Molly Lou Melon is different, but this doesn't slow her down.

    . . no matter where you may live.” This stunning picture book is the perfect gift for parents of a new baby.“This loving book will be something to treasure."' –Booklist"The quiet narrative is so intensely felt it commands attention. . . . a lyrical celebration." –Kirkus Reviews

    But when little Patricia wishes on a shooting star that she could do something—anything—to show him up, she finds out just what wishes—and rotten redheaded older brothers—can really do. Patricia Polacco's boldly and exuberantly painted pictures tell a lively and warmhearted tale of comic one-upsmanship and brotherly love.

    The world's best-loved children's stories set in large type for easy reading.-- Over 100 illustrations in each book

    First published a decade ago, it is still the book that motherless daughters of all ages look to for understanding and comfort and that they press into each other's hands. Building on interviews with hundreds of mother-loss survivors, this life-affirming book is now newly expanded to reflect the author's personal experience with the continued legacy of mother loss; now married and a mother of young children herself, Edelman better understands how the effects of mother loss change over time and in light of new relationships. A work of stunning courage and honesty, Motherless Daughters is a must read for the millions of women whose mothers have gone, but whose need for healing, mourning, and mothering remains. It is a timeless classic.

    1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)

    The little girl wears it to school proudly, and when the other children laugh, she gives them a quick lesson about what it means to be rich. Judith Sutton's beautiful paintings bring one of Dolly Parton's best-loved songs to life. "The heartfelt verses are imbued with the same genuine, infectiously likeable spirit Parton herself projects." Publishers Weekly

    Planning, understanding the resources available to you, and developing your own birthing philosophy can make all the difference. In this comprehensive, reassuring, and authoritative guide, Dr. Bill and Martha Sears, the pediatrics specialists whose books on pregnancy, babies, and parenting have become widely praised bestsellers, thoroughly explore the abundant choices couples face when anticipating the birth of their child. The topics covered in The Birth Book include: * Selecting the right birthing environment and team *preparing physically and emotionally for childbirth *using prenatal tests and technology wisely *defining the father's role *selecting a childbirth class *lessening the discomfort and speeding the process of labor *choosing or avoiding anesthesia *finding the birthing position that's best for you and your baby *decreasing your chances for a cesarean birth *turning a surgical birth into a rewarding experience As the parents of eight children and as medical professionals with nearly three decades of experience, Dr. Bill and Martha Sears are uniquely qualified to answer virtually every question you might have about the birth process. Their one-of-a-kind guide, rich in information as well as inspiration, enables you to plan and create the birth you want.

    Color illustrations.

    in full color. What happens when a group of industrious bugs finds a discarded tennis ball? They think, they plan, they draw up bluprints, and begin to build a snugly bug house. Ultra-simple text follows the bugs through their endeavors-- until their house is finished and they're happily ensconced.

    Now you can use his tested methods to evaluate, strengthen, and maintain your own long-term relationship.This breakthrough book guides you through a series of self-tests designed to help you determine what kind of marriage you have, where your strengths and weaknesses are, and what specific actions you can take to help your marriage. You'll also learn that more sex doesn't necessarily improve a marriage, frequent arguing will not lead to divorce, financial problems do not always spell trouble in a relationship, wives who make sour facial expressions when their husbands talk are likely to be separated within four years and there is a reason husbands withdraw from arguments—and there's a way around it. Dr. Gottman teaches you how to recognize attitudes that doom a marriage—contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling—and provides practical exercises, quizzes, tips, and techniques that will help you understand and make the most of your relationship. You can avoid patterns that lead to divorce, and—Why Marriages Succeed or Fail will show you how.

    But then, quite unexpectedly, a family tragedy obliges Grace to abandon her artistic talents and enter a life in service at the Hall. In this Upstairs Downstairs world of sadistic housekeepers and drunken butlers there is genuine hardship and drudgery for those employed in servicing the few.But Grace soon discovers that she has another talent when, through the merest chance, she manages to escape from the kitchen to the nursery floor. Here she learns to love Lady Lydiard's children as her own. Here, too, she learns her first lesson as a woman, that passion and sacrifice make awkward bedfellows. But if the love of her life, Brake Merrowby, brings her more sorrow than joy, her love for the children more than compensates for her enforced isolation in their world of muffins and rocking horses. As change reaches out to touch the great house, the realities of war leave their mark on the family. Yet for the children, grown and growing, when they stop to look back at the top-floor window they see only their nanny. Almost as if part of the fabric of the building, Grace grows to become not just the touchstone of their lives but in essence the mistress of the house itself.

    Popular Irish comedian Brendan O'Carroll chronicles the comic misadventures of this large and lively family with raw humor and great affection. Forced to be mother, father, and referee to her battling clan, the ever-resourceful Agnes Browne occasionally finds a spare moment to trade gossip and quips with her best pal Marion Monks (alias "The Kaiser") and even finds herself pursued by the amorous Frenchman who runs the local pizza parlor. Like the novels of Roddy Doyle, The Mammy features pitch-perfect dialogue, lightning wit, and a host of colorful characters. Earthy and exuberant, the novel brilliantly captures the brash energy and cheerful irreverence of working-class Irish life.

    D.W. teases him about his spots, but she is actually jealous of all the extra attention Arthur is getting. Finally, on the day of the circus, Arthur is well enough to go, but D.W. wakes up with the spots she so badly wanted. Text copyright 2004 Lectorum Publications, Inc.

    A Child Magazine Best Children's Book. Full color.

    This book is designed to help parents answer difficult or embarrassing questions about sex comfortably and truthfully (in age appropriate terms), and to encourage healthy communication between you and your child.

    Set mainly in contemporary Hawaii, it is a spectacular odyssey through fire and water, a journey that begins in the nineteenth century with the fateful meeting of a Yankee sailor and the runaway daughter of a Tahitian chief. Sweeping from that distant past into the present turbulent decade, Kiana Davenport has woven an astonishing, compassionate portrait of her people, one of personal and political complexities - a surreal and provocative, wise and erotic tale of villains and dreamers, of "stone-eaters" and queens, of revolutionaries, and of lepers and healers. Central to all is the matriarch Pono, a statuesque, pure-blooded Hawaiian, a kahuna, or seer, whose past is shrouded in mystery. Pono's love for Duke Kealoha - a man hidden from the world, a man his daughters and granddaughters have never knownis one of the most haunting love stories of our time, a love that lasts through sixty years, a love so profound she "dares everything, commits every conceivable act for him." As the novel opens, Pono's four granddaughters are converging on her run-down coffee plantation on the Big Island, summoned by Pono in her eighty-fourth year. United by their fear of and devotion to Pono, each woman is of "mixed blood" parentage: Ming - Hawaiian-Chinese, is a lover of art and music, who suffers from lupus; Vanya - Hawaiian-Filipino, is a lawyer and a fiery political activist; Rachel - Hawaiian-Japanese, is a great beauty, obsessed with herYakuza husband; JessHawaiian-Caucasian, is a veterinarian, whose pale skin makes her "inferior" in Pono's eyes. Never having known their true genealogy "Pono's girls, " as they are called, have led tormented, scattered lives. Now, caught up in Pono's spell, feeling a sense of "immi

    Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, doesn't know how to connect with his grandfather who doesn't doesn't speak English. But when the opportunity to help his grandfather find a job comes along, Francisco helps his grandfather learn about gardening. They get to learn about gardening, and each other, along the way.

    In the short time they have left, the relationship between mother and daughter - tender, awkward and revealing - deepens, and Ellen is forced to confront painful truths about her adored father. After Kate's death, Ellen goes from devoted daughter to prime suspect, accused of the mercy killing.

    Rhyming verse carries the brief story, while wonderful, warm, full-color illustrations present scenes from novel angles, and depict a loving family with a sense of intimacy, sincerity, and joy.”—School Library Journal

    Features a pronunciation guide and boxes offering extra facts.

    Now they offer their fans a treasury of grandmotherly good sense: memorable aphorisms, engaging anecdotes, rules for managing money, practical advice on staying active in old age, and some favorite recipes, too. It's a book filled with the secrets of living well, from two women who did it for more than a century.

    Once, Mona went to visit her. The couldn’t speak each other’s language, so they made up their own. They learned about each other’s worlds, and they discovered each other’s secrets. Then it was time for Mona to go back home, back to the other side of the earth. But even though there were millions of miles and millions of people between them, they remained true neighbors forever.

    Full color.

    The book in her own words, touchingly shares her pain and her transcendent love for her husband and coming to the firm knowledge of life after death.

    A young girl proudly watches her little brother--only to discover that caring neighbors have been watching them both all along. Full-color illustrations by the author.

    Enjoy being a parent again!

    "Hello, Stranger-Friend" begins Maya Angelou's story about Thandi, a South African Ndebele girl, her mischievous brother, her beloved chicken, and the astonishing mural art produced by the women of her tribe.  With never-before-seen photographs of the very private Ndebele women and their paintings, this unique book shows the passing of traditions from parent to child and introduces young readers to a new culture through a new friend.

    "God's gift, to the parent in middle-age. This 'gift' dimension of adolescence is my subject. For adolescence is not only the process designed by the Creator to bring children to adulthood, it is also designed by the Creator to provide something essential for parents during correspondingly critical years in their lives. Christian parents are most advantageously placed to recognize, appreciate, and receive this gift God so wisely provides." In Like Dew Your Youth Peterson shows how adolescence is a time for parents to enjoy a deeper, richer relationship with their children and for both parents and children to grow in their relationships with Jesus Christ. In addition to its wealth of positive, effective ways to deal with many of the problems and pains of growing up, this insightful book offers an understanding of parent-adolescent relationships that will help promote an atmosphere of communication, growth, frankness, forgiveness, love, and harmony in the home. Study questions at the end of each chapter help readers apply Peterson's practical, Bible-centered teaching. There are also tips for using this material within the framework of parental support groups. Like Dew Your Youth provides a much-needed balm against the fear and anxiety bred by traditional views of this exciting period of life and properly orients parents and teenagers within this God-provided environment for spiritual growth.

    This jewel-like vignette from Sandra Cisneros's best-selling The House on Mango Street shows, through simple, intimate portraits, the diversity among us.A Dragonfly Book in English and Spanish.A Parenting Magazine Best Children's Book of the Year-----------Un excelente constructor de vocabulario, con nombres de objetos en Inglés y en Español, acompañados por ilustraciones, agrupados por tópicos como colores, juguetes, animales y herramientas.

    Let Scholastic Bookshelf be your guide through the whole range of your child's experiences-laugh with them, learn with them, read with them!Eight classic, best-selling titles are available now!Category: Humor"Hally Tosis was a very good dog, but she had a big problem."Hold your nose! Because here comes the dog with the worst breath in the world!"Wordplay...is at the heart of this sweet, funny picture book...And the bright colors…add a marvelous effervescence to the zany goings-on."--Booklist

    Launching the Code of the West series, this is a tale of switched identities, the need for truth and an unexpected love, set in the Old West.

    Della Ragon, that's who.Oh to you it might seem frightful, but to her it sounds delightful.

    A powerful proof of God's overwhelming love.

    William Wegman takes the alphabet and turns it--literally--on its head, by re-creating it with the physical grace and agility of his celebrated weimaraners.

    Drawings and writings by children in Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia reflect their feelings about the war.

    She is fearless, willing to say anything that comes into her mind, and everything about her is messy and a little off. It is love at first sight for Finn, but it will be almost a decade before he is ready to admit it. In graceful and seamless prose, Harry Gauley captures the world of a close-knit urban community and a way of life that exists no more.

    Intrigued by the mysterious and angry Romany boy who joins her class, thirteen-year-old Gray finds that he shares her love of horses but harbors a dark secret.

    So she placed a large lacquered bowl on Lily's head, and made her promise never to remove it. Yoriko Ito's elegant paintings use traditional Japanese motifs to highlight the adaptation of this inspiring folktale of the rewards of kindness and beauty. Full color. Age5-9. P ub: 10/94.

    The methods described in Three Steps to a Strong Family aim to help parents give children a sense of security and stability and prepare them for the adult world.Linda and Richard Eyre's Three Steps to a Strong Family shows how to create a family legal system, a family economy and a sense of family identity which work together to provide rules, limits and goals.

    Katie is afraid of the bear that lives under the stairs in her house, until they exchange letters and she finally gets to meet him.

    He dreamed about heroes like Booker T. Washington, who was black just like him. When he heard the clackety-clack of train wheels, he dreamed about the places it had been. But most of all, he dreamed about having a happy home. And so, one day, he began turning those dreams into beautiful prose. As he did, he discovered where his home really was?in the words and rhythms of his poetry that reached people all over the world. The beloved Langston Hughes comes to life in a book for poets, dreamers, children and adults ?anyone who has ever thought of what home means to them.?Teachers looking for a good way to introduce youngsters to this prominent poet will find this book to be an excellent accompaniment to his work.? --School Library Journal?Like Hughes? poetry, the power of Cooper?s story is that it confronts sadness even as it transcends it.? --Booklist?His text is as inviting as his illustrations.? --The New York Times Book Review

    A book of voices from an almost forgotten female heritage, it features eighteen writers who speak powerfully of the events that shaped their lives; the daily fabric of life in Europe, the struggle from which new lives in North America, Palestine and then Israel were forged, the terror and challenge of survival during the Holocaust and its aftermath.

    Intelligent, deliberate preparation for a lifetime of sexual leasure is a worthy investment you won't regret. In Getting Your Sex Life Off to a Great Start, renowned sexual counselors and best-selling authors Clifford and Joyce Penner guide you through an encouraging process that begins by dispelling sexual myths and then guides you in getting to know yourself and each other emotionally and physically. With reassuring enthusiasm and straightforward advice, the Penners show you how to clarify your expectations and pursue the joyous marital passion described in Scripture. Through creative, step-by-step exercises and easy-to-understand examples, you'll learn how to:Design a successful honeymoonPrepare for your first sexual time togetherChoose and use family planningCreate a mutually enjoyable wedding nightGet past disappointmentsKeep the spark aliveThousands of couples have discovered the marvelous gift of a positive sexual relationship through the Penners' helpful books and enlightening seminars. As your wedding day nears-or even if you're already newlyweds-this extraordinary book will help you get your sex life off to a great start.

    They ask many questions about God, questions that can be startlingly direct. Oftentimes adults--parents, grandparents and teachers--feel uncomfortable answering them.Through fantasy, involvement and imagination, Sandy Sasso and Annette Compton invite children of all faiths and backgrounds to encounter God openly through moments in their own lives--and help the adults who love them to be a part of that encounter. This book provides a gift of images that nurtures and encourages children in making meaning of their world.With over 100,000 copies in print, God's Paintbrush remains one of the most popular spiritual books for children of all faiths, all backgrounds. This special anniversary edition includes new ideas for interaction between adults and children, and an important new message from the author.

    As Harper grows older and realizes how valuable reading is to her, she comes to understand that her parents’ radical efforts in favor of educational censorship are related to a quest for control within their own family. And so Harper finds she must make the hardest choice of all. “Sure to be controversial, prepare for a stimulating conversation.”--The New Advocate

    Sometimes just looking at it makes Marcy feel sad. Then one spring, Marcy has a wonderful idea: Instead of a useless lot, why not a green and growing space for everyone to enjoy?With her warm, hopeful text and inviting illustrations, DyAnne Disalvo-Ryan shows how a whole neighborhood blossoms when people join together and get involved.

    These projects allow each child to participate in an individual and unique art experience using common household items and ordinary art supplies.

    Grandma's treasures come to life in this marvelous introduction to countries and cultures around the world. Full color.

    John Paul II's Letter to Families remains one of the most insightful and encouraging resources for parents and spouses. As the Holy Father says in the opening lines of his letter, he is knocking "at the door of your home, eager to greet you with deep affection and to spend time with you."The Holy Father's heroic defense of the family gives us not only hope and courage, but also wonderful tools and advice that will lead to Christ's triumph in our "domestic church."

    No matter how much you love your child, there will be moments filled with frustration, anger, and even desperation. There will also be questions: Why does my four-year-old deliberately lie to me? Why won’t my three-year-old listen to me? Should I ever spank my preschooler when she is disobedient? Over the years, millions of parents just like you have come to trust the Positive Discipline series and its commonsense approach to child-rearing. Now completely updated to report the latest research in child development and learning, Positive Discipline for Preschoolers will teach you how to use methods to raise a child who is responsible, respectful, and resourceful. You’ll find practical solutions for how to:- Avoid the power struggles that often come with mastering sleeping, eating, and potty training - See misbehavior as an opportunity to teach nonpunitive discipline—not punishment - Instill valuable social skills and positive behavior inside and outside the home by using methods that teach important life skills - Employ family and class meetings to tackle behavorial challenges - And much, much more!This revised and updated third edition includes information from the latest research on neurobiology, diet and exercise, gender differences and behavior, the importance of early relationships and parenting, and new approaches to parenting in the age of mass media. In addition, this book offers new information on reducing anxiety and helping children feel safe in troubled times.

    He puts on his hearing aids and clothes, then goes to wake his father. Together they brave the cold as they walk down the dirt road that leads to the beach.

    To Paint Her Life tells the story of Salomon's extraordinary life and death.

    She has the very best of everything. But when her rich father dies, she's left without a penny. Now Sara lives in the school's cold attic and works for crusts of bread. With some help from a secret friend and a touch of magic, Sara's world is about to change in ways she never dreamed. An adaptation of the classic novel that's just right for young readers "From the Trade Paperback edition."

    Book by Vanfleet, Rise

    No wonder they make their son laugh - mind you, they think that he's funny in his grey patternless clothes!

    All the works were re-edited afresh from the original documents, and the edition was acclaimed 'as the most interesting edition since the First Folio' (John Carey, Sunday Times) and 'the most ambitious edition of the works ever attempted' (Times Higher Education Supplement). Each play is prefaced by an excellent brief introduction.--back coverTitus AndronicusRomeo and JulietJulius CaesarHamletOthelloTimon of AthensKing LearMacbethAntony and CleopatraCoriolanus

    Six-year-old Ima Bean sets off such a flood of mishaps when she tries to help her grandpa that she begins to worry whether she will ever be forgiven.

    Their popularity continues today with the modern focus on healthy living. The Complete Book of Herbs is an invaluable and comprehensive guide to home herb cultivation that everyone, from herbal enthusiasts to novice gardeners, will appreciate. The first of two main sections clearly explains both modern and traditional growing techniques for successful and rewarding gardening at home. Practical step-by-step sequences complemented by instructive color photographs demonstrate exactly how to: plan and design a beautiful herb garden; combine herbs for fragrance, healing and cooking; produce a perfect container garden; and grow and store herbs indoors. The second section is an encyclopedia that details over 150 common and lesser-known varieties of herbs, providing growing tips and essential information on their many beneficial properties. Clear information about each herb listed and their related species for instant recognition and identification is also provided.

    The food is strange, the sun too hot, his cousin Lennox is on another wave length and there are none of the televisions, video games and other high-tech gadgets that a cool city-boy takes for granted.

    Rainey will challenge you to grasp the depth of honoring one's father and mother and shows you the impact it can have on both your life and the life of your parents.

    10 Things Parents Must Teach Their Children (And Learn for Themselves)

    Shauna describes how she and Momma prepare for the day's customers - stacking clean towels, donning smocks, making fresh coffee. An engaging array of customers comes and goes, all of whom are as colorful as the cheerful salon. Though Shauna is a big help, Momma is the only one who gets to do the hair-styling. But when temperamental little Tiffany proves to be the toughest customer to please, it's Shauna who comes up with the perfect solution. And after the last customer leaves, this loving mother-daughter team work on their favorite customers of all -- each other.

    This very portable guide is designed to help you identify these birds in their natural habitats and learn about their habits, life cycles, and history. The guide features 74 species of North American birds associated with fresh or salt water. In addition to the swans, geese, and duck that are traditionally termed waterfowl, it includes a variety of loons, grebes, cormorants, and rails that may be encountered in the same habitats. Also here are tips on birding technique (including the use of binoculars and spotting scopes), identification skills, and watching waterfowl, as well as notes on waterfowl conservation and more.

    Now it's time for adult sons and daughters to give back to their parents. The Tribute will help adult children strengthen and restore relationships with their parents and build a solid foundation for the future.

    Distinctive symbols identify action songs, rounds, Bible story songs, and songs to sing with rhythm band instruments.

    . . until his sexual manipulations of his young female students were exposed. This gripping insider's account tells of a popular sixth-grade teacher in Illinois who took advantage of his female students in the darkest case of serial sex abuse ever told. 8 pages of photos.

    Steven Vannoy’s unique parenting style is designed to create a harmonious family atmosphere with self-esteem, compassion, balance, humor, communication, integrity, responsibility, conscious choice, and full expression of emotions. And parents are not the only ones who have benefitted from Vannoy’s wisdom: in the years since the book was first published, Vannoy has used the principles in this book to help businesses worldwide create healthier and more fulfilling workplaces. With updated principles and a new foreword by the author, this twentieth anniversary edition will help both new and old readers of The 10 Greatest Gifts I Give My Children build better relationships with their children and colleagues both in the office and at home.

    Throughout the seasons and over thousands of miles, they forage for food and seek shelter from predators. The mother gives birth to a second calf, the young bull grows to adulthood, and the cycle of life continues.

    Who doesn't remember the holiday sights and sounds and smells of Grandma's house? The living room aglow with a tree that touches the ceiling, the clatter of silverware and kitchen pans, the banter of relatives, and especially Grandma's bright face Donald Davis captures these memories and more and relays them through the eyes of a child.

    With an insightful introduction to provide historical context and a lucid biographical headnote about each of the authors, this volume brings together under one cover the Harlem Renaissance literature most widely taught. Short stories include Sweat (1926) and The Gilded Six-Bits (1933) by Zora Neale Hurston, Rudolph Fisher's Miss Cynthie (1933), and The Blues I'm Playing (1934) by Langston Hughes. The novels Home to Harlem (1928) by Claude McKay and Nella Larsen's Quicksand (1929) are featured in their entirety, along with major selections from Jean Toomer's Cane. Added features include a chapter from Wallace Thurman's Infants of the Spring (1932), a notorious roman a clef about the Harlem Renaissance, and Rudolph Fisher's half tongue-in-cheek Introduction to Contemporary Harlemese, Expurgated and Abridged (1928). For students and teachers alike, there can be no more effective or enjoyable way of exploring the intellectual concerns, the ideological perspectives, and the artistic innovations of the Harlem Renaissance.

    Crary also describes typical development stages, so parents are sure their expectations for their kids are reasonable. She clarifies the difference between normal behavior and defiance and irresponsibility.

    Sponsored by the National Black Women's Health Project, this honest, straight-from-the-heart guide addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual health issues and concerns of Black women today.

    

    Although written in a story format, these books are not fictionalized accounts. A chronology of major events follows the story, along with a brief summary of the subject's life.

    The Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays is a compendium of facts, activities, and stories from around the world suitable for use by the entire family.

    For every man and every woman in every marriage

    The story of two children who were victims.

    Now comes a new collection of the heartwarming, hilarious comic America loves.

    The second section, "On Becoming 'AdNormal': Finding, Creating, and Accepting Wellness," suggests ways of unlearning destructive behaviors and attitudes that affect people of color, and moving toward self-defined emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health.There is no homogeneity among women of color in the United States. The women represented in this collection are African, Asian, Sephardic Jew, Latina, Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian, First Nation, and various mixtures. Some have never before been published; others are well-known to many. Their perceptions are presented to encourage women to be more accessible to each other. A 52-item reading list and a 51-item resource list are included.

    Caleb's adventures take him through Civil War battles, buffalo hunts, Indian wars and barroom shoot-outs. On his way he meets:Snake Woman--the Comanche slave woman who kidnaps him as a child in an attempt to regain her rightful place in the tribe.Kicking Dog--the renegade Arapaho who rampages through the West scalping victims from Texas to Montana.Marisol--the Mexican beauty who bears Caleb's children and wins his love.

    MacArthur helps the reader discover and understand the beauty, balance, and benefits of God's unique role for men and women in the home and church family. Personal and group study guides included.

    Sebastien is entranced by common farmer Gareth Larken, who is determined to show her that titles and fortunes are the least of a man's important assets.

    When the noisy intruder turns out to be a very welcome visitor with a present for the puppy, Oliver happily accepts his reward for guarding the house. Full color.

    As MomCat bids farewell to her kittens, Purry Brother decides to move into the barn, Smart Sister heads for the chicken coop, and AdventureCat strikes out on her own as she discovers the world.

    A warm, touching story of a family discovering how much they need and love one another.

    A fascinating essay about the history of the region of Mesopotamia is followed by interviews with an early settler who extols the virtues of the date palm, with a 12-year-old boy who is studying to be a scribe, and with a soldier. A section on the Greek theater is personalized with a conversation with Cimon, the mask maker. An 80-year-old man tells us how Rome has expanded and changed from the days of Nero through Hadrian's reign. History is no longer a boring list of dates, but an exciting time peopled with characters as real as our closest friends. The dramatic narrative prose is accompanied by maps, photographs, paintings, cutaway drawings, and cross-sections by a number of artists, including the remarkable Peter Connolly. Meticulous detail and accuracy are his trademarks, and his illustrations and those of the other artists bring to life tribal life at the mouth of a cave in the Stone Age, the city of Rome at the height of its glory, the sprawling palace at Knossos, the first Olympic games, and more. The Oxford First Ancient History gives it readers an understanding of the forces at work in the development of early civilizations and the techniques historians and archaeologists use to interpret their significance. The emphasis is upon everyday life and the reader is encouraged to compare and contrast present day techniques and attitudes with those of the past. This is fascinating and powerful history that brings the ancient world to life.

    She shows us how, while paying constant lip service to family, we fail to acknowledge the difficulties of parenting in the nineties and to make sure that conditions essential to the raising of children are available to parents.It is Penelope Leach's contention that what parents do for their children -- what they are able to do -- depends on what society actually wants, approves and encourages. And, in a powerful argument against complacency, she presents specific steps by which we, as members of society, can move to fashion a new economic priority for all children; to make the child central in the fight against poverty and inequity; to achieve a rational standard of human rights for our children; and to find, in our own lives, effective new approaches to positive parenting.Provocative, passionate, courageous, Children First is a groundbreaking book. It has the extraordinary potential to affect the lives not only of our own children but also of the children that they themselves will have in years to come.

    "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned."Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic.As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold — the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.

    Uncommon Grace remembers Jackie as a precocious child and a breathtaking debutante, as the radiant young bride of Senator Kennedy and the first Lady of "Camelot," as the tragic widow of a slain president and the privileged wife of an aging Greek tycoon, and as a hard-working New York editor and glamorous woman-about-town. Original text by J. Spencer Beck, who interviewed scores of those who knew her best, offers special insight into both the public and the private figure.This book is for all who loved and revered Jackie for her unique constellation of qualities, for those who will always remember her as a woman without peer.