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The Other Merlin (Emry Merlin #1)
by Robyn SchneiderONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR! - Publishers Weekly "Simultaneously heart-pounding and hilarious, Robyn Schneider gives us a veritable romp through Camelot fueled by adventure and romance." —Kerri Maniscalco, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Kingdom of the Wicked and Stalking Jack the RipperChanneling the modern humor of The Gentleman&’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, bestselling author Robyn Schneider creates a Camelot that becomes the ultimate teen rom-com hotspot in this ultra-fresh take on the Arthurian legend. Welcome to the great kingdom of Camelot! Prince Arthur&’s a depressed botanist who would rather marry a library than a princess, Lancelot&’s been demoted to castle guard after a terrible lie, and Emry Merlin has arrived at the castle disguised as her twin brother since girls can&’t practice magic. Life at court is full of scandals, lies, and backstabbing courtiers, so what&’s a casually bisexual teen wizard masquerading as a boy to do? Other than fall for the handsome prince, stir up trouble with the foppish Lord Gawain, and offend the prissy Princess Guinevere. When the truth comes out with disastrous consequences, Emry has to decide whether she'll risk everything for the boy she loves, or give up her potential to become the greatest wizard Camelot has ever known.
The Other Ones
by Fran HartA beautiful and unputdownable story about love, friendship, and the ghosts that grief can leave behind, The Other Ones is a heartfelt, contemporary romance with a haunting twist...Salem Amani is a world-weary sixteen-year-old living with his mother and older sister in a haunted house. But all Sal really wants is to be ordinary, which is hard to do when you live in a house full of ghosts. And when a strange boy arrives on his doorstep asking more questions than he’s at all comfortable with, Sal’s efforts to be ordinary are put under even greater strain. Until Pax makes his offer: “I could help you with the hauntings...I’m good with ghosts.”But despite his initial dislike of Pax, Sal can’t help but find himself unexpectedly drawn to the boy. And as the two grow closer, and Pax offers to help Sal scare away his ghosts for good, Sal finds himself sinking deeper into a lie concealing the truth about his family.When the true nature of the “hauntings” is revealed, Sal must confront reality – or risk losing Pax for good.
Other People's Money: How Banking Worked in the Early American Republic (How Things Worked)
by Sharon Ann MurphyHow the contentious world of nineteenth-century banking shaped the United States.Pieces of paper that claimed to be good for two dollars upon redemption at a distant bank. Foreign coins that fluctuated in value from town to town. Stock certificates issued by turnpike or canal companies—worth something... or perhaps nothing. IOUs from farmers or tradesmen, passed around by people who could not know the person who first issued them. Money and banking in antebellum America offered a glaring example of free-market capitalism run amok—unregulated, exuberant, and heading pell-mell toward the next "panic" of burst bubbles and hard times. In Other People’s Money, Sharon Ann Murphy explains how banking and money worked before the federal government, spurred by the chaos of the Civil War, created the national system of US paper currency. Murphy traces the evolution of banking in America from the founding of the nation, when politicians debated the constitutionality of chartering a national bank, to Andrew Jackson’s role in the Bank War of the early 1830s, to the problems of financing a large-scale war. She reveals how, ultimately, the monetary and banking structures that emerged from the Civil War also provided the basis for our modern financial system, from its formation under the Federal Reserve in 1913 to the present. Touching on the significant role that numerous historical figures played in shaping American banking—including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Louis Brandeis—Other People’s Money is an engaging guide to the heated political fights that surrounded banking in early America as well as to the economic causes and consequences of the financial system that emerged from the turmoil. By helping readers understand the financial history of this period and the way banking shaped the society in which ordinary Americans lived and worked, this book broadens and deepens our knowledge of the Early American Republic.
The Other Side of Perfect
by Mariko TurkFor fans of Sarah Dessen and Mary H.K. Choi, this lyrical and emotionally driven novel follows Alina, a young aspiring dancer who suffers a devastating injury and must face a world without ballet—as well as the darker side of her former dream. Alina Keeler was destined to dance, but then a terrifying fall shatters her leg—and her dreams of a professional ballet career along with it.After a summer healing (translation: eating vast amounts of Cool Ranch Doritos and binging ballet videos on YouTube), she is forced to trade her pre-professional dance classes for normal high school, where she reluctantly joins the school musical. However, rehearsals offer more than she expected—namely Jude, her annoyingly attractive castmate she just might be falling for.But to move forward, Alina must make peace with her past and face the racism she experienced in the dance industry. She wonders what it means to yearn for ballet—something so beautiful, yet so broken. And as broken as she feels, can she ever open her heart to someone else?Touching, romantic, and peppered with humor, this debut novel explores the tenuousness of perfectionism, the possibilities of change, and the importance of raising your voice.
The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss
by George A. BonannoIn this thoroughly revised and updated classic, a renowned psychologist shows that mourning is far from predictable, and all of us share a surprising ability to be resilientThe conventional view of grieving--encapsulated by the famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance--is defined by a mourning process that we can only hope to accept and endure. In The Other Side of Sadness, psychologist and emotions expert George Bonanno argues otherwise. Our inborn emotions--anger and denial, but also relief and joy--help us deal effectively with loss. To expect or require only grief-stricken behavior from the bereaved does them harm. In fact, grieving goes beyond mere sadness, and it can actually deepen interpersonal connections and even lead to a new sense of meaning in life.
Otherworldly
by F.T. LukensA New York Times bestseller! A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this &“irresistible elixir of romance and suspense&” (Kirkus Reviews) from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they&’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there&’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn&’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery&’s family to scrape by. Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it&’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox&’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors. Ellery can&’t quite believe what they&’ve seen. And they definitely don&’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there&’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
Otherworldly Politics: The International Relations of Star Trek, Game of Thrones, and Battlestar Galactica
by Stephen Benedict DysonA compelling look at the analogous political worlds of science fiction, fantasy, and international relations.In Otherworldly Politics, Stephen Benedict Dyson examines the fictional but deeply political realities of three television shows: Star Trek, Game of Thrones, and Battlestar Galactica.Dyson explains how these shows offer alternative histories and future possibilities for humanity. Fascinated by politics and history, science fiction and fantasy screenwriters and showrunners suffuse their scripts with real-world ideas of empire, war, civilization, and culture, lending episodes a compelling intricacy and contemporary resonance.Dyson argues that science fiction and fantasy television creators share a fundamental kinship with great minds in international relations. Screenwriters like Gene Roddenberry, George R. R. Martin, and Ronald D. Moore are world-builders of no lesser creativity, Dyson argues, than theorists such as Woodrow Wilson, Kenneth Waltz, and Alexander Wendt. Each of these thinkers imagines a realm, specifies the rules of its operation, and by so doing shows us something about ourselves and how we interact with one another. Combining intellectual and real-world history with lucid theoretical analysis, the book is a vital challenge to scholars and a spur to creative thinking for fans of these three influential shows.
Our Bones in Your Throat
by Megha RaoA wild myth.A lake amidst a forbidden forest.A siren song. When Esai arrives at St. Margaret&’s imposing campus, amidst which lie the mysterious woods, she plunges headfirst into a world of power games, underground recitals, new enemies, and complicated relationships. And then Esai is lured into the arms of something far more dangerous and exciting —a water spirit lurking in the foliage. She stumbles onto an ancient secret that threatens to dismantle the entire college to the bone. Esai knows something the others don&’t. She finds herself at the heart of the unrest brewing on campus, alongside Scheher. Scheher, once her only friend, now a formidable face of dissent. What happens when those you fought for once, turn against you? Within the halls and thickets of St. Margaret&’s, decisions must be made. Friends, foes, and lovers must learn to navigate the quiet truths of life, the fragility of friendships, and the aftermath of passion.
Our Caribbean Kin: Race and Nation in the Neoliberal Antilles
by Alaí Reyes-SantosBeset by the forces of European colonialism, US imperialism, and neoliberalism, the people of the Antilles have had good reasons to band together politically and economically, yet not all Dominicans, Haitians, and Puerto Ricans have heeded the calls for collective action. So what has determined whether Antillean solidarity movements fail or succeed? In this comprehensive new study, Alaí Reyes-Santos argues that the crucial factor has been the extent to which Dominicans, Haitians, and Puerto Ricans imagine each other as kin. Our Caribbean Kin considers three key moments in the region's history: the nineteenth century, when the antillanismo movement sought to throw off the yoke of colonial occupation; the 1930s, at the height of the region's struggles with US imperialism; and the past thirty years, as neoliberal economic and social policies have encroached upon the islands. At each moment, the book demonstrates, specific tropes of brotherhood, marriage, and lineage have been mobilized to construct political kinship among Antilleans, while racist and xenophobic discourses have made it difficult for them to imagine themselves as part of one big family. Recognizing the wide array of contexts in which Antilleans learn to affirm or deny kinship, Reyes-Santos draws from a vast archive of media, including everything from canonical novels to political tracts, historical newspapers to online forums, sociological texts to local jokes. Along the way, she uncovers the conflicts, secrets, and internal hierarchies that characterize kin relations among Antilleans, but she also discovers how they have used notions of kinship to create cohesion across differences.
Our Lady of the Streets: The Skyscraper Throne Book 3
by Tom Pollock'I couldn't have asked for a more satisfying finale' Tor.comIn this thrilling conclusion to the Skyscraper Throne trilogy, Beth will come face-to-face with the goddess of the streets . . . Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.Ever since Beth and Pen found their way into the hidden corners of London, the presence of its ruthless goddess, Mater Viae, has haunted its twisting streets. Now Mater Viae has returned with deadly consequences. The streets are wracked by convulsions as wires and pipe go into spasm, bunching the city into a crippled new geography; pavements flare to thousand-degree fevers, incinerating pedestrians; and towers fall, their foundations decayed. It seems there is nothing Beth and Pen can do to stop this insane goddess.As the city sickens, so does Beth - her essence now part of this secret London. But when it is revealed that Mater Viae's plans for dominion stretch far beyond the borders of the city, Beth must make a choice: flee, or sacrifice her city in order to save it.Our Lady of the Street is the third book and thrilling conclusion in The Skyscraper Throne trilogy.
Our Lady of the World's Fair: Bringing Michelangelo's "Pietà" to Queens in 1964
by Ruth D. NelsonOur Lady of the World's Fair reveals the remarkable story of how two of New York's most influential leaders persuaded the Vatican to allow one of the world's greatest works of art to leave Europe for the first and only time. Driven by different motives, Robert Moses and Francis Cardinal Spellman had the same vision: to display Michelangelo's masterpiece, the Pietà, in the Vatican's pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair in New York City.As Ruth D. Nelson gracefully showcases, Moses believed this blockbuster would guarantee the fair's financial success. At the same time, Spellman, Cardinal of New York and the spiritual leader of Cold War America's Catholic community, hoped that at a time of domestic strife and global conflict, the Pietà's presence would have a positive spiritual impact on the nation. Although the fair did not turn out to be the financial bonanza that Moses expected, the Pietà drew record crowds of the faithful, art lovers, and the curious.Nelson's fascinating uncovering of the intensive planning that went into designing the pavilion, transporting the art piece across the Atlantic, and coordinating Pope Paul VI's visit to New York in 1965—the first papal visit to the Western Hemisphere—demonstrates the sheer scale and opportunity of the two men's endeavors. Our Lady of the World's Fair depicts the skepticism and fierce criticism that faced the two New York power brokers. Rather than letting the negative weigh them down, they united and called on every resource at their disposal to make this unlikely cultural coup possible.
Our Life in a Day: The uplifting and heartbreaking love story you won't want to miss
by Jamie Fewery'Oh my heart. I absolutely loved this book' - Netgalley reviewerA ten-year love story in twenty-four hours - for fans of One Day by David Nicholls, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and The Note by Zoe Folbigg.The rules are simple.Choose the most significant moments from your relationship - one for each hour in the day.You'd probably pick when you first met, right? And the instant you knew for sure it was love? Maybe even the time you watched the sunrise after your first night together?But what about the car journey on the holiday where everything started to go wrong? Or your first proper fight?Or that time you lied about where you'd been?It's a once in a lifetime chance to learn the truth. But if you had to be completely honest with the one you love, would you still play?For Esme and Tom, the game is about to begin. And once they start, there's no going back . . .*************What readers are saying about Our Life in a Day:'A great portrayal of mental illness... A quite brilliant book''Explores depression, the spiral of addiction and the impact that mental illness has in those closest''I could have gone on reading about Esme and Tom forever''Oh my heart... I loved every page'
Our Native Bees: North America's Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them
by Paige Embry"Captures the essence of a bee’s natural history and how we use (and sometimes abuse) bees.” —Olivia Messinger Carril, author of The Bees in Your Backyard Honey bees get all the press, but the fascinating story of North America’s native bees—an endangered species essential to our ecosystems and food supplies—is just as crucial. Through interviews with farmers, gardeners, scientists, and bee experts, Our Native Bees explores the importance of native bees and focuses on why they play a key role in gardening and agriculture. The people and stories are compelling: Paige Embry goes on a bee hunt with the world expert on the likely extinct Franklin’s bumble bee, raises blue orchard bees in her refrigerator, and learns about an organization that turns the out-of-play areas in golf courses into pollinator habitats. Our Native Bees is a fascinating, must-read for fans of natural history and science and anyone curious about bees.
Our Present Complaint: American Medicine, Then and Now
by Charles E. RosenbergCharles E. Rosenberg, one of the world's most influential historians of medicine, presents a fascinating analysis of the current tensions in American medicine. Situating these tensions within their historical and social contexts, Rosenberg investigates the fundamental characteristics of medicine: how we think about disease, how the medical profession thinks about itself and its moral and intellectual responsibilities, and what prospective patients—all of us—expect from medicine and the medical profession. He explores the nature and definition of disease and how ideas of disease causation reflect social values and cultural negotiations. His analyses of alternative medicine and bioethics consider the historically specific ways in which we define and seek to control what is appropriately medical. At a time when clinical care and biomedical research generate as much angst as they offer cures, this volume provides valuable insight into how the practice of medicine has evolved, where it is going, and how lessons from history can improve its prognosis.
Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights Duet #2)
by Chloe GongAn instant #1 New York Times bestseller! Shanghai is under siege in this &“tightly paced&” (School Library Journal, starred review) and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls &“deliciously dark.&”The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on a mission. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang&’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less. Roma is still reeling from Marshall&’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it&’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he&’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure. Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma&’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren&’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.
Our Way Back to Always
by Nina MorenoTo All the Boys I've Loved Before meets Since You&’ve Been Gone in this effervescent romance about childhood best friends reconnecting, full of sunny days, warm nights, first kisses, and mended hearts. Lou Patterson and Sam Alvarez were inseparable—the best of friends—until the most embarrassing middle school promposal ever. Now, four years later, Lou is an introverted romantic who&’s bearing the weight of her mother&’s expectations. Meanwhile, Sam is the golden boy with plenty of friends who&’s still mourning the death of his father. When Lou finds the bucket list she and Sam wrote together as kids, she&’s disappointed to see that she hasn&’t accomplished a single one of her goals. Go to a party? Nope. Pull the greatest prank of all time? Still no. Learn how to be a really good kisser? Definitely not. Lou sets out to finish the list, and in a stroke of fate, Sam decides to tag along, stirring up old arguments and some very new feelings. But with the bucket list to guide them, Sam and Lou might just be able to find a way toward the future and each other.
Our Wicked Histories
by Amy GoldsmithA teen girl&’s attempt to make amends with her former friend group takes a sinister turn during a weekend getaway at an ancestral Irish estate in this atmospheric, literary horror from the author of Those We Drown. There&’s something in the lake at Wren Hall.At least, that&’s what the locals say. Not that Meg cares much about the rumors. When she&’s asked to spend Halloween weekend at the Ireland retreat of the wealthy Wren twins, she recognizes the invitation for exactly what it is: her last, and only, chance to save her spot at Greyscott&’s, the exclusive British art school she attended on scholarship until last summer. Clever, beautiful, and talented, the twins are the pride of Greyscott&’s, and kindhearted Lottie Wren was once Meg&’s closest friend. But not anymore.None of Meg&’s old friend group have talked to her since she left school—and they especially don&’t talk about the incident that resulted in her suspension. Now, Meg is willing to do whatever it takes to earn their forgiveness.But Wren Hall turns out to be far from the idyllic country manor Meg was expecting. The house is damp and drafty, the mirrors are all covered, and the weed-choked lake is at the center of legends that haunt the property to this day—a tainted legacy the estate seems unable to shake.The truth is, people aren&’t the only ones who keep secrets. Places can keep them too—and Wren Hall is drowning in them. When the past bleeds into the present and ancient sins rise to the surface, Meg must ask herself how well she really knows her one-time best friends...or whether any of them will survive the weekend.
Out of Body
by Nia DavenportA high-stakes, propulsive YA thriller with a body-swap twist thoughtfully exploring themes of friendship and identity, perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson.Seventeen-year-old Megan Allen has been jumping from friend group to friend group in her high school, trying on identities like outfits. Nothing ever seems to fit—until she meets LC, the adventurous, charismatic girl who appears at her favorite coffee shop one day like magic. Finally, Megan feels like she’s becoming the person she’s meant to be: someone like LC. On the night of their friendiversary, what was supposed to be a bonding experience ends in a waking nightmare. Suddenly, Megan is no longer herself. Too late, she realizes that LC has secrets—dangerous ones. Betrayed by her best friend, thrust into another girl’s life, and targeted by LC’s enemies, she must claim what makes Megan Megan to get her life back . . . or die trying.
Out of My Dreams (The Out of My Mind Series)
by Sharon M. DraperMelody flies to London to speak at a convention about differently abled kids in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novels Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart.When Melody saves an elderly back-in-the-day actress&’s life, the woman is so grateful—and impressed by Melody—that she nominates Melody to be a US spokesperson at an international symposium for kids with different abilities. To Melody&’s utter shock and delight, she and two friends of her choice are chosen to participate—and this year&’s symposium is in England! Melody finally gets to fly on an airplane, and even the airline&’s somewhat clumsy handling of her wheelchair can&’t dampen her excitement to be in London. There, Melody meets kids from all over the world who are rallying for greater accessibility and more thoughtful planning on how to make the world more equal for every kid, no matter the unusual challenges they face. As Melody&’s time to speak approaches, she hopes she can find a way to make every word count and make an impact.
Out of My Heart (The Out of My Mind Series)
by Sharon M. DraperA New York Times bestseller! Melody faces her fears to follow her passion in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novel Out of My Mind.Melody, the huge-hearted heroine of Out of My Mind, is a year older, and a year braver. And now with her Medi-talker, she feels nothing&’s out of her reach, not even summer camp. There have to be camps for differently-abled kids like her, and she&’s going to sleuth one out. A place where she can trek through a forest, fly on a zip line, and even ride on a horse! A place where maybe she really can finally make a real friend, make her own decisions, and even do things on her own—the dream! By the light of flickering campfires and the power of thunderstorms, through the terror of unexpected creatures in cabins and the first sparkle of a crush, Melody&’s about to discover how brave and strong she really is.
Out of My Mind: An Instructional Guide For Literature (The Out of My Mind Series)
by Sharon M. DraperA New York Times bestseller for three years and counting! &“A gutsy, candid, and compelling story. It speaks volumes.&” —School Library Journal (starred review) &“Unflinching and realistic.&” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes a story that will forever change how we all look at anyone with a disability, perfect for fans of RJ Palacio&’s Wonder.Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can&’t walk. She can&’t talk. She can&’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She&’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can&’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she&’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.
Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5)
by Ally CarterFriendship. Romance. Espionage. The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is no ordinary boarding school. Don't miss a moment of the New York Times bestselling series--now with a bonus epilogue!The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan-an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie's summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It's a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.
Outlandish: Walking Europe’s Unlikely Landscapes
by Nick HuntIn Outlandish, acclaimed travel writer Nick Hunt takes us across landscapes that shouldnot be there, wildernesses found in Europe yet seemingly belonging to far-off continents:a patch of Arctic tundra in Scotland; the continent's largest surviving remnant of primevalforest in Poland and Belarus; Europe's only true desert in Spain; and the fathomlessgrassland steppes of Hungary.From snow-capped mountain range to dense green forest, desert ravines to threadbare,yellow open grassland, these anomalies transport us to faraway regions of the world.More like pockets of Africa, Asia, the Poles or North America, they make our owncontinent seem larger, stranger and more filled with secrets.Against the rapid climate breakdown of deserts, steppes and primeval jungles across theworld, this book discovers the outlandish environments so much closer to home - alongwith their abundant wildlife: reindeer; bison; ibex; wolves and herds of wild horses.Blending sublime travel writing, nature writing and history - by way of Paleolithic cave art,reindeer nomads, desert wanderers, shamans, Slavic forest gods, European bison, WildWest fantasists, eco-activists, horseback archers, Big Grey Men and other unlikely spiritsof place - these desolate and rich environments show us that the strange has always beennear.
Outside the Wire: American Soldiers' Voices from Afghanistan
by Christine Dumaine LecheA riveting collection of thirty-eight narratives by American soldiers serving in Afghanistan, Outside the Wire offers a powerful evocation of everyday life in a war zone. Christine Dumaine Leche—a writing instructor who left her home and family to teach at Bagram Air Base and a forward operating base near the volatile Afghan-Pakistani border—encouraged these deeply personal reflections, which demonstrate the power of writing to battle the most traumatic of experiences.The soldiers whose words fill this book often met for class with Leche under extreme circumstances and in challenging conditions, some having just returned from dangerous combat missions, others having spent the day in firefights, endured hours in the bitter cold of an open guard tower, or suffered a difficult phone conversation with a spouse back home. Some choose to record momentous events from childhood or civilian life—events that motivated them to join the military or that haunt them as adults. Others capture the immediacy of the battlefield and the emotional and psychological explosions that followed. These soldiers write through the senses and from the soul, grappling with the impact of moral complexity, fear, homesickness, boredom, and despair.We each, writes Leche, require witnesses to the narratives of our lives. Outside the Wire creates that opportunity for us as readers to bear witness to the men and women who carry the weight of war for us all.
Outstanding Formative Assessment: Culture and Practice
by Shirley ClarkeBest-selling author Shirley Clarke provides a wealth of high quality ideas, practical strategies, classroom examples and whole-school case studies for teachers in primary and secondary schools. The most comprehensive of Shirley Clarke's titles includes extensive examples and realia, in full colour. The book is clearly structured around the ways in which teachers actually teach, with QR coded web video clips to illustrate key points in action. - Helps teachers create an environment for pupils to be active learners, constant reviewers and self-assessors - Ensures teachers start and finish lessons effectively by initially establishing their prior knowledge and capturing their interest and finally encouraging pupil reflection to find out what has been learnt and what still needs to be developed - Develops learning by helping children articulate their understanding and focusing on constant review and improvement - Focuses on whole-school development including lesson study, assessment policies and stories from outstanding schools Chapters include: 1. Laying the foundations 2. Effective starts to lessons 3. Developing the learning 4. Effective ends to lessons 5. Whole school development