A chilling tale from the bestselling author of The Devil’s Advocate, “a master of psychological thrillers” (V. C. Andrews). They were four perfect little children. Alex had taught them well. They helped with the house, set the table for meals, and went straight upstairs after dinner to do their homework. They did as they were told. Sharon didn’t miss the glances that passed between her husband and the foster children. From the day they arrived, they had looked up to Alex, worshiped him. Why, it even seemed they were beginning to act like Alex—right down to the icy sarcasm, the terrifying smile, and the evil gleam in their eyes when they looked at her. Oh yes, they’d do anything to please Alex. Anything at all . . .
In 1990, David Muller set sail to Mozambique with his wife and two young children, to fulfil a boyhood dream of sailing to the tropics on the yacht he had spent ten years building. The dream holiday came to a shocking end when the yacht ran aground on a stretch of beach near Bazaruto Islands. While waiting for high tide to refloat the yacht, a patrol of Renamo child soldiers, armed with AK47’s, arrive, along with two adult captives. The boys ransack the yacht, taking the terrified Muller family hostage. Later that night the child soldiers bayonet the two prisoners to death. Not Child’s Play brilliantly traverses the Muller’s nightmare of seven weeks in captivity. You will be taken into the enigmatic world of the child soldier and share the Muller’s daily battle to protect their children from the impacts of the civil war in which they had become trapped. Plagued by intense mental and emotional strain, with the fear of violence and death a constant, as the days drag by, uncannily the hostages and captors begin to bond. “Our time with Renamo was defined by constant paradox. The young boys who in cold-blood killed people, also played childhood games with our children. We could not speak their language and struggled desperately with a lack of information about our status. However, the kindness shown to us in sharing what few resources they had, transcended the brutality of the war in which we were all trapped, and required no translation. Every day held terrors, yet we were perplexed by the innate innocence of our captors. Therein lay the paradox.” The eventual dramatic rescue 49 days later, in a rescue mission carried out by the South African Navy, was the culmination of intense negotiations between South Africa and Mozambique. The ceasefire that had to be agreed to enable this operation to take place was the first between the warring parties. Two weeks after our rescue, formal peace talks began, and peace came to Mozambique two years later. Here are some reviews from the first edition of this book: The books gives a unique glimpse into the reality of war and the hardships endured by all participants. The family, which includes two very young children, survives thanks to their resilience and resourcefulness, and also thanks to the kindness of ordinary people caught in the net of warfare. A remarkable book. Read it, it will help you understand the human condition a little more fully! Reviewed in Canada - September, 2020 This book held me spellbound and I could not put it down. Descriptive and honest making it believable and challenging Reviewed in Australia - January, 2020 Not Child’s Play is an absolute page turner and a remarkable and detailed account of a families terrible and often bizarre ordeal. Go Travel Magazine – April 2020
Most parents would say that they love their children, passionately. They might also admit that at times they experience frustration, anger and even disappointment because of disobedience and a lack of cooperation from their children. Parenting is (Not) Child’s Play deals with the ‘Special Play Time’ method, a revolutionary and proven tool that empowers both parents and children. During a 40-minute weekly play session, parents learn, not only clear and practical skills in setting boundaries, they also gain a deeper understanding of the emotions and worries of their children. They discover how to encourage positive behaviour, too and thus increase the self-esteem of their children. Within a short time, parents notice positive changes in the home. While enjoying mutual fun and play, they regain their parental authority and notice an increase in the emotional and social abilities of their children. Orit Josefi Wiseman is a non-directive play therapist with an M.A. from the University of York in the United Kingdom. She has a clinic in Israel and has rich and extensive experience with parents and children using this method. She has also established trainings for families and professionals in the field of education in order for them to improve their communication with and empower the psychological robustness of children. During her work, Orit has met many parents who have learnt parental skills but could not implement them in real time. Her book is written for all those parents. Having a deep faith in the efficacy of the method, Orit wishes to share her knowledge and make it accessible to every household with children.
In 1990, Dave Muller sails to Mozambique with his wife, Sandy, and two young children, to fulfil a boyhood dream of voyaging to the tropics on the yacht he's spent ten years building. The fantasy holiday comes to a shocking end when the yacht runs aground on a stretch of beach near the Bazaruto Islands. While waiting for high tide to re-float their vessel, a patrol of five child soldiers armed with AK47s arrive, along with their two adult captives. The young boys ransack the yacht. Not Child's Play brilliantly traverses the Mullers' nightmare of seven weeks as hostages of Renamo, a militant resistance organisation in Mozambique. Dave and Sandy, desperate to protect their children, come close to collapse, plagued by intense mental and emotional strain. The fear of violence and death is a constant. Twice the camp in which they are held is attacked by the warring government forces, Frelimo. Yet, after 49 days, the family becomes strangely comfortable in their captivity. The Mullers' eventual rescue, which etched their names in history and is retold remarkably here, involved a covert operation by the SA Navy and Navy Seals - the kind of dramatic stuff that Hollywood action movies are made of!
Is sport good for kids? When answering this question, both critics and advocates of youth sports tend to fixate on matters of health, whether condemning contact sports for their concussion risk or prescribing athletics as a cure for the childhood obesity epidemic. Child’s Play presents a more nuanced examination of the issue, considering not only the physical impacts of youth athletics, but its psychological and social ramifications as well. The eleven original scholarly essays in this collection provide a probing look into how sports—in community athletic leagues, in schools, and even on television—play a major role in how young people view themselves, shape their identities, and imagine their place in society. Rather than focusing exclusively on self-proclaimed jocks, the book considers how the culture of sports affects a wide variety of children and young people, including those who opt out of athletics. Not only does Child’s Play examine disparities across lines of race, class, and gender, it also offers detailed examinations of how various minority populations, from transgender youth to Muslim immigrant girls, have participated in youth sports. Taken together, these essays offer a wide range of approaches to understanding the sociology of youth sports, including data-driven analyses that examine national trends, as well as ethnographic research that gives a voice to individual kids. Child’s Play thus presents a comprehensive and compelling analysis of how, for better and for worse, the culture of sports is integral to the development of young people—and with them, the future of our society.
Finally we’re playing a game. A game that I have chosen. I give one last push of the roundabout and stand back. ‘You really should have played with me,’ I tell her again although I know she can no longer hear. Late one summer evening, Detective Kim Stone arrives at Haden Hill Park to the scene of a horrific crime: a woman in her sixties tied to a swing with barbed wire and an X carved into the back of her neck. The victim, Belinda Evans, was a retired college Professor of Child Psychology. As Kim and her team search her home, they find an overnight bag packed and begin to unravel a complex relationship between Belinda and her sister Veronica. Then two more bodies are found bearing the same distinctive markings, and Kim knows she is on the hunt for a ritualistic serial killer. Linking the victims, Kim discovers they were involved in annual tournaments for gifted children and were on their way to the next event. With DS Penn immersed in the murder case of a young man, Kim and her team are already stretched and up against one of the most ruthless killers they’ve ever encountered. The clues lie in investigating every child who attended the tournaments, dating back decades. Faced with hundreds of potential leads and a bereaved sister who is refusing to talk, can Kim get inside the mind of a killer and stop another murder before it’s too late? The addictive new crime thriller from multi-million copy, number one bestseller Angela Marsons explores the dark side of child prodigies and will have you absolutely hooked. Read what everyone is saying about Child’s Play: ‘The must-read thriller for the year. Fabulous characters and well written. I can't wait to read more by this author.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I have nothing but praise for this amazing series, 11 books and counting and the series keeps getting better with each instalment. I highly recommend this series to all fans of original high -quality mystery thrillers.’ Bookish ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Angela Marsons pushes the limits again to bring us the best of crime fiction! To me, reaching a point where you trust an author this much with your precious time, is invaluable… This is why finding your happy place, your go-to people, your - rather deadly - dreamland is the best feeling in the world and I must thank Angela Marsons for never letting me down…’ Chocolate’n’Waffles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Loved loved this book, Angela has done it again, just brilliant. This story is great pulls you in from the first page and never lets go…Get it, read it, you won't be disappointed.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The quality of Angela Marsons writing has never diminished over the entire series. The release of a Kim Stone novel is an event to look forward to. Full of engaging characters and humour this series is fast becoming one of my favourites. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars because it certainly deserves it. Excellent and I happily recommend it and the series to anyone.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Superb!!... one of the best openings to a book I have read…DI Kim Stone is one of my favourite all time characters in this genre… This is one of the best books in the series and as this is already book 11 in the series that says a lot as not a lot of authors can keep producing books this strong and so well written - very, very highly recommended!!’ Donnasbookblog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow Wow!!! How did I not see any of that coming!...I could barely put the book down…’ Rachel’s Random Reads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Marsons for me is the QUEEN of this genre. She knows how to add the human touch to each story and I just adore her. Bloody FABULOUS.’ Postcard Reviews
The author shows ways to foster a child's curiosity and creativity with activities ranging from rocket science to rock climbing, stamp collecting to sculpture.
Shakespeare wrote more than fifty parts for children, amounting to the first comprehensive portrait of childhood in the English theatre. Focusing mostly on boys, he put sons against fathers, servants against masters, innocence against experience, testing the notion of masculinity, manners, morals, and the limits of patriarchal power. He explored the nature of relationships and ideas about parenting in terms of nature and nurture, permissiveness and discipline, innocence and evil. He wrote about education, adolescent rebellion, delinquency, fostering, and child-killing, as well as the idea of the redemptive child who ‘cures’ diseased adult imaginations. ‘Childness’ – the essential nature of being a child – remains a vital critical issue for us today. In Shakespeare and Child’s-Play Carol Rutter shows how recent performances on stage and film have used the range of Shakespeare’s insights in order to re-examine and re-think these issues in terms of today’s society and culture.
