No Ordinary Life

Shortlisted for the SYRCA 2013 Diamond Willow Award, selected as an American Library Association 2012 Notable Children's Book, a Booklist Editors' Choice, nominated for the OLA Golden Oak Tree Award, and a finalist for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards: Young Adult/Middle Reader Award, the Governor General's Literary Awards: Children's Text and the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award There's not much that upsets young Valli. Even though her days are spent picking coal and fighting with her cousins, life in the coal town of Jharia, India, is the only life she knows. The only sight that fills her with terror are the monsters who live on the other side of the train tracks -- the lepers. Valli and the other children throw stones at them. No matter how hard her life is, she tells herself, at least she will never be one of them. Then she discovers that she is not living with family after all, that her "aunt" was a stranger who was paid money to take Valli off her own family's hands. She decides to leave Jharia ... and so begins a series of adventures that takes her to Kolkata, the city of the gods. It's not so bad. Valli finds that she really doesn't need much to live. She can "borrow" the things she needs and then pass them on to people who need them more than she does. It helps that though her bare feet become raw wounds as she makes her way around the city, she somehow feels no pain. But when she happens to meet a doctor on the ghats by the river, Valli learns that she has leprosy. Despite being given a chance to receive medical care, she cannot bear the thought that she is one of those monsters she has always feared, and she flees, to an uncertain life on the street. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Collects the stories of Americans who were profiled in the author's "Everybody Has a Story" column, tracing his two decades of encounters with more than eight hundred individuals, many of whose perspectives changed his life.

A member in the Society of the Sacred Heart for nearly thirty years; president of Manhattanville College in New York; recipient of a doctorate in philosophy; philanthropic advisor to the Rockefeller family; beloved wife of Jerome I. Aron; pivotal board member of some of the most generous foundations in the world, including Atlantic Philanthropies and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Today, Elizabeth McCormack is regarded by many as the very soul of philanthropy. Her unstinting practical advice and compassion have helped to inform the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars to worthy causes around the world.

Suzanne Redfearn delivers another gripping page-turner in her latest novel, a story about a young mother's fight to protect her children from the dangerous world of Hollywood. Faye Martin never expected her husband to abandon her and their three children . . . or that she'd have to struggle every day to make ends meet. So when her four-year-old daughter is discovered through a YouTube video and offered a starring role on a television series, it seems like her prayers have been answered. But when the reality of their new life settles in, Faye realizes that fame and fortune don't come without a price. In a world where everyone is an actor and every move is scrutinized by millions, it's impossible to know whom to trust, and Faye finds herself utterly alone in her struggle to save her family. Emotionally riveting and insightful, NO ORDINARY LIFE is an unforgettable novel about the preciousness of childhood and the difficult choices a mother needs to make in order to protect this fragile time in her children's lives.

The previously personal untold story of the making of a young Commando and SAS soldier in World War 2, from Sark to Stalag VIIA. On his death, Sergeant H Stokes of 2 SAS left a journal that revealed what his life had been like growing up in the shadow of approaching war, which described what life was like operating behind enemy lines in France, the Mediterranean and Italy. In August 1939, an 18 year old Stokey, as he was known to his war-time comrades, left his home in Birmingham to attend a two-week Territorial Army (TA) Camp in Devon, and in those two-weeks he was mobilised when Hitler invaded Poland. This young TA soldier would never put on civilian clothes for another six years. This book charts his journey through 12 Commando, his move to the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) and eventually on to the 2nd Special Air Service (SAS), and his capture, escape, and recapture behind enemy lines in Italy and Germany in 1944.

Artist, photographer, writer, world traveler and, above all, explorer, Mary Schaffer Warren overcame the limited expectations of women at the turn of the nineteenth century in order to follow her dreams.Mary, born into a wealthy Quaker family in Pennsylvania, was a precocious child who excelled at school. She was much more interested in the arts and traveling. A trip across Canada in 1889 proved the turning point in Mary's life. Not only did she meet her future husband-doctor and botanist Charles Schaffer-she also fell hopelessly in love with the mountains.After Charles' death, Mary embarked on explorations into the Canadian Rockies at a time when it was not thought proper for a woman to do so. Her most famous trips of 1907 and 1908 resulted in the rediscovery of Maligne Lake and the highly regarded book Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies. Mary eventually settled in Banff and there married her handsome young guide Billy Warren.Since her death in 1937, she continues to inspire young people and women in particular.

For fans of Grumpy Cat and Cats on Instagram there's a new cat in town--Bailey, No Ordinary Cat--of the Facebook name, is a special cat with a growing fan base, garnering over 2 million views on Ellen's Instagram and videos that have been shared by Good Morning America, ABC News, CBS News, and more. What makes Bailey more addictive than catnip? In addition to his adorable expressions and his hilarious, heartfelt antics, Bailey has a penchant for doing things that are characteristically uncatlike--things like taking bubble baths (and enjoying them), sitting attentively in a chair and being read to (for hours), getting a "pet"-icure, and his unending patience while co-raising his human siblings Abby and Hannah (yes, there is photographic evidence that Bailey helped with potty-training). If you have a cat you know how independent they are. Bailey, No Ordinary Cat celebrates the unique quirky spirit of this unforgettable feline through four-color photographs and captions from the voice of Bailey himself. Cat lovers will be delighted to peek into the life of their favorite celebrity cat with the huge eyes, huge heart, and huge personality--and an ever-growing following.

After the publication of Dan Millman's first two books, which have since become classics in the realm of spiritual literature, many readers responded with thanks and questions, saying: "I was inspired by your first two stories — but how do you apply all these lessons in daily life?" Millman's answer came in the form of his third book, aptly titled, No Ordinary Moments. Containing perspectives, principles and specific practices that formed the core of "the peaceful warrior's way" — too much information to convey in a narrative story format as he had done in his first books — so he wrote his first comprehensive "guide to daily life." Structured in five parts — The Peaceful Warrior's Way – Up the Mountain Path – Tools for Transformation – The Battle Within – and The Expanded Life — and containing chapters with titles like Heart of the Warrior's Way… In the Arena of Daily Life … When the Going Gets Tough … Getting Real … Universal Addictions … The Will to Change and many more, the book has guided hundreds of thousands of people. As Millman puts it: Our lives are like a journey up a mountain path. As we climb, we face challenges in relationships and sexuality, money, work and health. We can find abundant information and advice on these subjects. So many of us know what to do, but it remains for us to turn knowing into doing." Dan Millman presents a peaceful warrior's approach to turning intentions into action, challenges into strength, and life experience into wisdom. Based on the premise that by changing ourselves we can change our world, No Ordinary Moments offers simple, practical ways to balance the body, liberate the mind, accept our emotions and open our hearts.