Boys love sneakers. But when a child finds that his toes have outgrown his favorite shoes, and they’ve gotten too dirty and smelly, his mom says it’s time for a new pair. Resistant to let go, the boy reminisces about all the good times he’s had with his favorite kicks on the city streets. There’s the paint splatter from his masterpiece and the drip from a Popsicle. There’s the scuff from when he fell off his skateboard. And there are those frayed laces that he learned to tie in bows and doubles. A new pair just won’t be the same. But, with bigger shoes to fill, the boy realizes new adventures await him. Maybe he could paint a little better? Or skate a little faster? This new picture book from the bestselling author of I Am Yoga explores the love and pride that kids have for their sneakers and the joy that can be found in growing up, growing out, and moving on.

An epic lunch period leads to a fateful showdown as small, skinny seventh-grader Sam's former best friend--now a popular athlete--promises to beat Sam up at recess in exactly thirty-three minutes.

Michael Bradley joined his school friend's group in Derry, Northern Ireland in the summer of 1974. They had two guitars and no singer. Four years later the Undertones recorded 'Teenage Kicks', John Peel's favourite record, and became one of the most fondly remembered UK bands of the post punk era. Sticking to their punk rock principles, they signed terrible deals, made great records and had a wonderful time. They broke up in 1983 when they realised there was no pot of gold at the end of the rock and roll rainbow. His story is a bitter-sweet, heart-warming and occasionally droll tale of unlikely success, petty feuding and playful mischief during five years of growing up in the music industry. Wiser but not much richer, Michael became a bicycle courier in Soho after the Undertones split. "Sixty miles a day, fresh air, no responsibilities," he writes. "Sometimes I think it was the best job I ever had. It wasn't, of course."

“A vivid picture of how what we wear on our feet can tell us what it really means to be an American.”—Vanity Fair “Expansive, thorough, and entertaining . . . a comprehensive look at how much the sneaker became a signature indicator of cool.”—The Wall Street Journal A cultural history of sneakers, tracing the footprint of one of our most iconic fashions across sports, business, pop culture, and American identity “It’s gotta be the shoes.” When Spike Lee said it to Michael Jordan in a 1989 commercial, it was with a wink and a nod—what makes MJ so good? His Nike Air Jordan IIIs, of course. But as Nicholas Smith reveals in this captivating history, Lee’s line also speaks to the sneaker’s place at the heart of American culture. Once the athletic shoe graduated from the beaches and croquet courts of the wealthy elite to streetwear ubiquity, its journey through the heart of American life was just getting started. In this rollicking narrative, Nicholas K. Smith carries us through the long twentieth century as sneakers became the totem of subcultures. We follow the humble athletic and watch as sneakers become the calling card of California skaters and New York MCs, the spark of riots and gang violence, the heart of a global economic controversy, the muse of haute couture, and a lynchpin in the transformation of big sports into big business. Along the way, we meet larger-than-life mavericks and surprising visionaries: genius rubber inventor Charles Goodyear, risking everything to get his formula right; the warring brothers who started dueling shoe empires; road-warrior Chuck Taylor, hawking shoes out of his trunk; and many more mavericks, hustlers, and dreamers. With a sure stride and a broad footprint, Kicks introduces us to an influential and evolving legacy.

Through the stories of one of Canada's most enthusiastic travellers explore the famous American highway that inspired the likes of Al Capone, Salvador Dali, Mickey Mantle, and the countless fans of this iconic American landmark.

How I Got My Kicks on Route 66 (a.k.a. Smiles Giggles and Laughs) Ronn Greco is a producer, a song and dance man at his dinner theatre―well-known for food, drinks, and live entertainment of romantic comedy. Yet, he has an overwhelming urge to produce something fresher! He discovers local crowd-pleasing shows that are filled with individuals, duos, males, and females of all ethnicities to perform in his new club, The Duke City Comedy Club. Years pass when tragedy strikes—he thinks his comedy club years have passed and wonders if he will ever laugh again…