Veterans Day in the United States is a federal and state holiday meant to recognize the sacrifices and contributions to national safety offered by the service of our veterans. By no means a uniquely American event, many nations offer their own versions, called variously Armistice Day, Armed Forces Day or Remembrance Day and celebrated on November 11th in honor of the formal end of hostilities of World War I as signified by the signing of the Armistice November 11, 1918. Officially begun in the United States in 1919 as "Armistice Day," in the 1950s, the holiday’s parameters were extended to include all veterans as well as to honor the continuing push for world peace. All around the world, at 11 a.m. people are asked to offer a two-minute moment of silence to remember the estimated 20 million people who are thought to have lost their lives over the course of the war. In honor of the contributions of these veterans, we present these fictional tales of their homecomings.

An unofficial holiday, "Black Friday" describes the day after Thanksgiving which traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. As it falls when most workers have the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday, malls and stores are often packed with shoppers, with retailers offering dramatic sales. While Black Friday is often called the busiest shopping day of the year, traditionally the last Saturday before Christmas has the highest sales. The term “Black Friday” is believed to have been derived in the 1960s from a cheeky nickname the Philadelphia police came up for the event in reference to the increased headaches to the department as a result of traffic, arguments, and other heightened problems associated with the day. Another derivation for the name comes from the widespread belief that the day marks the beginning of the period when retailers go into profit (or "into the black") for the first time in the sales year. To commemorate this "holiday" we present these varied homages to spending.

The finals fates of Robert "Butch Cassidy" Parker and Harry "The Sundance Kid" Longabaugh, two of the most famous outlaws in American history, are shrouded in mystery, though historians have pieced together what is believed to an accurate picture of their last days 101 years ago this November. Primarily active as bandits in the 1890s as a part of the "Wild Bunch" gang, the arrests and deaths of several fellow gang members led Cassidy to pursue a failed effort at amnesty in 1900. After one final robbery, the pair fled to South America where it is believed they purchased a ranch and returned to banditry. Shortly after the theft of a mining payroll in Bolivia, they were surrounded in a cabin by a mass of Bolivian soldiers and police, which led to an extended shootout and eventual suicide by the gunmen. Quickly buried, the identities of these men remain uncertain, with speculation about Parker and Longabough’s true whereabouts becoming the stuff of legend. In their spirit, enjoy these Western adventures

On March 15, 1950, a consortium of book publishing groups sponsored the first annual National Book Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Their goal was to enhance the public's awareness of exceptional books written by fellow Americans, and to increase the popularity of reading in general. Since then, The National Book Awards have become the nation's preeminent literary prizes. Today, the Awards are given to recognize achievements in four genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature. The Winners, selected by five-member, independent judging panels for each genre, receive a 10,000 dollar cash award and a crystal sculpture. This year, the NBA awards will be presented on November 18 and, in honor of their great legacy, here are some past winners of the prestigious National Book Award for Fiction.

Based in part on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, Gaiman's episodic novel describes an orphan raised not by animals, but rather by ghosts, ghouls, and creatures that are neither dead nor alive. A young toddler escapes murder by wandering out of the house and into a nearby graveyard while his family members are killed. Realizing he has no family, the residents of the graveyard adopt him and name him Nobody Owens. As he grows up, they teach “Bod” the tricks of the dead and educate him about the world. Silas, a graveyard resident who can move among the living, makes sure that Bod has food, clothing, books, and other comforts. Occasionally Bod meets other humans, but fears leaving the graveyard in case he encounters the man who murdered his family. As he grows into manhood, however, Bod realizes he cannot hide forever.

Author and illustrator Kadir Nelson uses a fictitious narrator to recount the story of the Negro League from 1920 to 1960. Major league baseball became segregated in 1888 and the minor leagues followed suit a few years later. The Negro League was born of this segregation, founded by Rube Foster when he joined eight leading black baseball teams in the Midwest. Nelson’s narrator, a player in the League, describes the great players of the time, including Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Roy Campanella, Bob Gibson, and Roberto Clemente. He describes the new plays and pitches created by black players and coaches, the discrimination they faced, and the love of the game they shared. Major League baseball became integrated in the 1940s when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the Negro League remained active until 1960. Nelson spent almost eight years researching for this work, reading stories and interviewing former players. He studied photographs and memorabilia from the League to ensure the oil paintings that illustrate We Are the Ship would appear authentic. An index and endnotes accompany the text.