Growing Up is Hard to Do, yet there are very few comprehensive “how to” manuals for young people, to help them negotiate and understand what momentous changes occur on the winding road between infancy and adulthood. In this helpful, highly readable manual, Dr. Spence, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, with further sub-specialty training in Pediatric Gynecology, examines each stage of development, pointing out the many difficulties that may be encountered along the way. He tackles the issues head-on: conception, the early years, off to school with potential bullying, childhood sexual abuse and what happens during puberty. In warm, empathetic, and accessible language, concerns like sex, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and gender issues are discussed. In addition, he delves into subjects such as smoking, alcohol, marijuana, illegal drug use and the risks of the Internet and teenage driving. Nutrition, obesity, anorexia and exercise are highlighted. The last chapter comments on the value of completing one’s education and choosing an appropriate career. In treating young people for over forty years, Dr. Spence has seen many teenagers and their families suffer the tragic consequences of poor or uninformed choices. He wrote Growing Up is Hard to Do to provide honest, unfiltered information in the hope of helping young readers avoid many of the “potholes” of early life. Though the book is written specifically for young people negotiating growing up, parents, caregivers and teachers will also find it very helpful in providing information and context for further discussion.

When a young boy has a day where nothing goes right, his father helps him deal with his feelings and see that things change as he grows up.

The story of a mature bushbaby named Lucy, who lives in an exotic animal collection in New York, meets a lost baby otter shrew named Jafar, who is a very long way from home! He lives in Uganda, Lucy has no idea where that is. Jafar is quite young and scared now that he is so far from home. But Lucy promises to get him back to his home, no matter what it takes. There is quite a bit of turbulence though. But Lucy made a promise already and she plans to keep that promise. So once she springs him loose, they are off on their way to Africa! It is a land far away and it takes several months to get there. In the meantime, Jafar is growing up in size, but not in spirit. He wants Lucy to stay with him forever. Lucy cannot do it, but after a while she relents. But is not happy. Find out what happens in this harrowing tale of two friends. One is trying to help the other, and the other just wants to be a little bit selfish. So will Jafar really grow up and learn to fend for himself?

"Originally published in 2014 by Penguin Books, Great Britain"--Title page verso.

"If the Mountain Were Smooth" tells the story of a troubled twenty-year-old trying to find herself in New York City. In the midst of a troubling scandal, involving high-level military personnel and civil rights, Gabby must make difficult decisions that will affect not only her life, but the lives of those around her. This fast-paced, emotion-driven novel pulls at the hearts of readers.

If you are serious about being a disciple of Jesus Christ—really, truly serious—a discipleship group can help you achieve that goal. Jesus established this model for us by forming and leading the first discipleship group—and it worked. The men who emerged from that group took the gospel to the world and ultimately laid down their lives for Christ. Discipleship groups can create an atmosphere for fellowship, encouragement, and accountability—building an environment where God can work. In Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples, Robby Gallaty presents a practical, easy-to-implement system for growing in one's faith. This guide offers a manual for making disciples, addressing the what, why, where, and how of discipleship. D-Groups, as Gallaty calls them, can teach you and others how to grow your relationship with God, how to defend your faith, and how to guide others in their relationships with God. Growing Up provides you with an interactive manual and resource for creating and working with discipleship groups, allowing you to gain positive information both for yourself and for others as you learn how to help others become better disciples for Christ.

On the Frontier of Adulthood reveals a startling new fact: adulthood no longer begins when adolescence ends. A lengthy period before adulthood, often spanning the twenties and even extending into the thirties, is now devoted to further education, job exploration, experimentation in romantic relationships, and personal development. Pathways into and through adulthood have become much less linear and predictable, and these changes carry tremendous social and cultural significance, especially as institutions and policies aimed at supporting young adults have not kept pace with these changes. This volume considers the nature and consequences of changes in early adulthood by drawing upon a wide variety of historical and contemporary data from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. Especially dramatic shifts have occurred in the conventional markers of adulthood—leaving home, finishing school, getting a job, getting married, and having children—and in how these experiences are configured as a set. These accounts reveal how the process of becoming an adult has changed over the past century, the challenges faced by young people today, and what societies can do to smooth the transition to adulthood. "This book is the most thorough, wide-reaching, and insightful analysis of the new life stage of early adulthood."—Andrew Cherlin, Johns Hopkins University "From West to East, young people today enter adulthood in widely diverse ways that affect their life chances. This book provides a rich portrait of this journey-an essential font of knowledge for all who care about the younger generation."—Glen H. Elder Jr., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "On the Frontier of Adulthood adds considerably to our knowledge about the transition from adolescence to adulthood. . . . It will indeed be the definitive resource for researchers for years to come. Anyone working in the area—whether in demography, sociology, economics, or developmental psychology—will wish to make use of what is gathered here."—John Modell, Brown University "This is a must-read for scholars and policymakers who are concerned with the future of today's youth and will become a touchpoint for an emerging field of inquiry focused on adult transitions."—Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University