The challenges are many, and for the faculty—whose jobs may depend on their students’ ability to improve on the test—the stakes are high.Ten-year-old Hydea is about to start fifth grade—with second-grade reading skills. Her friend Marbella is a little further along, but she’s more interested in socializing than in learning. And then there’s Matthew, a second grader who began the school year below grade level and who, over the course of the year, slipped even more. In past years, these three students and many others would have received help from the literacy specialist Mrs. Schaefer. But with cutbacks and a change in her job description—the third in as many years—she won’t be able to give all struggling students the same attention. This year, she will have to select the few students whom she and the teachers can bet on—the ones who are close to achieving proficiency on the CMT. The hope is that this strategy, though not ideal, will give them the boost they—and the school—need to pass the exams. And, for added measure, Principal Hay has already asked his faculty to teach to the test.Journalist Ron Berler spent a full year at Brookside, sitting in on classes, strategy sessions, and even faculty meetings. In Raising the Curve, he introduces us to the students, teachers, and staff who make up the Brookside community. Though their school is classified as failing—like so many others across the country—they never give up on themselves or on one another. In this nuanced and personal portrait, Berler captures their concerns, as well as their pride, resilience, and spirited faith.

    At the start of each Christmas season, the elf appears to serve as Santa's eyes and ears, and every night it travels back to the North Pole to report in.

    Packed with stories, biographical essays, scores of archival photographs and other evocative artifacts, it is an important contribution to sports history and a wonderful tribute to the players and teams who wrote a unique chapter in the annals of baseball and American culture. National Geographic is proud to present this compelling volume, compiled by a who's who of authorities on the subject. Drawing on years of research, Shades of Glory traces the history of black baseball from the 19th century to the first great teams, such as the Cuban Giants, and on to the era of the vibrant barnstorming teams from the East Coast, Chicago, and Cuba. The unparalleled Rube Foster started the first Negro League in 1920, with such dominant teams as the Chicago American Giants and the Kansas City Monarchs. Pittsburgh soon produced two of the greatest teams of all time, the Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords, featuring such stars as Satchel Paige, John Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and many more. Their superb brand of baseball rivaled the best of the major leagues until the historic signing of Jackie Robinson by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Shades of Glory chronicles a bygone era of black baseball and the stars who were shadowed by racial prejudice, but now shine forth in all their sparkling brilliance.

    But who has cursed Whittlecombe and why? Can our Alfie find out and save her friends in the village?Will Alf ever manage to have a crisis free and merry Christmas?Will anybody wake up in time to prepare her figgy pudding?Maybe our favourite witch will be too busy to notice ...Because while mortals sleep, one witch keepsA watch of wondering love.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O Witchy Town of Whittlecombe is a standalone Christmas cozy mystery that complements the Wonky Inn series as a whole.You’ll love this crazy paranormal cast of witches, wizards, faeries, ghosts and pantomime villains.And not forgetting Mr Hoo of course.This latest Wonky Inn Christmas mystery adventure is best served with a glass of your favourite tipple and a heart full of love.

    Indeed, many view this historic win as a culmination of the sacrifice and courage of the Civil Rights movement - and even more people view President-Elect Barack Obama's win as a signal that America is indeed ready for a new direction and a new era. In Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, President-Elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech to an estimated crowd of 65,000 people - and tens of millions of people around the world watched the moment unfold on their television and computer screens, or listened to this monumental moment on the radio. This is the entire speech, including the interjections of the crowd screaming "Yes we can!". This speech is already in the history books, and you can read this anytime you need a stroke of hope or inspiration. This will make a great addition to any book collection.

    

    Not only does she find herself swept off her feet by the handsome and successful, Andre, but there’s another man after her heart. Her Ex. The only problem is, she doesn’t know which ex it is. For 12 days, December receives gifts that remind her of what love is supposed to be, but the sender of the gifts remain a mystery. Who are they from? Who wants her back? And which man will she choose? True Love sometimes comes by surprise. And sometimes it’s the person right in front of your eyes. But on rare occasions, true love could be your ex. Take this holiday journey with December to see what happens next!

    Little does she realize, when she falls deathly ill on the journey there he will abandon her, leaving her stranded and sick on the station platform. Even the small town doctor refuses to take her in for fear that she will infect his other patients. Help comes in an unexpected guise, a humble mercantile owner named Abe Graham, once a physician, nurses the ailing Collette. And Collette’s body is not all that finds healing – Abe’s heart discovers a renewed purpose. Will Collette’s dream of a Thanksgiving wedding still take place? And can Abe shake off his past disappointments and embrace a new future? Brides For All Seasons Vol. II is a beautiful historical holiday romance series. Each book in the collection is a standalone story designed to warm your heart with seasonal love and romantic adventure.

    

    They encounter a mystery, foster a romance, rescue a community choir, assist a family in crisis, and witness a miracle. Along the way, they remind their small Utah town of the things which really matter in life: friendship, service, forgiveness, and the strength of family.

    After she buries him, she knows her only option is to travel down the mountain to live with her Aunt Eunice. She finds a baby on her way down, whose parents had obviously died tragically. With the child, she finds shelter from a blizzard in a cabin on the side of the mountain. Brandon Taylor is on a mission for the sheriff in Trace Hollow, checking on the homesteaders around the area. When a sudden storm comes up, he has to take shelter in his family’s hunting cabin, on the side of the mountain. When he finds a beautiful young lady, a stranger to him, in the cabin along with her son, he tells himself repeatedly he can’t marry her. When they reach her aunt’s house, and the other men come sniffing around her, his feelings become more apparent to him. Can he find the courage to marry the beautiful Gabby? Or will he let her be married off to one of the other young men in town?

    His wife Sandy is a successful public relations executive. Together, they enjoy the rarified life of wealth and comfort in their urbane Chicago social circles. Yet that uncomplicated existence is turned upside down when the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for President is killed in a helicopter crash on the eve of the New Hampshire primary and Reed is cast into the unlikely role as the heir apparent for the Republican nomination for President. Rapidly drawn into a high stakes battle for the Republican nomination, the couple remain unaware that Reed is the intended victim in a complex web of blackmail, murder, and religious extremism that threatens to destroy any remaining wall of separation between church and state. Reed is faced with the impossible choice to divulge the secret that threatens to destroy him, or become the next victim in an out of control religious crusade that might just be too powerful to stop.

    Howard's urgent and elegant argument is full of examples, often darkly humorous. He describes the historical and cultural forces that led to this mess, and he lays out the basic shift in approach needed to fix it. Today we are flooded with rules and legal threats that prevent us from taking responsibility and using our common sense. We must rebuild boundaries of law that affirmatively protect an open field of freedom. The stories here will ring true to every reader. The analysis is powerful, and the solution unavoidable. What's at stake, Howard explains in this seminal book, is the vitality of American culture.

    Dr. Seuss) had a career in illustration that varied widely before he wrote his first juvenile book. Early Works Volume 1 is the first of a series collecting political cartoons, advertisements, and various images drawn by Geisel long before he had written any of his world-famous books.

    Tori's a strong woman who didn't need love in the first place. She's above it all and can't wait to go home to Fireweed Island to escape the drama for the summer. She's thrilled to teach summer school and remodel her family home in peace and quiet. So why is it that if Tori is so over love, she notices the hot owner of the construction company? Okay, she doesn't just notice him. She lets him sneak right into her fantasies where he does amazing things to her.It isn't until Mason shows her how a real man is supposed to be that she allows herself to believe in love again. But will the pain from her past ever let her truly experience a happily-ever-after?*Love Redone* (Book 2) Natalie Jennings loves nothing more than waking up and going into work at the florist shop she owns in the heart of Fireweed Island. Every morning is pleasant and filled with sunshine and rainbows. That is until she sees an email for a wedding consult slide right into her inbox with the sender's name of Cole Hill.Her hands get clammy and the cold winter's day suddenly feels like it's ninety degrees and climbing. It couldn't be the same Cole Hill from high school. The universe isn't that cruel.But as she opens the email and reads the message, she realizes that it is, indeed, the Cole Hill from high school, and it is the universe's turn to not only be cruel but downright evil. Cole broke her heart, but not in the normal fashion. He ensured the process was a long one filled with plenty of ups and downs. It all started in first grade and didn't finally end until the second year of college. And now he is coming back to get married on Fireweed Island.The perks of being the only florist in town! It's a good thing she got over him years ago...*Tangled Love* (Book 3) Sophie Bristol works two jobs--sometimes three--and is surrounded by people falling in love and that's great. Really, it's great. It's not like she ever thought she'd find that perfect someone. After all, she learned he probably only exists in some far away land with talking wildlife and glass slippers, and that works perfectly for her busy schedule. Not to mention she experienced the worst divorce in island history between her parents, and she got to be there for every painful second to warp her view on the subject. And let's not forget her stepmom has only learned to like Sophie once she began helping take care of her dad after his stroke.So to say love isn't a priority is an understatement. Life hasn't been easy, not that she ever expected it to be, and she's fine with the hand she's been dealt.Really, she is fine. But when Sophie falls for a rock star, it will take more than a fairy godmother to make love work in the real world.Anthony Hill is the lead singer of the Crimson Strings and his band has hit it big. Really big. Huge, actually. And he should be thrilled. It's what he's always wanted. However, sometimes there is a big disconnect between dreams and reality. With his nonstop touring schedule and pressure to repeat success on his next album, he flees to the one place that scarred him the most, Fireweed Island.