Kickflip Boys


Book Description

“Thompson captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys.” —Michael Chabon “What a riveting, touching, and painful read!” —Maria Semple “Fun, moving, raw, and relatable.” —Tony Hawk What makes a good father, and what makes one a failure? Does less-is-more parenting inspire independence and strength, or does it encourage defiance and trouble? Kickflip Boys is the story of a father’s struggle to understand his willful skateboarder sons, challengers of authority and convention, to accept his role as a vulnerable “skate dad,” and to confront his fears that the boys are destined for an unconventional and potentially fraught future. With searing honesty, Neal Thompson traces his sons’ progression through all the stages of skateboarding: splurging on skate shoes and boards, having run-ins with security guards, skipping classes and defying teachers, painting graffiti, drinking and smoking, and more. As the story veers from funny to treacherous and back, from skateparks to the streets, Thompson must confront his complicity and fallibility. He also reflects on his upbringing in rural New Jersey, and his own adventures with skateboards, drugs, danger, and defiance. A story of thrill-seeking teens, of hope and love, freedom and failure, Kickflip Boys reveals a sport and a community that have become a refuge for adolescent boys who don’t fit in. Ultimately, it’s the survival story of a loving modern American family, of acceptance, forgiveness, and letting go.




Planet Tad


Book Description

Twelve-year-old Tad navigates a year filled with girl problems, school antics, and the worst summer job in history, all told in the form of hilarious, illustrated blog entries.




Reluctant Readers


Book Description

"This detailed book outlines the characteristics of reluctant readers, strategies for reading success, how to overcome barriers and more" Cf. Our choice, 1999-2000.




Kick Push


Book Description

Award-winning picture book creator Frank Morrison makes his author/illustrator debut in an exuberant story about being yourself. Epic has tricks you won't believe. He's the kick flipping, big rail king. When his family moves to a new neighborhood, he can't wait to hit the street with his skateboard. But his old moves don't feel fresh without a crew to see 'em. Epic thinks about giving up his board to fit in, but an encouraging word from his dad helps him see that the trick to making new friends is to always be yourself. Be you. . . be epic! Award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison offers a heartwarming, dynamic celebration of self-expression, inspired by his own journey through fatherhood.




Midwest Shreds


Book Description

A guided tour of one of the Midwest’s most vibrant subcultures, one DIY ramp at a time. The American Midwest may not have a reputation as the nation’s skating mecca, but maybe it should. In Midwest Shreds, Mandy Shunnarah travels around the region for a deep dive into its skating culture, detailing the activity’s long, storied history there and the large and diverse skating community that calls the Midwest home today. Here, you’ll learn how skating has become a form of mutual aid in Iowa, follow hard-core street skaters as they vie to become King of Cleveland, experience the transcendence of skating in a converted St. Louis cathedral, meet the anarchists who’ve built their own skate paradise, cinder block by cinder block, in southern Ohio, and encounter skaters from Des Moines, Madison, Chicago, West Lafayette, Detroit, and other corners of the Midwest. With writing that revels in the crunching scrape of hard wheels, the joy of nailing a trick for the first time, and the grit required to fall and get back up again, Midwest Shreds illuminates a small corner of Midwest life and offers a portrait of the rich cultural history and diversity that makes the region what it is today.




Hothouse Kids


Book Description

More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA.




52 Things Kids Need from a Mom


Book Description

Bestselling author and mother of four children Angela Thomas brings her trademark storytelling and biblical teaching to this book of encouragement for moms who, in the daily whir of busyness, long to connect with their kids in new ways. With compassion and creativity, Angela presents 52 inspirations to help moms experience intentional mothering, intentional living, and intentional joy as they: talk to their child as though he is fascinating learn to play one video game plan activities that set a child up for success be the groovy mom once in a while make memories and savor them Moms at all phases of parenting can adopt one idea a week or try several at once. This is a fun, guilt-free resource to help every mom lead with God’s love and delight in the small moments that make up an abundant life.




The Safe Place


Book Description

Her heart pounds at the sound of footsteps outside her small cabin in the woods. The snap of a twig tells her someone is close by. As she treads lightly towards the back door, she says a silent prayer—don’t let him find me… Everyone in Eagle Falls knows Jessie Lewis. Ever since she reported her boyfriend, fire chief and local hero, for beating her, she’s been an outcast from the small town. But when someone sets fire to a house in the woods, killing the entire Troyer family in their beds, the locals turn on her once again. And when rumors circulate about her very public argument with Paul Troyer, they take it as proof that she killed them. Devastated that anyone could think her capable of such an atrocity, Jessie knows that if people don’t believe she’s innocent, more lives will be in danger. She turns to Ruth: new in town, and an ex-FBI agent, Ruth could be the exact person Jessie needs to smoke out the killer. But can she trust her with her life? Days later, another house linked to Jessie is set ablaze. Falling to her knees in the scorched remains, Jessie finds something buried in the ash which she immediately recognizes. The murders must be linked to the death of someone very close to her, and, terrified, she realizes the killer is coming for her… As local wildfires take hold of Eagle Falls and the town is evacuated, Jessie drives at high speed toward the fires, knowing she must put herself in unthinkable danger in order to catch the killer. When she finally faces the person who wants her dead, will she have the strength to take them down first? From USA Today bestselling crime author L.A. Larkin, The Safe Place is a thrilling rollercoaster ride for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Kendra Elliot. You will not be able to put this down! What readers are saying about The Safe Place: “Absolutely brilliant… From the first page I was propelled to the edge of my seat… Utterly breath-taking… I was up all night because I wanted to keep turning the pages… Totally wow!!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars “I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book!… I was yelling at my device! Lol, this book had it all… Definitely a nail-biter. Loved it!!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars “Will have your heart racing with every page… Completely sucks you in! … Absolutely addictive. A thrilling, heart-pounding wild ride!” @oh.happy.reading, 5 stars “Grips you from the start and keeps you hanging on till the end. This is a rapid-paced, compelling story.” NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars “Wild fires, action, murders, oh my!... Get ready for non-stop action! You will be holding your breath and also gasping out loud!” @lindzanne1_bookworm, 5 stars “An amazing thriller.” NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars “From the very first page, right until the last, The Safe Place will have you hooked. It is non-stop action and I finished it in a day. An absolute page-turner.” @mandylovestoread What readers are saying about L.A. Larkin: “WOW… Just wow, OMG… I found myself on the edge of my seat and I’m certain that if I was in the habit of biting my nails, I wouldn’t have any left… Worth far more than five stars.” Nicki’s Life of Crime, 5 stars “I couldn’t put this one down! I don’t know where to begin with this thriller thrill ride… Twists and turns and surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat.” Problematic Pug, 5 stars “Wow!… What a story! I think my heart pounded out of my chest!… What a heart-pounding, suspense-filled book.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars




Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School?


Book Description

For some kids, school offers a positive and engaging experience. For others, it's a boring, stressful, and frustrating waste of time. If your child is in the second category, why keep tormenting them? Instead, why not help them find an educational environment where they feel genuinely motivated, excited, and empowered? In this eye-opening book, Blake Boles makes the case for leaving conventional school and taking one of the many alternative paths through K-12 that exist today. He addresses parents' major concerns about unconventional education -- Can my kids still go to college? Will they still be employable? How will they learn to work hard? -- while highlighting the hidden benefits of self-directed learning, such as improved parent-child relationships, a more balanced decision-making process regarding college, and a heightened sense of autonomy and connection. Drawing upon 15 years of work as a mentor and guide for adolescents in alternative and experiential learning environments -- as well as his own unconventional life path -- Boles weaves together narrative, theory, and research to build a powerful argument for granting children unusual levels of freedom and responsibility.




Build It, Make It, Do It, Play It!


Book Description

A valuable, one-stop guide to collection development and finding ideal subject-specific activities and projects for children and teens. For busy librarians and educators, finding instructions for projects, activities, sports, and games that children and teens will find interesting is a constant challenge. This guide is a time-saving, one-stop resource for locating this type of information—one that also serves as a valuable collection development tool that identifies the best among thousands of choices, and can be used for program planning, reference and readers' advisory, and curriculum support. Build It, Make It, Do It, Play It! identifies hundreds of books that provide step-by-step instructions for creating arts and crafts, building objects, finding ways to help the disadvantaged, or engaging in other activities ranging from gardening to playing games and sports. Organized by broad subject areas—arts and crafts, recreation and sports (including indoor activities and games), and so forth—the entries are further logically organized by specific subject, ensuring quick and easy use.