Books by Bud Russo

Some of these tales are about genuine heroes. Some are about dastardly villains. Others you’ll have to decide for yourself: hero or villain? You’ll recognize these people, even if you don’t remember their names. They are Spanish colonials, Mexicans, and Anglos all the way to the present. They are even aboriginal Americans predating the arrival of Europeans. These are personal tales—gossip, you might say—and, when you finish a story, if you’re like me, you’ll be able to say, “I didn’t know that!” Now, don’t you think knowing the quirks and grit of those who peopled the pages of your history textbooks—rather than all those dates and places—is more interesting? The author always thought so. After a dozen years writing travel stories about New Mexico, he undertook writing yarns of adventure, intrigue, failure, and even death. Open the book to Elfego Baca’s story and learn why one Mexican had no fear of American cowboys. Or how Navajo Chester Nez, who was denied the right to speak his native language, used Navajo words to help win World War II. Or even how the haughty wife of a colonial governor was falsely denounced to the Inquisition as a Crypto-Jew. Fact or imagination? Sometimes it’s hard to know which it is, but these, at least, are true life episodes. Includes Readers Guide.

What do you do when you meet your soul mate? How should your life unfold? Singer Anne Melandrevich, who uses the stage name Annie Melodie, and her husband, Geof Barringer, the poet - two poor and struggling artists - know they're meant for each other and make the most of the love they share. When Anne is discovered by a Nashville producer, her career skyrockets, giving them what they've dreamed of. But how were they to know everything they wanted was everything they had? Conflicted between supporting his wife's career and wanting to go back to the way their lives once were, Geof becomes so envious, he leaves for Europe. There he remains, until the story's climax challenges his and Anne's strength and fortitude.

When Joshua Andrews runs away from home into The Magic Picture, little does he realize the adventure that lies before him. The old wizard, Ostenso, sends him on a journey to help him find his way home; telling Joshua, "Life gives you the test first, then teaches you the lesson." Along the way, he encounters strange and fascinating characters, each of whom challenges his knowledge of the physical world. If he passes the tests, he moves on. If he fails just one, he will remain trapped in The Magic Picture ... forever. Written for young adults, The Magic Picture 1. Combines an entertaining story with an examination of basic middle school physical science such as reflection, refraction, magnetism, wave motion, and other aspects of Newtonian physics, 2. Includes instructions on how to duplicate all of Joshua's challenges, 3. Can be used as a team-teaching resource by both English and science teachers, 4. Offers readers core values to help them understand and modify social behaviors, boosting self-esteem.