Melanie Gibson was an independent woman with a good job, multiple college degrees, and a condo in the trendy part of town. She also had a few mental illnesses, a minor substance abuse problem, and rotten relationship skills. She was a high-functioning crazy who needed a good kick in the pants, literally and metaphorically. In early 2013, as a last desperate means to save her sanity, Melanie turned to a nearly forgotten childhood activity: the Korean martial art of taekwondo. As if the universe were listening, she discovered her West Texas childhood taekwondo instructors’ Grandmaster operated a taekwondo school a few miles from her home in Fort Worth, Texas—and she decided to start her training over as a white belt. In taekwondo, Melanie felt like she had a fresh start in more ways than one. She found an inner peace she’d never known before, a sense of community, a newfound confidence, and a positive outlook on life. The kicking and screaming she was doing in class quieted the long-term kicking and screaming in her mind. Funny and frank, Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts is the story of Melanie’s life-changing journey from troubled, lost soul to confident taekwondo black belt.

When Polly joins the soccer team, her dad's newwife, Veronica Kreep, becomes the spookiest soccermom ever! Polly is glad to have so much supporton the sidelines, but she's also worried--when oddthings start happening on the field, Polly has towonder. Could witchy Veronica be using magicalpowers to help Polly's team?One thing is still certain--life with the Kreeps isnever boring!

Based on Universal Pictures' new comedy starring Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall, set for release in March, these Festival Readers are filled with accessible text and full-color illustrations, making them the perfect choice for emerging readers.

This new comedy from Universal Pictures, set for theatrical release in May, stars Will Ferrell (Elf) as a family man who stumbles into coaching his son's losing soccer team--and soon faces his own father (Robert Duvall) who coaches the league's best team. photos.

From the concert stage to the dressing room, from the recording studio to the digital realm, SPIN surveys the modern musical landscape and the culture around it with authoritative reporting, provocative interviews, and a discerning critical ear. With dynamic photography, bold graphic design, and informed irreverence, the pages of SPIN pulsate with the energy of today's most innovative sounds. Whether covering what's new or what's next, SPIN is your monthly VIP pass to all that rocks.