In this brilliant debut collection, Melanie Little emerges as a bold new voice with ten smart stories that explore and explode the concept of confidence in all of its contradictory meanings, suggesting a very fine line between trust and treachery. In Little’s world, a Grade 6 schoolgirl grapples with having a left leg that is four inches longer than her right leg, a father once bursting with temerity descends into gambling addiction and leaves a legacy to his daughter in the form of a $500 casino chip, and a disgruntled saleswoman induces self-inflicted highway robbery while a celebrity photographer finds desperate assurance in stalking his subjects. Singing with brightness and despair, the deliciously wacky and beautiful tenor of these stories rings true, but also surprises. In the indomitable spirit of confidence, Little reveals how vulnerable and delicate we all really are, and in the process joins the vanguard of young Canadian urban writers. She is a hugely talented young writer to watch.
Is my ordinary, everyday life actually significant? Is it okay to be fulfilled by the simple acts of raising kids, working in an office, and cooking chicken for dinner? It’s been said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” The pressure of that can be staggering as we spend our days looking for that big thing that promises to take our breath away. Meanwhile, we lose sight of the small significance of fully living with every breath we take. Melanie Shankle, New York Times bestselling author and writer at The Big Mama Blog tackles these questions head on in her fourth book, Church of the Small Things. Easygoing and relatable, she speaks directly to the heart of women of all ages who are longing to find significance and meaning in the normal, sometimes mundane world of driving carpool to soccer practice, attending class on their college campus, cooking meals for their family, or taking care of a sick loved one. The million little pieces that make a life aren’t necessarily glamorous or far-reaching. But God uses some of the smallest, most ordinary acts of faithfulness—and sometimes they look a whole lot like packing lunch. Through humorous stories told in her signature style, full of Frito pie, best friends, the love of her Me-Ma and Pa-Pa, the unexpected grace that comes when we quit trying to measure up, and a little of the best TV has to offer, Melanie helps women embrace what it means to live a simple, yet incredibly meaningful life and how to find all the beauty and laughter that lies right beneath the surface of every moment.
Paris, 1878. Ballet dancer Marie van Goethem is chosen by the unknown artist Edgar Degas to model for his new sculpture: Little Dancer, aged fourteen years. But Marie is much more than she seems. By day she’s a 'little rat' of the opera, contorting her starving body to entertain the bourgeoisie. By night she’s plotting to overthrow the government and reinstate the Paris Commune, to keep a promise she made to her father, a leading Communard who died in the street massacres of 1871. As Marie watches the troubling sculpture of herself come to life in Degas’ hands, she falls further into the intoxicating world of bohemian, Impressionist Paris, a world at odds with the socialist principles she has vowed to uphold. With the fifth Impressionist Exhibition looming, a devastating family secret is uncovered which changes everything for both Marie and Degas. As Degas struggles to finish his sculpture and the police close in on Marie, she must decide where her loyalties lie and act to save herself, her family and the Little Dancer.
Unforgettable."—The New York Times "Lyrical and atmospheric." —Bustle "A satiating psychological horror tale." —Cultured Vultures SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE APRIL 2019 LIBRARY READS PICK “Mother knows best” takes on a sinister new meaning in this unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Grimms’ Fairy Tales, and Aimee Molloy's The Perfect Mother. Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own...creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things. A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley—to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies. Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw...she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life. Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some of our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking—and rechecking—your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.
Erin wants a fresh start. With her thirtieth birthday coming up, she's taken a long hard look at her life (the job she hates, the wedding she just cancelled) and concluded that it's basically a mess. If only she knew where to begin. A trip to her hometown in Ireland to visit her beloved grandmother is a welcome escape from her disappointments. But, there, Erin also finds an unexpected solution to her problems, in the form of a magical family heirloom. No more of the 'what ifs' she's been tormenting herself with -- now all she needs to do is whisper two little words and she'll be able to see for herself what might have been, had she chosen a different path. But as Erin gets caught up in one 'if only' after another, changing her life proves more complicated than expected. And she starts to realise that, by chasing dreams and searching for an easy fix, she might be missing out on what's right in front of her...
Tainted Love - Sammelband Bei dieser Ausgabe handelt es sich um einen Sammelband. »Tainted Love« umfasst drei in sich abgeschlossene Romane der Little Things-Reihe. Dirty Little Lies: Amy Kingston und Rhysand MacMillan gelten seit der Highschool als das Traumpaar ihrer Clique, dabei konnten sie sich anfangs nicht einmal ausstehen. Fünf Jahre nach ihrem Abschluss sind sie verlobt und die Hochzeitsvorbereitungen laufen auf Hochtouren. Aber Verrat, Misstrauen und Eifersucht reißen die beiden auseinander, bevor sie vor den Traualtar treten und sich das Ja-Wort geben können. Während Amy verzweifelt versucht, ihre Beziehung zu retten, ist Rhys am Boden zerstört, weil er glaubt, die Frau, die er liebt, hätte ihn heimtückisch hintergangen. Als er schließlich die Wahrheit herausfindet, scheint es für ein Happy End jedoch zu spät zu sein, denn Amy hat die Stadt verlassen und Rhys keine Ahnung, wo er mit seiner Suche nach ihr ansetzen soll ... Wicked Little Secrets: Blair Wilcox hat keine Ahnung, wer Jordan West tatsächlich ist, als sie sich auf einen aufregenden Quickie mit ihm einlässt. Sie geht davon aus, dass er genau wie sie nur ein kurzes Abenteuer sucht. Und das ist ihr ganz recht, denn seit der hässlichen Trennung von ihrem Verlobten kommen für Blair keine Beziehungen mehr infrage. Wie sehr sie sich geirrt hat, wird ihr klar, als Jordan plötzlich mehr will als einen One-Night-Stand ohne Verpflichtungen. Er lässt nicht locker und setzt alles daran, ihr näherzukommen. Doch das kann Blair keinesfalls zulassen, denn dann bestünde die Gefahr, dass er all ihre Geheimnisse aufdeckt, von denen einige besser verborgen bleiben sollten … Vicious Little Games: Summer Lewis ist überglücklich, als ihr die Juniorpartnerschaft in einem renommierten Architekturbüro in Chicago in Aussicht gestellt wird. Die Sache hat jedoch einen Haken: Um den Posten zu ergattern, muss sie sich erst in der Zweigstelle in New York beweisen. Das wäre kein Problem, wenn sie sich dafür nicht mit Ryder MacMillan auseinandersetzen müsste. Sie soll ausgerechnet mit dem Mann eng zusammenarbeiten, der ihr in der Highschool nicht nur das Herz gebrochen, sondern sie auch öffentlich gedemütigt hat. Ryder glaubt nicht an das Schicksal, aber er glaubt an Chancen und dass man sie ergreifen muss, sobald sie sich zeigen. Und genau das hat er vor, als er Summer Lewis nach Jahren wieder gegenübersteht. Sie ist seine erste große Liebe, die er damals leichtsinnig aufs Spiel gesetzt und verloren hat. Ein weiteres Mal soll ihm das nicht passieren, auch wenn alles danach aussieht, als würden die Schatten der Vergangenheit ein Happy End verhindern...
Rachel is on the verge of making her fashion dreams a reality when her financial backing is suddenly pulled out from under her. She quickly discovers that it's thanks to the dealings of her estranged lover, the newly wealthy Alessandro Vallini. Years ago, he was the gardener, and she his master. But now she must become his housekeeper in order to keep her business afloat. Will Alessandro always see her as his poor little rich girl, or will both their lives be quickly and irrevocably altered by this strange new setup?
Summary: Five Birds On A Wire is a positively uplifting book will surely bring smiles to little faces. Five Birds on a Wire is a children's nature and outdoor book that reminds children to be grateful for the little things in life: air, sun, rain... they are all a blessing. Filled with sweet melodic tones, Five Birds On A Wire inspires relaxation and positive thoughts that will be sure to inspire children and adults alike to look a little deeper and consider some of the everyday blessings that surround us. Details & Core Concepts: This children's nature book is wonderful for kids of all ages. It emphasizes on a few core concepts that are taught through nature: enjoy the simple things, accept uncontrollable changes with a positive attitude, observe and learn from nature through the senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste), meteorology/observation of the weather, sitting still/standing still and much more. Kids Nature Book. Related Categories: Juvenile Fiction >> Science and Nature >> Nature Books for Children Children's Fiction >> Pretend Play >> Outdoor Exploration Kid's Learning >> Natural Sciences >> Weather: Early Learning / Preschool >> Clouds, Sun, Wind & Rain Children's Social Emotional Learning >> Concepts: Gratefulness and Positive Thinking Characters: Human >> Girl >> Black / African American / Afro-Caribbean Animals >> Birds >> Great Kiskadee Birds
Discover more than sixty spells and an abundance of potions, powders, and lore from around the world. Llewellyn's Little Book of Moon Spells is a handy, on-the-go guide to everyday moon magick filled with spells and rituals for improving relationships, healing emotional wounds, removing obstacles, psychic protection, success, abundance, and much more. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced practitioner, the step-by-step instructions within these pages will help you attune to the tides of destiny and change troublesome situations into opportunities for positive transformation.
A little prince is cursed, and born with a very long nose, but his dear little princess bride, and everyone else, has an ordinary one. Will everyone be able to keep their confidence and live happily ever after? Download this funny, classic fairy tale short story and find out...
When Angelique Devereaux and Donnie Cochran play a joke on their families during Christmas by pretending to get married at their Las Vegas hotel, they are stunned to discover that their faux union is actually real and that Angelique is pregnant. Original.
It’s easy to feel disheartened when you’re facing dreams that haven’t come true, heartbreak that never seems to end, or financial strains that weigh you down. Maybe you’re wondering if God can still use you with all your imperfections. In the 100 devotions in Everyday Holy, New York Times bestselling author and creator of The Big Mama Blog Melanie Shankle says absolutely yes. If you’re looking for the line that connects the dots, Everyday Holy is for you! Inside, Melanie reminds readers: God uses unlikely, ordinary people to accomplish His divine purposes. God specializes in using everyday acts of faithfulness to change the world around us. God has incomparable spiritual riches for us when we trust in Him. This keepsake devotional includes: 100 devotions, each with a Scripture and inspirational story. Everyday Holy makes a beautiful gift for any friend or loved one for birthdays, Mother’s Day, or the holidays. Or, curl up with it yourself when you want a reminder that the hope you’ve been called to is much greater, deeper, and more powerful than anything we can fathom when we trust in Him.
Taken away from her birth mom at a very young age, Lucy wasn't quite sure what was in store for her. Visitors came by from time to time to look at her and her other puppy siblings, and she kept longing for what was on the other side of the big door. After one of her sisters was taken away in a little basket, she devised her plan of action. Finally, the day arrived when she would go to her forever home and embark on a whole new set of adventures. Her mind was always racing, and she began deciphering all of life's situations. A quick learner, she immediately started noting what merited treats. She decided that life is always better with treats-and a lap to cozy into. She was a handful when she was young, mischievous throughout most of her life, happy with the simplest gesture of affection, and maybe too smart for her own good. This is her tale of life, love, and challenges-challenges that almost claimed her life too soon. She has put paw to paper to share her life lessons in hopes that everyone can put what really matters into perspective.
The fun begins when a little bucket hat is blown out to sea by an unexpected gust of wind. The little hat encounters many sea creatures that make the young reader giggle and change the hat's outlook on life. Full of words that are fun to say and which encourage young readers to want to read the story (or have it read to them) over and over.
The Crolameans were the most powerful army of its time. In their history they were major vessels of truth, justice, and faith; faith that the world would be saved by its Liberator and that Evil would dwell far beneath them where it couldn't be found. Cornelius Jr. and AbliCrone, raised as brothers, were inseparable until they found their truths. Finding their truth sparked hate, revenge and a two thousand year old rivalry. The Blood Moon indicated not only the death of the King's son but his promise to come back and reign victorious through the rebirth of a new Liberator. _______________________________________________________ Cloak of the Blood Moon is an absolute must-read. Not since reading the "Left Behind" series have I been so drawn into and intrigued by a story. This easy-read is filled with spiritual revelation that allows the reader to connect our natural and supernatural worlds while examining the reality of what takes place in our daily lives. Authors Hunt and Little-Guess, have tapped into a realm of understanding that seemingly leaps off the pages and apprehends your thought process and reason causing you to become fully drawn into the world in which the story takes place. Written with spiritual context centered on the challenges connected to living out divine purpose, Cloak of the Blood Moon takes the reader on a journey filled with excitement, heartbreak, victory and defeat. Through this book, the portal to the spirit realm has been opened for anyone who dare enter to be challenged and enlightened. Kimberly Eichelberger, MSW, LCSWA
The Little Book of Role Play Windows provides a range of fun role play activities, in which scenarios are acted out through a window made using just a cardboard box. Playing with pedal cars can transform into a car park scenario with car park attendant; dressing up play can be extended by creating a fancy dress hire shop; and playing with soft toy animals can lead on to a trip to the vets!
Young readers will love learning to count in this illustrated adaptation of a well-known nursery rhyme. Watch as each of the five plush, touchable ducklings disappears one by one
Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: 1.3, University of Paderborn, language: English, abstract: “Once upon a time...” - At the beginning of a text these words already make obvious that the recipient is dealing with a fairy tale. Fairy tales are known all over the world, independent of age groups and social status. The most famous versions have been written by the Brothers Grimm, even though they were neither the first, nor the last authors of fairy tales. Instead, these stories have a very long tradition rooting in the culture of primitive people who expressed their own experiences by telling each other folk tales. Since then, every era and culture had tales like these, either adaptations of the original ones, or new stories always dependent on the respective time and situation, until the well-known fairy tales developed which are though to have been written for children. Today it is known, that this kind of literature is actually not only supposed to be for children. 1 Furthermore, the development of fairy tales didn’t stop in the 19 th century but is still in progress. By means of new media and modernised, often humorous, versions of the stories, they are still up-to-date and there exist versions for every age group. 2 One of these tales is the famous “Little Red Riding Hood”. With origins in the medieval storytelling tradition it has become a very popular folktale rewritten by different authors of various nationalities. Even today it is still a popular basis for stories, parodies or cartoons. Also at school, fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood can be used in their various versions and genres, either in its original version as a folktale or as a humorous story. Using this kind of stories in school can be used to bring fun into the class as well as to make pupils familiar with the genre of humorous stories used to express certain grievances in the society. In the following, the development of the fairy tale as a whole and of “Little Red Riding Hood” in particular will be displayed. Afterwards the use of fairy tales in the classroom will be discussed, before the other use of the tale, its use as a humorous story and its use and function at school will be shown. Again, special attention will be paid to the example of “Little Red Riding Hood.” [...]
Paris, 1878. Ballet dancer Marie van Goethem is chosen by the unknown artist Edgar Degas to model for his new sculpture: Little Dancer, aged fourteen years. But Marie is much more than she seems. By day she’s a 'little rat' of the opera, contorting her starving body to entertain the bourgeoisie. By night she’s plotting to overthrow the government and reinstate the Paris Commune, to keep a promise she made to her father, a leading Communard who died in the street massacres of 1871. As Marie watches the troubling sculpture of herself come to life in Degas’ hands, she falls further into the intoxicating world of bohemian, Impressionist Paris, a world at odds with the socialist principles she has vowed to uphold. With the fifth Impressionist Exhibition looming, a devastating family secret is uncovered which changes everything for both Marie and Degas. As Degas struggles to finish his sculpture and the police close in on Marie, she must decide where her loyalties lie and act to save herself, her family and the Little Dancer.
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