Faith is joy is love is hope in this novel of exquisite power and everyday miracles, reminiscent of Barbara Kingsolver's THE POISONWOOD BIBLE.Thomas can see things no one else can see. Tropical fish swimming in the canals. The magic of Mrs. Van Amersfoort, the Beethoven-loving witch next door. The fierce beauty of Eliza with her artificial leg. And the Lord Jesus, who tells him, "Just call me Jesus." Thomas records these visions in his "Book of Everything." They comfort him when his father beats him, when the angels weep for his mother's black eyes. And they give him the strength to finally confront his father and become what he wants to be when he grows up: "Happy."

This book contains descriptions of 172 games for children from toddlerhood through adolescence, and is designed as a guide for parents, teachers, and play leaders. Following an introduction describing the child's relationship to games, the book is divided into two parts. Part 1 is aimed at toddlers and contains over 90 circle games, singing games, and games based on traditional crafts. Part 2 is divided into sections according to age, and gives descriptions and backgrounds of games with movements. Recommended ages are given for each game, and music notation for each game is included. (KB)

Eight years have passed since Andy Barclay's doll, Chucky, had terrorized his young life, and when the toy company brings the Good Guy doll back to the shelves, Chucky gets a second chance to play mass murderer

Is sport good for kids? When answering this question, both critics and advocates of youth sports tend to fixate on matters of health, whether condemning contact sports for their concussion risk or prescribing athletics as a cure for the childhood obesity epidemic. Child’s Play presents a more nuanced examination of the issue, considering not only the physical impacts of youth athletics, but its psychological and social ramifications as well. The eleven original scholarly essays in this collection provide a probing look into how sports—in community athletic leagues, in schools, and even on television—play a major role in how young people view themselves, shape their identities, and imagine their place in society. Rather than focusing exclusively on self-proclaimed jocks, the book considers how the culture of sports affects a wide variety of children and young people, including those who opt out of athletics. Not only does Child’s Play examine disparities across lines of race, class, and gender, it also offers detailed examinations of how various minority populations, from transgender youth to Muslim immigrant girls, have participated in youth sports. Taken together, these essays offer a wide range of approaches to understanding the sociology of youth sports, including data-driven analyses that examine national trends, as well as ethnographic research that gives a voice to individual kids. Child’s Play thus presents a comprehensive and compelling analysis of how, for better and for worse, the culture of sports is integral to the development of young people—and with them, the future of our society.

Indirectly causing the death of P. J., who had a bad heart, the attendants at Reenie's Christmas party agree to hide the body and the truth until someone begins to hunt down and kill each in turn.

Danny loves music; Molly loves painting; and Marcus loves writing. And they all love playing together. But there's something worrying them: they'll soon be moving to a new house. Child's Play is a tale of love, dedicated to creativity, to change, and to all of the children who have had to leave their home countries in search of a brighter future.