After losing his father at a young age, Kevin felt adrift and alone… a perfect target for intensified bullying. His mother felt helpless. His teachers felt sorry for him. His uncle decided that he needed to learn to defend himself and enrolled Kevin in martial arts. The training taught him what it meant to be successful at something. It developed his self-esteem and helped him to overcome the environment of bullying at school and at home. More than a memoir, Always Picked Last contains thoughtful, and at times philosophical, reflections on bullying, childhood, parenting, growth and personal improvement. Coach Kearns has a strong sense of self-awareness, but also recognizes the universality of his experience, so he uses his story as a conduit for inspiration and the self-improvement of others. The message of Always Picked Last is powerful and the narrative is engaging and relatable. Kevin Kearns does an excellent job of bridging the gap between personal reflection and accessible wisdom, making this a worthwhile read in every way.

What started out as typical "boys will be boys" teasing and horseplay turned into a living nightmare for Kevin Kearns who learned that his once safe neighborhood turned into a war zone of bullies. Small for his age, and not as physically adept at playing sports as all the other boys in the neighborhood, Kevin was soon the kid who was always picked last for the ball games. Up at bat, he endured merciless teasing, dropping the ball in the outfield earned him the lasting derision of his teammates. "We'd be better off without him!" While some of the incidents seem shocking, bullying goes on everywhere. There is no such thing as "boys will be boys" if it excuses bullying behavior. After losing his father at a young age, Kevin felt adrift and alone...a perfect target for intensified bullying. His mother felt helpless. His teachers felt sorry for him. His uncle decided that he needed to learn to defend himself and enrolled Kevin in a martial arts program. The martial arts training certainly taught Kevin how to defend himself, but more importantly, it taught him what it meant to be successful at something. It developed his self-esteem and helped him to overcome the environment of bullying at school and at home. Kevin's early introduction into martial arts turned into a lifelong passion of personal and physical development. Today, Kevin is known as Coach Kearns to many people, among them UFC fighters who turn to Kevin to learn how to improve their skills. If you are being bullied, or know someone who is, Kevin's story serves as proof that there is a way out and that life after being bullied can be fulfilling and enduring.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! An Instant Indie Bestseller! *An Amazon Best Book of the Year * A B&N Best Book of the Year* A great gift for tiny go-getters and big dreamers, including for back to school! NBA champion and superstar LeBron James pens a slam-dunk picture book inspired by his foundation’s I PROMISE program that motivates children everywhere to always #StriveForGreatness. Just a kid from Akron, Ohio, who is dedicated to uplifting youth everywhere, LeBron James knows the key to a better future is to excel in school, do your best, and keep your family close. I Promise is a lively and inspiring picture book that reminds us that tomorrow’s success starts with the promises we make to ourselves and our community today. Featuring James’s upbeat, rhyming text and vibrant illustrations perfectly crafted for a diverse audience by #1 New York Times bestselling and Geisel Honor winning artist Nina Mata, this book has the power to inspire all children and families to be their best. Perfect for shared reading in and out of the classroom, I Promise is also a great gift for graduation, birthdays, and other occasions. Plus check out the audiobook, read by LeBron James's mother and I Promise School supporter Gloria James!

"A collection of ten short stories that all take place in the same day about kids walking home from school"--

ALICE FEENEYS NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER “Boldly plotted, tightly knotted—a provocative true-or-false thriller that deepens and darkens to its ink-black finale. Marvelous.” —AJ Finn, author of The Woman in the Window My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me: 1. I’m in a coma. 2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie. Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth?

NYT bestselling author Gordon Korman's sequel toUngifted cleverly sends up our preconceived ideas about intelligence, heroism, and popularity! Donovan Curtis has never been what anyone would call "gifted." But his genius friend Noah Youkilis is actuallysupergifted, with one of the highest IQs around. After years at the Academy for Scholastic Distinction, all Noah dreams of is the opportunity to fail if he wants to. And he's landed in the perfect place to do it--Donovan's school. Almost immediately, Noah finds himself on the wrong side of cheerleading captain Megan Mercury and alpha jock Hash "Hashtag" Taggart. Sticking up for Noah lands Donovan in the middle of a huge feud with Hashtag. He's told to stay away from the sports star--or else. That should be the end of it, but when a freak incident suddenly makes Donovan a hero, he can't tell anyone about it since Hashtag is involved. So Noah steps in and becomes "Superkid." Now he's gone from nerd to titan at school. And it may have gone more than a little bit to his head.