Dragons At The Schoolhouse Door

Dealing with incompetent bureaucrats, a power-hungry parent, and a scheming superintendent aren’t the only hurdles facing second-year principal Steve Hepting. Fortunately, he has steadfast allies, including the academically-challenged school custodian, a feisty eco-activist teacher, and a counselor urging calm amidst the swirling brouhaha. A mysterious blueprint for a “Brave New World” of public education not only threatens Hepting’s school but the education system itself. The principal enlists the aid of a scandal-sniffing journalist as he and his colleagues grapple to uncover the truth. The comedic tale unfolds as the presence of an “Animal Hotel” on the deserted second floor unexpectedly complicates the implementation of the master plan and Hepting’s role in the entire affair.

A trenchant analysis of how public education is being destroyed in overt and deceptive ways—and how to fight back In the “vigorous, well-informed” (Kirkus Reviews) A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door, the co-hosts of the popular education podcast Have You Heard expose the potent network of conservative elected officials, advocacy groups, funders, and think tanks that are pushing a radical vision to do away with public education. “Cut[ing] through the rhetorical fog surrounding a host of free-market reforms and innovations” (Mike Rose), Jack Schneider and Jennifer Berkshire lay bare the dogma of privatization and reveal how it fits into the current context of right-wing political movements. A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door “goes above and beyond the typical explanations” (SchoolPolicy.org), giving readers an up-close look at the policies—school vouchers, the war on teachers’ unions, tax credit scholarships, virtual schools, and more—driving the movement’s agenda. Called “well-researched, carefully argued, and alarming” by Library Journal, this smart, essential book has already incited a public reckoning on behalf of the millions of families served by the American educational system—and many more who stand to suffer from its unmaking. “Just as with good sci-fi,” according to Jacobin, “the authors make a compelling case that, based on our current trajectory, a nightmare future is closer than we think.”

Dragon Frontier is a Wild West fantasy adventure series for 9+ readers, ideal for fans of How To Train Your Dragon and Christopher Paolini's Eragon. Cowboys, Indians and dragons come together in this rip-roaring adventure where frontier land is even wilder than history suggests . . . The Wild West: where great possibility also brings grave danger Jake Polson and his family are starting a new life on the American Frontier. Twelve-year-old Jake is proud to drive the lead wagon; he's in charge of the oxen and minding his Ma and little sister. But tragedy strikes and Jake must venture deep into the West in search of a legendary creature to save his family. What he discovers in that vast landscape is wilder than he ever imagined. Out on the frontier, an evil force is waiting . . . 'A rousing, well-executed piece of fiery pulp adventure ****' SFX 'A cracking fantasy-tinged Wild West yarn . . . hot stuff' Financial Times About the author: Dan Abnett is a multiple New York Times best-selling novelist. He is the fan-favourite author of over thirty Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 novels, and has sold nearly three million copies in over a dozen languages. He has also written novels for franchises such as Torchwood, Primeval and Doctor Who. When he's not being a novelist, he writes screenplays and video games, and he has written some of the most famous superhero comics in the world, including Iron Man, Thor and The Guardians of the Galaxy at Marvel, and Superman, Batman, The Legion of Superheroes, and Wonder Woman at DC Comics. Dragon Frontier is his first book for younger readers

Relentless jargon, a distinctive workplace, and teen foibles make for a goldmine of satire in over 350 entries. The unending tsunami of education sloganeering highlights this humor-filled, quick-read glossary. Why would edubabblers favor listless descriptors when silver-tongued gibberish and fluffy acronyms can add mystique to any everyday term? There is no career like education and no workplace like a high school. The antics of zany teens, quirky teachers, preening principals, and hovering parents provide buckets of satirical fodder. Entries such as Crisis Junkies, Grad Hug, Principal’s Message, and Teacher Behavior at Meetings are but a few of the dozens of entries emphasizing high school as a unique workplace. Unlike previous generations, today’s educators face tech-addled youth who are drowning in a churning sea of information, much of it of dubious quality. A range of tech-oriented subjects is lampooned, including, Drones, Monks of the Digital Age, and Screen Addicts. High schools do not operate in a vacuum. It is difficult for teachers to set standards of truth-telling and respectful discourse in their students when such behavior appears to be absent from many of today’s leaders. This challenge is noted in such entries, among others, as, Anti-Educators, Journalism, and Weapons of Mass Distortion.

There s a crocodile in the closet. Don t go inside! Let s put him in the attic, then run downstairs and hide!

The generation that came of age from 1960 to 1980 had front-row seats to the events and personalities that laid the foundation for the Canada we know today. As the generation matured, so too did the country. Chapters range from TV to sports, music to business, and stage to screen. A section includes the lengths individuals went to be “cool.” Another features Canada’s attempts to deal with the big brash neighbour-nation to the south. Equal parts history, pop culture, and trivia, the events and personalities that shaped Canada for years to come are presented with wry humour. Whether you choose this book for entertainment, for nostalgia, for easy-to-read history, or for quirky trivia, you will be reminded of how much change has occurred in Canada over a lifetime.

The thirteen daughters of the Duchess and Duke bring home a friendly dragon that delivers a number of surprises.