This is an anthology of 25 short stories written by talented young authors (between 12 and 18 years old) from all over Asia. They are members of the Storymakers League. The stories in this book: 1. "Red" by Alyssa Ng (Malaysia) 2. "Out of Place" by Angelina Ng Xiu Qi (Singapore) 3. "A Trip to Galle" by Balsam Ahmed Shimau (Sri Lanka) 4. "My Heart Will Go On" by Banan Ahmed Shimau (Sri Lanka) 5. "He Was Perfect" by Binya Ahmed Shimau (Sri Lanka) 6. "The Mysterious Library" by Chin Chun Yuan (Malaysia) 7. "Girl" by Christine Choo Jia Ying (Singapore) 8. "Nimali’s Dream" by D M Yenuli Santhusi Dissanayake (Sri Lanka) 9. "Happy to Be Home" by Daniea Elisha (Malaysia) 10. "Memories of Days Gone By" by De Jia Xuan (Malaysia) 11. "Rift" by Elisabeth Mahilini Hoole (Sri Lanka) 12. "The Demon Huntsmen" by Esmarelda Jynthia (Malaysia) 13. "The Magic Bamboo" by Fayanna Ailisha Davianny (Indonesia) 14. "Parallel Universe" by Gian Si Tian Candice (Singapore) 15. "Sing Her Way Home" by Goh Sze Ann (Singapore) 16. "Tears in a Time Capsule" by Hannah Mastura (Malaysia) 17. "Death on the Perak River" by Harshini Rheya Naidu (Malaysia) 18. "The Year Was 2045" by Hew Zi Jin (Malaysia) 19. "The Glass Bottle" by Hind Iyad Nihad Yaseen Al-Mousa (Jordan) 20. "Oblivion" by Inddoo Manimaran (Malaysia) 21. "Female Samurai Makoto Goes to America" by Koto Katayama (Japan) 22. "The Game of His Life" by Maleeka Shahla Hassan (Sri Lanka) 23. "Lotus" by Malisha Paarami Weerasinghe (Sri Lanka) 24. "A Hero for the Country" by Navya Binoy Valiyakunnel (Brunei) 25. "As I Aim for the Stars" by Niranun Puapattanakajorn (Thailand)

This is an anthology of 25 short stories written by talented young authors (between 12 and 18 years old) from all over Asia. They are members of the Storymakers League. The stories in this book: 1. "All I Had Left" by Lim Jxin Ying (Malaysia) 2. "A Letter to You" by Lim Yi Shu (Singapore) 3. "Rainy Nights at the Local Mamak Stall" by Misaki Michiba (Malaysia) 4. "The All-Island Smile" by MJ Zindi Taara Asgari (Sri Lanka) 5. "Karma" by N.M. Isumi Methmanthi Narasinghe (Sri Lanka) 6. "A Twisted Adventure" by Nethan Mikil Kuruppu (Sri Lanka) 7. "Peninsular of War" by Ng Jing Xuan (Malaysia) 8. "Morph" by Nicole See Jiaying (Malaysia) 9. "A Whisper of Despair" by Ramida Wisuidumpawn (Thailand) 10. "A Cyber Independence" by Razzi Effendi Rahim (Malaysia) 11. "Change" by Rukshitha Yoganathan (Sri Lanka) 12. "A Run to End War" by Sachintha Senanayake (Sri Lanka) 13. "Breaking a Social Norm" by Shaheen Abdul Gani (Sri Lanka) 14. "Palliating the Divergence" by Shanelle Diandra Perera (Sri Lanka) 15. "Hibiscus Boy" by Sharmaine Saran Padan Mohd Shafiq (Malaysia) 16. "Some of Us Are Different" by Sonia Teo Xhyn (Singapore) 17. "Unworthy" by Suraksa Chea (Cambodia) 18. "Home" by Syaarveeni Ashok (Malaysia) 19. "A Broken Friendship" by Syahna Alifya Saffanah (Indonesia) 20. "The Best Place to Be" by Thomas Lee Kaa Hoe (Malaysia) 21. "Anna’s Wish" by Tuan Ayham Wajdi Tuan Mohd Yusoff (Malaysia) 22. "Arc of Stone" by Wesley Onn Wei Rong (Brunei) 23. "Shoah for Their Kind" by Wesley Pu Chern Hsiong (Malaysia) 24. "The Radiant Rarity" by Yashmini Ayodya Sirisena (Sri Lanka) 25. "The Move" by Zhang Jinxuan (Singapore)

The Golden Compass for the digital age in this action-packed sequel to Jinxed. When Lacey Chu wakes up in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there, she knows something went really wrong. And with her cat baku, Jinx, missing in action and MONCHA, the company behind the invention of the robot pet, threatening her family, she isn't sure who to turn to for answers. When Lacey is expelled and her mom starts acting strangely after the latest update from MONCHA, Lacey and her friends work together to get to the bottom of it and discover a sinister plot at the heart of the corporation. Lacey must use all her skills if she has a chance of stopping MONCHA from carrying out their plans. But can she take on the biggest tech company in North America armed with only a level 1 robot beetle and her friends at her side? Praise for Jinxed: "[A] vividly imagined Toronto-set middle grade series opener intertwines smartphone technology with the hallmarks of classic science fiction via a fun, insightful narrative and bright voice...With a sharp eye toward the rising awareness of device addiction and a keen sense of wonder, McCulloch's tale is a feast for the imagination that celebrates women in STEM fields."—Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW) "McCulloch effectively strikes a balance between worldbuilding and action...A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike."—Kirkus Reviews "A little bit Golden Compass, a little bit Hunger Games, and all adventure!"—New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman

A Vindication of the Redhead investigates red hair in literature, art, television, and film throughout Eastern and Western cultures. This study examines red hair as a signifier, perpetuated through stereotypes, myths, legends, and literary and visual representations. Brenda Ayres and Sarah E. Maier provide a history of attitudes held by hegemonic populations toward red-haired individuals, groups, and genders from antiquity to the present. Ayres and Maier explore such diverse topics as Judeo-Christian narratives of red hair, redheads in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, red hair and gender identity, famous literary redheads such as Anne of Green Gables and Pippi Longstocking, contemporary and Neo-Victorian representations of redheads from the Black Widow to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and more. This book illuminates the symbolic significance and related ideologies of red hair constructed in mythic, religious, literary, and visual cultural discourse.

“Big ideas that just might save the world”—The Guardian The founder of the international Transition Towns movement asks why true creative, positive thinking is in decline, asserts that it's more important now than ever, and suggests ways our communities can revive and reclaim it. In these times of deep division and deeper despair, if there is a consensus about anything in the world, it is that the future is going to be awful. There is an epidemic of loneliness, an epidemic of anxiety, a mental health crisis of vast proportions, especially among young people. There’s a rise in extremist movements and governments. Catastrophic climate change. Biodiversity loss. Food insecurity. The fracturing of ecosystems and communities beyond, it seems, repair. The future—to say nothing of the present—looks grim. But as Transition movement cofounder Rob Hopkins tells us, there is plenty of evidence that things can change, and cultures can change, rapidly, dramatically, and unexpectedly—for the better. He has seen it happen around the world and in his own town of Totnes, England, where the community is becoming its own housing developer, energy company, enterprise incubator, and local food network—with cascading benefits to the community that extend far beyond the projects themselves. We do have the capability to effect dramatic change, Hopkins argues, but we’re failing because we’ve largely allowed our most critical tool to languish: human imagination. As defined by social reformer John Dewey, imagination is the ability to look at things as if they could be otherwise. The ability, that is, to ask What if? And if there was ever a time when we needed that ability, it is now. Imagination is central to empathy, to creating better lives, to envisioning and then enacting a positive future. Yet imagination is also demonstrably in decline at precisely the moment when we need it most. In this passionate exploration, Hopkins asks why imagination is in decline, and what we must do to revive and reclaim it. Once we do, there is no end to what we might accomplish. From What Is to What If is a call to action to reclaim and unleash our collective imagination, told through the stories of individuals and communities around the world who are doing it now, as we speak, and witnessing often rapid and dramatic change for the better.

The Golden Compass meets the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets—plus a robotic companion that isn't what it seems. Lacey Chu is a girl who codes. She has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the "baku"—a customizable "pet" with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she's crushed. One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she's ever seen...He seems real. As Lacey settles into life at school, competing with the best students in a battle of the bakus that tests her abilities, she learns that Jinx is part of a dangerous secret. Can Lacey hold on to Jinx and her dreams for the future? Jinxed is the perfect... middle grade book for girls who are passionate about coding summer reading chapter book for kids 9-12 science fiction book for kids 9-12 engineer academy book robot book for kids "With a sharp eye toward the rising awareness of device addiction and a keen sense of wonder, McCulloch's tale is a feast for the imagination that celebrates women in STEM fields."—Publisher's Weekly, STARRED review "I raced through this book...a little bit Golden Compass and all adventure."—Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author

Children enter the world curiously hard-wired for creativity and imagination. After a few short years of school, something drastically changes for them. Why? There is an unmistakable and deliberate attempt to control the learning of young people who find themselves sitting in our schools. The industrial model of schooling has taken its toll and victims without remorse. It programs curious young minds to become helpless, dependent, and compliant. It is manipulation and malpractice, but few seem to notice or care. After years of observing and participating in some of these questionable practices herself, Evonne decided it was time to tell the truth about schools. With a credible and strong voice, Evonne tackles the “sacred school rituals” that are rarely questioned and widely accepted as normal. She transparently leads the reader through firmly-held and often faulty assumptions about schooling practices. She offers common sense solutions that challenge us to re-imagine how we do school in this country. With strong conviction, passion, and a call to action, she encourages us to hear and listen to the voices of our children who are crying out for the freedom to learn.