Brian the Bear is nearly bursting with excitement. It is soon to be his birthday, and he is looking forward to his birthday party and lots of fun. Brian dreams of having a blue bike with a bell for his birthday, but he knows that bikes cost far too much money for his mommy and brother, Bernard, to afford. Brian loves all the presents that his bear friends give to him at his birthday party. He has no idea about the big surprise that awaits him!

Now in paperback, a moving contemporary middle-grade novel for anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong Brian has always been anxious, whether at home, or in class, or on the basketball court. His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself and his mom helps as much as she can. But after he and his brother are placed in foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. And he doesn’t quite know if there's something wrong with him . . . Ezra’s always been popular. He’s friends with most of the kids on his basketball team—even Brian, who doesn’t talk to many people. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he’s too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him . . . But when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra has no choice but to take the leap and reach out to Brian. And Brian realizes that he could really use a friend right now. As the two get closer, they’ll have to decide if they’re willing to risk being vulnerable with each other and share parts of themselves they’d rather hide from the world. But if they can be brave, they might just find the best in themselves—and each other. With a lively voice and moving story, Thanks a Lot, Universe is about finding your community and learning to trust your heart.

A triumphant tale of a young woman and her difficult childhood, The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience, redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and wonderfully vibrant. Jeannette Walls was the second of four children raised by anti-institutional parents in a household of extremes.

A gentle story that teaches how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish, from esteemed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and acclaimed illustrator Patrice Barton. A simple act of kindness can transform an invisible boy into a friend... Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody in class ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find The Invisible Boy a valuable and important resource. Includes a discussion guide and resources for further reading.

This is the first colour illustrated children's book in the Henratty Mortimer series based on meerkats and has 21 beautiful illustrations. It is an introduction to the two meerkat families: The Mortimers and The Brians, who feature throughout the books. As the books go on, the author begins to develop each character mostly through the eyes of Henratty Mortimer and Oscar's Birthday tells a story of what happens on Oscar's sixth birthday when The Mortimers pay an uninvited visit and get caught hiding in the bushes but then join in with the birthday celebrations; how the meerkats interact with one another and the games they play. You see their mischievous side, the look of excitement on their faces when Oscar blows out the candles on his giant birthday cake and the sheer look of joy when the presents are opened, all beautifully captured in the wonderful illustrations. All the books have an underlying value and this book is 'Share and share alike - and watch out for 'the the green-eyed monster'. Other books from Henratty Mortimer series and the underlying value: The Meerville Myth - Good will always conquer evil. We Were Only Strawberry Picking - Love thy neighbour. Skylark - Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

Pink castles, talking sofas, and objects coming to life: what may sound like the fantasies of Hollywood dream-maker Walt Disney were in fact the figments of the colorful salons of Rococo Paris. Exploring the novel use of French motifs in Disney films and theme parks, this publication features forty works of eighteenth-century European design—from tapestries and furniture to Boulle clocks and Sèvres porcelain—alongside 150 Disney film stills, drawings, and other works on paper. The text connects these art forms through a shared dedication to craftsmanship and highlights references to European art in Disney films, including nods to Gothic Revival architecture in Cinderella (1950);bejeweled, medieval manuscripts in Sleeping Beauty (1959); and Rococo-inspired furnishings and objects brought to life in Beauty and the Beast (1991). Bridging fact and fantasy, this book draws remarkable new parallels between Disney’s magical creations and their artistic inspirations.

In a perfect world a story such as I am about to relate could never have happened and would never have needed to be told, but this is not a perfect world and life does not always treat us in the manner to which we feel we deserve. We have become accustomed to accepting mediocrity and bureaucratic incompetence. Indifference and ambivalence are becoming the accepted norm. We live in a democratic society where less than half the eligible members actually participate and as a result the officials we elect owe more allegiance to the special interests that fund and support them than to the constituents they purport to represent. As a result we have enabled a system to exist where the interests of business overshadow the rights of the individual a system where we permit industry to write the regulations intended to control their activities. We live in a society where human life is measured and analyzed compared and evaluated against the cost of doing business, where litigators feed on the misery of others while doing little to prevent the carnage on which they feed and depend. While a "kinder and gentler" government stands idly by protecting the special interests that feed the political system while hiding behind "cost to benefit" studies to justify their inaction. Under current United States Coast Guard policy a "Significant Casualty" is one that may involve multiple deaths, the loss of a ship of five hundred gross tons or larger or one that if properly investigated could lead to the implementation of changes in current standards of safety. And it is only these "Significant Casualties" that by regulation merit proper investigation. The following is a story of a young man who went off to work one morning never to return. But mostly it is the story of a man who like all men should never be allowed to be remembered as only another statistic. This is the story of one such Significant Casualty. The five-year quest receives a final punctuation when the father is granted "Party in Interest" status and has his son's case properly reviewed at a formal United States Coast Guard Investigation. An Investigation that not only looks to the fatality but at the regulatory atmosphere that allowed the conditions to exist. The story is timely as it highlights not only a father's quest to clear his son but also the illegal and improper inspection of oil drilling facilities in the US Gulf of Mexico. According to World Oil (Feb 2010 issue) at the end of 2009 there were 2,237 oil wells in the Federal waters of the Gulf and 242 more in the state waters of Louisiana. All working under regulations written by the industry. An industry more interested in profits than safety. In April of 2010, President Barack Obama, while addressing the issues surrounding mine safely following the deaths in West Virginia, was quoted as saying, "A failure first and foremost of management, a failure of oversight and a failure of laws so riddled with loopholes that companies repeatedly can violate safety regulations without penalty." Those same comments ring true for the oil drilling companies of this country. As horrific as the mine disaster was in West Virginia, more workers die in the underwater workplace each year then do in all the nation's mines.