George meets Ms. Bixby's Last Day in this inspiring, heartfelt novel-in-verse, the second in a new series from bestselling author K.A. Holt. This second book in a new series by K.A. Holt will appeal to fans of House Arrest, Rhyme Schemer, and Knockout, in addition to fans of Jason Reynolds's Track series. Ben Y's just about had it with school. Every corner she turns, she’s being called "Benita," getting Dress Coded by Mr. Mann for some supposedly inappropriate item of clothing, or running into the ineffable, inescapable, indefinable Ace—who makes her feel weird, weirdly seen, and strangely at peace, all at once. Even her best buds—Ben B, Jordan J, and Javier; the kids under the stairs—are all far too content following the rules and making their school newspaper under the attentive direction of their beloved teacher, Ms. J. And home's no better. Last year, Ben Y's older brother died, and the family is still learning how to cope—if by coping you mean coming home to cry at lunch, or secretly building a friendship bracelet empire, or obsessively visiting a chatroom to talk to Benicio's ghost. When Benito suddenly starts typing back, Ben Y must act. But what happens when those very actions make Ben Y's deepest secrets impossible to hide? Readers will easily identify with the variety of funny, authentic lovable characters—not to mention the emphasis on a Minecraft-like game and fun visuals like online chats and doodles. Parents, kids, educators and librarians alike will love the way the book celebrates all the different ways to be smart—and recognizes all the different ways it's hard to be a kid. With a lovable cast of characters and raw, authentic emotion, this heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse tells an honest story about friendship, family, and personal identity that celebrates different types of intelligence and shows how every kid deserves to become their own "divergent" self. NEW UNDERSTANDING OF IDENTITY: The main character in this book is struggling to figure out how she defines herself, both on the inside and to others. It's a struggle many young readers will recognize from their own experiences. FRIENDSHIP ISSUES: This book navigates the difficulty of changing friendships, particularly when a new friend joins the group. It's an issue nearly every kid goes through in middle school, and will ring authentic to all young readers. POPULAR AUTHOR: K.A. Holt's books have been nominated for awards in over 30 states. She is popular on the school speaking circuit and presents keynote speeches throughout the year and all over the world, making her a trusted name and a favorite for middle grade readers. PERFECT FOR RELUCTANT READERS: Fewer words on each page make this book engaging and approachable for all different types of readers. The characters in the book also struggle with reading, but they are not shamed or looked down on for it, so readers with similar difficulties will feel understood. NEWSPAPER THEME: The kids in this story work on their school newspaper, turning their tech skills into something their teachers approve of—and something that allows them to stand up for what they believe in. MINECRAFT APPEAL: The characters in the book play Sandbox, which readers will instantly recognize as a fictionalized version of the immensely popular Minecraft, a game with over 74 million monthly players. Playing Sandbox is depicted as both cool and educational, which will uplift rather than shame young readers for playing video games, and inspire parents, teachers, and librarians to consider non-traditional approaches to traditional school. Perfect for: • Fans and players of Minecraft and other video games • Reluctant readers • Fans of Kari Holt • Educators

From the author of Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest, and Knockout! The Kids Under the Stairs: BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is a funny, clever novel-in-verse series about Ben Bellows—who failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State test—and three classmates who get stuck in a summer school class. But these kids aren't dumb—they're divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: they simply approach things in a different way than traditional school demands. • Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, who each write in a different style (art, verse, stream of consciousness). • Celebrates different types of intelligence • A heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse Soon, the kids win over Ms. J with their passion for Sandbox, a Minecraft-type game. The kids make a deal with Ms. J: every minute they spend reading aloud equals one minute they get to play Sandbox in class. But when the administration finds about this unorthodox method of teaching, Ben B. and his buds have to band together to save their teacher's job—and their own academic future. The first in a series of complementary storylines, this is an honest, heartfelt book about friendship, videogames, and learning to love yourself. • Features a distinct and engaging cast of characters • Encourages even the most reluctant reader to embrace their own "divergent" self • Perfect for parents of kids age 10 and up who love Minecraft, educators and librarians, middle grade readers, new readers of poetry, and fans of videogames • You'll love this book if you love books like Ghost by Jason Reynolds, Patina by Jason Reynolds, and Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

This laugh-out-loud, honest novel-in-verse from award-winning author K.A. Holt tells the story of Jordan J—an opinionated middle schooler trying to find his place at school, at home, and even on the dance floor. Jordan J has a lot to say. Most people—including his parents, his teacher, the kids under the stairs, and even his own self—don't understand why he says all the things he says. It's probably the reason he's managed to earn a personal grudge from the school's dance team, the Hart Rocketeers, who are outraged by his brutally honest dance reviews in the school newspaper. Basically the only thing he can concentrate on these days is performing on his favorite dance show, Fierce Across America. But with his mom's recent unemployment and money being so tight at home, his dreams are crashing. Suddenly, an opportunity arises in the form of Casey Price, the only Rocketeer who doesn't hate his guts. With her help, Jordan J just might have the chance to showcase his electric moves on national TV. But as he starts spending more time with Casey and less with his old friends, Jordan J begins to wonder how he can ever make everyone happy—including himself. With a lovable cast of characters, never-before-seen dance moves, and bighearted passion, this exhilarating, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse tells an honest, authentic story about friendship, dance, and self-confidence that celebrates different types of intelligence and shows how every kid deserves to become their own "divergent" self. This third book in K.A. Holt's The Kids Under the Stairs series, Jordon J and the Truth About Jordan J will appeal to fans of House Arrest, Rhyme Schemer, and Knockout, in addition to fans of Jason Reynolds's Track series. RENOWNED AUTHOR: K.A. Holt's books have been nominated for awards in more than 30 states. She is a trusted name and a favorite for middle grade readers! PERFECT FOR RELUCTANT READERS: This book is written in free verse and includes a variety of other elements—chat logs, bullet-pointed lists, newspaper articles, and illustrations—welcoming readers It all different types of readers. The characters in the book also struggle with reading, but they are not shamed or looked down on for it, so readers with similar issues will feel understood. VIDEO GAME APPEAL: The characters in the book play Sandbox, which readers will instantly recognize as a fictionalized version of Minecraft, an immensely popular game. Playing Sandbox is depicted as both cool and educational, which will uplift rather than shame young readers for playing video games. Perfect for: Reluctant readers Video gamers Fans of K.A. Holt Teachers, educators, and librarians

This book offers an uncompromising and unapologetic phenomenological study of altered states of consciousness in an attempt to understand the structure of human consciousness. Drawing on the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, it sets out to decipher the inextricable link between consciousness, body, and world. This link will be established through the presentation of in-depth phenomenological research conducted with former prisoners of war (POWs) and senior meditators. Focusing on two such disparate groups improves our understanding of the nature of the subjective experience in extreme situations – when our sense of boundary is rigid and we are disconnected both from the body and the world (POWs); and when our sense of boundary is fluid and we feel unified with the world (meditators). Based on empirical-phenomenological research, this book will explain how the body that is from the outset thrown into the intersubjective world shapes the structure of consciousness.

The book guides the reader through the auditing and compliance process of the newly released ISO Artificial Intelligence standard. It provides tools and best practices on how to put together an AI management system that is certifiable and sheds light on ethical and legal challenges business leaders struggle with to make their AI system comply with existing laws and regulations, and the ethical framework of the organization. The book is unique because it provides implementation guidance on the new certification and conformity assessment process required by the new ISO Standard on Artificial Intelligence (ISO 42001:2023 Artificial Intelligence Management System) published by ISO in August 2023. This is the first book that addresses this issue. As a member of the US/ISO team who participated in the drafting of this standard during the last 3 years, the author has direct knowledge and insights that are critical to the implementation of the standard. He explains the context of how to interpret ISO clauses, gives examples and guidelines, and provides best practices that help compliance managers and senior leadership understand how to put together the AI compliance system to certify their AI system. The reader will find in the book a complete guide to the certification process of AI systems and the conformity assessment required by the standard. It also provides guidance on how to read the new EU AI Act and some of the U.S. legislations, such as NYC Local Law 144, enacted in July 2023. This is the first book that helps the reader create an internal auditing program that enhances the company’s AI compliance framework. Generative AI has taken the world by storm, and currently, there is no international standard that provides guidance on how to put together a management system that helps business leaders address issues of AI governance, AI structure, AI risk, AI audit, and AI impact analysis. ISO/IEC 42001:2023 is the first international mandatory and certifiable standard that provides a comprehensive and well-integrated framework for the issue of AI governance. This book provides a step-by-step process on how to implement the standard so the AI system can pass the ISO accreditation process.

CMJ New Music Report is the primary source for exclusive charts of non-commercial and college radio airplay and independent and trend-forward retail sales. CMJ's trade publication, compiles playlists for college and non-commercial stations; often a prelude to larger success.

Not to be confused with fantasy or the supernatural, the fantastic is in actuality its own beast and perhaps the most deeply frightening of all narrative modes. From Dracula and Nightmare on Elm Street, to Carrie and Them, the fantastic has become an ideal vehicle to denounce deep cultural dysfunctions that affect not only the way we understand reality, but also how we construct it. This work studies the various dimensions of the fantastic mode, examining the influences of iconic authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and Jean Ray, and addressing key narrations such as Guy de Maupasasant's The Horla and Jordan Peele's Get Out. It explains why the fantastic is not about ghosts or monsters, but about the incomprehensible sides of our own reality, and the terrifying unknown.