Former Rock Star, Trevor Riggs, has finally found someone who makes him feel young again. Sandra, his love, helps him rediscover whats important. Listening to the songs inside himself and hearing things differently. Stepping back and gaining perspective. Long walks on the beach. A good cup of coffee. Reflection. Peace. Learning patience and how to relax. Isnt that what the golden years are about? The conclusion to the Rock Star trilogy, will Trevor Riggs finds happiness at last?
In the world of dogs, there is now more awareness than ever of the need to provide enrichment, especially in shelters. But what exactly is enrichment? The concept is pretty straightforward: learn what your dog’s needs are, and then structure an environment and routine that allows them to engage in behaviors they find enriching. To truly enrich your dog’s life, you should offer them opportunities to engage in natural or instinctual behaviors. Aside from the limitations we have to place on a dog in today’s modern, busy world, the biggest constraint to enriching your dog’s life is your imagination! What the experts say about Canine Enrichment: Don’t let the word “enrichment” in the title fool you into thinking that the scope of this book is too narrow or not something you will find valuable. It focuses comprehensively on meeting your dog’s needs and is written in a holistic, science-based, practical, straightforward, and easy-to-understand way. I love this book! Ken Ramirez, author of Animal Training: Successful Animal Management Through Positive Reinforcement Canine Enrichment is a deep dive into what dogs really need and how we can provide it. It’s a great book for dog lovers who want to go beyond the standard superficialities of “dogs need exercise.” Just the chapter on agency is worth the price of the book! Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., CAAB Emeritus, author of The Other End of the Leash and The Education of Will The scope of this book is ambitious and the authors deliver, navigating the subject of enrichment with depth and relevance. Caregivers will gain critically important perspectives and practical information to improve the lives of their animals. Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Utah State University, and founder of Behavior Works, LLC
Most days Cammie is tired of being the daughter of the first female president of the United States and just wants her real life back. She's feeling the stress of having to be on display so often. Plus, her oversized and overly enthusiastic dog Hooligan keeps getting into trouble. That's why she's thrilled when her very favorite group, the famous teenage sensation called The Song Boys, is scheduled to perform at a literacy event at the White House. But when White House objects disappear, the event is in jeopardy. With some help from her younger sister Tessa and Hooligan, Cammie tackles the mystery—and helps save the concert.
Mama of ten Abbie Halberstadt helps women humbly and gracefully rise to the high calling of motherhood without settling for mediocrity or losing their minds in the process. Motherhood is a challenge. Unfortunately, our worldly culture offers moms little in the way of real help. Mamas only connect to celebrate surviving another day and to share in their misery rather than rejoice in what God has done and to build each other up in hard times. There has a be a better way, a biblical way, for mamas to grow and thrive. As a daughter of Christ, you have been called to be more than an average mama. Attaining excellence doesn’t have to be unsettling but it will take committed focus and a desire to parent well according to God’s grace and for His glory. M is for Mama offers advice, encouragement, and scripturally sound strategies seasoned with a little bit of humor to help you embrace the challenge of biblical motherhood and raise your children with love and wisdom. Mama, you are worthy of the awesome responsibility God has given you. Now it’s time to start believing you can live up to it.
When horse-savvy James is hired by the Duke of Dorchester to deliver a young Arab stallion to the colony of Newfoundland aboard the Hindsight in the year 1800, James and the duke’s beautiful daughter, Alicia, realize this is a perfect opportunity for them both to board the ship and escape to the New World. They would cross the sea, deliver the young horse to a Mr. Penney who lived on Bell Island, and then they would be free to live their lives as husband and wife. Nothing could stop them, so they thought. Then it happened. The Hindsight could not withstand a sudden Atlantic storm that arose near the Newfoundland coastline. Yet James and Alicia are not defeated, even as the ship founders, they tie themselves to each other with horse leads and then to the young stallion. Even as they hear frantic cries as the Hindsight slides below the waves - the powerful stallion - bred to withstand any challenge surges onward and away to an unknown shore. Alicia gives in to the ice-cold sea. James catches sight of a single light, flickering in the distance, and with that the young black stallion senses shore - and is able to scramble up on a rocky beach. Out of the darkness come two Newfoundlanders. Knowing the secrets of how to outsmart Poseidon’s deadly hand, Ted and Marion Martin, true Newfoundlanders, get to work to save Alicia. Equally important and pivotal to the entire saga is the lonely Mr. Robert Penney. Overwhelmed with joy when James delivers the young stallion to his doorstep, Mr. Penney offers James, Alicia and their two Newfoundland friends an opportunity that sweeps the reader through the next fifty years of true-to-life Newfoundland‘s rich history.
Drooling fanatic, n. 1. One who drools in the presence of beloved rock stars. 2. Any of a genus of rock-and-roll wannabes/geeks who walk around with songs constantly ringing in their ears, own more than 3,000 albums, and fall in love with at least one record per week. With a life that’s spanned the phonographic era and the digital age, Steve Almond lives to Rawk. Like you, he’s secretly longed to live the life of a rock star, complete with insane talent, famous friends, and hotel rooms to be trashed. Also like you, he’s content (sort of) to live the life of a rabid fan, one who has converted his unrequited desires into a (sort of) noble obsession. Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life traces Almond’s passion from his earliest (and most wretched) rock criticism to his eventual discovery of a music-crazed soul mate and their subsequent production of two little superfans. Along the way, Almond reflects on the delusional power of songs, the awkward mating habits of drooling fanatics, and why Depression Songs actually make us feel so much better. The book also includes: • sometimes drunken interviews with America’s finest songwriters • a recap of the author’s terrifying visit to Graceland while stoned • a vigorous and credibility-shattering endorsement of Styx’s Paradise Theater • recommendations you will often choose to ignore • a reluctant exegesis of the Toto song “Africa” • obnoxious lists sure to piss off rock critics But wait, there’s more. Readers will also be able to listen to a special free mix designed by the author, available online at www.stevenalmond.com, for the express purpose of eliciting your drool. For those about to rock—we salute you!
Dean Koontz is one of the world's biggest selling authors. Anna Koontz is Dean's remarkable dog who is poised to follow in her dad's footsteps with her first advice book for canines. She will soon become canine columnist to the world! With her superior intellect, sharp wit, a warm and fuzzy heart, Anna Koontz debuts her talent as an advice columnist in her seminal workASK ANNA: ADVICE FOR THE FURRY AND FORLORN. Some of her best advice: take time daily for ball-chasing and belly rubs - the keys (along with sausages) to true canine joy. Learn more about the problems that plague Anna's clients and be inspired by how she counsels them. Also delight in Dean's just slightly skewed perspective on the importance of dogs throughout history. Without their advice, we humans would be in even worse trouble than we are today. They're heaven-sent (what is dog spelled backwards?!)
A bestselling modern classic—both poignant and funny—narrated by a fifteen year old autistic savant obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, this dazzling novel weaves together an old-fashioned mystery, a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a fascinating excursion into a mind incapable of processing emotions. Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. At fifteen, Christopher’s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbour’s dog Wellington impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer, and turns to his favourite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As Christopher tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, the narrative draws readers into the workings of Christopher’s mind. And herein lies the key to the brilliance of Mark Haddon’s choice of narrator: The most wrenching of emotional moments are chronicled by a boy who cannot fathom emotions. The effect is dazzling, making for one of the freshest debut in years: a comedy, a tearjerker, a mystery story, a novel of exceptional literary merit that is great fun to read.
An illuminating and refreshing memoir about a year in the life of an elementary school principal, outlining the joys and challenges--for teachers and students--of education today. Outside of home, children spend more time at school than anywhere, and teachers play an important role in their young lives. Teachers inspire, nudge, support, and help students through many difficulties, both academic and developmental. And yet we almost never hear about what's really happening in school. Kristin Phillips taught grade school for years before becoming a principal, helping to guide not just students but also staff through better learning. Here, she takes us through a school year, from the excitement of fall, through the long days of winter, and into the renewed energy that comes with spring. Through her eyes we experience the increasingly complex education system: children with disruptive behaviours, teachers attempting new practices (some more successfully than others), and even parents who need a little help parenting. As she walks us through this year, we're introduced to the many problems that she faced, but also those of the students and teachers she worked with. What's the best way to address bullying in the classroom and school yard? What do you do with a five-year-old who won't stop cursing in class? And importantly, how do we ensure all students are learning? And these are just the concerns Phillips faced during school hours. At home, she reckoned with her own family's problems. Recently divorced, Phillips shares the ups and many downs of parenting three teenagers, one of whom at times suffers from debilitating mental health issues. With the realities of Covid-19, the importance of schools and their vital role for children--and all of society--has never been clearer. Phillips takes us into the classrooms, hallways, and principal's office, revealing the innovations happening in our schools and also the areas where education can do better. With honesty and compassion, Phillips gives a human face to the very real challenges educators work to overcome, one year and one student at a time.
The story of a sensitive, gifted African American girl who tells us with mordant humor what it feels like to spend every day wishing so hard that you could fly away from it all Sparrow has always had a difficult time making friends. She would always rather stay home on the weekends with her mother, an affluent IT executive at a Manhattan bank, reading, or watching the birds, than play with other kids. And that's made school a lonely experience for her. It's made LIFE a lonely experience.But when the one teacher who really understood her -- Mrs. Wexler, the school librarian, a woman who let her eat her lunch in the library office rather than hide in a bathroom stall, a woman who shared her passion for novels and knew just the ones she'd love -- is killed in a freak car accident, Sparrow's world unravels and she's found on the roof of her school in an apparent suicide attempt.With the help of an insightful therapist, Sparrow finally reveals the truth of her inner life. And it's here that she discovers an outlet in rock & roll music...
