Changing Families

The modern day youth sports environment has taken the enjoyment out of athletics for our children. Currently, 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by the age of 13, which has given rise to a generation of overweight, unhealthy young adults. There is a solution. John O'Sullivan shares the secrets of the coaches and parents who have not only raised elite athletes, but have done so by creating an environment that promotes positive core values and teaches life lessons instead of focusing on wins and losses.

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.

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.

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....

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.

After her parents' divorce, Bea's life became different in many ways. But she can always look back at the list she keeps in her green notebook to remember the things that will stay the same. The first and most important: Mom and Dad will always love Bea, and each other. When Dad tells Bea that he and his boyfriend, Jesse, are getting married, Bea is thrilled. Bea loves Jesse, and when he and Dad get married, she'll finally (finally!) have what she's always wanted - a sister. Even though she's never met Jesse's daughter, Sonia, Bea is sure that they'll be "just like sisters anywhere."

"Why me, Lord?" Amid the toddler tantrums, the mealtime melees, and the backseat blowups, have you found yourself asking God that same question? Maybe even screaming it into a couch pillow? You're not alone. Your most trying moments as a parent can quickly spiral into discouragement, hopelessness, and sometimes even resentment toward God or your family. Abbie Halberstadt, author of the bestselling M Is for Mama, shares scriptural wisdom and lessons learned from her own challenges as a mama of ten to help shift your perspective on the hardships of parenting and of life, in general.

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.

He had blood on his feet after walking for miles and looking all day for a job. (intro) Earl Meanor was a hard-working lab technician who was targeted by a few men he worked with who simply did not like him. A blacklist, a possible stolen camera and many other problems pushed him against the wall and yet his character and integrity never wavered. He kept his family together through it all. This is his and our family's story as told by me, his son. You need to read it.

Most parents misguidedly prioritize behavior. The why and how to instill character. Behavior modification does not guarantee good character qualities. Character influences decisions. It’s evidenced in our speech, actions, and attitudes. It’s about who we are and what we do. The world competes for the hearts of our kids—and we see its negative impact in their pride, laziness, and entitlement. As Christians, however, we want to see the character of Jesus Christ in our children.

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.

To all appearances, Zachary King is a man with luck on his side. A steady, well-paying job, a rent-free Manhattan apartment, and Hope, his stunning, blue-blooded fiancee: smart, sexy, and completely out of his league. But as the wedding day looms, Zack finds himself haunted by the memory of his best friend, Rael, killed in a car wreck two years earlier, and by his increasingly complicated feelings for Tamara, the beautiful widow Rael left behind.

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.

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 ...

Written by Dr. Samantha Rodman, founder of DrPsychMom.com, How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce teaches you how to raise a happy, thriving family in a changing environment. Each chapter offers expert advice for discussing your decision in healthy and effective ways, including breaking the initial news, fostering an open dialogue, and ensuring that your children's emotional needs are met throughout your separation.

Anna stopped counting the times she fell. Now she would take a stand... Anna Onisko has grown up under the shadow of her tyrannical stepfather. Now in her teens she is determined to escape him and fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. But this is Uzhhorod, Czechoslovakia, the year is 1938 and the Hungarian occupation is about to tear Anna's life apart. Through wartime dangers and family betrayal, Anna has to find the strength to make impossible choices and protect those she loves even if it means sacrificing everything she cares about. Based on the true story of a woman of courage.

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!

In this new edition of her best-selling Changing Course, Claudia Black extends a helping hand to individuals overcoming the complex trauma of being raised with addiction in the family.

When Kari Baxter is assigned an essay about what she wants to be when she grows up, her mind goes blank. She doesn’t want to grow up; she wants everything to stay just like it is. But Kari comes to realize that while making time stand still isn’t possible, she can enjoy every moment with her best family ever. Meanwhile, Ashley Baxter feels the same way. She is worried her siblings are growing up too fast. When she wins the role of Wendy in her school performance of Peter Pan, Ashley gets an idea. Maybe she and her siblings can pledge to never grow up at all!

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.