Download or read book Voiceless Child written by Ann Widick Giganti and published by Ann Widick Giganti. This book was released on 2017-12-03 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: True story! "I spoke soothing words and touched her pale fingers. The silent weeping stopped." The baby's chest heaved as she struggled to breathe. Airway scarring rendered spoken language impossible. Heather wasn't my child, but her distress tattered my heart. Fourteen months old, the little one lay swaddled in a blanket, forgotten and lost amongst unchanging hospital routines. “Just be glad she’s only abandoned, not abused.” The words on the other end of the phone line stung. I wrestled with anger, but instinct quieted any sharp response. A chance meeting turned tragedy to miracle. I wrote the book about our search to give the voiceless child a family, to find a surgeon who could reconstruct her airway. Otherwise she would never speak, never swim. When I met her, she'd never been outside, never seen the sun, never seen the moon. She could not even move a finger. She'd always lived in a hospital on a breathing machine, fed by a tube in her tummy. No one dared dreamed she might survive and have a family of her own. Might we adopt her? Were the damning prophecies true? Sometimes dreams come true, more fantastic than envisioned. There is a newer subspecialty, pediatric otolaryngology. These ear, nose, and throat surgeons can restore voice and hearing. READ THE BOOK. WRITE A REVIEW. TELL YOUR FRIENDS. Enjoy the adventure of healing Heather and discover the miracle surgery that restores her voice. "This is a true story of hope, unconditional love, faith, as well as an exceptional family who would not take "No" for an answer. Ann writes beautifully with vision and descriptions that take you bedside with Heather, on family outings to the river, or just inside her home filled with laughter, scary moments with how fragile Heather was, the exhausting routine of life at that time, and finally the miracle of seeing Heather grow up." Kathy, Reader *** Diana Forrest. I'm reading this book now, can hardly put it down. Thanks be to God to her awesome Adopted family and to so many great Doctors and nurses. Heather is a living beautiful Miracle and a precious gift from God. Dec. 25, 2017 Janet Kortright rated it amazing. I could NOT put this book down. I read it in one night. Start to finish. I felt like I was part of the journey, the family. I will read this again and recommend it to others. A feel good story that shows they're are good people in the world. To advocate for children. To stand your ground to get the care needed for your children. Lynn, January 3, 2018 Voiceless Child is an amazing true story on the trials and tribulations in adopting a special medical needs child. A must read for all especially those who can relate to caring for and having a premature baby like me and my husband. Such a double blessing: For Heather - to be adopted by a loving family and getting a voice. For the family - the experience of adopting and providing medical needs for Heather that takes them on extraordinary life experiences of faith, hope, perseverance, joy, and love. Thanks Ann for sharing your true life experience! *** Heather’s story is heartwrenching, captivating, frustrating. I was impelled to read on to discover who would help or hinder her recovery. What I learned applauds the magical minds and hands of innovative surgeons. The inspiring story of perseverance is relevant to anyone who is facing a challenging obstacle. --Dar Walks Out, Lakota Sioux, Pine Ridge, South Dakota Voiceless Child is a thoughtful exploration of the grace and imperfections inherent in medical care systems and individual providers. Heather epitomizes the motivation for devising surgical procedures that eliminate a parent’s constant worry of death associated with airway disorders. -- Dr. Robin Cotton, director of pediatric otolaryngology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Before the events evolved to the point whose impact could only be conveyed through a book, I published it as an article, “The Child No One Wanted” in Woman’s Day. “We’ve had a terrific reaction to it. Our readers really loved the story.” --Jane Chesnutt, then editor-in-chief of Woman’s Day.

Download or read book Animal Hero Kids written by Susan Hargreaves and published by . This book was released on 2014-11-07 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Animal Hero Kids are effective voices for the voiceless, a fact discovered by 34 year veteran animal activist, wildlife rehabilitator, humane educator, author, Animal Hero Kids inc. founder, Susan Hargreaves. Her heartwarming stories of children and teens going above and beyond to help animals in need are astounding. This practical guidebook inspires and empowers animal protectors of all ages with the practical tools to be heroes to all species of animals. Animal Hero Tips are contributed by famous animal advocates including Sir Paul McCartney, Russell Simmons, Joaquin Phoenix, Jessica Chastain, Ricky Williams, Jorja Fox, Jane Goodall, Ingrid Newkirk, Simone Reyes, and Captain Paul Watson. Activity ideas, lesson plans and practical steps to help animals are included. A short story of Super Hero "Saoirse" concludes the book. Profits from the book go to Animal Hero Kids Inc. Kindness programs. to prevent animal cruelty. Buy a Book, Fund Kind. AnimalHeroKids.org

Download or read book Evicted written by Alice Faye Duncan and published by Astra Publishing House. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shortlist, Goddard Riverside/CBC Young People's Book Prize for Social Justice This critical civil rights book for middle-graders examines the little-known Tennessee's Fayette County Tent City Movement in the late 1950s and reveals what is possible when people unite and fight for the right to vote. Powerfully conveyed through interconnected stories and told through the eyes of a child, this book combines poetry, prose, and stunning illustrations to shine light on this forgotten history. The late 1950s was a turbulent time in Fayette County, Tennessee. Black and White children went to different schools. Jim Crow signs hung high. And while Black hands in Fayette were free to work in the nearby fields as sharecroppers, the same Black hands were barred from casting ballots in public elections. If they dared to vote, they faced threats of violence by the local Ku Klux Klan or White citizens. It wasn't until Black landowners organized registration drives to help Black citizens vote did change begin--but not without White farmers' attempts to prevent it. They violently evicted Black sharecroppers off their land, leaving families stranded and forced to live in tents. White shopkeepers blacklisted these families, refusing to sell them groceries, clothes, and other necessities. But the voiceless did finally speak, culminating in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which legally ended voter discrimination. Perfect for young readers, teachers/librarians, and parents interested in books for kids with themes of: Activism Social justice Civil rights Black history

Download or read book The Voiceless Soul written by Kelly Tallaksen and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2021-02-17 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most of the world is stuck in a trap due to fears of nonlove. From a newly fertilized egg birthed into the world of grown-ups, the incoming soul is challenged by the unconscious fears and suppressed emotions of the grown-ups who will be its teachers at the beginning phases of life. The fear consciousness developed and reinforced over time has created a world that lacks the necessary self-awareness for true spiritual growth. The letters throughout the book, written by the soul of a wounded and disconnected child, challenge the reader to face their own rejected and disowned parts as the reader is led into a deeper understanding of human consciousness and, finally, a healing process that reaches the level of the soul. The book provides an understanding of, and universal need for, authentic forgiveness and compassion, not only for the wounded inner child of the reader, but also the wounded inner child parts within the disconnected grown-ups that polluted the reader’s self-esteem. The book includes relevant research, client cases and the author’s own challenges of being raised by grown-ups who have failed to grow up, keeping her trapped in feelings of unworthiness.

Download or read book The Child Finder written by Rene Denfeld and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “It’s ‘Deliverance’ encased in ice… Denfeld’s novel is indeed loaded with suspense, its resonance comes from its surprising tilt towards storytelling restraint, a rarity in this typical crackling genre. Elegiac, informative and disquieting. . . . The novel gallops to a suitably heart-racing finish.” — New York Times Book Review A haunting, richly atmospheric, and deeply suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of The Enchanted about an investigator who must use her unique insights to find a missing little girl. Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as "the Child Finder," Naomi is their last hope. Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too. As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life? Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive.

Download or read book What Do You Do with a Voice Like That written by Chris Barton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-09-25 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “When Barbara Jordan talked, we listened.” —Former President of the United States, Bill Clinton Congresswoman Barbara Jordan had a big, bold, confident voice—and she knew how to use it! Learn all about her amazing career in this illuminating and inspiring picture book biography of the lawyer, educator, politician, and civil rights leader. Even as a child growing up in the Fifth Ward of Houston, Texas, Barbara Jordan stood out for her big, bold, booming, crisp, clear, confident voice. It was a voice that made people sit up, stand up, and take notice. So what do you do with a voice like that? Barbara took her voice to places few African American women had been in the 1960s: first law school, then the Texas state senate, then up to the United States congress. Throughout her career, she persevered through adversity to give voice to the voiceless and to fight for civil rights, equality, and justice. New York Times bestselling author Chris Barton and Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes deliver a remarkable picture book biography about a woman whose struggles and mission continue to inspire today.

Download or read book Welcome to My Life written by Laurie L Hellmann and published by . This book was released on 2020-06-22 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Candid, Vulnerable, Informative, Inspirational When Skyler was three years old, he was diagnosed with severe, non-verbal autism. When he was 17, his mom wrote a book about his amazing life. From page one, Welcome to My Life delivers on its promise to place you squarely in Skyler's life, surrounded by mom and dad, Laurie and Josh, and superstar sister, Kendall. Detailed sensory descriptions take you to doctors' appointments and trick-or-treating, to Qdoba and the kitchen table, to the bathroom for another "pull-ups" change, to family gatherings, to the Autism Center, and to conversations and internal dialogue so honest that you'll feel like you're part of the family too. Welcome to My Life shares the 14-year journey of a true warrior mom advocating for her non-verbal, severely autistic son from diagnosis through his teenage years. This brutally honest and heartwarming account details the daily struggles and often lack of social understanding that families face when raising a child who relies on parental assistance for every need. "A memoir like no other -- truthful and raw, hilarious and unexpected, heartbreaking and uplifting. Laurie L. Hellmann's Welcome to My Life is a love letter to her son Skyler and a welcome letter to the masses. It is dose of reassurance to us all, and a reminder that the world -- even when it's unpredictable and frightening -- is still shimmering with silver linings and powerful lessons." Because He Has No Words and Yet So Much to Say For mothers and fathers, sister and brothers, autism isn't a personal diagnosis ... it's a family diagnosis. Especially when your autistic loved one copes with significant development delays, suffers from serious chronic medical conditions, is an insomniac, and exhibits behaviors that disrupt the flow of day-to-day life. Autism turns households inside out, cracks hearts wide open and turns daily routines upside down. Take a journey with Laurie L. Hellmann and explore: -- How Skyler's autism diagnosis shook and then restored her faith -- The realities of navigating divorce, co-parenting and new love when your child has special needs -- The emotional and physical toll (on Skyler and his family) of countless medical and behavioral treatments -- The difference between hope, false hope, acceptance and gratitude in the face of disappointment, uncertainty and fear -- The effects of autism on sibling relationships -- How autism can challenge and strengthen a marriage -- Why laughter is good medicine for us all Experience the laughter and love, unspoken bonds and unflagging devotion of one very special family. And be changed forever by the knowledge that a mother's love knows no bounds, and that autism -- though it presents various challenges -- does not define who a person is nor does it devalue or diminish their contributions to this world.

Download or read book Bastard Out of Carolina written by Dorothy Allison and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2005-09-06 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A profound portrait of family dynamics in the rural South and “an essential novel” (The New Yorker) “As close to flawless as any reader could ask for . . . The living language [Allison] has created is as exact and innovative as the language of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye.” —The New York Times Book Review The publication of Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina was a landmark event that won the author a National Book Award nomination and launched her into the literary spotlight. Critics have likened Allison to Harper Lee, naming her the first writer of her generation to dramatize the lives and language of poor whites in the South. Since its appearance, the novel has inspired an award-winning film and has been banned from libraries and classrooms, championed by fans, and defended by critics. Greenville County, South Carolina, is a wild, lush place that is home to the Boatwright family—a tight-knit clan of rough-hewn, hard-drinking men who shoot up each other’s trucks, and indomitable women who get married young and age too quickly. At the heart of this story is Ruth Anne Boatwright, known simply as Bone, a bastard child who observes the world around her with a mercilessly keen perspective. When her stepfather Daddy Glen, “cold as death, mean as a snake,” becomes increasingly more vicious toward her, Bone finds herself caught in a family triangle that tests the loyalty of her mother, Anney—and leads to a final, harrowing encounter from which there can be no turning back.

Download or read book I Am Not Your Baby Mother written by Candice Brathwaite and published by . This book was released on 2021-03-04 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's about time we made motherhood more diverse... When Candice fell pregnant and stepped into the motherhood playing field, she found her experience bore little resemblance to the glossy magazine photos of women in horizontal stripe tops and the pinned discussions on mumsnet about what pushchair to buy. Leafing through the piles of prenatal paraphernalia, she found herself wondering: "Where are all the black mothers?". Candice started blogging about motherhood in 2016 after making the simple but powerful observation that the way motherhood is portrayed in the British media is wholly unrepresentative of our society at large. The result is this thought-provoking, urgent and inspirational guide to life as a black mother. It explores the various stages in between pregnancy and waving your child off at the gates of primary school, while facing hurdles such as white privilege, racial micro-aggression and unconscious bias at every point. Candice does so with her trademark sense of humour and refreshing straight-talking, and the result is a call-to-arms that will allow mums like her to take control, scrapping the parenting rulebook to mother their own way.

Download or read book Etched in Sand written by Regina Calcaterra and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-08-06 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Regina’s Calcaterra memoir, Etched in Sand, is an inspiring and triumphant coming-of-age story of tenacity and hope. Regina Calcaterra is a successful lawyer, New York State official, and activist. Her painful early life, however, was quite different. Regina and her four siblings survived an abusive and painful childhood only to find themselves faced with the challenges of the foster-care system and intermittent homelessness in the shadows of Manhattan and the Hamptons. A true-life rags-to-riches story, Etched in Sand chronicles Regina’s rising above her past, while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together through it all. Beautifully written, with heartbreaking honesty, Etched in Sand is an unforgettable reminder that regardless of social status, the American Dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed.

Download or read book Sky written by Ondine Sherman and published by Pantera Press. This book was released on 2019-04-15 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Friendship can be found in the unlikeliest of places. After her mother's death, Sky leaves her city life to move in with her aunt and uncle in a small Australian town. Life in a new place isn't easy, and Sky finds comfort in the friendship of a stray dog she meets along the way. But her new friends at school are another story, and as Sky struggles to fit in, she finds herself doing things that go against everything she believes in. When Sky stumbles on a case of animal cruelty, she is forced to question what's really important to her and who she wants to be.

Download or read book A Rush of Wings written by Laura E. Weymouth and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For fans of Serpent & Dove and A House of Salt and Sorrows comes a “transportive and beautiful” (Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights) romantic fantasy about an untrained witch who must unlock her power to free her brothers from a terrible curse and save her home. Rowenna Winthrop has always known there’s magic within her. But though she hears voices on the wind and possesses unusual talents, her mother Mairead believes Rowenna lacks discipline, and refuses to teach her the craft that keeps their Scottish village safe. And when Mairead dies a sinister death, it seems Rowenna’s only chance to grow into her power has died with her. Then, on a fateful, storm-tossed night, Rowenna rescues a handsome stranger named Gawen from a shipwreck, and her mother miraculously returns from the dead. Or so it appears. The resurrected Mairead is nothing like the old one. To hide her new monstrous nature, she turns Rowenna’s brothers and Gawen into swans and robs Rowenna of her voice. Forced to flee, Rowenna travels to the city of Inverness to find a way to break the curse. But monsters take many forms, and in Inverness, Rowenna is soon caught in a web of strangers who want to use her raw magic for their own gain. If she wishes to save herself and the people she loves most, Rowenna will have to take her fate into her own hands and unlock the power that has evaded her for so long.

Download or read book Overcoming Speechlessness written by Alice Walker and published by Seven Stories Press. This book was released on 2011-01-04 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2006, Alice Walker, working with Women for Women International, visited Rwanda and the eastern Congo to witness the aftermath of the genocide in Kigali. Invited by Code Pink, an antiwar group working to end the Iraq War, Walker traveled to Palestine/Israel three years later to view the devastation on the Gaza Strip. Here is her testimony. Bearing witness to the depravity and cruelty, she presents the stories of the individuals who crossed her path and shared their tales of suffering and courage. Part of what has happened to human beings over the last century, she believes, is that we have been rendered speechless by unusually barbaric behavior that devalues human life. We have no words to describe what we witness. Self-imposed silence has slowed our response to the plight of those who most need us, often women and children, but also men of conscience who resist evil but are outnumbered by those around them who have fallen victim to a belief in weapons, male or ethnic dominance, and greed.

Download or read book Losing Tim written by Paul Gionfriddo and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul Gionfriddo's son Tim is one of the "6 percent"—an American with serious mental illness. He is also one of the half million homeless people with serious mental illnesses in desperate need of help yet underserved or ignored by our health and social-service systems. In this moving, detailed, clear-eyed exposé, Gionfriddo describes how Tim and others like him come to live on the street. Gionfriddo takes stock of the numerous injustices that kept his son from realizing his potential from the time Tim first began to show symptoms of schizophrenia to the inadequate educational supports he received growing up, his isolation from family and friends, and his frequent encounters with the juvenile justice system and, later, the adult criminal-justice system and its substandard mental health care. Tim entered adulthood with limited formal education, few work skills, and a chronic, debilitating disease that took him from the streets to jails to hospitals and then back to the streets. Losing Tim shows that people with mental illness become homeless as a result not of bad choices but of bad policy. As a former state policy maker, Gionfriddo concludes with recommendations for reforming America's ailing approach to mental health.

Download or read book All That Is Bitter and Sweet written by Ashley Judd and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2012-02-21 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this unforgettable memoir, Ashley Judd describes her odyssey, as a lost child attains international prominence as a fiercely dedicated advocate. In 2002, award-winning film and stage actor Ashley Judd found her true calling: as a humanitarian and voice for those suffering in neglected parts of the world. After her first trip to the notorious brothels, slums, and hospices of southeast Asia, Ashley knew immediately that she wanted to advocate on behalf of the vulnerable. During her travels, Ashley started to write diaries that detailed extraordinary stories of survival and resilience. But along the way, she realized that she was struggling with her own emotional pain, stemming from childhood abandonment and abuse. Seeking in-patient treatment in 2006 for the grief that had nearly killed her, Ashley found not only her own recovery and an enriched faith but the spiritual tools that energized and advanced her feminist social justice work. Her story ranges from anger to forgiveness, isolation to interdependence, depression to activism. In telling it, she resoundingly answers the ineffable question about the relationship between healing oneself and service to others. Praise for All That Is Bitter and Sweet “Ashley Judd has given us magnetic and searingly honest portrayals of diverse women on screen. Now with the same honesty and magnetism, she brings us her true self on the page. From her childhood to her revolutionary empathy with women and girls living very different lives, her path will inspire readers on journeys of their own.”—Gloria Steinem “Over the last decade I have watched my gifted, brilliant friend grow as an artist, but more importantly, as a wise, deeply empathetic woman. I have read the diaries that are the heart of this memoir since she began traveling the world, fearing for her safety and sanity, baffled why she chooses these grueling missions. All That Is Bitter and Sweet will be a revelation to readers, exposing Ashley Judd for what I have known for years she is: an amazing woman doing extraordinary work.”—Morgan Freeman “All That Is Bitter and Sweet is all that is enlightening and inspiring. Ashley Judd has composed a memoir that teaches while it entrances and finds hope and faith in the most unlikely places. The book is full of real-life stories that reflect both the compassion of its author and the need for healing in the world.”—Madeleine K. Albright

Download or read book Carly s Voice written by Arthur Fleischmann and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-03-27 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this international bestseller, father and advocate for Autism awareness Arthur Fleischmann blends his daughter Carly’s own words with his story of getting to know his remarkable daughter—after years of believing that she was unable to understand or communicate with him. At the age of two, Carly Fleischmann was diagnosed with severe autism and an oral motor condition that prevented her from speaking. Doctors predicted that she would never intellectually develop beyond the abilities of a small child. Carly remained largely unreachable through the years. Then, at the age of ten, she had a breakthrough. While working with her devoted therapists, Carly reached over to their laptop and typed “HELP TEETH HURT,” much to everyone’s astonishment. Although Carly still struggles with all the symptoms of autism, she now has regular, witty, and profound conversations on the computer with her family and her many thousands of supporters online. One of the first books to explore firsthand the challenges of living with autism, Carly’s Voice brings readers inside a once-secret world in the company of an inspiring young woman who has found her voice and her mission

Download or read book Voiceless Vanguard written by Sara Pankenier Weld and published by Northwestern University Press. This book was released on 2014-06-30 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner, 2015 International Research Society in Children's Literature (IRSCL) Book Award Voiceless Vanguard: The Infantilist Aesthetic of the Russian Avant-Garde offers a new approach to the Russian avant-garde. It argues that central writers, artists, and theorists of the avant-garde self-consciously used an infantile aesthetic, as inspired by children’s art, language, perspective, and logic, to accomplish the artistic renewal they were seeking in literature, theory, and art. It treats the influence of children’s drawings on the Neo-Primitivist art of Mikhail Larionov, the role of children’s language in the Cubo-Futurist poetics of Aleksei Kruchenykh, the role of the naive perspective in the Formalist theory of Viktor Shklovsky, and the place of children’s logic and lore in Daniil Kharms’s absurdist writings for children and adults. This interdisciplinary and cultural study not only illuminates a rich period in Russian culture but also offers implications for modernism in a wider Western context, where similar principles apply.