Bill Boyce always wanted to know why his father, William D. Boyce, refused to discuss his tour of duty on a B-24 Liberator bomber during World War II. The experience had affected every aspect of his father’s life, but an unspoken agreement kept the topic classified: Bill failed to ask, and his father failed to tell. Twenty-five years after his father’s death, Bill found the one man who might tell him what his father would not. Ray Noury had flown with Boyce in late 1943 and saved his life. Would Noury be willing to talk? Able to remember? From Noury, Bill learned that on February 22, 1944, a B-24 nicknamed Miss Fortune had crashed into the Czech countryside after being attacked by Luftwaffe fighters over Germany. Of eleven crewmembers, only Noury came home. Had Boyce not received a devastating wound only weeks earlier, he would have been with them on their fatal mission. That conversation led Bill to stacks of old photographs, records and letters, across the United States, and to the Czech Republic. It also led him to John Torrison, who had spent a decade tracking down facts about the crew and his uncle’s role as the tail gunner. Together, they pieced together the full story of Miss Fortune and her last mission. A mid-life journey guided by an eighty-nine-year-old veteran taught them about war, love, loss, sacrifice, survival, honor and family. And, through the shared stories of the extended family that formed around Miss Fortune’s crew―spouses, children, relatives and grateful Czechs―Bill Boyce finally came to understand his own father.

Miss Fortune’s Last Mission: Uncovering A Story of Sacrifice and Survival

Biographies & Memoirs

Boyce, Bill

Torrison, John Hartley

Leaders & Notable People

Bright Sky Publishing

A rhyming picture book illustrated with children’s cutouts celebrates the idea that any place is a good place to read a book to a child. Where’s the best place to read a book?
The children in this bright and bold picture book proclaim that any place is a good place to share a story. And colorful collages featuring delightful cut outs made by children in a collaborative art project illustrate that there’s just no end to the places that are just right for reading.

Read to Me!

Children's Books

Bridge, Chris

Literature & Fiction

Inviting the reader to a personal glimpse of life on this much-storied ranch, this intimate and compelling book chronicles the history of the ranch and the life of Bob and Helen Kleberg, the first family of cattle ranching. From the development of the Santa Gertrudis cattle breed, to the Triple Crown-winning thoroughbred Assault, Bob and Helen Kleberg changed the face of the ranching industry. The memoirs open the door to the romance of Southwest cattle ranching as well as the grit, the glory, the triumphs, and the heartbreaks of the inner workings of King Ranch in Texas and its ranches around the world. Presented with two hundred never-before-released photographs, this extraordinarily and lavishly illustrated portrait includes accounts of the famous hospitality of the Klebergs, extended not only to the celebrities and dignitaries who were entertained regularly, but to the kineNos, the loyal ranch hands first brought to King Ranch by Captain King.

Bob & Helen Kleberg of King Ranch

Benson, Bill

Kleberg Groves, Helen

Historical

As sleep comes, the little cowboy's happy heart bids good night to all in his world that has made his day safe and glad. Couplets in lullaby rhythm gently invite little ones to enter sleep, while original artwork guides them from the sweet-smelling cow pony nodding in the shed to the prairie grasses whispering.

Good Night Cowboy

Dromgoole, Glenn

As sleep comes, the little cowgirl's happy heart bids good night to all in his world that has made his day safe and glad. Couplets in lullaby rhythm gently invite little ones to enter sleep, while original artwork guides their minds' eyes from the sweet-smelling cow pony nodding in the shed to the prairie grasses whispering.

Good Night Cowgirl

Offering a new take on the stirring story of the Texas Revolution, this history focuses on the financial underpinnings and monetary issues that factored into the struggle. Deftly weaving numismatics and history into an engaging and highly entertaining narrative, the story unveils a verifiable trail of many of the most significant people and events surrounding the struggle for independence in Texas. It is replete with colorful anecdotes about visionary kings, obsessive dictators, crooked politicians, and counterfeiters, and includes a detailed history of each piece of coin and currency used in the old Republic.

Paper Republic: The Struggle for Money, Credit and Independence in the Republic of Texas

Business & Money

Bevill, James P.

Economics

Just as feng shui embraces the spiritual teachings of the East to create harmonious spaces, this design resource illustrates how to use Christian inspiration to transform a home into a peaceful, beautiful haven. Every aspect of the design process is covered in depth, including creating a vision, tackling prep work, developing a plan, selecting a team, meeting requirements, and completing the project. Ideas center on design principles that are tied directly to biblical principles and each chapter includes a section with an inspirational verse and a centering prayer.

Interior Wisdom: Designing Your Heart and Home for the Lord

Arts & Photography

RICHARDSON, LEAH

Architecture

Combining classic children's literature with fun kitchen science experiments, this handbook is an ideal resource for parents or teachers who want to instill a cross-curricular approach to educating their children. A wide range of experiments are featured, including how to make the green goo found in Dr. Seuss' Bartholomew and the Oobleck, as well as making pasta dance as shown in Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona. Each chapter contains a detailed summary of the story, step-by-step instructions with a list of ingredients, thought-provoking questions for children, science facts, how to relate the experiment to everyday life, and sources for further exploration. The activities, which are appropriate for children ages 4 to 11, result in a terrific way to combine reading with turning a kitchen into an exciting laboratory of learning.

Oobleck, Slime & Dancing Spaghetti: Twenty Terrific at Home Science Experiments Inspired by Favorite Children's Books

Williams, Jennifer

Activities, Crafts & Games

Fifth grader Max Speyer has been chosen to be the starting goalie for the local youth lacrosse league. Because he is younger and smaller than the team's other goalie, he lacks the confidence he needs to beat his archrival, Snake Eyes. In order to boost his confidence, he trains to the point of obsession-until an enlightening conversation with his neighbor, Dr. Bob, shows him that he needs to let go and trust that all his training has made him a good enough player to get the job done. Can he beat his nemesis? This story combines lacrosse scenarios with solid sports psychology to provide solutions to many significant challenges that youth players face. Included in the novel are a glossary of lacrosse terms and ten winning sports psychology tips.

Head Case Lacrosse Goalie: Sports Fiction with a Winning Edge

Rotella, Dr. Bob

Chambers, Sam T.

Sports & Outdoors

Sox St. Louis, the intrepid deputy press secretary to the president, is besieged by the media on a daily basis as he attempts to communicate the actions and motivations of the executive office to the ravenous press without getting eaten alive. Drawn from the author's years of experience as a White House press officer, this raucous tale illuminates the often humorous relationship between the press and the presidency, offering a behind-the-scenes look into the slapstick and substance that confront a presidential spokesperson. Unvarnished and unscripted, this novel peeks into the follies and foibles that are a part of the daily give and take between the Washington press corps and the Oval Office.

Ruffled Flourishes: A Novel

Roussel, Peter

Humor & Satire

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Books by Bright Sky Publishing