He conquered the thing that nearly took his life At five years old, Cullen Jones nearly drowned. While some people might stay away from water after that, Jones conquered his fear when his mother enrolled him in a swimming class. Not only did he learn to swim, he quickly found that he was a good swimmer and would become one of the world s best. Discover how faith, courage, and hard work led Jones to win an Olympic gold medal and set a new world record in his event. Find out what can happen when you overcome fear and strive to become all God calls you to be. Includes a personal note from Cullen Jones."

Missy Franklin is one of the most talented swimmers in the world. She is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and currently holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke and American records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke. She was Swimming World's World Swimmer of the Year and the American Swimmer of the Year in 2012. This story tells of her rise in fame and humbleness in the sport.

Surviving with cancer, Natalie Davis Spingarn tells us, means seeing yourself differently and recognizing that others may see you differently. It means worrying more about work and money. It means facing your mortality. It means dealing with the medical system by learning how to be a good consumer of health services--including making choices among different doctors, medical centers, and insurance plans.

Diagnosed with cancer in the early 1970s and now an independent writer specializing in health and social policy issues (particularly for the "Washington Post"), Spingarn uses her experiences as the basis for describing and critiquing what experts say about the emotional, physical, family, and practical issues involved. She helps others deal with such issues by relating her own experiences, good and bad, and offering practical encouragement to readers in similar situations.

Lively and empathetic, "The New Cancer Survivors" will appeal to persons with cancer who, thanks to modern medical science, are "hanging in there with illnesses that once evoked only submission or surrender"--as well as to their families, friends, and caregivers. Throughout, the author shines a bright light on the cancer experience, providing good reason to be hopeful as well as insight into how to respond when things do not go so well. Because she has suffered recurrences, she can compare treatment in the seventies (week-long hospital stays, for example, and extensive surgery and chemotherapy) with treatment in the nineties ("drive-through" precision surgery, genetic testing, the incorporation of some "complementary" therapies into mainstream medicine) and weigh the differences. "The New Cancer Survivors" digs deep for the truth and serves it up with humor and attitude--offering a wealth of information, comfort, and inspiration.

Dakota Walker Randell had lived in the valley all his younger years with no plan to leave. His friends were all there, most importantly Linda Martin, who was his girlfriend-even if he did not know it at first. Still they spent a great deal of time together horseback riding in the valley. Linda lived in the biggest house in the valley, while Dakota lived in a small house in a ghost town. Linda's family had money, while Dakota's father was the former pastor of the valley church. Now he was the valley drunk, and all he had was his horse and his dog. In Dakota's senior year of high school, he was sick of caring for his father. He wanted a life of his own, maybe with Linda. You think you have nothing, then you have it all, and then she is gone. What happened after that makes a new life as well as a story of a man in search of answers. This is also a story of a girl searching for answers, as well as what they find in a truck stop one morning, sixteen year later.

A new steam engine has arrived on the Chugga Valley Railroad. His name is Willy Whistler, and he has a disability. This means he has a minor problem. He cannot speak; he can only whistle. All of the engines are friendly to him, except Danny Diesely, who calls him "useless" because of his disability. But when Danny gets into trouble, Willy saves the day and helps him get his passengers delivered on time. In the end, Danny realizes that Willy's disability is really an ability, and the two become friends. Indeed, even though Willy has a disability, he is a very helpful engine