Emily is stuck with crybaby Jill Simon as her "secret Pal" to be kind to for the whole month of December.

Each student in Ms. Rooney's room celebrates the December holidays by being a secret pal to a classmate.

“Every December, the gaps close between us all; individuals, families, groups, communities, cities, states, provinces, nations, cultures, and religions. We are kinder to each other. We listen to those who are not heard, speak to those who are ignored and care about those who are disregarded. We reach out to those who are unreachable, play with those who work too hard, and laugh with those who shed too many tears. We make angels in the snow or buy our true love their favorite perfume or cologne. We give to those who sometimes only know how to take and keep, offer peace where there is unrest, and so on and so forth and so good. These are the personal things and intimate moments from which holiday memories spring — and just a few examples of the December discernments to behold in this book.” Advance Praise for The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas “Herbie J Pilato has prepared for us this delicious feast of Christmas Secrets, which he serves with love. Spend the holidays with this delightful book. It will warm your heart.” —Richard Thomas (Actor, The Waltons, The Christmas Box, Christmas vs. The Walters) “With each nostalgic turn of the page, Herbie J Pilato’s 12 Best Secrets of Christmas is written for everyone and is very relatable as the youthful Christmases we had or the ones we wished for. I found it inspirational, comforting and full of joy.” —Barry Williams (Actor, A Very Brady Christmas, Blending Christmas/Author, Growing Up Brady) “Einstein suggested to ‘make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.’ With The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas, Herbie J Pilato has done just that, artfully transforming his early experiences into heartfelt, warm, and enduring life lessons. In the guise of a seasonal offering and gleaned from his Christmas past, Pilato has distilled his introspections into a portable, poignant and insightful memoir, a wise and timeless gem of a little book. With this, as with his other work, Herbie J Pilato has again proved himself to be an American Original.” —Ed Spielman (Creator, Kung Fu, The Young Riders, among other Emmy-winning TV classics)

A snowy Christmas gathering on an island off the Cornish coast goes murderously wrong in this festive Golden Age mystery. December 1938, and storm clouds hover once again over Europe. Josephine Tey and Archie Penrose gather with friends for a Cornish Christmas, but two strange and brutal deaths on St. Michael's Mount--and the unexpected arrival of a world famous film star, in need of sanctuary--interrupt the festivities. Cut off by the sea and a relentless blizzard, the hunt for a murderer begins. Pivoting on a real moment in history, the ninth novel in the Josephine Tey series draws on all the much-loved conventions of the Golden Age Christmas mystery, while giving them the contemporary twist which has come to distinguish the books so far.

Another novel in the popular Amish Secrets series from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Spredemann that you won't be able to put down! Revisit Anna, Joe, and Harv from A Secret Encounter in this exciting sequel! One Englischer's search for answers... One Amish girl's fight for her life... They both need a Christmas miracle. When Candace Dixon discovers the truth of her past, she can't just continue on with life as usual in California. She needs answers. Does someone in Pennsylvania Amish country hold the key to the missing pieces of her life? Candace never expected to meet a precious Amish girl she’d do anything to help - or a kind, caring widower with the keys to her heart. Taylor Young is happy to help his Amish neighbors when their daughter falls ill. After all, Joseph and Anna Bender are always helping others. When he meets Candace, he sees the first woman he could love since losing his wife. But she and her family live across the country and she isn’t a believer. As one little girl fights for her life, Candace must face the secrets of her past and decide if she will trust God with her future. A Secret Christmas is an uplifting holiday romance full of faith, community, and inspiring characters guaranteed to fill you with the Christmas spirit. Books in this series: An Unforgivable Secret A Secret Encounter A Secret of the Heart An Undeniable Secret A Secret Sacrifice A Secret of the Soul A Secret Christmas Publisher's Note: Each story is between 200-300 pages and can stand alone Reader Discussion Guides are available upon request through the author's website

The brilliant blockbuster from Ben Miller - the perfect book for all the family. It's business as usual in the run up to Christmas at Santa's Workshop - and toy elves Holly and Tog are busy making gifts for children all around the world. But Father Christmas isn't feeling well, and Holly is worried that things won't be finished on time. Inventing a robot to help out with festive duties seems like a fantastic idea, until Father Christmas is KIDNAPPED and a race against time to save him and the big day begins. A funny and heartwarming story from the King of Christmas, Ben Miller – the perfect sized gift for all the family! Discover the magic of life as a Christmas Elf in all three laugh-out-loud stories that will take you round the world on Santa’s sleigh, including Diary of a Christmas Elf and the brand new Adventures of a Christmas Elf – OUT NOW! Praise for Ben Miller: 'A magical adventure' Sunday Express on The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale 'Great for reading aloud' The Week Junior on The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale 'A fire-side gem of a story' Abi Elphinstone on The Night I Met Father Christmas 'Fabulous' Sunday Express on The Boy Who Made the World Disappear 'Enchanting, funny and intriguing in equal measure' Philip Ardagh on The Night I Met Father Christmas 'Each of [Ben’s] five books is joyous and thoughtful' Red Magazine ‘A sheer delight for all kids both big AND small’ Ruth Jones on The Night I Met Father Christmas 'Bubbles with warmth and mischievous humour . . . irresistible' Alexander Armstrong on The Night I Met Father Christmas 'Wonderful, funny, magical' Chris Evans on How I Became a Dog Called Midnight

Between the late 1970s and the mid 1980s, Guatemala was torn by a civil war which came to be known as La Violencia. During this time of mass terror and extreme violence, more than 600 massacres occurred in villages destroyed by the army, one and a half million people were displaced, and more than 200,000 civilians murdered. 83% of the victims were Maya, the indigenous people of Guatemala. Buried Secrets brings these chilling statistics to life as it chronicles the journey of Mayan survivors seeking truth, justice, and community healing and demonstrates that the Guatemalan army carried out a systematic and intentional genocide against the Maya. Victoria Sanford provides us with an insider's look at the workings of the Commission for Historical Clarification through the exhumation of clandestine cemeteries. The book is based on exhaustive research, including more than 400 testimonies from massacre survivors, interviews with members of the forensic team, human rights leaders, high-ranking military officers, guerrilla combatants, and government officials. Buried Secrets traces truth-telling and political change from isolated Maya villages to national political events, and provides a unique look into the experiences of Maya survivors as they struggle to rebuild their communities and lives.

A military protector, home for the holidays romance from New York Times Bestselling Author Lynn Raye Harris. Twenty years ago, badass military commander John “Viper” Mendez lost the love of his life. But fate brought them back together when he discovered she was still alive. Now they live a happily married life - and Kat’s pregnant. As Christmas approaches, they’re more in love than ever and looking forward to welcoming their new baby. But old secrets begin to resurface and old enemies might be coming back to haunt them. The only way to know is to hire rogue mercenary Ian Black to do some dirty work while Mendez stays close to his wife and keeps her safe - and keeps the investigation a secret from her. Christmas is a time of miracles. A season of snowy promises and gifts from the heart. When the holiday lights twinkle brightest, Mendez will either go on the offensive to save his family - or discover a truth that’ll change their lives forever. **Start reading the Hostile Operations Team Series today and enjoy an action-packed, seriously romantic and steamy-good-fun military romantic suspense. Each book can be read as a standalone. No cliffhangers or cheating and a guaranteed happily-ever-after ending! KEYWORDS: Christmas, holiday romance, Navy SEAL, secret baby, romantic suspense, Military romance, romantic suspense, alpha hero, action romance, romance suspense, protector romance, redemption, forbidden love, disguise, pregnancy, reunion, tortured hero, tortured heroine, secrets, special ops romance, Christmas, holiday romance, Navy SEAL, secret baby, romantic suspense, found family, protector hero, alpha hero, later in life, home for the holidays, military, Reunited lovers, second chance, pregnancy