Joyce Landorf Heatherley writes insightfully about the gift and ministry of affirmation and those people in the balcony who shout words of encouragement to us and spur us on to be what God intends for us.

Decamp with an innocent toiler and his mysterious female companion to a metaphoric world in the clouds—a strange, vertiginous perch that reveals startling insights about the twisted dynamics of love and power.

“Castrillón offers riotous sprouting life through soft forms, stylized shapes, and bright colors.” —Publishers Weekly “Elegant...A charmingly verdant tale in classic style.” —Kirkus Reviews “Lovely...delightful.” —School Library Journal From internationally acclaimed illustrator Melissa Castrillon comes a magical story of how a girl’s garden in her new home changes her life and the lives of people all around her. When a little girl moves from her home to an apartment in the city, she takes her pretty plants with her and one by one they grow and bloom and change both her world and the world all around her as she makes a new friend. When your heart is open, the world is full of possibilities.

WINNER OF THE SUE KAUFMAN PRIZE FOR FIRST FICTION FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS What if our homes could tell the stories of others who lived there before us? To those who have ventured past it over the years, this small estate in a village outside Paris has always seemed calm and poised. But should you open the gates and enter inside, you will find rooms which have become the silent witnesses to a century of human drama: from the young American au pair developing a crush on her brilliant employer to the ex-courtesan shocking the servants, and the Jewish couple in hiding from the Gestapo to the housewife who begins an affair while renovating her downstairs. The stories of those who have lived within the estate have been many and varied. But as the years unfold, their lives inevitably come to haunt the same spaces and intertwine, creating a rich tapestry of the relationships, life-altering choices, and fleeting moments which have kept the house alive through the last hundred years. . . 'Sweeping, suspenseful, rich with surprises and eerie atmosphere' Jennifer Egan

Do you live in an apartment with a balcony, fire escape or rooftop terrace? Most city dwellers neglect these spaces or use them for nothing more than hanging laundry and storing bicycles. And for a long time, so did I. Several years ago I decided to transform my under-used balcony from a lifeless concrete pad into a little garden in the sky. Every year I grow a small harvest of vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas, and more than enough herbs to satisfy our culinary needs. Sometimes I even grow watermelons. You don't need to live in the country or have a big yard to own a productive garden. This book will guide you through the challenges of container gardening in one of the most sterile of urban environments: a high-rise balcony. With topics including: Container gardening basics Small space composting and vermicomposting Starting plants indoors from seed Self-watering containers Hand-pollination Diagnosing common plant problems And detailed growing instructions for all of my favorite garden herbs and vegetables

With more than twenty years of hands-on leadership experience in federal, state, and local government, Gary De Carolis, President, Center for Community Leadership, is a leading authority in creating community-based systems of services and supports for children with disabilities and their families. His new book, A View from the Balcony, is a source of unique insight into leading, planning, and implementing effective systems change. You will: ? Learn from real-world examples how to design, build, and administer a system of care. ? Realize the vital role of parent organizations in all aspects of systems of care. ? Understand the theory and practice of effective leadership in systems of care. ? Discover how you can make a real difference in your community.