In Their Own Words

With all of the pressure and distractions of modern student life, young athletes really have to focus their energy if they want to achieve their goals as student-athletes. Two-time softball Olympic gold medalist Michele Smith teams up with Lawrence Hsieh to talk directly to student-athletes in fourth through ninth grades and beyond to help them develop the leadership, practice, and intangible skills necessary to become the best student-athletes and softball players that they can be. Includes chapters on leadership, opportunity, teamwork, proactive practice, perseverance, exercise and conditioning, community service, and much more.

Kami, a young Sherpa boy who is deaf, rescues his family's yaks and livelihood during a violent storm. Stunning, realistic watercolors add depth to a strong story, bringing out the drama of the Himalayan Mountains. Together they perfectly capture Kami's ability to communicate with home signs. The book is illustrated by Bert Dodson.

This fiction picture book for kids is a legend about self-esteem and recovery from bullying. Influenced by Native American legends, the book is also story about why the moon changes shapes. After the sun bullies the moon, the moon is very hurt and disappears, much to the chagrin of rabbits who miss their moonlit romps and people who miss the beauty of moonlight. With the help of a comet and her many friends on earth, the moon regains her self-confidence and resumes her place in the sky as a bright full moon.

The story helps children cope with bullies. Other themes include self-esteem/self-confidence and friendship. An educational appendix gives scientific information about the moon and suggests activities for kids.

In King Arthur's Academy, students become first-year students at the magical King Arthur's Academy, as they complete writing exercises that ask them to explore the castle grounds, express what it feels like to swing a sword, interview the famous Knights of the Round Table, and much more.

In Haunted House, students become tour guides at a local haunted house, as they complete writing exercises that ask them to help advertise the house, interview ghosts, prepare menus for a monster's feast, write scary stories for the company Halloween party, and much more.

The Navigator is a novel study guide about Sarah, Plain and Tall, a Newbery Award winning novel by Patricia MacLachlan. This guide encourages advanced readers to develop their skills at analyzing and interpreting literature through structured questions and activities that highlight themes and concepts, literary elements, and real world connections contained within the book. Students are also able to develop their own vocabulary and writing skills by exploring and emulating the language and style used by the author. In addition, several research activities are included in the Navigator. The first edition was printed in 2003, and the second edition appeared during the spring of 2007.

The William & Mary Navigator is a novel study guide for Jumanji, a classic book by Chris Van Allsburg. It is a resource for teachers and students in elementary classrooms and is, in effect, a "cliff notes" version of this classic text.

In the second book in the "Millie series," Mildred Wallace, age 11, no longer has the messiest bedroom in the world but is just as rebellious as ever, and her long-time rivalry with Pam Roberts continues. Millie has to find ways to live with Pam Roberts and to express her identity while trying to survive the fifth grade.

Dr. Suzanna E. Henshon finished a PhD at William & Mary in May 2005 and now teaches full time at Florida Gulf Coast University. This is her second novel.

Spell It! is the official 2007 study booklet of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. It contains more than 700 words divided into sections by language of origin, as well as rules, tips, and guidelines for successfully spelling words in English, and practice exercises to increase understanding of word origins. With a print run of 800,000 it is intended to reach all middle-schoolers in the U.S. who wish to participate in their local sponsored spelling bee and get on the track to regional and national competitions.

Influenced by Native American folktales, this fascinating story deals with overcoming adversity, self-confidence, and understanding the phases of the moon. After the sun insults her, the moon gets very upset and disappears--much to the chagrin of rabbits who miss their moonlight romps. With the help of her friends, the moon gains more self-confidence each day until she is back to her full size. The "Creative Minds" section explains the phases of the moon and helps to answer those pesky questions like "Why is the moon up during the day?" or "Why does the shape of the moon change?" Moon crafts and games supplement the understanding.

A full-length play for children and families about a teenager in rural Iowa who finds she can talk to Joan of Arc.

Were They Equal? is a lively and ethical tale from the Ndowe people of Africa, told and illustrated by Dr. Arnold Perey. It tells how Tortoise tricks two very big animals, Elephant and Hippopotamus, into being kinder and smarter. It is a little tale against prejudice that children love. Good and evil are in a big tug of war, and good is victorious.

The adventures of a bee who ventures forth to find some nectar for the queen he loves.

Looking for God in Harry Potter is the first and only critical work to examine the texts of the Harry Potter series in the light of the Western canon and classical tradition. Granger's conclusion from this look at the books in context of the English literary tradition and Rowling's education (she is a classicist and 'Great Books' wonk) is surprising. Far from being the threat to Christian belief as many have imagined, the popular novels are revealed to be 'smuggling the Gospel' implicitly and explicity as did the works of Tolkien, Lewis, Sayers, and Williams, the so-called 'Inklings.' Granger's insights about Rowling's use of alchemical imagery, the doppelganger motif, and her bold use of Christian symbols and theology in the books make this a challenging and compelling read.