Louisiana

Backstreet and little-known grub stops in New Orleans!

". . . an updated version of those classic Creole cookbooks you (should) already have on your shelf."

--Robert Peyton, restaurant reporter for New Orleans Magazine

". . . illustrates how our native cuisine has evolved in the 21st century while still keeping all of its familiar flavors."

--Poppy Tooker, author of Louisiana Eats!

A variety of recipes from restaurants, including Toups' Meatery, Purloo, Kingfish, and many more, celebrates a new group of successful eateries sure to become New Orleans classics. Each recipe is accompanied by stunning photos, and chapters are introduced with colorful folk art from Simon of New Orleans.

Discover Baton Rouge's bygone days of booming growth and the influence of its renowned residents.

For nearly two centuries, Baton Rouge remained a sleepy little river town. Situated on the first bluffs of the Mississippi River north of the Gulf of Mexico, it was prime real estate for habitation. Images of America: Forgotten Baton Rouge collects a plethora of lost images of this city's greatest period of expansion: from the 1890s to the 1930s. This era began when Louisiana State University moved to the grounds of the old US Army arsenal, followed by a corporate decision from John D. Rockefeller to build a Standard Oil Company refinery at Baton Rouge. These historic decisions, coupled with the forward-thinking actions of bold businessmen and politicians like Robert A. Hart and Huey P. Long, changed the face of the city forever.

Tanner the Turtle lives on the banks of the bayou surrounded by animal friends who love to play at the water's edge. Everyone knows, though, that the water can be dangerous if you don't know how to swim. And Tanner is too scared to learn! When his mother brings him to the local swimming pool for lessons, he refuses to even stick his head under the water. With the guidance of Coach Ted, though, Tanner is soon splashing with his new friends and learning valuable lessons in water safety.

Way down south in New Orleans, there's a jazzy little sound on Halloween. As a mummy is transported down the street in a silver casket, a spooky parade follows, with a witch on bass drum, a skeleton on snare, a black cat on trombone, a jack-o-lantern on clarinet, and more. An author's note explains the local tradition of second lines and jazz funerals.

The French Quarter Festival in New Orleans is just around the corner, and instruments of famous local musicians are disappearing! A detective has her nephew, with his pet pig, help gather clues. This odd pair visits many Quarter landmarks as they search for the culprit, in this chapter book perfect for junior sleuths.

Rex, a coyote, was born in South Louisiana. Ready for a change from the country life, he headed to New Orleans. There he met Rosie, from uptown, and together they explored all the wonders of the Crescent City. Young readers of this picture book will hold their breaths as the two are tracked by Trapper John. Will Rex and Rosie be able to make a happy home in the city?

Alycat is planning a sleepover with her friends when Luna calls. Alycat has trouble hearing her friend over the crackling phone line, but it sounds as though she can't come to the sleepover and that she has a very big secret to share. When the rest of the kittens arrive, they gather to play games and tell spooky stories. What if Luna's news is as terrifying as the stories of alien dogs and giant mice the kittens tell around the campfire?

The themes of the books in the Alycat Series all reflect a reliance on friendships, imagination, and creativity towards problem solving. In this adventure, the characters of Alycat and her friends show young readers that things aren't always as scary as they may seem. A sleepover checklist is included!

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The Alycat Series features: Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day, Alycat and the Monday Blues, Alycat and the Friendship Friday, Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday, Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday, Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday, and Alycat and the Sunday Scaries. The books in this series have won more than 17 awards, including the NYC Big Book Award, the Mom's Choice Awards, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards; have been featured in Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly; and have appeared in the Oscars celebrity swag bag and the Grammy Awards gift bag. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, featured Bourque and her life-size mascot, Alycat, on her popular YouTube channel Little Red News.

He'll do anything it takes to return to the life he led and the girl he loves.

James' life ends amidst crushed metal and flashing sirens. But when his soul is transported back to the familiar hallways of his New Orleans high school, he remembers nothing of his tragic end. As he struggles to make sense of his new existence, he learns that there are others like him, ghosts who haunt the school, who claim they are there to protect the students and the precarious balance between life and death.
James only knows that he misses his girlfriend, Margot. He spends his days watching over her as she grieves his loss. Desperate to reconnect with her, he begins leaving her notes within the pages of her favorite book. But there are consequences to his interference, and when James learns there may be a way to return to the living, he makes it his mission to reunite with Margot, no matter the cost.