What happened to that sunny outgoing child of eight? As parents of nine-year-olds often discover, nine is a tricky age. Children are more distant from Mother and Father; they're more independant and rely on friends for companionship, or they have a tendency to spend time alone. Some nines are boisterous and wild, others thoughtful and withdrawn. Helping parents learn how to cope with the unpredictable nine-year-old is the aim of this practical guide from the Gesell Institute. Nine-year-olds are hovering on the brink of adolescence, and this in part contributes to their up-and-down nature. Dr. Louis Bates Ames and Carol Chase Haber paint a vivid picture of the child at this age and offer useful advice to make life easier for parents and children alike.

We all know that having fun enriches our lives and lifts our spirits, but so often life gets in the way. Fun seems like something we did when we were kids, and we just don't have time for it now. I mean, we barely have time for all the stuff we have to do, let alone the stuff we want to do. We can go days without actually having any fun at all. If you ask New York Times bestselling author Annie F. Downs, she'll tell you that's no way to live! Annie knows that when you chase fun, joy follows. In this beautifully designed full-color devotional with a ribbon marker, she invites you to experience 100 delightful days of discovering fun right where you are. With her insightful writing and provocative questions, she helps you identify what you find fun and then go after it like it matters. Because it does. Fun isn't frivolous or somehow extra. It's essential! So join Annie on this 100-day journey into prioritizing fun in your life.

When Buster's homework is blown out the door, he chases after it only to find out after he catches it that there is no class that day.

"When Chase has to go to school and say, "My brother ate my homework," he knows there's no way his teacher believes him. But it's true! His brother really did eat his homework. What is Chase to do? My Brother Ate My Homework is a story of adversity and reconciliation and the special bond between brothers that shines even in the worst of times."

In 1776, with pressure mounting to join the American Revolution, an intrepid young Post rider, Nathaniel Marten, accepts the task of carrying the sole copy of the Declaration of Independence to seven congressmen unable to attend the formal signing. British generals and double-crossing spies are eager to capture both him and the document so they can divide the colonies already weakened by war. Through encounters with well-known original founding fathers and mothers, and by witnessing the effects of the Revolution on ordinary Americans, Nathaniel must learn that independence--for himself, for those he loves, and for the country­­--is not granted, it's chosen.

Three children try to catch an escaped cat.

A chance—and embarrassing—encounter brings Hunter and Chase together, but it’s patience and kindness that keep them there. Through a slow-blossoming friendship and a series of misunderstandings, Hunter finds himself fighting an attraction he thinks isn’t returned. But with the help of his roommate, Tony, he may just be able to make the leap and confess his feelings. But love isn’t Hunter’s only concern. With his sister’s upcoming nuptials, he also must learn to face a family that hasn’t quite disowned him for his sexuality. With Chase by his side, it’s going to take strength for Hunter to stand up for himself and to hold on to what really matters.