Central Kansas Library System

In "Damaged but Destined: So What? Now What?", the author Dr. Nikita Garris-Watson – "Dr. Ki" invites readers on an intensely personal journey through an autobiography that delves into her tumultuous life, marked by childhood and adult physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Yet, this compelling narrative is far from a story of despair; it's a triumphant testament to the enduring power of faith, resilience, and the human spirit. From a young age,...

We have lost the ability to deal with death. Most of our friends and beloved relations will die in a busy hospital in the care of strangers, doctors, and nurses they have known at best for a couple of weeks. They may not even know they are dying, victims of the kindly lie that there is still hope. They are unlikely to see even their family doctor in their final hours, robbed of their dignity and fed through a tube after a long series of excessive...

The New York Times bestseller A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours' walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a...

"In the heart of a forgotten land lies the remnants of a once-mighty kingdom, lost to the ravages of time and shadow. As ancient prophecies stir and dark forces awaken, a young heroine named Aria embarks on a perilous quest to reclaim her homeland and uncover the secrets of its past.Joined by a band of loyal companions, Aria braves treacherous landscapes, battles fierce adversaries, and confronts the darkness that threatens to consume her world. Armed...

A man shares his story of growing up in a late 20th-century American cult, and how, he escaped-in this gripping autobiography. As the adopted son of two cult leaders, Benjamin Risha was, raised to someday assume a place of leadership in the Alamo Christian Foundation, with the Bible, and his parents' interpretations of it, as his guide. He believed the prophecies of his adoptive mother and father, Tony and Susan Alamo, including them being the two...

Stranded and alone on the moon, Luna is running out of time … Bestselling author Chris Bradford crafts The Martian for teens in this gripping outer-space survival story. Luna loves living on the moon. She enjoys helping her father – a Moon Miner – on his search for precious minerals and rocks. But when a devastating meteor strike destroys their base, Luna is left stranded alone on the moon. With no shelter and few supplies, she must find a way...

"On a stormy night in Australia's Northern Territory, teen siblings Jade and Noah find themselves in a harrowing predicament. High up in a tree, they huddle together as the wind howls and the rain pours down. Below them, lurking in the river, a hungry crocodile patiently waits for an opportunity. Jade and Noah may know a lot about crocs and the bush, but right now, they're just scared kids. With no phone service to call for help and the relentless...