Karla Homolka attracted worldwide outrage in the early nineties. The Canadian Barbie-lookalike had, with her boyfriend Paul Bernardo, participated in the 1991 and 1992 rape and murder of two teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, and the rape and killing of her sister Tammy. Following a plea-bargain, she received a reduced sentence for manslaughter, even though videos showed her playing an active role in the pair's crimes. The Murder Files is a series of individual titles, giving condensed accounts of some of the most appalling and notorious killers of all time.

“I don't know when I've been so wowed by a new author” –Chip Health, co-author of The Power of Moments and Switch A talented journalist reveals the hidden patterns behind what we call "luck" -- and shows us how we can all improve outcomes despite life’s inevitable randomness. "Do you believe in luck?" is a polarizing question, one you might ask on a first date. Some of us believe that we make our own luck. Others see inequality everywhere and think that everyone’s fate is at the whim of the cosmos. Karla Starr has a third answer: unlucky, "random" outcomes have predictable effects on our behavior that often make us act in self-defeating ways without even realizing it. In this groundbreaking book, Starr traces wealth, health, and happiness back to subconscious neurological processes, blind cultural assumptions, and tiny details you're in the habit of overlooking. Each chapter reveals how we can cultivate personal strengths to overcome life’s unlucky patterns. For instance: • Everyone has free access to that magic productivity app—motivation. The problem? It isn’t evenly distributed. What lucky accidents of history explain patterns behind why certain groups of people are more motivated in some situations than others? • If you look like an underperforming employee, your resume can't override the gut-level assumptions that a potential boss will make from your LinkedIn photo. How can we make sure that someone’s first impression is favorable? • Just as people use irrelevant traits to make assumptions about your intelligence, kindness, and trustworthiness, we also make inaccurate snap judgments. How do these judgments affect our interactions, and what should we assume about others to maximize our odds of having lucky encounters? We don’t always realize when the world's invisible biases work to our advantage or recognize how much of a role we play in our own lack of luck. By ending the guessing game about how luck works, Starr allows you to improve your fortunes while expending minimal effort.

The author's love of New Mexico, combined with his passion for writing and teaching, all came together to form the basic plot for this book. Best-selling author Garrett Brody looked forward to beginning his visiting lecturer of creative writing at the University of New Mexico's English Department. However, while Garrett is out hiking one afternoon, he comes across a dying man who utters, "Carla is the key." So begins a mystery that Brody refuses to let go of, even when his own dark past catches up to him. Filled with his trademark style of adventure and romance, Derek Hart once again unleashes a story bursting with action.

In the year 2299, seventh-grader Jack and his classmates find themselves in hostile alien territory after Jack accidentally launches their rickety public schoolship light years away from home.

This light and colorfully illustrated children's rhyming book encourages us to be ourselves fully and truly. In this thought-provoking book, children follow a young elephant who shares the "who" that they are by sharing their feelings, experiences, and dreams. Our young elephant friend openly allows the love within to shine through each moment. This is who they are, and no box can fit all of them! By the end of the book the young elephant discovers that, although they are beautifully unique in their being, their feelings, dreams, and experiences can be similar to those of others. A sort of 'oneness' connects us to each other in life. This realization helps our young elephant friend find comfort, knowing that we all share similarities and can share the same love within us too! What amazing things we can all accomplish when we feel confident to be the "who" that we are inside, without judgement or fear! And share with each other the love within ourselves too!

This charming story presents a new way for young children to understand how to creatively embrace who they are, no matter what others think. Carla's lunch box is filled with odd delights like the Olive, Pickle and Green Bean Sandwich, the Banana-Cottage-Cheese Delight, and the unforgettable Chopped Liver, Potato Chips, and Cucumber Combo. To Carla, they are delicious and creative lunches, but her teasing classmates are unconvinced and abandon her at the lunch table to eat her bizarre sandwiches alone. One day, however, tables turn when Buster—the worst tease of all—forgets his lunch on the day of the picnic and Carla thoughtfully offers him her extra sandwich. Her own spirited nature helps Carla teach her classmates that "unusual" can actually be good. Lively illustrations help showcase the book's messages of acceptance, tolerance, individuality, and creativity, and the funny plot and authentic dialogue are sure to make this tale a favorite among elementary school children. Carla's creative sandwich solutions provide young chefs-to-be with the inspiration to create sandwich masterpieces of their own.

“For Junie B. graduates” (Kirkus Reviews). Join Meena as she navigates the triumphs and challenges of family, friendship, and personal secrets in this charming middle grade debut. Meena’s life is full of color. She wears vibrant clothes, eats every shade of the rainbow, and plucks eye-catching trash from the neighborhood recycling bins. But when Meena’s best friend, Sofía, stops playing with her at recess and she experiences an unexpected and scary incident at breakfast, nothing can fight off the gray. That’s when Meena comes up with a plan to create the BEST and most COLORFUL Valentine’s Day Box in the class. With the help of her cousin, Eli, and her stuffed zebra, Raymond, Meena discovers that the best way to break through the blah is to let her true colors shine.