Sometimes the happiest and holiest time of the year is also the hardest for people to enjoy. These daily readings offer the skeptic, the over-committed the opportunity to make room-perhaps just enough room-for God to show up. The weeks leading up to Christmas can spark a strong spiritual longing for more. Although it may never be articulated, we sense beneath those longings is a yearning for an experience of God. These brief writings address the challenges and realities of the season and include a simple action, ritual or meditation designed to gently steer the reader toward the deeper meaning that underlies the season. Smart, witty, edgy—and always hopeful—readings by Quinn Caldwell include a brief prayer for each morning and evening during the entire Christmas season. This book takes seriously the modern person’s hunger for meaning and import in a season that feels increasingly frivolous. Includes a calendar with one easy task to do each day.

Provides daily readings for busy, harried people so that they can stop and enjoy the advent season, allowing a bit of room for God amid the hurrying around.

Perfect for fans of mischievous storytime favorites like Pig the Pug, The Bad Seed, and Eloise comes a winning story about a spunky heroine and her sidekick pup who are ready to WIN! Today is Sports Day, I can't wait. And as I know that I'll be great, I've planned how I will celebrate... Because I'm going to WIN. Our heroine and her sidekick pup have their eyes on the prize and are ready to find something to WIN. They compete in a spelling bee, a dancing contest, hide-and-seek, and more in search of a shiny medal. But what will happen if they... don't walk away the winner? Playfully tackling themes of competition, good sportsmanship, and being a fair loser (and winner!), I Really Want to Win joyfully reminds readers that, sometimes, winning isn't everything. With rollicking rhyming text from Simon Philip, bold, expressive illustrations from Lucia Gaggiotti, and a spunky heroine in the middle of it all, this follow-up to I Really Want the Cake is sure to be a winner! "A great conversation starter about the frustrations of competition and the search for a personal passion." -- Kirkus Reviews

For fans of laugh-out-loud, mischievous storytime favorites like Pig the Pug, No, David!, and Dragons Love Tacos comes a deliciously funny story about trying to resist one of life's biggest temptations... CAKE! Everyone knows the feeling.First you smell it, then you see it...CAKE!It's on the table standing there, you cannot help but stop and stare.The icing looks like such a treat, it smells so chocolatey and sweet!And before long...YOU REALLY WANT THE CAKE.This deliciously funny story chronicles the battle of one little girl who tries, with all her might, to resist her greatest temptation: cake. Readers join our spunky, mischievous, and charming heroine and her devoted side-kick pup as the temptation mounts, and a little lick becomes a bite. With bouncing rhyming text from Simon Philip and bold, expressive illustrations from Lucia Gaggiotti, this story playfully tackles all-important themes of impulse control, truth-telling, and making amends (or at least trying to), with humor, authenticity, and heart. Including a recipe at the end of the story, I Really Want the Cake offers readers a universally relatable and tasty tale.

Go Hollywood—with a complete, insightful look at the biggest jobs on the movie set. What I Really Want to Do on Set in Hollywood is one-stop shopping for anyone who wants to work in film. It's the only behind-the-scenes title that offers a detailed look at the industry explores more than 35 jobs from around the film industry. A must-have for anyone interested in Hollywood.

For over three decades, director Ken Kwapis has charted a career full of exceptional movies and television, from seminal shows like The Office to beloved films like He’s Just Not That Into You. He is among the most respected directors in show business, but getting there wasn’t easy. He struggled just like everyone else. With each triumph came the occasional faceplant. Using his background and inside knowledge, But What I Really Want To Do is Direct tackles Hollywood myths through Ken’s highly entertaining experiences. It’s a rollercoaster ride fueled by brawls with the top brass, clashes over budgets, and the passion that makes it all worthwhile. This humorous and refreshingly personal memoir is filled with inspiring instruction, behind-the-scenes hilarity, and unabashed joy. It’s a celebration of the director’s craft, and what it takes to succeed in show business on your own terms. "Ken Kwapis always brought out the best in the actors on The Office. Whenever Ken was directing, I always felt safe to go out on a limb and take chances, knowing he had my back. Every aspiring director should read this book. (I can think of several 'professional' directors that should read it too!)" -Jenna Fischer "A vital, magnificent manifesto on the art and craft of directing, written with emotional, instinctual and intellectual depth by one of America's most beloved film and television directors" -Amber Tamblyn "In the years that I was fortunate to work with Ken on Malcolm in the Middle, he had an uncanny ability to guide actors right to the heart of a scene and reveal its truths. He admits that he doesn’t have all the answers, he’ll make mistakes, and at times he’ll struggle, but as he says in the book, 'It’s the struggle to get it right that makes us human.'" -Bryan Cranston "Good luck finding a more kind, passionate, and talented director alive than Ken. Seriously, good luck." -Tig Notaro “'Action!' is what most directors bark out to begin a scene. But Ken Kwapis starts by gently intoning the words 'Go ahead...' That simple suggestion assures everyone they’re in smart, capable, humble hands. That’s how you’ll feel reading this book. And so, if you’re anxious to discover how a top director always brings humor, honesty, and humanity to his work, all I can tell you is...Go ahead." -Larry Wilmore

Co-editor of Yes Means Yes gives young women the tools to decipher the modern world's confusing, hypersexualized, sometimes dangerous landscape so they can define their own sexual identity. In this empowering, accessible guide, Jaclyn Friedman-co-editor of Yes Means Yes-gives young women the tools to decipher the modern world's confusing, hypersexualized, sometimes dangerous landscape so they can define their own sexual identity. Friedman decries the hypocrisy and mixed messages of our culture (we're failures if we don't act sexy, but we're sluts if we actually pursue sex; we need to be protected from rapists lurking in bushes, but deserve "whatever we get" if we have a drink at a party and wear a skirt), and encourages readers to separate fear from fact, decode the damaging messages all around them, and discover a healthy personal sexuality.