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Use Your Words, Sophie
by Rosemary WellsSophie knows lots of words, but she doesn’t always use them. It’s more fun to speak in hyena talk or space language. “Use your words, Sophie!” urge her parents, but Sophie just won’t.But when her new baby sister arrives, Sophie is the only one who can find out what she really wants. Use Your Words, Sophie is the third book about the irrepressible two-year old who is wonderful, terrible, and always lovable.
The Usual Desire to Kill: A Novel
by Camilla BarnesAn often hilarious, surprisingly moving portrait of a long-married couple, seen through the eyes of their wickedly observant daughter—for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums.Miranda&’s parents live in a dilapidated house in rural France that they share with two llamas, eight ducks, five chickens, two cats, and a freezer full of food dating back to 1983. Miranda&’s father is a retired professor of philosophy who never loses an argument. Miranda&’s mother likes to bring conversation back to &“the War,&” although she was born after it ended. Married for fifty years, they are uncommonly set in their ways. Miranda plays the role of translator when she visits, communicating the desires or complaints of one parent to the other and then venting her frustration to her sister and her daughter. At the end of a visit, she reports &“the usual desire to kill.&” This wry, propulsive story about a singularly eccentric family and the sibling rivalry, generational divides, and long-buried secrets that shape them, is a glorious debut novel from a seasoned playwright with immense empathy and a flair for dialogue.
The Usual Family Mayhem: A Novel
by HelenKay DimonRevenge is a dish best served cold—especially when it comes in the form of one of Grandma’s “special” pies. Get the best of family hijinks, girl power, and hilariously justifiable crime in the latest novel from award-winning author HelenKay Dimon.Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors—her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags’ Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend” Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal…and now she has a problem.Mags and Celia aren’t interested, which isn’t a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they’re hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface—all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags’ Desserts—Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long-time crush, as her reluctant investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey’s boss and gather intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands—even if those husbands deserve it—might be impossible…but Kasey never shied away from a challenge.
The Usual Rules: A Novel
by Joyce MaynardA teenage girl learns to cope with sudden tragedy in the wake of 9/11 “in this moving story of love and loss [that] will make you laugh and cry” (Judy Blume).It’s a Tuesday morning in Brooklyn—a perfect September day. Thirteen-year-old Wendy is heading to school, eager to make plans with her best friend, worried about how she looks, mad at her mother for not letting her visit her father in California, impatient with her little brother and with the almost too-loving concern of her stepfather. She’s out the door to catch the bus. An hour later comes the news: A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center—her mother’s office building.Through Wendy’s eyes, readers follow her slow and terrible realization that her mother has died, and the family’s struggle to move forward with their lives. Wendy’s journey takes her to California, where she forges friendships with her father’s cactus-growing girlfriend, a teenage mom, and a sad bookstore owner with an autistic son. Along the way, she begins to understand the deep love and connection she has with her brother. The Usual Rules is an unexpectedly hopeful story of healing and forgiveness that offers readers a picture of how—out of the rubble—a family rebuilds its life.
Utterly Yours, Booker Jones
by Betsy DuffeyMiddle school student and aspiring author Booker Jones is evicted from his bedroom when his grandfather moves in, creating problems both at home and at school.
The Vacation
by Polly HorvathFrom the author of the Newbery Honor Book Everything on a Waffle<P><P> When his mother decides on a whim to be a missionary in Africa and drags his unwilling father with her, Henry is left in the care of his Aunts Magnolia and Pigg. Henry's sure they dislike him and he's trying to keep his distance, but that becomes more difficult when Mag decides they should take a destination-less road trip. Mag, convalescing from an illness that makes her look like death, is downright crabby. Pigg, tense from driving, is becoming more assertive and less willing to submit to Mag's whims. And while they poke each other - literally - Henry is finding it hard to keep his resolution.They go to Virginia Beach (it's too hot); try camping in the Everglades (Henry accidentally spends four days floating in a swamp); visit their daddy, Henry's granddaddy (Henry's never met him!); and lose Pigg to love in Oklahoma (what would the radio psychologist Daly Kramer say?) before they finally receive word that Henry's parents are coming back and will meet them in Tulsa to finish the trip with Mag and Henry. But his parents are bickering and Henry is in despair - until he surrenders to the road and decides to let whatever happens happen, but to be there in it all.<P> Complete with her signature cast of eccentric characters, absurd situations, and heartfelt moments, Polly Horvath writes an on-the-road epic like no other!
Vacation (Books That Changed the World)
by Deb Olin UnferthA PEN Translates Award-winning collection of short stories about life in North Korea under Kim Jong-Il, written in secret by a dissident author.The Accusation is a revelatory work of fiction that exposes the truth of the North Korean regime. Set during the period of Kim Jong-Il’s leadership, the seven stories that make up The Accusation throw light on different aspects of life in this most bizarre and horrifying of dictatorships.One story, “Life of a Swift Seed,” tells of a war hero and former ardent Communist who plants an elm tree in his back garden to commemorate one of his brothers-in-arms. When the tree is to be cut down to make way for a power line, the man is ready to defend it with his life, leaving a family friend to decide whether to intercede. In another story, “City of Specters,” a Pyongyang mother’s young son misbehaves during a party rally, crying out when he sees a portrait of Karl Marx, whom he thinks is a monster of Korean myth known as the Eobi. In one other story, a mother attempts to feed her husband during the worst years of North Korea’s famine, and in another, a woman in a perilous situation meets the Dear Leader himself.As a whole, The Accusation is a vivid and frightening portrait of what it means to live in a completely closed-off society, and a heartbreaking yet hopeful portrayal of the humanity that persists even in such dire circumstances.“Searing fiction by an anonymous dissident . . . A fierce indictment of life in the totalitarian North.”—New York Times
Vacation Crafting: 150+ Summer Camp Projects for Boys & Girls to Make (BigFoot Search and Find)
by Suzanne McNeillGet crafty wherever you go with this treasure trove of fun, family-friendly projects from friendship bracelets to tie-dye, bead crafts, and much more! Inspired by the classic crafts of summer camp, Vacation Crafting provides more than one hundred fifty child-friendly projects for girls and boys ages 4 to 12. Kids will learn to make friendship bracelets, woven potholders, pony bead animals, plastic lanyards, wire art, rubber band jewelry, foam crafts, scoubidou, paracord gear, and more. Using inexpensive, readily available craft supplies that are easy to take along to the mountains or beach, the crafting projects featured in this volume are the perfect activity for any family vacation. They are also a sure way to liven up parties, scout meetings, rainy days, and after-school activities. Color photos, supply lists, easy-to-follow instructions, and patterns make it easy to supervise the fun.
The Vacationers: A Novel
by Emma StraubAn irresistible, deftly observed novel about the secrets, joys, and jealousies that rise to the surface over the course of an American family's two-week stay in Mallorca. For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated. This is a story of the sides of ourselves that we choose to show and those we try to conceal, of the ways we tear each other down and build each other up again, and the bonds that ultimately hold us together. With wry humor and tremendous heart, Emma Straub delivers a richly satisfying story of a family in the midst of a maelstrom of change, emerging irrevocably altered yet whole.
Vacationland: A Novel
by Meg Mitchell Moore"As sophisticated and delicious as lobster bisque." -- Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Lifeguards and The JetsettersLouisa has come to her parents’ house in Maine this summer with all three of her kids, a barely-written book, and a trunkful of resentment. Left behind in Brooklyn is her husband, who has promised that after this final round of fundraising at his startup he will once again pick up his share of the household responsibilities. Louisa is hoping that the crisp breeze off Penobscot Bay will blow away the irritation she is feeling with her life choices and replace it with enthusiasm for both her family and her work.But all isn’t well in Maine. Louisa’s father, a retired judge and pillar of the community, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Louisa’s mother is alternately pretending everything is fine and not pretending at all. And one of Louisa’s children happens upon a very confusing and heartfelt letter referring to something Louisa doesn’t think her father could possibly have done.Louisa’s not the only one searching for something in Maine this summer. Kristie took the Greyhound bus from Pennsylvania with one small suitcase, $761, and a lot of baggage. She’s got a past she’s trying to outrun, a secret she’s trying to unpack, and a new boyfriend who’s so impossibly kind she can’t figure out what she did to deserve him. But she can’t keep her various lives from colliding forever.As June turns to July turns to August, secrets will be unearthed, betrayals will come to light, and both Louisa and Kristie will ask themselves what they are owed and what they owe others. A delicious summer read and an exploration of family, responsibility, ambition and loss, Vacationland is Meg Mitchell Moore at her best.
Vaccinations: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives
by Aviva Jill Romm• A balanced, comprehensive guide to routine childhood vaccinations that offers parents the information they need to make the right choices for their child. • Fairly examines the pros and cons of this highly charged issue. Deciding whether or when to vaccinate a child is one of the most important--and most difficult--health-care decisions a parent will ever make. The recent increase in the number of vaccinations recommended and the concurrent controversies about whether vaccinations are safe or even effective have left many parents confused and concerned. Midwife, herbalist, and mother of four, Aviva Jill Romm sifts through the spate of current research on vaccine safety and efficacy and offers a sensible, balanced discussion of the pros and cons of each routine childhood vaccination. She presents the full spectrum of options available to parents: full vaccination on a standardized or individualized schedule, selective vaccination, or no vaccinations at all. Negotiating daycare and school requirements, dealing with other parents, and traveling with an unvaccinated child are covered in detail. The book also suggests ways to strengthen children's immune systems and maintain optimal health and offers herbal and homeopathic remedies for childhood ailments. Emphasizing that no single approach is appropriate for every child, the author guides parents as they make the choices that are right for their child.
The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child
by Robert W. SearsA balanced look at vaccines so you can make an informed decision.
The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child
by Robert W. SearsWith the spate of publicity surrounding the possible health risks posed by childhood immunization, parents are no longer simply following doctor's orders and automatically having their children vaccinated. Instead, they are asking questions. The problem is the search for answers only leads parents to conflicting, one-sided information: doctors claim that parents are endangering their child's life if they refuse shots, while radical vaccine opponents claim parents are endangering their child's life if they accept shots. With THE VACCINE BOOK, parents finally have one, fair, impartial, fact-based resource they can turn to for answers. Each chapter is devoted to a disease/vaccine pair and offer a comprehensive discussion of what the disease is, how common or rare it is, how serious or harmless it is, the ingredients of the vaccine, and any possible side effects from the vaccine. Ultimately, parents will have to make their own informed decisions as Dr. Bob Sears is neither pro-vaccine nor anti-vaccine. But THE VACCINE BOOK will provide exactly the information parents want and need as they make their way through the vaccination maze.
The Vaccine-Friendly Plan: Dr. Paul's Safe and Effective Approach to Immunity and Health-from Pregnancy Through Your Child's Teen Years
by Paul Thomas Jennifer MargulisAn accessible and reassuring guide to childhood health and immunity from a pediatrician who's both knowledgeable about the latest scientific research and respectful of a family's risk factors, health history, and concerns In The Vaccine-Friendly Plan, Paul Thomas, M.D., presents his proven approach to building immunity: a new protocol that limits a child's exposure to aluminum, mercury, and other neurotoxins while building overall good health. Based on the results from his pediatric practice of more than eleven thousand children, as well as data from other credible and scientifically minded medical doctors, Dr. Paul's vaccine-friendly protocol gives readers * recommendations for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth * vital information about what to expect at every well child visit from birth through adolescence * a slower, evidence-based vaccine schedule that calls for only one aluminum-containing shot at a time * important questions to ask about your child's first few weeks, first years, and beyond * advice about how to talk to health care providers when you have concerns * the risks associated with opting out of vaccinations * a practical approach to common illnesses throughout the school years * simple tips and tricks for healthy eating and toxin-free living at any age The Vaccine-Friendly Plan presents a new standard for pediatric care, giving parents peace of mind in raising happy, healthy children.
Vaccines: A Reappraisal
by Richard MoskowitzDrawing on fifty years of experience caring for children and adults, Dr. Moskowitz examines vaccines and our current policy regarding them. Weaving together a tapestry of observed facts, clinical and basic science research, news reports from the media, and actual cases from his own practice, he offers a systematic review of the subject as a whole. He provides scientific evidence for his clinical impression that the vaccination process, by its very nature, imposes substantial risks of disease, injury, and death that have been persistently denied and covered up by manufacturers, the CDC, and the coterie of doctors who speak for it. With the aim of acknowledging these risks, taking them seriously, understanding them more holistically, and ultimately assessing them on a deeper level, he proposes a nationwide debate based on objective scientific research, including what we already know and what still needs to be investigated in the future. He argues that with no serious public health emergency to justify them, requiring vaccines of everyone deprives us all of genuinely informed consent, and prevents parents from making health-care decisions for our children, basic human rights that we still profess to hold dear. For the present, given the legitimate controversy surrounding the mandates, he proposes that most vaccines simply be made optional and that further research into their risks and benefits be conducted by an independent agency in the public interest, untainted by industry funding, CDC sponsorship, and the quasi-religious sanctimony that is widely invoked on their behalf.
Vaccines and Your Child: Separating Fact from Fiction
by Paul A. Offit Charlotte A. MoserA book for all parents who want the best information about childhood immunizations.Paul A. Offit and Charlotte A. Moser answer questions about the science and safety of modern vaccines. In straightforward prose, they explain how vaccines work, how they are made, and how they are tested. Most important, they separate the real risks of vaccines from feared but unfounded risks. Offit and Moser address parental fears that children may receive too many vaccines too early, that the HPV vaccine may cause chronic fatigue or other dangerous side effects, that additives and preservatives in vaccines cause autism, and that vaccines might do more harm than good. There couldn't be a better moment or more pressing need for this book, which offers honesty—instead of hype—in the quest to protect children's health.&“The perfect book for parents seeking accurate and detailed vaccine information.&”—Ari Brown, M.D., pediatrician, author of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby&’s First Year&“Makes it easier than ever for parents to wade through the abundance of information about vaccines, setting the story straight about vaccine safety.&”—Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady, cofounder Every Child By Two
Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness
by null Thomas CowanOne doctor&’s surprising answer to the epidemic of chronic disease and essential reading for everyone concerned with the health of the next generation&“Dr. Cowan intelligently educates us on the complicated and beautiful workings of our immune system [and] charts the clear, concise path to healing, offering a better, healthier life for us, our children, and the planet.&”—Lindy Woodard, MD, Pediatric AlternativesOver the past fifty years, rates of autoimmunity and chronic disease have exploded. Currently:1 in 2.5 American children has an allergy1 in 11 has asthma1 in 13 has severe food allergies1 in 36 has autism.While some attribute this rise to increased awareness and diagnosis, Thomas Cowan, MD, argues for a direct causal relationship to a corresponding increase in the number of vaccines American children typically receive—approximately 70 vaccine doses by age eighteen. The goal of these vaccines is precisely what we&’re now seeing in such abundance among our chronically ill children: the provocation of immune response.Dr. Cowan looks at emerging evidence that certain childhood illnesses are actually protective of disease later in life; examines the role of fever, the gut, and cellular fluid in immune health; argues that vaccination is an ineffective (and harmful) attempt to shortcut a complex immune response; and asserts that the medical establishment has engaged in an authoritarian argument that robs parents of informed consent. His ultimate question, from the point of view of a doctor who has decades of experience treating countless children is: What are we really doing to children when we vaccinate them?
Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad
by Peter J. HotezInternationally renowned medical scientist, frequent media contributor, and autism dad Dr. Peter J. Hotez explains why vaccines do not cause autism.In 1994, Peter J. Hotez's nineteen-month-old daughter, Rachel, was diagnosed with autism. Dr. Hotez, a pediatrician-scientist who develops vaccines for neglected tropical diseases affecting the world's poorest people, became troubled by the decades-long rise of the influential anti-vaccine community and its inescapable narrative around childhood vaccines and autism. In Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism, Hotez draws on his experiences as a pediatrician, vaccine scientist, and father of an autistic child. Outlining the arguments on both sides of the debate, he examines the science that refutes the concerns of the anti-vaccine movement, debunks current conspiracy theories alleging a cover-up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and critiques the scientific community's failure to effectively communicate the facts about vaccines and autism to the general public, all while sharing his very personal story of raising a now-adult daughter with autism.A uniquely authoritative account, this important book persuasively provides evidence for the genetic basis of autism and illustrates how the neurodevelopmental pathways of autism are under way before birth. Dr. Hotez reminds readers of the many victories of vaccines over disease while warning about the growing dangers of the anti-vaccine movement, especially in the United States and Europe. Now, with the anti-vaccine movement reenergized in our COVID-19 era, this book is especially timely. Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism is a must-read for parent groups, child advocates, teachers, health-care providers, government policymakers, health and science policy experts, and anyone caring for a family member or friend with autism."When Peter Hotez—an erudite, highly trained scientist who is a true hero for his work in saving the world's poor and downtrodden—shares his knowledge and clinical insights along with his parental experience, when his beliefs in the value of what he does are put to the test of a life guiding his own child's challenges, then you must pay attention. You should. This book brings to an end the link between autism and vaccination."—from the foreword by Arthur L. Caplan, NYU School of Medicine
Vacunas: Cómo tomar decisiones seguras y sensatas sobre los riesgos, beneficios, y alternativas
by Aviva Jill RommA balanced, comprehensive guide to routine childhood vaccinations that offers parents the information they need to make the right choices for their child. • Fairly examines the pros and cons of this highly charged issue. • By the well-known author of The Natural Pregnancy Book and Naturally Healthy Babies and Children and coauthor of ADHD Alternatives Deciding whether or when to vaccinate a child is one of the most important--and most difficult--health-care decisions a parent will ever make. The recent increase in the number of vaccinations recommended and the concurrent controversies about whether vaccinations are safe or even effective have left many parents confused and concerned. Midwife, herbalist, and mother of four, Aviva Jill Romm sifts through the spate of current research on vaccine safety and efficacy and offers a sensible, balanced discussion of the pros and cons of each routine childhood vaccination. She presents the full spectrum of options available to parents: full vaccination on a standardized or individualized schedule, selective vaccination, or no vaccinations at all. Negotiating daycare and school requirements, dealing with other parents, and traveling with an unvaccinated child are covered in detail. The book also suggests ways to strengthen children's immune systems and maintain optimal health and offers herbal and homeopathic remedies for childhood ailments. Emphasizing that no single approach is appropriate for every child, the author guides parents as they make the choices that are right for their child.
Vagabonds: A gripping saga of love, hope and determination (Emma Grady trilogy, Book 3)
by Josephine CoxEmma Grady may have finally found happiness, but the same cannot be said for her long-lost daughter... Vagabonds is the final instalment of Josephine Cox's Emma Grady trilogy, which finds the heroine content, yet still struggling with the ghosts of her past. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Hutchinson and Rosie Goodwin.Twenty-two years ago Emma Grady was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to transportation to Australia where she bore and lost her baby daughter - conceived during a passionate affair with Marlow Tanner. It is now 1885, and Emma has returned to Blackburn. Reunited with Marlow, she has a loving family, yet she is still haunted by the past, unable to forget how her uncle Caleb Crowther ignored her desperate plea to save herself and her tragic first-born.Crowther curses his niece's return and also hounds Molly, Emma's estranged daughter. Molly and her children run away and, contending with hunger, exhaustion and the unwelcome attentions of the men who are drawn to Molly's dark beauty, their life at times is almost unbearable. But Molly has inherited Emma's indomitable spirit... What readers are saying about Vagabonds: 'An excellent finale to the Emma Grady series. This book was so gripping I could not put it down. I was completely lost in the story''A very fitting end to the Emma Grady trilogy, which keeps you in suspense to the end!''Brilliant from start to finish, could not put it down - five stars'
Vagabonds: A gripping saga of love, hope and determination (Emma Grady trilogy, Book 3)
by Josephine CoxEmma Grady may have finally found happiness, but the same cannot be said for her long-lost daughter... Vagabonds is the final instalment of Josephine Cox's Emma Grady trilogy, which finds the heroine content, yet still struggling with the ghosts of her past. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Hutchinson and Rosie Goodwin.Twenty-two years ago Emma Grady was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to transportation to Australia where she bore and lost her baby daughter - conceived during a passionate affair with Marlow Tanner. It is now 1885, and Emma has returned to Blackburn. Reunited with Marlow, she has a loving family, yet she is still haunted by the past, unable to forget how her uncle Caleb Crowther ignored her desperate plea to save herself and her tragic first-born.Crowther curses his niece's return and also hounds Molly, Emma's estranged daughter. Molly and her children run away and, contending with hunger, exhaustion and the unwelcome attentions of the men who are drawn to Molly's dark beauty, their life at times is almost unbearable. But Molly has inherited Emma's indomitable spirit... What readers are saying about Vagabonds: 'An excellent finale to the Emma Grady series. This book was so gripping I could not put it down. I was completely lost in the story''A very fitting end to the Emma Grady trilogy, which keeps you in suspense to the end!''Brilliant from start to finish, could not put it down - five stars'
Vagabonds (The Emma Grady Sagas)
by Josephine CoxFrom &“a born storyteller,&” a nineteenth-century British family saga about a woman reunited with her husband, who goes in search of her estranged daughter (Times & Citizen). 1885. Ex-convict Emma Grady has returned to her hometown of Blackburn and been reunited with her lover, Marlow. Now married, with a beautiful home, loving husband and wonderful son, she is still haunted by the past, unable to forget the cruelty of her uncle Caleb Crowther, who ignored her desperate pleas to save her and her tragic first-born. A feared local justice, Crowther curses his niece&’s return and sets out to destroy her anew, whilst also hounding Molly, her lost daughter. Born to a life of crime and poverty and deserted by her husband, Molly tries desperately to keep her three children fed and clothed. When Emma starts looking for her, Molly wrongly fears that it is Crowther searching her out, and she and her children run away to become vagabonds. Contending with hunger, exhaustion and the unwelcome attentions of the men who are drawn to Molly&’s dark beauty, her life is at times almost unbearable. But Molly has inherited Emma&’s indomitable spirit . . .
The Vale of Laughter: A Novel
by Peter De VriesA brilliant, fiercely funny novel that ponders the eternal question: is it better to laugh or cry? Joe Sandwich is a clown. Not literally, but what else do you call an eleven-year-old who goes to church to confess his good deeds: &“I did my homework without being told&”? A stockbroker who gets seasick watching the market tape and claims the gross national product is &“deodorants&”? A father who mows curse words into his lawn and names his son Hamilton because, well, who can resist a Ham Sandwich? Prankster, punster, cut-up, card—Joe needs to crack wise about everything. Has he figured out the secret to embracing the inherent absurdity of life, or is there some terrible anxiety at the root of his compulsion? Lots of people want to know, including his wife, Naughty, who is anything but; his mistress, Gloria Bunshaft; and her husband, Wally Hines, a humorless professor who specializes is the philosophy of humor. &“If you look back,&” says Joe, &“you turn into a pillar of salt. If you look ahead, you turn into a pillar of society.&” He prefers to live in the moment, from one gag to the next, but the joke he doesn&’t see coming may get the biggest laugh of all.
Valentina Salazar is not a Monster Hunter
by Zoraida Córdova“Monsters, mayhem, and a little family magic will have readers rooting for Valentina!” -- Kwame Mbalia, New York Times bestselling authorIt takes a special person to end up in detention on the last day of school.It takes a REALLY special person to accidentally burn down the school yard while chasing a fire-breathing chipmunk.But nothing about Valentina Salazar has ever been "normal." The Salazars are protectors, tasked with rescuing the magical creatures who sometimes wander into our world, from grumpy unicorns to chupacabras . . . to the occasional fire-breathing chipmunk.When Val's father is killed during a rescue mission gone wrong, her mother decides it's time to retire from their life on the road. She moves the family to a boring little town in upstate New York and enrolls Val and her siblings in real school for the first time.But Val is a protector at heart and she can't give up her calling. So when a mythical egg surfaces in a viral video, Val convinces her reluctant siblings to help her find the egg before it hatches and wreaks havoc. But she has some competition: the dreaded monster hunters who'll stop at nothing to destroy the creature . . . and the Salazar family.Praise for Valentina Salazar is Not a Monster Hunter:Middle grade fantasy at its finest, led by a protagonist who has as much spirit and fire as the monsters she’s sworn to protect.” -- Rena Barron, author of Maya and the Rising Dark “An action-packed, un-put-down-able, adventure filled with fun, family, and fabulous magical creatures! You’re in for a real treat!” -- Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of Spark “A wondrous journey, full of friendship, family, and self-discovery. It has everything I look for in a book—heart, humor, and an innovative magic system.” -- Alex Aster, award-winning author of the Emblem Island series
Valentine Crow & Mr Death
by Jenni SpanglerIt&’s not always easy being Death: a witty and gloriously gothic tale of friendship and discovery from bestselling Jenni Spangler. Twelve-year-old Valentine Crow has lived his entire life at the Foundling Hospital. Now, he and his best friend Philomena are leaving to begin their new lives as apprentices – but Valentine has been assigned to Death himself. Valentine finds himself in an impossible situation when his best friend&’s name appears on the list of souls to take. Can he fight Death to save her soul, or does fate have other ideas? Distinctive, warm and funny, the highly-acclaimed Jenni Spangler returns with a richly imagined world perfect for readers of The Beast and the Bethany and Lemony Snickett.