In this film inspired by true events, successful author/illustrator Samantha Crawford is living a charmed life, until her husband is murdered. Sam plunges into despair and loses her faith and will to live. A death-defying encounter with two children leads to a reunion with Joe, her childhood friend. As Sam watches "Papa" Joe care for and love the kids in his under-resourced neighborhood, she begins to realize that the love of God is always reaching...

"The Scrawny Little Tree" tells of a destitute little boy who has always wanted a Christmas tree. He finally saves enough to buy a little tree all his own. But the boy's love for his first Christmas tree is not affected by its scrawny stature.

Covers why and how the effects of poverty have to be addressed in classroom teaching and school and district policy. Topics include what poverty does to children's brains and why students raised in poverty are especially subject to stressors that undermine school behavior and performance.

The life of a man born at the moment of India's independence becomes inextricably linked to that of his nation and is a whirlwind of disasters and triumphs that mirror modern India's course. The author of The Satanic Verses creates a fascinating family saga about the birth and maturity of a land and its people--a brilliant incarnation of the human comedy. "Rushdie has achieved a magnificent and unique work of fiction".--The Philadelphia Inquirer....