For Cris and Miguel, creating a family will take a little luck and lots of determination. A Chance is the engrossing, heartwarming story of their struggles and triumphs. The narrative follows Cristina Durán and Miguel Giner Bou as they rebuild and reinvent themselves after their daughter Laia is born with cerebral palsy. Hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and doctors become part of their daily routine. There is one chance in a thousand that Laia will pull through—and they hold on to that chance with tremendous strength and indomitable joy. Years later, with the same courage and determination, Cristina and Miguel embark on the arduous process of adopting their second daughter, Selam, from Ethiopia. This time, they face a long period of training, psychological tests, interviews, and formalities before they can even pack their bags. And when they return with Selam, the challenge of reinvention awaits them yet again.

In this innovative study, Crystal Sanders explores how working-class black women, in collaboration with the federal government, created the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) in 1965, a Head Start program that not only gave poor black children access to early childhood education but also provided black women with greater opportunities for political activism during a crucial time in the unfolding of the civil rights movement. Women who had previously worked as domestics and sharecroppers secured jobs through CDGM as teachers and support staff and earned higher wages. The availability of jobs independent of the local white power structure afforded these women the freedom to vote in elections and petition officials without fear of reprisal. But CDGM's success antagonized segregationists at both the local and state levels who eventually defunded it. Tracing the stories of the more than 2,500 women who staffed Mississippi's CDGM preschool centers, Sanders's book remembers women who went beyond teaching children their shapes and colors to challenge the state's closed political system and white supremacist ideology and offers a profound example for future community organizing in the South.

“Pemberton’s beautifully told story is a rags to riches journey—beginning in a place and with a jarring set of experiences that could have destroyed his life. But Steve’s refusal to give in to those forces, and his resolve to create a better life, shows a courage and resilience that is an example for many of us to follow.” —Stedman Graham, author, educator Home is the place where our life stories begin. A Chance in the World is the astonishing true story of a boy destined to become a man of resilience determination and vision. Down in the dank basement, amidst my moldy, hoarded food and beloved worm-eaten books, I dreamed that my real home, the place where my story had begun, was out there somewhere, and one day I was going to find it. Taken from his mother at age three, Steve Klakowicz lives a terrifying existence. Caught in the clutches of a cruel foster family and subjected to constant abuse, Steve finds his only refuge in a box of books given to him by a kind stranger. In these books, he discovers new worlds he can only imagine and begins to hope that one day he might have a different life, that one day he will find his true home. A fair-complexioned boy with blue eyes, a curly Afro, and a Polish last name, he is determined to unravel the mystery of his origins and find his birth family. Armed with just a single clue, Steve embarks on an extraordinary quest for his identity, only to find that nothing is as it appears. Through it all, Steve’s story teaches us that no matter how broken our past, no matter how great our misfortunes, we have it in us to create a new beginning and to build a place where love awaits.

Colin finally gets a chance to play baseball in the biggest game of the season. An inspirational look into a day in the life of a special needs child and how the acts of a child's peers can have a significant impact.

When Harlow Manning's rocker father goes on tour, he sends her to Rosemary Beach, Florida, to live with her half-sister, Nan. The problem: Nan despises her. Harlow has to keep her head down if she wants to get through the next nine months, which seems easy enough… until gorgeous Grant Carter walks out of Nan's room. Grant made a huge mistake getting involved with a girl with venom in her veins. He'd known about Nan's reputation, but still couldn't resist her. Nothing makes him regret the fling more than meeting Harlow, who sends his pulse racing. Yet Harlow wants nothing to do with a guy who could fall for her wicked half-sister - even if there are no strings between Grant and Nan. Grant is desperate to redeem himself in Harlow's eyes, but did he ruin his chances with her before he even met her?

Half A Chance by Frederic S Isham: "Half A Chance" is likely a novel by Frederic S. Isham that may explore themes related to chance, fate, and personal choices. It might follow the lives of its characters as they navigate the unpredictable twists and turns of life. Key Aspects of the Novel "Half A Chance": Exploration of Fate: The novel may delve into the concept of fate and how chance events can shape the course of individuals' lives. Character Development: Frederic S. Isham might focus on character development, showcasing how the choices characters make in uncertain circumstances influence their destinies. Plot Intrigues: "Half A Chance" could feature a plot filled with twists and surprises, demonstrating the unpredictability of life. Frederic S. Isham (1865-1922) was an American author known for his novels that often explored themes of romance and adventure. "Half A Chance" may be another example of his storytelling skills.

Jo Dubray doesn't think much of marriage, and she certainly doesn't plan to try it herself. But that doesn't mean she isn't interested in getting to know her new roommate's brother… After all, Ryan's recently divorced and has two children living in another state. He can't be thinking of anything as serious and confining as remarrying. But what will she do if he is? Especially once his kids reenter the picture.