Cheer dad! The incredible lessons from this middle-aged man learned coaching a team of tween girls. When Patrick first became a "boy cheer coach" a few years back, he had no idea what was in store for him. He had agreed simply because his daughter asked him to. Once the deal was done, there was no turning back! Initially, Patrick struggles to fit in with a group of women and feels out of place. Will he ever truly belong? Working with nineteen tween girls and absolutely no understanding about cheer or cheer competitions, surprisingly cheer soon becomes part of his DNA. It was quite a learning experience. Together, they overcame major adversity to win second place at Globals and place Top 10 at Nationals. Over the course of four years, he helped these girls' become athletes and young women, including during the struggles of COVID and how it took a final season away from his daughter and many of her teammates. Dad in a Cheer Bow provides us with an in-depth look into the cheerleading world and this father's relationship with his daughter. It begins with him believing he would just stand in the back as a volunteer, but he couldn't be more wrong. The pressures of coaching were high, and the stress of managing work and being a coach was beginning to get too much, but the payoff was well worth it. Being a Wildcat cheerleader made Patrick a better dad and a better man.

How to DAD wrote a book?! Well I scribbled some stuff down and some other people were crazy enough to publish it so I'll take it! I'm known for making silly viral parenting videos on things like 'How to get a baby to clean the house' or 'How to travel with a baby' and I've put my Dad skills on paper. OK they might not be 'skills' - but the Dad 'stuff' in this book might just help you in your quest to master the art of Dadding. Dadding? Is that a thing...? Well you'll have to buy this book to find out. NAILED IT! Back of book bit - Done.

"Sharp, brilliantly plotted, and totally engrossing."--KAREN M. MCMANUS, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying "A crafty, dark, and disturbing story."--KATHLEEN GLASGOW, New York Times bestselling author of Girl In Pieces "A little bit Riverdale and a little bit Veronica Mars."--RILEY SAGER, bestselling author of Final Girls A Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year Nominee From the author of The Darkest Corners and Little Monsters comes an all-new edge-of-your-seat thriller set in upstate New York about an eerie sequence of seemingly unrelated events that leaves five cheerleaders dead. There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook. First there was the car accident--two girls dead after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know his reasons. Monica's sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they'd lost. That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it's not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica's world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad's desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn't over. Some people in town know more than they're saying. And somehow, Monica is at the center of it all. There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn't mean anyone else is safe. More Praise for Kara Thomas: "Gripping from start to finish . . . with twists that left me shocked."--VICTORIA AVEYARD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen "You'll be up all night tearing through the pages."--BUSTLE "This deliciously deceptive thriller...is a must-have."--SLJ

In a world run by machines, humans are an endangered species -- and their only hope is a rebel warrior with nothing left to lose. The Great War is over. The robots have won. The humans who survived have two choices: they can submit and serve the vicious rulers they created, or be banished to the Reserve, a desolate, unforgiving landscape where it's a crime just to be human. Following the orders of their soulless leader, the robots are planning to conquer humanity's last refuge and make all humans bow down. The only thing more powerful than an enemy who feels nothing is a rebel warrior with a cause and nothing left to lose. Six is a feisty, determined woman whose parents were killed with the first shots of the war, and whose siblings lie rotting in prison. Her partner in crime is Dubs, the one person who respects authority even less than she does. On the run for their lives after an attempted massacre, Six and Dubs are determined to save humanity before the robots wipe humans off the face of the earth. Pushed to the brink of survival, they discover a powerful secret that may set humanity free, but to succeed they'll have to trust the unlikeliest of allies . . . or be forced to bow down, once and for all. Full of twists and turns from the world's #1 writer, Humans, Bow Down is an epic, dystopian, genre-bending thrill ride you'll never forget.

Have you ever struggled to find the perfect monologue? Do you want to lose yourself in an unforgettable story? Do you want to be...transported? Philip Ridley's The Vespers is a major work by a major writer. 100 original, self-contained monologues for actors (and readers) of all genders, all ages, and all levels of experience. Varying in length, style and structure – from the surreally comic to the heartbreakingly tragic – this is an essential toolkit for any actor (or anyone who enjoys a good story) with an introduction by Cath Badham, Lecturer in Performance at the University of Derby, UK.

What does it take to turn a bully into a hero? Empathy and the power of forgiveness take center stage in this poignant novel by the award-winning author of The Boy at the Back of the Class. Getting in trouble is what Hector does best. He knows that not much is expected of him. In fact, he gets some of his most brilliant prank ideas while sitting in detention. But how far is too far? When Hector plays a prank on a homeless man and is seen and shamed by a schoolmate, he reaches a turning point. He wants to be viewed differently and decides to do something that will change his fate for the better. But will anyone take him seriously? This moving story told with humor and heart presents readers with some recognizable characters, like a bully and a teacher’s pet, and introduces them to some they may not be so familiar with— like those who are homeless, who live on the street, and whose stories are equally meaningful and important. Readers will feel motivated to see the best in others and hopeful that bad things can be overcome with effort.

Inspiration for any parent wrestling with society's expectations and acknowledging (and cherishing) what really matters... Sometimes staggering events happen in life and we're thrown completely off balance. Chaos ensues both internally and externally. It was one such event that was pivotal for Patrick Riccards and set him on a journey of discovery toward what was truly important to him. When Riccards suddenly (and inexplicably) loses his job, he is devastated, but it forces him to take stock of his life - to reexamine his relationships, his perceptions of himself, his fears, his values, and dreams for the future. Dadprovement is his raw and honest account of recognizing that he wasn't the great father or husband he thought he was, that he had simply been going through the motions. Starting with the adoption of two children from Guatemala, Riccards writes of the vast obstacles faced in the international adoption process, the challenges of building a family, and the rollercoaster ride that follows as one tries to balance career and home life. Part adoption story, part career memoir, and a complete telling of one man's path to personal and professional redemption, Dadprovement details some of the difficult truths to inspire and help other parents wrestling with how to live up to society's expectations when it comes to career and family. By getting to the root of what is truly important, Riccards recognizes what a "terrific support staff" he has in his family and that anything is possible with them by his side.