A chilling tale from the bestselling author of The Devil’s Advocate, “a master of psychological thrillers” (V. C. Andrews). They were four perfect little children. Alex had taught them well. They helped with the house, set the table for meals, and went straight upstairs after dinner to do their homework. They did as they were told. Sharon didn’t miss the glances that passed between her husband and the foster children. From the day they arrived, they had looked up to Alex, worshiped him. Why, it even seemed they were beginning to act like Alex—right down to the icy sarcasm, the terrifying smile, and the evil gleam in their eyes when they looked at her. Oh yes, they’d do anything to please Alex. Anything at all . . .

This book contains descriptions of 172 games for children from toddlerhood through adolescence, and is designed as a guide for parents, teachers, and play leaders. Following an introduction describing the child's relationship to games, the book is divided into two parts. Part 1 is aimed at toddlers and contains over 90 circle games, singing games, and games based on traditional crafts. Part 2 is divided into sections according to age, and gives descriptions and backgrounds of games with movements. Recommended ages are given for each game, and music notation for each game is included. (KB)

Eight-year-old Garrett Morrow disappears from a class field trip in New Bern, North Carolina. Within days, his body is found and seven-year-old Tyler Sullivan vanishes from Beaufort, South Carolina. Journalist Abby Weaver is at first puzzled by the striking resemblance between the two boys. But when she realizes that both boys could be carbon copies of her son, Chris, Abby's world is rocked to its core. Is this merely coincidence or could Chris be next? In a race against time, Abby's frantic search for the missing child leads her to piece together clues that point to a monster in their midst. The evil she uncovers threatens to destroy her family and even the community she loves. Every parent's nightmare comes to life in this terrifyingly-real follow-up to Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines.

"A child Daycare program to help children be the best that they can be using stories, the sensory environment and developmental exercises."--

Children, Play, and Development offers a comprehensive look at children's play from birth to adolescence.

At the heart of this volume is the recognition that children’s engagement with play and story are intrinsically and intricately linked. The contributing authors share a passionate interest in the development and well-being of children, in particular through their use of imagination and adaptation of the everyday into play and stories. Following these principles, the volume explores the connections between play, story, and pretense with regard to many cultural and contextual factors that influence the way these elements vary in children’s lives. In a departure from earlier collections on play and story, the authors take a particular focus on normative as compared with atypical development. This collection begins with an approach to understanding the developmental relationship between play and story, which recognizes their similarities while acknowledging their differences. Much of the collection addresses pretend play and story in children with autism spectrum disorder, an understudied but important group for consideration, as these dimensions of their lives and development have often been considered problematic. The volume also includes sections on play and story in classroom settings and play and story across cultures, including non-English-speaking environments such as Israel, Romania, China, and Mexico. It concludes with a discussion of how play differs across sociocultural and economic contexts, making a unifying claim for the importance of play in children’s lives but also calling for an understanding of what play means to very different groups of children.