The book takes place in a small town in Italy, where a young daughter of a pasta chef rescues a kitten and feeds her the food they seem to have readily available, pasta. The kitten grows into a robust, chubby cat who loves pasta and begins to get noticed by neighborhood children for her weight. She doesn't understand why they would mock her and loves herself as she is, because she remembers what it's like to be starving and is grateful for the spaghetti on her plate.
Rusty's only clue for tracking down a sexual predator was the innocuous black and white photo shown below. Never mind that the snapshot was more than forty years old or that Rusty had been dubbed the "Robinhood marauder" by local newspapers and was actually wanted by the police. And who would have ever guessed that the death of a WASP in a flying accident during World War II would be a major contributing factor in sending an innocent boy down a path of evil? Certainly not Ruby, the grandmother . . . nor even Willie--the actual Rapist!
Patty got up to peer into the refrigerator. "Honey, don't look so guilty," she said. "Men are like horses. If they're even-tempered and sweet, you stay on for the ride. If they buck and run around, you get off before you get hurt." She slammed the refrigerator door. "Damn, we're out of cake." --from "Horseplay: A Novel A debut novel full of sparkle and wit, "Horseplay is a story of the animals that touch our hearts... and the men who try our souls. When Judy Van Brunt finally decides to leave her cheating husband, she makes immediate plans to quit her teaching job, take the money she inherited from her mother, and run off, leaving a note on her husband's pillow. There is only one problem: Where is she going? During her weekly riding lesson, her instructor makes a suggestion just crazy enough to work--and before she knows it, Judy has a position as a groom at an exclusive North Carolina horse farm. There, she shares an apartment with three remarkable women who also work at the farm, and she puts in long hours caring for the horses in addition to learning the demanding sport of dressage from the farm's owner, a former Olympic champion. Exhausted but fulfilled, she learns for herself that a horse in the barn is worth far more than a husband at home. Her housemates gladly supplement her education with lessons not found in the riding ring, such as how to avoid the farm's snootier patrons and weed out unsavory suitors. Her devotion to horses is far more rewarding than her marriage ever was--after all, horses never lie or cheat, and even the most hot-blooded stallion won't kick her when she's down. Nevertheless, her new life doesn't keep her away from men entirely. She findsher early vow of chastity and cheeseburgers weakening as she is drawn to one especially eligible bachelor. But after a few escapades with studs of the two-legged variety, is she really ready to be with someone? Set against the alternately glamorous and grimy world of competitive horse shows, "Horseplay is a jubilant ride.
With Authors & Artists for Young Adults teens have a source where they can discover fascinating and entertaining facts about the writers, artists, film directors, graphic novelists, and other creative personalities that most interest them. International in scope, each volume contains 20-25 entries offering personal behind-the-scenes information, portraits, movie stills, bibliographies, a cumulative index and more.For table of contents or other volume specific information see the entry for the volume.While Gale strives to replicate print content, some content may not be available due to rights restrictions.Call your Sales Rep for details.
Lindsey can figure out electricity but can't figure her own heart. Meeting with her dentist, Lindsey is trying to figure him out. She can dim the lights for romance, will they make the connection.
Contains updated and revised sketches on nearly 800 of the most widely read authors and illustrators appearing in Gale's Something about the author series.
