It is a shocking fact that whilst just one per cent of young people enter care to be 'looked after' by a local authority, foster parents and in children's homes, a whopping 27 per cent of prisoners have been in care at some time or another. Ben Ashcroft was one of these. 'Fifty-one Moves' is his vivid and telling first-hand account of his experiences in 37 different establishments.
It is shocking that although just one per cent of children are taken into care by local authorities, almost 30 per cent of prisoners have been in care. Ben Ashcrofts heart-rending account of abandonment, loneliness and rejection in family life, the care system and beyond begins at age nine and ends with him turning his life around after being moved from pillar to post, crime, drugs, going missing and custody. Ten years on, he works to motivate young people from similar backgrounds to believe that they can do the same; that whatever life throws at them they should Never, ever, give up. It is also a warning to parents, professionals and carers alike: to listen to what young people have to say, to make time for and reassure them and to recognise the often small but important things that make a difference in the bewildering world of growing-up. Challenges the core concepts we have as members of society, or indeed as child care professionals: Dr Peter McParlin (from the Foreword). The book was described as inspirational, powerful, emotional, compelling and required reading for anyone interested in the care system when released on Kindle, e.g. An inspiring and moving account of the trauma and distress caused to a young boy by his family and our care system: Sarah A very raw book but this only adds to the sense of passion and honesty with which it is written: Fiona Sorsby, Bingley, West Yorkshire. This motivational read is such a hard hitting tale its heartfelt and gives such a clear first-hand account of life living in a care home A brilliant worthwhile read about a man who truly turned his life around: Stacey Spencer.
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick and New York Times Bestseller! From debut author Asha Lemmie, “a lovely, heartrending story about love and loss, prejudice and pain, and the sometimes dangerous, always durable ties that link a family together.” —Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Nightingale Kyoto, Japan, 1948. “Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist.” Such is eight-year-old Noriko “Nori” Kamiza’s first lesson. She will not question why her mother abandoned her with only these final words. She will not fight her confinement to the attic of her grandparents’ imperial estate. And she will not resist the scalding chemical baths she receives daily to lighten her skin. The child of a married Japanese aristocrat and her African American GI lover, Nori is an outsider from birth. Her grandparents take her in, only to conceal her, fearful of a stain on the royal pedigree that they are desperate to uphold in a changing Japan. Obedient to a fault, Nori accepts her solitary life, despite her natural intellect and curiosity. But when chance brings her older half-brother, Akira, to the estate that is his inheritance and destiny, Nori finds in him an unlikely ally with whom she forms a powerful bond—a bond their formidable grandparents cannot allow and that will irrevocably change the lives they were always meant to lead. Because now that Nori has glimpsed a world in which perhaps there is a place for her after all, she is ready to fight to be a part of it—a battle that just might cost her everything. Spanning decades and continents, Fifty Words for Rain is a dazzling epic about the ties that bind, the ties that give you strength, and what it means to be free.
Documents the author's traditional childhood north of the Arctic Circle, his education in the continental U.S., and his lobbying efforts that convinced the government to allocate resources to Alaska's natives in compensation for incursions on their way of life.
Recovery Stories is a collection of first-hand accounts by people in recovery from or affected by drugs or alcohol. Invaluable for those looking to find new, addiction-free ways to live. It contains insights into the lives of real people who hit ‘rock bottom’ but came back again. Of interest across a wide-range of disciplines, including health, education and social services. Addiction is an illness that kills. Accused of lacking a moral compass and blamed for their own self-destruction, addicts are often forced to live on the margins of society. Afforded little sympathy or support, they may end-up involved in criminality, violence, dishonesty and face despair. They may hit rock bottom when day-to-day survival can become a delicate balance between life and death. But addiction—which occurs in every walk of life—need not be a ‘life sentence’. As this book shows, no-one is beyond turning such dire situations around. Recovery Stories is a collection of true stories of triumph over adversity. It tells how the horror of addiction can be overcome, how people can free themselves of their dependency. It is a book of hope and inspiration which will encourage all those seeking ‘new ways to live’ a full, addiction-free and successful life. ‘This book tells the stories that need to be told... Addiction is an illness and has to be seen and tackled as such’: Alastair Campbell, Ambassador for Time to Change and Alcohol Concern. From the Foreword ‘People who are struggling with addiction have got to know that recovery is out there and it is possible... I hope that the stories in this book will help people understand that recovery is a possibility and, if you are struggling with addiction, that it is a possibility for you’: Mitch Winehouse, Founder of the Amy Winehouse Foundation. In association with Addaction.
Build teams, make better decisions, energize groups, and think out of the box Do you need a resource that you can pull out of your pocket to liven up meetings, trainings, professional development, and teaching? The fifty easily applied techniques in this timely manual spur creativity, stimulate energy, keep groups focused, and increase participation. Whether you're teaching classes, facilitating employee training, leading organizational or community meetings, furthering staff and professional development, guiding town halls, or working with congregations, The Discussion Book is your go-to guide for improving any group process. Each of the concrete techniques and exercises is clearly described with guidance on selection and implementation, as well as advice on which pitfalls to avoid. All of the techniques: Offer new ways to engage people and energize groups Get employees, students, colleagues, constituents, and community members to participate more fully in deliberative decision-making Encourage creativity and openness to new perspectives Increase collaboration and build cohesive teams Keep groups focused on important topics and hard-to-address issues Derived from the authors' decades of experience using these exercises with schools, colleges, corporations, the military, social movements, health care organizations, prisons, unions, non-profits, and elsewhere, The Discussion Book will help you guide discussions that matter.
The perfect, and necessary, addition to any personal chess library, Pandolfini's Chess Complete is a comprehensive, accessible reference. National Master Bruce Pandolfini has covered every aspect of the game, from chessboard and pieces to history and strategy, and has responded to virtually any possible question or situation that could arise.
In the second century AD, a Greek nobleman is travelling and living abroad in Germany while carrying on an affair with a military man's wife. When discovered, he takes an emergency business trip to save his life and packs amongst his belongings certain items that lead the people he encounters to think him a Norse God, a fortuitous point of view which he does little to dispel. Forced to keep up the pretence of being a god while staying one step ahead of his lover's jealous husband, Photinus must juggle the severity of his situation with the enjoyment of being a god. Published here with its sequel, NOT FOR ALL THE GOLD IN IRELAND and companion volume MEN WENT TO CATTREATH, VOTAN is one of the highpoints of modern fantasy.
