Catherine is a hula-hooping performance artist, a talented and independent individual. Columbine is a feisty female clown in a 16th century Italian commedia dell'arte commissioned to perform before the King of France. As Catherine and Columbine struggle to make sense of a nonsensical world, their lives, as if by magic, seem to interact.

A spunky African American girl has a hula-hooping competition with her friends in Harlem, and soon everyone in the neighborhood--young and old alike--joins in on the fun.

Presents lighthearted explanations of the chemistry behind sixty-seven everyday objects and processes, from foods and shampoos to flatulence and anesthetics.

"Exploring the health benefits that the hula hoop can foster in both the physical and mental sense, "Hoopdance Revolution" is a choice and highly recommended addition to health and self-help collections, recommended." Midwest Bookwatch If you are looking for healthy fun, regardless of your age, size, or level of fitness, this hands-on guidebook is for you. "Hoopdance Revolution" puts a new spin on that favorite childhood pastime, hula hooping. Find out how it evolved into a fitness program, what makes hoopdance so popular today, and why it is steadily gaining followers worldwide. As the counterculture of hoopdance took hold in recent decades, it gradually merged with other forms of dance, aerobic exercise, and yoga. Author Jan Camp takes readers to her first hoopdance class and introduces us to professionals in the field across the United States and abroad. Their fascinating stories reveal the unsuspected physical and mental benefits of playing with a hoop. With this simple tool, you can dance your way to greater stamina, sharper mental acuity, and emotional balance, and you may even find that hoopdancing increases your spiritual awareness and overall sense of well-being. The book's website at www.HoopDanceBook.com hosts over a hundred videos of tutorials and performances."

A Hula-Hooping moose, a badger with a bumblebee umbrella, a rabbit in a cashmere sweater, and a very wet bear star in this unpredictable and laugh-out-loud picture book in which having fun gets the best of a grumpy bear. It looks like a wet and dreary day for Bear and his trio of friends. How could he possibly have fun when he is soaked? But Badger, Rabbit, and Moose don't seem to mind. In fact, Moose can still hula hoop! And it looks like so much fun. Might Bear like to try? Here is a story that shows that fun is not dependent on sunshine and blue skies. In fact, it might be more fun to be soaked!

An outstanding collection of short fiction from a bold new voice in contemporary literature. The 13 stories in Karen Hitchcock's debut collection Little White Slips showcase a formidable new talent. One of the most exciting recruits to the Australian Picador list in years, Karen's writing is deeply personal, strikingly feminine, heart-breakingly beautiful, at times fearless and confronting, and frequently hilarious. Whether tackling a troubled marriage using an action figure of Sigmund Freud, celebrating the apparent triumph of weight loss, or coping with the stresses of balancing a career with motherhood, the joys and frustrations of our lives are laid bare. Hitchcock's often painfully honest observations are balanced by a wry humour and sharp wit. And with stories encompassing growing up, love, betrayal, sex, marriage, self-image, and our relationships with family, friends and food, there are few women (and the odd man) who will not recognise themselves in these tales. 'Darkly funny and original.' The Sunday Telegraph 'Compulsively readable ... Hitchcock has such a distinctive voice and sensibility, clever without being obnoxious, warm, and earthy ... she is quite a find.' The Australian 'Short stories are making a comeback -- and thank goodness; otherwise readers might have been denied the challenge and pleasure of Little White Slips.' The Sydney Morning Herald

"A nostalgic celebration of the most beloved toys of decades past - like Twister, LEGOs, My Little Ponies, Lite Brite, Viewmaster, Transformers ... and much more. Attractive, gifty, and fully illustrated with photos of vintage toy packaging, advertisements, and of course the toys themselves, Toy Time! is chock full of fun facts, trivia, and memories about the toys you cherished most"--

It was a time when color television was the newest technology, the hula hoop was the latest fad and the evening news typically began with coverage of the Vietnam War. At 116 Nevada Street in Dubuque, Iowa, life was reasonably good. In this memoir, author Roger Neuhaus reminisces about his life in this time period, growing up as one of eight children in a strict Catholic family. Nostalgic and often humorous, (Mostly) True Confessions of a Recovering Catholic tells of a neighborhood filled with youthful adventures and an array of Catholic grade school and church experiences, including a colorful cast of mischievous characters. This anthology of anecdotes takes place from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, addressing the changing times of the era. Neuhaus narrates tales of a simpler time and place, one filled with the wonder, excitement, and playfulness of youth. (Mostly) True Confessions of a Recovering Catholic shows how the teachings of the Catholic Church and his familys core values worked to shape the future of one young man.