An increasing number of parents are refusing vaccines, believing vaccines pose greater risks than benefits to their children. Given the certainty of the medical community that vaccines are safe and effective, many wonder how such parents, who are most likely to be white, have high levels of education, and have the greatest access to healthcare services and resources, could hold such beliefs? Reich has been following the issue of vaccine refusal for over a decade, and examines how parents who opt out of vaccinations see their decision: what they fear, what they hope to control, and what they believe is in their child's best interest. -- adapted from back cover

Since his girlfriend broke up with him last summer, Sean's been on a starvation diet where girls are concerned. However, he's got other things on his mind. Like how to stop the soon-to-be-born family addition from stealing his room and making him share with his evil twin sister. When Coop suggests making a cheap-ass horror film to bring in the bucks he's a bit sceptical, but Coop is nothing if not persuasive . . . 'Zonkey!' (a tale of 'half-man, half-monkey drones that mutate into hairy uncontrollable zombie-monsters with a thirst for human blood') is born. Join Coop, Sean and Matt in this hilarious sequel to SWIM THE FLY and BEAT THE BAND.

If you want to fix your rebellious and disrespectful child, you need to start by fixing yourself. Are your kids pummeling you with demands and bossing you around with impunity? Have your once-precious preschoolers become rebellious, entitled, and disrespectful to authority? While there are plenty of so-called experts who might try to validate your convictions that you have done all you can to “fix” your “difficult” children, the hard truth is, they’re not doing you any favors by placing the responsibility solely on your children. Parenting struggles rarely originate from just one side. Instead, they erupt at the volatile intersection of a child's personality with a parent's own insecurities and behaviors. In When Kids Call the Shots, therapist and parenting expert Sean Grover untangles the forces driving family dysfunction, and helps parents assume their leadership roles once again. Parents will discover: Three common bullying styles used by kids Parenting styles that contribute to power balances Critical testing periods in a child’s development Coping mechanisms that backfire Personalized plans for calmly exerting authority in any scenario The solution to any problem begins with learning to control what you can control. In parenting, you’ve already learned how impossible it is to control your kids. Begin by controlling you!

In addition to the pact he made with his two best friends to see a naked girl by the end of summer, 15-year-old Matt Gratton is even more determined to impress the star of the swim team, Kelly West, with his athletic abilities and so makes a personal goal to swim the 100-yard butterfly in order to catch her eye.

Grade level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, e, p, i, t.

Get ready to meet the toughest, deadliest, and most calculated players in Manchester's murky underworld... HE'S GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL. You don't know Craig Malton. Hopefully you never will - until you need his help, help that the police can't give you. As well as running a respectable security firm for Manchester's elite clubs and bars, Malton moves in dangerous circles amongst the city's most cutthroat criminals. Nothing happens in his beloved city without his say so. SHE'S GOING TO TURN IT ALL UPSIDE DOWN. Keisha Bistacchi has never forgiven Malton for walking out on her all those years ago, and has been keeping a close eye ever since. When her husband is brutally kidnapped, she begs Malton to find him. But Keisha is no damsel in distress, she's as tough as the best of them, and with a violent gang war on the horizon, she'll do whatever it takes to get out alive. WHO WILL BE THE ONE CALLING THE SHOTS? An action-packed, knuckle-whitening first book in an explosive new gangland series - perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers.

Lately, our nation's strategy for improving our schools is mostly limited to "getting tough" with teachers. Blaming teachers for poor outcomes, we spend almost all of our energy trying to control teachers' behavior and school operations. But what if all of this is exactly the opposite of what is needed? What if teachers are the answer and not the problem? What if trusting teachers, and not controlling them, is the key to school success? Examining the experiences of teachers who are already trusted to call the shots, this book answers: What would teachers do if they had the autonomy not just to make classroom decisions, but to collectively--with their colleagues--make the decisions influencing whole school success? Decisions such as school curriculum, how to allocate the school budget, and whom to hire. Teachers with decision-making authority create the schools that many of us profess to want. They individualize learning. Their students are active (not passive) learners who gain academic and life skills. The teachers create school cultures that are the same as those in high-performing organizations. They accept accountability and innovate, and make efficient use of resources. These promising results suggest: it's time to trust teachers.