When Cupid takes aim–duck!
Cupid is the god of love and a tireless maker of mischief. When he breaks out his bow and quiver, nobody’s safe. Sleepless nights, embarrassing poetry, nausea . . . What could be more fun? Only, perhaps, seeing the god of love humbled with a little heartache of his own.
With healthy doses of wit and wisdom, Julius Lester’s disarming narrator leads us through the tale of Cupid and Psyche–and helps us navigate our own treacherous passions.

As did his father before him, Pierce Butler treats his plantation slaves like family. But massive gambling debts force him to sell 429 “family” members. When the auction begins, torrential rain falls-not stopping until the final slave is sold the next day. The ominous rainfall prompts these words: “This ain’t rain. This is God’s tears.” Based on the largest slave auction in U.S. history, this poignant montage is the fictionalized account of that 1859 Georgia tragedy. All the shrieks and groans, the betrayal and fury, the sorrow and regret are here in the stark, vivid monologues that pour from the souls of master and slave, auctioneer and observer during this “Weeping Time.” Author of To Be a Slave -a New York Times and School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and Newbery Honor Book-Julius Lester garnered starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly for his riveting Day of Tears. “The horror of the auction and its aftermath is unforgettable; individuals whom the reader has come to know are handled like animals, wrenched from family, friends, and love.” -Booklist, starred review

Rod Brown and Julius Lester bring history to life in this profoundly moving exploration of the slave experience. From the Middle Passage to the auction block, from the whipping post to the fight for freedom, this book presents not just historical facts, but the raw emotions of the people who lived them. Inspired by Rod Brown’s vivid paintings, Julius Lester has written a text that places each of us squarely inside the skin of both slave and slaveowner. It will capture the heart of every reader, black or white, young or old.

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An NCSS-CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
A Booklist Editors’ Choice Book

It seems animals are like people in many ways–they just can’t get along with one another. And Brer Rabbit has the most trouble of all. Maybe it’s his mischievous ways, or maybe it’s because adventures always come looking for him. There was the frightening day that Brer Rabbit found himself attached to a baby made of sticky tar. Brer Fox would have had a tasty barbecue that evening if Brer Rabbit hadn’t been such a quick thinker. Then there was the time Mr. Man finally caught Brer Rabbit in the garden. That was almost the end of a certain long-eared animal. Award-winning author Julius Lester skillfully captures the rhythm and melodic language of these timeless stories first told by slaves. With an accessible combination of standard and black English, he preserves the traditional story lines and wit, yet adds touches of modern humor, breathing life into spunky Brer Rabbit and each of his colorful friends and foes.

Siblings Jenna and Jeremy have known for a long time that their parents don’t get along. They find out just how bad it is when they are pulled out of class and told their father just shot and killed their mother. Jenna was always her father’s favorite, while Jeremy was his mother’s. Now a painful silence has fallen between them. They have trouble agreeing on just about everything at a time when they need each other more than ever. Where are they going to live? Who is going to take care of them? Can they have a relationship with their imprisoned father? Author Julius Lester handles difficult topics with grace and sensitivity. His To Be a Slave was a Newbery Honor Book and a New York Times Book of the Year. Uncompromisingly honest, When Dad Killed Mom is sometimes painful, and perhaps Lester’s most moving novel. The emotional depth is enhanced by a skilled dual narration.