Not My Story

Imagine you have found the ideal new home for yourself and your young daughter after several years of upheaval. You can't believe your luck! Not only is the new house wonderful, but your handsome (single) neighbour introduces himself to you within the first week of your arrival and there is more than a hint of romance in the air. Then - the unthinkable happens. A home invasion and rape. Just six months after moving in. Not My Story traces the tumultuous journey of the author through the foreign landscape of rape survivor. It follows the twists and turns of the police investigation, from the gruelling statement-taking marathon to the comprehensive forensic examination on the morning of the assault. The depressing and traumatising process of creating an identikit image which yielded no result. The book explores how rape trauma affects us and documents from the inside one person's recovery process. The title asserts the author's conviction that survivors do not have to be defined by the actions of others. After the perpetrator's eventual capture the justice process began and here the glaring omissions of the victim's needs were all too apparent as the legal machinery ground into action. The rape raised so many questions about crime, prisons and the possibilities of restorative justice, and eventually the author braved a mediation conference with the unknown perpetrator 6 years after the assault. From the very morning of the assault, the author was gripped by the need for "something good" to come out of the atrocity. She tried working with the media, giving evidence to an Inquiry, and spent countless hours volunteering for grassroots organisations to introduce advocacy into the service delivery mix. She learned the hard way that more than good intent is required to bring about service enhancements in an area few people want to talk about. Not My Story is a kitchen sink memoir featuring a home invasion, rape, social and restorative justice, parenting and a love affair. If you have been assaulted, this book may speak to you; it is for you. If you have never been assaulted, this book will help you to support loved ones who have gone through this profoundly wounding experience. We need to talk about this stuff.

When two friends—a sock monkey and a plush toy dog—get into an argument during playtime, Monkey gets his feelings hurt and proclaims, “You are not my friend!” But when he takes his ball to find someone new to play with, he quickly learns that maybe he hasn’t been a very good friend, either.Bestselling author/illustrator Daniel Kirk uses bold and humorous illustrations to convey the important message that sharing and other acts of friendship are two-way streets. Praise for You Are Not My Friend, But I Miss You "Kirk’s skillfully paced mix of vignettes, close-ups and long shots guide readers smoothly through this emotional odyssey." --Kirkus Reviews "His frequent use of bold, large-scale drawing captures Monkey’s equally outsize temperament, while the emphatic, minimal text is subtly poignant and supremely performable." --Publishers Weekly

Offering a systematic approach for aspiring and working screenwriters, "My Story Can Beat Up Your Story" helps writers create professional, sellable stories that work for every genre. The book features examples from more than 70 movies.

Sometimes, you do not write your story, it writes you. You don't choose your story, it chooses you. But would you believe it if someone told you, 'This is Not Your Story'? Would you have the courage to rewrite it? Shaurya, a CA student. This is his story of following his dreams. Miraya, an interior designer. This is her story of believing in love. Anubhav, an aspiring entrepreneur. This is his story of giving life another chance. After her record-breaking debut novel Everyone Has A Story, Savi Sharma tells a transforming tale of courage, hope and self-discovery.

We all have stories. Mine is really not that much different from anyone else. The difference is I choose to share them. During this journey, I had completed one assignment after another. I have reached and made it through my challenges, allowing now the blessings to follow to fulfill my purpose. The greatest gift I have given myself is to love myself and then enjoying doing things for myself. This book explains the procedures, rules, and precautions to making your journey successful and helps manage mistakes and disappointments. I was called to serve and help others along this journey through sharing my story. By sharing, it will impact the lives of others in a positive way. Help others to improve their quality of life and learn to answer their calling and know their purpose. By internalizing the information in this book, many readers will have gained a greater understanding of life’s purpose. It will be a privilege to those who answer their calling in order to experience it. For some facing the man in the mirror, it will cause a positive change and bring about a resetting of priorities. Make it clear to yourself to never be afraid of the depth of love toward another and provide every relationship with a dedication and a lot of effort response. This will cause demands on a high expectation to start a moment for the better in your life, without expecting demands or approval from another person that only knows your name but not your story.

One woman's stories of strength arising from embracing vulnerability and of doors that opened in journeying to open-heatedness, powerfully shifting the shape of her life.

New York Times Bestseller! Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream? Ask Isabella... She takes a wild ride-and discovers the sky's the limit! "This story...speaks frankly about self-identity and self affirmation as Isabella decides at the end that she is actually herself...because she possesses the best parts of all of the women she looks up to." -ForeWord Magazine "The colorful mixed-media artwork reinforces the fanciful, upbeat tone of the book. Use this story to ignite young readers' interest in women's history." -School Library Journal Who Is Your Hero? Isabella's include U.S. Astronaut Sally Ride, activist Rosa Parks, and sharpshooter Annie Oakley-but there's no bigger hero than Isabella's own mommy! Join Isabella on an adventure of discovery-and find out how imagining to be these extraordinary women teaches her the importance of being her extraordinary self. A rollicking read-aloud and terrific "read-to-myself" story, My Name Is Not Isabella is capturing hearts and awards, including: Silver ForeWord Book of the Year Award for Picture Books Gold Moonbeam Children's Book Award Gold Independent Publisher Book Award Amelia Bloomer List Jennifer Fosberry is a science geek turned children's book writer. Until recently, she worked as a project manager in Silicon Valley in the high-tech electronic field. She currently divides her time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Costa Rica with her husband and three children. Mike Litwin combines a variety of media to create scenes that serve the imagination and education of women. A graduate of the East Carolina University School of Art and Design, he plays both designer and illustrator with an often wacky, always delightful style that uniquely blends playful innocence with devilish mischief. Illustrating and telling stories for children is his passion, his entertainment, and his dream. He currently lives in Greenville, North Carolina, with his wife and three daughters.

Deborah Ellis, activist and award-winning author of The Breadwinner interviews young people involved in the criminal justice system and lets them tell their own stories. Jamar found refuge in a gang after leaving an abusive home where his mother stole from him. Fred was arrested for assault with a weapon, public intoxication and attacking his mother while on drugs. Jeremy first went to court at age fourteen (“Court gives you the feeling that you can never make up for what you did, that you’re just bad forever”) but now wears a Native Rights hat to remind him of his strong Métis heritage. Kate, charged with petty theft and assault, finally found a counselor who treated her like a person for the first time. Many readers will recognize themselves, or someone they know, somewhere in these stories. Being lucky or unlucky after making a mistake. The encounter with a mean cop or a good one. Couch-surfing, or being shunted from one foster home to another. The kids in this book represent a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations and ethnicities. Every story is different, but there are common threads — loss of parenting, dislocation, poverty, truancy, addiction, discrimination. The book also includes the points of view of family members as well as “voices of experience” — adults looking back at their own experiences as young offenders. Most of all, this book leaves readers asking the most pressing questions of all. Does it make sense to put kids in jail? Can’t we do better? Have we forgotten that we were once teens ourselves, feeling powerless to change our lives, confused about who we were and what we wanted, and quick to make a move without a thought for the consequences? Key Text Features illustrations photographs further reading glossary resources Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.