Download or read book Why I Read written by Wendy Lesser and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Wendy Lesser's extraordinary alertness, intelligence, and curiosity have made her one of America's most significant cultural critics," writes Stephen Greenblatt. In Why I Read, Lesser draws on a lifetime of pleasure reading and decades of editing one of the most distinguished literary magazines in the country, The Threepenny Review, to describe her love of literature. As Lesser writes in her prologue, "Reading can result in boredom or transcendence, rage or enthusiasm, depression or hilarity, empathy or contempt, depending on who you are and what the book is and how your life is shaping up at the moment you encounter it." Here the reader will discover a definition of literature that is as broad as it is broad-minded. In addition to novels and stories, Lesser explores plays, poems, and essays along with mysteries, science fiction, and memoirs. As she examines these works from such perspectives as "Character and Plot," "Novelty," "Grandeur and Intimacy," and "Authority," Why I Read sparks an overwhelming desire to put aside quotidian tasks in favor of reading. Lesser's passion for this pursuit resonates on every page, whether she is discussing the book as a physical object or a particular work's influence. "Reading literature is a way of reaching back to something bigger and older and different," she writes. "It can give you the feeling that you belong to the past as well as the present, and it can help you realize that your present will someday be someone else's past. This may be disheartening, but it can also be strangely consoling at times." A book in the spirit of E. M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel and Elizabeth Hardwick's A View of My Own, Why I Read is iconoclastic, conversational, and full of insight. It will delight those who are already avid readers as well as neophytes in search of sheer literary fun.

Download or read book This Is a Serious Book written by Jodie Parachini and published by Greenwillow Books. This book was released on 2016-10-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a very serious book. Nothing silly is allowed. There are no funny faces, no clowns, and definitely no shenanigans. A serious book is always respectful, and, of course, is always in black and white. But wait! Who’s this? Zebra might be black and white, but he is NOT serious. And he and his friends are ruining the book with their antics, parades, and parties! This funny and irreverent book that pits its narrator against its characters in a hilarious way invites reader participation and encourages kids to think about writing their own books and stories—just as donkey does here in the end. A joyful page-turner of a book that celebrates writing and creativity and will appeal to fans of The Book With No Pictures.

Download or read book Duckworth the Difficult Child written by Michael Sussman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-06-18 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Duckworth’s parents think he is a difficult child, so when a snake slides right up and swallows him whole, his parents don’t believe him! What’s poor Duckworth to do? Duckworth is a difficult child. At least that’s what his parents think. So when Duckworth tries to explain that a gigantic snake slithered out of his closet, his parents insist it’s all in his head—he is far too old to be imagining such nonsense. (And will he please do his chores?) But even when the cobra slides right up and swallows Duckworth whole, his parents remain unconvinced! (Where did he find that snake costume, and will he please put it away?) What’s poor Duckworth to do when his parents just won’t listen? With nods to the deliciously dark humor of Edward Gorey, Florence Parry Heide, and Jon Klassen, Michael Sussman and Júlia Sardà empathize with children everywhere who must find ways to deal with their difficult parents.

Download or read book Not My Idea written by Anastasia Higginbotham and published by Ordinary Terrible Things. This book was released on 2018-09 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People of color are eager for white people to deal with their racial ignorance. White people are desperate for an affirmative role in racial justice. Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness helps with conversations the nation is, just now, finally starting to have.

Download or read book Stoner written by John Williams and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2015 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Born the child of a poor farmer in Missouri, William Stoner is urged by his parents to study new agriculture techniques at the state university. Digging instead into the texts of Milton and Shakespeare, Stoner falls under the spell of the unexpected pleasures of English literature, and decides to make it his life. Stoner is the story of that life"--

Download or read book The Serious Goose written by Jimmy Kimmel and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2019-12-03 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet a very Serious Goose in late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's first fun and funny picture book! There is nothing silly about this goose. You CANNOT make her laugh, so DON'T EVEN TRY! Written, illustrated, and lettered by Jimmy Kimmel, this picture book challenges young readers to bring the silly out of a very Serious Goose. Inspired by Jimmy’s nickname for his kids, The Serious Goose reminds us to be silly in a serious way. Challenge your little comedians to make this no-nonsense goose smile. This delightful read-aloud is guaranteed to create gaggles of giggles time and time again! Kimmel’s proceeds from sales of THE SERIOUS GOOSE will be donated to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and children’s hospitals around the country.

Download or read book Little Miss Chatterbox written by Roger Hargreaves and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-11-29 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They're back! Rediscover the zaniest and most lovable characters you've ever met in the Mr. Men and Little Miss series—the best-selling, timeless, and universal books, which have sold millions of copies worldwide. Digitally available for the first time, these bright, charming books, with their easily recognizable characters, are easy enough for young readers and witty enough for adults. This fantastic read-to-me edition is read by Audie and Grammy award-winning narrator of Harry Potter, Jim Dale, who perfectly captures each character’s unique voice and personality. Get ready to fall in love with Mr. Men and Little Miss books all over again or for the very first time!

Download or read book Grandpa s Teeth written by Rod Clement and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 1999-03-27 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Help, I've been robbed! It'sth a disthasthter!" Grandpa's teeth, handmade by the finest Swiss craftsman, are gone -- stolen from his bedside table! Grandpa suspects anyone who doesn't smile widely enough to prove that their teeth are their own. Soon everyone in town is smiling -- all the time -- and their ghastly grins are frightening the tourists away. Can the culprit be caught before the whole town cracks up Popular Australion cartoonist Rod Clement, illustrator of Edward The Emu and Edwina The Emu by Sheena Knowles, has created a rollicking whodunit with a surprise ending that will have readers grinning from ear to ear. 00-01 CA Young Reader Medal Masterlist

Download or read book My Weirder School 8 Dr Nicholas Is Ridiculous written by Dan Gutman and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2013-06-25 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A.J. and his friends are now third graders at Ella Mentry school in Dan Gutman’s outrageously funny chapter book series My Weirder School. In this eighth book, Dr. Nicholas Is Ridiculous!, college professor Dr. Nicholas visits A.J.’s class to help the students improve their standardized test scores in history. The weird thing is, Dr. Nicholas doesn’t care about the date Christopher Columbus came to America, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, or other important historical facts. She’s more interested in weird information like the history of the toilet bowl! Dr. Nicholas has even built a time machine to take the class on a field trip to the past and future. Who will get stuck in time? You’ll have to read to find out! Goofy illustrations by Jim Paillot make this adventure with Dr. Nicholas even more hilarious.

Download or read book Junie B Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus written by Barbara Park and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2012 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In her own words, a young girl describes her feelings about starting kindergarten and what she does when she decides not to ride the bus home.

Download or read book Snatchabook written by Helen Docherty and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where have all the bedtime stories gone? A delightful addition to the picture book canon about the love of reading One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down...when a Snatchabook flew into town. It's bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.

Download or read book Humor Seriously written by Jennifer Aaker and published by Crown Currency. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take humor seriously,” online now. “The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline. This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high. That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds infuse more humor and levity into their work and lives. In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, world-class comedians, and inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and—more important—how you can use more of it, better. Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and simple ways to identify and leverage your unique humor style. They show how to use humor to rebuild vital connections; appear more confident, competent, and authentic at work; and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive. President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Dwight David Eisenhower, the second least naturally funny president (after Franklin Pierce), thought humor was necessary to win wars, build highways, and warn against the military-industrial complex, then you might consider learning it too.

Download or read book This Book Is Full of Spiders written by David Wong and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fan favorite Wong takes readers to a whole new level with this blistering sequel to the cult sensation "John Dies at the End," soon to be a movie starring Paul Giamatti.

Download or read book Junie B Jones 10 Junie B Jones Is a Party Animal written by Barbara Park and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 1997-09-16 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Hilarious. Barbara Park makes reading fun.” —Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man Barbara Park’s #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for more than twenty-five years. Over 65 million copies sold! Meet the World’s Funniest Kindergartner—Junie B. Jones! Lucille is having a sleepover party—at her richie nanna’s big giant house! Grace and Junie B. can’t wait to see all the rich stuff in that place. Sleeping over at the nanna’s is sure to be a dream come true! ’Cause what could possibly go wrong? USA Today: “Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set.” Publishers Weekly: “Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun.” Kirkus Reviews: “Junie’s swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world. . . . A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud.” Time: “Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty.”

Download or read book Junie B First Grader written by Barbara Park and published by Paw Prints. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While vacationing with her family, Junie B., along with her camera, wreaks havoc in Hawaii where she has an unfortunate incident with an inner tube, a tangle with a tropical bird, and many other hilarious adventures. Reprint.

Download or read book Junie B Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine written by Barbara Park and published by Random House Australia. This book was released on 2004 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABOUT THE SERIES Meet Junie B. Jones, the lovable, mischievous kindergartener and star of this hysterical series by Barbara Park. Follow Junie B. from her first day of kindergarten to her last as she gets into one scrape after another. Readers will laugh along with Junie B. and her friends in Room Nine, as she attempts to escape 'punishment' from her teacher, and drives her parents to distraction! ABOUT THE BOOK It's a mushy, gushy valentine! Hurray! February 14- Valentime's Day, as Junie B. calls it- is just around the corner. Junie B. can't wait to see all the valentimes she'll get. But she never expected a big, mushy card from a secret admirer! Who is this secret mystery guy, anyway? Junie B. is determined to find out!

Download or read book Seriously Cinderella Is SO Annoying written by Trisha Speed Shaskan and published by Capstone. This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: OF COURSE you think Cinderella was the sweetest belle of the ball. You don't know the other side of the story. Well, let me tell you...