Take Me

One educator's story detailing a cross-Canada run to inspire students and teachers to get outside and experience the benefits and beauty of nature. You'd think starting a non-profit organization aimed at getting young people to spend less time in front of screens and more time outside would be difficult enough. But with a decrepit support vehicle housing two dogs that despised each other, a good friend who left after five months, a lot of peanut butter, and a hope to inspire thousands of students, Colin Harris decided to start this journey by running 7600 kilometres, the equivalent of 181 marathons, across Canada. And to ensure this was a truly Canadian venture, he started in the bleak and snowy month of January. Take Me Outside is Colin's story of spending nine months running from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia, visiting over 80 schools along the way to engage with 20,000 students about the importance of spending time outside learning, playing, and exploring in the Canadian landscape. With one of the biggest and best backyards in the world, people across Canada are spending the vast majority of their time inside. Yet, our identity as Canadians has always been rooted in our relationship with the outdoors. This wildly entertaining book not only recounts what it's like to run across the world's second-largest country but also implores readers of all ages to reignite their connection with the natural world.

A plus-sized woman finally gets the man of her dreams in this sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Bella Andre. Lily Ellis has curves—soft, beautiful curves. The kind of voluptuous body she fears Travis Carson, the man she's always loved from afar, would never crave. But Lily is about to be proved wrong. Her adventure begins when the demure San Francisco interior decorator agrees to model a plus-size dress for her fashion designer sister. Watching this sensual beauty move down the runway, Travis can't believe it's the same Lily he's always known—and always rejected. In a whirlwind of electric attraction, Lily is soon moaning Travis's name in his bed, not just in her wild fantasies. But Lily is all too aware that she's nothing like his past lovers. Determined to beat Travis at his own game by guarding her true feelings, Lily partners with him on a business deal that takes them all the way to Italy. In the seductive warmth of the Tuscan sun, Lily plays a game of desire with the hot-blooded Travis. Will she be burned by an all-consuming ecstasy or will Travis open his heart to the sexy, exciting, and lasting love she has to offer?

Although Fanny is a little girl who lives in the city, she is a frequent visitor to the Smith farm. While there, she takes other visitors to places around the farm tells them stories about the Smith family, their farm, and the animals she has come to know and love. On the farm, she sees Nancy Goat, Prentice Hog, Horace Horse, and the donkey Donnell. She also gets to pay a visit to Alf the calf, Caren Crow, and Nip the dog. Fanny introduces young readers to Bobby Smith, Wiley Howard Owl, and lazy Esterleen, the twenty-year-old mule. With so many animals and sights to see, Fannys day on the farm is busy and fun!

I didn't know what I was looking for until I saw her Craigslist ad... I love my family. But my aunt? I'm so tired of her giving my mom crap because I happen to be a lesbian. So one pink-haired tattoo artist pretending to be my girlfriend will annoy my Christian fundamentalist aunt right back and make my Thanksgiving perfect.

Suspense Thriller: Take Me to Fight (Ithaca Falls Series Book 4) - A Pulse-Pounding Continuation Prepare for a pulse-pounding and suspenseful reading experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of the Ithaca Falls series, where national security is at stake, and George Hartmann finds himself at the forefront of the battle against ruthless villains. George, a military hero turned family man, never anticipated being forced out of retirement and thrust back into the world of special ops. With the safety of his loved ones hanging in the balance, he must navigate divided loyalties and put his personal interests aside to protect millions from an imminent threat. Take Me to Fight continues the gripping saga of the Ithaca Falls series, an ongoing family story that will leave you craving for more. Previously published as Limits of Protection in the George Hartmann Series, this book delves deeper into the high-stakes world that fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, Lisa Regan, and Mary Burton adore. Join the close-knit Hartmann and Davies family as they return to their cozy hometown of Ithaca Falls, New York, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Anchored by the profound affection shared between George and Alessandra, this suspense-filled story illuminates the power of human connections during the most challenging times, as they strive to protect each other at any cost. Don't miss out on this gripping series. Purchase Take Me to Fight, the fourth book in the Ithaca Falls series, and continue the pulse-pounding journey where loyalty, duty, and sacrifice intertwine. Keywords: suspense thriller, pulse-pounding, Ithaca Falls series, national security, military hero, family safety, ruthless villains, high stakes, divided loyalties, gripping saga, captivating series, Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, Lisa Regan, Mary Burton, suspense-filled story, profound affection, ongoing family saga, gripping suspense, captivating thriller, family bonds, gripping series, pulse-pounding journey.

There is a profound crisis in the United States' foster care system, Jill Duerr Berrick writes in this expertly researched, passionately written book. No state has passed the federally mandated Child and Family Service Review; two-thirds of the state systems have faced class-action lawsuits demanding change; and most tellingly, well over half of all children who enter foster care never go home. The field of child welfare has lost its way and is neglecting its fundamental responsibility to the most vulnerable children and families in America. The family stories Berrick weaves throughout the chapters provide a vivid backdrop for her statistics. Amanda, raised in foster care, began having children of her own while still a teen and lost them to the system when she became addicted to drugs. Tracy, brought up by her schizophrenic single mother, gave birth to the first of eight children at age fourteen and saw them all shuffled through foster care as she dealt drugs and went to prison. Both they and the other individuals that Berrick features spent years without adequate support from social workers or the government before finally achieving a healthier life; many people never do. But despite the clear crisis in child welfare, most calls for reform have focused on unproven prevention methods, not on improving the situation for those already caught in the system. Berrick argues that real child welfare reform will only occur when the centerpiece of child welfare - reunification, permanency, and foster care - is reaffirmed. Take Me Home reminds us that children need long-term caregivers who can help them develop and thrive. When troubled parents can't change enough to permit reunification, alternative permanency options must be pursued. And no reform will matter for the hundreds of thousands of children entering foster care each year in America unless their experience of out-of-home care is considerably better than the one many now experience. Take Me Home offers prescriptions for policy change and strategies for parents, social workers, and judges struggling with permanency decisions. Readers will come away reinvigorated in their thinking about how to get children to the homes they need.

"Someday, when I am rich, I am going to invite someone from my travels to visit me in America." Brad Newsham was only 22 when he scribbled this note in his journal with "only an immature sense of the staying power of ideas." Years later, this casual prophecy came true, and Newsham documents the events that led up to it in Take Me with You. This is the sweet story of his 100-day journey through the Philippines, India, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, as he seeks just the right person to bring to America. The book covers a wide geography not just of land, but also of spirit. "Brilliant, sharp, unswerving travel writing by a man skilled at letting the scales fall from his eyes; it is a memoir of travel seen through time and resolve - in short, a wonderful book." - Herbert Gold, author of Bohemia, Daughter Mine, and Best Nightmare on Earth