I Wanna Do That

"The move from spectator to participant is a quantum leap. Yet each Mardi Gras in New Orleans, thousands of people make that leap, abandoning inhibition and reveling in the ever-growing creative phenomenon of marching krewes ... Simply put, a marching krewe is a group of like-minded people who get together for the purpose of marching in parades that take place during the Carnival (Mardi Gras) season. These krewes come in all shapes, sizes, and variations, yet they all share the attributes of creativity, artistry, quirkiness, humor, inclusiveness, and accessibility. Krewes are composed of people who practice dance moves, sew costumes, and create 'throws' to hand out to a covetous public"--Publisher marketing.

A lighthearted but serious look at how it feels to be overwhelmed.

A wild ride inside the glowing head of Dennis Rodman—the NBA's greatest rebounder and America's most outspoken and outrageous athlete. When Sports Illustrated put the man they call "America's most provocative athlete" on their cover, they sold more copies than any other issue they had sold in a decade (except the swimsuit issue). Why? Because Dennis Rodman has more in common with Mick Jagger than with his teammate Michael Jordan. With his body-covering tattoos and ever-changing fluorescent hair, Rodman's sideline antics and celebrated benchings captivated sports fans as much as his record-breaking on-court performances and earned him a reputation as a rebel with the same penchant for shocking behavior as his on-again off-again squeeze, Madonna. In Bad as I Wanna Be he shares his surprising and candid opinions on: • Mortality: “If I die young, everybody’s going to say they saw it coming.” • His game: “I never want to score. Never. I want to rebound.” • Having it all: “From the outside I had everything I could want. From the inside I had nothing but an empty soul and a gun in my lap.” . . . And so much more, including his life, from going to prison for stealing watches to his daughter, the light of his life. At a time when most celebrities and professional athletes try to control their public personas like politicians and refrain from expressing their true beliefs, Dennis Rodman is a refreshingly unique, uncompromising individual who both transcends his world and refuses to conform to it. Bad as I Wanna Be is as candid, intriguing, and unforgettable as he is.

Because Yumi RuÍz-Hirsch has grandparents from Japan, Cuba, and Brooklyn, her mother calls her a poster child for the twenty-first century. Yumi would laugh if only her life wasn't getting as complicated as her heritage. All of a sudden she's starting eighth grade with a girl who collects tinfoil and a boy who dresses like a squid. Her mom's found a new boyfriend, and her punk-rock father still can't sell a song. She's losing her house; she's losing her school orchestra. And worst of all she's losing her grandfather Saul. Yumi wishes everything could stay the same. But as she listens to Saul tell his story, she learns that nobody ever asks you if you're ready for life to happen. It just happens. The choice is either to sit and watch or to join the dance. National Book Award finalist Cristina García's first middle-grade novel celebrates the chaotic, crazy, and completely amazing patchwork that makes up our lives.

Geoff McEwen, a US Navy Vietnam veteran, has been married twice and divorced twice. After his second divorce, his address became the interstate with a series of moves in a pattern of figure eights. Wherever he was, he needed to be someplace else. Self-imprisoned by his self-doubts, insecurities, and self-deprecation, he settled into a life of introspection, questioning his choices and beliefs and searching for something even he could not define. It was like living in the rearview mirror while life flashed bye* the windshield, being spectator rather than participating. On a December night in a Montana bar, Geoff finds a reason to reconnect with life, triggering a journey through his past experiences and old animosities. *Bye is used here in the sense of moving on with life without participationas in the bye weeks of football. Anton K. Vyborny

It's great to be young, brown and a girl. When you tap into the power of that dynamic combination you can be anything you want to be. When you’re young, energy and excitement propels you forward. When you’re a brown girl, in all our varying shades, you have strength because if you can walk boldly in that golden, God-given skin, you are fearless! Oh yes, no matter what comes your way, sadness or gladness, you can take bad and make it good and you can turn good times into great joys. Inside these pages are powerful poems that will ignite your soul and uplifting stories to motivate you to keep on keeping on. Whatever it is you want to be. . . this fun compilation piece was written to help you shine. Read it, let it motivate and encourage you and guide you on your journey as you discover the greatness in YOU!

The only thing better than getting gifts is giving them, especially when they're homemade. In this book Clea Hantman creates objets d'art that scream "Give me to someone you love!" We're talking Lovely Luggage Tags, Happy Little Hand Warmers, Pet First-Aid Kits, and oh-so-much more. Azadeh Houshyar, Clea's trusty artistic sidekick, adds a hearty dose of color and spice and everything nice to make this book more irresistible than a warm mug of frothy cocoa on a chilly day. (Speaking of, did we mention the Haute Hot Choco Kit?) You know, even the book itself makes a fab gift! *Warning: Gratuitous hugging and kissing might follow.

A debut young adult rom-com about an African American ballerina who finds love on the road to an audition. "In a world where it's easy to lose faith in love, I Wanna Be Where You Are is a brilliant burst of light. A dazzling debut." — Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out When Chloe Pierce’s mom forbids her to apply for a spot at the dance conservatory of her dreams, she devises a secret plan to drive two hundred miles to the nearest audition. But Chloe hits her first speed bump when her annoying neighbor Eli insists upon hitching a ride, threatening to tell Chloe’s mom if she leaves him and his smelly dog, Geezer, behind. So now Chloe’s chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast—two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist on repeat. Filled with roadside hijinks, heart-stirring romance, and a few broken rules, Kristina Forest's I Wanna Be Where You Are is a YA debut perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon.