Nong Vang dreams that one day he'll be an MMA superstar. He can trash-talk with as much force as his deadly kicks. But being a hero in his real life hinges on more than his first amateur MMA fight—it means struggling through school and protecting his family from his bully big brother. Can he find the courage and skill to succeed inside the cage and out?

Nong Vang dreams that one day he'll be an MMA superstar. He can trash-talk with as much force as his deadly kicks. But being a hero in his real life hinges on more than his first amateur MMA fight—it means struggling through school and protecting his family from his bully big brother. Can he find the courage and skill to succeed inside the cage and out?

"Readers will have the good fortune to experience poetry as art, game, joke, list, song, story, statement, question, memory. A primer like no other." — School Library Journal (starred review) In this splendid and playful volume — second of a trilogy — an acclaimed creative team presents examples of twenty-nine poetic forms, demonstrating not only the (sometimes bendable) rules of poetry, but also the spirit that brings these forms to life. Featuring poems from the likes of Eleanor Farjeon (aubade), X. J. Kennedy (elegy), Ogden Nash (couplet), Liz Rosenberg (pantoum), and William Shakespeare, the sonnet king himself, A Kick in the Head perfectly illustrates Robert Frost’s maxim that poetry without rules is like a tennis match without a net. Back matter includes notes on poetic forms.

This year, the fireworks will be red hot… Skates Farrington is a changed man. Gone are the smart suits, the dull meetings and the extra pounds. Nowadays, he gets his thrills at the skate park and from whatever substances his dealers send his way. The only thing missing from his life is his ex-wife. She’s shacked up with a respectable partner in an isolated farm and striving to create the perfect life. Skates is convinced that she will come back to him when she sees his new self, but when attempts to win her heart all over again are thrown back in his face, he decides a little gentle persuasion is in order. Now he can include murder and abduction among his new-found skills. DI Oliver Wilson, leading the investigation, has more than a few things on his mind. The case and imminent arrival of his third child should be at the forefront of his thoughts, but the arrival of a sequence of unusual gifts is making him nervous. The packages are sending him a message, he just can’t work out what they’re trying to say. Ain’t That A Kick In The Head is the explosive follow up to Let It Snow and My Funny Valentine. Praise for AIN’T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD: “Nigel Bird knows his characters inside and out—what they want, how they think, how they grow and how they fail. Ain’t that a Kick in the Head might be his best work yet. A convincing, engrossing portrayal of what life is like for cops and criminals alike.” —Chris Rhatigan, All Due Respect Books publisher “One of my favourite contemporary crime fiction series.” —Colman Keane, Col’s Criminal Library

The exact reason why you have decided to begin utilizing the kicking skills taught in this book depends upon your own personal needs and interests. You may enjoy it because of the stress reduction and physical fitness benefits, or simply because you enjoy the physical challenge that kicking correctly presents. While others enjoy the sporting, or competition aspects of the tournament arena.However, for most people, their primary reason for practicing these kicking skills is for self-defense. Regardless of the reason, the materials presented in this book are beneficial to anyone who wants to improve their kicking ability, whether it is the martial artist, tournament competitor, aerobic kickboxing enthusiast, or the self-defense advocate.While the book and the material presented within it are invaluable to the individual who does not have the opportunity to learn in a formal setting, it is also a tremendous benefit to those who are fortunate enough to have access to a qualified and competent instructor. A privilege and an honor one should never take for granted.

Nong Vang dreams that one day he'll be an MMA superstar. He can trash-talk with as much force as his deadly kicks. But being a hero in his real life hinges on more than his first amateur MMA fight?it means struggling through school and protecting his family from his bully big brother. Can he find the courage and skill to succeed inside the cage and out?

The definitive study of arranging by America's premiere composer, arranger and conductor. A "must" for every musician interested in a greater understanding of arranging. Includes chapters on instrumentation, orchestration and Nelson Riddle's work with Sinatra, Cole and Garland.