The night before Lena's first soccer game of the season, her father, Ruben Drinkwater, tells her the amazing story of his own first season playing soccer. His mom was like any ordinary parent watching the Atomic Pickles play. But soon, she began to act very differently-she started to look like a pickle, and she started to roar in a very loud voice when the team was scoring goals. In fact, she turned into an alien! Ruben spied on her at home, but she seemed to turn into an alien only during soccer games. Finally, he confronted her and asked her to act like all the other parents. That's when they discovered how much Mrs. Drinkwater's cheering meant to the team-especially to the parents, who took up where her cheerleading left off and renewed the whole team's spirit for the game.

The night before Lena's first soccer game, her father tells her a story about how his mother used to act bizarre at his soccer games and embarrass him.

This manual is a "one-stop shop" on how to present storytimes to suit different audiences including bilingual learners, special needs children, and those in a variety of settings such as Head Start, preschools, and day care situations. This beginner's guide to storytelling traces the developmental stages of very young children, illustrating how to present storytime for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers as well as in family settings to be most effective. Author Penny Peck will teach you the fundamentals of reading with the intent of capturing children's imaginations, showing you how to incorporate music, play, and hands-on activities into your routine. She offers expert advice on how to choose the best picture books and provides lists of books for addressing particular literacy needs. A perfect primer for those new to the task, this guide illustrates how to make this activity a favorite of children and provides tips for progressing in the role of storyteller, with ideas for engaging your audience and enhancing enjoyment. Beginning with the basics of performing a library storytime, each subsequent chapter builds on that knowledge, offering ways to infuse technology, special needs adaptations, and music into the story. The revised edition addresses such current topics as iPads, apps usage, online options, and dance programs.

"Soccer moms" are those spending enormous amounts of time transporting school-aged children (and their friends) to various events--sporting, academic, musical and social--on top of all of the other things they do. Where does this leave time for connecting with God? For those who are part of this sisterhood of moms on the go, help is at hand--and you will still get to these events on time! With The Official Soccer Mom's Devotional, no matter where a mom finds herself, whether it be waiting for the kids to get out of school or finish an athletic or extracurricular practice, she will have a resource right at her fingertips that will provide a mini devotional time with God. Help moms feel rejuvenated in their souls with inspiration, checklists, appropriate Scripture that applies to a "soccer mom's" day, fun stuff, a Mom's Space page, and practical soccer mom tips and quizzes.

BOOKS THAT TURN CHILDREN INTO LIFE-LONG READERS! Most children want to read a book because it's about something they love or are curious about--dinosaurs, magic tricks, ballerinas, sports, secret codes, and a host of other topics. Now with this unique book, Kathleen Odean, current chair of the Newberry Award committee and author of Great Books for Girls and Great Books for Boys, makes it easy for parents and teachers to satisfy a child's individual cravings for good reading on any subject. Inside you'll discover ¸ More than 750 books divided into 55 categories, from Airplanes to Zoos ¸ Professional appraisals that are balanced, intelligent, and fun to read ¸ Stimulating book-related activities and helpful tips for parents Whether the format is picture book, poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, here are wonderful selections like Why Does the Cat Do That? and Exploring the Titanic . . . tried and true characters, from the beloved aardvarks Arthur and D.W. to the hilarious Junie B. Jones and the courageous Harry Potter . . . new heroes and heroines to cheer for such as Katherine Paterson's Princess Miranda from The Wide-Awake Princess and the exciting Jack Black from Jack Black and the Ship of Thieves by Carol Hughes. Great Books About Things Kids Love creates a book-rich environment in which the habit of reading can take hold and flourish for a lifetime. From the Trade Paperback edition.

This anthology examines Love's Labours Lost from a variety of perspectives and through a wide range of materials. Selections discuss the play in terms of historical context, dating, and sources; character analysis; comic elements and verbal conceits; evidence of authorship; performance analysis; and feminist interpretations. Alongside theater reviews, production photographs, and critical commentary, the volume also includes essays written by practicing theater artists who have worked on the play. An index by name, literary work, and concept rounds out this valuable resource.