Changing Families

How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings - and especially for women? Because, when you lift up women, you lift up humanity. For the last 20 years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.

What if the real battle for your success, happiness, and sense of purpose is being waged inside your own head? In The Council of Gods, author Kevin L. Michel invites you to pull up a chair at the grand conference table of your mind—where passion duels with logic, fear debates with curiosity, and every choice is decided by a clamorous inner pantheon. Blending gripping mythic narrative with cutting-edge brain science and practical psychology, Michel shows you how to: Decode the “voices” within. Spot which sub-selves are running the show—then re-assign the microphone. Tame anxiety and ...

In the tradition of The Promise of a Pencil and Kisses from Katie comes an inspirational memoir by the founder of Comfort Cases about his turbulent childhood in the foster care system and the countless obstacles and discrimination he endured in adopting his four children.

Austin knew change was inevitable, but he hadn’t counted on just how difficult it was going to be… for all of them. He, Weaver, and Randy have been together for two amazingly hot years, and then with a single decision, everything is different. When Randy receives an offer on his gyms in Brooklyn, he jumps at it and switches careers with a teaching job in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Weaver is also interested in making a change after nearly burning himself out as a lawyer. With both of his passionate partners needing something new and Austin’s modeling career cooling as he ages, the three ...

Raising five children would be challenge enough for most parents, but when one of them has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, life becomes a bit more chaotic, a lot more emotional, and full of fascinating glimpses into a unique child's different way of thinking. In this moving memoir, Carrie Cariello invites us to take a peek into exactly what it takes to get through each day juggling the needs of her whole family.

For 15 years Ani and Bram have agreed on exactly one thing: they can't stand each other - until one night when their anger gives way to passion. Yet even as Ani and Bram begin to secretly seek comfort in one another's arms, they remain emotionally worlds apart. When Ani's life takes a dramatic turn and she realizes she needs more than Bram can give, their fragile no-strings relationship unravels. One way or another, Ani is determined to survive. But when Bram finally admits his true feelings, he may discover Ani has moved on.

Ramona Quimby is thrilled to be starting kindergarten. She likes a little boy named Davy so much she wants to kiss him, and she loves Susan's beautiful curls so much she wants to pull them to see them boing. Her teacher even promises her a present just for sitting still! So how does Ramona get in trouble? Well, anyone who knows Ramona knows that she is never a pest on purpose.

Cystic fibrosis was once a mysterious disease that killed infants and children. Now it could be the key to healing millions with genetic diseases of every type - from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to diabetes and sickle cell anemia. Told from the perspectives of the patients, families, physicians, scientists, and philanthropists fighting on the front lines, Breath from Salt is a remarkable story of unlikely scientific and medical firsts, of setbacks and successes, and of people who refused to give up hope....

Already a BBC documentary miniseries and excerpted in the Guardian, We Bought a Zoo is a profoundly moving portrait of an unforgettable family living in the most extraordinary circumstances. This touching memoir is set to be a major motion picture starring Scarlett Johansson and Matt Damon, in theaters December 23, 2011.

In this season of giving, love is in the air for the Rose and Valentine families. Because of the addition of in-laws, they both are in pursuit of new land and developments to build lasting memories with the ones they hold dear. So when they submit bids against one another, their rivalry heats to a level that will bring them to a head; until they both become outbid by a new competitor. On the heels of a love affair brewing, the need for a partnership arises that may shut down the foundation of their feud permanently, or possibly, extend it.

Ramona's job is to be nice to fussy Mrs. Kemp, who watches her while her mother works. If Mrs. Quimby didn't work, Mr. Quimby couldn't return to college. On top of all that, third grade isn't turning out as Ramona expected, even though she enjoys her class's new reading program, D.E.A.R. Danny the Yard Ape teases her, and, on one horrible day, she throws up - at school. Being eight isn't easy, but it's never dull!

Often young children blame themselves or are unsure of their place in the family if these events occur. Child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts designed the Just Enough series to empower parents/caregivers to start conversations with young ones about difficult or challenging subject matter.

John Marshall had read about the growth of voluntourism, and frankly, it was the only kind of extended trip he could afford. He'd heard that some peoples' lives were changed by a week of overseas service - what might half a year accomplish for his family? His wife, Traca, was all in favor of it; his kids, especially his 14-year-old daughter, were strongly opposed. Wide-Open World is the totally engaging, bluntly honest story of the Marshall family's life-changing adventure.

Most of us are only starting to become aware of how our foundational years contribute to who we are today. Our childhood environment shapes the foundation for our sense of self, how we feel about the world, and how we relate to others. If we experienced trauma or dysfunction along the way, it likely disrupted the pathways to these fundamental structures. Understanding our trauma is not about blame, but about understanding, learning, and growing. In most cases, our caregivers did the best they could with the tools they had, often while dealing with external or internal stressors as well.

Do you find yourself walking throughout life with a dark cloud over your head? Do you always find yourself in a bad mood or having mood swings? Would you like to get rid of your negative thoughts and feelings, and start producing the life you deserve? Everybody should be able to live a happy life, full of positiveness, joy, and brightness!

As Martine and Jacques Le Guennec prepare for their annual family Christmas dinner, Martine reminds her husband to be on his best behavior. Their son Nicolas is bringing his girlfriend, Jeanne, to their home for the first time, and she doesn't want Jacques to scare this one off. Jacques has always ruled his roost with patriarchal bravado, and he can't help but verbally antagonize everyone - especially the wives of his sons.

Her life was once filled with love and new beginnings. But she'd given up her hopes and dreams of marriage and a family and instead buried herself in her big-city career and the small home in her quiet home-town neighborhood...then everything changed. A sudden life changing decision...a few too many drinks...a man fixing coffee in her kitchen....and not just any man. Katherine Sutton isn’t inexperienced at having to face difficult moments in her life…there have been many and she knows there will be more. Tom Waters has seen it all in his twenty years of working for Jedidiah Morgan. The ...

In Sunset Harbor, change comes crashing like ocean waves in Tides of Change. Lucy Chen has run The Anchor for years, upholding her grandfather’s legacy against mounting pressures. When Will Harrison, a wealthy summer resident with a hidden past, arrives determined to rescue his family’s crumbling property, sparks fly from their very first clash. Their differing worlds ignite a battle of wills, forcing them into an unlikely partnership as local tensions heat up. Lucy’s deep ties to the town’s working-class roots collide with Will’s well-guarded secrets and high-society airs, making...

Peter and his best friend, Tommy, have a goal for their last summer before middle school: finish their Discovery Journal, a catalog of the wildlife around their Florida town. When they spot a manatee in a canal, Peter knows they’ve found something special—and when the manatee is injured by a boat, something to protect! As Peter joins the fight to save Florida manatees, he also finds himself taking care of his ailing grandfather and facing an unwelcome surprise that jeopardizes his friendship with Tommy.

In these three novellas, children navigate profound changes that reshape their families and their understanding of the world. A young boy finds meaning through soccer as his mother's illness and death transforms their family's rhythms. In Bogotá, a girl discovers her mother's sewing machine can speak, revealing protective magic woven into their clothes as they plan a daring escape. And in a story that blends reality with wonder, two siblings unlock the mystery of their grandmother's hidden identity through a dimensional window above their kitchen door.