This "intense reading experience"* is a Printz Honor Book. Shawn McDaniel's life is not what it may seem to anyone looking at him. He is glued to his wheelchair, unable to voluntarily move a muscle—he can't even move his eyes. For all Shawn's father knows, his son may be suffering. Shawn may want a release. And as long as he is unable to communicate his true feelings to his father, Shawn's life is in danger. To the world, Shawn's senses seem dead. Within these pages, however, we meet a side of him that no one else has seen—a spirit that is rich beyond imagining, breathing life. *Booklist starred review
Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.
Stuck in Neutral, a Printz Honor Book, introduced the world to Shawn McDaniel, a fourteen-year-old kid with cerebral palsy. But what happens next? Shawn's got a new perspective on life. But no one has a clue. That's because they can see only his wheelchair, his limp body, his drool. What they don't see? His brain, with perfect auditory memory. And his heart, which is in love with a girl. And his fierce belief that someday someone will realize there's way more to him than his appearance. How do you connect with others when you can't talk, walk, or even wave hello? In the sequel to Stuck in Neutral, which ALA Booklist called "an intense reading experience," Shawn McDaniel discovers a new definition of "normal" and finds that life happens next for everyone.
How sick is this: I'm the major jock-stud in high school, but my brother has the brain of a badminton birdie and a body to match. I've got everything and he's got nothing. I'm a three-year, three-sport letterman and Shawn can't even stand up! Like I said, sick, huh? It's hard to be a brother to someone who doesn't even know you're there. How can you talk to him when he can't understand a thing you say? How can you listen to him when he can't speak a word? How can you love him when he's so messed up, he can't love you back? And how can you have a life of your own when your father bailed on the family, leaving you to be the "man of the house"? Fueled by rage at what has happened to his family, Paul is ready to explode. And he is haunted by something even worse—something he can never tell anyone. It is something he will have to face if he is to have any hope of a future at all. While Cruise Control is a companion to Terry Trueman's Printz Honor book, Stuck in Neutral, it is the completely independent story of a family's "other" son—the one who is healthy, gifted, normal. It is a courageously hopeful story told with power, compassion, and humor.
Where previous histories of Ireland in the war years have focused on high politics, That Neutral Island mines deeper layers of experience. Stories, letters, and diaries illuminate this small country as it suffered rationing, censorship, the threat of invasion, and a strange detachment from the war.
I heard the gunshot and I knew what had happened. Even before I made it downstairs to Dad's office, I knew what he'd done. How do you live your life after catastrophe hits your family? How do you go back to football practice, or take a girl out on a date, or talk to your friends about normal stuff when nothing is normal anymore? Three years after his father's death, Jordan is still wondering. But then, salvation comes—in the form of a '76 Corvette. It's gorgeous, it's beautiful, it's incredibly sexy. And so is the girl who suddenly takes notice of him. Slowly Jordan realizes that maybe, just maybe, he can start living again. But the real question is: Does he want to?
A 2015 Schneider Family Book Award Winner With gentle humor and unflinching realism, Gail Giles tells the gritty, ultimately hopeful story of two special ed teenagers entering the adult world. We understand stuff. We just learn it slow. And most of what we understand is that people what ain’t Speddies think we too stupid to get out our own way. And that makes me mad. Quincy and Biddy are both graduates of their high school’s special ed program, but they couldn’t be more different: suspicious Quincy faces the world with her fists up, while gentle Biddy is frightened to step outside her front door. When they’re thrown together as roommates in their first "real world" apartment, it initially seems to be an uneasy fit. But as Biddy’s past resurfaces and Quincy faces a harrowing experience that no one should have to go through alone, the two of them realize that they might have more in common than they thought — and more important, that they might be able to help each other move forward. Hard-hitting and compassionate, Girls Like Us is a story about growing up in a world that can be cruel, and finding the strength — and the support — to carry on.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A novel of self-discovery and second chances from the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning author—Willa Drake has had three opportunities to start her life over: in 1967, as a schoolgirl whose mother has suddenly disappeared; in 1977, when considering a marriage proposal; and in 1997, as a young widow trying to hold her family together. So she is surprised when in 2017 she is given one last chance to change everything, after receiving a startling phone call from a stranger. Without fully understanding why, she flies across the country to Baltimore to help a young woman she's never met. This impulsive decision, maybe the first one she’s consciously made in her life, will lead Willa into uncharted territory—surrounded by eccentric neighbors who treat each other like family, she finds solace and fulfillment in unexpected places. A bewitching novel of hope and transformation, Clock Dance gives us Anne Tyler at the height of her powers.
What does it take to say “F-it!” and really mean it? To walk away from the circumstances that have you stuck in neutral, or worse, headed in the wrong direction? To reroute your life along a smoother path toward success? To live an “F”-It-Less life? Have you ever just thrown your hands in the air and said “F”-It!? Been tempted to give in to someone or something you’ve been resisting? Or worse, found yourself backed into changes, circumstances, or even a life you didn’t ask for? If so, you are not alone. But thankfully, there is now a powerful way to never have to say “F-It!” again. It begins with reframing the ‘f’ word . . . and ultimately leads to reframing your life. It’s a method designed to help you choose the life you want to live, rather than blindly accepting the one you’ve got. Shaun Rawls, popular motivational speaker and founder of Atlanta’s #1 real estate firm, devised this method during one of the most trying, yet triumphant periods of his life. In “F”-It Less he offers a whole new lexicon of F-words more powerful than the one we all already know. By employing each thoughtfully and practically in your life you can begin to craft the existence you’ve always dreamed of. During his own transformation, words such as ‘fragmented’, ‘frustrated’, ‘fractured’, and ‘failed’ helped him identify where he was in the moment and to earnestly assess where he’d gone wrong in the past. In time he enjoyed days that were ‘fine’ or even ‘fantastic’. Prioritizing words such as ‘float,’ ‘family,’ ‘faith,’ ‘fun,’ and ‘freedom,’ reminded him of his destination, while words such as “find,” “forgive,” “forget,” “fix,” and “foxhole” helped him to get there faster. What he discovered is that these F-words can draw us back into alignment with our purpose and goals, enabling us to live a more intentional and rewarding life—the life of our dreams. In this infinitely empowering book, Rawls shares both his story and his method with you, boldly encouraging you to use these words to examine your own life too—to see if it is one you consciously crafted or one you simply allowed to unfold. To decide whether you’re living how you really want to live or if there is still much more work to be done. He challenges you to truly listen to your heart and gut, and to honestly acknowledge the areas of our life where you’ve compromised love and happiness for money, safety, security, or worse, fear. He coaxes you not to let our best life pass you by, but rather to proactively attain the life you really want. By sharing some of his greatest lessons, Rawls aims to help you avoid some of the same obstacles he’s encountered and to live what he refers to as an “F-it-less” life—the life we’re all entitled to discover, explore, and fulfill for ourselves. Saying, “F-It!” doesn’t always have to mean you are giving in or giving up. With the right tools, it can actually mean you are ready to pursue a better life— one of greater ease, meaning, and purpose. A truly F-It-Less life.
