Download or read book Fast Pitch written by Nic Stone and published by Crown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field. Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way. Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat. Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending—and family-name-ruining—crime may have been a setup. Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified. It's up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past—and fast—before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.

Download or read book All the Acorns on the Forest Floor written by Kim Hooper and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "All the Acorns on the Forest Floor is a stirring series of stories interwoven by the common threads of human frailty and the complexities of relationships. Poignant and poetic, the characters of these stunning vignettes are guaranteed to haunt and inspire long after the last page is turned. " –Suzanne Redfearn, bestselling author of In an Instant " In All the Acorns on the Forest Floor, Kim Hooper delivers an empathetic, compulsively readable book with a cast of characters you'll swear you know. With compassion and great heart, Hooper reminds us that people have histories, and we're all more connected than we think." –Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment For many women, becoming a mother is the strongest expression of love they know. For others, the conscious choice to not have children empowers them to live their truth. Motherhood looks different for all women in Kim Hooper's All the Acorns On the Forest Floor. Alex is pregnant with her second child, fearful because her first pregnancy ended at 16 weeks. Deb is reckoning with the fact that she was abandoned as a newborn by her mother. Wendy is wrestling with her early feelings about having children. These stories are interwoven into the stories of other women who are intentionally childless, adults reckoning with adoptions, and unwed women who had to make difficult choices. This novel-in-stories is designed to tug at the heartstrings but also provide hope, comfort, and insight into women's experiences with the narrative of motherhood and society's expectations. We see the women at their most vulnerable, making decisions that will forever change the course of their lives. As each character's narrative unfolds, the book illustrates how small and connected people's lives are; no one's circumstances are as unique as they feel. All the Acorns On the Forest Floor is a novel about mothers and daughters and the sometimes difficult relationships they have with those closest to them. These are stories of the deep, abiding love mothers and children have for one another and how fragile those relationships can be when difficult decisions must be made. Hooper has created a novel that draws you in and doesn't let go until the last page. Readers will be anxious to discover how these women's stories are intertwined and inspired by the strength each character shows as they plunge into the world of motherhood, no matter what that world looks like. Readers of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty will love All the Acorns On the Forest Floor. The stories' depth invites us all into the worlds of these women and shows us that we are all connected, whether we're mothers or not.

Download or read book Living Up The Street written by Gary Soto and published by Laurel Leaf. This book was released on 1992-02-01 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a prose that is so beautiful it is poetry, we see the world of growing up and going somewhere through the dust and heat of Fresno's industrial side and beyond: It is a boy's coming of age in the barrio, parochial school, attending church, public summer school, and trying to fall out of love so he can join in a Little League baseball team. His is a clarity that rings constantly through the warmth and wry reality of these sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic, always human remembrances.

Download or read book Ordinary on Purpose written by Mikala MD Albertson and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2022-03-08 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beauty is Found in the Ordinary The world is shouting at us to be more. Strive. Achieve. Overachieve. Never stop pushing. As a family practice doctor, wife, and mother, Mikala Albertson appeared to be living a "perfect" life, but really her whole world was falling apart. Married seven years to an alcohol and drug addict while raising two young children and finishing residency, Mikala eventually reached a breaking point. And surrendered. In sifting through the shattered pieces of her life, she realized she had been chasing something that doesn't exist. Perfect is pretend. And what she desperately needed to embrace was ordinary. A good, hard, messy, gritty, lovely, ordinary life. In Ordinary on Purpose, Mikala shares her heartfelt journey in a raw and revealing way as she invites you to lay down your own endless chase for perfection and embrace this beautiful, messy life exactly as it is with our perfect, loving God right by your side. What would it look like to stop pretending to be "perfect" and be ordinary? Instead of always feeling overwhelmed and alone, you might discover the beauty of a good, hard life grounded in the radiant hope of God's unending love. Life happens in the ordinary, after all.

Download or read book Lady Tigers in the Concrete Jungle written by Dibs Baer and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Violence was a way of life for the girls of Mott Middle School in the South Bronx. Some woke up to it at home, and others dodged it on the way to school. Vicious physical fights broke out in classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms. These girls filed their fingernails into sharp points because they had to be ready to go at any time. Then a new coach joined the ranks at Mott Middle, and a new program began: girl's softball. Astacio offers the girls the time and attention they need to take their first steps to success. As they learned to throw, hit and field, they also dealt with the foul balls life threw at them: unwanted pregnancies, abusive boyfriends, and unsupportive families. But the biggest challenge they faced was learning to think and act like a team, not just a bunch of fierce girls against each other—and the world. Lady Tigers is a story of coming together with faith, courage, and new-found values to overcome fear, violence, and doubt. These girls have ushered in a new confidence and pride not only in themselves, but in their school, the faculty, and their friends. And while not all of them have continued down this new path, many are now the first in their families to go to college and are beginning to see how being a Lady Tiger will always be a part of their lives.

Download or read book A Display Of His Splendor written by Sarah Grant and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2010-04-16 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Display of His Splendor is a story of restoration, forgiveness, and love. There are some tantalizing moments in several pages of this reading. There are some heartbreaking moments and moments of laughter as well. The message you will receive from this book will to allow you to see that God can and God will heal the brokenhearted. You will be inspired to turn all of your hurt and pain over to God and press forward to walk in the destiny and purpose God has placed before you. In the poem “A Display of His Splendor,” the author wishes for you to see how God has displayed his in your life as well. In the poem “I Look Like You,” the author challenges you to look and think about the things you say to children and others throughout the course of the day.

Download or read book Superfudge written by Judy Blume and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-04-05 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part of the classic Fudge series from Judy Blume, bestselling author of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing! Farley Drexel Hatcher—otherwise known as Fudge—thinks he’s a superhero, but his older brother, Peter, knows Fudge is nothing but a big pain! Dealing with Fudge is hard enough, but now Peter’s parents have decided to move to New Jersey for an entire year! Even worse, Peter’s mom is going to have a new baby. And if this baby is anything like Fudge—help! How will Peter ever survive? “As a kid, Judy Blume was my favorite author, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was my favorite book.”—Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling Wimpy Kid series Love Fudge, Peter, and Sheila? Read all these books featuring your favorite characters: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great Fudge-a-Mania Double Fudge

Download or read book Wait for It written by Mariana Zapata and published by Mariana Zapata. This book was released on 2016-12-06 with total page 670 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn't been one long enough. Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn't know what the hell she's doing half the time. How she's made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn't supposed to be so hard. With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for. Except for a boyfriend. Or a husband. But who needs either one of those?

Download or read book Making My Pitch written by Ila Jane Borders and published by University of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2019-04-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Making My Pitch tells the story of Ila Jane Borders, who despite formidable obstacles became a Little League prodigy, MVP of her otherwise all-male middle school and high school teams, the first woman awarded a college baseball scholarship, and the first to pitch and win a complete men’s collegiate game. After Mike Veeck signed Borders in May 1997 to pitch for his St. Paul Saints of the independent Northern League, she accomplished what no woman had done since the Negro Leagues era: play men’s professional baseball. Borders played four professional seasons and in 1998 became the first woman in the modern era to win a professional ball game. Borders had to find ways to fit in with her teammates, reassure their wives and girlfriends, work with the media, and fend off groupies. But these weren’t the toughest challenges. She had a troubled family life, a difficult adolescence as she struggled with her sexual orientation, and an emotionally fraught college experience as a closeted gay athlete at a Christian university. Making My Pitch shows what it’s like to be the only woman on the team bus, in the clubhouse, and on the field. Raw, open, and funny at times, her story encompasses the loneliness of a groundbreaking pioneer who experienced grave personal loss. Borders ultimately relates how she achieved self-acceptance and created a life as a firefighter and paramedic and as a coach and goodwill ambassador for the game of baseball.

Download or read book No David written by David Shannon and published by Cartwheel Books. This book was released on 2018-08-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This brand-new board book celebrates 20 years of the bestselling, Caldecott-winning classic featuring America's favorite trouble maker! Full color.

Download or read book Letters from Hillside Farm written by Jerry Apps and published by Fulcrum Publishing. This book was released on 2016-07-06 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Told through the correspondence between the young narrator and his grandmother, Letters from Hillside Farm provides a glimpse of life during the Great Depression of the 1930's. Young George moves from Cleveland, Ohio to a farm in central Wisconsin. He shares his discovery of rural life and the realities of tough times with his Grandmother Strunkmeyer.

Download or read book Mexican WhiteBoy written by Matt de la Peña and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2008-08-12 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña's Mexican WhiteBoy is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions. Danny's tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile an hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it. But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’ s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. But it works the other way too. And Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. That’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he may just have to face the demons he refuses to see--the demons that are right in front of his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming. Matt de la Peña's critically acclaimed novel is an intimate and moving story that offers hope to those who least expect it. "[A] first-rate exploration of self-identity."-SLJ "Unique in its gritty realism and honest portrayal of the complexities of life for inner-city teens...De la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must believe in yourself and shape your own future."-The Horn Book Magazine "The baseball scenes...sizzle like Danny's fastball...Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens, but especially to those of mixed race."-Booklist "De la Peña blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity."-Kirkus Reviews "Mexican WhiteBoy...shows that no matter what obstacles you face, you can still reach your dreams with a positive attitude. This is more than a book about a baseball player--this is a book about life."-Curtis Granderson, New York Mets outfielder An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults A Junior Library Guild Selection

Download or read book Teach Love Inspire written by Teacher Teacher Gift and published by . This book was released on 2019-08-25 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desc - A Wonderful Teacher Gift Under 10.00!This extra special teacher appreciation notebook or journal is the perfect way to express your gratitude to the best teacher ever!

Download or read book Hands Free Mama written by Rachel Macy Stafford and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the power, joy, and love of living a present, authentic, and intentional life despite a world full of distractions. If technology is the new addiction, then multitasking is the new marching order. We check our email while cooking dinner, send a text while bathing the kids, and spend more time looking into electronic screens than into the eyes of our loved ones. With our never-ending to-do lists and jam-packed schedules, it's no wonder we're distracted. But this isn't the way it has to be. Special education teacher, New York Times bestselling author, and mother Rachel Macy Stafford says enough is enough. Tired of losing track of what matters most in life, Rachel began practicing simple strategies that enabled her to momentarily let go of largely meaningless distractions and engage in meaningful soul-to-soul connections. Finding balance doesn't mean giving up all technology forever. And it doesn't mean forgoing our jobs and responsibilities. What it does mean is seizing the little moments that life offers us to engage in real and meaningful interaction. In these pages, Rachel guides you through how to: Acknowledge the cost of your distraction Make purposeful connection with your family Give your kids the gift of your undivided attention Silence your inner critic Let go of the guilt from past mistakes And move forward with compassion and gratefulness So join Rachel and go hands-free. Discover what happens when you choose to open your heart--and your hands--to the possibilities of each God-given moment.

Download or read book Lake Wobegon Summer 1956 written by Garrison Keillor and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2002-08-27 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet fourteen-year-old Gary. A self-described "tree-toad,"a sly and endearing geek, Gary has many unwieldy passions, chief among them his cousin Kate, his Underwood typewriter and the soft-porn masterpiece, High School Orgies. The folks of Lake Wobegon don't have much patience for a kid's ungodly obsessions, and so Gary manages to filter the hormonal earthquake that is puberty and his hopeless devotion to glamorous, rebellious Kate through his fantastic yarns. With every marvellous story he moves a few steps closer to becoming a writer. And when Kate gets herself into trouble with the local baseball star, Gary also experiences the first pangs of a broken heart. With his trademark gift for treading "a line delicate as a cobweb between satire and sentiment"(Cleveland Plain Dealer), Garrison Keillor brilliantly captures a newly minted post-war America and delivers an unforgettable comedy about a writer coming of age in the rural Midwest.

Download or read book The Keillor Reader written by Garrison Keillor and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-05-01 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stories, essays, poems, and personal reminiscences from the sage of Lake Wobegon When, at thirteen, he caught on as a sportswriter for the Anoka Herald, Garrison Keillor set out to become a professional writer, and so he has done—a storyteller, sometime comedian, essayist, newspaper columnist, screenwriter, poet. Now a single volume brings together the full range of his work: monologues from A Prairie Home Companion, stories from The New Yorker and The Atlantic, excerpts from novels, newspaper columns. With an extensive introduction and headnotes, photographs, and memorabilia, The Keillor Reader also presents pieces never before published, including the essays “Cheerfulness” and “What We Have Learned So Far.” Keillor is the founder and host of A Prairie Home Companion, celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2014. He is the author of nineteen books of fiction and humor, the editor of the Good Poems collections, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Download or read book In the Water They Can t See You Cry written by Amanda Beard and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a candid and uplifting memoir, international swimming star Beard reveals the truth about coming of age in the Olympic spotlight, the demons she battled along the way, and her newfound happiness.