Zoom meets Beautiful Oops! in this memorable picture book debut about the creative process, and the way in which "mistakes" can blossom into inspiration One eye was bigger than the other. That was a mistake. The weird frog-cat-cow thing? It made an excellent bush. And the inky smudges… they look as if they were always meant to be leaves floating gently across the sky. As one artist incorporates accidental splotches, spots, and misshapen things into her art, she transforms her piece in quirky and unexpected ways, taking readers on a journey through her process. Told in minimal, playful text, this story shows readers that even the biggest “mistakes” can be the source of the brightest ideas—and that, at the end of the day, we are all works in progress, too. Fans of Peter Reynolds’s Ish and Patrick McDonnell’s A Perfectly Messed-Up Story will love the funny, poignant, completely unique storytelling of The Book of Mistakes. And, like Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, it makes the perfect graduation gift, encouraging readers to have a positive outlook as they learn to face life’s obstacles.

After a trophy-laden and record-setting club and international career, England’s greatest ever goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, could rightly look forward to an equally successful post-playing career. But a gambling habit forged in his playing days soon spiralled into a gambling addiction: a silent, self-destructive and ruinous obsession that destroyed relationships, his mental health and very nearly himself. With the love and support of his wife Steph, he was able to face up to his addiction, find hope for the future and overcome his 45-year secret and turn his life around. Peter and Steph – who has over 20 years’ experience working in the NHS – now campaign to raise awareness of this, and other destructive addictions, helping both addicts and their partners weather the long and arduous journey back to recovery. Their charity ‘Gambling with Lives’ works with both the government and FA to tackle the tragic rate of suicide associated with gambling addiction, and campaigns to bring in stricter advertising controls. Steph and Peter bravely tell both sides of their journey with a direct honesty and an empathy born of real-life experience, offering advice and hope to not only to those effected by gambling, but sufferers of other chronic addictions. They also shine a light on football’s obsession with gambling, taking millions of pounds from the gambling sites and bookies who sponsor the game, while neglecting to support both the players and fans who fall prey to addiction. This is the ultimately uplifting story of how he was saved – by Steph’s love and support, and his own strength and determination.

Out of the hills of Kentucky and Southern Indiana comes a teacher’s voice crying for a completely new approach to public education. A 30-year veteran of public education in 4 states, the author marshals some convincing arguments that the worst enemy of public education is itself and that the school administrations in most school systems are very definitely guilty of self-perpetuating and extending that failure. While hiding behind the façade of competent, caring administrators, all too many superintendents and principals are guilty of placing the almighty dollar first, their own reputations second and students a poor third. The writer places the blame for all of this failure on the heads of school administrations while not excusing the culpability of teachers and parents for believing those who try to convince them that education is available for everyone if the correct “magic” curricula, programs, methods, etc. are followed carefully and proper testing is done correctly. Public education is still only educating those students who come to school properly motivated or who are fortunate enough to find those few teachers who are willing to buck the system and teach the children, not the tests, the curricula or the currently popular (and ever-changing) programs. In answer to the inevitable questions of whether or not the system is worth preserving and what might be done to make a serious attempt at educating every child, the author proposes some interesting and thought provoking strategies. Radically different than those proposed by the Bush administration, these strategies are possible on any level from a single classroom to an entire nation. Saving America’s Schools is a must-read for every serious educator, every parent and every concerned citizen in this country.

Work dedicated to educating each child appropriately and identifying at-risk youngsters by Grade Two and salvaging them by Grade Eight.

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