Charlie DeLeo's lifelong devotion to keeping the Statue of Liberty's Flame burning bright is a story that will inspire young and old alike and anyone who values faith and freedom. (Practical Life)

Brookside Elementary in Norwalk, Connecticut, is preparing for a new school year and another chance to improve its failing scores on the statewide standardized test known as the CMT. The challenges are many, and for the faculty—whose jobs may depend on their students’ ability to improve on the test—the stakes are high. Ten-year-old Hydea is about to start fifth grade with second-grade reading skills. Her friend Marbella is only a little further along. In past years, these students would have received help from the literacy specialist Mrs. Schaefer. But this year, due to cutbacks and a change in job description, she will have to select the few students whom she and the teachers can bet on—the ones who are close to passing the exams. And, for added measure, Principal Hay has already asked his faculty to teach to the test. Journalist Ron Berler spent a full year at Brookside. In Raising the Curve, he offers a nuanced and personal portrait of the students, teachers, and staff who make up the Brookside community, capturing their struggles as well as their pride, resilience, and spirited faith.

Based on newspaper columns written by the author between 1980 and 1985, this compilation of personal reflections brings to the reader a fresh and open perspective on those days and times. Incredibly timely, this book offers inspiration, encouragement, and the recognition of the beauty and wonder of ordinary, everyday life. From celebrating high school graduations to ruing the deterioration of good manners, from cherishing friendships to looking honestly at both the joys and difficulties of parenting, Linda's eye and voice are uniquely hers as a woman of faith, inviting the reader in with both common sense about and delight in everyday living.

Como el monumento estadounidense que mejor representa la libertad y la independencia, la Estatua de la Libertad ha vigilado el Puerto de Nueva York desde hace decadas. Su firme mirada ha visto crecer al pa's desde sus dias de mero observador de los asuntos mundiales, hasta su constitucion en la nacion m's poderosa en el mundo. Su brazo levantado ha saludado a los innumerables barcos que han pasado frente a ella. Su grandeza ha dado la bienvenida tanto a los estadounidenses que regresaban a su hogar y ha dado esperanza a los recion llegados que iban en busca de un nuevo comienzo en el pa's de la libertad.

En tant que monument le plus profond repr'sentant la liberte et l'independance des Etats-Unis, La Statue de la Liberte domine le Port de New York depuis des decennies. Son regard fixe a vu le pays croitre d'un simple observateur des affaires mondiales " la nation la plus puissante du monde. Son bras leve a salu" de nombreux bateaux alors qu'ils passaient. Sa dignite a accueilli des Americains lorsqu'ils rentraient de l'etranger et elle a donne de l'espoir aux nouveaux venus -- la recherche d'une nouvelle vie dans le pays de la liberte

The world's most famous sculpture, the Statue of Liberty, Liberty Enlightening the World, rises to a height of 305 feet from the base of her pedestal to the top of the golden flame of her torch. Conceived, designed, and originally built in France, she was unveiled on her new island home in 1886. The postcard trade, still in its infancy, embraced the icon, and Miss Liberty's commanding figure soon appeared on millions of postcards. In this book, one will see the statue from many angles--profiles, long shots, close-ups, aerials, torch views, and more.