Increasingly alienated from his widowed father, Vernon joins his friends in ridiculing the neighborhood outcasts'Maxine, an alcoholic prone to outrageous behavior, and Ronald, her retarded son. But when a social service agency tries to put Ronald into a special home, Vernon fights against the move. 1994 Newbery Honor Book Notable Children's Books of 1994 (ALA) 1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 1994 Young Adult Editors' Choices (BL) 1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library) Young Adult Choices for 1995 (IRA)
Sound familiar? 1. You spot a cute boy (we’ll call him Boy A). 2. You dream about Boy A. 3. You do whatever it takes to make Boy A notice you. 4. Even though Boy A doesn’t pursue you, you hang on to your dream of Boy A until he (a) moves to the North Pole with no access to a cell phone or computer, (b) dies and is buried or cremated, or (c) begins dating another girl. 5. You mend your broken heart by hating Boy A and finding another cute boy (Boy B). You replace Boy A with Boy B and begin all over again . . . Paula has gone through an entire alphabet—and more—of boys over the years. As she shares her journal entries and stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly—you’ll be encouraged to trust God with your love life and buckle up for the ride! Written for teen girls, Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl will help you on your own journey from neediness to freedom. Part of the True Woman publishing line, whose goal is to encourage women to exude God’s beauty by embracing his design for womanhood
Crazy Cat Lady (noun): A badge of honor for people who know cats are awesome. Do you often wake up covered in cat hair? Do you keep adopting more and more cats—then staying home Friday nights to cuddle them? Proclaim your feline obsession proudly! Joyfully illustrated with cheeky mottoes, flowcharts, and fun facts throughout, this little book is an affectionate tribute to cats and the cool ladies who love them. Includes a bonus sheet of colorful stickers!
Crazy Lady: Achievement Against the Odds is an autobiographical account of Dr. Myrtle Boykin Sampson's amazing achievements in the field of clinical psychology--three master's degrees and two doctorate degrees, plus a significant amount of post-doctoral study. All of this was achieved as she fought her own mental health battles. From an early age, she struggled with identity issues, being the younger of a pair of twins. As an academically-gifted African-American woman, she strived to prove herself in a time of white male-dominated educational and professional environs. She faced the disappointment of infertility, followed by the joy of adoption, only to learn this beautiful child that she loved so much was autistic. These stressors led her to a drinking problem, "a nervous breakdown," and later mental illness due to a chemical imbalance. She had both inpatient and outpatient treatments, including electroconvulsive shock treatments (ECTs). To quote Dr. Sampson, "As a clinical psychologist who has counseled many hundreds of people, I can say that the personal journey that brought me to this point is a fascinating and instructive case study worth sharing." And, indeed, this is a captivating read. Dr. Myrtle Boykin Sampson is a licensed clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, university educator, nationally certified counselor, civic volunteer, and philanthropist. She and her husband, retired pharmacist, Dr. Robert R. Sampson live in Greensboro, NC. The couple has one adult son, Ricky. North Carolina A & T State University's Outstanding Teacher of the Year in '84-'85, she is one of the founders of the Friends of the A & T School of Education and has established an endowed scholarship. A portion of the proceeds from this book will support student scholarships through the Friends organization.
From the author of Mad Girls in Love comes this lively multigenerational tale of six charming, unforgettable Southern women -- a novel of love and laughter, pain and redemption. Though she was born in Tennessee, Miss Gussie is no country fool. A woman who can handle any situation, she has her hands full with two headstrong daughters who happen to be complete opposites -- dour Dorothy and sweet Clancy Jane. Hoping money will heal childhood wounds, Dorothy marries the owner of a five-and-dime, while Clancy Jane gets into a mess of trouble, running off with a randy tomcat who pumps gas at the Esso stand. And then there are Gussie's granddaughters, the smart but plain Violet and fancy-talking Bitsy -- a new generation whose lives will reflect a nation's tumultuous times. From Tennessee to New Orleans, from psychedelic San Francisco to a remote Southwestern desert ranch, this funny, poignant novel spans more than four decades as it vividly recounts the universal loves, sorrows, and joys of women's lives.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Finalist for the PEN/USA Award in Creative Nonfiction, the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and the Audie Award in Biography/Memoir This Random House Reader’s Circle edition includes a reading group guide and a conversation between Firoozeh Dumas and Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner! “Remarkable . . . told with wry humor shorn of sentimentality . . . In the end, what sticks with the reader is an exuberant immigrant embrace of America.”—San Francisco Chronicle In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country beyond her father’s glowing memories of his graduate school years here. More family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since. Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas’s wonderfully engaging family: her engineer father, a sweetly quixotic dreamer who first sought riches on Bowling for Dollars and in Las Vegas, and later lost his job during the Iranian revolution; her elegant mother, who never fully mastered English (nor cared to); her uncle, who combated the effects of American fast food with an army of miraculous American weight-loss gadgets; and Firoozeh herself, who as a girl changed her name to Julie, and who encountered a second wave of culture shock when she met and married a Frenchman, becoming part of a one-couple melting pot. In a series of deftly drawn scenes, we watch the family grapple with American English (hot dogs and hush puppies?—a complete mystery), American traditions (Thanksgiving turkey?—an even greater mystery, since it tastes like nothing), and American culture (Firoozeh’s parents laugh uproariously at Bob Hope on television, although they don’t get the jokes even when she translates them into Farsi). Above all, this is an unforgettable story of identity, discovery, and the power of family love. It is a book that will leave us all laughing—without an accent. Praise for Funny in Farsi “Heartfelt and hilarious—in any language.”—Glamour “A joyful success.”—Newsday “What’s charming beyond the humor of this memoir is that it remains affectionate even in the weakest, most tenuous moments for the culture. It’s the brilliance of true sophistication at work.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review “Often hilarious, always interesting . . . Like the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, this book describes with humor the intersection and overlapping of two cultures.”—The Providence Journal “A humorous and introspective chronicle of a life filled with love—of family, country, and heritage.”—Jimmy Carter “Delightfully refreshing.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “[Funny in Farsi] brings us closer to discovering what it means to be an American.”—San Jose Mercury News
For the plant-obsessed woman of any age, this humorous, illustrated little book celebrates the devotion and quirky habits plants inspire. You know you’re a crazy plant lady when watering is a hobby, you can’t resist a cute pot, and just looking at succulents and monsteras makes you smile. This charming celebration of the plant lady lifestyle proves that plant love is the joy that keeps growing. There are sweet puns: Aloe you vera much. Plant lady dreams: thrifting the perfect vintage mister. Relatable mantras: Every day is a good day to go plant shopping. All featuring vibrant art by Isabel Serna throughout—plus, a bonus sheet of plant-themed stickers!
The story of the UFO Watchtower, conceived and built by San Luis Valley resident Judy Messoline in southern Colorado. Includes dozens of witness testimonials collected by the author on sightings of UFOs.
