swing-span bridge in the world, Fort Madison, Iowa, has a long and varied history from its beginnings as a military fort and trading post that grew into a turn-of-the-century town. Its rail system played a part in the westward expansion of the United States. Dana Bushong Jewelers, Faeth’s Cigar Store, and Dodd Printing and Stationery are still in operation today as century-old family businesses. Fort Madison has continued to develop in the 21st century with the reinstated Historic Santa Fe Train Depot and revitalization of the Fort Madison Marina on the Mississippi River shoreline. This book offers insight into the courageous men and women who formed the town as well as their homes, places of business, and their forms of entertainment. A quintessential small town, Fort Madison promises a beautiful view and unique perspective. 

Author Krys Plate and amateur photographer Kathy Burkhardt, both residents of Fort Madison, are members of the North Lee County Historical Society and are avid volunteers in the community. Most of the images in this book come from the collections of the North Lee County Historical Society.

When visiting a church such as Holy Cross in Back of the Yards or Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary in Marquette Park, it is easy to stand in awe of what generations of Lithuanians in Chicago have accomplished. 

The community’s many churches, sprawling cultural institutions, schools, and countless organizations stand as a testament to its pride and work ethic. For nearly 150 years and across three waves of immigration, Lithuanians came to Chicago seeking freedom and opportunity not afforded them at home. The first people to come at the turn of the 20th century worked and lived mostly in and around the stockyards and centered their community on the parish church. Those who came after World War II, fleeing the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, were foremost committed to advocating for their homeland and keeping their heritage alive. The numerous organizations and cultural centers they established reflect this. The most recent wave revitalized an aging community, injecting new energy into existing organizations and opening new businesses, schools, and other organizations.

Justin G. Riskus is a history teacher and writer who has many fond memories of growing up in the Lithuanian communities of Chicago, Lemont, and Gary, Indiana. He is also the author of Arcadia’s Lithuanian Chicago, published in 2013. The majority of images in this book come from the archives of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture as well as other organizations and community members. 

In this middle-grade adaptation of Shark Attacks of New York, author Patricia Heyer dives into the history and lore of shark attacks along New York's coast. Every summer, thousands of people flock to Coney Island, the Rockaway, and all along Long Island's southern coast for some of the most beautiful beaches on the east coast. But some come face to face with much more.

New York City was the center of business, commerce, manufacturing, culture, and war spirit in the North during the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln gained an important national audience at the Cooper Institute in February 1860.

Tens of thousands of young men enlisted in the city and marched off to fight. Factories churned out materiel for the soldiers. Black leaders such as Frederick Douglass mobilized African American support for the Union. Foreign dignitaries were the subject of grand celebrations on Broadway. Immigrants raised celebrated ethnic regiments, and nationally renowned newspapers debated the pressing issues of the day. In short, the city was a vital engine that powered Union efforts. Yet New York was also a divided metropolis where political differences were hashed out—sometimes violently. The deadliest urban racial violence in American history took place in Manhattan in July 1863. In this book, New Yorkers regain their place at the center of the Union war effort on both the battlefield and the home front.

Acclaimed historians Jonathan W. White and Timothy J. Orr bring New York City’s Civil War story to life through photographs and illustrations drawn from libraries, archives, and private collections around the United States. Foreword author Harold Holzer is the Jonathan F. Fanton Director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College and a leading historian of Lincoln and the Civil War in New York City.

Welcome to Acadia National Park! Parent and child peregrine falcons tour Maine's gorgeous Acadia National Park in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, Acadia! join the pair as they explore the mountains, coastline, tide pools, and surrounding communities of Acadia National Park.

Arrr, mateys! Come aboard for a rhyming pirate adventure! Join parent and child parrots as they sail the high seas, meet some historical pirates, share their treasure, and have a wonderful day.

When snow-loving Kyle gets a plane ticket to see his Grandma in the desert, he’s not so sure what to expect. But after a rip-roaring road trip around Arizona—through Tucson, Bisbee, Winslow, across dams and lakes and the grandest of canyons—Kyle may just have become a convert to the warm air and dark skies. After all, when you’re with Grandma Rose, everything’s an adventure!

This fascinating read collects true stories of infamous shootouts and other colorful episodes that occurred in the Ozarks region between the 1860s and 1950. Wild Bill Hickok, the Youngers vs. the Pinkertons, Bonnie and Clyde, and many more are featured.

A Taste of the New Orleans supernatural

A bloody romp through the French Quarter, including over 30 delectable recipes by Chef Chris Dunn

New Orleans is filled with mysteries and legends. Ghosts that haunt our city, rougarou (a werewolf-like creature that dwells in the swamps), and vampires. Maidens who were sent from France in 1721 to help colonize the city but were mysteriously turned to vampires on the ship before their arrival. There are also witches—some with remedies and some with curses. They say New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures. If one delves deep into this melting pot, they may just find the supernatural pulling them in deeper still until the food tastes like their favorite memories of home cooking, the unexpected becomes commonplace, and the sharp pain on their neck has them lusting and longing for their lover. Mosquito–Southern Vampires, originally released one chapter at a time as a penny dreadful, is a melting pot of the supernatural. To help create an immersive, mystical experience, at the end of each chapter is a recipe by Chef Chris Dunn from the New Orleans Vampire Café or the Vampire Apothecary, both located in the mysterious beating heart of the old French Quarter.

Marita Woywod Crandle, author and historian, has a passion for historical fiction. She has written several history books as research for her historical fiction work, including New Orleans Vampires: History and Legend and Josie Arlington’s Storyville: The Life and Times of a New Orleans Madame. Crandle also owns several vampire-themed businesses in the New Orleans French Quarter, including Boutique du Vampyre, and two restaurants, The New Orleans Vampire Café and Boutique du Vampyre’s Apothecary. Both restaurants share the same executive chef, Chef Chris Dunn, who offers many of his recipes in this book. Chef Chris creates meals that are decadently delicious, with elegant presentation—the way a vampire would host his mortal guests.