In these four collections of verse (The Dog Ate My Homework, I Never Said I Wasn't Difficult, Am I Naturally This Crazy? and Which Way to the Dragon!), Sara Holbrook deals honestly with issues facing adolescents: school, divorce, anger, violence, love, friendship, and self-esteem. Through her straight-talk style, Holbrook captures the joys, pains, and attitudes that preteens and teenagers feel and provides a message of understanding that readers will appreciate.
My Dog Ate My Homework is the first collection of Bruce Lansky’s own poetry. This book helped make Lansky’s reputation as a consistently entertaining poet with a unique voice and style. His poems are about someone named “I” or “me” who so resembles the readers, their siblings, friends, parents, pets, and teachers – they think Lansky is writing about them. In this book, Lansky introduces us to: -a “too friendly” dog who should be using Scope -a teacher who resembles her students in her avoidance of homework -a kid who thinks his cat isn’t smart because it won’t come when called and won’t shake, beg or fetch -a young “Romeo” who “climbed up the door and opened the stairs” after his first kiss - a youngthter with a looth tooth who tellth a painful thtory about a bike cwath -kids who start wishing their horrible old cook would come back after a new gourmet chef is hired -two siblings would like their parents to know about each other Lansky also offers a practical lesson on how to delay your bedtime and a sure cure for thumbsucking. This book also includes several, charming fill-in-the blank poems perfect for morning announcements on the school P.A. plus some generic New Year’s resolutions you can use in a pinch. Because Lansky’s poetry is about them, kids find it hilarious – and don’t be surprised if reading this book puts a smile on your face, too.
Master the Art of Writing Enthralling Tales for the Youngest pre-and emerging readers! Fully updated and thoroughly revised, Writing Picture Books Revised and Expanded Edition is the go-to resource for writers crafting stories for children ages two to eight. You'll learn the unique set of skills it takes to bring your story to life by using tightly focused text and leaving room for the illustrator to be creative. Award-winning author Ann Whitford Paul helps you develop the skills you need by walking you through techniques and exercises specifically for picture book writers. You'll find: • Instruction on generating ideas, creating characters, point-of-view, beginnings and endings, plotting, word count, rhyme, and more • Unique methods for using poetic techniques to enrich your writing • Hands-on revision exercises (get out your scissors, tape, and highlighters) to help identify problems and improve your picture book manuscripts • Updated tips for researching the changing picture book market, approaching publishers, working with an agent, and developing a platform • All new quizzes and examples from picture books throughout • New chapters cover issues such as page turns, agents, and self-publishing Whether you're just starting out as a picture book writer or have tried unsuccessfully to get your work published, Writing Picture Books Revised and Expanded Edition is just what you need to craft picture books that will appeal to young children and parents, and agents and editors.
Who hasn't been faced the predicament for coming up with the right excuse at the right time? This is the ultimate tome for shirking responsibility, avoiding unpleasantness, and generally wiggling out of things. Whether it's a chore that didn't get finished, Aunt Millie's tea party, or that visit to the dentist, there's a handy phrase that will allow the reader to get off scott-free All in all it's fair to say thisis the ultimate kids' survival guide. Niftily organized into seven easy-to-access sections covering every possible situation, you'll always be able to find the right excuse at the right time: - School (homework, tests, cafeteria food . . . ) - Lateness - Those Dreaded Doctors - Family Events - Mealtime - Chores and Housework - Camp and Outdoors Bonus section of grim stats and facts that let you embellish your extenuation with just enough of a veneer of realism and plausibility to convince even the most suspicious parent or teacher.
Now revised and updated for our modern world, the “complaint free” philosophy teaches you how to stop complaining, become more positive, and live the life you’ve always dreamed about. It all started more than fifteen years ago with a simple purple bracelet. Will Bowen passed out bracelets and offered people a challenge: If you catch yourself complaining, take the bracelet off and move it to the other wrist, thereby making yourself aware of just how often you complain. The end goal was to go twenty-one consecutive days without complaining. A Complaint Free World develops this idea further, offering practical advice and simple principles to transform your life for the better. The philosophy started a movement, with millions committing to going twenty-one days and beyond without complaining, criticizing, or gossiping. Through changing their words, many found they had changed their thoughts, resulting in healed relationships, improved careers, and a higher level of happiness. A Complaint Free World explains what constitutes a complaint, why we complain, what benefits we think we receive from complaining, how complaining is destructive to our lives, and how we can get others around us to stop complaining. In this revised and updated edition, Will presents the steps to becoming Complaint Free and addresses the modern issues that make it harder—and more worthwhile—than ever, including reflections on how the internet has changed how we complain (and how we can resist) and inspiring new testimonials from people who have improved their relationships, workplaces, and attitudes by becoming Complaint Free. Stop complaining. Start living.
Danny's decision to flunk the fifth grade deliberately is complicated when his teacher anonymously sends him a magical talking dog to do his homework for him.
Nothing seems to be normal about the first day of second grade. From the new teacher with the one yellow eye the green glow, to the homework assignment to take care of a gator named Sandy, everything is just strange. How will mom feel about this? What will she feed Sandy and how will Rover get along with her new assignment?
A day in the life of a young student whose perennial excuse for missing homework assignments ultimately comes true since the dog really did eat his homework and no one believes him.
