The Truth Behind Your Crappy Sun Sign This is a book for anyone who is irritated by the disconnect between the perky promises and mindlessly cheerfully affirmations that apply to a specific sun sign and the crappy week that ensues. It is the ultimate corrective to the plethora of happy sappy horoscope books and inane astrology columns that appear in daily newspapers around the world. Revealing the truth (whether you like it or not) about your star sign, Bad Birthdays uncovers the true quirks, oddities, and unpleasantries that characterize your unlucky sign of the zodiac and rule your destiny. When it comes to love, do you think that watery Pisces are naturally romantic lovers? Think again—if you’re unfortunate enough to have a relationship with a Plagued Pisces or a Contemptible Cancer, you’re in trouble. Reference the relationship sections to rate your compatibility with other star signs, or at least highlight where the cracks are going to show. With special sections detailing the unlucky personalities with whom you share your birthday, as well as unfortunate events that might have happened on your birthday, Bad Birthdays contains all you’ll never need to know about your sign. So whether you’re a Cursed Capricorn, a Tragic Taurus, or a Lousy Libra, we’re all doomed to a destiny that is far less peachy than everyday astrologers would have us believe.

Bad guys are not allowed to have birthdays, pick blueberries, or disturb the baby. So say the four-year-olds who announce life's risks and dangers as they play out the school year in Vivian Paley's classroom. Their play is filled with warnings. They invent chaos in order to show that everything is under control. They portray fear to prove that it can be conquered. No theme is too large or too small for their intense scrutiny. Fantasy play is their ever dependable pathway to knowledge and certainty. " It . . . takes a special teacher to value the young child's communications sufficiently, enter into a meaningful dialogue with the youngster, and thereby stimulate more productivity without overwhelming the child with her own ideas. Vivian Paley is such a teacher."—Maria W. Piers, in the American Journal of Education "[Mrs. Paley's books] should be required reading wherever children are growing. Mrs. Paley does not presume to understand preschool children, or to theorize. Her strength lies equally in knowing that she does not know and in trying to learn. When she cannot help children—because she can neither anticipate nor follow their thinking—she strives not to hinder them. She avoids the arrogance of adult to small child; of teacher to student; or writer to reader."—Penelope Leach, author of Your Baby & Child in the New York Times Book Review "[Paley's] stories and interpretation argue for a new type of early childhood education . . . a form of teaching that builds upon the considerable knowledge children already have and grapple with daily in fantasy play."—Alex Raskin, Los Angeles Times Book Review "Through the 'intuitive language' of fantasy play, Paley believes, children express their deepest concerns. They act out different roles and invent imaginative scenarios to better understand the real world. Fantasy play helps them cope with uncomfortable feelings. . . . In fantasy, any device may be used to draw safe boundaries."—Ruth J. Moss, Psychology Today

OH NO!!! You found The Worst Book in the Whole Entire World! Well, since you're already here I may as well tell you about it... Poor Nameless tries to explain to the reader why this book is simply the WORST book in the whole entire world. Will he succeed in his noble quest? Is he the reason this book is the worst?? Will it have a happy ending or the worst ending ever??? The Worst Book in the Whole Entire World is a humorous and witty tale for young and seasoned readers. Whatever you do though, don't read it out loud! You may catch wind of these words: toot, stinky, booger, and booty. You've been warned, but you'll still want to see what happens next!

It was Boa’s birthday. It was going to be the best one ever. Or so he hoped. He invited his friends round. They would all bring him wonderful presents. Or would they? A hilarious tale to encourage young children to accept presents gracefully, from the award-winning team of Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross.

In this comic twist on The Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf is shocked when the Pig family throws him a surprise birthday party. The comedy-tinged suspense and the softening up of a famous bully will have children squealing with delight.

Ben likes to play with robots. His little sister, Alice, would like to play with Ben. But when she and her doll try to join Ben's games, Ben says, "No dolls allowed. This is a robot game." That's why Alice asks for a robot for her birthday. Not just any robot. The exact robot Ben has been wanting forever! Ben is very, very jealous. He wants that robot. Now. Maybe he could sneak it out of its wrapping during Alice's birthday party and play with it for awhile. Nobody will know. Right? But Ben's bad idea goes very wrong and he feels terrible. Now it's up to him to show Alice that a sister is more important than even the best robot toy in the world.

There are plenty of people out there who never get the birthday they dream of. They just can't seem to break their unlucky streak and get what they really want on their special day. So what better way to ease their pain than pranking them with this book? That's right, this is the perfect gag gift for anyone out there who has a sense of humor. Don't just get the person who matters to you a little nothing of a gift. Get them the ultimate experience they've been waiting for their entire life. It's time to kiss bad birthdays goodbye and make sure everyone you know gets the best possible birthday they could ever ask for. Or maybe you know someone down on their luck. Maybe they deserve something better than a stagnant waste of a day that should matter more than most people care to realize. If that's the case then this respectable piece of literature will fit perfectly on their shelf. Let's spread this movement around the world and cure everyone of their bad birthdays. So get ready to jump into bed with a random guy you don't know. With an uncanny taste for mending wounds and setting the record straight, he's sure to get the job done. You're in for a rundown so raw you'll be aching at the stakes from the good time you never thought was possible until now. So get your birthday suit on and get ready for the best birthday experience the world has to offer. It's time to get the gift you deserve.

Share in fifty years of a really remarkable cat... A special birthday story to celebrate fifty years of MOG, everyone’s favourite family cat!

On her thirty-sixth birthday, a Los Angeles high school art teacher reflects on her life and love affairs in a series of addresses written to herself on seven consecutive birthdays.

What does it take to go from being a fan to professional television writer? For the first time outside of the UCLA Extension Writers' Programme classrooms, TV writers whose many produced credits include The Simpsons, House M.D., and Pretty Little Liars take aspiring writers through the process of writing their first spec script for an on-air series, creating one-hour drama and sitcom pilots that break out from the pack, and revising scripts to meet pro standards. Learn how to launch and sustain a writing career and get a rare, intimate look inside the yearlong process of creating, selling, and getting a TV show made. Edited by writers' program director Linda Venis, Inside the Room is the ultimate guide to writing one's way into the Writers Guild of America. "Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art." - Kirkus Reviews